OSM Chapter 4: Hand cream

Due to Li Yuze’s arrival, the lively atmosphere of the class reunion reached its peak.

Both familiar and unfamiliar faces crowded around him eagerly.

The headmaster even patted Li Yuze on the shoulder, remarking how he hadn’t changed at all, and then pulled out a photo for him to autograph.

To be honest, Li Yuze hadn’t spent much time with his classmates—only about a year and a half in total. He transferred in during the second semester of their first year and left in the first semester of their third.

Logically speaking, such a short period shouldn’t leave a deep impression. Besides, ten years had passed. If he were an ordinary person, most people would likely have forgotten him by now.

Xu Lanlan, holding her camera, hid behind He Zhiqiu and snapped several close-up shots of Li Yuze. As she photographed, she took the time to touch up her makeup, worried that if Li Yuze glanced her way, she wouldn’t be presenting her most flawless self.

Tao Yang, clearly displeased, quipped, “So, what you’re saying is that me and He Zhiqiu chatting with you all evening doesn’t even count as ‘people’?”

Xu Lanlan patted on some powder and closed her compact mirror. “Don’t drag Ah-Qiu into this. If we’re just comparing you alone to Li Yuze, the difference is quite significant.”

Tao Yang was left speechless. He glanced at He Zhiqiu, who was staring quietly at his wine glass. Concerned, he asked, “What’s on your mind?”

“Nothing,” He Zhiqiu replied before lifting his gaze toward Li Yuze, still surrounded by the crowd. “Should we go over and say hello?”

“Let’s wait a bit,” Tao Yang suggested. “When things calm down, I’ll bring you over for a quick chat.”

Tao Yang knew He Zhiqiu had always loved performing. If it hadn’t been for his grandfather’s accident, He Zhiqiu would probably have been admitted to a film academy and begun his acting career by now.

After ten years apart, He Zhiqiu had returned to A City, still determined to pursue his dream.

As a friend, Tao Yang wanted to help.

Though no longer covering the entertainment industry, Tao Yang had been in the industry for years, knew many directors and stars, and was aware of how treacherous the field could be—far from the glamorous facade it often presented.

He wasn’t sure if Li Yuze still remembered them. After all, it had been so long. They hadn’t interacted much in school, and even if they had, years of no contact likely erased those memories.

Still, it never hurt to have another connection.

Even if they couldn’t become friends with Li Yuze, introducing He Zhiqiu to him was a necessary step—after all, they would be moving in the same circles. Establishing some rapport could ensure mutual support.

Tao Yang pulled out his phone to search for an old news article he’d written about interviewing Li Yuze, hoping to use it as a conversation starter.

Before he could find it, Xu Lanlan let out an odd sound—somewhere between excitement and nervousness, with a touch of restrained composure.

“Hi, I’m Xu…”

“Xu Lanlan.”

“You—you still remember me?!”

Hearing the conversation, Tao Yang immediately looked up and saw that Li Yuze, who had been by the elevator moments ago, was now standing right next to them.

“Li…”

“Tao Yang.”

“You remember me too?!” Tao Yang’s voice rose noticeably, as did his enthusiasm. He quickly extended a hand to shake Li Yuze’s, smiling. “Long time no see! I can’t believe you still remember me.”

Li Yuze’s expression remained calm, but he allowed a rare smile to touch his lips as he replied, “Of course. I once did an interview with you.”

“That’s right!” Tao Yang said. “That must’ve been around seven years ago. I never expected to meet you again in such close quarters.”

Li Yuze nodded slightly, his gaze shifting to He Zhiqiu, who had remained silent throughout. “And this is…?”

“Huh? You don’t remember?” Tao Yang said. “This is He Zhiqiu.”

“He… Zhi… Qiu?”

Li Yuze repeated the name slowly, tilting his head slightly as though trying to recall. His tall frame meant his lowered gaze caught the slight tremble of He Zhiqiu’s eyelashes.

