Chapter 63

Chapter Sixty-Three

Gu Xu frowned and took the two women’s bags from Lu Yan’s shoulders, hanging them on his own arm. "Why didn’t you have the mall deliver them?"

Lu Yan replied, "I could handle it, so I didn’t want to bother anyone."

Soon, someone came to take the numerous bags from their hands. Lu Yan called out to the attendant, "Could you deliver these four bags to room 3501?"

The bags contained items Shi Qing had asked Lu Yan to buy, as well as a scarf for Lu Miao.

Gu Guozhong approached and frowned deeply at the mention of "3501." "Give your account number to Gu Xu, and he’ll transfer the money to you."

Lu Yan smiled, "Don’t worry, it wasn’t pricey."

Li Shufang chuckled softly, "When you come for New Year’s, I’ll give you a big red envelope."

Gu Guozhong’s expression darkened further, but when he met Li Shufang’s gaze, his demeanor softened considerably.

Li Shufang gave her husband a look, then turned back with a smile, saying to Gu Xu, "Xiao Yan hasn’t eaten yet, so take him to dinner."

Gu Xu replied, "Sure."

After the couple left, Gu Xu reached out and gently grabbed Lu Yan’s wrist, his thumb gently rubbing over it.

Lu Yan’s hand had a noticeable red mark from the bags.

In the elevator, a still-worried Gu Guozhong said, "You left without your phone or wallet. If you hadn’t met Lu Yan, what would you have done!"

Li Shufang was usually a cautious person; she’d left her things behind in her hurry to see Lu Yan. Earlier, for convenience, she had placed her bag on the luggage rack.

She skipped the explanation and brought up something else, "If you want your son to be alone or bring home a difficult man, then keep on being difficult with Xiao Yan."

Gu Guozhong took the bag from her hands, "What’s that supposed to mean?"

"After all this time, has Gu Xu changed his mind?" Li Shufang took out her phone, thinking about calling Lu Miao, "And what’s the issue with Xiao Yan?"

Gu Guozhong: "...But he’s a man!"

"What’s the problem with him being a man?" Li Shufang, heartbroken over her son’s struggles, made her stance clear, "If I were a man, would you push me away too?"

Gu Guozhong widened his eyes, stunned by his wife’s logic, "You, you... how can you say that!"

"I don’t care what you say—if Xiao Xu doesn’t come home for New Year’s, I’ll go to his place," Li Shufang took back her bag and hung it on her arm, "Then you can spend the New Year alone."

Gu Guozhong: "..."

Having been delayed today, Lu Yan and Gu Xu went to the hotel’s buffet restaurant.

Lu Yan regretted not knowing how good the hotel’s buffet was earlier; why had he been eating random meals upstairs for days?

Gu Xu laughed at his expression, "You weren’t feeling well, that’s why we had it sent up."

Then he asked, "When do you want to go back?"

Lu Yan countered, "What about you?"

"A few more days," after the meeting tomorrow, whether it succeeds or not, they expected to stay for another half week, "I’ve drafted a few plans, take a look." As he spoke, Gu Xu handed over his phone.

Lu Yan took it with a puzzled look, seeing a formal proposal document on the screen.

"Lu Yan's Scandal Management Plan"

"..." Lu Yan looked through it one by one and laughed, "Which option did you pick?"

Gu Xu said, "Option Four: Since the pictures are blurry, we can find a man who resembles Lu Yan to replace him (a suitable candidate has been found and negotiations have been successful). Attached are the candidate's details and photo."

Lu Yan looked at the photo of the man who looked strikingly similar to him and felt a mix of amusement and helplessness.

He propped his chin with his hand, "This feels like deceiving the fans."

"Hmm," Gu Xu leisurely placed the hot towel back on the tray, "Your fans haven’t been shaken by this scandal. This is a white lie, and they’ll forgive us."

Lu Yan asked, "What about the back of your head in the photo?"

"No one will recognize it’s me," Gu Xu said, "They’ll just assume Xu Ze has a new fling."

Lu Yan read through the plan again, feeling a twinge of guilt, then looked up and said, "Okay, when do we roll this out?"

Unexpectedly, Gu Xu acted swiftly, "Schedule a flight for tomorrow morning. Once you return, work with the PR team, and it will be resolved immediately. You’ll personally meet with the stand-in, and I’ll arrange for a lawyer to accompany you. The non-disclosure agreement has already been drafted."

Back in the room, Lu Yan took a scarf and went downstairs to find Lu Miao, thinking to inform her about his return to China the next day.

