I Became the Koi Actor After Entering the Book

**Chapter 94: Doubt**

Translator: Namizaki

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What should Du Yusheng do when the Little Prince and the Big Boss disagree?

Logically, Du Yusheng knew that temporarily adopting Lu Yuzhou’s approach would cool down the feverish speculation. However, Chi Zhongqiao’s suggestion to seize the opportunity and go public wasn’t a bad way to cut their losses either.

If they denied it now, wouldn’t they be slapping themselves in the face if Chi Zhongqiao went public later?

Ignoring Chi Zhongqiao, Du Yusheng carefully hung up the phone and murmured, “President Lu, it won’t be difficult to brush this off for now. But if we reveal your relationship later, it’s bound to cause…”

Lu Yuzhou interrupted, “Then we won’t reveal it.”

Lu Yuzhou had been by Chi Zhongqiao’s side every step of the way. He had seen him memorizing lines late into the night, immersing himself in characters to the point of mirroring their lives, and practicing a single line with the voice actor teacher in the rehearsal room, over and over again…

He had witnessed Chi Zhongqiao’s dedication and celebrated his achievements.

The more Lu Yuzhou understood Chi Zhongqiao’s deep love for his industry, the more he cherished his honor.

Lu Yuzhou said calmly, “He’s mine. There’s no need to show him off.”

For a moment, Du Yusheng felt as if he had never truly known this young leader of the Lu Family.

He realized that Lu Yuzhou’s meticulous attention to detail could be applied to people, not just business projects. He was willing to consider the other person’s reputation, even sacrificing his right to be publicly acknowledged as a lover.

Du Yusheng glanced at Lu Yuzhou in surprise and asked, “Do you know who called me just now?”

Lu Yuzhou raised his eyebrows slightly. “Brother Qiao?”

Du Yusheng choked back a laugh, thinking to himself: My own position as Manager has no clout with President Lu. But since the man was his Boss, Du Yusheng dared not voice his anger. He could only reply, “Yes. Can you guess how Zhongqiao plans to handle this?”

Lu Yuzhou pressed his lips together. He genuinely couldn’t guess. His partner’s ideas were always rather unconventional, but they were likely rooted in affection—otherwise, Du Yusheng wouldn’t have dared bring it up.

Oh, President Lu can’t guess.

Du Yusheng finally grinned. “He said, ‘It’s not like you’re someone he needs to hide.'”

The words pierced Lu Yuzhou’s heart like a thorn. His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly as he struggled to find a response, his mind drifting unconsciously to Chi Zhongqiao.

Seizing the opportunity while Lu Yuzhou was distracted, Du Yusheng savored the moment for a couple of seconds before steering the conversation back on track. “Zhongqiao wasn’t acting on impulse. Even before your relationship was exposed, he had planned that if he won Best Actor at the Peony Awards, he would publicly reveal your relationship.”

This was the second bombshell Lu Yuzhou had received in the past ten minutes, leaving his mind temporarily blank.

So Qiao-ge had always intended to go public?

Didn’t he consider how revealing it at this time might affect his future? Would his fans accept their idol having a lover?

Or… was I more important to him than all of that?

Lost in this turmoil, Lu Yuzhou instinctively reached for his phone.

Just as he was about to dial, three sharp knocks echoed from Du Yusheng’s office door before it swung open.

Apart from President Lu, only Chi Zhongqiao ever entered Du Yusheng’s office without waiting to be asked to come in after knocking.

The voice arrived before the person:

“Brother Du, why did you hang up on me…?”

Chi Zhongqiao entered the room, his thin lips pressed into a tight line, his expression almost somber. But the moment he looked up and saw Lu Yuzhou, the coldness in his eyes strangely melted away, transforming him back into the gentle, reserved young man.

“Yuzhou,” Chi Zhongqiao said in surprise, “what are you doing here?”

He softly closed the door and took a few steps forward, noticing a faint blush on Lu Yuzhou’s cheeks. Chi Zhongqiao paused, glancing back at Du Yusheng. “What were you two talking about? Is it about that matter of mine?”

“It’s about “our” matter.” Lu Yuzhou replied, struggling to maintain his composure in front of Du Yusheng. “I was just telling Du Yusheng that maybe we shouldn’t go public after all. There’s been no buildup, so announcing it now would seem too sudden.”

He wanted his Qiao Gege to achieve everything effortlessly, to be within arm’s reach of the industry’s highest honor, to wear the laurel crown and bask in adoration and cheers.

