FIMA Ch42: The End

In late January, the 36-episode Brocade Robes and Jade Capital successfully concluded its broadcast and quickly sold its broadcasting rights to Southeast Asia, as well as Hong Kong and Taiwan.

For such a massive hit drama, a certain provincial TV station thought nothing of buying the second-round broadcasting rights, directly airing it on satellite TV during the prime-time slot.

And the viewership ratings for this drama were equally gratifying, even surpassing the first-round dramas airing on other satellite channels.

Since it could air on satellite TV, it meant that it was highly likely to receive nominations in the upcoming awards season.

Naturally, it was impossible to win an award relying on a costume idol drama, but to merely get a nomination—given Xie Jinzhao’s current age of just 25—was already leaving his peers far, far behind.

Time continued to move forward.

In the first half of this year in the entertainment circle, aside from the massive hit drama Brocade Robes and Jade Capital, the most talked-about event was the production company of Record of Snowy Clearance failing their valuation adjustment agreement due to their massive flop, ultimately being forced to sell themselves.

The company that acquired it was an unknown entity named Yuanchao Media.

This Yuanchao Media seemed to suddenly appear out of thin air, and instantly attracted the attention of the entertainment circle, especially after it announced its upcoming filming plan.

It was a sci-fi movie titled Magnetic Storm, and the lead actor was none other than the biggest beneficiary of Brocade Robes and Jade Capital—Xie Jinzhao.

With this coincidence, it was hard not to suspect he did it on purpose.

The original novel of Magnetic Storm had previously won a renowned international award and had a massive fanbase.

The movie’s production was primarily undertaken by Yuanchao Media, jointly produced by two other top-tier domestic film companies. Aside from Xie Jinzhao, the cast included a major Best Actor who had been famous for many years. The director was a highly anticipated newcomer in the film industry, and the post-production special effects were supported by Yuanzhi Pictures.

It wasn’t the country’s first time filming a sci-fi movie, but the previous few attempts had always ended up as jokes and subjects of mockery, without exception.

The most recent one was in the first half of last year. Directed by a legendary top-tier director, starring a Best Actress, a Best Actor, and a top traffic star, based on a super massive IP… yet the result was a universally known massive flop. It was even more tragic than the previous S+ project Record of Snowy Clearance, and the director and actors practically never recovered from it.

Regarding capital actually daring to attempt sci-fi again, netizens felt both expectant and an uncontrollable urge to mock.

“Was the previous flop not enough? Hope it’s not another big joke!”
“Fuck, the original novel of Magnetic Storm is my favorite sci-fi book. If they mess it up, the director and actors will inevitably be permanently blacklisted by me!”
“Me too, the Magnetic Storm novel is truly amazingly good, and the Best Actor has always been my favorite male actor. Hope they aren’t just here to grab some quick, dirty money!”
“Since you want to make sci-fi, then please spend a bit more money on special effects, lest the losses outweigh the gains in the end!”
“As long as the special effects and plot pass muster, I’ll definitely watch it then. Hope domestic sci-fi rises soon!”
…

Far away in the production crew, Xie Jinzhao knew nothing of these discussions and disputes among netizens.

Because it was a war sci-fi film, Xie Jinzhao had joined the crew two months early for special training in fight scenes and physical fitness. His whole person seemed to have changed completely.

Thus, when the movie wrapped up filming in early July…

As usual, Xie Jinzhao took a flight back to the capital overnight. Seeing Gu Siyuan, whom he hadn’t seen in months, step out of the car in his own courtyard, he subconsciously bounded over to hang onto him like before.

However, without hesitation, Gu Siyuan shoved the person away with his large hand: “Who are you…”

Xie Jinzhao anxiously revealed a mouthful of large white teeth, defending himself: “It’s me!” His skin tone seemed to merge with the dark night; under the illumination of the streetlights, his teeth appeared even whiter and more radiant.

“…” Gu Siyuan’s eyebrows twitched. Is this really my fair and beautiful little sweetheart?

After the two entered the house and closed the main door.

Xie Jinzhao was incredibly angry, glaring at Gu Siyuan with big eyes: “Fine, you! You really are a vulgar person who only cares about outward appearances!”

