At this moment, Gu Xiaowei, dressed in a dark trench coat, walked through the corridor, drawing everyone’s attention. He nodded to a few actors he knew, acknowledging them.

Usually seen on TV or the big screen and never participating in variety shows, this was the first time countless eyes were able to closely observe him.

Everyone thought similarly—this man, from his face to his physique and demeanor, was flawless and annoyingly perfect.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

Sister Cui had expected Gu Xiaowei to greet Luo Yu, but Gu Xiaowei merely glanced at Luo Yu from afar before entering the audition room.

Sister Cui mentally retracted her previous unrealistic guess about Gu Xiaowei posting Luo Yu’s photos to hype him up.

Most of the auditionees were in the waiting room. The hotel was not large, so the waiting room was a bit cramped.

Sister Cui sat with Luo Yu in the back row. Luo Yu wasn’t looking at the script but was chatting with Cheng Fei on his phone.

Cheng Fei had only a small part in today’s scenes and was currently sitting in an RV: [I’ve always envied you. I wanted to play the police captain in that movie! I thought I could audition for it! But no chance!]

Luo Yu: [Then strive for it. I also think you’re righteous and suited to play a police captain for life.]

Cheng Fei: [You’re just making fun of me? I can play not only a police captain but also Judge Bao!]

Luo Yu couldn’t help but chuckle softly and replied: [Then I can play the Eight Virtues King.]

After all, the official rank is higher than Cheng Fei’s role.

In front of Luo Yu was Liang Shengqiu, the rising star of Honghe Film and Television.

Hearing that low chuckle, unlike the tense atmosphere of everyone else, Liang Shengqiu was quite composed. He instinctively turned his head and caught a glimpse of Luo Yu’s lowered lashes, which made his heart skip a beat.

Isn’t this the person who appeared in Gu Xiaowei’s Weibo photos a few days ago? I think his name is Luo Yu, who has acted in TV dramas by two major directors, but they haven’t aired yet. Since the photos didn’t show his facial features, Liang Shengqiu thought Luo Yu was just another handsome face in the entertainment industry, considering he was known as He Mu’s dupe.

But in Liang Shengqiu’s eyes, He Mu was like a decorative vase—good-looking but lacking spirit.

Yet, when he glanced back, he saw a restrained grace in Luo Yu. If the glamorous men and women in the industry were vibrant colors, Luo Yu was the perfect blank space.

Liang Shengqiu, having dealt with many directors, understood that besides having a good reputation and resources, being diligent and willing to humble oneself for opportunities were crucial. He also realized that competing for a role sometimes meant that even if your lines were well delivered and expressions natural, you could still lose to someone’s natural aura.

And Luo Yu’s soft laughter increased Liang Shengqiu’s pressure exponentially.

A He Mu without acting skills was no match for him; instead, the calm and steady Luo Yu was.

Unconsciously, Liang Shengqiu had a bad thought. Each seat had a small folding table. Most had scripts or cups on them. Luo Yu’s thermos lid was only lightly placed on top. If he leaned back, he might knock it over.

The water in the thermos was still steaming. He hadn’t put the lid on, presumably waiting for the water to cool down. If the water spilled at this moment, he might get burned…

Wait, Liang Shengqiu, what are you thinking!

Even if you want to get the role of Wen Yuchi, you shouldn’t have such thoughts.

Just then, someone walked past Liang Shengqiu and accidentally bumped into his leg. As a result, coffee from the paper cup spilled out and splashed onto the front of his casual jacket.

“Oww…”

Fortunately, the jacket was thick, or Liang Shengqiu would have been burned by the coffee.

“I’m… I’m sorry, it was not intentional… I’ll clean it up for you!”

Liang Shengqiu looked up and saw that the person was probably an assistant of some artist, holding other things besides the coffee, so it was indeed unintentional.

The assistant’s companion lowered his voice and said impatiently, “Why aren’t you moving forward? Are you blocking the way for others to stare at us?”

That person was He Mu.

At this moment, He Mu looked displeased. He had originally thought that a major production like “Beast and Rose” would have a high-end audition location, but it turned out to be in a small, hostel-like hotel.

Even the waiting area was so small. He had arrived late due to traffic and found no available spots, so he had to let his makeup artist and stylist wait outside while he and his assistant went in.

The assistant turned to He Mu and said softly, “Brother Yang instructed us to get along well with other auditionees and not be too… you know…”

Brother Yang’s exact words were: “Get along well with other auditionees and don’t be too arrogant. Otherwise, if you don’t make the cut, someone might spread unflattering comments online.”

He Mu immediately understood and forced a smile towards Liang Shengqiu, “You’re Liang Shengqiu, right? It’s a surprise to meet you here. I’m really sorry for getting your jacket dirty… I’ll have my assistant send you a new one later.”

Liang Shengqiu looked at He Mu’s smile, which seemed stiff. Having acted for a while, he could tell that He Mu was trying hard to appear friendly.

Everyone in the industry understands one principle: popularity is the way to success.

Since he wasn’t as popular as He Mu, he should just go with the flow.

Liang Shengqiu smiled and said, “It’s okay. Your assistant didn’t do it on purpose.”

He Mu felt he had fulfilled his task of appearing approachable, nodded, and walked away.

At this moment, Liang Shengqiu’s agent took a tissue out of the bag to try and remove the coffee from the jacket, but the stain was very noticeable on the linen fabric.

“This was the jacket you specifically chose to fit the role! It’s bad enough that he had to walk past you, but he had to spill coffee on you too… I don’t believe it wasn’t intentional.”

Liang Shengqiu gave his agent a look, preferring to avoid unnecessary trouble.

Perhaps this was his retribution for having ill intentions towards Luo Yu.

Liang Shengqiu considered taking off the jacket and just wearing the inner sweater, but as soon as he lifted the collar, he noticed that some of the coffee had seeped through. Though only a few spots, they were particularly noticeable on the light-colored sweater.

Forget it, he was here for the audition, and winning over the director and other audition judges depended on his acting, not on a jacket.

Someone lightly tapped his shoulder from behind, and a warm voice said, “Where is it dirty?”

Liang Shengqiu turned around and found it was Luo Yu. “It’s okay. My jacket is checkered, so it’s not very noticeable.”

“Not noticeable, but you must be a bit upset inside, right?” Luo Yu glanced at the stain. “If you don’t cover it up, you might subconsciously keep checking if the director or producer notices the stain during your performance, right?”

With that gentle poke from Luo Yu, Liang Shengqiu could only respond, “Even if I care, I have to force myself to act well.”

Luo Yu asked Sister Cui next to him, “Sister Cui, do you have any sturdier tissues?”

“Yes,” Sister Cui opened her bag and took out a pack of handkerchiefs.

She carried these for emergencies, such as if she needed to go to the restroom and there was no toilet paper, or if a small pack of tissues wasn’t enough; handkerchiefs were more durable.

Luo Yu took one, folded it using the crown method, and placed it into Liang Shengqiu’s chest pocket, gently smoothing it out.

“This should cover it perfectly. Luckily, your jacket has pockets; otherwise, there would be no place to cover it.”

Liang Shengqiu looked down. A handkerchief was usually used in formal settings, and he was wearing a casual jacket, which seemed a bit…

But unexpectedly, the manager said, “Oh? I thought your jacket was missing something, but with the handkerchief, it looks even better.”

“Really?”

“My sense of fashion has always been terrible. But I think a handkerchief could be a highlight. If the director asks why you have a handkerchief in your pocket, you can say it’s because Wen Yuchi is a forensic expert and might be prepared for unexpected situations, like using a handkerchief to avoid leaving fingerprints on items or to clean his hands.”

After Luo Yu finished speaking, Liang Shengqiu’s agent immediately said, “Yes, that explanation is good. Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome.” Luo Yu said, then lowered his head to play with his phone again.

Liang Shengqiu’s anxiety was eased by Luo Yu’s words.

But he couldn’t help himself and turned to Luo Yu, asking, “You and I are competitors for the same role. Don’t you… think it’s better if your competitor makes more mistakes?”

“Ah?” Luo Yu looked up, surprised by the question.

Liang Shengqiu’s agent quickly diffused the situation, “Our Sheng Qiu just wanted to express his gratitude, but didn’t phrase it well. Please don’t take it to heart!”

After saying this, he discreetly kicked Liang Shengqiu under the chair.

Luo Yu hadn’t expected Liang Shengqiu to be so straightforward. This honesty actually made Luo Yu like him more.

“Well, how should I put this… You really value this role, and even when minor accidents occur, your determination hasn’t wavered. When I was your age, I gave up roles that others had worked hard to secure for me for some trivial reason or other, and I regret it deeply. Although my mindset has improved a lot now, seeing what just happened to you reminded me of my own past. So I instinctively offered you some advice.”

Luo Yu spoke delicately, but Liang Shengqiu could faintly sense that Luo Yu’s “reason” involved some element of He Mu.

The fact that Luo Yu could openly express his thoughts made Liang Shengqiu develop a bit of goodwill for him.

“Let me also remind you, whether it’s for auditions or acting, be careful with the lid of your thermos. If it hadn’t been me who passed by just now, you… you’d probably have been in a worse situation.”

After saying this, Liang Shengqiu suddenly felt a lot clearer and gained a deeper understanding of the character of Wen Yuchi.

—Wen Yuchi is a very genuine person; he is also straightforward when facing Lu Pingfeng. It is precisely this straightforwardness that attracts Lu Pingfeng’s attention.