Unexpectedly, Li Shufang was also in Lu Miao's room, and the two were chatting over tea.

Seeing him, Li Shufang spoke first, "Xiao Yan, here to see Miao Miao?"

"Yes, hi, Auntie," Lu Yan placed the scarf on the table, "Mom, I’m heading back to China tomorrow."

Lu Miao asked, "Leaving already? You just got here."

Lu Yan nodded, "I’ve got some things to take care of."

Lu Miao probably guessed what it was about and didn’t ask further, "What time is your flight?"

Lu Yan said, "Nine in the morning."

"Don’t forget to text me when you land safely."

Lu Yan agreed, "I’ll head upstairs to pack then."

After Lu Yan left, Li Shufang praised, "Xiao Yan is really considerate, always letting you know where he’s going." Unlike Gu Xu, who not only didn’t inform her but she didn’t even know where he went.

Lu Miao sighed, "He only told me this time because we’re in the same hotel."

He didn’t mention it when he came to the US a few days ago!

The next day, before boarding the plane, Lu Yan sent a text to both Gu Xu and Lu Miao.

Lu Miao simply replied, "Give me a call after you land."

Gu Xu: "It’s minus five degrees Celsius in City B, with snow. Make sure your scarf is snug before you get off the plane, wear a mask, and call me after getting in the car."

As Gu Xu sent this message, Xu Fei couldn’t help but comment, "Boss Gu’s typing speed is impressive."

The boss, whose typing speed skyrocketed after meeting Lu Yan and who’s known for zoning out during meetings: "..."

The moment he stepped out of the gate, he spotted Lin An waiting at the arrivals.

-

The other person saw him and waved his hand frantically, like a windshield wiper on full blast.

When Lin An found out Lu Yan's situation had improved, he was so excited that he couldn't sleep. The moment he got in the car, he blurted out, "I've already arranged to meet that person tonight. I'll pick you up at six. Don't stress. Assistant Xu said it's all taken care of. We just need to go over and sign a confidentiality agreement."

Lu Yan laughed, "I'm not nervous." Lin An was the one who looked tense.

Ignoring the playful glint in Lu Yan's eyes, Lin An took out the schedule planner he had been carrying around for Lu Yan. He hadn't used it much since he began handling other clients. First, because Lu Yan had become a big shot and started choosing his own gigs and appearances, like the movies he decided not to film last time. Second, because he'd gotten a bit lazy, thinking he could coast.

Now he decided that, even if he had to drag him kicking and screaming, he'd make Lu Yan listen, so he wouldn't have to worry every other day and shorten his lifespan!

Lu Yan first called Lu Miao, who was apparently in a meeting and didn't pick up. After hanging up, she texted back: "Got it."

Lu Yan: "..."

Next, he called Gu Xu.

Gu Xu picked up right away, "You there?"

Lu Yan replied, "Yes, just got in the car."

Gu Xu said, "Good, I'll be back in a few days."

Lu Yan leaned back comfortably, "How'd the meeting go this afternoon?"

Gu Xu said, "It went smoothly."

If Gu Xu said it went smoothly, it probably went really well.

No wonder his mom was too swamped to pick up.

Lu Yan said, "I'll wait for you to come back."

After hanging up, Lin An in the front seat scoffed, "Why so lovey-dovey?"

Lu Yan shot back, "Because I'm not single."

"What's so bad about being single? It's freedom!" Lin An said, then turned to Xiao Liu beside him, "Xiao Liu, right?"

Xiao Liu looked sheepish, "An Ge... I have a girlfriend."

Lin An fell silent.

When they got to the apartment, Lu Yan stepped out, "Alright, head back. I can handle it from here."

"I'll come up with you," Lin An hopped out of the car, "Let's go to your place first. I've found a buyer for your house. They can pay and take over the house in a few days. Didn't you say there were still some things you wanted to take? Let's get them upstairs now."

Lu Yan thought for a moment, "Alright."

When they got to Lu Yan's floor, the elevator doors opened, and the stench of smoke hit them.

Looking closer, a man was slumped in front of Lu Yan's door, cigarette in hand, still puffing away, with cigarette butts scattered all over the floor.

At the sound of the elevator's 'ding,' the man was slow to react.

It was Zhou Ming. When he saw Lu Yan, he froze for a moment, then jumped up, "You're finally back!"

Liu Mingyi's evidence was rock-solid, and with all the buzz online, Zhou Ming couldn't wiggle his way out. He was sued solidly, with no ability to fight back.

