FIMA Ch28: Private Lesson
Xie Jinzhao glanced at him, his brows showing a hint of displeasure. What had happened last night was not something to be happy about, and it was only natural to vent his anger on Qi Ran.
However, the specific situation still needed to be clarified.
Xie Jinzhao nodded, his voice faint, “Mm, I also have something to ask you.”
The two of them got into the nanny car, and the assistant and driver temporarily got out.
Qi Ran bit his lip, still appearing innocent as he asked, “Are you alright from last night, did you…?”
On a normal day, Xie Jinzhao would be endlessly patient with Qi Ran.
But at this moment, Xie Jinzhao suddenly felt the air inside the car was stuffy, and a feeling of indescribable annoyance rose in his heart, as if he couldn’t bear it for even a second longer.
He leaned back in the seat, lazily chuckled, and said mockingly, “If I wasn’t alright, would I still be here doing a double take?”
Qi Ran seemed hurt by his attitude, hesitated for a moment, then awkwardly smiled, “That’s good, that’s good…”
Xie Jinzhao stared at him, enunciating each word, “However, what I want to know more is, where did you go later last night?”
Hearing this, Qi Ran suddenly recalled the heat and intimacy of last night, his body shuddered, and his cheeks turned slightly red.
Xie Jinzhao frowned, “Hm?”
Seeing the man staring at him, Qi Ran’s expression immediately tensed, and he began to stammer, “Later, the assistant came out and found me, then took me home.”
Xie Jinzhao’s pupils contracted, almost laughing in extreme anger, “I was knocked out and taken away while trying to save you, and you went home to sleep peacefully? Qi Ran, you’ve really opened my eyes.”
“Ah…” Qi Ran bit his tongue, realizing he had misspoken.
He quickly shook his head and tried to explain, “No… no, Jinzhao, listen to me, I drank too much last night and have no memory at all. I didn’t know you were taken away, I… I had no choice?”
Hearing such an unhesitant response, and now seeing the man’s anxious face, Xie Jinzhao found it incredibly amusing.
He slightly tilted his mouth, coldly saying, “Drank too much, so you have no memory? Then… since you didn’t know I was taken away, why did you ask if I was alright last night?”
“Jinzhao!” Qi Ran was startled by his sudden sharp gaze, his heart trembling.
But instinctively, he still tried to defend himself, “Jinzhao, don’t be so aggressive, I asked because I care about you, we’ve… known each other for quite some time, don’t you know what kind of person I am?”
It’s precisely because I know what kind of person you are.
Xie Jinzhao, feeling utterly bored, was unwilling to listen to any more explanations. He calmly waved his hand, “Alright, you don’t need to explain anymore, I already understand. If there’s nothing else, you can leave now.”
“Jinzhao…” Qi Ran looked at him, hurt.
Suddenly, as if thinking of something, he said happily, “Oh right, Jinzhao, my second brother called me this morning, he said his movie is wrapped up, and he’ll be back from England tomorrow night. Why don’t we go pick him up together?”
Xie Jinzhao glanced at him, then slowly smiled, “Called you this morning, huh? That’s nice, really nice!”
Qi Ran couldn’t understand his smile, instinctively saying, “Then don’t be mad, okay? Otherwise, second brother will worry… and he won’t be happy…”
Here we go again.
“Heh.” Xie Jinzhao sneered, “Then let him be unhappy!”
Qi Ran was a bit stunned, blinking his big eyes, and after a while, hesitantly asked, “Jinzhao, what’s wrong with you today? Are you arguing with second brother? I can go teach him a lesson for you.”
“It has nothing to do with him,” Xie Jinzhao said calmly.
Although he and Qi Run had been dating for nearly half a year, their feelings for each other were not deep.
Initially, he only liked the character Qi Run played on the screen, and later, when Qi Ran introduced him, he merely felt the joy of meeting an idol.
But somehow, when Qi Run proposed being together, he was still somewhat bewildered and agreed. Perhaps every fan faced with such a proposal from their idol couldn’t refuse, feeling more like they had been hit by a pie from the sky.
However, even though their relationship was confirmed, their type of work made it inconvenient for them to meet.
The few times they did meet, Qi Ran was always present.
Originally, Xie Jinzhao cared a lot about Qi Run. After all, Qi Run had been his idol for several years, and he knew that Qi Run valued Qi Ran, so he channeled all his affection towards Qi Ran.