“…” Gu Siyuan was silent.

It was also his first time discovering that he cared quite a bit about outward appearances.

If Xie Jinzhao had looked like this the very first time he appeared in front of him, his feelings of pity and tender affection probably would have faded quite a bit.

If back before they started dating, Xie Jinzhao had flirted with him looking like this dark-skinned version, he probably wouldn’t have been able to give a doting smile, let alone constantly pull the person onto his lap to sit.

However, knowing one’s mistakes and correcting them is a virtue.

He hurriedly pulled the huffing, angry person into his embrace and coaxed him thoroughly.

Xie Jinzhao had never been able to stay angry at him. After angrily giving him a bite, he hugged the man sweetly again, even smugly showing off the six small abdominal muscles he had trained.

Reaching out to touch them, Gu Siyuan was actually somewhat pleasantly surprised next, deeply experiencing the benefits of Xie Jinzhao’s training and exercise—his entire body’s flesh and muscles had become increasingly lean and flexible.

Some poses in bed that they couldn’t do before, Xie Jinzhao could easily manage now. They simply took the opportunity to try out a few new positions.

Xie Jinzhao was also thoroughly satisfied; his boyfriend’s love seemingly hadn’t diminished at all.

However, Xie Jinzhao had a cool, fair skin tone. Although he had become a bit rougher after four months of wind and rain exposure, after staying cooped up at home for over a month, he quickly became pale again.

Regarding the return of his fair, tender little sweetheart, Gu Siyuan showed no expression on his face.

But recently, when Xie Jinzhao woke up exhausted every morning, he would find streaks of red and purple marks on his pale skin. He couldn’t help but feel a bit suspicious in his heart.

…

At this time, time had moved to late August.

The Qixi Festival (Chinese Valentine’s Day) arrived, and Xie Jinzhao’s first starring movie, Taste of Midsummer, also entered its promotional release period.

With this kind of youth romance genre releasing exactly on the Qixi Festival, and with the baseline screen scheduling guaranteed by Qingtian Culture’s theater chains, the box office on the first day of release directly broke 200 million.

This result didn’t surprise people in the entertainment circle much.

After all, every year on Valentine’s Day and Qixi, this kind of movie box office appeared, merely eating the dividends of young couples. Following convention, the box office would start plummeting off a cliff the next day.

However, Taste of Midsummer completely defied this trend.

Starting from the afternoon of the premiere day, word-of-mouth for the movie gradually exploded. On major platforms and WeChat Moments, countless people posted photos of their milk tea and movie ticket stubs to promote this nostalgic youth film, stating that one would definitely regret missing it.

“My god, I never expected we could actually produce such a youth film domestically. It’s truly too good!”
“Really so good. The class life in the first half was so joyful and sweet, it felt like I was back in high school again.”
“Mn mn, it has both the realism of high school life without blindly portraying the dullness and pressure of studying; it has sweet romance, but not the dog-blood tropes of breaking up and getting abortions. It’s really too good. I’m going to watch this movie a second and third time!”
“I’m going too, you’ll really regret not watching it. I’ve already recommended it to all my classmates and friends around me.”

Therefore, although the second day’s box office dropped slightly compared to the first day of Qixi, it still reached 160 million.

Over the next two days, because they were workdays, although the movie’s word-of-mouth grew hotter and hotter, the box office was restricted by the timing, hovering around over 100 million.

But soon, the two days of the weekend arrived. The suppressed box office seemed to find an outlet, directly breaking 300 million for two consecutive days.

In the following week, the box office showed no signs of slowing down, still maintaining a posture of breaking 100 million daily on average.

By this point, not only had the movie’s word-of-mouth exploded, but the accumulated box office had also surpassed 1.6 billion.

The movie still had half a month before leaving theaters. Without a doubt, it was practically guaranteed that the final accumulated box office would break 2 billion. For a youth film with an investment of only a few tens of millions, this was undeniably a massive, explosive hit.

Xie Jinzhao undeniably became the hottest male star at present. Walking on the streets, you could hear discussions about Xie Jinzhao everywhere. Two massive hits in one year—what kind of limelight was this?

