"My Fei is awesome!"
"This is blatant PDA, but I love it!"
"Yeah, I knew once they went public with their relationship, the lovey-dovey displays would come nonstop. Time to get our hearts tortured."
"I'm seriously thinking… what if I win the couple's sweet vacation prize, but I don't have a girlfriend?"
"No girlfriend? Then take a bro!"
"My Fei really is bossy, and you, Chen, aren't bad either. We fans are blessed!"
"Everyone, go to SPG's official Weibo and urge them to get Autumn in My Heart broadcast soon!"
"Support My Chen, support My Fei!"
Ever since Lu Chen and Chen Fei'er's relationship was officially revealed, fans have started calling them differently.
Lu Chen's fans like to call him "My Chen" and Chen Fei'er "Ni Fei." In return, Chen Fei'er's fans call her "My Fei" and Lu Chen "Ni Chen." Naturally, their joint fans call them both "My Chen" and "My Fei."
At present, the number of joint fans is growing steadily, so every time the couple shows their affection, it's a guilty pleasure for the fandom.
This particular show of affection caught everyone completely off guard. While touched, fans also flocked to SPG's official Weibo, demanding that the company push Autumn in My Heart onto Korean television as quickly as possible.
Because of quota restrictions, any domestic drama that wants to air in Korea must go through an intermediary agency like SPG, which maintains long-term partnerships with Korea's three major terrestrial broadcasters.
SPG had invested 1 billion won to acquire Autumn in My Heart. Although part of the motivation was to leverage Lu Chen's studio to accelerate its entry into the Chinese market, the company also wanted to recoup its costs.
With the strong push from Lu Chen and Chen Fei'er's fans, SPG quickly announced that it would contact the Korean broadcasters at top speed and aim for a slot on one of the "big three" channels in the shortest possible time.
To save time, SPG adopted an unconventional method for Autumn in My Heart: instead of redubbing the show, they simply added bilingual subtitles over the original audio. This cut costs while preserving the original flavor of the drama.
Of course, this approach might feel unfamiliar to some Korean viewers. But SPG had a clear strategy: the show's target audience was young people, who were the most receptive to subtitled foreign dramas.
Thus, on the third day after the agency contract was signed, the HD master of Autumn in My Heart was flown to SPG's headquarters in Seoul's Gangnam district. On one hand, subtitles were being reworked; on the other, negotiations with the three major TV stations were underway.
Despite SPG's thorough and careful preparation, they themselves did not believe Autumn in My Heart could achieve a 10% viewership rating in Korea, that was simply wishful thinking.
China's urban youth idol dramas had long been influenced by K-dramas. When similar shows were exported back to Korea, they almost always failed. No matter how popular Autumn in My Heart was in China, it wouldn't automatically impress Korean audiences.
Moreover, Korean viewers were deeply loyal to their own K-dramas. Even if Autumn in My Heart landed a prime-time slot, against the competition from other local dramas, managing a 5% rating would already count as a success.
The Korean TV drama market was like a solid rock, it couldn't be easily shaken.
Early spring in Seoul was still chilly. But in Myeongdong, Sinsa-dong, Lotte, and other shopping districts, fashionable young women were already eager to show off their spring outfits, adding splashes of color to this bustling East Asian metropolis.
In Apgujeong, Gangnam, Song Jiayi walked out of SPG's headquarters. She didn't linger to enjoy the dazzling commercial district or the glittering shop windows nearby. Instead, she walked briskly to a dormitory building not far from SPG.
Back in her dorm room, her roommates hadn't returned yet. Song Jiayi pulled out a cup of instant noodles from the cabinet, boiled some water, and poured it in.
While waiting for the noodles to soften, she sat on the edge of her bed, massaging her calves to relieve the soreness from a full day of training.
Song Jiayi had already been in Korea for nearly two years.
As a Chinese artist signed under SPG, she was undoubtedly fortunate to have the chance to train at SPG's headquarters as a trainee, receiving professional instruction in all aspects of performance.
But two long years of monotonous, grueling practice had worn away her initial excitement and enthusiasm. What remained was sheer endurance, quiet perseverance, and a growing sense of uncertainty about her future.
Only after coming to Korea did she realize just how many trainees SPG had, many of them more talented, more beautiful, or more qualified than she was. Even getting a chance to debut was far from guaranteed, with the competition inside the company brutally fierce.
As an undeveloped trainee, Song Jiayi had almost no income. Living in high-cost Seoul was tough, and she survived only by gritting her teeth, holding on with a stubborn refusal to give up.
The noodles were ready. Though she had long grown sick of their taste, she still forced herself to finish them.
"Jiayi!"
Just as she cleared away the empty cup and was about to lie down for a short rest, several roommates pushed the door open.
The small room housed four trainees. The short-haired girl greeting her was Yang Yanni, also from China. She had joined SPG two months after Jiayi and, like her, still hadn't debuted.
Sharing the same foreign land and the same struggles, the two had developed a close bond, encouraging and supporting each other whenever they could.
Rolling over, Song Jiayi asked, "Where did you all go?"
Yang Yanni grinned. "We went shopping at Lotte."
Song Jiayi noticed that she and the two Korean roommates were carrying shopping bags.
Yang Yanni's family background was more comfortable than Jiayi's, and she never hesitated to spend on clothes and little luxuries.
A trace of envy flickered in Song Jiayi's eyes as she muttered, "I'm dead tired."
Setting her shopping bag aside, Yang Yanni grabbed her hand. "Come on, let's go watch TV!"
Song Jiayi shook her head. "I'll pass."
SPG's dorm rules were strict. If you wanted to watch TV or go online, you had to use the multimedia and computer rooms on the second floor. There were no network or TV connections in the dorm rooms themselves, nor were televisions provided.
Yang Yanni widened her eyes. "You don't know? The drama that's been a huge hit back home, Autumn in My Heart, is airing tonight on KGS! SPG's the one that brought it into Korea!"
Autumn in My Heart?
Song Jiayi froze for a moment. She had heard of the drama and knew SPG had licensed it for Korea, but she hadn't expected it to air so soon.
Suddenly, excitement welled up in her chest. This was a drama from home! Even if not for the sake of studying, she had to support it.
"What time does it start?"
Yang Yanni checked her watch. "About half an hour."
She turned to the other two roommates and asked in Korean, "Mijin, Hyeyoung, do you want to come?"
The two Korean girls knew a little Chinese and could more or less understand what was being said. They exchanged glances and shook their heads in unison.
A Chinese drama? What was there worth watching?
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Note: This is a parallel-world story. All Korea-related settings are purely fictional and should not be compared to reality.
(End of Chapter)
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