Luo Yu glanced at his thermos. Thinking that if it had fallen over, the hot water could have burned him severely, he quickly screwed the lid back on.

“Th… thank you.”

In the audition room, there were four people present: Director Sheng Yunlan, Assistant Director Qian Gang, Producer Huang Yun, and Screenwriter Xia Tan.

Xia Tan hadn’t originally planned to attend the audition. After all, both she and Director Sheng Yunlan were somewhat dissatisfied with the script—specifically, the reason why Wen Yuchi believes Lu Pingfeng could not be the murderer, which involves both technical and belief-related conclusions.

But in the current script, this belief is neither strong enough nor unique enough.

Although Sheng Yunlan invited Xia Tan to join the audition review, Xia Tan initially declined, wanting to continue refining the script.

It wasn’t until the morning a couple of days ago, when she had breakfast with Gu Xiaowei, and he explained why he wanted to personally interact with the actors auditioning for Wen Yuchi, that Xia Tan was moved.

—Because I want to interact with different versions of Wen Yuchi and find a Lu Pingfeng I haven’t discovered yet.

Thus, Xia Tan decided to attend the audition review, wanting to find Wen Yuchi’s belief about Lu Pingfeng from different portrayals. If even Gu Xiaowei is willing to draw new inspiration from different actors, why should she remain insular?

Over ten actors auditioned one after another. Their images were closely aligned with Wen Yuchi, but none provided the inspiration Xia Tan was looking for, nor could they match Gu Xiaowei’s acting.

Lu Pingfeng is someone who appears humble and polite, but conversing with him reveals his inherent indifference to life.

In this particular audition scene, Wen Yuchi, after finishing his forensic work late at night and returning to his apartment, was exhausted and lay down on the sofa.

At that moment, the power went out, and outside the apartment, there was a storm with lightning and thunder. Suddenly, Lu Pingfeng appeared by Wen Yuchi’s sofa, grasped his neck, and wanted to test if Wen Yuchi, like others, feared him and thought he might kill at any moment.

Gu Xiaowei’s powerful presence made several auditioning actors fall silent, their lines stuttering, without needing any dark or storm effects.

This caused Xia Tan to lose patience and feel sorry for Gu Xiaowei, who had spent half a day rehearsing but had not found a suitable match.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

Finally, they came to He Mu’s name.

“He Mu, I heard he’s interested in pursuing an acting career and has been working hard to hone his skills recently,” said the Assistant Director.

Yesterday, Ou Juntao had called him and asked him to take care of He Mu, so the Assistant Director certainly had to give him this face.

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With a simple motion, his neck perfectly displayed a dynamic line, the movement of his Adam’s apple and hand gestures were relaxed and elegant. His fingers were bent, holding the tie knot, and the slight smile at the corner of his mouth seemed to convey effortless mastery over everything in the world—this was the real heart-throb killer.

Looking at these photos, Luo Yu swallowed hard as well, Gu Xiaowei’s photography skills were indeed top-notch.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

Moreover, the photos Gu Xiaowei selected were quite special. They didn’t immediately reveal the identity of the person in them, creating a strong curiosity and even sparking discussions about who was being photographed.

Some speculated that the model might be a new signing of Xinghan Pictures, using Gu Xiaowei’s Weibo to create hype.

Others suggested it could be an exclusive shot for some fashion magazine, which would be revealed soon.

But soon, a sharp-eyed fan discovered the model’s true identity in the photos.

[Look! The model in the photo has a mole on his hand! Our Brother Gu’s senior brother also has a mole on his hand!]

[I’m sure it’s Luo Yu. That height, that profile! I want to rush into his arms! No, I can’t betray Brother Gu!]

[Hahaha, has the senior brother become Brother Gu’s exclusive model for practicing photography skills?]

[Brother Gu’s lighting techniques and atmosphere are indeed unparalleled.]

[By the way, isn’t this trench coat that Luo Yu is wearing the same one He Mu just posted?]

[No way? Luo Yu looks like a professor from a magic academy, while He Mu looks like a muggle freshman!]

He Mu hadn’t practiced dancing for a long time. His agent, worried that his basic skills were deteriorating and he might not be able to keep up with any sudden stage performances, kept him in the dance studio for three hours.

Finally done with the practice, He Mu was exhausted and, while his dance teacher was stretching his legs, he flipped through his phone.

He wondered how fans were reacting to the photos he had posted earlier. During their last meal together, Mr. Gao from the company mentioned that He Mu was getting older and couldn’t always stick to the school campus style; he should start incorporating a more mature style. So, He Mu specifically chose a trench coat from Why Me for a set of more lifestyle-oriented photos.

He Mu was a bit excited; when he saw the photos, he thought he looked very handsome and manly.

He opened Weibo, ready to receive compliments from fans, and when he saw the trending topic #HeIsOutOfPrint#, he couldn’t help but click on it out of curiosity, only to find it was Gu Xiaowei’s post.

At first glance, He Mu thought the nine-grid photos were of Gu Xiaowei himself and marveled at Gu Xiaowei’s figure, thinking only someone with such broad shoulders and long legs could wear a trench coat with such beauty. It truly matched the fan comment below—”With the wind, moon, stars, and rivers, poetry is composed while leaning on the railing.”

He Mu just posted some enthusiastic praise using his secondary account when he suddenly realized something was wrong.

This… this can’t be Gu Xiaowei! Then who is it?

A name popped into He Mu’s mind, and he quickly scrolled through the comments.

It’s Luo Yu! Gu Xiaowei actually photographed Luo Yu again and directly posted it on his Weibo!

He glanced at the trending topics; his own topic was already in the twenties, but #HeIsOutOfPrint# was still high on the list with no sign of dropping.

Some were praising Gu Xiaowei’s photography skills, with a few photographers in the industry reposting and commenting that Gu Xiaowei might be taking their jobs.

But more people were saying that Gu Xiaowei had captured Luo Yu’s “out of print” glow.

He Mu, hiding it from his agent, created a secondary account and mobilized his fans: [Didn’t anyone notice? Luo Yu is wearing our gege’s clothes again! It must be intentional! It’s really infuriating!]

Sure enough, some people started cursing and were ready to go to Luo Yu’s Weibo to vent.

Who knew a major fan of He Mu spoke up: [Don’t be impulsive! Luo Yu’s trench coat was chosen by Gu Xiaowei, and if we go confront Luo Yu, we’ll be attacked by Gu Xiaowei’s fans.]

[So the trench coat Luo Yu is wearing was selected by Gu Xiaowei! Does that mean our gege’s taste is the same as Gu Xiaowei’s!]

[Exactly, it still boils down to Gu Xiaowei having good taste and photography skills, making Luo Yu look better than he is!]

[When will Gu Xiaowei take photos of our gege? He would definitely be more handsome than Luo Yu!]

[We can ask Gu Xiaowei about it!]

[Yes, our gege is more popular, far surpassing Luo Yu!]

He Mu saw the conversation had completely derailed and wondered what was going on.

I told you to go confront Luo Yu, not to ask Gu Xiaowei to take photos!

Hey! Come back! Come back!

Oh heavens, can it be more embarrassing?

[Don’t go! It will make our gege be mocked! Previously, we mocked Luo Yu, but doing this will only get us mocked by Luo Yu’s fans!]

He Mu started to doubt if something was wrong with his brain due to the fans’ replies.

[Luo Yu only has a few fans! How could they mock our gege!]

No! Luo Yu’s fans might be few, but Gu Xiaowei’s fans are more than mine!

[Gege deserves the best!]

I also think I deserve better, but Gu Xiaowei doesn’t even pay attention to me!

[Since so many fans have asked for it, and Gu Xiaowei still won’t take photos of our gege, he must have some private deal with Luo Yu!]

Oh heavens, Gu Xiaowei isn’t even a photographer! And we’re not even in the same company! I don’t even follow him on Weibo! If you ask him to take photos for me, he’ll think you’re crazy!

He Mu was anxiously watching, afraid the fans would go to Gu Xiaowei. He closely monitored the comments on Gu Xiaowei’s Weibo and indeed saw a few stubborn ones running over.

Those with a good tone said things like, “Our gege He Mu is also excellent, Brother Gu, take a look at us too,” while more assertive ones said, “Our He Mu is unparalleled, doesn’t he deserve to be in your camera?”

He Mu was red-faced with anxiety, closely following the trending topics, fearing that these fans might push him to the headlines again.

At this time, Luo Yu was holding a psychology book. Since he was preparing to audition for the role of Wen Yuchi, he needed to be well-prepared. Wen Yuchi’s scenes mainly involved interactions with Lu Pingfeng, who was diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder. Luo Yu decided to study psychology thoroughly.

His phone buzzed, and Luo Yu saw it was a message from Ye Shengyi, whose avatar looked like a big eggplant.

[Brother Luo! Do you know how retarded He Mu’s fans are? They’re jealous that Gu Xiaowei’s photos of you look great and actually went to Gu Xiaowei’s Weibo to ask him to take photos of He Mu! It’s really hilarious!]

Luo Yu smiled, realizing that Gu Xiaowei was truly a hot commodity in the entertainment industry.

[Little friend, gossip has no nutritional value, don’t take it too seriously.]

Ye Shengyi complained: [Brother Luo, are you an old-timer?]

Luo Yu sighed; in a sense, he really was like an old-timer, glancing at the thermos on the coffee table, filled with goji berries and chrysanthemum.