Not only did he have to pay a large sum of money, but the company's partners suddenly wanted to terminate their cooperation. Within a few days, half of the company's employees resigned.

The company wasn't big, and with all this chaos, it just couldn't keep going. Additionally, his mother was recently diagnosed with cancer, and the money for her treatment was pouring out like water.

In desperation, he thought of Lu Yan—after all, he was his own flesh and blood. Surely, he wouldn't just stand by and do nothing, right?

To his surprise, Lu Yan hadn't been back to his apartment for days, and even Lu Miao's place was empty.

So, they had to work it out among themselves, taking turns to stake out Lu Yan's place every day. Right now, it was Zhou Ming's turn.

"You're finally back," Zhou Ming cut to the chase, "We need some cash to help the family. We're short on funds to cover your grandmother's treatment."

Lu Yan stepped out of the elevator and said, "I'm broke."

Lin An was quicker, stepping in front, worried Zhou Ming might start something.

He thought to himself, it's pretty amazing that Lu Yan turned out alright after being around such folks for over ten years.

"How can you be broke?" Zhou Ming chuckled like it was a joke, "Don't think I don't know, you stars make millions just by doing a TV show."

"Forgot? I can't do TV dramas anymore," Lu Yan said with a smirk.

Zhou Ming said, "Then sell this place and move back home. There's still space there."

Lu Yan shot back, "Why don't you sell your place?"

"Home is everything! You can't sell it!" Zhou Ming cut in, "This is just a pit stop, it's not like home. Give me the details, I'll find a buyer. Your grandmother's sick, let's sell it cheap to pay for her treatment."

Lin An blurted out, "How can you be so heartless..."

Lu Yan cut him off, saying, "I'm selling this place."

Zhou Ming's eyes sparkled with hope.

Lu Yan added, "But you're not getting a dime from me."

Zhou Ming's eyes popped, "What are you talking about, you ungrateful punk? I'm your dad, she's your grandma!"

"Ever since she hurt my mom, I've had nothing to do with the Zhou family," Lu Yan said with a smirk, "I'm a Lu, not a Zhou."

"Go ahead, call me unfilial, make a scene, it doesn't matter. I'll still live well—so will my mom. Nothing you do can touch us," Lu Yan said flatly, "You never got me. Blood doesn't mean a thing."

If the Zhou family hadn't hurt Lu Miao, he might've lent a hand.

But there's no 'if' about it.

Those who messed with his mom, still expecting big favors from him—that kind of deal doesn't even happen in dreams.

After two days of waiting, this was all Zhou Ming got. He was so mad his veins popped, swearing up a storm, and he wanted to throw a punch.

But Zhou Ming had been living easy these years, soft and weak, just a hundred-some pounds. Lu Yan gave him a shove, and he crumpled to the ground.

"You've got ten minutes, then I'm calling the cops. And clean up your cigarette butts before you go," Lu Yan said, then paused, "Before my grandpa died, he left me a piece of land. Think of it as me buying peace. The land's yours, your family can head back and farm. With today's farming, it's a solid gig."

Zhou Ming's machismo mostly came from his father. Zhou's father passed away early, and after dividing a large piece of land into several parts, it didn't seem like much. After layers of exploitation, what ended up in Lu Yan's hands as a grandson was just a small piece, and Lu Yan didn't even care much about it, not even knowing exactly where it was.

So he didn't know that the land had already been secretly sold by Zhou Ming's mother years ago, under the guise of "we're all in the big city now, leaving it there is a waste. The grandson is so rich, he might have already forgotten about it. This is just helping him clean it up."

Once inside, Lin An almost laughed out loud, he asked, "Aren't you afraid your dad might get desperate and fight you to the death?" He originally wanted to say 'a cornered dog will jump over the wall', but he changed his wording at the last moment.

"No, he won't."

Zhou Ming is your classic bully—always picking on the weak. That online exposé back then was probably the most courageous thing he’s ever done, and judging by the speed of the Weibo replies, chances are, he wasn’t even the one behind it.

At best, he probably just handed over the photos and the story, right?

At the thought, Lu Yan couldn’t help but let out a sneer.

Sure enough, after some rustling outside, it quickly went quiet.

That evening, Lu Yan and the crew showed up right on time to meet the "stand-in actor."

When they arrived, the guy was already sitting in the private room, glued to his phone.

When he saw them, the guy jumped up: "Hey."

Lu Yan couldn’t help but take a few more glances at him. He did look a lot like him, just younger—only twenty-four.

