FIMA Ch29: Guidance

Guidance

Two minutes later.

The door to Gu Siyuan’s office was knocked on again.

Although he had agreed to tutor Xie Jinzhao, it was still a matter of business. Given his nature, he wouldn’t just sit idly by waiting for the person to arrive.

At that moment, he had habitually opened his email and was grading student papers.

Hearing the knock, he slightly raised his head and responded, “Come in.”

Before coming, Xie Jinzhao had heard from the deputy head that a very talented lecturer had agreed to tutor him.

He was quite excited, but upon seeing him, he was completely stunned.

First, because the talented lecturer turned out to be Gu Siyuan.

Second, because Gu Siyuan was wearing glasses.

Honestly, the second reason shocked him more than the first.

From their first meeting, Gu Siyuan had left the impression of a super pretentious, cold-faced hero, exuding an aura of coldness and hardness.

But now, with the glasses on, the thin lenses framed by narrow silver rims perched on his tall nose, his deep dark eyes seemed veiled with a light mist. His sharply defined face was softened, reducing the coldness by half, giving him a slightly scholarly aura, yet his demeanor remained deeply mysterious and profound.

It wasn’t the first time Gu Siyuan had seen Xie Jinzhao staring blankly at him, but it was the first time he noticed that this blank stare contained an unmistakable hint of admiration.

He narrowed his eyes, “You’re blocking all the light.”

“Oh, sorry.” Xie Jinzhao snapped out of it, quickly stepping aside like he was jumping.

Although he wasn’t particularly tall for someone in the entertainment industry, standing at 179 cm, he did block a considerable amount of light in the narrow doorway.

Gu Siyuan put down the mouse and said calmly, “Please, have a seat.”

“Thank you.” Xie Jinzhao obediently moved to the sofa by the right wall, sitting up straight, his hands placed on his lap, looking like a well-behaved student.

Looking at him, that inexplicable sense of familiarity slowly rose in Gu Siyuan’s heart again.

He frowned slightly and got straight to the point, “Since you’re here for tutoring, do you have specific areas you want to focus on? Lines, expressions, eye contact… or should we start from the basics and I’ll identify and address any gaps?”

Xie Jinzhao thought for a moment and replied sincerely and respectfully, “I’ll follow your guidance.”

Gu Siyuan nodded, “And the class schedule?”

Xie Jinzhao continued respectfully, “I’ll follow your convenience. In the next two months, apart from filming a guest appearance on a variety show and a few business activities, I don’t have much work. If I have any commitments, I’ll inform you in advance.”

Gu Siyuan nodded.

He seemed like a polite and well-mannered person.

At that moment, Xie Jinzhao suddenly raised his hand, “But, sir, could we hold the classes at my place?”

“…I just moved to a new home.”

Afraid of being rejected, he quickly added.

Sure enough, Gu Siyuan looked up at him, his gaze through the cold lens becoming even clearer.

For some reason, Xie Jinzhao felt a pang of guilt under that gaze.

He quickly explained, “It’s just that, on my way here, some students already recognized me. So if I frequently come to the school, it might not be convenient.”

“Hmm, alright.” Gu Siyuan’s expression remained unchanged, his voice cool, “What’s your number?”

Almost reflexively, Xie Jinzhao responded, “186xxxxxxxx.”

But as soon as he said it, he couldn’t help but curse himself inwardly for speaking too fast. Surely, Gu Siyuan hadn’t caught it, let alone remembered it.

…Why does just one glance from this person make me feel guilty, as if fearing he’d mock me the next second?

…Was I mocked by this person in a past life, leaving a psychological shadow?

Xie Jinzhao raised his head, intending to slowly repeat the numbers again, but saw the person behind the office desk lightly move his slender fingers, and then his own phone rang—it was a friend request on WeChat.

Xie Jinzhao extended his fair fingers to press accept, thinking to himself: Impressive memory, really remarkable…

When Xie Jinzhao arrived at the Film Academy, it was a little past two in the afternoon. After being delayed on both ends, it was already after four.

It was almost time for students to finish classes or go for meals, so he dared not stay any longer and asked to leave.

