Jing Yu's position was still too junior—bringing in senior production veterans could backfire. If any disputes arose, that was one thing, but if it ended up delaying production, it would be a serious issue.
If he weren't already juggling multiple things, Chu You would've personally taken on the role of producer for Jing Yu's new drama.
"Alright then, since you're sure, I won't interfere. It's all up to you. By the way, it's the 13th today—when do you plan to start shooting?"
"Your new drama is slated to air on January 7th, 8 PM," Chu asked.
"Before that…" Jing Yu paused slightly.
"Uncle Chu, when is 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday' set to rerun?"
"Tuesday. Tomorrow night. 8 to 10 PM. Both episodes back-to-back," Chu You replied.
"I should have the script for episode one written by Wednesday night. Might need a day or two to finalize the cast. At the latest… we'll start shooting before the 18th," Jing Yu said.
Chu You nodded. That was a reasonable timeline.
He'd been more worried about the kind of screenwriter who procrastinated endlessly—writing scripts the night before airing, blaming "lack of inspiration." That would've been a nightmare.
He patted Jing Yu on the shoulder.
"Jing Yu, give it your all. The station has several new dramas set for January, but the most anticipated one is still Jiang Shiqing's new show."
That one was also a seasonal drama, but the initial investment alone had already surpassed 20 million yuan, and additional funding could push it past 30 million if needed.
"But high investment doesn't guarantee good ratings. Take your 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday', for instance…"
Chu You smiled meaningfully.
"I've heard about your situation with Jiang Shiqing.
A real man shouldn't spend his life being overshadowed by someone else."
He was clearly egging Jing Yu on.
Lan Province had four main TV stations, including Jin Hui. All four were in fierce competition for the spring slot.
If Jing Yu wanted to secure a foothold at Jin Hui, his new drama needed to deliver another 1%+ average rating.
Right now, Xu You and his faction had momentum, squeezing both Chu You and another department head into a tight corner.
The surprising success of 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday' had rekindled Chu You's hope for Jing Yu.
"But Jing Yu," Chu You suddenly said, "I have one request."
"Since you've decided to stick with Liu Neng and Gao Wencang as your producer and director…
Then why not keep the same leads as well?"
"'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday' still has afterglow.
If your new show uses the entire same cast, it'll pull in all the old fans.
That alone will save us a ton on promotional costs."
Chu You wasn't blind—he'd seen the rave reviews on the station's site for the actors playing Gao Shan and Shou Aimei.
If Jing Yu had both screenwriting and acting talent, then the station should make full use of it.
"No problem," Jing Yu said after a moment's thought.
Why not make double the income?
He'd already told Yu Youqing that he'd consider her for the next project if there was a chance.
Since Chu You wasn't planning to force a replacement for the female lead, Jing Yu was happy to go along with it.
Their meeting soon ended.
Although Jing Yu hadn't yet gathered enough fan points to redeem 'Your Lie in April', and therefore couldn't start writing the script, he already knew the entire story by heart.
He needed to plan for:
Character casting
Age ranges
Genders
How to adapt some of the original elements for this world
First step: turn off the phone.
The moment word got out that Jing Yu had landed another drama, people from every corner of the industry—some he knew, many he didn't—flooded him with calls.
While 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday' hadn't pushed him to the level of Jiang Shiqing, he had definitely become hot property in the industry.
The next evening, the rerun of 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday' aired.
Even though the station had only announced it a day in advance, both Lan Province viewers and out-of-province fans tuned in promptly at 8 PM.
This was a show worth rewatching.
And since the rerun came just two days after the original broadcast, viewer engagement remained high.
From the moment it aired, the national rating nearly hit 1%, even better than the original premiere.
With both episodes airing back-to-back, the experience was smoother and more immersive.
Of course, many viewers didn't watch from start to finish—they just wanted to revisit certain scenes now that they knew the plot twists.
Even so, 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday's rerun ratings remained impressively high.
While the peak viewership didn't surpass episode two's original run, the average rating hit almost 1.6%, even higher than the original.
But that was the limit.
Jin Hui's potential audience was only so large.
Unless a show became a cultural phenomenon, it couldn't override the limits of its broadcast platform.
Still, this result was enough to make Chu You beam with pride all evening.
As for Jing Yu?
The rerun alone had earned him 700,000–800,000 new fan points.
Combined with the natural post-airing growth, his total fan points had now exceeded 2.7 million.
He let out a long sigh of relief.
If the rerun hadn't pushed him past the threshold, he would've had to consider other projects.
Without hesitation, he opened the mysterious Exchange Panel in his mind and redeemed 'Your Lie in April'.
The redemption also unlocked all associated content:
Music, films, manga, and other adaptations—he could freely recreate them in this world.
But then—something new emerged in his consciousness.
[Spend 400,000 fan points to learn: Piano Technique & Violin Technique.]
Jing Yu's pupils dilated slightly.
Honestly, just time-traveling was weird enough.
But having to farm fan points through "plagiarism" and use them on a mysterious Exchange Panel?
Now it could even teach skills?
Wait… don't tell me I time-traveled because of this thing?
He looked down at his hands. As the male lead of 'Your Lie in April', he'd need to perform convincingly.
Sure, he could cheat with body doubles and clever editing to simulate piano playing, but it would never look as authentic as doing it himself.
He had 500,000 points left after redeeming the script.
This offer—400,000 points for two musical skillsets—seemed suspiciously convenient.
Is this a trap?
Jing Yu rolled his eyes.
But really, what else could he do? This defied science. No point overthinking.
Besides, these skills weren't limited to 'Your Lie in April'.
If he ever adapted 'White Album 2', he'd need them again.
Still… it was a little freaky.
What if I ever shoot something like 'Rurouni Kenshin' or 'Crows Zero'?
Would this panel offer me "Street Fighting Techniques" or… "Hiten Mitsurugi Swordsmanship"?
Jing Yu chuckled wryly.
That would be too absurd.
Just to film a show, he'd have to actually master some outrageous skill?
Then again... isn't that exactly why people hate so many live-action anime adaptations?
Because the actors can't pull off the original's vibe?
A new thought flashed in his mind.
This exchange panel…
Did it have its own awareness?
It seemed to understand that he was filming.
That he was acting.
And since he was playing the male lead, to help him earn more fan points, it offered him tools to improve his performance.
Real-world, realistic skills—like piano, violin, swordplay, etc.—to enhance drama quality and maximize fan growth.
That… might be its goal.
Then again… the male lead in White Album 2, Haruki Kitahara, got roasted for being "too good at kissing"…
Wait. Don't tell me this system lets you unlock "Kissing Technique"?
Jing Yu gagged a little at the thought.
Even if that were possible, he'd never redeem that.
Gross.
No more overthinking.
"Redeem Piano and Violin Technique."
He mentally confirmed.
Moments later, he looked at his own hands.
There was a noticeable difference.
Floods of music theory flowed into his mind.
It felt like some ancient energy was awakening within him.
Stop being so dramatic, Jing Yu told himself, exhaling slowly.
Next up: casting.
Male lead: Kousei Arima
Female lead: Kaori Miyazono
He had already agreed with Chu You:
Reuse the original leads from 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday', which meant himself and Yu Youqing.
But 'Your Lie in April' had many supporting roles, mostly talented young musicians.
He needed to lock in the cast within the next few days.
For that, it was time to let Liu Neng do his job.
He dialed Liu Neng's number.
"You free tomorrow morning? I want to discuss something.
And bring Gao Wencang with you."