“Was he the class monitor?” Li Yuze asked, feigning confusion.

“No, the monitor’s the buzz-cut guy standing by the teacher,” Tao Yang replied. “He Zhiqiu sat in front of me back then. His family ran a small restaurant. Oh, and you once accidentally helped him out when his bike was sabotaged…”

“Oh…?” Li Yuze interrupted, cutting Tao Yang off mid-sentence. “It’s him?”

“That’s right,” Tao Yang said quickly. “But he spent most of his holidays working part-time, and during breaks, he’d usually be napping. It’s normal if you don’t remember much about him.”

Li Yuze responded with a soft acknowledgment, then extended his hand formally toward He Zhiqiu. “Long time no see.”

The words pinned He Zhiqiu to the spot. He stared blankly at the outstretched hand before hesitantly shaking it a few seconds later.

The bright hotel lights gleamed off a silver ring on Li Yuze’s ring finger. Simple in design, without excessive ornamentation, it seemed unassuming—yet everyone knew it was a wedding ring.

He Zhiqiu blinked rapidly, regaining composure, and smiled. “Long time no see.”

Li Yuze’s expression remained neutral, but the grip of his hand tightened slightly. He Zhiqiu couldn’t break free and had to continue smiling, shifting the topic.

He spoke, though he couldn’t recall what—probably some generic pleasantries about the years gone by.

“You’re not doing well,” Li Yuze remarked bluntly after He Zhiqiu finished.

“Huh?” He Zhiqiu didn’t immediately grasp the meaning. A few seconds later, he noticed their hands were still clasped. Li Yuze’s index finger brushed lightly against his palm, tracing the rough lines etched there.

No one paid attention to the calluses on He Zhiqiu’s hands, but they revealed the hardships he had endured over the years.

Yet, he replied softly, “I’m doing fine.”

He glanced once more at the ring on Li Yuze’s finger, forcibly pulling his hand free, and politely said, “Excuse me, I need to use the restroom.”

Even though it was already 9pm, the class reunion showed no signs of winding down.

Many people wanted to use this opportunity to get closer to Li Yuze, lining up to clink glasses with him and asking for autographs as mementos. Meng Lin, who stayed by his side the entire time, carefully observed his expressions. The moment he noticed even a hint of impatience on his face, he stepped in to stop others from approaching him.

They were invited by Jiang Cheng, but once they arrived, Jiang Cheng didn’t bother greeting them.

He didn’t dare provoke Li Yuze, nor did he want to stand beside him and lose the spotlight. In the end, Jiang Cheng simply left early, claiming he had another engagement to attend. His goal had already been achieved: making everyone who knew them both see that He Zhiqiu wasn’t doing as well as him.

After Jiang Cheng left, others began to leave one by one as well.

Xu Lanlan was busy saying goodbye to her long-lost girlfriends, while Tao Yang, after several unsuccessful attempts to call He Zhiqiu, gave up and contacted a driver instead. He then headed to the restroom, as he’d sensed earlier that something was off between He Zhiqiu and Li Yuze—they didn’t seem as unfamiliar as they both had pretended.

Xiao Yue, who had indeed brought her makeup case, found herself with little to do in this setting. She sat in a corner eating cake, and just as she swallowed the last bite, she saw Li Yuze walking toward her.

“Leaving now, ge?” Xiao Yue quickly wiped her mouth and stood up.

Li Yuze responded casually with a hum and walked behind Xiao Yue, opening her makeup case.

The case was packed to the brim with her various tools and belongings.

Li Yuze rummaged through it for a while before finally pulling out a tube of hand cream.

He stared at the tube for a long moment, then suddenly let out a self-deprecating laugh.

He looked like he was about to toss it back in but then instinctively clenched his hand around it and held on.

Xiao Yue had no idea what he was doing with the hand cream.

As they prepared to leave, she noticed that he had casually placed the tube of hand cream next to an unfinished glass of red wine.