OSM Chapter 5: On purpose

When Tao Yang found He Zhiqiu, the designated driver’s call had just come through.

They scheduled a pick-up, leaving them with a few minutes to spare.

He Zhiqiu wasn’t in the restroom but was instead standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows in the lounge area, gazing downward. His phone was on silent, so he hadn’t noticed Tao Yang’s earlier calls.

“I feel like something’s off with you,” Tao Yang said, lighting a cigarette as he approached and stood next to He Zhiqiu.

He Zhiqiu remained silent, quietly staring outside. The hand that had just shaken Li Yuze’s stayed tightly clenched.

After a few seconds, He Zhiqiu suddenly asked, “Do you think time really can fade certain things?”

“Of course,” Tao Yang replied. “People’s memories are limited. They only remember what’s important.”

“What counts as important?” He Zhiqiu asked.

Tao Yang thought for a moment. “Lots of things—friendship, love. Whether good or bad, anything that leaves a deep impression, something you can’t forget even if you try, is important.”

He Zhiqiu asked softly, “Do you have anyone or anything you can’t forget?”

“Of course,” Tao Yang said. “Everyone does, don’t they?” Then, noticing He Zhiqiu’s unusual demeanor, he added, “What’s wrong with you? Since we walked into this hotel, you’ve been completely distracted.”

He Zhiqiu hadn’t realized how obvious it was. He smiled and shook his head.

“It’s either silence or shaking your head. What’s going on that you can’t tell me?” Tao Yang pressed, frowning.

He had never seen He Zhiqiu so absent-minded. Though there was a faint smile on his lips, his eyes were lifeless. Despite all the ups and downs he’d experienced, the He Zhiqiu Tao Yang knew was always sunny and optimistic. Even after all these years, when they met again, He Zhiqiu had greeted him with a radiant smile, saying he was back to chase his dreams.

But the way he looked now clearly betrayed hidden troubles. Though he tried hard to conceal his emotions, Tao Yang could see right through him.

It probably had something to do with Li Yuze.

Tao Yang was sure of it.

Though Li Yuze acted like he didn’t know He Zhiqiu, there was an inexplicable tension between them.

“Li Yuze… does he really not remember you?”

He Zhiqiu froze, instinctively hiding his clenched hand behind his back.

“He remembers, doesn’t he?” Tao Yang said. “The way he looked at you was obviously off.”

“Unless…” Tao Yang suddenly stubbed out his cigarette, his expression turning grave. “Unless there’s some grudge between you and Li Yuze that I don’t know about? Damn, if you’ve got beef with him, it’s going to be tough to survive in the entertainment industry!”

He Zhiqiu, seeing Tao Yang’s concern, withdrew his gaze from the window and chuckled. “It’s not what you think. There’s no grudge between me and Li Yuze.”

“Then what’s going on?” Tao Yang asked, trying to confirm his suspicions. “You two aren’t strangers, are you?”

He Zhiqiu hesitated for a few seconds before nodding.

“I knew it.”

Tao Yang, who used to be an entertainment journalist, had a knack for gossip. Even when there was nothing going on, he could sniff something out. And Li Yuze’s earlier behavior had been far from subtle.

He clearly wasn’t being honest. His words didn’t match the emotions in his eyes.

As an actor, Li Yuze was top-notch. If he wanted to pretend he didn’t know He Zhiqiu, no one would have noticed.

But he deliberately left certain emotions exposed, as if on purpose.

As if he wanted He Zhiqiu to hear those words, wanted to poke at his heart.

Even an outsider like Tao Yang could sense it. Surely, He Zhiqiu had noticed too.

Which was why he had used the restroom as an excuse to escape the awkwardness.

Tao Yang felt his guesses were pretty accurate, but he still couldn’t understand what could have happened between He Zhiqiu and Li Yuze—two people with seemingly no connection.

“What exactly happened? You haven’t seen each other in, what, ten years?”

“Mm.”

“Then why is he acting this way toward you?” Tao Yang said in disbelief. “What could possibly have happened that he still can’t let it go after ten years?”

He Zhiqiu opened his mouth, as if to smile and explain, but the smile wouldn’t come.

He stayed silent for a long time, long enough for the designated driver’s call to ring again. Finally, he said softly, “I liked Li Yuze.”

At first, Tao Yang didn’t catch it. When it clicked, his lighter fell to the ground.

Seeing his stunned expression, He Zhiqiu bent down, picked up the lighter, and continued, “When I was about to confess to him, I stood him up. I left him waiting alone for a long time.”

So long that ten years had passed without a word from him.

In truth, it had been many years, and feelings from youth weren’t necessarily that deep.

But He Zhiqiu still couldn’t forget. He had spent all these years living with guilt.

He knew that the best thing for Li Yuze would have been if he had never appeared in his life again.

After all, to Li Yuze, he was not a happy memory.

But when he ran into Jiang Cheng on set, and Jiang Cheng called to invite him to the reunion, he wavered.

He knew what Jiang Cheng was up to, but selfishly, he still wanted to see Li Yuze.

No other reason.

He just wanted to see him again.

The hand He Zhiqiu had been hiding behind his back had gone numb, his neat fingernails digging into his palm without him feeling any pain.

He had naively thought Li Yuze had forgotten. But judging by his behavior today, it was clear he still remembered.

He had spoken those words on purpose, to wound him.

He Zhiqiu smiled bitterly at Tao Yang. “I guess he wants to forget me.”

“But I must have hurt him too much.”

“That’s why he can’t.”