But this time, he matched clothes with He Mu, and surprisingly, He Mu’s fans didn’t come in droves to attack him. Luo Yu found it a bit strange.

He casually mentioned it to Sister Cui, who then revealed the truth to him.

“Isn’t it because President Jiang knows that He Mu sees you as a rival and is always stirring up trouble for you? So he specially arranged for someone to infiltrate his fan groups and your anti-fan groups to keep track of their movements. If He Mu didn’t cause you any trouble, President Jiang wouldn’t target him. But once his side starts using fans to deal with you, President Jiang will definitely act first.”

Luo Yu rubbed the back of his head, having never thought of this strategy.

“Then this time… were these fans arranged by President Jiang to comment on Gu Xiaowei’s Weibo?”

“Of course not. Those are all die-hard fans of He Mu, genuinely supportive,” Sister Cui said with a smile.

“Huh? I remember He Mu valued Gu Xiaowei quite a bit, so his fans have always been polite to Gu Xiaowei, right?”

“Ai, mainly, today our people found someone stirring trouble in He Mu’s fan group, worrying they might come after you. So, our allies diverted the topic, casually suggesting Gu Xiaowei should also take photos for He Mu. Who knew He Mu’s fans would get all worked up?”

Luo Yu was speechless.

Probably because He Mu had been bullying him for a long time, and now seeing many netizens mocking He Mu online, Sister Cui felt a rare sense of satisfaction.

“He Mu has always relied on his massive fan base to deal with others, but this time, he’s finally being backlashed by his own fans. I saw that the request for Gu Xiaowei to take photos for He Mu had even made it to the top twenty… Ah, I can’t see it now; it’s probably been taken down by Dijun Media.” Sister Cui laughed. “He’s now the laughingstock of the entertainment industry. It’s really the first time I’ve seen such a begging-style photo request.”

“Let’s not worry about He Mu. As long as we don’t care about him, all his little tricks won’t affect us.”

Sister Cui’s voice became even more cheerful: “You’ve become much more spirited this time, and your attitude has improved a lot. It’s affecting me too. Keep it up.”

“Of course. That way, I can live a few more years.”

After finishing the conversation with Sister Cui, Luo Yu exhaled and sent a WeChat message to Gu Xiaowei: [I think next time you should switch to a new model for Photography Works 3.0.]

At this moment, Gu Xiaowei was also reading a script, and his agent, Meng Yu, was discussing the upcoming audition with him.

“I understand you want a highly skilled partner, but there’s no need to act directly with them. There are more than twenty people auditioning for Wen Yuchi. If you go through each one, you’ll exhaust yourself even before the shoot starts,” Meng Yu said helplessly.

Gu Xiaowei replied calmly: “Interacting with different actors sometimes gives different inspirations. I feel I’ve hit a bottleneck in my understanding of the character Lu Pingfeng, and I can’t break through on my own, so I have to seek other ways.”

Meng Yu rested his chin on his hand and nodded. “I feel you’re particularly close to Luo Yu; this is the second time you’ve taken photos for him. The results are pretty good, and fans say you’re a talented ‘hidden gem,’ but… it’s a bit difficult for me in the industry.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Your good buddy Cheng Fei is feeling sour, saying after being close to you for so many years, you wouldn’t even smile in photos with him, but now—”

“Now what?”

“Now you’re obsessed with taking photos for your senior brother Luo Yu. After version 1.0, there’s even version 2.0, and he’s asking if he can get version 3.0.”

Gu Xiaowei answered, “He won’t get it.”

“Why?”

“He’s not as good-looking as Luo Yu.”

Meng Yu nearly choked, “Then you tell Cheng Fei yourself.”

Although this was said to Cheng Fei, Gu Xiaowei’s fans seemed to be in sync with him. After being annoyed by He Mu’s fans, they collectively replied: “He’s not as good-looking as the senior brother.”

Such a brief sentence, constant and unchanged, made He Mu’s fans furious and retreat.

Gu Xiaowei’s phone vibrated. He looked at Luo Yu’s WeChat message: [I think next time you should switch to a new model for Photography Works 3.0.]

His expression softened, and his fingers quickly typed: [You need to let me continue shooting for 3.0 to even happen.]

Meng Yu watched Gu Xiaowei’s face and frowned, “Brother Gu, if an iron tree blooms, you have to tell me. Don’t let me be caught off guard by a trending search.” (TN: fallen in love)

“If an iron tree could bloom, wouldn’t you see it?”

Meng Yu was speechless, thinking to himself that he felt Gu Xiaowei’s iron tree not only had bloomed but was even blooming roses.

If you’re so proud, don’t hide it or try to cover it up. If one day it can’t be hidden anymore and the blossoms pierce the sky, what can I do? Rip my hair out and weave a happy character (喜) for you?

A few days later, the audition for “Beast and Rose” finally began.

The audition location was in a hotel on the outskirts of the city. Although the hotel was only five stories high, the security measures were quite strict. Each of Sheng Yunlan’s films attracted a lot of attention, and media outlets always wanted to cover them. The industry predicted that Wen Yuchi was a completely delicious and fragrant piece of pie, and whoever played this role would become popular. Therefore, major media outlets competed to report and wanted to know in advance who would get this role.

A big name on Weibo even started a poll on who people wanted to see as Wen Yuchi.

The top choice was He Mu, thanks to his large fan base; second was Liang Shengqiu, a new signing by Honghe Film and Television. This guy graduated from a professional acting school, has acted in several TV dramas, and is one of the few in the new generation with both looks and acting skills; and third was Luo Yu.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

Sister Cui was incredulous. Although Luo Yu had gained some fans from his previous TV dramas, his popularity and recognition were definitely not on par with He Mu’s. However, it was surprising that he received almost as many votes as Liang Shengqiu.

Sister Cui wondered if Gu Xiaowei had posted those photos intentionally to create buzz and increase Luo Yu’s popularity.

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He approached Gu Xiaowei and Luo Yu, pretending to look at clothes, and quietly placed his phone on his shoulder, snapping photos without caring if the angle was clear.

Each click of the phone made him feel like he was tempting fate.

Don’t let Gu Xiaowei see me! Don’t let Gu Xiaowei see me! Please don’t let Gu Xiaowei see me!

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

“You picked out so many sets. Do you really want me to buy them all?” Luo Yu asked with a smile.

He couldn’t imagine carrying all those clothes home; it had been a long time since he enjoyed shopping so much.

“Mm.” Gu Xiaowei replied.

“Well, since Jiang Yinchuan is paying, I might as well take full advantage,” Luo Yu said with a grin.

Gu Xiaowei glanced at the assistant looking at clothes, patted Luo Yu’s arm, and said, “Wait for me a moment.”

Gu Xiaowei walked over to the assistant with a blank expression. Hearing his footsteps, the assistant’s legs nearly gave way.

He didn’t know what sin he had committed in his past life to be assigned to secretly photograph Gu Xiaowei in this one.

“Did He Mu send you to do this?” Gu Xiaowei’s cold voice rang out.

The assistant felt like he was facing the King of Hell rather than a top star.

“Huh? What?” The assistant stiffly turned around, lowering his head after a brief glance at Gu Xiaowei.

“Show me,” Gu Xiaowei extended his hand.

“What… what?”

“Your phone.” Gu Xiaowei’s voice dropped an octave.

The assistant could feel Gu Xiaowei’s growing impatience. He trembled and handed over his phone.

Gu Xiaowei unlocked it and deleted all the photos the assistant had taken.

He returned the phone to the assistant’s pocket. Even the proximity of his hand made the assistant feel a chill down his back.

“He Mu wanted to take pictures of me and Luo Yu and buy trending searches, claiming I was helping Luo Yu rehearse in advance, making it seem like Luo Yu didn’t deserve the role?”

The assistant’s heart sank. So that was He Mu’s plan? But he didn’t know that when he was taking the photos!

Seeing his dumbfounded expression, Gu Xiaowei added, “I’ll post Luo Yu’s photos myself. No need to spend money on trending searches.”

When Gu Xiaowei turned back to Luo Yu, the assistant finally breathed a sigh of relief. If Gu Xiaowei didn’t leave soon, he would suffocate himself!

He shakily returned to the changing room. He Mu immediately gestured for him, and he wiped the sweat from his forehead and braced himself to approach.

“Did you get the photos?” He Mu asked.

The assistant swallowed hard, “I did take them… but Gu Xiaowei found out and deleted all the photos…”

“He… knows I sent you?” He Mu’s voice rose.

The assistant nodded with difficulty, thinking he might lose his job.

“You idiot! Can’t you say you like him and couldn’t resist taking the photos?” He Mu poked the assistant’s head, trembling with anger.

The assistant hesitated, and He Mu looked at his indecisive expression, impatiently saying, “Did Gu Xiaowei say anything?”

“Yes. Teacher Gu asked if you wanted to take photos of him with Luo Yu to post online, saying that if it looked like Teacher Gu was supporting Luo Yu, people would accuse Luo Yu of getting the role unfairly…”

He Mu’s heart skipped a beat. How did Gu Xiaowei guess his thoughts so clearly?

“And… did he say anything else?”

“He also said that he would post Luo Yu’s photos himself and that you wouldn’t need to spend money on hot searches.”

Hearing this, He Mu’s face changed color, looking extremely unpleasant. 

Had he offended Gu Xiaowei?

