Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Gu Xu had originally planned to go downstairs after putting away the documents, but an impromptu video conference delayed him, and by the time it ended, it was already late at night.

Just as the meeting concluded, Xu Fei's call came in right on time.

"Mr. Gu, everything has been handled."

"Mm," Gu Xu set the documents aside and rubbed his temples. "Revise the evaluation report for the land at Minghang. This one isn't complete enough."

"This... is already the fourth version we've compiled. Mr. Gu, if you could point out which aspects are lacking, I'll emphasize them to the team."

"If I have to point out everything one by one, what's the point of having such a large team?" Gu Xu frowned, showing a hint of displeasure. He turned on the speakerphone, stood up, and took off his suit. "None of it is adequate. With so little information, I can't see why Gu Guozhong values this land so much."

"Understood," Xu Fei didn't dare to say more. "Then, Mr. Gu, I won't bother you any further."

"Wait."

"Mr. Gu, is there anything else?"

Gu Xu removed his tie. "Tomorrow's schedule."

Xu Fei: "In the morning, you have a video conference with the U.S. side. In the afternoon, there's the company's weekly department meeting, scheduled to end by six. The CEO of Jifeng Group has invited you to dinner tomorrow evening."

Gu Xu was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Didn't Star Entertainment send an invitation?"

Xu Fei was taken aback. "They did, but you threw it away a few days ago. I thought you weren't interested, so I didn't include it in the schedule."

You didn't even blink when you heard the words 'Star Entertainment.'

Gu Xu's expression remained unchanged. "Cancel the dinner engagement. Prepare a formal suit."

"Understood, I'll prepare it immediately." Xu Fei had grown accustomed to his boss's recent unpredictability. Not long ago, he had gone to J City for a matter that could have been resolved with a video call. But their boss was truly remarkable—coincidentally, he arrived just in time for an impromptu land auction and successfully acquired several prime plots in J City without any preparation...

Poor Xu Fei, his capable assistant, who had been running around those days, not only busy with work but also bringing comfort food to Lu Yan. Just the thought of it made him feel wronged.

As soon as the call ended, the doorbell rang. Gu Xu was in the process of removing his shirt, with most of the buttons already undone, revealing his well-defined chest muscles.

At this hour, no one from the company would dare to ring his doorbell.

A faint smile appeared on his lips as he walked out of the study and opened the door.

Lu Yan had suddenly taken time off from the set, and shortly after, Assistant Xu had also returned. Coupled with the fact that Gu Xu hadn't been answering his calls, Lin Qing couldn't wait any longer. He immediately ignored the director's objections and hurried back immediately.

However, tickets for the day were hard to come by, so he could only book an economy class seat for the evening. By the time he arrived, Gu Xu's company was almost empty.

Knowing that Assistant Xu wouldn't disclose Gu Xu's whereabouts, Lin Qing mustered the courage and called Gu Xu's father directly, successfully obtaining Gu Xu's address.

Seeing Gu Xu with his shirt half unbuttoned, Lin Qing's face immediately turned red, and he stammered, "Brother Xu."

Upon seeing who it was, the faint smile on Gu Xu's lips disappeared. He reached up to button up his shirt, frowning. "What are you doing here?"

"Have you been very busy lately? I've been trying to call, but no one picked up," Lin Qing met Gu Xu's gaze and whispered.

Lin Qing, of course, wouldn't admit that he had returned because he was worried about Gu Xu and Lu Yan getting close behind his back. He brought up the excuse he had prepared: "My birthday is next month. I wanted to ask if you have time to accompany me to Sanya for a while? I want to host a party there."

Gu Xu: "I'm busy."

Turned down so directly, Lin Qing's eyes welled up with tears. He bit his lower lip. "Oh... I see. That's fine."

He peeked inside and, seeing no extra shoes by the door, felt a bit more at ease. But his voice still trembled slightly. "Brother Xu, can I come in for some water? I just got off the plane and came straight here. My mouth is a bit dry…"

"There’s a store downstairs," Gu Xu said indifferently. "It’s late, you should head back."

With that, he shut the door before Lin Qing could reply.

Lin Qing stood there, staring hard at the closed door, gripping the hem of his shirt, his eyes brimming with resentment and frustration.

Chen Li, who’d been lurking nearby, hurried over and led Lin Qing into the elevator. He let out a relieved sigh and said quickly, "Since Mr. Gu has made it clear, it’ll be tough for you to bring up any set-related issues. Let’s get back to the set. Director Chen’s so mad she’s stopped calling me altogether."

Lin Qing wiped his eye with the back of his hand and asked, "Did you get it on camera?"

Chen Li hesitated, glancing at his phone. "I did get it."

Lin Qing smiled. "Good."

Chen Li gave Lin Qing a long look, about to offer advice but thought better of it. After all, Lin Qing’s temper wouldn’t take advice well, and he might end up giving him a hard look.

After showering, Gu Xu sat back in his chair, deep in thought.

Lin Qing’s mother had done his family a huge favor, so he had always treated Lin Qing like a younger brother. He gave him a top-notch education, set him up in a nice place, and even laid out a clear path for his future.

These were his responsibilities, and this was all he could offer.

