Because the filming is done in a closed environment, the staff is not allowed to leave the set except in special circumstances. The actors cannot accept any other engagements during the shooting and promotional periods, ensuring the normal progress of filming and various promotional activities after the shoot.

Of course, Gu Xuanze is an exception.

After all, he is the boss, the one who pays, and doesn’t need to sign a contract.

As long as it doesn’t affect the filming, Wu Liyi doesn’t bother with him.

This contract can be seen as an unreasonable clause from any perspective. A TV series usually takes at least three to five months to finish, especially since this is the annual blockbuster of the Gu family, so the time may be even longer.

This is an adventurous situation for many actors, especially popular idols, as they could easily be replaced by newcomers if they disappear from the public eye for too long.

However, the attention for this show is immense, and with top-tier production, many excellent actors like Lu Youze and idols like Ou Yan, who have influence in the entertainment industry, have signed the contract without hesitation.

Due to the contract, even if Ou Yan wanted to quickly practice horse riding, he couldn’t; the only option was to practice on the set. Although Wu Liyi mentioned that he didn’t need to actually ride, just having him on the horse for a close-up shot would be enough.

But Ou Yan didn’t want to lose to anyone; he was only competing with himself.

There was another more selfish reason—he didn’t want to be looked down upon by Lu Youze.

That feeling was enough to experience once.

Today, Ou Yan had only a few minutes of scenes, and it happened to be an outdoor shoot. After finishing his scenes, he couldn’t return to the hotel alone. Others were still preparing for their next scene, and Ou Yan, with nothing to do, sat on a chair that his assistant brought him.

When he raised his eyes, he saw Lu Youze not far away.

Ou Yan coldly watched Lu Youze, who was sticking to Lu Youxi like a piece of chewing gum. It was so annoying to look at.

One Gu Xuanze, one Lu Youxi… it turns out Lu Youze isn’t just wagging his tail for Lu Youxi.

But why not me?

Ou Yan was startled by the sudden thought and quickly withdrew his gaze, too afraid to look at Lu Youze again.

Sitting here would only bring more trouble, so he decided to practice horse riding.

Ou Yan picked a white horse from the props master, one that looked gentle, and led it to a wider area of grass. The crew had also hired a professional to teach him, but Ou Yan hadn’t paid much attention.

“Brother Yan, are you sure you’re okay alone?” his assistant asked anxiously. “Should I go get the professional?”

If something happened to this little emperor, not to mention the agency and Ou Yan’s family, but his fans would tear him apart.

“No need!” Ou Yan refused directly. “You stay here, I’ll practice on my own. I’ll call you if anything happens.”

The assistant could only helplessly watch him go.

Meanwhile, Lu Youze had been eagerly waiting for his first scene with Lu Youxi. Of course, he wanted to perform well. Although the phone call from the other day had made Youxi’s attitude toward him a little better, every time they met, Youxi still kept a cold face and wouldn’t even call him “brother.”

Lu Youze had been looking forward to this scene since last night. He knew that in this scene, Youxi would address him as “Brother” repeatedly. Even though they couldn’t hear it outside the scene, he would still enjoy it in the scene.

Lu Youze had been so excited, like a schoolchild looking forward to a spring outing, that he hadn’t slept well the whole night. When Gu Xuanze saw his dark circles the next morning, he was shocked. He hadn’t expected his lover to have such a childish side.

Of course, Gu Xuanze didn’t want this to happen again. Lack of sleep could be harmful to the body, so he had prepared a lot of nutritious meals to help him recover.

Lu Youze, in a good mood, cooperated fully with Gu Xuanze. He even drank the Chinese medicine that he usually complained about.

“You’re so obedient, now I’m a bit jealous,” Gu Xuanze said as he wiped his lover’s lips with a tissue. His face remained expressionless, so it was hard to tell if he was serious.

Lu Youze heard this and immediately pulled his lover’s head down for a passionate kiss.

“I wouldn’t do this to Youxi.”

Thinking of Gu Xuanze’s seductive expression after being kissed, Lu Youze licked his lips and suddenly wanted to kiss him again.

Lu Youxi glanced at Lu Youze, who was suddenly showing a strange smile, but didn’t even spare him a cold glance.

Lu Youze, used to Youxi’s indifference, didn’t mind and moved closer to him. He saw that Youxi was reading a script, and noticing the dense annotations on it, he understood what to talk about next.

“Youxi, I think this part should be like this,” Lu Youze said enthusiastically, completely ignoring Youxi’s cold face, talking about his understanding of the scene. The more he spoke, the more serious his expression became.

Lu Youze had already read this script at least ten times, and his understanding of it was deeper than most others. He had some unique insights.

At first, Youxi didn’t want to engage with him, but as he listened, he couldn’t help but be drawn in. Lu Youze explained in such detail that many things he hadn’t noticed before suddenly became clear.

He couldn’t help but glance at Lu Youze again. All the memories he thought he had thrown away came rushing back. Back then, this brother was the most impressive person in his heart, the direction he had been trying to follow.

Realizing that his emotions were affected by the past, Youxi quickly shifted his gaze, his face even colder than before. He kept reminding himself that those were things of the past, and since they had been thrown into the trash, there was no need to pick them up again.

Gu Xuanze didn’t join in on the brothers’ conversation. He just stood at a distance, watching their interaction. Even though he had been dating Lu Youze for some time, it still felt somewhat unreal to him. If this had happened in the past, it might have taken a whole year for him to see so many changes in Lu Youze’s expressions. Of course, this was excluding acting. He couldn’t take his eyes off his lover, and then suddenly felt a bit of heartache for him. Looking at Lu Youze like this, it seemed that repairing their relationship would still take a long time.

At that moment, Gu Xuanze’s phone rang.

It was a call from Ye Xing, and Gu Xuanze’s expression darkened. Being in the middle of a shoot, Ye Xing should have been more focused on spending time with Ah Hao, and it was unlikely that he would contact him under normal circumstances.

He didn’t answer immediately, but walked a little further away and, once sure no one was nearby, dialed him back.

“Ye Xing,” Gu Xuanze’s voice was colder. “What’s the matter?”

“The young master’s attitude is so cold, isn’t it? Am I not allowed to contact the young master when there’s nothing going on?” Ye Xing’s tone was still irritating. “Could it be that I interrupted your good things?”

“Speak if you have something to say.” Gu Xuanze had no intention of engaging in a verbal spar with him. “If not, I’m hanging up.”

As soon as Lu Youze heard Ye Xing’s voice, he found it bothersome and, if possible, wanted to hang up immediately.

“Don’t.” Ye Xing’s tone suddenly turned serious. “Tell Yuan Baiyue to pay attention. That Yu Li has been acting up lately.”

“Do I need to be afraid of him?”

“It’s always good to be cautious,” Ye Xing reminded him. “Don’t forget, you have a little secret. If I can find out, maybe Yu Li can too.”

Gu Xuanze’s expression darkened: “I understand.”

And then he hung up.

After hanging up, Lu Youze thought for a moment before dialing Yuan Baiyue’s number.

After listening to his friend’s complaints, Gu Xuanze finally spoke: “Ah Yuan, keep an eye on Yu Li’s movements.”

“What? That guy still wants to cause trouble?” Yuan Baiyue sounded a bit surprised.

“Just pay attention to him,” Gu Xuanze replied.

“I understand,” Yuan Baiyue said. “I’ll have people keep an eye on him. If anything unusual happens, I’ll notify you immediately!”

“Thanks for your hard work!”

After hanging up, Gu Xuanze adjusted his emotions slightly before returning.