"Pretty close, huh?" the guy, sensing his gaze, said openly. "Hard not to be—I had my nose and mouth tweaked to match yours."

After saying this, he even touched the side of his nose with his finger, proudly adding, "The doc did a solid job, don’t you think?"

Lu Yan: "……Yeah, sure."

It was unclear which part he was responding to.

As soon as they sat down, the lawyer handed over the confidentiality agreement.

The guy glanced at it briefly: "No worries. Your company’s a big deal—I’m not sweating you’ll mess me over. Should I sign it now?"

Seeing the guy’s lack of concern, Lu Yan couldn’t help but remind him: "This could mess with your life a bit—relationships, family, stuff like that."

"No biggie," the guy shrugged, "I’m gay, so whatever. You wouldn’t believe it, but when those pics dropped, my friends were all like, 'The reporter thought you were him!'"

"Back then, I thought the dude in the pic was hot, so I just rolled with it. The chats are still there, lol. Who knew they’d save my ass now?"

Lu Yan: "……Seriously?"

Lin An coughed lightly: "You might catch some heat—fans could be pissed their idol’s taking the fall for you…"

The guy, while eating, mumbled: "No sweat. Everyone’s got their crazies. I get it. If this gig’s such a pain, just bump up my pay."

At that, Lu Yan didn’t waste time and slid the NDA over: "Sign it."

The guy asked: "No raise?"

Lu Yan shot back: "Nope."

"…" The guy clicked his tongue, "Cheapskate."

Once the deal was sealed, the plan kicked off right away.

The next day, the article "Star Entertainment CEO’s New Flame: 24-Year-Old Speaks Up" shot to the top of Weibo’s trending list, thanks to the water army.

The guy posted many photos of himself, along with a screenshot of a chat record: "The mix-up’s done, and so are we."

The chat record was between him and his friend. The friend said, "The media mistook you for Lu Yan," to which the guy replied, "The paparazzi are all blind." He then went on to talk about how handsome and manly the guy in the photo was. The timestamp on the chat record was from the very moment the incident happened, making it seem highly credible at first glance.

Coupled with the sentence on Weibo, it painted a vivid picture of a poor soul who had been exposed and then abandoned.

Not long after the post went up, a comment appeared below the Weibo claiming to be from a thug who had confronted Lu Yan at the entrance of a bar in J City that night, saying the blogger was a stand-in.

Before the paid trolls could show up, the commenter was already dragged by netizens.

"Just came from the commenter's Weibo. Commenter, no offense, but with that skinny build of yours, who do you think you can take on, trying to act tough?"

"This guy really seems like a thug, even posted a photo of himself buying a stick. But are thugs really this behind the times? That stick is even thinner than my broom handle."

"Officer, this is the guy @PingAnJCity"

Half an hour later, the comment was deleted by the commenter himself.

Most of the comments were pretty civil, and many were backing the blogger in calling out the jerk. The guy didn’t drop any names in his Weibo, but because of the previous news, everyone just assumed—the man in the suit must be Xu Ze, no doubt about it!

At this time, Xu Ze was stuck in his room. It was already the fifth day he was grounded.

Is there a father who can't recognize his own son's back?

Indeed there is, and Xu Ze's father is one of them.

Seeing the photo, Xu's father was furious and immediately laid into his son.

Moreover, during these days at home, Xu Ze couldn’t reach Wu Xiaoxiang no matter how hard he tried.

It was a really rough and hopeless time.

Seeing this report today, he was about to lose it. He opened the comments and started going off.

Unfortunately, all his comments were under the ID "I am Xu Ze"—yes, his father, staying on top of things, had taken away his Weibo account.

Fortunately, there is still true kindness in the world, and twenty thousand likes got him trending.

"This fake account has been ranting dozens of times, really going all out."

"Even a fake account is like this, what’s your excuse for not stepping up?"

Xu Ze: "..."

Things took a turn, and in just one day, Lu Yan received four scripts, and congrats from industry friends kept flooding in.

Lu Yan politely responded to everyone, then picked out Chen Jing and Shi Qing's WeChat and sent each of them a fat red envelope.

"Can’t repay you, so here’s some cash."

Chen Jing: "Received, remember to read the script I sent, look at it first."

Shi Qing: "I appreciate friends like you, unlike some people who keep asking me how I'm doing, tsk, as if they don't have my Alipay."

Shi Qing: "When are you coming back? I'm in a hurry to get my treasures."

Lu Yan: "Already back, when are you free? Send me the address, I'll have Xiao Liu make a trip."

