Now that Jing Yu had been invited into the house, and since Yu Youqing wasn't paranoid or delusional, she didn't feel particularly threatened—at least not based on how he'd behaved so far. He hadn't shown any warning signs.
Still, now that they were sitting face to face in her home, she didn't quite know where to begin.
Should he tell her the truth? She was only considered for the role because Song Xin backed out, and he needed a backup option.
After careful thought, Jing Yu selectively disclosed some of the details about 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday'.
At first, Yu Youqing listened seriously. But when she heard that the project was only greenlit because the lead actress of White Lovers had suffered a leg injury and needed two weeks of rest, her expression shifted.
The lead actress of White Lovers?
Wasn't that Tang Yidong?
"You can take a look at the script before deciding," Jing Yu said, steadying himself and speaking earnestly.
"Even though it's just a two-week drama, it'll be airing during the prime-time 8:00 p.m. Sunday slot on Jinhui Satellite TV—one of the most watched slots in Lan Province. If you accept, you'll be the female lead."
"…Sorry. Your visit was too sudden. We're not familiar, and honestly… I don't think this project has much potential," Yu Youqing said, offering a polite excuse.
That was part of the reason—but another part was: Who was this Jing Yu? What kind of project was this?
There were plenty of shady crews that used the promise of "shooting a drama" to lure pretty women, claiming they were making a breakout hit, only to produce something completely sloppy and unwatchable. Worse, some girls paid a very different kind of price to get those roles.
Of course, those were mostly small-time private crews. A legit TV station crew usually wouldn't pull something like that. But "usually" wasn't "always." The fact that this opportunity came out of nowhere made her very wary.
And more importantly… this project was tied to Tang Yidong.
"What do you mean, 'no potential'?" Jing Yu narrowed his eyes slightly.
"I mean…" Yu Youqing hesitated, realizing she may have spoken too harshly.
Most last-minute filler dramas were hastily thrown together, but she hadn't even read the script yet. It was unfair of her to make that judgment.
"…Sorry," she said quietly.
She wasn't some big-name actress. Even if it was a low-potential drama, being cast at all was already lucky.
But this particular project was only happening because of Tang Yidong's injury, and that fact alone made her deeply uncomfortable.
What Jing Yu didn't know was that Yu Youqing and Tang Yidong had been classmates and dormmates in college. But Tang Yidong had been… difficult. Arrogant, manipulative, and jealous—especially of Yu Youqing's looks and academic performance. She'd spread nasty rumors about her back in university, poisoning their relationship completely.
If this drama weren't linked to Tang Yidong, Yu Youqing might've accepted after confirming the production was legit. But under these circumstances?
This was a filler show. The budget was surely limited. From her experience, it was probably going to be thrown together with the bare minimum effort. And since the opportunity only came up due to Tang Yidong's accident, accepting the role felt like accepting a favor from her worst enemy. That's what truly made her resist.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Jing Yu. I appreciate your interest, but this is just how I feel."
Jing Yu tried persuading her for several more minutes, but saw that her stance remained firm.
He went quiet for a while, then sighed. There wasn't much more to say. If she didn't want to take the role, he couldn't force her.
Then, with a final effort, he pulled out a printed, bound copy of the script for 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday' and gently placed it on the table.
"I understand that from your perspective, this seems like a hastily thrown-together project. But…"
"Even with a limited budget and tight schedule, I promise you—this won't be a garbage drama," Jing Yu said, looking her directly in the eyes.
Yu Youqing's pupils tightened slightly.
"The soul of any drama lies in its script. Miss Yu, I hope you'll at least read it. If you find it interesting, you can call me anytime before 8:00 a.m. tomorrow. I guarantee—when this drama airs, it won't be a failure."
Jing Yu had come here to try. This was his last-ditch effort.
This outcome was one he'd already anticipated—if she refused, then so be it. Liu Neng would use his connections to pull in someone else from the station by morning.
"But before I go," Jing Yu said, looking back at her.
"There's one thing I'd like to make clear."
