FIMA Ch42: The End

At the end of January, the 36-episode series “Jinyi Yujing” successfully concluded and quickly sold broadcast rights to Southeast Asia and the Hong Kong-Taiwan region.

For such a hit drama, a certain provincial TV station eagerly bought the second round of broadcasting rights and aired it during prime time.

The ratings for this broadcast were equally impressive, even surpassing other first-round broadcasts on other satellite channels.

Being broadcast on a satellite channel meant it was very likely to be nominated in the upcoming award season.

Winning an award for a historical romance drama was unlikely, but just getting a nomination was already a significant achievement for Xie Jinzhao, who was only twenty-five years old.

Time moved on.

In the first half of this year, besides the hit drama “Jinyi Yujing,” the most talked-about event in the entertainment industry was the production company’s failure of “Zhao Xue Record,” which led to a forced sale due to a failed bet.

The company that acquired it was an unknown entity called Yuanzhao Media.

Yuanzhao Media seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, instantly attracting the entertainment industry’s attention, especially after it announced its upcoming project.

The project was a sci-fi movie called “Magnetic Storm,” starring none other than Xie Jinzhao, the biggest beneficiary of “Jinyi Yujing.”

This coincidence made it hard not to suspect it was intentional.

The original work of “Magnetic Storm” had won international awards and had a large fan base.

The film was primarily produced by Yuanzhao Media, with two other top domestic film companies co-producing. Besides Xie Jinzhao, the cast included a veteran actor, and the director was a highly anticipated newcomer in the film industry. Post-production special effects were supported by Yuanzhi Films.

This wasn’t the first time China attempted a sci-fi film, but previous attempts had all ended in disaster, without exception.

The most recent one was in the first half of last year, directed by a so-called top director, starring an award-winning actor, actress, and top-tier stars, based on a super popular IP. However, it ended up being a massive flop, even worse than the S+ drama “Zhao Xue Record,” and the director and actors almost never recovered from it.

Netizens were both eager and skeptical about capital daring to try sci-fi again.

“Wasn’t the previous flop enough? Hope it’s not another big joke!”

“Damn, ‘Magnetic Storm’ is my favorite sci-fi novel. If they mess it up, the director and actors will be on my permanent blacklist!”

“Me too. The ‘Magnetic Storm’ novel is really fantastic. The veteran actor is my favorite. Hope they’re not just here to cash in!”

“If they’re doing sci-fi, they’d better spend more on special effects, or it will all be for nothing!”

“As long as the special effects and plot are decent, I’ll definitely watch it. I hope domestic sci-fi can rise soon!”

…

Xie Jinzhao, busy on set, was oblivious to these online discussions.

Since it was a war sci-fi film, Xie Jinzhao had joined the crew two months in advance for special fight and physical training, transforming his appearance.

So, when the film wrapped in early July.

Xie Jinzhao took a night flight back to Beijing and saw Gu Siyuan, whom he hadn’t seen for months, stepping out of a car in his courtyard. Instinctively, he jumped to hug him as he used to.

However, Gu Siyuan unhesitatingly pushed him away with a big hand: “You are…”

Xie Jinzhao anxiously bared his white teeth, explaining, “It’s me!” His complexion blended into the night, making his teeth look even whiter under the streetlamp.

“…” Gu Siyuan’s brows twitched. Was this really his fair-skinned, pretty sweetheart?

After they closed the door and went inside.

Xie Jinzhao was furious, glaring at Gu Siyuan with his big eyes: “So, you’re also just a superficial person who only cares about looks!”

“……” Gu Siyuan was silent.

He realized for the first time that he did care a lot about appearances.

If Xie Jinzhao had appeared before him looking like this for the first time, his feelings of compassion would have been much less.

If, before they started dating, Xie Jinzhao had tried to flirt with him looking like this, he probably wouldn’t have been able to smile indulgently or pick him up and hold him all the time.

However, acknowledging one’s mistakes is the first step to improvement.

He quickly pulled the sulking person into his arms and comforted him earnestly.

Xie Jinzhao was never able to stay mad at him. After angrily biting him once, he snuggled up sweetly, proudly showing off his newly developed six-pack abs from training.

Gu Siyuan reached out to touch them, genuinely surprised and appreciating the benefits of Xie Jinzhao’s physical training. His whole body had become even leaner and more flexible.