Gu Siyuan stood up in response.

Xie Jinzhao was a bit taken aback: “You don’t have to be so polite, I can go down by myself.”

Gu Siyuan took off his glasses, a slight smile playing at the corners of his mouth: “I need to go out as well.”

“Oh.” Xie Jinzhao pouted.

Then, he obediently waited on the side, watching Gu Siyuan turn off the lights, shut down the equipment, and close the office door. He then followed behind him, stepping on his shadow, skipping and hopping downstairs.

Probably because he was having too much fun, he didn’t notice that Gu Siyuan’s pace was gradually slowing down to match his rhythm.

It wasn’t until they reached the parking lot that Xie Jinzhao realized.

Clearly, he was the one who wanted to leave first, yet he had been following behind Gu Siyuan the entire time, like a little eunuch…

Bah… wouldn’t that make Gu Siyuan the emperor?

Xie Jinzhao couldn’t help but glance at the person slightly ahead. In the golden sunset, his deep and handsome profile seemed to be bathed in a layer of light, his tall and straight back exuding an endless cold and steady aura that commanded respect from afar.

Hmph, even more like an emperor than an actual emperor…

Xie Jinzhao couldn’t resist making a face at his back.

Gu Siyuan, always perceptive, had been aware of this little fellow’s various small movements from the moment they started descending the stairs.

He turned around, raising an eyebrow slightly: “Is there something you need?”

“Ah…” Xie Jinzhao’s eyes darted around, and suddenly he brightened up. He quickly walked to his car and bowed to Gu Siyuan in front of him: “Goodbye, Professor Gu!”

Before Gu Siyuan could respond, he opened the car door, got in, and drove off.

Gu Siyuan shook his head and chuckled softly.

Such a timid tease.

After watching Xie Jinzhao’s car disappear from sight, Gu Siyuan also immediately drove away.

He was leaving school so early today because he received a long-missed phone call from his biological mother, asking him to come home for dinner.

He refused, but it didn’t work.

The Gu family’s villa was very large. In this land-scarce capital, it couldn’t be located in the city center, so it was quite close to the suburbs. Driving there from the Film Academy took nearly an hour even without rush hour traffic.

When Gu Siyuan entered, it was already mostly dark.

Except for Gu Hongxuan and the eldest Gu brother, who were usually not home, likely busy with work or social engagements.

In the house were the second and third Gu brothers, his half-brother Gu Xiaosi, and two uninvited guests, Qi Ran and Qi Run, all enjoying their drinks together.

Upon his arrival, aside from Gu Xiaosi who was still eating, everyone else looked at him with dark expressions.

Gu Siyuan seemed not to notice, simply nodding and saying lightly: “I’m late.”

His demeanor drew attention.

In the eyes of those present, Gu Siyuan had always been submissive, gloomy, and weak. When had he ever been so imposing, almost like a different person.

Qi Ran stared at him for several moments.

“Such arrogance, always making us wait.” Gu San couldn’t help but snort coldly.

He had been the one to bully the original Gu Siyuan the most since childhood.

Gu Siyuan acted as if he hadn’t heard, walking straight to the only empty seat and sitting down.

Gu’s mother couldn’t help but tug at his sleeve, gently scolding: “Was the traffic bad today? Didn’t we inform you in advance? Why are you still so late?”

Hearing this, Gu Siyuan glanced at her and said coldly: “Let’s say so.”

Gu’s mother frowned: “You child, how can you be so inconsiderate? Everyone is waiting for you…”

Seeing this, Gu San sneered: “Who is Liu Bei beating his child for?”

Gu’s mother’s face changed, quickly saying: “Wenrui, you misunderstand.”

“It’s indeed a misunderstanding. I’ve never seen anyone claim to be waiting for someone with an empty table of dishes and finished drinks.” Gu Siyuan wiped his fingers, his voice icy.

At these words, before anyone else could react, Gu’s mother slapped him: “How dare you speak like this?”

But Gu Siyuan was not one to take a beating.

He gently held her wrist, making her sit down, and said calmly: “Mother, move more gently. You almost hit me.”

