OSM Chapter 35: No wonder he locks it up.

Translator: Abo Dammen

He Zhiqiu had just changed into his pajamas and lay down when he received a call from Chen Qiong. He quickly got out of bed and answered.

He had come back from the company earlier than usual today, but he hadn’t gone to sleep until quite late.

Xu Sui had helped him find another audition opportunity, letting him familiarize himself with the script in advance to prepare for the upcoming audition.

The difficulty of this new role was much simpler than the villainous character in Pingsha that he played before. But because he was considered one of the main characters this time, with a lot of screen time, He Zhiqiu still didn’t dare to slack off.

He spent several days carefully studying the character’s psychology and had even asked Li Yuze to help him rehearse the scenes.

Li Yuze had flipped through the script expressionlessly, not giving any praise or criticism. He had stayed with He Zhiqiu until late at night.

He Zhiqiu knew that Li Yuze was very demanding when it came to scripts, and if it weren’t for accommodating him, he might not even bother looking at this kind of role.

Chen Qiong seemed a bit anxious on the phone and asked twice whether Li Yuze had gone to sleep.

Not yet knowing the situation, He Zhiqiu stepped outside Li Yuze’s bedroom and called his name, knocking gently on the door.

After a moment, Li Yuze came out with wet hair, holding a toothbrush, and asked, “What’s up?”

He Zhiqiu said it was a call from Chen Qiong and handed him the phone.

Li Yuze nodded, took the phone, and muttered, “What’s the matter?”

He glanced at He Zhiqiu, who was standing still by the door. He said, “Come in.”

This was the first time He Zhiqiu entered Li Yuze’s room. Since Li Yuze moved in, the room had always been tightly shut or locked.

He Zhiqiu was curious about what secrets might be hidden in Li Yuze’s bedroom.

However, when he walked in today, he found that the room, though slightly bigger than his own, was not particularly special.

The room was mostly in shades of light gray. On the bed, there was a white T-shirt, probably taken off before a shower.

Next to the pillow, there was the tablet he had seen last time, along with a handheld gaming console, likely used to pass the time when there was nothing else to do.

The only thing that seemed worth locking up was a large walk-in closet on the left side of the bed, which contained all sorts of clothes and accessories. He Zhiqiu briefly glanced at a whole row of expensive watches.

No wonder he locks it up.

He Zhiqiu thought, these things are indeed quite valuable.

Li Yuze told him to sit anywhere, then rinsed his mouth, took his phone, and went to the balcony. It seemed like he was talking to Chen Qiong, though mostly Chen Qiong was doing the talking. Li Yuze occasionally responded with a “mm” as if that was enough.

He Zhiqiu had planned to sit on the armchair in the room while waiting for him, but the chair was covered with a few clothes.

He looked around and realized the only place to sit was on the bed, so he sat down without hesitation.

Through their time spent together, He Zhiqiu had noticed something.

Li Yuze really hated it when He Zhiqiu was overly polite with him. A simple “thank you” was fine, but if he said too much, Li Yuze would frown slightly, tapping his finger repeatedly on something, obviously troubled by something, but not saying it directly.

He Zhiqiu guessed that Li Yuze didn’t bring it up because he might want to give him time to adjust or change.

After all, even if Li Yuze said something like “stop being so polite with me in the future,” it wouldn’t mean He Zhiqiu could change immediately.

Long-term habits couldn’t change that easily. Even in a relationship, it took time to adjust and become closer.

The truth was, they had grown distant. They had a past, but now they were just classmates who knew each other’s names.

He Zhiqiu could sense Li Yuze’s attentiveness, even though Li Yuze often joked with a serious expression.

But He Zhiqiu understood that the jokes were meant to help him relax, not to make him feel anxious or awkward due to the sudden role transition.

Li Yuze gave him the most comfortable and natural environment to interact in. All He Zhiqiu could do was be a little more proactive and not be overly polite with him.

Chen Qiong’s call still wasn’t finished. Li Yuze was leaning against the balcony railing, yawning repeatedly. He seemed annoyed, pressing his ear several times as though tired of hearing it. Li Yuze’s temper wasn’t the best, and he had often acted recklessly. Now, at the age of 27, it was rare for him to stay up so late listening to his manager’s nagging.

He Zhiqiu sat on the edge of the bed and turned to look at him. Watching him, he couldn’t help but smile. When their eyes met, He Zhiqiu quickly lowered his head, staring at his slippers.

He hadn’t noticed earlier, but now he vaguely felt something pressing against the palm of his hand beneath the blanket.

The sensation was like a wooden photo frame, with sharp edges.

He Zhiqiu traced the edge of the object with his hand, trying to figure out what it was.

Just then, he heard Li Yuze hang up the phone and walk toward him.

He Zhiqiu immediately stood up from the bed and asked, “Done?”

Li Yuze glanced at the blanket, handed him the phone, and gave a muffled “mm.”

“Was it important?”

Li Yuze downplayed it, saying, “Not really, but I have to go to the company tomorrow.”

He Zhiqiu nodded, putting the phone in his pocket. “Then get some rest.”

“Wait.” Just as He Zhiqiu was about to leave, he remembered the object under Li Yuze’s blanket.

Given Li Yuze’s usual habit, it was probably just something he had tossed aside carelessly. He Zhiqiu was worried that Li Yuze might hurt himself if he wasn’t careful while sleeping, so he turned around to lift the corner of the blanket and get the object out. Before he could move, he felt a tightening around his waist as Li Yuze hugged him from behind.

He Zhiqiu froze, his hand stopping mid-motion.

He slowly turned his head and saw Li Yuze’s tired profile.

“You… what’s wrong?”

Li Yuze didn’t say anything, just rested his chin on He Zhiqiu’s shoulder, occasionally rubbing against him like a cat that had been scolded and was now feeling particularly wronged.

Was it something the manager said?

He Zhiqiu gently patted his hand, trying to comfort him. “What happened?”

Li Yuze’s voice sounded a little aggrieved. “I made a mistake and got scolded by my manager.”

He Zhiqiu blinked and asked, “What mistake?”

Li Yuze explained, “When I was rehearsing with you tonight, I took a photo without thinking and posted it on Weibo. But I deleted it because I didn’t word it properly. I didn’t expect the fans to find it, and it caused a little stir.”

He called it a “little stir,” but it was actually a huge uproar online as fans scrambled to find out who the “little actor” was.

He Zhiqiu didn’t know about this at first, but now, after opening Weibo, he found that Li Yuze was trending once again.

Li Yuze let go of him, guiding him away from the bed and blanket, and made him face him. “Will this affect your career in any way?”

He Zhiqiu looked at the online discussion, smiled, and said, “No, everyone still doesn’t know who the little actor is.”

“Besides, did you forget? I’m here to help you.” He took the ring that had always hung around his neck and showed it to Li Yuze. “Even if they find out, it doesn’t matter. After all, I’m just playing this role now.”

However, the follow-up issues after being discovered were still a potential risk, but there would always be a way to handle it.

He Zhiqiu no longer worried about this issue, but Li Yuze rubbed his hair and pulled him back into an embrace, saying, “You fool.”