Should he go out and explain to Gu Xiaowei, saying it was the assistant’s personal action, not his instruction, and apologize?

But what if Gu Xiaowei didn’t accept the apology? The thought of the awkwardness and being suspected and criticized made He Mu feel extreme discomfort.

While He Mu was hesitating, Gu Xiaowei had already taken Luo Yu to pay the bill.

Andy packed the clothes Luo Yu had chosen into several bags. It was quite a haul.

“How much is it in total? Can we get an invoice?”

Andy smiled slightly, “No need. Teacher Gu has already paid.”

“Huh?”

Gu Xiaowei took the bags and said mildly, “Let’s go, time to head back.”

“Why did you pay first? How much was it? I’ll transfer the money to you.”

Luo Yu quickly caught up, taking a few bags from Gu Xiaowei’s hands. After all, it wasn’t right for Gu Xiaowei to carry his things.

“No need. I picked them out.”

Luo Yu looked at Gu Xiaowei’s expression and guessed that Gu Xiaowei must’ve felt bad about him spending a large amount of money on clothes from the designer studio he took him to, so he paid for it instead.

“You picked them out, but they’re for me. And the company will reimburse me.”

“If the company reimburses you, then it’s like Jiang Yinchuan gave it to you,” Gu Xiaowei retorted.

“Huh? He’s my boss. Buying clothes is a work-related expense… What’s wrong with him reimbursing me?”

Gu Xiaowei stopped and looked at Luo Yu, “Then consider it compensation for you being my model and helping me practice photography.”

“What?”

Luo Yu realized that sometimes he could understand what Gu Xiaowei was thinking just by a look, while other times, even though he understood every word Gu Xiaowei said, he still wasn’t sure what Gu Xiaowei meant.

Once they got in the car, Gu Xiaowei told Luo Yu about the assistant taking photos under He Mu’s orders.

“So—did you want to take photos to post online?”

“Mn.”

“So you want to post them to get ahead, making it public that we’re on good terms?”

“Mn.”

Luo Yu’s head hurt a bit. “It feels like we’ve been caught by paparazzi and you’re preemptively announcing it.”

After two seconds, Luo Yu received Gu Xiaowei’s delayed “mn.”

“You’re still saying ‘mn’! You’re posting my photos on your own Weibo—are you my marketing account?” Luo Yu was truly at a loss for words.

“…Isn’t it okay?”

“It’s not that it’s not okay, but who keeps posting others’ news constantly? You reposted my acting battle, my signing with Yinchuan Culture… Your fans are going to get bored of me.”

“My agent said my fans are now mostly discussing you.”

“Discussing me… what?”

Leeching off their Gu gege’s popularity?

“Discussing what you’re up to so they can wait for me to update my Weibo. They like me calling you ‘senior brother’.”

The term “senior brother” lightly stirred Luo Yu’s heart, making his blood rush to that spot. He tightened his fingers, unsure why a casual remark or word from another person could disrupt his heartbeat.

“I feel like we’re being shipped as a couple,” Luo Yu raised his hand to cover his eyes.

“My agent said that the brotherhood angle is a good route. It shows that I’m not arrogant and has a human touch.”

“I… thank your agent.” Luo Yu thought for a moment and asked, “Can’t you ship with Cheng Fei instead?”

“Cheng Fei has no cute point.” Gu Xiaowei’s response was so matter-of-fact.

“What cute point is there between us?”

“You’re my senior brother.”

Luo Yu moved his hand away and looked out the window. Although… he actually liked the “senior brother” cute point a bit.

Their car stopped at an intersection waiting for the traffic light. Gu Xiaowei turned to look at him and asked seriously, “So, can I post the photos?”

This question was much softer than before, even carrying a hint of entreat that made one’s heart soften instantly.

“After posting… how can it not trend?”

Gu Xiaowei turned his face, looking at the back of Luo Yu’s head, with a hint of a stubborn child’s last struggle, “Unless I become irrelevant.”

“Are you deliberately trying to compete with He Mu?” Luo Yu squinted and asked.

Gu Xiaowei didn’t answer.

“Your agent will be furious.”

“He won’t be furious; he’ll think I might be taking on a role as a photographer.”

Luo Yu originally wanted to refuse, but he felt that even Gu Xiaowei’s cowlick looked like it was trying to be coquettish, “As long as you’re happy.”

Just taking photos—how much trouble could it cause? It’s better than Gu Xiaowei taking pictures of a girl and it being interpreted as a public relationship announcement, followed by his girlfriend fans’ tears flooding social media.

Whether it was an illusion or the lighting, Gu Xiaowei seemed to be in a better mood, his lips soft and relaxed, almost in the shape of a smile.

Luo Yu took out his phone, cowardly avoiding Gu Xiaowei’s visible angle, and opened Gu Xiaowei’s Weibo… Fortunately, since the last time he reposted about Luo Yu’s signing with Yinchuan Culture, Gu Xiaowei’s agent had used his Weibo to repost a few news items related to Xinghan Films.

This made it seem like his appearance on Gu Xiaowei’s Weibo wasn’t too frequent…

However, before they even got home, He Mu had already posted on Weibo, showcasing his new clothes, including a trench coat that Luo Yu also bought in the same style.

Within minutes, there were countless comments, such as “Gege’s sex appeal is exploding,” “I want to hide in gege’s trench coat,” and “Gege’s back is so attractive.”

Luo Yu was quite confused. In terms of sex appeal… Gu Xiaowei should be the real standout, right?

He sneaked a glance at Gu Xiaowei. Indeed, even his profile was impactful. It was hard not to appreciate it even from a male perspective.

Luo Yu wasn’t interested in He Mu’s activities, but since he and Ye Shengyi followed each other on Weibo, and Ye Shengyi, as a makeup artist, was very interested in fashion, he very obliviously shared He Mu’s post about the trench coat, with a very accurate comment—“Kid wearing dad’s clothes pretending to be cool.”

As expected, Ye Shengyi was attacked by He Mu’s fans, with many calling him “sour grapes” and “green-eyed monster.”

Luo Yu covered his forehead, unable to watch. That purple-haired kid was indeed bold. He dared to provoke He Mu’s fans, whose fighting power was infamously impressive.

He wondered if Xiao Ye was now working for someone who might be familiar with He Mu or from the same company. That would be awkward.

“What’s wrong?” Gu Xiaowei asked.

“Huh?”

“Your expression is like that of a parent whose unworthy son ranked last in the whole grade and is about to attend a parent-teacher meeting.”

Gu Xiaowei’s metaphor made Luo Yu laugh, “Well… sort of… Brother Yan’s little apprentice, the purple-haired one, reposted He Mu’s Weibo and said He Mu in the trench coat made him look like a kid wearing adult clothes. It really offended He Mu’s fans.”

“Brother Yan doesn’t mind.”

“Does Brother Yan not mind his apprentice being attacked by top star fans, or does he not mind what He Mu is wearing?”

“Brother Yan has many apprentices. He doesn’t mind if this one is kicked off the beach.” Gu Xiaowei’s words were clearly sarcastic; he had a warm heart despite his cold exterior.

Luo Yu sighed and said, “But the trench coat you helped me pick out is being worn by He Mu in his photos and has received a lot of attention.”

Telling Gu Xiaowei this was meant to get him to drop the idea of posting those photography works.

After all, it is quite awkward to have a wardrobe match with a top star.

“Are you worried about being attacked by haters?” Gu Xiaowei asked.

Luo Yu touched his chin and said, “If I said I don’t actually care, would you believe it?”

“I would,” Gu Xiaowei replied, steering the car.

Gu Xiaowei drove to the parking garage of Luo Yu’s home. This time, he didn’t go up with Luo Yu but watched him carry his large and small bags into the elevator.

Luo Yu sorted through the clothes, hanging them one by one in the wardrobe. Looking at the clothes in the wardrobe, he finally felt a bit of the sensation of being an artist.

He made himself dinner and, while eating, scrolled through his phone.

The top trending topic was #HeIsOutOfPrint#.

Luo Yu was stunned. “Out of print? Who is this? So shameless…”

He clicked on it and nearly spat out the chicken breast he had just taken a bite of.

Because this trending topic originated from Gu Xiaowei’s Weibo.

The guy actually posted his grid of photos with the caption: [My photography work upgraded to version 2.0—some people are limited editions, but he is out of print.]

Luo Yu clicked through the nine photos one by one.

The first photo was of him drinking tea by the coffee table in the “Why Me” fitting room. The timing of Gu Xiaowei’s shot was perfect, capturing Luo Yu with his eyes lowered, his lips about to touch the porcelain cup, with the light casting a soft glow on Luo Yu’s profile, creating an evocative ambiance that came through the screen.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

Another photo was of Luo Yu in front of a floor-to-ceiling window, one hand in his pocket, turning his head to speak with Andy. Due to the backlight, only his silhouette was visible—broad shoulders and a slim waist forming a perfect proportion, with a graceful and soaring body outline. Luo Yu’s profile was vaguely visible, with the brow bone, nose, and jawline creating a perfect undulating line that made one want to get closer… and kiss him.

The most masculine photo was of Luo Yu adjusting his tie in front of Gu Xiaowei’s phone, with Andy calling his name, causing him to partially turn his head.

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In Luo Yu’s impression, office buildings are full of offices, with cubicles occupied by stressed-out workers. But he didn’t expect this floor to be so spacious, with distant views of the river through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

The walls around were decorated with various clothing items, design sketches, and photos of runway shows. A fashion consultant wearing geometric accessories approached them with a smile. “Hello, Mr. Gu. You’ve brought a friend today?”

