“Ah Yuan, what happened?” He asked expressionlessly. As Lu Youze moved further away, his voice grew quieter. “Has Yu Li started making a move?”

Once Gu Xuanze completely left the restaurant, Lu Youze’s expression became serious. He picked up his phone and dialed a familiar number: “Xiao You, it’s your Lu Ge. Can you do me a favor?”

On the other side, Gu Xuanze walked straight to the back door of the hotel. The sky had already darkened, and the light by the back door seemed broken, leaving the area pitch black. No one would come. On the phone, Yuan Baiyue seemed to be saying something, and Gu Xuanze’s face darkened.

“Ah Yuan, are you sure?” Gu Xuanze gripped the phone tightly, his gaze unsettling. If you looked closely, you’d notice the resentment he was desperately trying to hide. “Did Yu Li really go looking for that person?”

“Yes.” On the other side of the line, Yuan Baiyue’s voice was heavy. “That person seems to have already returned to B City.”

Gu Xuanze’s body shuddered. He clenched his fists so tightly that his fingers dug into his flesh without him even noticing.

“Xuanze, are you okay?” Yuan Baiyue asked, his tone worried.

“What could possibly be wrong with me?” Gu Xuanze sneered. Though he often appeared expressionless, at this moment, he was cold to the core. “I was able to kick him out of the Gu family back then. Now I can do it again. Ah Yuan, I have some things to take care of. I’ll hang up now. Keep an eye on Yu Li. Call me immediately if anything happens.”

After hanging up, Gu Xuanze stood quietly for a while, as if blending with the dark night itself.

After a long time, or maybe just a short while, he unwillingly dialed Ye Xing’s number. “Ye Xing, make sure to keep an eye on Ah Hao. Don’t let him run around alone.”

“What’s going on?” Ye Xing didn’t mock him as usual. The young master would usually prefer to distance himself from the second young master, but now he was taking the initiative to ask him to watch over the second young master. Something seemed off.

“Don’t ask things you shouldn’t,” Gu Xuanze replied, not planning to explain. Though he knew Ye Xing could investigate it right away, his tone was harsh. “If anything happens to Ah Hao, you’ll regret it.”

He hung up directly.

In the hotel room, Lu Youze sat on the sofa, staring at the ring in his hand for a long time before glancing at his growing belly. It seemed like he had made a decision, and his eyes became more resolute.

On the other side, Gu Xuanze stood in the dark for a long time, his eyes merging with the night. The cold wind carried a chill, but it helped him calm down. He stood there for a while longer, making sure he had fully controlled his emotions before heading back to the hotel room.

Standing outside the room, he checked his expression one last time. After confirming it was in perfect control, he used the key to open the door.

Lu Youze was lying on the bed, reading a script. Maybe because of back pain, he occasionally rubbed his waist. Gu Xuanze quickly sat by the bed and began massaging him.

Lu Youze leaned his head on Gu Xuanze’s lap. The coldness from his body made him frown. How long had the big boss been standing outside? But Lu Youze didn’t ask further. He pulled the blanket over both of them and comfortably enjoyed the attention from the CEO.

“Ah Ze, your massage skills aren’t bad. Where did you learn them?” Lu Youze teased, trying to lighten the mood. “Come on, admit it, how many people have you massaged to get this good?”

Gu Xuanze was very grateful for Lu Youze’s consideration. If Lu Youze had asked about the phone call earlier, he might have lied, but that wasn’t something he wanted. It was a past that should have been buried, and he didn’t want Lu Youze to get involved.

Gu Xuanze buried his head on Lu Youze’s shoulder, absorbing his warmth, then pulled him closer, wrapping his arms around his taller lover. Holding him like this made him feel at ease, and seeing Lu Youze’s smile made all his inner turmoil disappear.

In a place where Lu Youze couldn’t see, Gu Xuanze’s eyes darkened again. This was the happiness he had fought hard to win, and if anyone tried to ruin it, he would make sure that person would live a life worse than death, paying an unbearable price.

“Don’t wrong me, Youze,” Gu Xuanze said with a smile, lifting his head and biting Lu Youze’s earlobe. His deep voice, as always, was incredibly alluring. “Do you really think I’m a massage therapist at a spa? Just anyone would get a massage from me? In this world, the only one I’ll serve like this is you, Lu Youze, the big movie star. No one else can even dream of it.”

“Then I must be really lucky,” Lu Youze said, turning to kiss him on the face. Since the marking, Lu Youze had found himself enjoying this kind of intimacy more and more. “It also means that your CEO, Gu, has good taste and chose the best one, right?”

“That’s absolutely true.”

After being affectionate for a while, Lu Youze leaned back into Gu Xuanze’s arms and started reviewing tomorrow’s script.

