OSM Chapter 29: Would a simple self-introduction be too awkward?

When Li Yuze hung up the phone, he was still on set. Even if he was heading home today, he wouldn’t be getting to A City until later in the evening.

He didn’t give an exact time, so He Zhiqiu asked when he might arrive but didn’t get a clear answer.

Although Li Yuze said not to wait for him, He Zhiqiu returned home, quickly packed away his luggage, and still made a pot of pork rib soup.

On his way back, he stopped by the supermarket, threw out expired items in the fridge, and restocked everything.

The house, having been empty for a long time, was covered in a thin layer of dust.

It was clear that during his absence, Li Yuze hadn’t been home much either.

He Zhiqiu wondered how Li Yuze managed to keep the place clean. Based on his ability to take care of himself, it was probably Meng Lin who had come over to tidy up.

As he thought about it, He Zhiqiu grabbed a cloth from the downstairs bathroom and started wiping down every corner of the house. When he first moved in, he’d also made time to clean, but never this thoroughly.

After all, there weren’t many things at Li Yuze’s place, so other than dusting, there wasn’t much to clean.

But now, after months, he felt it was time to be more meticulous.

He remembered back in high school, he had helped Li Yuze organize his room. It was during that time that he discovered one of Li Yuze’s little secrets.

Li Yuze was always losing things.

Despite looking so polished on the outside, he often misplaced things.

Sometimes it was a pen, sometimes a test paper, and once, even his wallet.

He Zhiqiu had helped him search for it for a long time and eventually found it in the kitchen cabinet. He still didn’t understand why Li Yuze had tossed his wallet in the kitchen. In the end, Li Yuze had taken a photo of him to put in his wallet.

Confused, He Zhiqiu had asked him what it was for.

Li Yuze had replied, “To ward off evil.”

He Zhiqiu never knew if it worked. It had probably been lost by now, after so many years.

As he thought about this, He Zhiqiu was cleaning the sofa cushions and absentmindedly felt along the gaps. Sure enough, he found two diamond-studded cufflinks and an expensive watch from an unknown brand.

There were many other little things scattered around the house, thrown into various corners.

The study door was open, and several sealed document bags were carelessly thrown on the desk. From the looks of them, they should have been in a safe, but the safe was wide open, acting more like a decoration.

He Zhiqiu wiped off the dust on the desk and then switched the vacuum cleaner on, going upstairs step by step. When he reached Li Yuze’s bedroom, he thought about going in to clean, but hesitated as soon as he touched the doorknob.

It wasn’t that he was particularly concerned about privacy—he didn’t think of it at first, since his immediate thought was to air out Li Yuze’s comforter while the sun was still up.

But to his surprise, the bedroom door was locked.

He pressed on the doorknob again, confirming it was locked.

It was odd. Li Yuze, who left his safe wide open, would lock his bedroom?

He Zhiqiu blinked, glanced at the pile of valuable items he had just gathered downstairs, and wondered if there was something even more valuable inside the room.

Since the door wouldn’t open, he didn’t push it further.

He finished tidying up the second floor, then went back to the kitchen to cut up some lotus root to put in the clay pot.

The pork rib soup still needed some time to cook.

He Zhiqiu turned down the heat and sat at the dining table, wondering what his first Weibo post should be.

Would a simple self-introduction be too awkward?

Should he add a photo? A still from the drama or a selfie? He hesitated for a moment before texting Xu Sui, who advised him to post a selfie, saying it would feel more personal.

It was 1:30 AM.

Li Yuze returned.

He wore a black coat, and his hair had grown a bit longer.

He didn’t notify He Zhiqiu he was home, probably assuming He Zhiqiu was already asleep, given the late hour.

When he opened the door, the house was eerily quiet.

The kitchen and living room lights were still on.

Li Yuze placed his luggage by the door and was about to change his shoes when he heard a “click.” He Zhiqiu, in his pajamas, crawled out from between the sofa and coffee table and said, “You’re back.”

Li Yuze, still balancing on one foot, looked at He Zhiqiu, then glanced at the empty sofa and asked, “Where did you come from?”

He Zhiqiu said, “From the carpet.”

Li Yuze, who had been quietly changing his shoes, suddenly tossed them aside and asked coldly, “What are you doing sitting on the carpet?”

He Zhiqiu quickly explained, “My phone ran out of battery, and the outlet over here is closer.” The carpet was near an outlet, but his charger wasn’t long enough, so he had to make do.

Li Yuze zeroed in on the important detail, furrowing his brows, “Why play with your phone while charging?”

He Zhiqiu hurriedly clarified, “I’m not playing. Xu Sui asked me to post a selfie on Weibo, but I’m not good at taking photos, so I’ve been practicing.”

Li Yuze studied him for a moment, then walked over, saying, “Let me see.”

He Zhiqiu was about to ask for his advice and handed him the phone, saying, “I took a lot of photos, but I’m not sure which one is good.” He was being careful about his first post, not wanting to come across as too casual or disrespectful to the fans who followed him.

Li Yuze took the phone and scrolled through the album, flicking through several pages before reaching the first ones. He glanced at the time—he had taken nearly 300 photos over the past few hours. The first few were natural, but by the end, his expressions and poses were stiff, with some ridiculous selfies up close to the camera, and others with awkward angles.

Even though he was still good-looking, this wasn’t the way an actor should post a selfie.

Moreover…

Li Yuze raised an eyebrow, scanning He Zhiqiu’s pajamas, which looked like they were from years ago—black and white floral with a slightly open collar that revealed his pale neck.

“I think the first few are okay…”

“No,” Li Yuze interrupted seriously. “Have you seen any public figure post a selfie like this?”

He added with a slightly exaggerated tone, “If you post this, Xu Sui will definitely scold you.”

He Zhiqiu knew his photos weren’t great and blinked, saying, “Then I’ll take new ones.”

As he reached for his phone, Li Yuze calmly moved his hand away, “Do you really need to do it tonight? It’s already so late.”

He Zhiqiu realized it wasn’t that important and said, “Tomorrow is fine. I didn’t mean to take so many. I was just waiting for you, and I got carried away.”

Li Yuze nodded, “I’ll take them for you tomorrow.”

He Zhiqiu was relieved and, as Li Yuze turned to leave, said, “Did you eat yet? I made some soup.”

Li Yuze hadn’t eaten, so he turned toward the dining room.

He Zhiqiu served him a bowl of soup, but before he could say anything, Li Yuze asked, “Are you still using your phone tonight?”

He Zhiqiu replied, “I probably won’t.”

Li Yuze said, “Then let me borrow it.”

“I need to report back to the company now that I’m home late.”