The conversation was not finished when Lu Youze suddenly felt a wave of darkness and collapsed straight forward.

Lu Youxi’s face changed drastically. He wanted to step forward and support the falling Lu Youze, but Ou Yan’s actions were quicker.

“Go call a doctor,” Ou Yan said, lifting Lu Youze in a bridal carry. He turned to Lu Youxi, who was still standing in place, and added, “Gu Xuanze should have a doctor with the crew.”

Although Ou Yan appeared fragile, his strength was considerable. He carried the tall Lu Youze to a nearby resting area and laid him on his designated rattan chair. Seeing the sweat on Lu Youze’s face, Ou Yan quickly wiped it away with his sleeve.

“Hot!” Lu Youze murmured unconsciously. He had only fainted for a brief moment, and upon waking, he felt parched, which gave him a bad feeling. He couldn’t help but think, Could it be that I’m going into heat again? But that didn’t seem possible; at least the timing didn’t add up. After the last incident, Lu Youze had made sure to brush up on Omega biology and remembered that the cycle for heat wasn’t so frequent. Yet his body was reacting the same as it had before, and though he didn’t know what was wrong, Lu Youze figured it was better to be cautious, especially since Ou Yan, the young Alpha, was still nearby. Lu Youze suppressed his discomfort and calmly said, “Ou Yan, stay away from me.”

Ou Yan froze for a moment, and his pretty face immediately grew cold. He had been worried about Lu Youze’s condition, but now he said, with a frosty expression, “What? The great actor Lu Youze is acting like this, and you still have the energy to complain about me?”

Lu Youze glanced at Ou Yan and realized that he had misunderstood. He couldn’t help but scoff inwardly, thinking that this young master, who was usually so arrogant, had such a fragile heart. But he couldn’t let Ou Yan continue to misunderstand. It had taken him so long to ease their relationship, and it would be a shame if a small misunderstanding caused it to fall apart again.

“Ou Yan, I don’t dislike you,” Lu Youze explained directly. Dealing with pride required being straightforward. After speaking, he took a deep breath, his handsome face uncontrollably reddening, and his body reacted with desire, making his voice grow hoarse. “I thought I made myself clear just now.”

“I don’t care whether you like me or not!” Ou Yan awkwardly began, but he stopped mid-sentence. He had suddenly smelled the scent of prairie-like pheromones in the air, and it all clicked. Though he understood what was happening, he still felt oddly unsettled, but he couldn’t pinpoint why. He tried to focus on the strange feeling but was overwhelmed by the intensity of Lu Youze’s pheromones.

“Lu…” Ou Yan looked back at Lu Youze, and that glance made him catch his breath. He couldn’t help but lick his lips, and even he felt his mouth go dry. Perhaps it was the heat, but Lu Youze had loosened the collar of his shirt, exposing his delicate, pale collarbones in front of him.

It looked damn sexy.

Ou Yan had always prided himself on his self-control. He never fell for the Omega pheromones during their heat cycles, and his friends sometimes teased him, saying he had issues in that area. Every time they questioned his abilities, he would just snort and refuse to explain.

Now, he couldn’t understand why he was so affected. He clearly disliked Lu Youze, but the pheromones were stirring up his desires. Before he could think further, Gu Xuanze arrived with a doctor.

From a distance, Gu Xuanze had already smelled Lu Youze’s pheromones and noticed how close Ou Yan was. His face, already dark with concern for Lu Youze, became even more unpleasant. He purposefully released his own pheromones, both to calm Lu Youze and warn Ou Yan not to covet what didn’t belong to him.

Ou Yan felt the hostility in Gu Xuanze’s pheromones and wasn’t pleased. The young Alpha was about to release his own pheromones in retaliation when he suddenly realized the strange feeling had a logical explanation.

Lu Youze didn’t have the scent of Gu Xuanze’s pheromones, which Omega usually carried when marked by an Alpha. This scent repels other Alphas, especially when the Omega is in heat. It was clear that Gu Xuanze hadn’t marked Lu Youze—those were likely just temporary marks.