Gu’s mother’s face changed several times, her eyes blazing with anger: “You… you…”

At this point, the usually reputable Gu Er finally spoke softly: “Auntie, since Siyuan is here, let’s not dwell on it. Let him eat properly.”

Qi Ran, sitting below him, also smiled and mediated: “Yes, Brother Siyuan works at a school, and it’s graduation season, with all the papers to grade, he’s surely busier than us.”

Hearing this, Gu Siyuan suddenly looked up, smiling faintly at Qi Ran, then took out his phone.

Qi Ran was stunned, not expecting that after Gu Siyuan seemingly went mad, his smile could be so… so charming.

Gu San, seeing Qi Ran’s expression, couldn’t help but snort coldly: “Ran, you’re still speaking up for him. This guy doesn’t appreciate kindness. How dare he claim to stay at school grading papers? He knows Ah Yuan was introduced by you, and he deliberately let Ah Yuan extend his graduation. By then, Ah Yuan will surely be criticized by those online nobodies again.”

The Gu family, Qi Ran, and the Chen family were all in the same circle. Naturally, the second generations of these families had known each other since childhood, and their relationships were deep, especially Qi Ran, who was loved by almost everyone, including the second generation ancestor, Gu Lao San.

“Is there really such a thing?” Gu Er said warmly, “Siyuan, the Chen family are old acquaintances of ours. You should handle things with more consideration. Otherwise, it will be difficult if Dad finds out.”

At this moment, Gu Siyuan put down his phone, looked at the three of them, and said slowly, “No need to wait until then, I’ve already posted it.”

“Huh…” Qi Ran, Gu Er, and Gu San were all slightly stunned, not understanding what he suddenly meant.

Gu Siyuan’s mouth curved slightly as he said word by word, “I said I’ve already posted Chen Yuan’s thesis and attendance record online.”

Qi Ran immediately stood up from his chair: “You’re crazy! Do you want to ruin Ah Yuan?”

“You… you really are crazy.” Gu San couldn’t believe that he had just used his phone to do such a thing; he was utterly stunned.

Was this always timid and submissive Gu Siyuan driven mad and now rebelling?

Wouldn’t this cause conflict between the Chen and Gu families?

After all, there have been precedents where celebrities were ruined by their graduation theses, which could even affect a large number of people.

Gu Er’s gaze also turned towards Gu Siyuan.

He had never looked at Gu Siyuan directly before, but now his eyes were filled with dissatisfaction and anger towards him.

Although he wasn’t very familiar with Chen Yuan and didn’t care what would happen to him next, Gu Siyuan’s actions as an adopted son clearly wouldn’t affect the relationship between the Gu and Chen families. At worst, they could just kick Gu Siyuan out.

But Gu Siyuan’s actions just now, after he had advised him, were challenging his authority, something he absolutely could not tolerate.

At this moment, Qi Run suddenly spoke: “Was it posted on Weibo? Siyuan’s Weibo shouldn’t have many followers. Deleting it now should still be in time; probably not many people have seen it.”

Qi Ran also reacted and hurriedly said: “Yes, yes, quickly delete it.”

Gu Er nodded as well: “Go delete it. It’s just a verbal dispute, no need to blow it up.”

Gu’s mother even reached out, trying to grab his phone directly.

Gu Siyuan casually took the phone, narrowed his eyes slightly, and slowly said a few words: “I didn’t post it, I was just fooling you.”

The few of them first felt a sense of joy, followed by an even deeper and more intense anger. “You lunatic!”

How dare he, how dare he… toy with them like this?

Their gazes towards Gu Siyuan almost seemed like they wanted to swallow him alive.

“However, next time might be different. So, I ask you all to stop here. Don’t do anything unnecessary, and don’t let me hear any unpleasant words again.” Gu Siyuan stood up, moved the chair behind him, and nodded slightly: “I’m full. Enjoy your meal.”

At the end of the table, Gu Xiaosi looked at Gu Siyuan with eyes full of admiration.

Awesome, truly awesome.