Chi Zhongqiao frowned, glancing at Du Yusheng before speaking. Reluctant to discuss Lu Yuzhou in front of an outsider, he said, “What are you thinking? Even if we vehemently deny being lovers, do you think the media will let it go? Even if there’s an official denial, everyone in the industry knows it’s just PR talk—not a word of truth. I’ve been in this business for years without a single real scandal. Now that the media has finally caught wind of something, they’ll be watching me like hawks. How do you expect to escape that?”

“Celebrities live under the spotlight. How many relationships can truly be kept secret? It’s better to admit it now than deny it and be exposed later.”

He was genuinely angry, though he tried to control his tone. His words gradually became sharper.

What Chi Zhongqiao disliked most about Lu Yuzhou was his tendency to underestimate himself, followed by his excessive concern for Chi Zhongqiao’s own well-being.

Having reached this age, Chi Zhongqiao, while not considering himself a “success story,” was a capable adult who had earned a comfortable life through his own efforts. Even in their romantic relationship, he still habitually indulged Lu Yuzhou.

Mentally, he felt much older. When he looked at Lu Yuzhou, he couldn’t help but feel a carefully restrained tenderness, as if Lu Yuzhou needed his meticulous care.

Lu Yuzhou pressed his lips together.

Du Yusheng glanced at Chi Zhongqiao, then at Lu Yuzhou, who was listening attentively. He finally realized his understanding of their domestic power dynamics might be completely wrong. He’d always assumed President Lu called the shots, but now it seemed otherwise. The way President Lu so readily lowered his head, and how Chi Zhongqiao was the one searching for him…

Zhongqiao is… the one in charge?

Struck by this revelation, Du Yusheng felt like he’d been hit by lightning.

Chi Zhongqiao fixed his gaze on Lu Yuzhou. “Besides, you’re the man I’m going to marry. Do I look like the kind of a scumbag who wouldn’t even dare admit who he likes?”

Lu Yuzhou lowered his eyes, took Chi Zhongqiao’s hand, kissed his fingertips, and murmured hoarsely, “Qiao-ge.”

Chi Zhongqiao: “…Stop fooling around.”

He glanced at Du Yusheng, then pulled Lu Yuzhou toward the exit, saying, “I didn’t check the internet on the way here, but these past ten minutes have been enough for anyone determined to dig up every detail of our daily life in the US. We haven’t been particularly discreet in China either, so the public opinion has likely already reached a fever pitch. We can’t suppress it now. Notify the PR team to prepare. I’ll send them some materials shortly.”

Du Yusheng, still reeling from the Little Prince’s decisive action, stammered, “Ah—ah?”

Chi Zhongqiao glanced back at him. “Is it that difficult?”

Du Yusheng instinctively looked at Lu Yuzhou. The CEO silently averted his gaze, and Du Yusheng understood—when it came to family matters, President Lu had no say.

“No,” Du Yusheng replied. “I’ll notify public relations.”

Chi Zhongqiao nodded and left with Lu Yuzhou.

“What kind of torment have I endured tonight?” Du Yusheng muttered to himself.

The sheer volume of information he’d processed left his brain feeling numb.

After a few moments of disorientation, he finally remembered his job. He swiftly rolled over to his computer and opened it. Just as Chi Zhongqiao had predicted, the internet was already buzzing with speculation about Chi Zhongqiao’s potential romantic partners.

Theories ranged from Xu Xingzhou, with some claiming the two had secretly harbored feelings for each other since their first drama, to Yan Qingbo, with rumors insisting the veteran actress had fallen for the young actor’s looks, explaining why Chi Zhongqiao had secured such prime opportunities.

Du Yusheng pressed his hand to his forehead and sighed deeply. Once the relationship went public, Chi Zhongqiao would inevitably face scrutiny and doubt.

Questions would arise about whether Chi Zhongqiao’s achievements were due to his connection with Lu Yuzhou.

Lu Yuzhou’s status was extraordinary—the young Head of the Lu Family, a man everyone in the industry would clamor to curry favor with if he so desired.

Du Yusheng, who had remained single his entire life, couldn’t comprehend it. How deeply must an actor like Chi Zhongqiao, who so passionately loved his craft, care for someone to willingly endure such scrutiny?

Zaki~ English is not my first language, but I’ll try to get the translations as close as possible to the Author’s work. If you see any grammatical errors or mistakes in the translation, please feel free to drop them in the comments section so I can correct them immediately. Thank you and Happy Reading 🙂