Especially in the film festival in November that followed, relying on the dual explosion of Taste of Midsummer‘s box office and word-of-mouth, Xie Jinzhao directly secured nominations for Best Newcomer and Best Actor.

Although Xie Jinzhao didn’t successfully win Best Actor in the end—which was expected—he steadily pocketed the Best Newcomer award. These achievements had completely left his peers in the dust.

Relying on this, Xie Jinzhao dominated the headlines for several consecutive days, blazing hot.

And Yuanchao Media immediately seized this opportunity to release the trailer for the newly completed sci-fi movie Magnetic Storm, starring Xie Jinzhao, announcing that it would be released during the Spring Festival schedule next year.

The trailer was only a short two minutes, but the majestic plot and top-tier special effects it showcased left the audience unable to recover their senses for a long time.

The universe is vast, space is boundless, and humanity only survives in one small corner.

And through this movie, through sci-fi imagination, it was as if they could construct the future and truly see the existence of stories beyond the solar system.

“Holy shit, I take back what I said about watching a joke earlier. If the main film’s special effects can follow this standard, even if the plot and acting are a bit trash, I’m willing to spend money to buy a ticket!”
“I’ve finally witnessed what true ‘millions of dollars passing every minute’ looks like. Just look at these special effects!”
“The special effects company is Yuanzhi Pictures after all. I had hopes, but I didn’t expect the final result to be much, much better than I imagined. I must watch this film during the Spring Festival!”
“Foreign special effects blockbusters have all become scum in front of Magnetic Storm. By the way, is this Yuanzhi Pictures the same as that Yuanzhi Technology…?”
“The same one. This is the special effects company from before Yuanzhi made its fortune. An industry big boss descending upon the entertainment circle, truly a welfare for us!”
“Yes, it’s truly breathtaking!”

The unanimously positive reviews for the Magnetic Storm trailer made Xie Jinzhao smile until his eyes narrowed into slits. Although he knew Gu Siyuan didn’t lack this bit of money, being able to earn more was still good.

But this also made their industry peers extremely sour.

It was one thing for Xie Jinzhao to have consecutive massive hits in television and film within a short year, but seeing that Magnetic Storm might also…

The film industry had always been a paradise for resource-backed individuals. Xie Jinzhao’s sudden, meteoric rise was bound to snatch away the resources of many others.

Especially since Magnetic Storm was releasing during the Spring Festival schedule. The slaughter for Spring Festival movie box office involved billions in real silver and gold; the competition was even more tragic and unscrupulous.

Thus, Xie Jinzhao, who had finally established his footing through his works, welcomed a new round of being blacked.

The first poster was again in an entertainment group on a certain app. The title chosen was also very lofty: “Analyzing the Capital Composition and Support Behind Top Tier One Star Xie Jinzhao.”

It mainly explained that the largest production company and investor behind the movie Magnetic Storm starring Xie Jinzhao was Yuanchao Media.

And before this, among the producers of Taste of Midsummer and the TV drama Brocade Robes and Jade Capital starring Xie Jinzhao, there was a company named Yuanchao Culture. The names were too similar, so the poster went to investigate, discovering that this company was actually the largest shareholder of Yuanchao Media—meaning the two were one family.

It could be said that all the works Xie Jinzhao had participated in recent years were heavily promoted by the capital of this company, Yuanchao.

“So, this Yuanchao is the capital behind Xie Jinzhao, tsk tsk…”
“I told you so. Xie Jinzhao was clearly an inferior traffic star whom everyone wanted to beat before. Ever since Brocade Robes and Jade Capital, the internet has actually been boasting about his acting skills. Truly laughable.”
“No wonder he didn’t renew his contract with his former company. Back then, his fans even mocked Qi Ran, but actually, they’re just birds of a feather. Who knows what transactions went on behind the scenes?”
“Could it be a normal transaction? Hehe, I’ve wanted to say this for a long time. With Xie Jinzhao’s looks, who knows how many people in the circle have already… I heard some old men and old women just love this type.”
“Men also engage in the unspoken rules (casting couch)? Ugh, so disgusting!”
“Heh, the investments for the first two were one thing, but Magnetic Storm involves nearly a billion in real silver and gold. I wonder how many times a night it takes to satisfy the sugar daddy…”

After reading the malicious comments online, Xie Jinzhao couldn’t help but glance at his boyfriend beside him, drooling at his vigorous abdominal muscles.