And Qi Run was obviously happy to see this.
But recently, strange and inexplicable thoughts had been popping into his head, thoughts that seemed ridiculous but upon closer inspection… might actually be the truth.
Xie Jinzhao took a deep look at Qi Ran.
…He thought he might be sick in some way, and Qi Run might be sick too. He seriously believed that Qi Run might have proposed being with him just to please Qi Ran.
“Jinzhao, why are you looking at me like that?” Qi Ran felt a sudden panic.
Xie Jinzhao sneered, shaking his head, “Nothing, I just thought of something funny. By the way, do you have anything else? Why haven’t you gotten out of the car yet? I still have work later.”
“Jinzhao…” Qi Ran called out hesitantly.
But seeing the unchanged coldness in Xie Jinzhao’s eyes, his voice involuntarily lowered a bit, and he half-hung his head, saying, “…Alright, nothing else.”
“Mm, take care.” Xie Jinzhao nodded. Then he opened the car window and softly called to the driver and assistant waiting outside, “You can come in, we’re heading back.”
After speaking, he closed his eyes slightly and leaned back in the seat.
Qi Ran stood up, looked at Xie Jinzhao one last time, then pushed open the car door and got out.
He had been pampered by his family since childhood, and even after entering the complex entertainment industry, he had his second brother and Yun Yan protecting him. He was not used to being ignored.
Even if the person was Xie Jinzhao, who had once helped him, it was the same.
The black business car slowly drove out of the parking lot.
Xie Jinzhao closed his eyes for a long time but couldn’t fall asleep, so he pulled down his eye mask and took out his phone to play a game.
Fang Wei, sitting in the seat across the aisle, glanced at him and said softly, “Qi Ran is indeed developing quite well now. His last movie was a big hit, and his public image is positive. Given your current situation… interacting with him more like before and selling a friendship CP should be beneficial for you, with more advantages than disadvantages.”
Hearing this, Xie Jinzhao didn’t even lift his head, “Ha, you also noticed we had a conflict.”
Fang Wei nodded. With Qi Ran’s expression when he got out of the car, how could she not see it?
She glanced at Xie Jinzhao again, seeing him still engrossed in his game, clearly not taking her words to heart. She immediately frowned in displeasure.
Her tone became noticeably colder, “Jinzhao, everyone’s fate in the entertainment industry is different. Even friends, even those who were once not as successful as you, if they seize the opportunity, their development can be worlds apart.”
Xie Jinzhao finally looked up, smiling lightly, “Sister Wei, you think my conflict with Qi Ran is because I can’t stand that his development is surpassing mine?”
Fang Wei didn’t speak, but at this moment, silence was an agreement.
In the fame-driven world of the entertainment industry, not being popular is a sin. So everyone uses every means to become popular. Similarly, the competition and crisis awareness are heightened.
Qi Ran had only been in the industry for two years, but his rise had been meteoric. As someone who once relied on partnering with Xie Jinzhao to gain visibility, he was now about to leave Xie Jinzhao behind. This sense of imbalance was magnified in the entertainment industry. No matter how good one’s mindset was, it would be hard to accept.
Fang Wei thought that if it were her, she definitely wouldn’t accept it.
“Jinzhao, we’ve worked together for five years. I’m speaking honestly with you. Qi Ran’s TV drama debut, *Mountains and Rivers Rise*, and his recent movie, *Murderer*, have had significant impacts. In just two years, he has had four releases, all of which made waves. Whether it’s leveraging external forces or not, that’s a skill. You know how superstitious this industry is. An actor with such popularity will surely be highly favored by insiders and investors.”
She paused slightly, looking at Xie Jinzhao out of the corner of her eye.
Xie Jinzhao glanced up at her, nodding in agreement, “Mm. Very reasonable.”
Only then did Fang Wei continue, “I’ve also heard about Qi Ran’s upcoming projects, which all seem quite promising. If he has one more lead role, he’ll truly establish himself in the industry.”
“Oh, speaking of which, Qi Ran’s path has indeed been impressive. Even Yun Yan wasn’t as smooth as him back then. It’s really enviable…” Xie Jinzhao propped his chin, genuinely smiling.
