Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

Xu Ze: "Why are you here?"

Gu Xu sneered and remained silent. Xu Fei, standing behind him, replied, "Your company sent the invitation to Mr. Gu."

"Nonsense! Who would invite you?" Xu Ze’s voice wasn’t loud, but everyone nearby heard it clearly.

He had noted Lu Yan’s poaching in his little black book of grudges. Not only was Gu Xu’s agency currently insignificant, but even if Star Entertainment gained fame, Xu Ze wouldn’t want to invite Gu Xu, fearing it might ruin his plans.

"Just as well, I didn’t want to attend this event either," Gu Xu said with a smile, though his aura was anything but friendly. He took Lu Yan’s wrist and prepared to leave, his movements deliberate and composed.

Lu Yan was momentarily stunned and didn’t react right away, allowing himself to be pulled along by Gu Xu.

"Mr. Gu, wait! Mr. Gu, hold on!" A slightly hoarse voice called out. A middle-aged man hurried over, out of breath as if he’d rushed there. He stood beside Gu Xu and smiled, "Mr. Gu, why are you leaving already? The banquet hasn’t even started."

Seeing this, Xu Ze was annoyed and muttered, "Dad..."

"What are you doing? The banquet’s about to start—stop wasting time!" Xu’s father frowned. "This is Mr. Gu. Have you greeted him yet?"

He kept his voice low, so only those nearby could hear. Xu’s father, a seasoned player in the social circle, knew how to make others feel comfortable without losing face.

Xu Ze, sensing his father’s irritation, lowered his eyes and muttered, "Mr. Gu."

"And you are?" Gu Xu had no intention of giving Xu Ze any respect. He raised an eyebrow disdainfully, still gripping Lu Yan’s wrist, poised to leave.

Xu’s father quickly smiled, "This is my son, Xu Ze."

Gu Xu was about to snap back but felt the hand he held give a slight tug.

He turned his head; the man beside him wasn’t looking at him but was speaking to Xu’s father, "The banquet’s about to start—shouldn’t you two get ready?"

Xu’s father nodded hurriedly, "Yes, yes, Mr. Gu’s seat is ready—a waiter will show you the way. We’ll go and prepare now. See you later."

After receiving a nod from Gu Xu, Xu’s father pulled Xu Ze and hurried backstage. The onlookers, having caught the drama, discreetly looked away and resumed their conversations.

Xu Ze, watching his father kowtow to a junior, felt a surge of frustration. "Dad, why are you being so subservient to that Gu Xu?"

Xu’s father shot him a cold glance. "Do you think you can afford to cross Gu Xu? Have you even considered who his father is?"

He’d sent the invitation to Gu Xu on a whim, never expecting him to actually show up. And then his son nearly chased him off.

"Isn’t he on bad terms with his father? That land in Minghang..."

"They may be at odds, but they’re still father and son. They may seem at odds, but if someone crosses Gu Xu, Gu Guozhong will have their hide," Xu’s father snorted and slapped Xu Ze on the forehead. "Besides, Gu Xu alone is out of our league. He makes in a week what you make in a year! Don’t mess with Gu Xu, understand?"

Xu Ze rubbed his head and muttered, "Got it."

He hadn’t planned to oppose Gu Xu anyway; he just wanted to get his little Yan Yan back.

Xu’s father, a seasoned player in the business world, was as sharp in handling people as he was in business.

Right after leaving, he had Lu Yan’s seat moved next to Gu Xu, apologizing that Lu Yan’s original seat had been taken by a certain actress and hoping he would understand.

With such a polished excuse, what could Lu Yan do? He took his seat, eyes forward. The table buzzed with chatter and laughter, but only he quietly ate.

When Xu’s father began his speech, Lu Yan politely stopped eating. As soon as the speech ended, he picked up his chopsticks again.

Sitting next to Lu Yan was a female star, currently the top actress at Star Entertainment, one of the four rising stars known as the "Little Flowers." Though a rising star, having debuted less than three years ago, her status still didn’t match Lu Yan’s. They had never worked together and thus weren’t very familiar.

After the speech on stage, the actress noticed Lu Yan's actions. She leaned over and smiled, "Bro Yan, you're really digging in, it's making me hungry."

Lu Yan blinked, "If you're hungry, go ahead and eat."

"I'm watching my weight these days," the actress said, then glanced over Lu Yan's figure, "Bro Yan, you eat a lot but don't gain weight. How do you manage that? Do you hit the gym often?"

Lu Yan smiled honestly, "I don't really hit the gym."

He'd been filming action scenes, burning tons of calories. He couldn't gain weight, and getting any thinner might mess with his on-screen look.

"Wow, I'm jealous! Bro Yan, don't you like crab and shrimp? I noticed you haven't touched those."

This young actress was actually a big fan of Lu Yan. They'd been in the same company but hadn't interacted much. With her idol right next to her, she couldn't help but chat him up.

Lu Yan chuckled, "Too lazy to bother peeling."

Right then, a bowl of peeled shrimp, nearly half full, was set in front of him.

Gu Xu, without looking up, grabbed a crab and started peeling it, "Don't overdo the shrimp, it's tough on your stomach."

Lu Yan: "...Thank you."

The whole table fell silent...

They seemed to have stumbled onto something big???

Everyone at the table kept their eyes down, not daring to ask.

After dinner, Lu Yan headed to the restroom.

As he washed his hands, he heard the restroom door lock behind him.

He glanced up and saw Xu Ze by the door in the mirror.

Before Xu Ze could speak, Lu Yan turned around first, "Xu Ze, you're really getting on my nerves."

"Yan Yan, can't we just talk?" Xu Ze pouted, "A year ago, right here in this restroom, the moment you spoke, I was hooked."

"Dude, my breath isn't bad, is it???"

Lu Yan exhaled into his hand—shrimp breath.

Seeing Lu Yan silent, Xu Ze thought he might be wavering and quickly pressed on, "You came here, do you also remember that day?"

"Shut up, there's only one restroom on this whole floor," Lu Yan leaned on the sink, glaring fiercely.

"..."

Xu Ze gritted his teeth, deciding to change his approach, "Actually, maybe my feelings for you aren't love, but an obsession born from unattainability."

"Oh."

"So, if you let me have you just once, maybe I'll get over you," Xu Ze began his unconventional line of thinking, "Then I won't bother you anymore, it's good for both of us, and I'm very skilled, you won't feel any pain."

Lu Yan: "..."

Lu Yan: "What did you say?"

Xu Ze: "I said..."

Lu Yan suddenly stepped closer to Xu Ze: "You want to sleep with me?"

Xu Ze nodded eagerly and said obediently, "Yes, just once!"

Lu Yan let out a dry laugh, then suddenly grabbed the large mop placed behind the door and yanked off the mop head with a snap.

He gritted his teeth: "You fucking dare to think about sleeping with me?!"

After that, a series of agonized screams erupted from the bathroom.