FIMA Ch40: Asking for Trouble

“Things haven’t blown up yet. I only noticed because of your fans’ private messages, but this could be a big deal or a small one. We need to be prepared in advance,” Tu Ning said.

“Okay… Thanks for coming, Sister Ning,” Xie Jinzhao responded, unlocking the electronic lock.

After Tu Ning entered, Xie Jinzhao showed him the post online. It was then that Xie Jinzhao understood the implication of being “exposed.”

Currently, it was contained within the fan circle and hadn’t hit the top trending or major news outlets. It started in an entertainment group on an app where someone claiming to be an insider posted about a rising male star whose popularity was increasing, revealing he was homosexual and had a past relationship with a famous male star, with evidence to prove it.

Comments quickly speculated, with Xie Jinzhao’s name rising to the top as the speculated identity.

The post was later screenshot and spread by several influential entertainment figures on Weibo, expanding its reach. Xie Jinzhao’s fans, naturally, saw it and angrily tagged their agency to take legal action against the accusers.

That’s when Tu Ning noticed it.

Glancing at the original post, Xie Jinzhao realized it was hinting at his supposed romantic relationship with Qi Run. Recently, his popularity had indeed been rising due to his role in “Who’s the Adventure King.”

However, only Qi Ran and Gu Siyuan knew about his relationship with Qi Run. Gu Siyuan would never do such a thing, so why would this suddenly be exposed?

He had been busy filming for the past few months and had little contact with them. Why would they act out now?

Xie Jinzhao was baffled.

Tu Ning frowned slightly. “Although it’s currently contained, someone who leaks information like this won’t just stop there. There may be more reactions later. Did you leave any…?”

Xie Jinzhao knew what she was asking and shook his head firmly. “No, there’s no evidence.”

In the entertainment industry, such evidence typically involved intimate videos or chat screenshots, of which he had none. His claim about dating Qi Run was as good as completing a mission—no chat history on WeChat, no physical contact besides occasional meetings with Qi Ran present.

Even now, with Gu Siyuan, they were careful due to its impact. Besides work, they hadn’t even gone out together.

So, even the idea of photoshopping an intimate picture was impossible.

Just then, there was a slight noise at the front gate.

Gu Siyuan, wearing a black overcoat, walked in.

Tu Ning glanced up at her boss again and sighed inwardly. With such good potential, it was a shame he didn’t pursue a career as a star.

Xie Jinzhao quickly stood up, took the coat from him, and hung it on the rack. Curiously, he asked, “Didn’t you say you were busy lately? Why are you back so early today?”

Gu Siyuan calmly said, “The situation is almost handled.”

He glanced at Tu Ning and continued, “I saw your car outside. I came here because of that exposé post online.”

Xie Jinzhao hugged his arm. “You know about it too.”

Gu Siyuan nodded.

In fact, he had known about the news even before Tu Ning. Despite appearing natural, he had developed a small program to monitor negative news about Xie Jinzhao in various forums in real-time. Half a day ago, the program’s red alerts had been going off incessantly, indicating a sudden eruption of scandal, suggesting it was orchestrated.

“Whether it’s gossip or an exposé, I’m curious about their motives. What do they hope to achieve?” Xie Jinzhao wondered aloud.

Just then, Tu Ning’s phone rang.

It was the casting director from Qingtian Culture. He had seen the online posts and explained that there had been a lot of inquiries about the male lead for the upcoming film “Summer Flavor.” It seemed like a competition for resources, and he shared details of the companies and stars they had inquired about with Tu Ning, hoping she could provide some insight.

Tu Ning thanked him hurriedly.

After hanging up, she couldn’t help but mutter, “Damn entertainment industry.”

She then turned to Gu Siyuan and Xie Jinzhao, speaking seriously, “It was Qingtian on the phone. They said this attack on Jinzhao might be related to the resources for ‘Summer Flavor.'”

Gu Siyuan remained composed, sneering coldly. “I suspected as much. Is Qi Ran among the competing candidates?”

Tu Ning nodded. “Yes.”

“Summer Flavor” was a youth-oriented film, mostly depicting realistic high school life but with the necessary romantic elements to attract box office success. Despite the online popularity of BL (Boys’ Love) fandoms, the primary audience for youth films in reality consisted of young couples and casual viewers who preferred heterosexual romantic leads. They wouldn’t easily accept a male protagonist who was publicly known to be gay.

If Xie Jinzhao’s rumored homosexuality were to gain traction, it could alienate the mainstream audience and potentially sabotage the film’s success, undermining its reputation and impact.