Previously, some positions they couldn’t manage in bed, Xie Jinzhao could now easily pull off, so they took the opportunity to try a few new ones.

Xie Jinzhao was satisfied, realizing that his boyfriend’s affection didn’t seem to have diminished.

However, Xie Jinzhao was naturally fair-skinned. Although his skin had become rough after four months of wind and rain, after staying home for over a month, he quickly regained his fair complexion.

Gu Siyuan didn’t show any outward reaction to his fair and tender sweetheart returning.

But recently, every morning after waking up exhausted, Xie Jinzhao noticed red and purple marks on his fair skin, causing him to harbor some suspicions.

……

By this time, it was already late August.

The Qixi Festival had arrived, and Xie Jinzhao’s first starring film “Summer Flavor” was entering its promotional and release period.

This kind of youthful romance film, released on Qixi Festival, backed by Qingtian Culture’s guaranteed theater slots, broke the 200 million mark on its opening day.

This result did not surprise many in the entertainment industry.

After all, every year on Valentine’s Day and the Qixi Festival, such box office hits appear, capitalizing on the young couples’ market. As usual, the box office would typically start to plummet the next day.

However, “Summer Flavor” did not follow this trend at all.

On the afternoon of its premiere, the film’s reputation began to explode, with countless people sharing their tickets and promoting this nostalgic youth film on various platforms, stating that missing it would be regrettable.

“Oh my god, I didn’t expect a domestic film to be such a good youth film; it’s really amazing!”

“Really good; the earlier scenes of school life were so joyful and sweet, it felt like I was back in high school.”

“Yes, it realistically portrays high school life without only focusing on the dullness and pressure of studying; it has sweet romance without clichéd breakups or abortions. It’s really good. I plan to watch it two or three more times!”

“Me too, it’s really regrettable if you don’t watch it. I’ve already recommended it to my classmates and friends.”

As a result, although the second day’s box office fell slightly from Qixi Festival’s first day, it still reached 160 million.

In the following two days, being weekdays, despite the film’s growing reputation, the box office was limited by the timing, hovering around 100 million each day.

But soon, the weekend arrived, and the previously suppressed box office found an outlet, breaking 300 million on both days.

In the following week, the box office didn’t slow down, consistently maintaining over 100 million daily.

By this point, not only had the film’s reputation exploded, but its cumulative box office had also surpassed 1.6 billion.

With half a month still left before going offline, there was no doubt that the cumulative box office would exceed 2 billion, a remarkable success for a youth film with an investment of only tens of millions.

Xie Jinzhao undoubtedly became the hottest male star. Everywhere you went, you could hear discussions about him. Two major hits in a year—what a remarkable trend!

Especially with the upcoming November film festival, Xie Jinzhao was directly nominated for Best Newcomer and Best Actor due to the dual success of “Summer Flavor” in both box office and reputation.

Although Xie Jinzhao didn’t win Best Actor, as expected, he did secure the Best Newcomer award, completely leaving his peers behind.

Because of this, Xie Jinzhao was a hot topic for several days, highly sought after.

Yuanzhao Media quickly seized this opportunity, releasing the trailer for the sci-fi movie “Magnetic Storm,” starring Xie Jinzhao, and announcing its Spring Festival release next year.

The trailer was only two minutes long, but the grand storyline and top-notch special effects left audiences in awe.

The vastness of the universe, the boundlessness of space, and humans existing in just a corner.

Through this movie, through sci-fi imagination, it felt like we could construct the future and truly see stories beyond the solar system.

“Damn, I take back my earlier skepticism. If the film’s special effects match this trailer, even if the plot and acting are subpar, I’ll still buy a ticket!”

“I now understand what it means to spend millions every minute, just look at these special effects!”

“Farwise Pictures, after all, I’m hopeful, but I didn’t expect the final result to exceed my expectations by so much. I’ll definitely watch this during the Spring Festival!”

“Foreign special effects blockbusters are nothing compared to ‘Magnetic Storm.’ By the way, is Farwise Pictures the same as Farwise Technology?”

“Yes, Farwise Pictures was their special effects company before they made it big. This industry giant entering the entertainment sector is a blessing for us!”

“Indeed, truly astonishing!”