He had some idea of Lin Qing’s feelings for him, but he knew he had no thoughts beyond that of a brother.

Chen Yiming had also pointed out to him that day that Lin Qing was no longer the naive little brother he once was.

So he wouldn’t give him any false hope—for both their sakes.

*

Camera flashes lit up the room as reporters jostled in front of the signing board, holding their microphones high, eager not to miss a word from the man before them.

"Lu Yan, what impact did the recent live broadcast mishap have on you? Do you have any plans to enter the live streaming industry?"

"Lu Yan, today is the anniversary of your former company. Do you have any words of blessing? Of course, you can also say something else!"

"Lu Yan, I heard that you and Xu Ze, the boss of Star Entertainment, are good friends. Why did you suddenly decide to terminate your contract with Star Entertainment? Are there any other reasons behind the termination?"

Lu Yan smiled with a standard curve. "My contract with Star Entertainment has expired, so there is no termination involved."

Seeing Lu Yan’s vague answer, the reporters naturally wouldn’t let him off. One of them, with the loudest voice, asked, "Didn’t Star Entertainment offer you a contract renewal? Why did you choose to sign with Ming Sheng? Are the rumors of a conflict between you and Xu Ze true?"

After speaking, the reporter laughed. "Friends arguing shouldn’t affect contract signings. It seems your relationship is quite deep."

Lu Yan looked towards the voice and recognized a familiar reporter. It wasn’t because the reporter’s work was good, but because the magazine he worked for was notorious for causing trouble, having blackened many celebrities, and this reporter was a big shot in the magazine, capable of turning black into a rainbow.

The reporter met Lu Yan’s gaze. Although Lu Yan was smiling, he felt no warmth in those eyes. But he was a veteran and wouldn’t be intimidated by a look. Just as he was about to repeat his question, Lu Yan spoke.

"It seems you’re someone who likes to mix personal feelings into your work. Working with emotions isn’t good, Mr. Reporter."

The reporter was stunned and tried to explain, "I…"

"But we’re all adults. We should be mature, don’t you think?" Lu Yan’s smile widened a bit more. "Just because Xu and I are friends, doesn’t mean I have to stay at Star Entertainment forever, right?"

"I chose Ming Sheng because this agency showed me great potential. Every junior there has a lot of promise, and the conditions they offered me were very satisfactory. That’s why I chose Ming Sheng."

After the interview, Lin An followed him, laughing heartily. "That reporter’s face turned black. You could have just answered normally, but you had to jab at him. Be careful, he might start stalking you."

"Let him stalk. He won’t find anything interesting."

"Hmph, during the interview just now, you came off as so righteous, like a breath of fresh air in the workplace." Lin An really wanted to remind his friend in front of him that you are the one who lets emotions affect your work, sir.

Lu Yan took a glass of wine from the waiter's tray and accepted his friend's compliment: "Thank you, but I am a breath of fresh air in the entertainment industry, and I don't plan to switch industries for the time being."

"Yan Yan." A familiar call came from behind the two.

It was expected to bump into Xu Ze. Lu Yan let out an impatient, low sigh, then turned around, raised his glass, and smiled: "Mr. Xu, congratulations."

Xu Ze glanced at Lin An, who immediately got the message: "There are friends I worked with before over there, I'll go over."

After Lin An left, Xu Ze's expression changed immediately, and his voice was particularly whiny: "Yan Yan, there are no outsiders here, no need to be so distant, right?"

They were standing in a corner of the hotel. Although the location was remote, it didn't stop the fact that there was a big star and the host of tonight's party here. Many people around seemed to be chatting, but they were actually keeping an eye on them.

Lu Yan was really not good at dealing with his ex-boyfriend, and Xu Ze was the kind of person who was particularly difficult to deal with, clingy and shameless, and couldn't be driven away no matter what. This was also the reason why he didn't want to attend this anniversary party. He chuckled, but his brows were furrowed: "Mr. Xu may not know me well, I am like this to everyone."

The implication is that you are no different from others, thank you.

Having met with a gentle rebuff, Xu Ze was not discouraged at all: "I have realized my mistake about the previous matter. It's okay if you don't forgive me, we can start as friends, I will definitely..."

"You have always been my friend," seeing the other person getting more and more carried away, Lu Yan hurriedly interrupted: "You are the host of the party, you must have a lot of things to do, I won't disturb you."

If there weren't so many people around, Lu Yan would have probably couldn't help but shove the guy in front of him aside.

"They are not important," Xu Ze, who has been in the love scene for many years, played the sympathy card, but he was not very good at reading people's expressions, and didn't notice the impatience in Lu Yan's eyes at all, "I just want to be with you."

Lu Yan: ...

He had to leave, if he listened any longer, he would throw up last night's dinner.

As soon as he turned around, he was grabbed by the wrist by Xu Ze.

This movement was not small, and the people around who were pretending to chat stopped and looked over.

Xu Ze looked deeply affectionate, and there was a faint sadness in his tone: "Yan Yan, can you listen to me before you leave?"

"No."

"No."

Two voices overlapped, one from an impatient Lu Yan, and the other from Gu Xu, who strode over and directly pulled Xu Ze's hand away.