Shi Qing sent a big kiss.

Not long after, Yun Anqing actually sent him a WeChat message.

Yun Anqing: "Bro Yan, although I have always respected you, if you have any improper thoughts about Sister Qing, then I can only turn against you."

Followed by a heartbroken emoji, which didn't look intimidating at all.

The message was quickly withdrawn.

Yun Anqing: "Brother Yan, Sister Qing asked me to thank you for helping her buy so many things. /kiss"

It was clear that Shi Qing had snatched the phone.

Lu Yan couldn’t help but reply: "Why all the drama? /eye roll"

Oelas reached out to him again and increased the endorsement fee. They had been polite and didn’t cause issues during the contract termination. The second collaboration went smoothly.

The script Chen Jing sent this time was unlike any before—it wasn’t a TV drama or film, but a web series.

The theme was unique, and with its unscientific elements, it was only suitable for online streaming. The plot was compelling, so he accepted it without much hesitation.

With a packed January and Chinese New Year in February, filming was scheduled for March.

As for *This Time for Real*, shooting was paused due to Lu Yan’s issue, leading to fewer episodes this season. Yet, it became the most talked-about, highest-rated, and most profitable season yet.

"Even though Lu Yan’s issue is cleared up, I’m shipping Gu-Lu harder than ever..."

"I thought I was just seeing BL vibes, but turns out I was spot on, hmph."

"Xu Ze is so irritating. He’s already taken but still pairs up with Xiao Xiang. Poor @Wu Xiaoxiang."

Lu Yan was entertained by the comments. While dyeing his hair, the stylist said, "Xiao Yan, I’ve noticed you’re glued to your phone these days."

Lu Yan asked, "Didn’t I use it before?"

The stylist shook his head: "I used to say you were the most old-school celeb I knew, sitting for hours without your phone."

Lu Yan just smiled. When Gu Xu called, Lu Yan took off the ear covers and answered.

Gu Xu said, "My flight leaves in 30 minutes."

Lu Yan glanced at the time: "Got it, I’ll wait."

Gu Xu asked, "Are you on set?"

Lu Yan hummed, "Working on a magazine shoot."

After a brief chat, they hung up when the boarding call came.

This magazine cover had a unique style, requiring white hair. After finishing the hairstyle, the stylist remarked, "There’s no 'shamate' or 'non-mainstream'—it’s just about not being good-looking enough."

In the mirror, Lu Yan’s white hair was crisp and neat, with no bangs or long strands. Paired with a white base layer, he looked effortlessly handsome.

Lu Yan ruffled his hair and suddenly asked, "What brand of hair dye did you use?"

The stylist quickly picked it up: "Don’t worry, it’s a good brand."

Lu Yan said, "Can you sell me a bottle? And maybe a few hair care products..."

The stylist paused, then went into a small room, quickly packing a set of dye and care products and handing it to Lu Yan.

Gu Xu got back to the apartment at 2 a.m. He entered, tossed his briefcase on the table, and went straight into the bedroom.

The person on the bed had pulled the blanket up over his forehead, completely covering his face.

Gu Xu frowned and stepped forward, intending to pull the blanket down. He wondered when this guy would ever stop covering himself like that—it’s not healthy.

Just as he reached out, the blanket was yanked down in one swift motion.

The person on the bed smiled up at him, wide awake, clearly not asleep. His phone was tucked under the pillow, its screen faintly glowing.

But none of that really mattered.

Gu Xu reached out and ran his fingers through the white hair: "..."

"Am I handsome?" Lu Yan asked, flashing a wink.

Gu Xu said, "Yeah, handsome."

Then he asked again, "Want to be as handsome as me?"

Gu Xu: "..."

Two hours later, they were back in bed together.

One with a head of white hair, the other with black.

In the black hair, a few streaks of white peeked through.

Lu Yan, thinking about Gu Xu’s job, didn’t dye his whole head—just a few hidden strands.

Lu Yan fiddled with his hair and asked, "So, how’s the XS project?"

"Got it," Gu Xu said, then added, "Though I kind of regret it."

Lu Yan glanced at him, "Why’s that?"

Gu Xu smirked, "...Because I just remembered I’ve got to go to your place for New Year’s. Your mom won’t kick me out, right?"

If he’d caved to Lu Miao at work, he’d definitely be kicked out.

Lu Yan chuckled, "She will. So, what then?"

Gu Xu tugged at his earlobe, "Then nothing. You’ll figure out how to get me in."