FIMA Ch27: Following

The next morning.

Xie Jinzhao squinted his eyes and habitually snuggled into the blanket, preparing to sleep a little longer.

Wait… doesn’t he usually not sleep naked?

Xie Jinzhao’s eyes gradually darkened as he began to recall what had happened before he lost consciousness last night.

He never liked drinking, but last night, he couldn’t refuse with so many high-level people from the production company and the industry present, so he drank a few glasses. Then he felt dizzy and went out to get some fresh air, encountering Qi Ran…

Then, there was nothing after that.

“Click,” the door opened softly.

Gu Siyuan came out of the bathroom after washing up and saw the person on the bed with a dark, beautiful face. He greeted coldly, “Awake?”

A very sexy and handsome man.

But… why was he in his room?

Xie Jinzhao’s eyes were immediately full of vigilance and defensiveness. The next moment, he reflexively tried to jump out of bed, but realizing he was naked, he awkwardly rolled back and pulled the blanket to cover himself.

What’s going on…

Gu Siyuan, initially not very awake in the early morning, became slightly interested because of Xie Jinzhao’s surprised and lively reactions.

Moreover, this person’s panicked and clumsy behavior seemed strangely familiar to him.

Narrowing his eyes, he took a few steps closer with his long legs.

Seeing this, Xie Jinzhao unconsciously retreated, gripping the blanket tighter with his slender fingers.

Despite his cold and ethereal face, he showed an expression inviting anyone to take advantage of him.

Gu Siyuan’s smile deepened, like a predator toying with its prey. He gripped Xie Jinzhao’s delicate, fragile neck with one hand and pulled him close, his voice low and husky, “If you didn’t get enough exercise last night, we can continue now.”

Forced to lift his head, Xie Jinzhao felt pain on his cheeks, and an indescribable unease and panic surged in his heart.

Gritting his teeth, he growled angrily, “Let go of me! Don’t… don’t touch me! What happened last night?”

Hearing this, Gu Siyuan raised an eyebrow slightly and let go nonchalantly.

In the next moment, there was a dull thud.

Xie Jinzhao, who had wrapped himself too tightly in the blanket, found himself unable to move freely. When Gu Siyuan let go, he couldn’t react in time, and due to inertia, he fell off the bed, his shoulder blades colliding with the hard wooden nightstand.

Already feeling uncomfortable due to the effects of the drugs from last night, the sudden impact made him cry out in pain, his elegant, cold face instantly contorting with agony.

Gu Siyuan squinted his eyes, looking at him struggle with an innocent expression.

Xie Jinzhao trembled with anger, glaring at Gu Siyuan with such intensity it seemed he wished to turn into laser beams.

His stunning face, now flushed with rage and humiliation, looked even more captivating.

Gu Siyuan lowered his eyes for a moment before finally stepping forward to pick him up.

This act of rare kindness to his target was also driven by a sense of familiarity.

Considering Xie Jinzhao had just accidentally been injured a second time at his hands, Gu Siyuan’s movements were unusually gentle this time, even thoughtfully tucking him back into bed.

Xie Jinzhao, however, was clearly not so easily appeased, his gaze remaining fixed on Gu Siyuan, icy and intense.

After a long while, he leaned against the headboard and lowered his voice, “Who exactly are you? What do you want?”

Gu Siyuan took a few steps back and sat on the armrest of the sofa, expressionless as he replied, “Gu Siyuan, a kind-hearted person. This is my room.”

A kind-hearted person?

It was the first time Xie Jinzhao had seen someone boast so openly.

Suppressing his anger, he continued to ask, “Then why am I like this…”

Gu Siyuan, knowing what he was asking, interrupted with a question of his own, “I also want to ask why you’re like this. I was resting here alone yesterday, and then you were suddenly thrown in, stripped naked, and started rubbing against me, making advances.”

“…” Xie Jinzhao.

What nonsense was this man spouting?

Xie Jinzhao, who had been extraordinarily handsome since childhood, admired his own looks every day in the mirror, wondering why he was so good-looking. He never had any reason to force himself on anyone.