The overwhelmingly positive reviews for the “Magnetic Storm” trailer made Xie Jinzhao smile. Although he knew Gu Siyuan wasn’t short on money, earning more was still good.

However, this also made his peers incredibly envious.

In just one year, Xie Jinzhao had back-to-back hits in television and film, and now it seemed “Magnetic Storm” was likely to follow suit…

Movies have always been a haven for resource-driven actors, and Xie Jinzhao’s sudden rise would inevitably take away resources from many others.

Especially since “Magnetic Storm” was released during the Spring Festival, the box office competition during this period involves billions in real money, making the competition even fiercer and more ruthless.

Thus, Xie Jinzhao, who had finally established himself with his work, faced a new wave of defamation.

The first person to post was in an entertainment group on a certain app, with a very high-sounding title: “Analyzing the Capital Structure and Support Behind Top Star Xie Jinzhao.”

The post mainly discussed that the biggest production company and investor behind Xie Jinzhao’s movie “Magnetic Storm” was Yuanzhao Media.

Moreover, before this, the producer for Xie Jinzhao’s film “Summer Flavor” and the TV series “The Embroidered Uniforms of Jade Capital” included a company called Yuanzhao Culture, which sounded very similar. So, the poster did some digging and found out that this company was actually the largest shareholder of Yuanzhao Media, meaning they were essentially the same entity.

In other words, all of Xie Jinzhao’s recent projects were funded and promoted by this Yuanzhao company.

“So, Yuanzhao is the capital behind Xie Jinzhao, tsk tsk…”

“I knew it, Xie Jinzhao used to be a widely despised low-quality celebrity, and ever since ‘The Embroidered Uniforms of Jade Capital,’ people online have been praising his acting skills. What a joke.”

“No wonder he didn’t renew his contract with his previous company. Fans used to mock Qi Ran, but they’re really the same type. Who knows what kind of deals are going on behind the scenes?”

“These aren’t just any deals, hehe. I’ve long suspected that, with Xie Jinzhao’s looks, who knows how many people in the circle have… I’ve heard that some old men and women like this type.”

“A man involved in casting couch deals—ugh, how disgusting!”

“Haha, the investments in the previous two projects were fine, but ‘Magnetic Storm’ involves nearly a billion. I wonder how many times a night it takes to satisfy the investor…”

After reading the malicious comments online, Xie Jinzhao couldn’t help but glance at his boyfriend beside him, drooling over his strong abs.

How many times a night to satisfy the investor?

Well, at least twice, with no upper limit. Thinking this way, he felt really fortunate.

Gu Siyuan was also browsing the internet. This angle of attack was quite common and completely baseless, yet many people believed it. After all, besides infidelity and divorce, the audience’s favorite scandals in the entertainment industry involved casting couches and sugar daddies.

And since so many people were involved, Gu Siyuan couldn’t even pinpoint who was responsible.

However, the matter was actually simple to handle. Just publicly disclose Yuanzhao Media’s structure and his own identity.

When he raised his eyes, he met Xie Jinzhao’s shining gaze.

He reached out and pinched his little boyfriend’s tender cheek, coldly asking, “What are you thinking?”

Xie Jinzhao straddled his lap, wrapping his arms around his neck and acting coyly, “Mr. Gu, will you be my sugar daddy for life?”

“……” Gu Siyuan.

What kind of hobby is this? Did he just read some explicit literature and want to try something tonight?

Gu Siyuan pinched his slender neck and thought: such a small request can be fulfilled.

Maybe he could also buy some interesting props?

Lion costume? Fox costume?

They all seemed quite cute.

Gu Siyuan was always efficient.

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

Since Gu Siyuan wasn’t enthusiastic about online shopping, all the packages at home were usually his. He thought it was something he had ordered.

Excitedly, he opened it with a utility knife, only to find several furry costumes, complete with paws and tails, all very complete.

Xie Jinzhao blushed, “It seems it was delivered to the wrong address. I don’t remember buying these…”

“They’re mine.”

At this moment, he heard his usually immovable boyfriend’s cold voice in his ear.

“……” Xie Jinzhao’s hand shook, causing the utility knife to fall to the floor. He looked up at Gu Siyuan in shock, “You… yours? You bought these… to wear?”

“……” Gu Siyuan.

His usually cold face almost cracked in 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, relieved.