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

Gu Xiaowei nodded. “Just accompanying him to have a look.”

For some reason, the word “accompany” from Gu Xiaowei made Luo Yu feel a bit embarrassed.

The fashion consultant’s gaze shifted to Luo Yu and lingered for less than a second before showing a slightly surprised expression. “Sir, are you Luo Yu?”

“Yes, that’s right.” Luo Yu nodded and smiled.

“I’m Andy, the fashion consultant serving you today. Welcome to Why Me Studio. Do you have any specific needs for an occasion, or would you like me to recommend something based on your temperament?”

Luo Yu smiled, “I’m not sure what type suits me. But Andy, did you seem a bit surprised when you first saw me?”

“To be honest, don’t mind me, I saw your video as Bai Ying online and was impressed by your aura and appearance. But seeing you in person, I couldn’t see any trace of Bai Ying at all. Moreover, your natural look without makeup actually emphasizes your perfect features.”

“Thank you.”

No one dislikes praise.

Gu Xiaowei added, “What she said is true, not just commercial flattery.”

“What’s true?”

“You’re perfect,” Gu Xiaowei said.

Andy hesitated for a moment. This wasn’t her first time serving Gu Xiaowei. He rarely expressed opinions and was very assertive. His taste was very refined, but he spoke little. When he praised Luo Yu, Andy at first doubted if she had heard correctly.

“Andy, I’d like to look at some items with Luo Yu first,” Gu Xiaowei said.

Andy sensed that Gu Xiaowei seemed unwilling to have anyone approach his friend.

“Alright, Mr. Gu. If you need anything, please call me.”

Some clients like to be pampered, while others prefer space. Gu Xiaowei was clearly the latter. Respecting the client’s needs rather than imposing service to avoid pressure was also a requirement for Why Me’s fashion consultants.

Gu Xiaowei patted Luo Yu’s left hand, which was hanging by his side. For a moment, Luo Yu thought Gu Xiaowei was going to hold his hand. This thought surprised Luo Yu.

What are you thinking, Luo Yu!

“Wen Yuchi’s outfit should be simple and comfortable,” Gu Xiaowei said as he pulled out a shirt and a knit sweater.

The shirt was made of cotton and linen, with a softer collar than usual, lacking a strong business feel. The knit sweater had a draped texture that should complement Luo Yu’s physique. The colors Gu Xiaowei chose were similar to the knit sweater Luo Yu had tried on in his room, very suited to Luo Yu’s temperament.

“Okay, I’ll try it on.” Luo Yu took the two pieces of clothing gracefully, and Andy led him to the fitting room.

“Mr. Luo, if you need anything, please let me know.”

“Alright.”

The fitting rooms here were all private, like small suites. You could pull down the curtain inside, and on the other side were sofas and coffee tables for companions to wait. Each fitting room was separated, ensuring privacy.

Luo Yu glanced at the price tag, which was not lower than globally renowned luxury brands, but at least the design would not become outdated in the next season, allowing for prolonged wear. At first glance, it didn’t have the iconic elements of international big brands, but it was suitable for daily wear, with thoughtful consideration in material and design. Once Luo Yu put it on, his aura changed—there was an elegant air amidst a laid-back tranquility.

A hand reached through the curtain, and Gu Xiaowei’s voice came, “Try these pants on as well.”

“Okay.”

In terms of fashion sense, Luo Yu had complete trust in Gu Xiaowei.

After changing, Luo Yu walked out.

Gu Xiaowei was sitting on a chair across from Luo Yu’s fitting room, with two cups of tea on the small table beside him. Gu Xiaowei held one tea cup in hand and the other hand held a tablet, browsing through the season’s new arrivals.

As soon as Luo Yu emerged, Gu Xiaowei put down the cup and lifted his eyes. Whether it was the lighting or the angle, Gu Xiaowei had a gentle, soft aura.

“It looks pretty good. Can I take a photo of you?” Gu Xiaowei asked.

Luo Yu looked at Andy. “Can we?”

After all, it concerned their designs.

Andy smiled and nodded. “Yes, of course. I must say, Mr. Luo, when you walked out wearing this outfit, it was quite stunning. Mr. Gu’s taste is consistently high.”

This was the first time Luo Yu had been described as “stunning,” which made him a bit uncomfortable.

Gu Xiaowei glanced at the spot across from the coffee table. “Sit down, have some tea, and look at their new collection.”

“Mm, alright.” Luo Yu sat down opposite Gu Xiaowei, picked up the tea cup, and took a sip. The black tea had a unique taste, fragrant but not heavy.

He picked up the tablet and flipped through it.

After turning two pages, he saw a mid-length trench coat. The coat didn’t have standout designs at first glance, but Luo Yu felt its material and waist design were quite high-end. Just as he raised his eyes, he noticed Gu Xiaowei was holding his phone, taking pictures of him.

“Hey! You’re really taking photos?” Luo Yu said, stretching his fingers to grab Gu Xiaowei’s phone.

Gu Xiaowei let Luo Yu take his phone, slightly leaning towards him. “This way, your expression looks more natural. Don’t be shy; there will be many people taking photos of you in the future.”

Luo Yu realized that Gu Xiaowei seemed to instinctively know the best angles for him, capturing even the different vibes of his eyelashes.

Gu Xiaowei called Andy over and asked if the trench coat Luo Yu liked on the tablet was available in finished form.

“Please wait, I’ll go find out.”

As soon as Andy went out, voices could be heard from outside the fitting room, as if several people were attending to a customer.

“Are there many industry peers coming here?” Luo Yu asked.

“I don’t know. Every time I come, there aren’t many people.”

Although Gu Xiaowei’s expression was very calm, Luo Yu could still sense a trace of impatience in his eyes.

He liked quiet and disliked the commotion of people fawning over him.

Andy walked in with the trench coat, “Mr. Luo, I found it. This should be the right size for you.”

Luo Yu thanked her and casually asked, “Have several customers arrived outside?”

Andy smiled professionally, “No, just one. But their identity is a bit special.”

“Oh, I see.”

Luo Yu wasn’t curious about the customer’s identity at all. After all, with Gu Xiaowei here helping him pick out clothes, who could be more special than Gu Xiaowei?

There was no need to enter the fitting room; Luo Yu put on the trench coat directly over his outfit.

Even though it was just a trench coat, Luo Yu’s aura changed entirely—he looked sharp yet unthreatening, with an air of brisk confidence.

As he turned and walked towards the fitting room, pulling up the curtain, his silhouette resembled a bird gliding over a calm river, creating ripples on the water.

Gu Xiaowei watched him, his gaze deepening.

“How do you think it looks?” Luo Yu asked, turning his head.

“Very good,” Gu Xiaowei replied.

Andy, smiling, said, “Would you like to try it in the natural light by the floor-to-ceiling windows?”

“Sure.”

Luo Yu nodded, and Gu Xiaowei also stood up, rolling up his sleeves as if to free his pulse from any restraint.

When Luo Yu walked towards the windows, he was momentarily stunned.

Because the person being treated like a star was actually He Mu!

He Mu was accompanied by two assistants, several stylists, and a few WHY ME service consultants carrying fruit and tea. The scene was so grand that it could be described as a “superstar’s outing.”

Luo Yu and He Mu’s eyes met across the crowd, both slightly stunned.

The assistants, aware of the tension between He Mu and Luo Yu, one of them directly said to the service consultant, “What’s going on? Isn’t this a members-only place? How come anyone can come in?”

“I came with him. Is there a problem?” Gu Xiaowei’s voice rang out, steady and piercing as always.

He Mu and his entourage turned to look. Gu Xiaowei ignored them, walking up to Luo Yu, and whispered, “Wait a moment.”

“Huh?”

Gu Xiaowei gently tugged at the back collar of Luo Yu’s coat, his index finger brushing against Luo Yu’s neck, tucking the coat tag into the collar, “All set.”

The scene fell silent. The assistant who had spoken earlier felt extremely embarrassed.

He Mu stared at Luo Yu, gritting his teeth, trying not to admit that he was stunned the first time he saw Luo Yu.

Sunlight illuminated Luo Yu’s shoulders, his hair tips glinting with golden flecks. The trench coat made him appear even taller, with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and long legs. Crucially, Luo Yu had none of the gaunt look often associated with a thin figure. His clean and pure temperament intertwined with an enticing aura, drawing out a deep, unspoken longing.

Even the stylists around He Mu couldn’t help but look back at Luo Yu several times.

At that moment, He Mu had a bad premonition—if this was the Luo Yu he was up against in the audition, he wouldn’t win.

And he was brought by Gu Xiaowei?

He Mu frequently visited WHY ME to shop for clothes because he had heard that Gu Xiaowei was also a member there. But WHY ME was a members-only place, and he had specially befriended a member of a certain girl group, Ai Cheng, to get a recommendation to become a member. Despite visiting two or three times a month, he had never encountered Gu Xiaowei, let alone had a chance to speak with him.

Who knew that when he finally met Gu Xiaowei at WHY ME, Gu Xiaowei was accompanied by Luo Yu and treated him so attentively—helping pick out clothes, adjusting his collar… When had Gu Xiaowei ever treated someone else so personally?

No matter what the assistants said to He Mu, he couldn’t take his eyes off Luo Yu and Gu Xiaowei.