At this moment, Gu Siyuan glanced at him and added, “However, I am always a very clean, principled, and righteous person, so if your mind is still clear, you should understand that nothing happened to you. I was just playing a little morning joke.”

“Heh, thank you then,” Xie Jinzhao sneered.

Seeing his reaction, Gu Siyuan felt that familiar sensation again and, after some thought, suddenly denied seriously, “Hmm… I can’t say nothing happened.”

Xie Jinzhao’s heart skipped a beat, “You… what else did you do?”

Crossing his arms, Gu Siyuan replied indifferently, “Given your excessive enthusiasm, I did you a favor and threw you into the bathroom for a shower. You can thank me.”

“…” Xie Jinzhao.

Xie Jinzhao felt he had never been so speechless in his life as he was this morning.

Still, thinking about his special profession, he couldn’t afford to worry about these things now and quickly asked, “Besides the shower… you didn’t take any photos or videos last night, did you?”

Many of his colleagues had their careers ruined by unintentional photos or videos.

Gu Siyuan glanced at him lazily and said coldly, “I’m not into that.”

Xie Jinzhao’s mind settled slightly.

For some reason, even though it was their first meeting, he instinctively trusted Gu Siyuan’s confident words.

Gu Siyuan checked his watch; it was getting late.

Seeing that Xie Jinzhao had calmed down, he stood up and untied his robe, walking towards the dressing room next door as he coldly said, “Instead of wasting time here, you should think about what went wrong around you. Who threw you here? You seem to be some sort of celebrity. Luckily, it was me last night; otherwise…”

The rest of his words were lost as the door closed behind him.

Xie Jinzhao frowned slightly. He would figure out what happened last night when he got back.

Looking down at his clothes scattered on the carpet, then seeing that Gu Siyuan had indeed closed the door, he quickly jumped out of bed and rushed into the bathroom, hastily putting on a robe.

Then, he picked up his clothes from the carpet and used a garment steamer from the nearby storage cabinet to smooth them out.

When Gu Siyuan came out fully dressed, Xie Jinzhao had already changed into his own clothes—a white hoodie and light blue jeans, maintaining his cool demeanor with an added youthful vigor.

He was holding a phone, charging it while making a call, “Sister Wei, why didn’t you wait for me to go back together last night?”

Fang Wei, after greeting someone nearby, covered her phone and walked outside the photo studio, frowning, “Didn’t you tell Xiao He to tell me that you were feeling unwell after drinking and had to leave early?”

“Xiao He told you?” Xie Jinzhao narrowed his eyes.

“Yes,” Fang Wei replied.

Thinking about it, she seemed to sense something was wrong and immediately asked, “What’s wrong? What happened? Didn’t you go back last night? Where are you now?”

Xie Jinzhao frowned.

After a moment, he casually replied, “I went back. I took a taxi home myself. I was just asking.”

“Oh, that’s good then. But this Xiao He, new to the industry, is really unreliable,” Fang Wei relaxed and then reminded, “By the way, don’t forget about the interview with Qi Ran at three in the afternoon. You need to be in good shape. Don’t play games for too long in the morning. I’ll have the driver pick you up at your house at one-thirty.”

“Got it.” Xie Jinzhao nodded and hung up the phone.

He had signed a five-year contract with the company, which was about to expire in two months. The company had been persuading him to renew, but he wasn’t inclined to do so.

He was discovered by the company during a campus singing competition. The company mainly cultivated idols and singers, with no film and television resources to speak of. In today’s sluggish music industry, not acting almost means half-retirement.

Moreover, Xie Jinzhao’s current popularity was largely due to a campus web drama he starred in over two years ago. He had to move into film and television, making contract renewal with the current company impossible, as it would be a mistake.

Fang Wei, his agent, also managed a female singer and a boy group. Her contacts were mostly in variety show departments of major TV stations and with music producers, lacking in film and television resources.

Since Fang Wei was also a shareholder of the company, their professional relationship would end once he terminated the contract.