His usually useless brother managed to anger Gu Er and Gu San so much with just a few words and left their mother helpless.

He wanted to learn from him too.

…

Clearly in a very good mood after pissing everyone off, Gu Siyuan felt even better when he got home and saw his stock account and received a notification from Cheng Ou.

Cheng Ou said that after half a month of investment and research, the company’s technological achievements had initially manifested.

He was about to invite a few partners to come and see.

Then, they would probably start to slowly profit, and the technology would continue to improve and refine through use.

Gu Siyuan had a sleep filled with the scent of money.

The next day, his happiness continued and even doubled.

Gu Siyuan had arranged a very tight schedule for Xie Jinzhao’s lessons, with no time to waste. The afternoon of that day, they started directly.

Following the address sent by Xie Jinzhao on WeChat, Gu Siyuan arrived at a brand-new residential complex.

It was very close to both the Film Academy and his home, only a ten-minute drive away.

Before setting off, Gu Siyuan had sent a text message to Xie Jinzhao.

When he reached the entrance of the complex, he saw a person fully armed with a hat, mask, and sunglasses, looking around like a beekeeper.

Gu Siyuan slowly drove over and rolled down the car window.

When Xie Jinzhao saw the familiar Audi coming over, he took off his sunglasses, revealing a small, pale face.

Without needing any invitation, he directly opened the door and sat in the passenger seat. Then, he stuck his head out and said to the security guard: “This is the teacher I invited. He might come every day for the next two months. Please register the license plate.”

The security guard nodded.

Under Xie Jinzhao’s direction, Gu Siyuan parked the car in the underground garage.

After entering Xie Jinzhao’s house, Gu Siyuan, looking more like the host than the guest, sat directly on the sofa and said the first thing: “Do you have any scripts on hand?”

Xie Jinzhao placed the warm water he had just poured on the coffee table and nodded: “Yes.”

Although his last drama didn’t do well, his popularity and traffic were still there.

Every month, he received dozens if not hundreds of script invitations in his email.

He had initially screened some of them and printed out a few he was more interested in.

Although he had just moved into this place, everything was already organized.

Xie Jinzhao went into the study and brought out about six or seven printed scripts: “Since it’s still in the invitation stage, the production companies have only provided story summaries and the scripts for the first two or three episodes. These are the ones I think are relatively better.”

“Mm, so you’ve read all of these?” Gu Siyuan glanced at him and directly picked up the top one to browse through.

“Yes.” Xie Jinzhao responded.

“Good.” Gu Siyuan nodded.

He flipped through the script very quickly, and in Xie Jinzhao’s eyes, it seemed like he wasn’t even reading it.

Then, very soon, Gu Siyuan switched to another one.

About five minutes later, he handed the script to Xie Jinzhao, pointing at a certain page with a pen: “This part, perform it for me now.”

“Ah…” Xie Jinzhou was slightly confused.

Gu Siyuan leaned lazily against the back of the sofa, unbuttoned his shirt, and rolled up his sleeves a bit, revealing his strong, long forearms: “Didn’t you say you’ve read the script? Any problems?”

To be honest, Xie Jinzhou was quite afraid of embarrassing himself in front of Gu Siyuan.

He didn’t know why, but although he usually didn’t care much about others’ opinions, he suddenly felt a heavy burden in front of Gu Siyuan.

Even though this was only their third meeting.

But when he looked up and met Gu Siyuan’s firm, cold eyes, Xie Jinzhou knew he had no room for refusal.

“No problem.” Xie Jinzhou took the script and seriously looked at it again.

The script in his hand was for a historical suspense idol drama, and the part Gu Siyuan had marked was the first meeting between the male and female leads.

He didn’t expect that someone as cold and rigid as Gu Siyuan would choose this type of script, this kind of romantic scene, for him to try.

The plot involved thirty thousand taels of silver sent by the Ministry of Revenue to Shandong for drought relief. When the silver was counted and handed over to the Censorate, it was found that only five thousand taels were real, and the rest were silver-plated copper and lead.

The missing twenty-five thousand taels of silver vanished without a trace, almost scaring the Minister of Revenue to death on the spot. The Censorate, upon hearing this, immediately reported it to the emperor.