How many times a night to satisfy the sugar daddy?

Ah, well, at least twice, with no upper limit. Thinking about it this way, I’m truly so happy.

Gu Siyuan was also online. This time, the angle used to blacken him was very common, completely chasing wind and catching shadows (baseless rumors), yet a particularly large number of people believed it. Because aside from cheating and divorce, what audiences loved to watch most regarding the entertainment circle were things like the unspoken rules and being kept by sugar daddies.

And because there were too many people involved, Gu Siyuan didn’t even know who made the move.

However, this matter was actually simple to handle. Directly making the composition of Yuanchao Media and his identity public would suffice.

But when he finished thinking and raised his eyes, he directly met Xie Jinzhao’s sparkling, bright eyes.

He reached out his large hand, pinched his little boyfriend’s fair and tender cheek, and said coldly: “What are you thinking about?”

Xie Jinzhao straddled his lap, hugged his neck, and acted coquettishly: “President Gu, be my sugar daddy for a lifetime, okay?”

“…” Gu Siyuan.

What kind of hobby is this? Could it be he just read some dirty literature and wants to test it out tonight?

Pinching the person’s slender neck, Gu Siyuan thought to himself: Well, this little request can still be satisfied.

Maybe I can conveniently buy some interesting props?
A little lion outfit? A little fox outfit?
They seem quite cute.

Gu Siyuan had always been a highly efficient person.

So, that evening, Xie Jinzhao heard the doorbell ring, and a large package was placed at the door.

Gu Siyuan had no passion for online shopping, so the deliveries to this house were basically all his. He assumed something he bought had arrived.

He excitedly took a utility knife to open it, only to find several sets of fluffy clothes inside, complete with paws, tails, and so on—very comprehensive.

Xie Jinzhao’s face turned slightly red: “It seems to have been delivered to the wrong place. I don’t think I bought these…”

“They are mine.”

Right at this moment, he heard his immovable-mountain-like boyfriend’s cold voice sound by his ear.

“…” Xie Jinzhao’s hand trembled, the utility knife dropping directly onto the floor. He looked up at Gu Siyuan in shock: “Y-Yours? You bought these… to wear?”

“…” Gu Siyuan.

His usually cold face almost cracked right down the middle.

After a long while, he stared at Xie Jinzhao and said in a low voice: “I bought them for you.”

“Oh…” Xie Jinzhao nodded in relief.

If my boyfriend—such a tough, upright, cold-blooded real man—wore something so completely out of style, it would truly feel a bit awkward!

But… suddenly, his cheeks flushed explosively red again. What do you mean you bought this for me?

Hmph, Gu Siyuan, this guy with thick eyebrows and big eyes, is indeed a closet pervert!

However, regarding Gu Siyuan’s requests, Xie Jinzhao had never been able to refuse, especially this kind of request that could also elevate the spice between the two of them.

Thus, that night, Gu Siyuan reaped a little lion and a little fox with watery eyes.

The two tossed and turned until almost dawn.

And when Xie Jinzhao got up the next day, he found that the malicious comments about him online had mostly disappeared.

Because his boyfriend cum manager, Gu Siyuan, had completely occupied all the netizens’ attention.

Just this morning, Yuanzhi Technology Company successfully went public on the Hong Kong stock exchange.

And a certain ranking list took the opportunity to publish the latest edition of the domestic billionaires list. In an extremely high position appeared a face that had never been seen before, with the brief introduction: CEO and Director of Yuanzhi Technology.

But this person was not unfamiliar to everyone.

Because as long as one had watched Who is the Adventure King, they could basically recognize him.

And the official account of Yuanchao Media, which had recently been at the center of the storm in the entertainment circle, abruptly posted a Weibo at this time.

The Weibo post was very brief—just two pictures—but the amount of information was massive. One picture was the wealth ranking list, and the other was Gu Siyuan’s individual profile, accompanied by a cute caption: “With the big boss standing so high, Little Zhao feels so secure. It feels like even if one or two movies lose money, it doesn’t matter!”