He watched Gu Xiaowei help Luo Yu choose clothes—a privilege no one else in the circle enjoyed!

At that moment, Luo Yu felt extremely helpless. Gu Xiaowei’s constant presence made him the center of attention.

He glanced at Gu Xiaowei, who seemed oblivious to He Mu, and whispered, “He’s a colleague after all. Aren’t you going to greet him?”

“He probably won’t get a chance to work with me. He’s not really a colleague,” Gu Xiaowei said coldly.

Luo Yu realized that Gu Xiaowei might be biased against He Mu due to past grievances, finding his protective attitude rather endearing.

He originally wanted to take a photo, but as Gu Xiaowei was hanging up an unsuitable piece of clothing, Luo Yu’s finger lightly touched his sleeve.

Gu Xiaowei noticeably paused.

“Oh, I was going to take a photo of you, but you suddenly reached out.”

“It’s nothing. I just suddenly remembered a drama where someone wanted to catch the male lead’s attention by hooking his sleeve with their finger and said it was to check the time on his watch,” Gu Xiaowei’s gaze shifted sideways.

Luo Yu made an amused expression, “Well… I doubt that’s a drama you’ve worked on.”

“Why not? Have you watched all my works?” Gu Xiaowei asked.

“I just can’t imagine what your expression would be if someone used such a method to attract you,” Luo Yu replied.

Gu Xiaowei, hands in pockets, turned to face Luo Yu, drawing closer. His gaze seemed calm but carried an undercurrent of numerous flower vines extending into Luo Yu’s eyes and bloodstream, subtly but intensely seeking an outlet.

Luo Yu leaned back, seeing Gu Xiaowei’s lips slightly part, “It would be this kind of expression.”

His blood surged uncontrollably, and something felt like it was on the brink of losing control.

Gu Xiaowei’s lips curled subtly, which Luo Yu caught.

This guy was really trying to prove that his romantic scenes were superior to Luo Yu’s.

Luo Yu grabbed Gu Xiaowei’s shoulder and pushed him up, “You’ve definitely surpassed the teacher. I suggest you take on more romantic roles. The ‘high mountain flower blooming for a certain person scene’ is a crowd favorite.”

“Heh.” Gu Xiaowei quirked a faint smile and continued looking at the ready-made clothes.

At this moment, He Mu entered the fitting room, pulling an assistant over and whispering, “Go take pictures of those two. Be careful, don’t let them see you.”

The assistant looked as if struck by lightning, cautiously confirming, “You want me to take photos of… Gu Xiaowei and Luo Yu?”

“Yes.”

He Mu’s answer left the assistant feeling hopeless.

That’s Gu Xiaowei! Asking him to secretly photograph Gu Xiaowei? Gu Xiaowei’s gaze alone could kill him!

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

“Get going!” He Mu glared coldly at him.

He didn’t understand why his agent found such timid assistants, who even hesitated to take photos.

The assistant took a deep breath, picked up his phone, and walked out.

His back had the air of someone about to face a deadly trial.

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Gu Xiaowei’s home probably wasn’t nearby, and the pool’s facilities weren’t high-end. Why would he come here to swim?

Luo Yu knocked on the stall wall, “I’m asking, why did you choose to swim here?”

The sound of running water continued, and Luo Yu wasn’t sure if Gu Xiaowei was washing his hair and couldn’t hear.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

Separated by a thin wall, Gu Xiaowei had his head bowed with water flowing from his head down his neck. Facing the wall, with his hands braced against it, he closed his eyes and envisioned Luo Yu gliding past him in backstroke.

“When I last visited your place, I saw that swimming card in the junk bowl by the entrance. A few days ago, I passed by and got a card.”

“Hahaha, then you must be disappointed. I chose this place purely because it’s cheap and close to home,” Luo Yu’s cheerful voice came from the other stall.

Gu Xiaowei turned his face towards Luo Yu’s direction and said with a calm and steady voice, “But I came here to meet you.”

Standing under the water, Luo Yu was stunned. The next moment, he heard a “thud” as Gu Xiaowei punched the wall.

It hit him right in the heart. Luo Yu’s shoulder jolted, and the shower gel he had been holding spilled. Some of it flowed through the gap and onto the other side, but it only swirled slightly before flowing back.

Gu Xiaowei’s voice came from the other side, “Did something fall?”

Luo Yu immediately understood Gu Xiaowei’s joke, “Only your brain.” (TN: might refer to the dropping of a bar of soap in public showers)

“Ha.”

A few minutes later, Luo Yu had finished his shower and was dressed.

As he was leaving, he knocked on Gu Xiaowei’s door, “I’ll wait outside to dry my hair.”

“Mm.” This time, Gu Xiaowei finally responded, sounding a bit hoarse.

Luo Yu’s hair wasn’t long, so a few blasts from the hairdryer were enough to dry it.

At this point, Gu Xiaowei emerged, draped in a towel, and sat beside Luo Yu.

Luo Yu smiled and picked up the hairdryer, moving behind him to gently style his hair, “Hurry up and dry it. I’m still relatively unknown, and no one’s paying attention. But you’re different.”

Feeling Luo Yu’s fingertips brushing his scalp, Gu Xiaowei’s shoulder tensed slightly. Luo Yu thought it might be an illusion, but he felt that Gu Xiaowei’s chest remained still, as if holding his breath.

But soon, Luo Yu had dried his hair.

“You underestimate yourself. Right now, your visibility is very high, and the audience is eager to see your acting skills,” Gu Xiaowei said, his tone as usual.

“Like opening a blind box? Jiang Yinchuan gave me a beautiful wrapping that piqued the audience’s interest. But the higher the interest, the higher their expectations will be.”

“You will amaze them.”

“With a statement like that from Teacher Gu, it doesn’t sound like encouragement but more like a conclusion. Do you have any plans for later?” Luo Yu asked as he put the hairdryer back on the rack.

Unexpectedly, Gu Xiaowei said, “You’re the first person to touch my hair since I debuted, besides my stylist and hairdresser.”

“Is that so? Well, your hair feels really good, softer than I imagined,” Luo Yu replied with a smile.

“Next week is the audition. I thought you’d want me to help you prepare. After all, I am the current Lu Pingfeng,” Gu Xiaowei said.

Luo Yu stroked his chin. “Let’s save the surprise for the audition day.”

Gu Xiaowei lowered his eyes, a faint, barely perceptible smile on his lips. “I’ll be waiting.”

“Ah, but there’s one thing I really need your help with.”

“What is it?”

“It’s about the clothes. When I signed with Jiang Yinchuan, he complained that I didn’t have many clothes. Now that I think about it… I really don’t have many clothes. What should I wear to the audition for Wen Yuchi?”

Could he really wear the same sweater and coat from the lunch meeting?

Luo Yu could imagine Jiang Yinchuan seeing photos from the audition and sighing in frustration upon seeing him in the same old outfit.

“Tsk, logically, it should be Jiang Yinchuan who’s picky about my clothes. Since I’ve signed with him, why doesn’t he…”

Why doesn’t he send a stylist to help him out?

He originally wanted to ask Ye Shengyi, but Ye Shengyi had found work already and was too busy. Luo Yu felt too embarrassed to disturb him.

Before Luo Yu could finish his thought, Gu Xiaowei stood up. “I’ll go shopping with you.”

“You going shopping with me? You’ll get mobbed wherever you go.”

“I know a few designer studios with fewer visitors,” Gu Xiaowei said.

Luo Yu almost said it was too expensive to afford, then suddenly realized—he wouldn’t be paying! Jiang Yinchuan would reimburse him!

Should he really take advantage of him?

At that moment, Jiang Yinchuan, who was packing Pu’er tea bricks, sneezed unexpectedly.

“Alright. Your fashion sense is much better than mine.”

Gu Xiaowei drove over, and the two of them tossed their waterproof swimming bags into the trunk.

Luo Yu sat in the passenger seat and fastened his seatbelt.

“Do you have a swimming card here too?” Luo Yu asked casually.

“Yes.”

“Then we should schedule a swim together next time.”

Gu Xiaowei tightened his grip on the steering wheel, responding, “Sure.”

“But you have more work than I do. When you get busy, we might not even see each other, let alone swim together.”

“So, if you get the role of Wen Yuchi, we’ll be in the same crew.”

Luo Yu glanced at Gu Xiaowei’s profile. It seemed Gu Xiaowei really favored him. Luo Yu even had a bizarre feeling that Gu Xiaowei wanted to be around him or that Gu Xiaowei genuinely hoped Luo Yu would act opposite him as Wen Yuchi, staying with him both on and off-screen.

The car hadn’t gone far when Sister Cui called.

“Sister Cui, what’s up?” Luo Yu was worried the audition might be canceled.

“It’s Bo Wenyuan! Bo Wenyuan is trending!”

Upon hearing that name, Luo Yu couldn’t even muster any annoyance.

“Who did he kneel down to now? Or which gullible person signed with Zhuque Media?” Luo Yu asked coldly.

“What are you talking about! He’s really finished this time! He’s become a criminal in the eyes of the law! Several recordings of him discussing projects have been leaked—talking about sending his own artists to shady deals; deliberately withholding payment to force artists into signing unfavorable contracts; using fake contracts with Hu Wei; and most importantly, the stuff about you!”

“About me?” Luo Yu chuckled. Bo Wenyuan’s few words about him were nothing new.

