Lu Jiayu sat on the sofa, lost in thought.
Until the smoke alarm went off in the kitchen.
The tomato and beef soup in the pot had boiled dry and turned into a burnt mess. He immediately rushed into the kitchen to turn off the stove.
He let out a bitter laugh. He had been too busy recently, and today he finally had the chance to cook something for Xiao Yu, but she hadn’t taken a single bite.
Was he really that unforgivable?
A trace of resentment began to grow in Lu Jiayu’s heart. After all these years together, Xiao Yu couldn’t even give him the most basic trust.
His job was special—it wasn’t as if she didn’t know that.
She had always been so supportive of him before.
Even when he filmed kiss scenes with Ye Fei, she hadn’t said a word.
So why was today’s variety show the last straw for her?
Rubbing his forehead, Lu Jiayu knew his current mindset wasn’t right.
He tried hard to convince himself that Xiao Yu was just jealous, which meant she still cared about him.
He was the one who had broken his promise.
He couldn’t blame her for being angry or for threatening to break up with him.
Both Sang Yu and he himself needed to cool off.
Deep down, Lu Jiayu didn’t believe their relationship had reached a dead end, nor did he think they would actually break up.
On the contrary, having the issue come to light now might not be such a bad thing.
The variety show was still playing on TV. As Lu Jiayu watched the interactions between him and Ye Fei, his mind began to wander again.
It turned out that in front of other women, he could also completely relax.
Even off-screen.
Lu Jiayu picked up the remote and turned off the TV.
Watching it gave him the illusion that he had truly betrayed Sang Yu.
“Buzz, buzz, buzz—” His phone began to vibrate.
Lu Jiayu immediately picked it up, but his expression dimmed when he saw the caller ID: Brother Wang.
“Hello.”
“Jiayu, Ye Fei’s schedule has changed, so we need to record the remaining episodes of the variety show earlier. Pack your things quickly—I’ll pick you up at home tomorrow morning and we’ll head straight to the airport.”
Lu Jiayu felt irritated. How could he focus on work when Sang Yu was still upset?
“What does her schedule have to do with me? I’m taking a break these days—don’t schedule any work for me.”
Brother Wang was taken aback. “Didn’t you say you’d unconditionally accommodate Ye Fei’s schedule?”
Lu Jiayu’s heart skipped a beat.
Had Ye Fei’s influence over him grown to this extent?
He had actually agreed to unconditionally accommodate Ye Fei’s schedule!
And last time, Xiao Yu’s vacation had been hard to arrange.
Yet he had broken his promise.
“All the crew members are confirmed, and recording starts tomorrow afternoon. Please, just cooperate this once, okay?”
Brother Wang felt like he was about to kneel and beg.
“You just won an award recently. If you don’t cooperate with work now, people might criticize you for being difficult.”
“People nowadays love to jump to conclusions. If your reputation gets tarnished, it’ll be hard to land good opportunities in the future.”
Lu Jiayu was still relatively new in the entertainment industry and the youngest film emperor. It was inevitable that some would envy him and look for ways to bring him down.
“Once we finish recording this show, I’ll give you a break and won’t assign you any new work for a while.”
There was still no response from the other end. Brother Wang continued to plead earnestly, “Didn’t you want to go on a trip with Sang Yu? Once you finish your current work, I’ll let you go. You can come back to work whenever you want after that.”
Brother Wang’s plans were already clicking into place.
Once this show is finished and we stir up some gossip with Ye Fei, Lu Jiayu’s popularity will rise another level.
By then, collaborations will come one after another, and no one would turn down good opportunities.
How would Lu Jiayu have time for a vacation then?
For now, it’s best to keep him steady.
Brother Wang knew that no matter how Lu Jiayu behaved outside, Sang Yu was his bottom line, so he could only use Sang Yu to persuade him.
Clearly, he succeeded.
He heard the person on the other end of the line say, “Concentrate all the work this month and keep next month free for me.”
A month would be enough time for them to cool down.
If Xiao Yu still hadn’t forgiven him by then, he would keep pleading.
She would eventually soften.
Brother Wang hurriedly replied, “As long as you cooperate with the work, I’ll agree to anything.”
After hanging up, he called Ye Fei’s agent.
Since they were going to stir up gossip, both sides needed to discuss and agree.
Like Lu Jiayu, Ye Fei was still relatively new in the industry.
In the entertainment world, everyone sticks together for warmth.
The pairing of a film emperor and a film queen would surely attract plenty of attention.
When Ye Fei learned that Lu Jiayu was willing to coordinate with her schedule, she was so thrilled she rolled around on her bed a few times.
She knew all along that Senior Lu was different toward her.
Ye Fei knew it was wrong to like Lu Jiayu, but she couldn’t control her heart.
She had fallen for him the first time they met.
Love is something you have to fight for yourself.
Since his girlfriend didn’t understand him, she would take her place.
She would support him unconditionally and believe in him.
Although taking advantage of the situation wasn’t exactly honorable, as long as she could be with the person she liked, Ye Fei didn’t care anymore.
Love has no right or wrong!
She was just bravely pursuing the person she liked.
Excitedly, she went to her walk-in closet to pack her luggage.
She tried on several dresses but wasn’t satisfied with any of them.
Suddenly, she thought of Sang Yu.
Her meeting with Sang Yu had been somewhat unexpected—it happened at a private restaurant specializing in Southeast Asian cuisine.
Lu Jiayu had recommended that restaurant to her while they were filming.
It had a great atmosphere and excellent privacy.
Many high-society people frequented the place.
It had been a long time since she last saw Lu Jiayu after the filming wrapped up, and on a whim, she decided to try the things he liked.
That was where she ran into Lu Jiayu and his… girlfriend.
Sang Yu.
Ye Fei still remembered every detail of that day. Sang Yu was wearing a red, form-fitting dress.
Her waist-to-hip ratio was perfect, and she had thick, long, wavy hair cascading down her shoulders.
She wore only light makeup, yet it was enough to be utterly captivating.
Elegant yet effortlessly lazy.
Lu Jiayu held her tightly by the waist.
It was clear he truly adored his girlfriend.
Even in the entertainment industry, Ye Fei had never seen a woman more enchanting than Sang Yu.
At first, she thought Sang Yu must be passionate and fiery, given her sexy attire and striking, glamorous looks—the kind most men are drawn to.
But after exchanging a few pleasantries, she realized just how aloof that woman was.
Her tone of voice was detached.
Her gaze was indifferent.
As if nothing could catch her interest.
Only when speaking to Lu Jiayu would she wear a faint smile.
Snapping back to reality, Ye Fei rummaged through her closet full of clothes and found two dresses that resembled Sang Yu’s style.
She had always followed the pure and innocent “little flower” image, so her assistant never arranged sexy outfits for her.
Biting her lip, she still packed those two dresses into her suitcase.
As long as she could be with Lu Jiayu, she was willing to be Sang Yu’s substitute.