Subsequently, Xie Jinzhao’s studio followed suit, posting an almost identical Weibo, just with a slightly different caption: “With the manager standing so high, the studio feels very secure. But a certain artist is taking the opportunity to slack off and not join a crew!”

When everyone saw the wealth ranking list, they had already let out their first “Holy shit.” And at this moment, they finally let out their second “Holy shit.”

“Fuck, this world is too fantastical!”
“Some people look like ordinary, unremarkable managers, but actually possess a net worth of hundreds of billions!”
“My idol, my daddy Gu Siyuan!”
“The founder of Yuanzhi Technology, the boss of Yuanchao Media, and Xie Jinzhao’s manager—these three are actually the same person!”
“Damn, it seems shouting ‘hubby’ when watching the variety show back then wasn’t wrong! It just makes me feel even more unworthy!”
“I remember, back then on the variety show, President Gu said he was Xie Jinzhao’s fan, right? So, having such a big boss as a fan and manager, no wonder Xie Jinzhao’s path has been so smooth!”

At this time, someone still objected: “So what if he’s the manager? Who knows what transactions they have behind the scenes?”

But these words received unanimous contempt from the netizens.

“Being promoted by old men is called the unspoken rules. Being promoted by an overbearing CEO like President Gu, who is young, rich, and incredibly handsome—can that be called the unspoken rules?”
“The minds of you people are so dirty. Can’t two handsome guys just be friends? What goes on in your heads all day long?”
“Exactly! The two of them are clearly soulmates; he has a discerning eye for talent!”

Well, this face-judging world was just this unreasonable.

Following that, Gu Siyuan’s history of making his fortune was continuously pushed onto the trending searches, widely spread by major marketing accounts.

Gu Siyuan also took this opportunity to officially apply for a Weibo account.

Instantly, countless people swarmed to his comments to call him “hubby.”

And as for Xie Jinzhao’s matter, it was completely quelled. Those who had pulled strings behind the scenes didn’t dare to make any further moves.

With such a massive backer, everything they had done looked like a joke.

However, Xie Jinzhao puffed his cheeks and fiercely bit his boyfriend: “You are my sugar daddy alone. You’re not allowed to look at those little vixens.”

“…” Gu Siyuan.

It seems the little boyfriend wants to wear other little animal outfits again. Truly makes one worry.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the sci-fi movie Magnetic Storm officially premiered in theaters.

Because it was highly anticipated by millions, the box office on the first day directly broke 400 million.

But as word-of-mouth exploded, on the second day of the Lunar New Year, it directly soared to 700 million. Although it decreased slightly over the next few days, it consistently hovered between 300 to 400 million. It wasn’t until after work resumed on the eighth day of the Lunar New Year that the box office dropped below 200 million.

A month later, Magnetic Storm did not extend its screening and left theaters on time. Ultimately, it grossed nearly 6 billion at the domestic box office.

However, this was not the end. This kind of sci-fi movie had no regional or thematic restrictions, and it was quickly scheduled for release in several overseas countries.

Similarly, every screening was packed, with no empty seats.

Xie Jinzhao’s Instagram account saw a rapid increase of millions of followers every day, and collaboration invitations from major international brands jammed the studio’s email inbox.

A true heaven-descended superstar!

And at this time, the superstar Xie Jinzhao, with red eyes, was pitifully begging for mercy under a certain someone: “I was wrong…”

Gu Siyuan cast a faint glance at him, as if he couldn’t understand: “What are you saying? Where were you wrong?”

While speaking, he exerted force again.

Xie Jinzhao’s pale insteps stretched taut. His voice had long since cracked, but his hands still tightly hugged the waist of the person above him, whimpering and groaning, unable to bear letting go.

Recently, his overseas fans had been surging wildly. Foreigners were sometimes very direct, and he frequently received unshowable things in his private messages.

Just now, coincidentally, he casually opened a photo of abdominal muscles, wanting to compare it with his own boyfriend’s. Who knew he would be caught red-handed.

He thought secretly: My boyfriend being jealous makes me feel sweet.
But…
Who else in this world could be better than Gu Siyuan, could make me like him more? I wish I could grow on him for a lifetime.