“He says you’re foolish! Kneeling to beg you, and you signed the contract! Worked for him for five years for nothing!”

“Well said,” Luo Yu nodded.

“He says you’re spineless! Says you’re easy to control! He blocked your auditions, and you didn’t even yell at him!”

“I accept his criticism,” Luo Yu replied lazily, leaning back in his seat.

“He also said you’re weak, that you didn’t fight for resources, and disbanded your team without causing a fuss!”

“Tsk, indeed weak. I’m working on improving.”

Luo Yu thought about the roles Gu Xiaowei had worked so hard to get him. Wasn’t it exactly a matter of being foolish, spineless, and weak?

“And then the netizens are furious, saying they’ve never seen someone so shamelessly exploit others’ sympathy and then turn around and blame them! They’re calling him the PUA master of the entertainment industry and you the naive silly white flower!”

Luo Yu frowned. “Isn’t ‘little white flower’ meant to be a compliment?”

“Of course not! They say you’re brainless, that you fell for Bo Wenyuan’s low-level tricks! They question how you could endure for five years without any resistance! And they say you wasted your good looks and acting skills on scum like Bo Wenyuan!”

“I believe the netizens are lamenting my misfortune and resenting my lack of putting up a struggle.”

“Yes, although they’re harshly criticizing you, their sympathy and outrage are genuine. Even your haters are lamenting that their slandering efforts were in vain! Netizens are urging you to stay at Yinchuan Culture. President Jiang is now in a difficult spot because many comments on the official post about your signing are saying Yinchuan Culture must not become another Zhuque Media.”

“Yes, President Jiang must be feeling that no matter how he tries to avoid it, he’s still getting hit.”

“Don’t you wonder what’s happening with Bo Wenyuan now?”

Luo Yu could guess. “Haha, with all this online criticism, the bad things he’s done must be more than what’s in the recordings. His company’s artists will surely sue him. Projects won’t get investments, banks won’t lend, and his funding chain is completely broken. The weather’s turned cold; let’s hope Bo Wenyuan can find a newspaper to cover himself when he ends up on the street.”

In reality, Bo Wenyuan’s situation was far worse than Luo Yu imagined.

Zhuque Media had been emptied out under debt collection pressure; nothing was left, not even the furniture. The door was spray-painted with red words: “Pay your debts; it’s only right.”

Bo Wenyuan couldn’t repay his bank loans. His properties in the city center, apartments, shops, and even his small villa in the suburbs—all assets and vehicles in his name—were seized by the court. He was under investigation for fake contracts and severe tax issues, and the police were searching for him everywhere.

His bank cards, credit cards, and accounts were frozen; he didn’t even have money for bus fare.

He was like a rat crossing the street, pursued wherever he went. He never imagined that the scenes of debt collectors in movies would happen to him in real life.

He called Ou Juntao, hoping for some money to get his projects back on track. But Ou Juntao’s line was constantly busy; Bo Wenyuan guessed he’d been blocked.

He went to visit friends who once considered him a brother. Some avoided him, some had him thrown out by security, and others even called the police.

Desperate, he went to his ex-girlfriend’s place. He had given up the house they bought together because he didn’t want to look bad in a breakup. As soon as he knocked, a tall man came out and beat him up, leaving him bruised and fleeing. It turned out his ex-girlfriend was now married.

Covering his face, he walked down the street, feeling the stares of passersby. He never imagined being so miserable.

His only valuable possession was his phone. He looked at a second-hand phone store and, knowing he couldn’t be found, sold the phone for 600 yuan.

Just as he got the money, a black van pulled up by the roadside.

“Bo Wenyuan—all debts must be repaid—where are you running to!”

The harsh shouts were from debt collectors who had come looking for him.

“Persistent bastards!”

Bo Wenyuan’s heart jumped, and he ran wildly. Just as he reached the street corner, he stumbled and fell against a post, unable to get up.

He glanced at the debt collectors, their faces full of malice. At that moment, he wished he could be invited in for tea and would cooperate with any investigation. (TN: invited for tea=euphemism for being detained by the police)

Meanwhile, Gu Xiaowei was driving with Luo Yu. Luo Yu frowned. “Is there a traffic accident? The road’s blocked.”

“Yes, let’s take another route,” Gu Xiaowei said, steering the car onto another road, which immediately cleared up.

Luo Yu rested his chin on his hand and squinted at Gu Xiaowei. “Say, how come Bo Wenyan’s recordings ended up online? Wouldn’t it be better for the person who leaked them to just blackmail Bo Wenyan for money?”

“Do you think Bo Wenyan still has money?” Gu Xiaowei’s voice was cold, and he looked very displeased whenever Bo Wenyan was mentioned.

“Whoever recorded those videos must have been close to Bo Wenyan… Could it be his resigned secretary, Shi Xiaosong?”

Luo Yu remembered that when Bo Wenyan came to his house, he had called Shi Xiaosong to pick him up, and Shi Xiaosong’s tone had been quite dismissive.

“Who it is doesn’t matter. This person has no moral bottom line in pursuit of profit, so he has plenty of dirt on him. Have you never considered that Bo Wenyan might have informed Ou Juntao that you were planning to sign with Yinchuan Culture?” Gu Xiaowei asked in return.

Luo Yu narrowed his eyes. “Yes, Bo Wenyan left, and then Jiang Yinchuan arrived. So it must have been Bo Wenyan who told Ou Juntao, which is why Ou Juntao suddenly targeted me. Ha…”

As for who made Bo Wenyan’s scandals trend, it might be Jiang Yinchuan.

No… it’s not Jiang Yinchuan. He’s more of a strategic thinker. If it were him, he’d have hired a lawyer to make Bo Wenyan cry and plead.

Trending black material sounds more like Ou Juntao’s style.

After all, Ou Juntao would be very eager to get rid of the persistent Bo Wenyan. To quickly sever ties between Dijun Media and Bo Wenyan, the most effective way would be to put him away.

Luo Yu took a breath; whatever. Bo Wenyan’s impact on his life had ended here.

“Teacher Gu, don’t frown. We’re going shopping, not attending Bo Wenyan’s memorial service.”

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

“Hmph.” Gu Xiaowei finally had a hint of a smile on his face.

Gu Xiaowei took Luo Yu into a high-end office building, and they took the elevator from the underground parking lot straight up to the twentieth floor.

When the elevator doors opened, Luo Yu was pleasantly surprised. He hadn’t expected this office building to have such an extraordinary interior.

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A person’s industry reputation can reach such a level that it arouses curiosity about what charm they possess. 

Then, searching a bit, videos of his audition for Bai Ying and his acting battle video in the “Storm” crew come up. While it doesn’t reach the level of fanaticism, at least it raises some curiosity among passersby, who think the young man indeed has some substance. 

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Leveraging online discussions, Yinchuan Culture directly issued a statement clarifying the rumors about Luo Yu, stating that there are no projects, contracts, or benefits between Luo Yu and Jiang Yunxie. Yinchuan Culture will pursue legal action against those spreading rumors. 

Because of the well-known feud between Jiang Yinchuan and Jiang Yunxie, not only did Honghe Film and Television know about it, but so did the onlookers. Once the statement was released, the idea that Luo Yu was clinging to Jiang Yunxie’s support was thoroughly debunked. 

[If Jiang Yinchuan and Jiang Yunxie are fighting tooth and nail, would Jiang Yinchuan sign Luo Yu if there were really something between him and Jiang Yunxie?] 

[Who said Luo Yu was involved with Jiang Yunxie? If he were truly involved, Jiang Yinchuan wouldn’t have considered him!] 

[If he were really the type to rise through personal connections, why would so many industry peers support him!] 

[What were those hot searches before? Some people must have known in advance and are just being sour and malicious!] 

Sitting at his desk, Ou Juntao supported his forehead with one hand. That day, he had received a call from Bo Wenyan, saying that Luo Yu would sign with Jiang Yinchuan’s company. This suddenly enraged him, prompting him to release black material about Luo Yu. Now, realizing he had been used as a pawn by Bo Wenyan and had pushed Luo Yu towards Jiang Yinchuan, Ou Juntao was livid. 

When had Ou Juntao ever been so vexed? 

Now that Luo Yu had joined Jiang Yinchuan, it was like a golden fish meeting a storm, ready to turn into a dragon at any moment, and Luo Yu would look down on him even more. 

Originally, when he saw the negative reports about Luo Yu, He Mu felt so refreshed that he even had an extra meal of lunch, thinking that Chairman Ou would surely fight for the role of Wen Yuchi for him! 

With Dijun Media’s intervention, Luo Yu would certainly be unable to hold his head up. 

But who would have thought that after lunch, He Mu found not only that all the negative hot searches about Luo Yu had disappeared but that Luo Yu had signed with Yinchuan Culture! 

When Jiang Yinchuan left Honghe Film and Television, it caused a huge stir, and the industry was predicting that his company would become a new rising star in the film industry. 

Many artists were eager to sign with his company. 

Just three days ago, He Mu attended a variety show and overheard two artists in the restroom discussing their desire to join Jiang Yinchuan. They said Jiang Yinchuan had the ability and means, with well-made projects and a discerning eye—those chosen by him would surely succeed. 

He Mu regretted approaching the inept Jiang Yunxie, who only knew how to exploit people, rather than the pragmatic Jiang Yinchuan. 

But Jiang Yinchuan… actually signed Luo Yu! 