Hence, the motive behind the attack was clear: to pressure the film production team into replacing Xie Jinzhao as the male lead.

“How did I not notice before that these brothers are so ruthless? They’re even more scheming than me, and that’s saying something,” Xie Jinzhao pouted.

Gu Siyuan reached out and pinched his cheek, chuckling softly. “At least you’re starting to see it.”

Hearing this, Xie Jinzhao snorted lightly, then turned his head and playfully bit Gu Siyuan’s thumb, his beautiful eyes squinting mischievously, resembling a satisfied little fox.

Tu Ning watched the two of them acting so carefree and couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

She sighed, “Aren’t we supposed to be discussing serious matters?”

Gu Siyuan sat up straight and said calmly, “Don’t worry. Now that we know who’s behind this, handling it is simple. I’ll take care of it.”

Upon hearing this, Xie Jinzhao curiously sat up straight, half-kneeling beside him, his eyes flashing as he said, “CEO Gu, my esteemed CEO Gu, are you going to give your orders to your subordinates in just a few minutes, cough… cough…”

He cleared his throat slightly and, in a hoarse, arrogant voice, waved his hand, “It’s chilly out there, let’s bankrupt the Qi family! Is that it?”

Gu Siyuan sighed and directly pressed the drama-loving lover clinging to him into his arms.

As he saw his head nestle against his chest, limbs flailing like a frog’s, unable to get up no matter how hard he struggled, Gu Siyuan finally found him somewhat pleasing.

Suddenly, at that moment, there was a slight warmth at his chest, accompanied by a faint tickle.

Damn, turns out it’s a dog’s itch, not a frog’s.

Gu Siyuan finally let go of him.

Xie Jinzhao’s face was already flushed red, but his eyes were still sparkling brightly. When he looked up, he didn’t forget to teasingly lick his crimson lips at Gu Siyuan.

“…” Gu Siyuan.

It seems like it’s going to be a mess. Let him know the consequences of teasing his husband in the evening.

Ignoring Xie Jinzhao, Gu Siyuan reached for his phone.

Then, he scrolled through his phone’s gallery, selected a few photos, logged into his personal Weibo account, and posted them in the comment sections of various entertainment industry influencers, accompanied by a short caption.

A true domineering CEO, capable of even taking photos of competitors by scaling walls and personally snatching public seals. Did he really need to rely on others for such leaks?

Xie Jinzhao, sitting beside him the whole time, naturally noticed what he was up to, his already large eyes widening.

“Where did you get these photos?” Xie Jinzhao asked.

Gu Siyuan looked relaxed as he replied, “Always kept an eye on him.”

Xie Jinzhao immediately changed his attitude, affectionately hugging Gu Siyuan’s arm. “Darling, you’re amazing. Now, I doubt anyone will focus their attention on me anymore.”

Just now, Gu Siyuan had posted previously taken intimate photos of Qi Ran and Yun Yan kissing and embracing under various marketing accounts.

One is a rising star in film and television with a high level of attention, and the other is a beloved young idol with countless fans. Tsk tsk…

Divide and conquer is one of the oldest and most sophisticated tactics.

After Tu Ning received Gu Siyuan’s handling results, she finally relaxed completely and left, no longer subjected to the torment of these two cunning husbands.

Things escalated very quickly.

After all, Gu Siyuan’s revelations were straightforward and backed with evidence, exactly the type of gossip netizens love, immediately catapulting them to the top of trending topics.

#Yun Yan#

#Qi Ran#

#Yun Yan Qi Ran#

#Movie Rivals#

# Qi Run, Qi Ran#, and other related topics occupied most of the top ten hot searches.

By the time Qi Ran and Yun Yan’s teams reacted, those gifs had already been widely circulated on Weibo and among netizens.

In the evening, after Gu Siyuan came out of the bathroom holding a limp Xie Jinzhao, he immediately went online with his mobile phone, eagerly wanting to see Qi Ran’s response.

He casually opened a popular gossip post, and the comments were incredibly lively.

“Oh my god, I knew it! In the entertainment industry, the real big news always drops unexpectedly from the sky!”

“So this is the rumored relationship between the popular young actor and the famous celebrity in the circle.”

“You guys in the entertainment industry really know how to play. It’s not just the romantic relationships between male and female stars; male stars frequently have affairs with each other as well. It’s quite intriguing.”

“Qi Ran made his debut in Yun Yan’s big drama, and later in the blockbuster film ‘Murderer,’ Yun Yan was also the male lead.”