“Small popularity relies on promotion, big popularity relies on fate. That’s an old saying,” Fang Wei said wisely, then continued to persuade him, “You’re not a newcomer. You should know that bundled hype is one of the best ways to maintain heat. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be so many group debuts and various bundled promotions of top young actresses and actors. This is also what ordinary audiences love to see the most.”
“Mm.” Xie Jinzhao nodded obediently, then said, “But, Sister Wei, you also know the reaction to my last drama wasn’t good. I should withdraw from the audience’s sight for a while. Being too high-profile will only make people dislike me.”
He stretched lazily and said leisurely, “So, I’m planning to take some acting classes for a while.”
“You…” Fang Wei had been with Xie Jinzhao for five years and knew his personality well. He rarely objected to anything, but once he made a decision, no one could change it.
Seeing that Xie Jinzhao was hesitant to renew his contract, their partnership probably only had two months left. After that, his success or failure wouldn’t concern her. There was no need to strain their relationship.
She blinked and changed the topic, “That’s fine too. You always have good ideas. Since you’re not joining a production, there are several good variety show invitations here. You can choose a few, either as a guest or a regular. From now until the recording and broadcast, it might take one or two months. Although you say you want to leave the audience’s sight, you also need to maintain your fan base…”
Fang Wei genuinely thought Xie Jinzhao was quite suitable for variety shows.
Despite having the cold beauty face, Xie Jinzhao’s personality was quite the opposite, and he had a persistent, go-getter attitude that would be very appealing on variety shows.
However, Xie Jinzhao was not professionally trained; he transitioned from being a singer to acting, likely to prove his dedication to being an actor. Apart from promoting his dramas and films, he mostly stayed within production teams and had never appeared on any variety shows.
This was quite rare in today’s entertainment industry.
“Okay.” Xie Jinzhao took the tablet from her hand and began to carefully review the variety show invitations in his email.
…
After two major professional courses in the afternoon, Gu Siyuan drove home.
After being hired as a lecturer at the film academy, the original owner rented a well-decorated apartment in a nearby upscale residential area.
Upon entering, Gu Siyuan conscientiously walked through the rooms, handling all of the original owner’s leftover items and buying new household supplies online.
By the time everything was sorted, it was already late at night.
After a simple dinner, Gu Siyuan sat in front of his computer to review his assets.
Based on his memory, Gu Siyuan quickly evaluated the original owner’s disorganized assets, converting them into a series of cold, hard numbers.
Although Gu Hongxuan was not particularly affectionate towards him, he did not treat him harshly either. After all, while the original owner harbored ambitions, he always disguised himself as honest and weak.
For someone like Gu Hongxuan, a well-behaved and considerate stepson warranted occasional displays of generosity. So, the basic living expenses he provided were not much different from those of his three biological sons, although there were no additional private supplements.
Additionally, during festive seasons, the red envelopes and pocket money given by others were all saved by the original owner.
Furthermore, Gu Siyuan had been teaching at the film academy for several years, and various pre-exam training sessions and other income sources, especially after connecting with the entertainment industry, brought in quite a bit of money.
By now, the original owner’s accounts had accumulated nearly eight figures in assets.
Naturally, Gu Siyuan wasn’t going to let these funds just sit and gather dust.
He scattered some into the stocks of several companies, and after thorough investigation and communication, he invested the rest into a newly incubated company called Zhiylin Technology.
After handling all of this, just as Gu Siyuan was about to go to bed, he received a phone call.
“Hello.”
“Hey, Siyuan-ge, it’s me.” Qi Ran’s voice was as clear as ever.
From the original owner’s memory, Qi Ran hardly ever called him proactively unless he needed help.
At this time…
It must be about the incident with Chen Yuan in the morning.
Gu Siyuan frowned slightly, “What’s up?”
Qi Ran was momentarily stunned by Gu Siyuan’s coldness, thinking he might have misheard.
But he quickly resumed with a playful tone, “Can’t I call you for no reason? Why so businesslike all of a sudden, Siyuan-ge?”
Gu Siyuan wasn’t in the mood for banter and replied coldly, “If there’s nothing important, I’ll hang up.”
“Wait,” Qi Ran quickly interrupted, “Siyuan-ge, it’s about Ah Yuan. He told me you rejected his graduation thesis. Is that true?”
Gu Siyuan: “Yes.”