The emperor was furious and ordered the Embroidered Uniform Guard to assist the three judicial offices (the Censorate, the Ministry of Justice, and the Court of Judicial Review) in investigating the case of the stolen official silver.

Initially, there were two possibilities for the stolen silver.

One was that the silver was secretly replaced while stored in the Ministry of Revenue’s treasury.

The other was that the silver had issues before it entered the Ministry, as this batch of silver was initially the autumn tax submitted by the Zhejiang Provincial Administration Commissioner last year.

But whether it was one or the other, the Ministry of Revenue couldn’t escape the blame for negligence.

The male lead, being the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, was ordered by the emperor to investigate the internal situation of the Ministry of Revenue.

But despite arresting a number of relevant personnel within the Ministry, and several people dying under torture, there was no major breakthrough, and the mastermind couldn’t be found.

One day, a servant from the household of the Principal Officer of the Sichuan Department of Revenue reported to the Shuntian Prefecture yamen, saying that his master had gotten drunk and fallen into a well and drowned last night.

But the daughter of the household didn’t believe it and insisted that her father was murdered, prompting the servant to report it.

Regardless of the cause of death, the recent case of stolen official silver had made the entire capital jittery, and no one wanted to get involved with anyone associated with the Ministry of Revenue.

In this situation, the female lead, a new coroner at the Shuntian Prefecture yamen, had the opportunity to follow a few usually marginalized petty officials and constables to investigate the Principal Officer’s household.

Then, the female lead proved through autopsy that the officer was indeed murdered and helped identify a suspect present at the scene.

But the suspect was skilled in martial arts, and their makeshift team couldn’t stop him, and he was about to escape right under their noses.

At this critical moment, the male lead arrived with his subordinates.

Since he had flipped through the script many times, Xie Jinzhou read it quickly.

Three minutes later, Xie Jinzhou stood up from the sofa.

From his standing posture, Gu Siyuan could tell that Xie Jinzhou had a bit of acting talent.

After watching the subsequent performance, Gu Siyuan was even more satisfied with Xie Jinzhou.

Although Gu Siyuan himself had nothing to do with acting in both his lives, he had inherited the memories of his predecessor, who was a solidly qualified acting lecturer.

Moreover, with Gu Siyuan’s high learning ability, during his time at the Film Academy, he had observed some senior professors’ lectures, integrating his predecessor’s knowledge and further refining and summarizing his own theoretical insights.

Gu Siyuan asked, “What do you think of this character?”

Xie Jinzhou, seeing his expressionless face, wasn’t sure if he had done well, so he explained based on his own understanding: “The male lead in this script is a ruthless and cold-hearted commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Unlike typical righteous male leads, he is calm and rational and will stop at nothing to solve the case…”

Gu Siyuan listened quietly to his explanation.

Xie Jinzhou was a talented person who would construct a logical framework for the character he was going to play and act with intelligence, not just as a tool for the director.

However…

Gu Siyuan looked at him and said in a calm voice, “Your understanding is good. But do you know why the script details their first meeting so elaborately?”

Xie Jinzhou: “To establish character traits and leave a deep impression on the female lead.”

Gu Siyuan continued, “Yes, to establish character and make an impression. Your performance just now was good, but only good.”

“This is an idol drama. The male lead in an idol drama has a special mission. Besides portraying the character traits to leave an impression on the female lead, it’s more important to make the audience fall in love with your character through these details. If the audience doesn’t fall in love with you deeply, what’s the point of the drama?”

It was the first time Xie Jinzhou heard such a utilitarian statement, especially from the serious and cold-faced Gu Siyuan. He instinctively widened his eyes.

Gu Siyuan continued, “So, to put it plainly, the reason for such an elaborate entrance is to make the male lead look cool and create a sense of attraction, to make the audience instantly attracted and their hearts race.”

Xie Jinzhou coughed lightly: “Cool, attractive? You sure know a lot!”

Gu Siyuan gave him a cold look: “Stop digressing. I’m not living in isolation.”