He Qu
The Rakish Alpha Has Embarrassed Himself in Front of His Patron Again
Biodata
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | He Qu (何曲) |
| Alias(es) | Little Bun; Little Bun is also rendered as “Little Bun” in Wu Jiangyuan’s phone contacts 125 137. |
| Gender | Male |
| Secondary Gender | Beta 125. |
| Affiliation | His own entertainment company, which represents Wu Jiangyuan and other artists 24 53 82. |
| Occupation/Role | Entertainment-company owner and Wu Jiangyuan’s manager 25. |
| First Appearance | Chapter 4 |
Background / History
He Qu and Wu Jiangyuan have known each other since their school days. He remembers Wu’s campus popularity and knows about the wealthy family background Wu conceals after entering show business. Despite Wu’s scarce bookings and widespread notoriety, He Qu keeps his entertainment career afloat 4.
Their professional relationship includes substantial support from Wu himself: when He Qu established his company, Wu worked for him without pay and helped cover cash-flow shortages. He Qu later recalls these contributions while explaining why the online abuse directed at Wu hurt him so deeply 173.
Appearance
He Qu has a youthful, approachable appearance that allows him to pass for a teenage boy 73.
- Fair skin and slightly rounded cheeks: His remaining baby fat helps him gain Zhang Fan’s father’s trust when posing as a friend of his son 73.
- Pointed canines: Visible when he grins during the fireworks outing 173.
Personality
He Qu is blunt and easily exasperated by Wu Jiangyuan’s behavior. He scolds him over scandals, warns him against smoking in his office, and answers his grandstanding with sarcasm. Their familiarity also allows him to drop his professional manner in private and complain openly about being bullied by his own artist 4 10 24.
Beneath the bickering, He Qu is deeply loyal. He trusts his firsthand knowledge of Wu over the accusations circulating online and becomes emotional when Wu finally begins receiving recognition. His pride in Wu’s progress is personal as well as professional 171 173.
He is firm with other employees, reprimanding an agent over unexplained fighting within the company’s band. With friends, however, he readily jokes, teases, and offers companionship—for example, promising to show Dai Lan around when Wu is occupied with married life 82 183.
Abilities & Skills
Artist Management
He Qu weighs opportunities against their likely effect on an artist’s career rather than treating all publicity as beneficial 10 50.
- Rejects an outdoor variety show’s proposed “pampered star” persona as likely to worsen Wu Jiangyuan’s public image 10.
- Distinguishes scandal-driven visibility from exposure on major programs, at awards ceremonies, and alongside popular stars 10.
- Recommends considering a substantial villain role because its production quality, screen time, and learning opportunities could outweigh concerns about audience appeal 50.
- Handles contracts, production notices, travel arrangements, and scheduling; he secures a two-hour recording delay when Wu forgets an appointment 72 96 163.
Public Relations and Negotiation
He Qu takes an active role in preparing appearances and containing rumors 19 22 73.
- Persuades Director Zhong to accept Wu for a live interview through a mixture of persuasion and pressure, then coaches Wu on presentation and planned answers 19.
- Returns to handle the situation at the office while reporters surround both the entrance and parking garage 22.
- Plans a clarification for Zhang Fan’s misleading “boyfriend” photograph, supplying wording and warning him against leaking further information 73.
Industry Knowledge
He Qu uses industry contacts and private inquiries to investigate threats to Wu’s career 87 125.
- Connects reporter Tong Yong to Shannan Media and relays information about Wang Anlian’s powerful backer, whose surname is reportedly Lou 87.
- Identifies Shannan Media as the source of publicity portraying Wu as romantically pursuing Wang 125.
- Advises Tang Nan to gather evidence against his exploitative company and pursue legal action to challenge a tenfold contractual penalty 165.
Relationships
- Wu Jiangyuan — Longtime friend, client, and an early supporter of He Qu’s company. Their relationship combines constant mockery with financial trust and strong emotional loyalty 4 173.
- Pei Jinghe — Wu’s husband and the person behind Tassilo’s endorsement offer. He Qu urges Wu not to reject the opportunity because of their personal disagreements and teases him about Pei becoming his financial backer 25.
- Aji — Company colleague who assists with Wu’s work. He Qu arranges for Aji to accompany Wu to a variety-show recording 36 87.
- Tang Nan — Receives He Qu’s advice about escaping an exploitative contract and later joins him at the hot pot gathering 165 171.
- Dai Lan — Friend whom He Qu affectionately calls “Little Golden Retriever.” He offers to show him local attractions, exchanges contact information with him, and jokes about signing him to the company 183 190.
Story Role / Major Arcs
| Arc | Chapters | He Qu’s involvement |
|---|---|---|
| Six-month reputation turnaround | 9 10 19 | Learns that Wu must repair his reputation within six months or face blacklisting by his family. He develops an interview strategy and prepares Wu for the live broadcast of An Appointment with Jia. |
| Tassilo endorsement | 24 25 36 63 | Relays the luxury brand’s offer to make Wu its first Asian ambassador, accepts the opportunity on his behalf, and handles preparations for the advertisement and launch. |
| Liang Changju’s film | 53 61 72 78 | Secures an audition for the fourth male role, then excitedly informs Wu that he has instead won the second male lead. He completes the contract and warns him that Wang Anlian may resent losing the larger role. |
| Misleading photograph | 70 72 73 | Attempts to contact Zhang Fan, accompanies Wu to his home, and arranges a clarification that ends speculation about their supposed relationship. |
| Renewed attacks and Wang Anlian | 87 122 125 137 | Investigates hostile publicity, accidentally reveals Wu’s family connection to Zhang Wenruo, and later has to manage Wang’s refusal to leave the company while Wu deliberately makes him wait. |
| Location filming | 163 164 171 | Arranges Wu’s overdue arrival, travels with him, and discusses his interpretation of Feng Jin. As filming progresses, he celebrates the disappearance of much of Wu’s former hate and predicts the film will make him a major success. |
| Hot pot and fireworks | 172 173 | Drunkenly reveals Wu and Pei’s registered marriage to their dinner companions. Afterward, he cries while telling Wu how happy he is that his work and character are finally being recognized. |
Ancient-Era Side Story
- Appears as a young gentleman attended by Xiao Mu, carrying a folding fan and watching cricket fighting at the lantern festival 214.
- Finds Wu Jiangyuan strangely familiar despite their apparent first meeting; Wu jokes that they may have been close in a previous life 214.
- Pays for Wu and Sesiman’s sky lanterns, then discourages Xiao Mu from involving the authorities because the Crown Prince is traveling incognito 214.
- Recognizes Chengnan as the Crown Prince and inadvertently reveals his identity to Sesiman 216.
Notable Quotes
“What kind of boss gets bullied by his own artist every day?” 24
“They were just talking nonsense. I'm your boss. How could I not know what you're like?” 173
Trivia
- Terrified of snakes: He recoils from Wu’s pet, Mangmang, and is relieved when the snake travels separately by air freight 82 164.
- Poor alcohol tolerance: Drinking makes him rowdy, indiscreet, and tearful; after the hot pot gathering, he falls while getting out of the car 172 173.
- Birthday gift: Presents Wu with a two-meter mango cake 176.
- Wedding-photo mishap: Shows Wu intimate outdoor photographs without realizing the subjects are Wu and Pei. Wu deletes the images and their recoverable copies, prompting He Qu to chase him around the barbecue gathering 180.