“Youze, didn’t you say you were tired? Why aren’t you resting yet?” Gu Xuanze asked while massaging his shoulder, hoping Lu Youze would rest soon since the day had been quite tiring.

“I’ll rest after I look at this for a bit more.”

“Don’t you already know this script by heart?” Gu Xuanze frowned. He really liked seeing Lu Youze focus on his work, but seeing the dark circles under his eyes made him feel heartbroken. “I remember your two scenes tomorrow aren’t the main focus. It should be more than enough for you, right?”

“Tomorrow, my co-actor is Lin Jun,” Lu Youze said, putting down the script. Since they had started dating, he had shown more of his true self in front of Gu Xuanze, not hiding his tendency to protect and hold grudges.

Lu Youze was serious about spending the rest of his life with Gu Xuanze. Though acting was his forte, he didn’t want to act in front of the person he liked forever. That would be too painful.

“What’s wrong with Lin Jun?” Gu Xuanze asked, confused, but as the CEO, he quickly understood Lu Youze’s intentions and couldn’t help but chuckle. “Youze, you really are protective of your little brother. You’re holding a grudge, aren’t you?”

“So what if I am?” Lu Youze got up from Gu Xuanze’s arms, sitting cross-legged in front of him, pretending to be angry. “That guy bullied our Youxi. Does he really think our Youxi has no one to back him up?”

“Youze, if you don’t like him, I can easily find a reason to get rid of him.” Gu Xuanze spoke domineeringly, his voice filled with affection and a hint of humor. The mood that had been heavy from Yuan Baiyue’s call lifted a lot. “After all, Youze is someone I protect too.”

Lu Youze rolled his eyes at Gu Xuanze. “Ah Ze, stop it, I don’t want to use money to suppress people.”

“But I’m best at using money to suppress people,” Gu Xuanze said, acting wronged. Of course, the big CEO was pretending, and Lu Youze saw through it without saying anything. It was just a little playful thing between them as a couple.

Lu Youze patted Gu Xuanze’s shoulder and smiled. “Ah Ze, you should know better than me in the business world that the best way to defeat someone is in their area of expertise, where they’re most confident. That Lin Jun is a good actor, but the young man doesn’t know how to be humble. He’s a bit arrogant, too eager for quick success. Today, in his scene with Youxi, as a senior, he should’ve guided Youxi, allowing him to adapt to his pace. But instead, he showed off his skills and pressured Youxi. Youxi’s confidence nearly got ruined by him. What if this leaves Youxi with a psychological shadow?”

Lu Youze didn’t say anything at that moment, but he had already mentally noted down the score. There were still a few more scenes with Lin Jun, and he intended to let this young man, who didn’t understand the rules, know that there are always bigger fish and better people out there. He shouldn’t think he’s the best just because of his own little success.

Using someone else’s methods to deal with them—that’s the highest form of retaliation.

“Youze, your brother looks like an iceberg beauty. How could he be so easily affected?” Gu Xuanze teased with a laugh. “Only you think he’s weak and can be bullied. You’re such a full-fledged brother complex.”

“Ah Ze, how dare you say that to me?” Lu Youze raised an eyebrow, smiling as he retorted. “Sounds like you’re not any different. Let me ask you, if someone told Ah Hao, that idiot, that he’s just a second-generation who lives off soft food, what would you do?”

Gu Xuanze’s eyes turned cold. “Naturally, I’d make that person understand that food can be eaten recklessly, but words can’t be spoken recklessly.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Youze gave him a look that said, “I knew you’d say that.”

“We’re both equally guilty, so let’s not blame each other,” Lu Youze laughed, already familiar with the script. He knew how he would “perform” tomorrow. “Let’s take a bath and rest.”

“Youze, I think I’ll sleep in the next room,” Gu Xuanze said, after thinking it over, deciding not to stay the night.

“CEO Gu, you’ve just taken advantage of someone and now you plan to abandon them?” Lu Youze knew that Gu Xuanze had his concerns, but he was still a little upset.

“Youze, are you inviting me?” Gu Xuanze’s gaze and tone became dangerous, “I’ve tasted the sweetness and now I want more. Are you still filming tomorrow?”

“Alright, alright, hurry up and go,” Lu Youze’s face turned red. The big movie star, always somewhere between sexy and shy, had this contrast that Gu Xuanze found irresistible. “Don’t disturb my sleep.”

“Won’t you give me a goodnight kiss, Youze?” Gu Xuanze pointed to his lips, taking the initiative to ask for a kiss.

“This kind of thing, don’t ask next time, just do it directly,” Lu Youze complained, but still leaned in and kissed him.

He had originally planned to keep it light, but he couldn’t stop himself, and it quickly turned into an intense kiss. By the time they broke apart, Gu Xuanze felt like he couldn’t even lift his feet, and he didn’t want to leave the room at all.

“Youze, rest early, see you tomorrow.”