Ou Yan gave Lu Youze a complicated look, then stepped aside, making room for Gu Xuanze. His heart was a mess, and something inside him was starting to break free, but he wasn’t ready to face it.

Gu Xuanze quickly reached Lu Youze’s side. Seeing that his collar was open and his clothes were disheveled, his face grew even colder.

Outside, the sun was blazing, and the heat was unbearable, but around Gu Xuanze, it felt as if the air was frosted, making people instinctively keep their distance.

Lu Youze, feeling the familiar Alpha’s pheromones, felt much more comfortable and unconsciously leaned into Gu Xuanze. This move calmed Gu Xuanze’s expression a little.

As soon as Lu Youze fainted, Gu Xuanze had urgently called for the crew’s doctor. By the time they arrived, other crew members had gathered around, and the area was filled with people.

Gu Xuanze discreetly blocked the gazes of the curious onlookers and, after learning what was going on with Lu Youze, told the doctor, “He just overheated. I’ll take him back to rest.”

The doctor, not a fool, smiled awkwardly and said, “The weather is indeed hot, so I’ll prescribe something to prevent heatstroke for Mr. Lu.”

“Thank you,” Gu Xuanze nodded and then turned to the crew members. His face remained expressionless as he said, “Don’t you all have other things to do?”

Wu Liyi came over at that moment, glanced at Lu Youze, and impatiently said, “What are you all standing around for? Hurry up, we’re continuing the scene in five minutes.”

When the boss and director spoke, only the brave would stay to watch.

A few minutes later, only a few remained.

Ou Yan stood still, unfazed by Gu Xuanze’s warning glance. He said nothing and just quietly watched.

As Gu Xuanze helped Lu Youze towards the car, he quietly asked, “Youze, can you walk? Do you need me to carry you to the car?”

He actually wanted to carry him directly but had to consider Lu Youze’s feelings. After all, the great actor was quite prideful, and since they had just reconciled, Gu Xuanze didn’t want to do anything to upset him.

“Help me,” Lu Youze said. He appreciated his lover’s concern and, perhaps because of the special circumstances, felt even more reliant on him.

Lu Youxi’s expression was complicated. He seemed like he wanted to say something but felt awkward. He opened his mouth but said nothing.

As Lu Youze passed by him, he seemed to sense his younger brother’s awkwardness. He stopped and patted Lu Youxi’s shoulder, as if encouraging him. “Youxi, do your best later! I believe you won’t lose to Lin Jun.”

He kept his hand on Lu Youxi’s shoulder, and to his surprise, Lu Youxi didn’t shake it off. Instead, he rarely responded, “Don’t underestimate me.”

Lu Youze was pleased. It seemed his efforts to mend their relationship were not in vain. Although old wounds couldn’t be healed overnight, at least his younger brother’s attitude toward him was slowly changing.

“Our Youxi is always the best,” he smiled.

Seeing Lu Youze’s cheerful smile, Lu Youxi felt a little dazed. He turned his body to the side and didn’t say anything else.

Lu Youze was glad to see Lu Youxi soften, but his body was not cooperating. Though Gu Xuanze’s pheromones had provided some relief, the burning sensation had not subsided. If he kept going like this, he would embarrass himself and have to be carried to the car by Gu Xuanze.

“Youxi, I’ll go rest in my room for a bit,” Lu Youze said to his brother, “I’ll see you later.”

As Gu Xuanze supported Lu Youze past Ou Yan, he heard Ou Yan murmur in a barely audible voice, “Gu Xuanze, so you haven’t marked him yet?”

Gu Xuanze’s expression turned cold. He didn’t stop walking, and without a word, he left.

“Lots of happy things today,” Ou Yan said to his assistant, his voice loud enough for Gu Xuanze to hear.

The assistant was confused but kept quiet. “As long as you’re happy, Ge.”