“Not only that, I remember ‘Murderer’ originally cast Zhang Chen as the male second lead, the news was already out, but somehow it turned into Qi Ran. Given Qi Ran’s status at that time, how could he possibly match up to the male second lead in such a big commercial film? And his scenes were almost on par with Yun Yan’s, what’s he got that deserves it?”

When someone mentioned “Murderer,” Zhang Chen’s fans immediately swarmed in like bloodthirsty mosquitoes.

At the time of the film’s release, his fans had fought with Qi Ran’s, but Zhang Chen was labeled as a failed idol due to his poor reputation and was kicked out by the crew. His popularity was low, and everyone mocked him for his lack of acting skills, and the director didn’t like him.

Qi Ran, on the other hand, was a movie star in his right, with a film festival nomination for best supporting actor and newcomer, and all of Zhang Chen’s fans’ anger was seen as jealous and sour.

Now, they finally had a way to vent their anger.

Zhang Chen’s fans put their fight into full play, and they dug up a lot of Qi Ran’s previous film and television materials.

Starting from his debut as a supporting role, Qi Ran has participated in several plays, all of which have a common point.

He always took the best character roles, and the crew always has other actors being kicked out for various reasons, so all those roles end up being given to Qi Ran.

Besides that, there were a couple of times when Qi Ran competed with other actors for roles, but soon after, the competing actors were exposed for scandals, and the roles ended up with Qi Ran.

In the past, since those actors who had accidents had poor reputations anyway, people didn’t pay much attention. But now, looking at it together, one can’t help but feel a chill in the heart—this person is really a bit sinister!

“Heh, the Celestial Purple Star came down, but it turned out to be through his backside.”

“Who doesn’t say Qi Ran plays dirty? Back when filming ‘Mountain and River Winds,’ he faked friendship with Xie Jinzhao, and now filming ‘The Murderer,’ he’s become a couple with Yun Yan.”

“Oh, usually when it’s mentioned, Qi Ran’s fans would hype him up as the Celestial Purple Star, a noble young master. Look at this sinister behavior—none of it fits with him!”

“What you think is a celestial arrival is actually premeditated, with all kinds of obscure dealings and calculations behind it.”

Seeing the insightful comments from netizens, Xie Jinzhao lay in bed, unable to help but laugh, hugging his blanket.

When Gu Siyuan walked into the room with two cups of hot milk, he saw that Xie Jinzhao was not sleeping properly, with both his long white legs sticking out from the blanket and shaking them proudly.

He walked over, holding the slender white ankle, ready to tuck it in.

Xie Jinzhao’s reaction was quite sensitive; instinctively, he wanted to kick him away, but upon seeing Gu Siyuan’s cold face, he restrained himself reluctantly.

Gu Siyuan released his hand and approached with milk in hand, saying beside him, “Drink some, prepare to sleep.”

“Okay.” Xie Jinzhao took the milk and gulped it down quickly.

The cup was soon emptied, and Xie Jinzhao placed it on the nearby bedside table before turning back to embrace Gu Siyuan’s arm gently.

Gu Siyuan was engrossed in his phone’s work. Upon seeing this, he casually remarked, “Didn’t you just cry and say you couldn’t stand it? Now your butt doesn’t hurt anymore?”

“…” Xie Jinzhao.

Why did his boyfriend always bring up old grievances?

After a while, he pouted and asked, “What are you looking at? Didn’t you say all your work was done when you came in? Hehe, actually, it wasn’t; were you specifically coming back for me today?”

Gu Siyuan pinched his cheek. “Don’t be so narcissistic.”

Indeed, there wasn’t much for him to do at the tech company, but after the news about Qi Ran and Yun Yan broke, he found himself with a bit more on his plate. Now, he needed to tie up some loose ends.

Qi Ran was the darling of this world. Leaving aside other matters, the Qi Rans were sure to spare no effort in eliminating any negative news about him.

And ultimately, outing a homosexual relationship and using connections to suppress competitors would, at most, tarnish his reputation and reduce job opportunities. But for someone like Qi Ran from a wealthy family, it wouldn’t break him.

Once this storm passed, his elder brother, who had a fixation on being sick, and he might just wake up to it and cause trouble for Xie Jinzhao again.

That was too cumbersome and not Gu Siyuan’s style.

When dealing with a snake, you have to strike at its head. Calling him sick was aiming for his life; that was Gu Siyuan’s method.

Qi Ran and Qi Run, two brothers who are clearly a bit neurotic, have been sailing smoothly in the entertainment industry, mainly thanks to their powerful family, the Qi family.

At the heart of the Qi family are two figures: their father, Qi Guanyu, who is the chairman of an entertainment company, and their elder brother, Qi Ze, who is the general manager of a newly emerging tech company.

