Cheng Jing had finished watching the episode, but her heart felt hollow and empty.
The group chat that had once been buzzing had also quieted down. Everyone was still immersed in the emotional aftermath of the story.
It hurt.
But this drama...
As the melancholy melody of the ending theme played, Cheng Jing couldn't help but think—
It was so, so good.
She already wanted to watch it again.
'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday's final viewership rating hadn't quite surpassed the highest in the past five years—1.89%.
It had missed it by a mere one ten-thousandth, capping out at 1.88%.
Within Lan Province, the peak was 19.6%.
The average nationwide viewership for this episode landed at 1.52%.
A pity—if the episode had been just ten minutes longer, it might have broken the station's five-year record.
And if it had aired during the prime 8:00 PM slot, instead of being bumped to a later time, maybe it could have even challenged the station's all-time average rating record of 1.82%.
At Jin Hui TV, the ratings analyst could only sigh.
Looking over the cast list for 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday', he muttered:
"For just a two-episode drama to achieve this kind of result... He really is Jing Liang's son. Honestly, he's even better than his dad was back in the day."
He shook his head in admiration as he compiled the final report and sent it to the higher-ups, as per protocol.
Naturally, Jing Yu also received the data:
Highest rating: 1.88%, Average rating: 1.52%
This result had far exceeded Shi Teng's expectation of "just breaking 1%." In fact, it had even outperformed the tenth episode of White Lovers, which aired two hours earlier.
After a week-long break, White Lovers' episode ten had only managed a 1.26% average, peaking at 1.46%. Clearly, it had been affected.
But even so, compared to 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday', which had a completely last-minute scheduling adjustment, White Lovers still had the better odds.
Still, Jing Yu felt a tiny bit of dissatisfaction.
Even though 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday' hadn't been a massive hit in his previous life's RB region, it had still been well-regarded.
This result was... lower than what he had hoped for.
Had it aired on a powerhouse station like Xing Tong, the ratings might've tripled.
A great work needs a great platform to shine.
Just like Journey to the West airing on national TV, it became a cultural monument because the right show met the right broadcaster.
If it had aired on some backwater station in the remote west, it still might've gone viral...
But not like this.
Well, one step at a time.
He hadn't even fully secured a foothold at Jin Hui yet. No point daydreaming about more.
Jing Yu glanced at Gao Wencang and Liu Neng sitting silently beside him.
"Let's go. Late-night snack. My treat."
"Sorry, Teacher Jing Yu... I'm just... really happy right now."
Liu Neng's hands clenched and unclenched.
Even if he'd only been a temporary producer, 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday's success gave him solid credentials. He now had a proven track record for future opportunities.
He wasn't someone who showed emotions easily, but even now, his voice was trembling. The way he looked at Jing Yu... was like he was staring at his own beloved wife.
This was someone who had changed his fate.
"How can we let you treat us?"
Gao Wencang shot to his feet, grinning from ear to ear.
"We're going somewhere fancy tonight. We're not leaving until we're drunk!"
"No drinking." Jing Yu waved it off. "We've got important things to discuss tonight."
Important things?
Gao Wencang and Liu Neng exchanged confused glances.
"What kind of things?"
"Now that the viewership goal has been reached, I need to start planning for my next project. We've got the director lined up, and the producer—someone who can handle scheduling, funding, and coordination—is also settled. But there's a bunch of other roles I don't fully understand on my own."
Jing Yu looked at the two of them.
Liu Neng's eyes widened, and he looked toward Gao Wencang, who was already staring back at him.
"You mean... your next drama?"
"Of course," Jing Yu said with a smile. "After such a smooth collaboration with you two, why wouldn't I want to work together again? If the station gives the green light, that's what I'm planning."
Of course, Jing Yu had other reasons for this.
Gao Wencang and Liu Neng were both competent, sure—but more importantly, they didn't randomly go off the rails.
They didn't try to interfere with his scripts or production decisions.
He was still a newcomer at the station. Even though the Da Zhou TV industry put a lot of weight on writers, if the station had assigned him a veteran director or seasoned producer, and they didn't like his script?
Well, ignoring them would be hard—they had seniority.
But catering to them? Jing Yu had zero interest in that.
Better to say a word to Chu You and go with the proven team:
"We work well together. The new drama starts filming in December and has to air in January. No time to break in a new team."
That should be reason enough.