Therefore, recently, Fang Wei’s attention on him had been waning, and it was only natural for some oversight to occur.

Xie Jinzhao pouted and continued scrolling through his phone to check for any urgent messages.

As he scrolled, he returned to his call log and saw two missed calls, both to Qi Ran: one made yesterday afternoon and one just now.

Having encountered such a strange incident, he naturally wanted to talk it over with his boyfriend. Besides, Qi Ran was somewhat involved in what happened last night, so he wanted to ask about it.

However, Qi Ran hadn’t answered any of his calls from last night until just now, nor had he called back.

Xie Jinzhao couldn’t help but pout, thinking: This boyfriend is as good as none. If it were Qi Ran calling, he’d probably jump to answer like an eager puppy…

Imagining Qi Ran acting like a puppy, Xie Jinzhao couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

After laughing, he froze. Why did he suddenly feel so much dissatisfaction and malice towards Qi Ran?

On the other side, Gu Siyuan, now wearing his shoes, noticed Xie Jinzhao’s strange expressions and narrowed his eyes.

Holding his car keys, Gu Siyuan said directly, “I’m leaving. If you keep daydreaming, you’ll have to handle the check-out yourself.”

Hearing this, Xie Jinzhao jumped up from the bed, “I’m leaving too.”

The hotel’s banquet hall was well-known, frequently rented for various entertainment and fashion events. He had just glanced down and noticed many reporters gathered nearby.

Without shame, he admitted that he was quite popular now. If he were seen checking out alone, who knew what rumors might spread?

After handling the check-out, Gu Siyuan headed towards the parking lot.

Halfway there, he noticed small sounds behind him and quickened his pace.

In the dimly lit underground parking lot, Xie Jinzhao lost sight of Gu Siyuan at a corner and grew anxious.

“What are you following me for?” a cold, deep voice came from the fire escape behind him.

Xie Jinzhao shivered and slowly turned around.

He saw Gu Siyuan’s tall figure behind him, staring at him with an unfriendly look.

Feeling awkward, Xie Jinzhao evaded the previous question and slowly asked, “What are you doing here?”

Gu Siyuan, not one to be easily sidetracked, continued with a cold expression, “Tell me, why are you following me?”

Xie Jinzhao chuckled, then, with wide, pleading eyes, said, “You have a car, right? Can you give me a ride?”

Gu Siyuan raised an eyebrow, “Hmm?”

Xie Jinzhao explained seriously, “There are many reporters outside. I can’t go out and hail a taxi.”

Gu Siyuan: “You’re a celebrity. Don’t you have an assistant or agent to pick you up?”

Xie Jinzhao felt more embarrassed, “I’m about to terminate my contract. It’s best not to let the original company know too much.”

Hearing this, Gu Siyuan sneered, “Your industry is really messy.”

Thinking he was being refused, Xie Jinzhao suddenly heard faint footsteps approaching in the empty parking lot.

Growing anxious, he prepared to duck into the fire escape to hide.

Just then, a black Audi two steps to his left beeped lightly.

A strong hand grabbed his arm, and the next thing he knew, he was shoved into the passenger seat of the Audi.

With a soft “bang,” he found Gu Siyuan already in the driver’s seat beside him.

Gu Siyuan fastened his seatbelt, started the car, and said coldly, “What are you staring at? Don’t you know how to fasten a seatbelt?”

“I do.” Xie Jinzhao quickly responded.

The black Audi slowly exited the parking lot and merged onto the city road.

The car was silent.

Xie Jinzhao glanced sideways at Gu Siyuan’s handsome, indifferent face and softly said, “Thank you.”

Gu Siyuan, eyes fixed on the road ahead, replied calmly, “Hmm. Where do you need to get off?”

Xie Jinzhao quickly gave an address, not far from the hotel, only about eight or nine kilometers.

The car fell silent again.

Whether it was poor air circulation or his unsettled emotions, Xie Jinzhao’s mind was a mess, leading him to daydream.