Coincidentally, Gu Siyuan had a hand in both of these aspects.

Hmph, if the Qi family, on whom they rely heavily and who are high up in their domains, were to be thrown into disarray, who would still have the energy to pay attention to this small entertainment circle?

Time passed swiftly.

In November, the film crew of “Summer Flavor” quietly held their opening ceremony.

Meanwhile, the entertainment industry continued to buzz with gossip about Qi Ran and Yun Yan.

Qi family living room.

Qi Ran put down his phone and complained to his elder brother, “I don’t know what’s going on with Dad and Big Brother recently. They haven’t managed to handle even minor issues until now. Now, I’m being criticized online like never before. Many planned film and TV business collaborations have also been pulled back.”

Qi Run patted his head soothingly and said, “Don’t worry about those commoners. Dad and Big Brother’s companies have had some issues recently. They don’t even have time to come home every day. Our matters here will have to be put on hold for now.”

“Oh…” Qi Ran lay languidly on the sofa.

Actually, although he was a bit annoyed that those film and TV collaborations were canceled, it didn’t really matter to him. After all, his goal in entering the industry wasn’t for those things.

What really bothered him was that Yun Yan hadn’t met with him since the incident broke out.

Thinking about it, Qi Ran suddenly asked, “Big Brother, do you know who leaked this?”

Qi Run furrowed his brows deeply, “There were no warnings at all. If it was for money, they wouldn’t have done it this way. It’s either out of spite or for business competition. Last time, Zhang Chen tried to sabotage you. This time, the person seems even more malicious…”

Business competition? Qi Ran’s eyes flickered.

Could it be “Summer Flavor”?

Thinking quickly, he grabbed Qi Run’s hand urgently and asked, “Big Brother, could it be Xie Jinzhao?”

Qi Run immediately realized and pondered, “Xie Jinzhao? It’s possible, but how did he retaliate so quickly?”

Previously, the director from Qingtian Culture had sent the casting notice to Yun Yan’s company. Yun Yan was quite surprised after reading part of the script, saying that if he were a few years younger, he would definitely fight for the lead role.

In this era where quick money and capital reign supreme, having such an excellent script was indeed rare.

At that time, Qi Ran was also nearby and got interested, so he asked his agent to inquire.

Who would have thought that the male lead had already been decided internally, and it was Xie Jinzhao, who annoyed him. Out of habit, he told his elder brother Qi Run about this matter.

Qi Run was always ruthless for him, and this time he even didn’t hesitate to reveal it himself, and then…

Qi Ran frowned sadly, “Before, my relationship with Xie Jinzhao was good. He was so close to me that maybe he secretly noticed my relationship with Yun Yan and privately obtained some leverage, which he then directly exposed this time.”

“Didn’t expect him to be so decisive in his actions, disregarding old ties,” Qi Run squinted slightly, puzzled, “But what’s up with the company? Can Xie Jinzhao, just one minor celebrity, really stir up the entire Qi family?”

“It turns out it’s something you two caused.”

Just then, a cold male voice echoed from the doorway.

Qi Ran straightened up, looking towards the sound, realizing that their elder brother Qi Ze had appeared at the door at some point, his gaze unusually severe.

Suddenly, a sense of unease crept over him, “Big Brother…”

Qi Run, always protective of Qi Ran, spoke frankly, “Big Brother, I think you might have misunderstood. We were just speculating casually. How could Xie Jinzhao, a minor celebrity, manage to cause so much trouble for our entire family?”

Qi Ze sat down on the sofa, his tone still extremely cold, “He didn’t, but Gu Siyuan did.”

Qi Ran furrowed his brows, “Big Brother, what do you mean? Are you saying all this was orchestrated by Gu Siyuan? He… he’s always been so useless. Recently, he just started a small special effects company outside, right?”

“They say you all in the entertainment industry look glamorous, but you’re all just fools. That’s true,” Qi Ze snorted coldly. “A small company? The times have changed. He’s already come directly to me.”

“Big Brother…” Qi Ran felt a bit aggrieved. While his elder brother Qi Ze wasn’t as indulgent as Qi Run towards him, he had always been affectionate. When did he become so harsh and critical?

Seeing Qi Ran’s reaction, Qi Ze softened his tone slightly, “Why don’t you take this opportunity to quit the entertainment industry? Our family can support you. This way, it can also put an end to Gu Siyuan’s influence.”

Qi Ran’s expression changed suddenly, shocked, “Brother!”