Whether it would work, though, still depended on the station's final decision.
That night, Xu You barely slept.
The ratings from 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday's second episode weighed heavily on him.
Anxious. Restless.
Meanwhile, Jiang Shiqing—after learning that 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday' had outperformed White Lovers—was also up all night, unable to sleep.
Elsewhere, at home, Song Xin was equally unsettled.
She looked at her reflection in the mirror the next morning—flawless face, stunning figure.
She was the female lead of a drama that hit 1.88% peak viewership.
In contrast, she had only played the third female lead in White Lovers.
Based on the numbers, the station would absolutely have to honor its promise to Jing Yu.
In just a few days, once the funding was approved, the next drama would begin filming.
Would Jing Yu be able to create another gem like 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday'?
Or was 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday' just a one-hit wonder? A flash of inspiration?
Would his next show fall apart and be drowned in negative reviews?
Song Xin buttoned up her blouse, her chest straining the fabric slightly.
"Stop thinking like that. What ifs don't mean anything. If Jing Yu really had the talent, why didn't he show it until now?"
Her confidence returned.
"'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday' was just dumb luck."
Even fools had their moments of brilliance.
And yet, when she thought about Yu Youqing's face, jealousy crept in.
She hadn't been cast in 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday'—and in her mind, it should've bombed. Been mocked. Forgotten.
But instead, it had blown up.
And that... felt awful.
Even if she had the chance again, she probably still would've sided with Jiang Shiqing.
He was the stable, reliable choice.
Jing Yu? She still believed his next drama would reveal his true colors.
But... she still felt like she'd missed out on something big.
Although episode two of 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday' had already aired, its influence continued to spread.
Monday morning.
Time for the station's routine executive meeting.
Xu You wore a sour expression.
Chu You was beaming.
Shi Teng cleared his throat, glancing at the documents in his hand.
"Last week, we agreed—if 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday' broke 1% in viewership, we would approve funding for Jing Yu to begin work on his next drama."
He held the report in one hand and spoke firmly:
"And now, we all know the results. 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday' not only broke 1%, it even outperformed White Lovers last night."
"It's time for us to honor our word. Since we're already in mid-December, Chu You, I'm assigning you to work with Jing Yu on project planning, script approvals, and scheduling. The new show will be slotted for broadcast on the first Friday of January, 8:00 PM."
Xu You opened his mouth to object... but couldn't find the words.
This wasn't the moment to be confrontational.
Even if he wanted to oppose it, what grounds did he have?
When he had pushed for Jiang Shiqing, he'd used the same arguments Chu You was using now.
The logic couldn't be flipped.
Shi Teng quickly wrapped up the assignments:
"Also, after last night's finale, our station website was flooded with viewer comments—thousands of them all asking for a rerun of 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday'. If we can find a slot, let's try to accommodate that."
"And—this morning, several provincial stations contacted us about buying the rebroadcast rights for 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday'. Chu You, assign someone to handle those negotiations. Also, we'll be producing and selling the Blu-ray (BD) discs for Tomorrow. Even though it's a short series, it clearly has long-term potential, and the average rating is well above 1%."
Xu You's face twisted slightly.
Shi Teng was taking 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday' very seriously.
An entire morning's agenda had revolved around 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday'.
Back then, it was always about White Lovers.
Now... if Jing Yu's next show also became a hit, things were going to get uncomfortable for him.
"Understood. I'll work closely with Jing Yu on all fronts," Chu said cheerfully.
With such high ratings, the station clearly intended to fully exploit the show's commercial value—selling rebroadcast rights, BDs, all of it.
The profits were one thing.
More importantly, all of this would further boost 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday's influence, and by extension, Jing Yu's next project would gain massive anticipation.
In Da Zhou's entertainment industry, screenwriters were held in very high regard.
Some drama fans even followed their favorite writers from station to station like celebrities.
Those fans became the station's core viewership.
This kind of treatment was usually reserved for blockbuster dramas.
And now, Chu You remembered something from when Jing Yu first signed on—he had asked for 3% of the copyright profits.
That kid... could he have seen all of this coming from the very start?
The thought flashed through Chu You's mind.
Meanwhile, Jing Yu sat at home, his consciousness immersed in his exchange panel.
He stared at the number of fan points:
1,963,215
An overnight jump of over a million.
And now...
It was time to choose his next project.