Somehow, his thoughts drifted to what Gu Siyuan had said earlier about stripping and bathing him. Now, with them alone in this confined space, even their breathing seemed to intertwine.

Even though Xie Jinzhao always had a good attitude, he couldn’t help but feel slightly awkward.

Just then, he suddenly caught a faint whiff of a cold fragrance, as refreshing as fresh snow and green tea, but it disappeared almost immediately. When he tried to smell it again, there was nothing left.

Xie Jinzhao snapped back to reality and smiled, asking the person next to him, “What kind of perfume do you use in your car? It smells pretty good. I might want to try it myself.”

His words were met with silence.

Xie Jinzhao felt a bit awkward.

Just when he thought the other person wouldn’t answer, a faint voice came from beside him, “None. There’s no perfume in the car.”

“Oh.” Xie Jinzhao blinked, thinking that the cold fragrance he smelled earlier must have been his imagination.

Just then, the car came to a slow stop at a red light ahead.

Gu Siyuan reached out and handed him a business card, saying indifferently, “This is my contact information. If there are any issues that need to be addressed later, you can contact me at any time.”

Issues that need to be addressed?

Xie Jinzhao turned slightly and reached out to take the business card.

At that moment, he caught the faint cold fragrance again, coming from Gu Siyuan’s wrist and collar.

It turned out it wasn’t car perfume; it was his scent.

Xie Jinzhao was momentarily stunned.

“Hmm?” Gu Siyuan’s gaze darkened slightly, clearly dissatisfied with Xie Jinzhao’s frequent spacing out.

Xie Jinzhao quickly took the business card, glanced at it, and said in surprise, “You’re a teacher at the Film Academy?”

He turned his head to look at Gu Siyuan, who was dressed in a neat, well-tailored suit with perfectly styled hair, looking every bit the cultured intellectual, even though he was a bit aloof and annoying…

Gu Siyuan didn’t respond to his idle remark.

When the light turned green, he lightly tapped the gas pedal, and the car started moving again, smoothly merging into traffic.

Although the original Gu Siyuan was Gu Hongxuan’s stepson and attended the Film Academy, he didn’t join Tianli Entertainment after graduation. Instead, he stayed at the academy as a lecturer after completing his master’s degree.

Now, he was a teaching lecturer.

Of course, this wasn’t because the original Gu Siyuan was indifferent to fame and fortune or uninterested in the Gu family’s entertainment business. It was just that, with Gu Hongxuan having three biological sons, if this stepson were to become too ambitious, it would only cause unnecessary resentment.

The Film Academy was the most prestigious training ground for the entertainment industry in the country, with most directors, screenwriters, and actors coming from there. It was one of the best places to build connections in the industry.

The original Gu Siyuan kept a low profile, hiding his ambition and sharpness, to carve out a different path and achieve more.

It was Wednesday morning, and the morning rush hour was over, so the city traffic was smooth and unobstructed.

The unassuming black Audi car smoothly came to a stop in front of an old residential area.

Gu Siyuan glanced at the ineffective gate and the absent-minded security guard nearby, raised an eyebrow at Xie Jinzhao, who was unbuckling his seatbelt, and said indifferently, “It seems you’re not that famous yet?”

Xie Jinzhao froze, then pouted after a while, “You’re a teacher at the Film Academy, yet you don’t know the popular figures in the entertainment industry. If I wanted to change places, it would be easy!”

Gu Siyuan nodded nonchalantly, “Popular figure? I haven’t seen any of your works.”

Xie Jinzhao, finally embarrassed and angry, slammed the car door shut with a “bang!”

Gu Siyuan didn’t mind the rude reaction and watched him enter the community before slowly stepping on the gas, turning the car around and leaving.

About ten minutes later, the car smoothly entered the Film Academy and stopped in the parking lot beside a building that was an architectural masterpiece.

It was a break between classes, and students were walking or cycling around the campus. The Film Academy had far fewer students compared to regular universities, and even fewer stayed on campus after their sophomore year, as most of them found various opportunities to act outside.

As one of the youngest lecturers at the academy, most students knew Gu Siyuan and greeted him as they passed.