Qi Ran immediately complained, “Siyuan-ge, have you been teaching so long that you don’t understand the struggles of regular students? Don’t you know how torturous it is to write a thesis, and this thesis affects whether Ah Yuan can graduate smoothly? Isn’t what you’re doing too cruel…”
Taking a sip from his water cup, Gu Siyuan’s voice became even colder, “Perhaps I can post his thesis and attendance records online, so the netizens and his fans can decide whether passing his thesis and letting him graduate smoothly is kind or cruel to ordinary students?”
“Siyuan-ge,” Qi Ran called out in frustration, “why are you suddenly so aggressive?”
Gu Siyuan remained unfazed, “If there’s nothing important, I’m hanging up.”
With that, he didn’t wait for a response and hung up the phone.
Standing in his bedroom, listening to the dial tone, Qi Ran almost couldn’t believe it.
He thought Gu Siyuan must have lost his mind. Normally, he would try all sorts of ways to be around him, making him happy, but today he acted as if he had taken a shot of adrenaline.
For some reason, he thought of Xie Jinzhao’s demeanor earlier that afternoon. The images of the two men overlapped in his mind.
Why did the people around him suddenly go crazy together?
…
Gu Siyuan didn’t give the phone call any further thought.
In the following days, he continued his routine of teaching, guiding students on their theses, and managing his assets.
At the same time, he found time to meet with the founder of Zhiylin Technology.
After filtering and investigating all similar companies on the market, considering the background of the personnel, technical features, and other factors, he had finally chosen this company.
The founder of Zhiylin Technology was named Cheng Ou, who was twenty-seven years old, the same age as him. He had just returned from graduating from a prestigious university abroad and was eager to make his mark.
In a quiet café, the young man across the table finished reading Gu Siyuan’s proposal and, almost losing his composure, said, “Do you really want to use this technology to invest in my company?”
Gu Siyuan sipped his coffee, “I’m sitting here, aren’t I? What other explanation could there be?”
Cheng Ou’s smile was radiant, “It’s just that I’m too excited. My company has been striving to break through in this area but has made no progress. We’ve been purely relying on government support, and without it, we wouldn’t even be able to pay salaries. But now, with this technology, we can turn things around. My dad won’t force me to take over his pig farm anymore.”
Gu Siyuan continued, “So, do you have any objections to the shares and management rights I proposed?”
Cheng Ou shook his head almost tremblingly, “No, absolutely not. Having someone like you taking an interest in our new company is an honor.”
Gu Siyuan smiled lightly.
In his original world, technology was much more advanced than here. He was an expert in biomedical and internet smart technology, so coming up with something groundbreaking was second nature to him.
He reached out his hand to the person opposite him, his expression still indifferent, “Well then, looking forward to our future cooperation.”
Cheng Ou couldn’t wait, “Looking forward to it, looking forward to it. From now on, you’re the boss.”
Next, they needed to sign the contract, rename the company, and apply for patents. For these tasks, they only needed to step in at crucial moments. The tedious processes were handled by specialized agencies and lawyers.
Although Gu Siyuan had bigger ventures outside, he still maintained his regular teaching duties, fulfilling his responsibilities.
One day, his office received a visitor, the deputy head of their acting department.
Gu Siyuan spoke calmly, “A celebrity wants private lessons? That’s a good thing, but why come to me? I’m still young and might not have enough experience to provide proper guidance.”
The deputy head smiled, “It’s graduation season, and many teachers are busy with their graduate students. Xiao Gu, don’t underestimate yourself. I’ve seen your classes; they’re excellent. You’re more than capable of guiding this young celebrity, and the tutoring fees are quite substantial.”
Gu Siyuan wasn’t in need of the tutoring fees.
With the time he’d spend as a private tutor, he could earn a hundredfold in the stock market.
The deputy head continued to persuade, “This Xie Jinzhao, I hear he’s quite popular among young people. I’ve met him, and he’s very polite. He’s waiting in my office right now…”
“I agree. Let him come over.” Gu Siyuan’s voice was firm, though his expression remained indifferent.
“Why don’t you meet him first and decide… Ah, you agree, just like that?” The deputy head blinked.
He had been prepared for a refusal, given Gu Siyuan’s cold demeanor.
Ah, young people these days, truly unpredictable…