My Brother Gu Is in Trouble

Ye Qing froze. That voice sounded so familiar. He thought he recognized it, but he didn't dare be sure.

Then Yu Hang said "Emperor Gu," and shattered Ye Qing's last hope.

I told you, don't pull anything in a bathroom.

See? You get caught by the person himself every time. Awkward, isn't it?

It really was awkward. Remembering what he had just said, Ye Qing felt heat rush to his face.

Ahhh, how could I have said that?

And why is Brother Gu here? That idiot Yu Hang cornered me without even checking whether anyone was in the bathroom.

Every single time.

Gu Ze remembered what had happened in the bathroom last time, too. Somehow, he always seemed to overhear things in bathrooms.

But how was he supposed to know it would happen every time?

Yu Hang panicked when he saw Gu Ze. He idolized him, but now his idol wasn't on his side. And Gu Ze had just said all that, too.

He was jealous and nervous at the same time.

"Mr. Gu, we—I won't bother you two." With that, he moved to leave.

"Wait." Gu Ze stopped him.

"I don't want rumors that people on my set are difficult or that the actors don't get along. You know what I mean."

Yu Hang gritted his teeth. "I understand."

After Yu Hang left, Ye Qing was still debating whether to apologize.

I should apologize. I did use his name, after all.

Ye Qing put on an awkward but polite smile. "Brother Gu, I'm sorry. I was just talking nonsense."

"I only wanted to get under his skin."

Gu Ze smiled at his anxious explanation. "It's fine. I don't mind you borrowing my clout."

"As long as you're not in the wrong, you can do whatever you want."

Ye Qing stared at him. He had never expected Gu Ze to say that. Gu Ze had just finished a scene and was still in costume. His bangs were swept back, revealing his forehead and making his nose look even sharper.

A jacket like that should have made him look roguishly handsome, but with Gu Ze smiling so gently in the sunlight, all Ye Qing could see was his warmth.

He had that rare mix of gentleness and rebelliousness. Ye Qing was glad he had good self-control. Anyone else might have fallen for him.

Still, Ye Qing had to ask, "I really can use your name whenever I want?"

"It's fine."

"And you handled what just happened well. You don't have to swallow your anger for people in this industry. Your family has the clout to back you up."

Besides, Gu Ze could protect Ye Qing himself. He mainly felt that navigating the entertainment industry at Ye Qing's age couldn't be easy, and he enjoyed spending time with him. He didn't mind helping out. Of course, Gu Ze kept all that to himself.

But Ye Qing was delighted by what Gu Ze had said. He had always been on his own in the entertainment industry, and now, all of a sudden, he had found someone powerful to lean on.

No, wait. I've already got someone powerful to lean on.

Seeing Ye Qing's smile, Gu Ze couldn't resist patting him on the head.

"Come on. The next scene's starting."

"Oh, okay."

The next scene was Ye Qing's. His character came home from school to find his older brother back from the Police Force, then ate and talked with him. His brother rarely got to come home.

The role wasn't much different from Ye Qing himself, and he had an older brother of his own. The scene came easily to him, and he nailed it in one take.

The scene was simple, but getting it in one take under the notoriously picky Director Zhang was still impressive.

Off to the side, Yu Hang watched everyone praise Ye Qing, unable to hide the jealousy in his eyes.

Ye Qing looked at him and gave him a slow smile.

Yu Hang: Now he was even angrier.

Tong Ru finally arrived the next day. The first thing she did was apologize to the whole crew. She should have arrived yesterday, but something had held her up.

She had no scenes scheduled for either day, though, so she hadn't delayed much.

Tong Ru had striking features and a curvy figure. Even when she spoke to someone, she gave off an air of being out of their league.

She was polite enough, but something about the way she looked at Ye Qing felt strange.

Gu Ze quietly stepped in front of Ye Qing. Tong Ru looked from one to the other, then laughed. "I've never been on a set with so many handsome men. I'm glad I came."

Is she obsessed with looks?

Gu Ze sighed inwardly. That wasn't quite it. Rumor had it that Tong Ru liked younger men, though she never pressured anyone. Everything was consensual.

But Ye Qing was still young. Gu Ze needed to keep an eye on him.

Tong Ru looked at Gu Ze, displeased. "What are you doing? I'm not going to eat him."

"I didn't force you when you turned me down, did I?"

Behind him, Ye Qing's eyes lit up. What did that mean?

Yes, Tong Ru had pursued Gu Ze for a while. He hadn't accepted her.

Seeing the look in Ye Qing's eyes, Gu Ze thought, Being the subject of the gossip really doesn't feel good.

Life on set was fulfilling. When Ye Qing had scenes, he filmed; when he didn't, he hung around off to the side. He was happy.

When he saw Yu Hang sneak off, Ye Qing was sure he was up to no good and quietly followed him.

The afternoon sun was harsh, and sweat beaded on Ye Qing's face, but Yu Hang still hadn't stopped.

What is Yu Hang up to? He's been sneaking around for ages and still hasn't stopped.

Gu Ze, who was in the middle of filming, faltered at the thought and blew a take for once.

"Sorry. Let's do another."

The crew didn't mind. It was Emperor Gu's first blown take, after all.

A little farther on, Ye Qing saw Yu Hang stop. He seemed to be waiting for someone.

Looking around at the deserted spot, Ye Qing had to admit Yu Hang knew how to pick a meeting place.

Before long, the other person appeared. To Ye Qing's surprise, it was Tong Ru.

But from the look of it, Tong Ru hadn't known Yu Hang was the one who had asked her there.

Out of basic courtesy, Tong Ru asked, "Did you need something?"

"Tong Ru, haven't you always liked Emperor Gu? I have an idea that could help you get him."

"Oh." Tong Ru was interested. "What kind of idea?" After all, she had pursued Gu Ze for ages without success.

To hear them more clearly, Ye Qing crept a few steps closer and started recording on his phone, just in case he needed evidence.

Luckily, they were talking near a bend. Otherwise, Ye Qing wouldn't have been able to hear them.

They probably thought the place was safe, because neither of them lowered their voice.

"I have a drug that'll make someone unable to move, but leave them fully aware."

"If you can get Emperor Gu to take it, then..."

Yu Hang didn't finish, but Tong Ru understood. She gave him no clear answer. "What do you want in return?"

She didn't believe anyone would offer something like that for nothing.

Ye Qing could hear Yu Hang squirm as he answered. "I just want... when the time comes, for you to let me have a turn too."

"And I need you to keep it a secret."

Holy shit! Brother Gu's going to be violated by two people!

Gu Ze, still filming: !!!