If his tough, rugged boyfriend wore such completely out-of-character costumes, it would indeed be a bit awkward!

But… he suddenly blushed, saying these were for him?

Hmph, Gu Siyuan, with his thick eyebrows and big eyes, was really a repressed pervert!

However, Xie Jinzhao never refused Gu Siyuan’s requests, especially those that could enhance their relationship.

So that night, Gu Siyuan was rewarded with a watery-eyed little lion and little fox.

They played until nearly dawn.

The next morning, when Xie Jinzhao woke up, he found that the online slander against him had almost disappeared.

Because his boyfriend and agent, Gu Siyuan, had completely captured the public’s attention.

That morning, Yuanzhi Technology had successfully listed on the Hong Kong stock market.

Moreover, a certain ranking had released the latest list of the country’s wealthiest individuals, with a new name appearing near the top, described as the CEO and chairman of Yuanzhi Technology.

But this person was not unfamiliar to everyone.

Because anyone who had watched “Who Is the King of Adventure” could recognize him.

At this time, Yuanzhao Media’s official Weibo account also suddenly posted a tweet.

The tweet was very short, with only two pictures, but it was very informative. One picture was the wealth ranking, and the other was Gu Siyuan’s personal profile, cutely captioned: “With the boss standing so high, Little Chao feels so safe. It seems even if one or two movies lose money, it’s not a big deal!”

Subsequently, Xie Jinzhao’s studio also posted almost the same tweet, with only a slight difference in the caption: “With the agent standing so high, the studio feels very secure, but a certain artist is taking the opportunity to slack off and not join the crew!”

When everyone saw the wealth ranking, they uttered their first “WTF,” and now they finally uttered their second “WTF.”

“Damn, this world is too surreal!”

“Some people look like ordinary agents, but they actually have a net worth of hundreds of billions!”

“My idol, my dad Gu Siyuan!”

“The founder of Yuanzhi Technology, the boss of Yuanzhao Media, Xie Jinzhao’s agent—these three are actually the same person!”

“Damn, it seems that calling him hubby while watching the variety show wasn’t wrong! But now I feel even less worthy!”

“I remember that during the variety show, Gu always said he was a fan of Xie Jinzhao. So, with such a big shot as a fan and an agent, no wonder Xie Jinzhao is doing so well!”

At this point, someone still objected: “So what if he’s an agent? Who knows what kind of deals they have behind the scenes?”

But this remark was met with unanimous disdain from netizens.

“Being supported by an old man is what you call a casting couch, but being supported by a young, rich, and handsome overbearing CEO like Gu, can that be called a casting couch?”

“You people have such dirty minds. Can’t two handsome guys just be friends? What do you think about all day?”

“Yeah, they’re clearly soulmates—a discerning talent!”

Well, this is how unreasonable this appearance-obsessed world is.

Next, Gu Siyuan’s rise to fortune continued to trend, widely disseminated by major marketing accounts.

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

Immediately, countless people flocked to the comments, calling him “hubby.”

As for the matter concerning Xie Jinzhao, it was completely settled, and those who tried to slander him no longer dared to take any action.

With such a strong backer, everything they did seemed like a joke.

Xie Jinzhao, however, pouted and bit his boyfriend hard: “You’re my sugar daddy; don’t look at those little vixens.”

“……” Gu Siyuan.

It seemed his little boyfriend wanted to wear other animal costumes again, really a worry.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the sci-fi movie “Magnetic Storm” was officially released in theaters.

Due to high anticipation, the first-day box office directly exceeded 400 million.

But as word-of-mouth spread, on the second day of the New Year, it soared to 700 million. In the following days, it hovered between 300 and 400 million, and only after the eighth day of the Lunar New Year did the box office drop below 200 million.

A month later, “Magnetic Storm” did not extend its run and went offline as scheduled, ultimately grossing nearly 6 billion domestically.

However, this was not the end. As a sci-fi film without regional and thematic restrictions, it soon set release dates in several overseas countries.

The screenings were also fully packed and sold out.

Xie Jinzhao’s Instagram account saw a daily surge of millions of followers, and international brand collaboration invitations flooded his studio’s inbox.

A true superstar descending from the heavens!

And at this moment, the superstar Xie Jinzhao was blushing and pitifully begging for mercy under someone: “I was wrong…”

Gu Siyuan looked at him indifferently, as if he didn’t understand: “What are you saying? What did you do wrong?”

