OSM Chapter 39: Setting the rhythm

Translator: Abo Dammen

It was understandable that he didn’t know what it meant.

After all, the concept of “leading the conversation” is inherently vague.

Take “ImNotPetty” as an example.

No one could definitively say that she was deliberately trying to influence others. After all, everyone has different perspectives, and those with strong subjective opinions often don’t consider objective factors.

She might have simply been expressing her thoughts, attracting people who resonated with her.

As more and more people resonated with her, the topic would gain traction.

As the topic grew, it eventually became a hot topic, drawing even more people into the discussion.

With more people involved, naturally, there would be more opinions.

If someone’s opinion clashed with hers, then in that person’s eyes, anything she said could be seen as deliberately “setting the rhythm.”

Unless, of course, the whole thing was orchestrated by her. If she were the mastermind behind it, trying to gain some benefit or something else from the situation.

But He Zhiqiu felt he was overthinking it.

After all, the necklace had indeed appeared in several photos.

She might have just been paying close attention and genuinely wanted to know what was hanging on the string.

The next day.

Wu Lei, who had been absent all this time, finally showed up on set with about four assistants in tow.

He looked exhausted, his hair unkempt, and his mood was foul. With dark circles under his eyes, he frequently snapped at the crew, and even the usually patient director kept shaking his head. But no one could say anything to him. It was rumored that Wu Lei had gotten to where he was because of someone pulling strings behind the scenes. No one knew exactly who it was, but the general consensus was to avoid provoking him.

His first scene was with He Zhiqiu, but his emotions were off, and they had to cut over a dozen takes. He couldn’t catch the cues He Zhiqiu was throwing his way and instead started yelling at He Zhiqiu, questioning whether a rookie like him even knew how to act.

He Zhiqiu glanced at the director.

The director was also at a loss and could only ask Wu Lei to take a break while they continued filming He Zhiqiu’s scenes.

Today was a rain scene.

After days of scorching heat, they finally had an overcast day.

But waiting for rain wasn’t an option, so the crew rented a water truck. To save costs, they planned to film all the rain scenes in one day.

He Zhiqiu had already spent two hours filming with Wu Lei, but none of the takes were usable, and they had to start over.

Without Wu Lei throwing tantrums on set, everyone’s progress sped up. However, rain scenes were difficult to shoot, and He Zhiqiu wasn’t at the level where he could nail a scene in one take, so it still took a long time.

He worked in his soaking wet costume until the afternoon, and by the time they wrapped up in the evening, he had caught a slight cold.

Zhou Pu borrowed some cold medicine from another actor for him.

After taking the medicine, He Zhiqiu felt much better and didn’t think much of it. Back at the hotel, he chatted with Li Yuze as usual and mentioned that the dinner box wasn’t too salty tonight.

Li Yuze hadn’t been busy lately. He had just flown back to A City from an awards ceremony the day before. Although he didn’t want to go there, he still had to take on necessary work.

He was home alone, propping his phone up on a stand to video chat with He Zhiqiu. On the dining table was a freshly made cup of instant noodles, looking rather pitiful.

“I’ll come visit you on set tomorrow,” Li Yuze said, taking a bite of noodles.

He Zhiqiu, sitting on the single bed in his hotel room, asked, “Are you going to see Senior Gao?”

Li Yuze replied expressionlessly, “Why would I go see him?”

“Then who are you going to see?” Apart from Gao Kui, He Zhiqiu wasn’t sure who else in the industry Li Yuze was close with.

Li Yuze didn’t say anything for a while. After finishing the last few bites of noodles, he leaned back in his chair and stared at He Zhiqiu.

He Zhiqiu calmly met his gaze for a few seconds before suddenly blinking and slowly pointing a finger at himself. “…Me?”

Li Yuze raised an eyebrow at him. “Who else would it be?”

He Zhiqiu’s heart leapt with joy. He shifted to a more comfortable position, holding his phone and asking, “You’re really coming to visit me on set?”

