OSM Chapter 33: “In the future, just keep making great work to show them. That’s the best way to repay them.”

Translator: Abo Dammen

Although their relationship had changed, the way they interacted remained largely the same.

Li Yuze, still recovering from his injury, was unable to work and had fallen back into his standard routine: eat, then sleep.

Lunch ended.

He Zhiqiu didn’t let him stay in the kitchen to help. Instead, he quickly tidied up the few remaining dishes and then pulled out his phone to call his grandfather, who still lived in their hometown.

It had been a busy half-year, and he finally had some free time. He planned to talk to his grandfather a little longer.

Speaking of Grandpa He, he was quite the stubborn old man. He stubbornly believed that it was his fault his son and daughter-in-law had passed away, and that it was also his fault that He Zhiqiu’s acting career had been delayed. After a lot of coaxing, he had finally agreed to let He Zhiqiu return to A City. He Zhiqiu wanted to bring him along, but Grandpa insisted on using his cane and went to the local job market to hire a caregiver, saying there were people to take care of him.

Though He Zhiqiu was very filial, he wasn’t a saint. He could take care of his sick grandfather without complaint, but he also wanted to pursue the dreams he had put on hold since high school.

So, when Grandpa He’s health had mostly recovered, and he insisted on staying alone and returning to A City, He Zhiqiu didn’t press him too hard.

Because, frankly, he really wanted to come back.

He didn’t want to hide his true feelings.

Though Grandpa said he should leave, the old man’s voice still betrayed his concern. It was only natural for someone to feel conflicted. To have some things, you often need to give up other things. Perfect harmony was a rare thing. Most ordinary lives were about getting by and finding contentment in the little things.

After nearly an hour on the phone, He Zhiqiu finally hung up. He glanced upstairs and saw that Li Yuze’s bedroom door was tightly shut, indicating he was likely still asleep.

He wasn’t tired and had finished the tasks that needed to be done.

So, with some free time on his hands, he sat down in the living room, picked one of the photos Li Yuze had taken of him, and posted it on Weibo.

In the picture, his expression was just right, with a gentle smile, as if greeting someone.

@HeZhiQiu: “Hello everyone, nice to meet you. Please follow me!”

Seconds later, a few likes appeared in the bottom corner of the post.

A few more moments passed, and the comment section filled with new replies.

13th Month Boyfriend: “Ahhhh! Qiuqiu has finally posted on Weibo! The daily photo looks great!”

Little Flying Elephant: “New fan reporting! I found you through Wang Yue—I’m an original fan, and your performance as the second lead was so good!”

Beauty Obsessed: “Wow, a beauty! You look stunning in both ancient and modern outfits!”

LoveQuin Not Climbing Walls: “Sorry, Kui-ah, I think I might be switching sides again!”

Tea Master: “Ahhh, Qiuqiu really looks amazing! Even though the plot in Wang Yue was a little awkward, it didn’t affect how I adore your looks!”

Little Yellow Sparrow: “Such a beautiful picture, Qiuqiu, keep it up!”

He Zhiqiu read through the comments, feeling somewhat amazed. He took the time to carefully read each one, and replied to all of them.

Many fans were eager to greet him and share their feedback. Fans who typically lurked in the shadows came out of hiding, excited to interact with him now that he was responding.

He never expected that the few thousand followers he had gained would be so active. More and more comments kept coming in, each one eager to speak with him. He could feel their enthusiasm, and he didn’t want to disappoint them at such a moment.

Responding to a few comments wasn’t too difficult for him.

But he had overlooked one issue—comments kept piling up. Just when he thought he had finished replying, a refresh brought up another forty or fifty new ones.

He Zhiqiu blinked, flexing his sore wrist, preparing to dive back into the comments, when Li Yuze, with his messy bedhead, walked downstairs. He looked a little helpless.

He removed the hairband from his head and carried a tablet in his hands.

He Zhiqiu turned to look at him and asked, “Aren’t you going back to sleep?”

Li Yuze didn’t answer directly. Instead, he glanced at He Zhiqiu’s phone, threw the tablet onto the sofa, and asked, “How about we watch a movie?”

He Zhiqiu, seeing Li Yuze was about to sit next to him, shifted over to make room. “Didn’t you think watching movies is boring?”

Li Yuze picked up the remote and turned on the TV. “It’s boring to watch alone, but it’s different with two people.”

“Why?”

“Because watching a movie alone is just watching a movie. Watching a movie together, that’s called a date.”

“D-Date?” He Zhiqiu was still trying to wrap his mind around the idea that maybe it was because they could discuss the plot together. But Li Yuze beat him to it and asked, “What’s wrong? We’re in a relationship now, right? Isn’t it normal to go on a date?”

“Of course it’s not a problem!” He Zhiqiu quickly shook his head, asking, “What should we watch?”

Li Yuze responded, “Anything, what do you want to watch?”

He Zhiqiu thought for a moment. “Wasn’t there a movie released by Senior Gao last year? I haven’t seen it yet.”

“Gao Kui?”

“Mm.”

Li Yuze smirked. “Then why don’t you just call him and ask him to come over and do a live performance for us?”

He Zhiqiu hesitated for a few seconds. “I don’t know… that seems… a bit much?”

His expression of not wanting to bother Gao Kui made Li Yuze laugh out loud. “You’re seriously considering whether this is a viable option?”

“Huh? I was thinking…” He Zhiqiu blinked, then quickly realized Li Yuze was joking. Embarrassed, he started laughing with him.

The sudden date had made He Zhiqiu a little nervous earlier, sitting upright on the sofa. But now, as he relaxed in response to Li Yuze’s laughter, he smiled, saying, “I only took it seriously because you asked. Even if it wasn’t reasonable, I still gave you a sincere answer.”

“Am I to blame for this?” Li Yuze asked.

He Zhiqiu nodded.

“Alright, then I’ll treat you to a movie.”

It wasn’t an unreasonable offer—after all, Gao Kui’s movie was only available for rent online, and you had to purchase a ticket in addition to a platform membership.

But, as it turned out, Li Yuze’s phone was actually broken, so in the end, He Zhiqiu paid for it.

As He Zhiqiu was paying, he remembered that he hadn’t finished replying to the fans’ comments. Li Yuze glanced over, took his phone, and scrolled through it. “You don’t need to reply to every single comment. You’ll gain more fans in the future. It won’t be possible to reply to all of them.”

He Zhiqiu understood, but this was his first time dealing with fans, and he wasn’t sure how to respond properly.

He asked Li Yuze for advice.

Having more experience in this area, Li Yuze took He Zhiqiu’s phone, hid it behind the couch, and said seriously, “In the future, just keep making great work to show them. That’s the best way to repay them.”