Gu Siyuan nodded indifferently in return and walked towards his office.

Before going to bed last night, he had checked the original Gu Siyuan’s teaching schedule and confirmed that the first class today was at 2 p.m., so he had about four hours of free time.

Following his usual habits, Gu Siyuan first opened the original Gu Siyuan’s email and reviewed the recent emails, addressing and replying to a few urgent ones.

Besides some meeting notices and invitations, the rest were students’ graduation theses, two of which Gu Siyuan carefully reviewed and annotated.

One particular email caught his attention not because it was well-written but because it was extremely poor…

Not only were the data fabricated, but despite being about to graduate, the student still had a chaotic grasp of professional terminology, and there were several incorrect literature citations.

Gu Siyuan narrowed his eyes and immediately sent the email back.

Next, he closed the email and began reviewing the original Gu Siyuan’s lecture notes and teaching materials. This was something he was accustomed to doing, so it didn’t feel unfamiliar at all.

He didn’t know how much time had passed when there was a knock on the door.

“Come in,” Gu Siyuan said immediately.

“Mr. Gu.”

Chen Yuan pushed the door open, smiling warmly.

Gu Siyuan looked at him, “Hmm, what’s the matter?”

Chen Yuan handed over a thick stack of A4 papers, “Sir, this is my graduation thesis. I’ve also just sent you the electronic version.”

Gu Siyuan took the thesis with one hand and put on his glasses with the other, his voice calm, “Hmm, Chen Yuan?”

Hearing this, Chen Yuan smiled in surprise and said casually, “Siyuan, it’s only been a few days, and you don’t recognize me anymore?”

Gu Siyuan squinted slightly, then looked up to seriously study the young man in front of him. Quickly, he retrieved all the information about this person from his memory.

Chen Yuan, a senior student in the acting department, and also a close friend of the main character Shou Qi Ran. After Xie Jinzhao and Qi Ran fell out, Chen Yuan was one of those who helped Qi Ran push Xie Jinzhao into the abyss.

Gu Siyuan and Qi Ran had known each other since childhood, which Chen Yuan naturally knew. That’s why he had specifically asked Qi Ran to have Gu Siyuan as his thesis advisor.

The Film Academy had a rule that first-year students were not allowed to take on acting jobs; they had to stay on campus and complete a full year of coursework.

However, because of his family’s background, Chen Yuan had started taking leave to shoot films as early as the winter of his first semester, leading to poor attendance and failing grades in his end-of-term exams.

Now in his senior year, he was hoping to graduate directly by leveraging his relationship with his thesis advisor.

Gu Siyuan’s expression remained unchanged as he looked at him and said, “I’ve addressed the issues with your thesis in my email. The data is highly problematic. You haven’t conducted extensive surveys or data screening. You need to redo it.”

Chen Yuan’s smile froze on his face. “Siyuan… it’s already April. There’s just over a month until the defense. You want me to redo the surveys now?”

This was not what they had agreed upon.

Gu Siyuan folded his hands and asked, “Not enough time?”

Chen Yuan nodded affirmatively.

Gu Siyuan’s lips curved slightly, his voice extraordinarily gentle, “That’s easy to solve. I’ll contact your counselor to help you apply for an extended graduation. You’ll have an additional year and two months to prepare. I’ve heard that your attendance over the past four years has been poor as well. I’m sure your counselor will be more than happy to address this.”

…

“This interview was very comprehensive. I’m sure the fans will be delighted. Thank you both for your hard work,” said the beautiful host from Star Entertainment as she put away her microphone and stood up, smiling at Xie Jinzhao and Qi Ran.

Both of them quickly plastered on fake smiles.

Although called an interview, it was really just the same questions over and over again, questions they had answered countless times since they met. They could recite the answers with their eyes closed.

Xie Jinzhao draped his coat over his arm and quickly walked out of the studio; he still had a commercial shoot to do.

Just before getting into the business car, Qi Ran stopped him, “Jinzhao, I… have something to say to you.”