Luo Yu’s fans, popularity, and commercial value had far surpassed He Mu’s, and now he only had topic interest. “Counterattack” and “Storm” hadn’t even aired yet! 

How could Jiang Yinchuan know if Luo Yu could win over the audience with just two supporting roles! 

This made He Mu, who had eaten two bowls of rice, feel sour, as if the acidity was rising from his stomach. 

He used a newly registered account to mock Luo Yu but was reported, with the system warning that any further extreme comments might lead to account suspension. 

He felt a lump of anger stuck in his throat, unable to go up or down. 

The agent knocked and entered the room. Seeing He Mu reddened face while playing on his phone, he almost slid to his knees. 

“Don’t tell me you’re targeting Luo Yu again! Don’t forget your apology letter!” 

“Do you have something to say?” 

The mention of the apology letter made He Mu’s face burn with pain. 

“The role you wanted—Wen Yuchi…” 

He Mu instinctively asked, “Don’t tell me Luo Yu is auditioning too!” 

“Yes. And Yinchuan Culture will also assist with the film’s overseas distribution.” 

In other words, when it came to competing backgrounds, He Mu couldn’t surpass Luo Yu this time. 

He Mu’s heart sank, and the sense of failure from losing to Luo Yu despite staying up all night with his acting trainer overwhelmed him. 

“If that’s the case… I… I’ll give up this role…” He Mu said softly. 

The agent sneered, “You can not go, but I heard that in order to match the actor for Wen Yuchi with Gu Xiaowei, Gu Xiaowei will act with every auditionee. Are you sure you want to miss this chance to interact with him up close?” 

He Mu was tempted. Acting with Gu Xiaowei? 

“Don’t you want to reverse Gu Xiaowei’s impression of you? Even if Chairman Ou is going to help you, don’t you still need to show up at the audition? It’s like an exam—you want to pass, but you can’t submit a blank paper, right?” The agent had been guiding He Mu like a spoiled child, and his patience was wearing thin. 

“Okay… but wait, the audition won’t be made public, will it?” He Mu asked worriedly. 

“As long as you don’t do anything weird, why would the director release the audition footage?” 

Previously, the public release of the audition video for “Counterattack” had led to much mockery of He Mu. 

Don’t doubt it—where there are fans, there are bound to be haters. He Mu knew how haters manipulated mindsets, so he used similar tactics to mess with Luo Yu’s mindset. 

But while such methods used to be foolproof, Luo Yu seemed not to care at all now. 

Meanwhile, Luo Yu was at the edge of the pool at the gym, gliding smoothly through the water, his legs swinging like a fish tail as he swam several meters. 

The pool was nearly empty, and Luo Yu swam back and forth with ease. 

After tiring, he lazily flipped over and floated on the water’s surface, adjusting his breathing. 

He sensed the calm water being disturbed, something approaching him. 

Luo Yu instinctively turned over, only to find another person in the water. 

Someone had swum below him! 

Luo Yu was startled, but the person sank further down, their swim cap coming off, revealing black hair flowing like a poppy flower in the water. 

Through his goggles, Luo Yu saw a pair of amber eyes, their clarity seeming to pull his heart and mind away. 

Luo Yu choked on water and lost his balance. 

As he was about to flail in the water, a force gripped his waist, easily lifting him out of the water. 

By the time Luo Yu came to his senses, he was already holding onto the person’s shoulders, while the person’s arms tightly encircled his waist. With every cough Luo Yu could feel the strength of their arms. 

“Cough, cough… Gu… Gu Xiaowei, how come you’re here?” Luo Yu wiped the water from his face and lifted his goggles. 

Gu Xiaowei tilted his head back, water droplets sliding down his hair, tracing the lines of his face and sharp jawline, before dripping back into the pool. 

He looked at Luo Yu and said, “Of course, I’m not here just to take a bath.” 

Luo Yu patted his arm, signaling him to let go, “Was it on purpose? Swimming below me to scare me?” 

Though Luo Yu thought Gu Xiaowei wouldn’t do something so childish, Gu Xiaowei directly replied, “I just wanted to see your silhouette underwater.” 

“Huh?” Luo Yu stood there, suddenly unsure of what to do. 

Because at that moment, the azure pool seemed to bubble and boil. 

He didn’t expect… that this spontaneous or premeditated remark would stir his emotions so. 

Gu Xiaowei turned his face sideways, “Don’t you want to comment?” 

Luo Yu quickly realized that Gu Xiaowei was continuing his “romantic scene” act. 

“Heh.” Luo Yu lowered his eyes, letting out a light laugh, and gently tapped Gu Xiaowei’s waterproof goggles, “Do you know why I choked?” 

“Scared by me.” 

“No, it’s because I suddenly found your eyes beautiful, like the water lilies on Lugu Lake.” 

The last few words were spoken lightly, drawn out with Luo Yu’s translucent male voice, teasing Gu Xiaowei’s “romantic scene,” or perhaps genuinely admiring Gu Xiaowei’s eyes. 

Gu Xiaowei’s arms tightened for a moment but soon released Luo Yu. 

“You’re blushing. That should not be acting.” 

After saying that, Luo Yu submerged into the water and swam to the other side. 

Gu Xiaowei watched Luo Yu’s shoulders and back rise and fall on the water’s surface, his throat bobbing slightly, then dove into the water. 

Both reached the opposite side almost simultaneously. 

Luo Yu leaned against the pool wall, turned around, and smiled, “Aren’t you going to quickly retrieve your swim cap?”

“Do you want to race 50 meters?” Gu Xiaowei asked.

Luo Yu looked at his broad shoulders and felt a sense of invasion rather than detachment.

“No.”

Gu Xiaowei asked again, “Why?”

“I can’t swim faster than you,” Luo Yu answered straightforwardly.

This candid admission left Gu Xiaowei at a loss for words.

Gu Xiaowei swam to the center of the pool and retrieved his swim cap. When he turned around, he saw Luo Yu leisurely swimming backstroke.

His legs were long, folding up as he kicked, and his Adam’s apple appeared intermittently through the water’s ripples.

The water became faintly warm, and Gu Xiaowei kept his gaze on Luo Yu until he reached the opposite side.

“Hey, I didn’t expect you to come to a public pool,” Luo Yu said, leaning against the pool wall.

Gu Xiaowei swam over leisurely and asked, “Then where should I swim?”

“I thought you… might live in a villa with a pool on the roof,” Luo Yu said, laughing as he looked at Gu Xiaowei. “Am I watching too many idol dramas? Don’t you have a big villa or a pool?”

Gu Xiaowei smiled faintly and said, “I’d like to have one now.”

At that moment, light laughter and chatting came from the poolside.

Two young female students in swimsuits arrived and descended into the pool via the ladder.

Luo Yu and Gu Xiaowei both put on their swim goggles.

They had initially thought that wearing goggles and swim caps would keep them from attracting attention, but they had underestimated their own attractiveness.

One appeared aloof and handsome, and the other was graceful with a hint of a smile.

The two girls didn’t approach but kept glancing in their direction.

Suddenly, Gu Xiaowei turned, braced himself against the pool edge, and lifted himself out.

In that moment, his shoulder muscles tensed, and the masculine aggression that usually remained hidden under clothes was fully revealed.

Water flowed down his back muscles, creating a dramatic visual that made Luo Yu’s heart race, unable to look away.

When Gu Xiaowei was on the ground, he knelt down, leaned close to Luo Yu’s ear, and said, “Let’s go.”

“Ah, okay.”

Luo Yu didn’t mind other people being in the pool. After all, they wouldn’t be able to take photos underwater.

But Gu Xiaowei, who didn’t care about being followed in the supermarket, suddenly seemed concerned.

Perhaps it was because… he was only in swim trunks?

Luo Yu pushed himself up to the walkway, but his hand slipped, nearly falling back into the water. Gu Xiaowei quickly reached out and pulled him up.

Luo Yu felt the strength in the arm that held him around his waist as it tightened and exerted force.

Luo Yu hadn’t expected Gu Xiaowei’s arm strength… no, it wasn’t just arm strength, but also involved the power from his waist and shoulders. It was really impressive.

“Are you okay?” Gu Xiaowei’s voice came near, accompanied by a slight air vibration.

“I’m fine,” Luo Yu said, patting Gu Xiaowei’s arm. “Teacher Gu, I know you’re strong. If you squeeze me any tighter, I might vomit.”

“Ha.” Gu Xiaowei’s expression was cool as he released his hold and walked towards the men’s changing room, with Luo Yu following behind.

The two girls in the pool finally began to chat.

“Did you see that? Those two guys were so handsome! Even though we couldn’t see their eyes, just their chins make them look like models.”

“And the one who pulled himself out of the water was really cool!”

“Did you see how he lifted his friend? Didn’t it seem like…”

“Overly possessive?”

“Haha! By the way, don’t you think he looks like Gu Xiaowei?”

“Yes! Yes! Yes! I was just about to tell you that! But Gu Xiaowei wouldn’t come to a public pool, would he?”

“He doesn’t seem like the type to come swimming with friends.”

“Ah—I really want to see Gu Xiaowei swimming!”

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

“Haha, I also want to see Gu Xiaowei pulling his beloved out of the water with a dramatic gesture!”

Luo Yu, who had already entered the bathroom, was unaware of what the two girls were discussing. He and Gu Xiaowei were showering in separate stalls.

As he lathered shampoo into his hair, Luo Yu thought about how coincidental this was.

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