"I never thought of this work as a 'backup project.' Even if it's short—"
"I'm producing it with the mindset of surpassing the ratings of White Lovers."
Jing Yu hadn't originally planned to take things this far. At first, he just wanted to hold down a job after transmigrating. But after being played by Song Xin—and realizing that Jiang Shiqing was likely pulling strings behind the scenes—his attitude had started to shift. So these words weren't just hot air.
Even if 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday' didn't beat White Lovers in ratings, as long as he remained at Jinhui, he'd find a way to pay them back eventually.
"Surpass White Lovers in ratings? With a two-episode short drama?" Yu Youqing's expression was strange.
"That's right. I'm confident."
In moments like this, confidence was everything. If even he didn't believe in his own work, who else would?
Normally, Jing Yu wasn't the kind to belittle others just to promote himself. But since White Lovers was a show that involved Jiang Shiqing and Song Xin, he made an exception.
"Have you heard of a drama called 潜龙 (Hidden Dragon)?" Jing Yu asked suddenly.
Yu Youqing froze for a moment. Of course, she had.
As a drama student, she knew it well. Hidden Dragon had only been four episodes long, airing five years ago to fill a scheduling gap between two major shows. With just a 1.2 million yuan budget and a tight script, it had become one of the top ten highest-rated shows in the entire Da Zhou that year.
Its male lead shot to fame overnight and is still active in the industry today.
"If Hidden Dragon could make it in Da Zhou, why not this show?" Jing Yu continued. "White Lovers only hit a 1.3% rating. That's not exactly unbreakable."
And with that, he said no more. Pushing too hard would have the opposite effect.
After all, Da Zhou was a massive country with over a billion people. With 20+ provinces and dozens—if not hundreds—of satellite TV stations, the competition was fierce.
In general, only national-tier prime-time shows could reach ratings of 5% or 6%. For most regional channels, hitting 1% was already great. Given the size of the audience, a 1% rating in Da Zhou was equivalent to a 10–20% rating in smaller countries.
So even though White Lovers had just a 1.3% rating, it was already doing very well.
To exceed that? For a two-episode filler drama to outshine the "main show"?
What Jing Yu was suggesting felt… ridiculous.
Yu Youqing almost laughed out loud.
But after the sarcasm faded, she realized—maybe she was being a little shallow.
Jing Yu's eyes were dead serious. His tone wasn't bluffing. He didn't seem like someone trying to trick her into joining just to save the shoot.
Maybe he was just overconfident. But a person who sincerely believed in their own work being "funny" was only funny if you were someone who'd already given up on your own dreams.
Jing Yu handed her the script and said one last thing.
"Before 8:00 a.m. tomorrow, if you change your mind, give me a call. Please don't leak the contents of the script—if you do, Jinhui TV will pursue legal action. If you're still firm in your decision by tomorrow, I'll send someone to collect the script."
Then he left.
Yu Youqing's mother watched him walk out, surprised. She turned to her daughter.
"You turned him down?" she asked.
"I—" Yu Youqing started to answer instinctively, but then she glanced at the script he'd left behind and fell silent.
She wasn't exactly enthusiastic about being the "replacement" for Tang Yidong's injury. But she also knew she wasn't in a position to be picky.
If Jing Yu had just walked away and left it at that, she might've felt a little regret, then let the matter drop.
But he hadn't. He'd given her time to reconsider.
And now, a little seed had been planted in her heart.
'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday'.
Her big eyes focused on the script's title.
What a long, weird title...
Jing Yu's bold talk about beating White Lovers had honestly annoyed her a little.
But as she cooled down…
She started to feel maybe she'd been too quick to judge.
I probably should've at least read the script first.
Writing it off as low-potential without even opening it—that was arrogant.
And if it was actually a great script, who cared if Tang Yidong mocked her?
It's not like she'd die from embarrassment. At worst, she'd be pissed off for a day.
After a few moments of silence…
Yu Youqing reached out her fair hand and picked up the slim stack of paper.
Well, I've got time. Might as well take a look.