As he spoke, he gave another hard thrust.

Xie Jinzhao’s fair feet stretched straight, his voice already hoarse, but his hands still tightly clung to the person above him, whimpering and unwilling to let go.

Recently, his international fans surged, and foreigners can be quite direct sometimes. He often received some explicit content in his private messages.

Just now, purely by chance, he opened a photo of abs, intending to compare it with his boyfriend’s, only to be caught red-handed.

He secretly thought that his boyfriend’s jealousy made him feel sweet.

But…

Who in this world could be better than Gu Siyuan, someone he liked so much? He wished he could stay with him forever.

The global explosion of the sci-fi movie “Magnetic Storm” had far-reaching impacts.

It even improved the situation for Chinese people working in Hollywood, something Yun Yan deeply felt.

Last year, he was forced to go abroad to study, but he never gave up on acting, shifting his focus to Hollywood, the dream factory.

However, while he was the youngest actor to win an award in China, here he was an unknown, starting from marginal roles.

Until recently, he met a star’s child, gaining a few more opportunities, and with the recent explosion of “Magnetic Storm,” the attitude of his colleagues in the crew changed significantly.

“Yun, you did great just now, as handsome as Xie in ‘Magnetic Storm!'”

After the scene ended, Alex excitedly pounced on him and kissed his cheek.

Yun Yan smiled and patted his shoulder.

Alex was a star’s child, the youngest son of a famous superstar who worked as a screenwriter. However, he wasn’t very capable, relying entirely on his father’s connections for work. It was Alex who introduced Yun Yan to this crew.

When the news of Qi Run’s arrest broke, Xie Jinzhao was nestled in Gu Siyuan’s arms, munching on a peach.

“Our country’s famous male star, Qi Run, was arrested by local police for intentionally injuring someone with his car on a street in Los Angeles. Specific circumstances are being negotiated by lawyers…”

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

Gu Siyuan nodded: “It happened the day before yesterday. He hit Yun Yan. Yun Yan was caught cheating with a star’s child, Qi Ran went mad on the spot, and Qi Run, to vent for Qi Ran, directly drove into him. Yun Yan broke several bones and is still in the hospital in a coma. Even if he wakes up, he might not be able to stand up. Yun Yan’s agent reported it right after hearing the diagnosis.”

Xie Jinzhao burst out laughing: “I knew this day would come! That bastard’s feelings for his brother were sickly twisted, finally getting his just deserts.”

Gu Siyuan said nothing, gently touching his soft, smooth face, watching his lively and vivid expression, and smiling softly. This was how Xie Jinzhao should be.

Xie Jinzhao met his gaze and took the opportunity to pout and act coyly: “Luckily I have you. You’re the best.”

Gu Siyuan looked at Xie Jinzhao’s lips, glistening from eating the peach, and couldn’t help but ask, “Is the peach sweet?”

Xie Jinzhao smiled and offered the half-eaten peach, “It’s pretty good; have a bite.”

Gu Siyuan obediently opened his mouth, and the next moment, he felt a familiar sweet softness against his lips.

Xie Jinzhao stuck out his crimson tongue and lightly licked him, “Do you want to know which is sweeter, me or the peach?”

“…” Gu Siyuan.

An invitation from a beauty—how could one refuse?

Afterward, Gu Siyuan continued to juggle multiple roles, all thriving, with his business empire expanding further. Meanwhile, Xie Jinzhao maintained his status as an evergreen star in the entertainment industry, starring in one or two films each year.

To avoid upsetting fans, they never publicly disclosed their relationship.

As time went by, Xie Jinzhao reached forty, and his former colleagues’ kids were already in primary school. His once-feared fans began to get anxious and started urging him to marry.

Another ten or so years later, the country passed a law allowing same-s*x marriage. By then, both Gu Siyuan and Xie Jinzhao were in their fifties, and they posted a simple marriage certificate on their respective accounts.

At this point, they had received nothing but blessings.

Fans, who had long established their own families, wept with joy.

“Finally, they got married!”

“It really was that person!”

“Two such outstanding people, in love for nearly half a century amidst the clamor of the world.”

“Yes, yes, I’m going to cry to death. So touching!”

Several years later, the two passed away one after the other, truly a couple for life.