Li Yuze said, “Why wouldn’t I?”

“But what if the media catches us? How would we explain it?” He Zhiqiu, still remembering the favor he owed, pinched the ring on his chest and said, “After all, my background is easy to investigate. If things don’t add up, your unmarried status will…”

“Then we just won’t let the media know.”

Li Yuze stood up, placing one hand on his phone. He wanted to reach out and ruffle He Zhiqiu’s hair but remembered that it wasn’t actually He Zhiqiu in front of him. He awkwardly pulled his hand back and coughed to cover it up. “I’ll sneak over to see you tomorrow.”

“Take some time off in advance.”

Li Yuze arrived in the evening.

By the afternoon of the next day, He Zhiqiu was already distracted. His cold from the previous day hadn’t fully gone away, and he was running a slight fever. Although it wasn’t too serious, he still felt a bit sluggish. He had planned to ask the director for a few hours off, but the director proactively gave him half a day off to rest in his hotel room.

He Zhiqiu wanted to be in the best condition to see Li Yuze, so he went to a nearby pharmacy to buy some fever-reducing medicine. The medicine had a drowsy effect, and normally, he’d have slept for a few hours after taking it. He set an alarm, planning to go to their meeting spot once Li Yuze landed. But as the time for their meeting drew closer, he found himself unable to sleep.

Even though his head was foggy and he felt a bit chilly, the anticipation in his heart kept him restless.

Every five minutes, he would open his eyes to check the time. Eventually, he gave up on sleeping. Before Li Yuze even called him, he put on a long-sleeved shirt and headed to an old street not far from the set.

The street had been chosen by Li Yuze. Although he wasn’t filming here, he was familiar with the area, likely having visited before and knowing which spots were more private.

It was just past dusk, and the street was mostly empty except for a few dim streetlights. He Zhiqiu walked along the street for a few minutes before turning into a narrow alley paved with bluestone. The alley was lined with quaint, antique-style buildings, and he and Li Yuze had agreed to meet near the back door of a private inn not far ahead.

Li Yuze would be staying there tonight.

Before arriving, He Zhiqiu hadn’t expected Li Yuze to already be there. He was standing under a streetlamp near the inn, holding his phone, likely sending a text.

Strange. Yesterday, Li Yuze had said he would arrive at 9 PM, but it was only 8:30 now. Why was he so early?

Just as He Zhiqiu was about to go over and greet him, he received a text.

The text was from Li Yuze, telling him that he had just landed and to take his time coming over.

He Zhiqiu retracted the step he had taken and stood still, quietly watching him for a moment.

Li Yuze was dressed in a cool black outfit and wore a cap that covered most of his face.

Even though He Zhiqiu was closer and could have arrived first to wait, Li Yuze insisted on arriving early himself and then texting He Zhiqiu to come out.

He Zhiqiu waited a few seconds before replying to the text, letting Li Yuze know he was already there.

As soon as the message was sent, Li Yuze looked up, scanning the area for him.

He Zhiqiu smiled, his eyes curving as he waved, then quickly ran over. “You’re here.”

Under the streetlight, his face still looked slightly flushed.

Li Yuze didn’t say anything at first. Instead, he reached out and touched He Zhiqiu’s forehead, frowning. “You have a fever?”

He Zhiqiu nodded honestly. “It’s fine. I’ve already taken medicine.”

Li Yuze asked, “How high is it?”

“38 degrees.”

It wasn’t too high, and after taking the medicine, he looked quite lively.

Li Yuze breathed a sigh of relief, then casually took off his cap and placed it on He Zhiqiu’s head. “Are you cold?”

He Zhiqiu was about to say he wasn’t too cold, but when he saw Li Yuze open his arms, he smiled and changed his answer. “A little.”

Li Yuze said, “Then let’s hug to warm up, okay?”

He Zhiqiu nodded again, stepping forward to wrap his arms around Li Yuze’s waist. “Okay.”