Qi Ze frowned, “You entered the entertainment industry to pursue Yun Yan, right? I’ve just talked to Yun Yan before coming here. He plans to step back from the entertainment circle for a while too, saying he wants to study directing abroad. You can go with him. Don’t cause any more trouble for the family.”

Qi Ran wrinkled his nose.

Although this seemed like a good solution, Yun Yan was an acclaimed actor with several major hit films under his belt, and his status was secure. If he faded out of the industry now to study abroad and returned after things settled down in a few years, he would still have status. But Qi Ran feared he would be forgotten altogether.

Moreover, leaving like this would mean admitting defeat to Xie Jinzhao…

Qi Ze looked at him and said, “I don’t care what you’re thinking. If you want to stay, you can, but neither I nor Dad will intervene anymore. Both companies can’t be dragged into this trivial matter of yours. If you really have the capability to solve this, then go ahead and do whatever you want.”

Qi Ran glanced at his elder brother and then looked towards his younger brother.

Qi Run couldn’t help but feel the grievance in his younger brother’s eyes, wanting to defend him.

But before he could speak, Qi Ze cut him off directly, “And you, Qi Run, you better behave yourself recently. If it weren’t for you resorting to all means for Aran, we wouldn’t be in this situation.”

Qi Run wasn’t afraid of his elder brother and was about to retort.

Qi Ze continued, “This is father’s decision. The drama ‘Zhao Xue Record’ that you’re starring in is about to air soon, with nearly five billion invested. The company urgently needs to wrap up the funding. It’s best if you don’t cause any trouble right now, especially being targeted by Gu Siyuan. If anything disrupts the drama’s release, father’s company will be directly affected financially.”

“Ah…” Qi Run reluctantly responded, no longer speaking.

…

In early December, while Xie Jinzhao was happily filming “Summer Flavor” drama, he suddenly saw some information online.

Cloud Yan and Qi Ran’s studios each issued a brief statement, announcing their temporary withdrawal from the entertainment industry.

However, Xie Jinzhao couldn’t help but praise his great boyfriend in his heart and didn’t have the mood to pay attention to these matters anymore.

Because the late-stage production of “Jinyi Yujing” had ended and was entering the promotional phase.

The airing of “Who is the Adventure King” had boosted his reputation, but what truly solidified his position was always his film and television works.

At the same time, the investment in “Zhao Xue Record,” a large-scale production starring Qi Run, had also obtained its release license, scheduled for the winter break and the new year.

Seeing this, these two dramas were about to compete simultaneously.

However, even Xie Jinzhao’s own fans didn’t think their drama could compare to the big-budget production “Zhao Xue Record.”

Not to mention the high-profile production team of “Zhao Xue Record.” Just speaking of the original IP, it was known as the number one ancient costume detective novel online, with countless fans, a solid plot, excellent male and female protagonists, and being the dream lover for many.

The fans were now praying that their drama “Jinyi Yujing” would have reliable lines and scenes, not too many embarrassing lines, and that they wouldn’t be teased with cringeworthy screenshots.

Xie Jinzhao looked at Tu Ning, commenting lightly and sweetly under the official “Jinyi Yujing” blog with fans, and couldn’t help but furrow his brows slightly, “Sister Ning, when did you adopt this style?”

Tu Ning didn’t lift her head, “I have to be careful during this period, pampering your fans on the drama’s official blog, giving them all the best treatment, posting your drama stills, and selling your rainbow farts. After all, part of the drama’s hype and promotion also relies on the fans.”

Xie Jinzhao frowned, “Can this work? I remember fans seem to view this resource as shameful, wishing I had never filmed it. They usually act like it doesn’t exist. The only time it matters is when they’re scolding.”

Tu Ning said, “People have a sympathetic mentality. A drama crew that lets them beat and scold without fighting back, pitifully obedient, they won’t hate for long.”

Xie Jinzhao lightly laughed, “If the quality of the trailer and teasers turns out good in a few days, are you not afraid they’ll rebel then, saying the crew has no brains and can’t promote?”

Tu Ning shook her head, “Rebellion? Not afraid at all. At most, they’ll scold the crew a bit. It won’t harm the script itself. Moreover, once this drama becomes popular, won’t the fans turn the previous criticism into praise for Xie Jinzhao’s performance as the male lead?”

“Uh… makes sense.” Xie Jinzhao nodded, then squinted and smiled, “But why does your tone sound so familiar? So punchable?”

Tu Ning also smiled gently, “You’ve guessed it. This is all taught by the big boss.”

“… ” Xie Jinzhao.

The big boss was none other than Gu Siyuan.

No wonder… so wise?