OSM Chapter 6: Is he really married?

Some grudges may have room for resolution, but emotional wounds aren’t something that can be completely healed with just an apology or an explanation.

Tao Yang had been worrying for days, fearing that Li Yuze might recall past events after meeting He Zhiqiu again and grow to dislike him. He was concerned this might lead to obstacles in their work.

But after a few days of calm, Tao Yang managed to obtain Li Yuze’s itinerary through connections.

It turned out he had been overly suspicious.

Li Yuze hadn’t taken their meeting to heart at all. Yesterday, he had already flown out to the set of his new project.

In hindsight, it made sense. After all, Li Yuze was already married. Even if he remembered the past he had with He Zhiqiu, it was all water under the bridge now.

Tao Yang sighed and thought to himself: Time truly can dull everything. Even the most passionate love of youth, after being tempered by the years, fades like an old photograph. Seeing it might sting a little, but when it’s out of sight, you don’t go out of your way to recall it.

After that day, He Zhiqiu also returned to normal.

He settled down completely in A City, playing extras in several TV dramas. Through Tao Yang’s introduction, he even signed with a talent agency.

This company wasn’t small, it had about two, three currently popular stars under its management. The rest might not have been famous, but they at least had consistent work.

“You’re not exactly young anymore, so the roles the company can give you are pretty limited,” said a man named Xu Sui. He was in his early forties, sporting a scruffy beard and wearing a rumpled casual suit. Leaning on the office sofa, he looked He Zhiqiu up and down.

“Still, you’ve got good looks—that’s the main reason I agreed to sign you. But you lack acting experience. Even if you land a decent role, there’s no guarantee you’ll perform well.”

Despite his sloppy demeanor, Xu Sui’s words were straightforward and to the point.

He Zhiqiu humbly accepted the critique and gave a slight bow. “I’m willing to try any kind of role.”

Xu Sui appreciated his respectful attitude, having also observed He Zhiqiu’s hard-working nature on set.

“Hard work alone isn’t enough. You need to watch and learn more,” Xu Sui said as he handed He Zhiqiu a script. “This is for an online drama our company is filming next month. Take it home, go through it, and familiarize yourself with the story.”

Mid-level talent agencies often invested in low-budget productions, casting newcomers for key roles and adapting online novels with modest fanbases. These weren’t major intellectual properties but were popular enough to attract viewers if cast well.

Xu Sui briefly explained the company’s rules and temporarily took on the role of He Zhiqiu’s manager. Though he hadn’t handled a newcomer in years and was now more focused on production, he promised to find suitable roles for He Zhiqiu when possible.

One of the roles in this upcoming drama happened to suit He Zhiqiu’s temperament. Xu Sui asked him to study the script thoroughly, try out for the part, and travel with the crew’s shuttle bus to the filming location near A City.

As for Li Yuze…

Sitting on the bumpy bus, He Zhiqiu pulled out his phone and opened Weibo.

He only followed one person on his account, and that person’s pinned post contained just one sentence:

@LiYuze: I’m married.

“Hey, hey, hey, you like Li Yuze too?” Startled by the voice, He Zhiqiu looked up to see a pair of smiling, narrow eyes.

“I love him! He’s my idol!” said Tang Song, the cheerful young man who had spoken.

Tang Song, new to the company, had a unique pair of small eyes and a friendly personality. This was his first acting role, and since he had a few scenes with He Zhiqiu, he had eagerly sat beside him to build rapport.

“By the way, do you think Li Yuze’s marriage is real? It’s been about seven years now, and it’s practically one of the top ten unsolved mysteries of the entertainment industry.”

Tang Song was a chatterbox. Before He Zhiqiu could respond, Tang had already launched into his thoughts.

“Why would anyone doubt the marriage?” He Zhiqiu asked, puzzled.

Tang Song explained, “Because no one’s ever seen his wife!

“Think about it—what public figure can keep their spouse so well-hidden? Anyone who’s officially announced their marriage, whether they’re in the industry or not, usually gets spotted eventually. At the very least, you’d expect a blurry photo or a silhouette. But we’ve got nothing—nothing! And we’re talking about Li Yuze!

“The timing was crazy, too. He announced his marriage right when he was at the peak of his career. Were you there for the chaos back then? I was glued to my phone for three days and nights, refreshing nonstop. It felt like the universe was exploding!”

Tang Song’s animated storytelling attracted the attention of the whole bus.

Another passenger, Zhou Shan, teased, “That’s just because you didn’t sleep for three days. I’d feel like the world was ending too!”

The bus erupted in laughter, even making the driver chuckle.

Since Tang Song had brought up the topic, everyone joined in the discussion.

Being in the industry, they naturally knew more insider gossip than the general public, but truth and rumors were often hard to distinguish. After years of debate, there was still no definitive answer.

“I think he’s really married,” Zhou Shan chimed in. “Last time, my cousin’s friend got into the Smoke and Flames crew and happened to share a room with Li Yuze’s makeup artist, Xiao Yue.

“They overheard Xiao Yue say that every Valentine’s Day, Li Yuze always takes leave to go home. If he’s filming during that time, he’ll never spend Valentine’s Day with the crew.”

Tang Song argued, “But that only proves he has a significant other, not that he’s married.”

Zhou Shan replied, “But he’s not going home for Valentine’s Day.”

“Then what’s he going home for?”

“His partner’s birthday.”

“Xiao Yue said that no matter how busy he is, he always prepares a gift in advance and goes home to celebrate his partner’s birthday.”

“Are you sure?” someone asked.

“Absolutely. Xiao Yue’s words are trustworthy,” Zhou Shan affirmed.

Everyone knew that Xiao Yue was Li Yuze’s personal makeup artist, someone who had been by his side for years. If anyone’s information could be trusted, it was hers.

But Tang Song remained skeptical.

He just couldn’t believe that the spouse of such a famous star could remain so completely hidden. After all, there are no secrets that last forever. Even if the general public hadn’t seen this mysterious figure, surely someone in the industry would have.

“Do you think this might all be a smokescreen for the public?” Tang Song mused, ready to debate further.

But when he turned to He Zhiqiu, he found him staring blankly at Li Yuze’s Weibo post, lost in thought.