Late at night, the core members of the White Lovers production team couldn't fall asleep.
Because they had been filming that evening, Song Xin and Jiang Shiqing hadn't been able to watch 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday' live on TV.
But as far as Jiang Shiqing was concerned, that drama was guaranteed to flop. He knew Jing Yu too well.
He'd worked under Jing Yu's father, Jing Liang, for two years, and was crystal clear on what level Jing Yu was operating at.
A script by Jing Yu… became a hit?
It was like saying the kid who always ranked last in class might suddenly move up to second-to-last or third-to-last—sure, it could happen. But would the top student ever see him as a threat?
And yet now, this very "failing student"—this useless pretty boy, this bottom-feeder who only got a chance because of White Lovers' delay—
His show's first episode had just achieved a nationwide viewership of 1.24%, and among the four major networks in Lan Province, it was the top-rated in that timeslot.
Sitting together, Jiang Shiqing and Song Xin silently watched the recorded broadcast.
Some TVs had built-in recording features, capable of capturing live broadcasts to disc for later playback. The video quality couldn't match Blu-ray, of course—poor resolution, watermarks, and leftover ads were all issues—but still, it was serviceable.
For hit shows, the disc market was a massive source of revenue. Not only were broadcasting rights valuable, but fans often demanded Blu-ray editions with behind-the-scenes content and extras. In fact, for major hits, the physical media sales could surpass all online streaming profits combined.
Neither of them had imagined that one day they'd be sitting down together to watch a drama written by Jing Yu.
When Yu Youqing appeared on screen as Shou Aimei, Jiang Shiqing's breathing noticeably deepened.
That beautiful actress actually agreed to star in Jing Yu's show?
She's pretty, but clearly not smart.
He couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy.
As time passed and the plot of A Date with the You of Yesterday gradually unfolded—layer after layer of foreshadowing and hidden truths—it wasn't until Aimei revealed the true nature of their love that the title logo appeared on screen.
Only then did Jiang Shiqing snap back to reality.
And immediately, a wave of indescribable rage rose in his chest.
Wait… did I just get completely sucked in by this show?!
Beside him, Song Xin was deep in thought, a strange light in her eyes.
"This was written by Jing Yu?"
She recalled the same man who used to loaf around the TV station, a self-professed slacker who spent his days asking her what restaurants she liked.
A man whose scripts had been rejected by his own father seven times in a row.
And yet, this drama…
One fifty-minute episode had left her with a burning desire to watch the next.
The plot started slowly, only to explode with emotional depth by the end.
Combined with the acting—Jing Yu's portrayal of the shy and handsome Gao Shan, and Yu Youqing's intellectual, beautiful, and enigmatic Aimei—the entire show revolved almost entirely around these two, but that was more than enough. Their chemistry, their story, was powerfully compelling.
Song Xin turned to glance at Jiang Shiqing's profile. She could see the anger, and more than that, the worry he was trying to suppress.
"So?" she asked with a smile, taking a deep breath. "See any flaws?"
"No... nothing really wrong," Jiang Shiqing said stiffly. "Just relying on some flashy premise to temporarily attract viewers. A truly good script needs more than just a clever setup."
"High ratings for episode one? Probably just the novelty factor."
But even as he spoke, Jiang Shiqing knew deep down he was full of it.
What show didn't rely on novelty to hook its viewers at the start? If that logic held, then why didn't White Lovers have ratings this strong in its own premiere?
Song Xin didn't bother calling him out. She knew where she stood—she was Jiang Shiqing's woman now, and it was only through his connections that she had a spot in the White Lovers cast.
These days, everyone wants to be a star. Plenty of pretty faces were out there. She had no reason to say anything that might annoy him and cause unnecessary drama.
Her mind briefly conjured Jing Yu's face.
Didn't he originally approach me to play Shou Aimei?
The thought flitted through her mind, and she quickly shut it down.
You can't have your cake and eat it too.
She had chosen to stand with Jiang Shiqing. That meant cutting off Jing Yu.
If she'd taken the lead role in 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday', it was practically guaranteed Jiang Shiqing wouldn't cast her in his next project.
Even if 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday' had a strong first episode, so what?
White Lovers was a high-budget winter flagship drama, heavily backed by the network. It was averaging 1.38% nationwide, nearly breaking 17% in Lan Province.
Who knew how 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday' would fare in its second episode?
After crossing the 1% threshold, every tenth of a point became a serious challenge for a mid-tier channel like Jinhui. From 1.24 to 1.38 was still a significant gap.
She could distinguish between the weight of being the lead in a modest, low-budget short drama… and being a supporting actress in a heavily promoted, high-investment flagship.
Unless Jing Yu somehow became a genius screenwriter overnight, and 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday' was just the start of a series of even better works...
Then yes, ditching him would've been a mistake. He would've been her only chance to support him when he was still struggling.
Even after their breakup, things had been amicable. Until she deliberately played him, there had been no real bad blood.
But seriously?
This guy? Suddenly turn into a top writer? Come on.
That failing student in class who occasionally pulls a decent grade—maybe it's luck, maybe it's cheating. No one really believes he'll suddenly become the class's top scholar.
That's what she kept telling herself.
But still... the show she rejected was now pulling excellent numbers.
And that stung.
Even if she kept telling herself she'd made the right choice, it didn't help seeing the official forums flooded with glowing praise for Shou Aimei.
Even if I didn't want the role… it still feels like someone else stole a treasure from me.
Neither she nor Jiang Shiqing said anything more. But clearly, both were uneasy.
And yet, the impact of 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday' went far beyond what either of them expected.
Limited as it was by Jinhui's middling influence and poor marketing, the buzz around the drama was already outpacing its ratings.
Adding a fantasy twist to a romance story might not be groundbreaking in Jing Yu's past life—but in the current Great Zhou drama landscape, it was downright refreshing.
The market was still saturated with the same tired tropes—Cinderella-style idol romances and bland family melodramas.
Audiences were bored.
So when 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday' came along with a unique concept and clean storytelling, it stood out.
By the next morning, people all across Lan Province—from office workers to aunties to students—were chatting about the show. Those who understood the plot were explaining it to others who didn't quite get the setup.
In this era, before the internet became widespread, television was the dominant form of entertainment.
And another phenomenon was quietly spreading:
People who'd missed the broadcast were borrowing recorded DVDs from friends who had TVs with recording features.
In various drama fan groups around Lan Province, those who hadn't watched the show the night before were practically itching with regret as they listened to others excitedly discuss the story.
"So wait, it's a time paradox romance?"
"Like... the chicken and the egg problem?"
"It connects to quantum mechanics and the idea of parallel worlds!"
In the Great Zhou, folk science debates were all the rage.
If Jing Yu were present, he'd probably be nodding in approval, proudly representing the folk science alliance, telling everyone: Yes, parallel worlds absolutely exist.
In this world, unless you watched the broadcast live or had someone at home record it for you, there was no way to catch up.
So now, people who missed it were begging group members for access to those precious discs.
In every metric, 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday' was already a phenomenon:
Strong premiere numbers
Even stronger viewer engagement
And now, it was dominating all drama-related discussions across Lan Province.
Just days ago, many Jinhui TV fans were angrily complaining about White Lovers being delayed.
But now?
The station's official forums were nearly filled with posts analyzing 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday'.
White Lovers had already started to fade from memory.