The global explosion of the sci-fi movie Magnetic Storm brought far-reaching impacts.

It even significantly improved the situation of Chinese people working in Hollywood. Yun Yan experienced this deeply.

He was forced to go abroad to study last year, but he never gave up acting. He turned his gaze toward the dream factory of Hollywood.

However, while he was the youngest Best Actor domestically, he was unknown here and could only start from marginal supporting roles.

It wasn’t until recently, when he met a certain second-generation star, that his opportunities increased slightly. And the recent massive hit of Magnetic Storm completely changed the attitude of his industry peers toward him.

“Yun, your acting just now was truly amazing, just as handsome as Xie in Magnetic Storm!”

When a scene ended, Alex, standing to the side, pounced forward excitedly and kissed him on the cheek.

Yun Yan smiled and patted his shoulder.

Alex was that second-generation star, the youngest son of a famous superstar. He himself was a screenwriter, but his abilities were average, and he worked entirely relying on his father’s connections. The current production crew was also introduced to Yun Yan by him.

When he learned the news of Qi Run being arrested, Xie Jinzhao was nestled in Gu Siyuan’s embrace gnawing on a juicy peach.

“Our country’s renowned male star Qi Run was arrested by local police for intentionally injuring someone with a vehicle on a street in Los Angeles. The specific details are currently being negotiated by lawyers…”

Xie Jinzhao couldn’t help but widen his eyes: “Holy shit, Qi Run got arrested!”

Gu Siyuan nodded: “It was already the day before yesterday. The person he hit was Yun Yan. Yun Yan was discovered cheating with a Hollywood second-generation star, and Qi Ran went crazy on the spot. To vent anger for Qi Ran, Qi Run directly drove a car and crashed into him. Several of Yun Yan’s bones were broken, and he’s still unconscious in the hospital now. Even if he wakes up, he might not be able to stand up again. After hearing the diagnosis, Yun Yan’s manager immediately reported to the police.”

Xie Jinzhao laughed out loud: “Fuck, I knew this day would come. That bastard’s feelings for his brother are simply perverted; he’s finally reaping what he sowed.”

Gu Siyuan didn’t speak. He touched his soft, smooth face. Looking at his current lively and vibrant appearance, he smiled gently. This was how Xie Jinzhao should look.

Meeting his gaze, Xie Jinzhao took the opportunity to deliberately pout and act coquettishly: “Good thing I have you, you’re the best.”

Looking at his lips, which were moist and crystalline from gnawing the peach, Gu Siyuan couldn’t help but ask: “Is the peach very sweet?”

Xie Jinzhao smiled, pushing the half-eaten peach forward: “It tastes pretty good. Have a bite.”

Gu Siyuan smoothly opened his mouth. The next moment, his lips touched a familiar, sweet softness.

Xie Jinzhao stuck out his dark red little tongue and gently licked him: “Want to know whether the peach is sweeter, or I am?”

“…” Gu Siyuan.

When a beauty invites, one dares not disobey.

In the days that followed, Gu Siyuan continued to hold multiple positions and flourished in all of them, his business territory expanding wider and wider. Meanwhile, Xie Jinzhao maintained a state of one or two movies a year, becoming an evergreen tree in the entertainment circle.

So as not to make their fans sad, the two never made their relationship public.

So much so that later, when Xie Jinzhao was forty, and the children of the colleagues he had previously worked with were already in elementary school… the traffic fans who once made everyone tremble in fear began to get anxious, unable to resist urging their idol to get married.

Another ten years or so passed, and the country passed the same-sex marriage law. Gu Siyuan and Xie Jinzhao were also in their fifties. Only then did the two post a simple picture of a marriage certificate on their respective accounts.

At this point, all they received were blessings.

The fans, who had long since established their own families and careers, shed tears on the spot.

“Wuwuwu, finally married!”
“It really is that person!”
“Two such outstanding people, just like that, loving each other amidst the bustling voices for almost half a century.”
“Mn mn, I’m going to cry to death, so touching!”

A few more years passed, and finally, the two departed one after the other. Truly one life, one lifetime, one pair of people.

…

Volume 3: The Cannon Fodder in the Ancient Switched-Child Story

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