"A romance drama... with music elements?" Liu Neng raised an eyebrow. "Do you even know music?"
"A bit," Jing Yu replied.
If this had been the old Jing Yu, his understanding of music barely extended beyond "do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti."
But now, with a mind full of professional music theory, he could shamelessly say that line with confidence.
"Well, I don't know much about music," Liu Neng relaxed a little, "but if you know it, that's good enough. You're the core of this entire production."
He looked Jing Yu in the eye.
"You want actors with musical knowledge, right?"
"Exactly. Preferably with good looks too—at least enough that they won't look like amateurs next to me and Yu Youqing. Most importantly, they need to have some skill in violin or piano. Acting ability comes first, but musical experience is a bonus," Jing Yu explained.
Realistically, piano playing could always be dubbed over in post-production.
But at the very least, the actions and visuals couldn't look too fake.
Most of the audience—99% of them—wouldn't know the difference anyway.
It was just the 1% of purists who might criticize finger positions, posture, and realism.
But really, who cared?
As long as it looked fine to the general public, it was good enough.
"That's a bit tricky, but not impossible," Liu Neng nodded.
"We've got, at most, three days to cast and form the crew. No time to waste."
He looked over at Gao Wencang, who had been busy stuffing his face.
"Looks like we'll have to split up. I figured this would be a tight schedule, so I already started calling around and making arrangements a few days ago. The crew side should be fine. But some logistics and coordination still need your touch, Director Gao. I'll go with Teacher Jing Yu to hold auditions."
Jing Yu blinked—Liu Neng was… actually reliable?
He didn't have deep connections or power to pull strings and get more funding or special treatment, but when it came to logistics and on-set management, Liu Neng was well-prepared and efficient.
"Where do we find these actors?"
"The entertainment industry has plenty of talent," Liu Neng smiled confidently.
"Looks are just the basic requirement. Musically gifted actors aren't common, but they exist. Your strict age limit is what makes it tougher."
After all, 'Your Lie in April' wasn't just about love and music—it had a third major component: youth. School life.
Jing Yu and Yu Youqing could barely pass for high schoolers.
Middle school would be pushing it.
And since the story included multiple music competitions, there would be a lot of contestants—fellow students—who had to look the part.
So they needed actors who were:
Young
Decent actors
Good-looking
Familiar with the violin or piano
And able to pass for high schoolers.
"Besides contacting talent agencies, we should also post casting calls in universities," Liu Neng suggested.
"Universities? Students?" Jing Yu raised an eyebrow. "That's reliable?"
"Students these days are amazing," Liu Neng said.
"Some of the more popular actors in White Lovers are still university students."
"But can they act?" Jing Yu frowned.
"That's what auditions are for," Liu Neng laughed.
"Also—don't forget—you're from a screenwriting program, right? And yet no one questioned your acting in 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday', did they?"
That gave Jing Yu pause.
He thought about it for a moment.
"When do we go?"
"I've got several friends in Lan City University's performing arts department. It's December now, so most colleges are about to go on winter break. A lot of music and acting students will be looking for part-time work over the holidays."
"Lan City has tons of students. There's bound to be some who meet the requirements—talented in both music and performance. And good-looking too, of course. Let's give it a shot."
"Besides, we've got way more budget this time—11 million yuan. If this doesn't work out, we can just pay top dollar to agencies in other provinces. But that would cut deeper into our casting budget."
Liu Neng glanced at the episode one script on the table.
Just from this one script, you couldn't tell much.
But he was already on Jing Yu's ship—he had to trust the captain.
That evening, Yu Youqing turned down her third talent agency offer of the day.
She still remembered what Jing Yu had said—if he got a new project, he'd prioritize working with her.
It had already been half a month since 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday' wrapped.
She hadn't seen Jing Yu since.
After the show aired, her name popped up again in her class group chat.
Some classmates genuinely congratulated her.
Others? Their comments were passive-aggressive, implying she just got lucky.
Once, stuff like that made her angry.
But lately, she didn't even bother responding.
"It's been half a month already... Don't tell me he forgot me?"
Yu Youqing looked at the beautiful flowers in her shop window.
She knew how this industry worked.
People always said things like "When I make it, I'll take care of you"—just empty words.
But when Jing Yu said it, she believed him.
And ever since 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday' wrapped, she'd quietly held onto that hope.
After all, in her two years post-graduation, only on Jing Yu's set did she feel like people were truly focused on making a great show—without the drama, politics, or games.
She glanced at her phone... only for Jing Yu's face to pop into her mind.
[@Yu Youqing] Hey, have you heard anything? I heard from an agency that Jing Yu's new drama is greenlit to air in January. Lots of actors in Lan City are excited. Do you have any inside info?
A classmate tagged her in the group chat.
[Yu Youqing]: No.
What? Really? I thought he'd call you first. Didn't you guys work great together?
Yeah! After how well you two did in 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday', you'd think you'd get a part in the new one too!
If you've got any say, help us get a cameo or a minor role or something.
The usual passive-aggressive "friendly" crowd.
They sounded supportive.
But between the lines—especially given her history with these people—it was clear they were just waiting to see her fall.
"What's wrong? Still looking at your phone?"
"Oh, sorry. May I help you?"
Her words froze.
That voice...
She looked up in surprise and delight.
"Jing Yu?"
Jing Yu smiled.
"Every time I come to your shop, you're always this distracted. How do you expect to attract customers?"
"Why are you here?" she asked, flustered.
"Am I not allowed to come by?"
"No, I just... didn't think you'd be the type to... to remember me."
She hurriedly locked her phone and looked up, her voice softer now.
But she wasn't dumb.
Jing Yu showed up at this time—she had a hunch why.
Still, her gloomy mood of the past few days was swept away—whether it was because he was honoring his promise, or just because he had shown up at all, she wasn't sure.
"You guessed right," Jing Yu said, grinning. "Who has time to wander around aimlessly? People like that are annoying."
He pulled a script from inside his coat and handed it to her.
"I'm here on behalf of the 'Your Lie in April' production team—to officially invite you to play the female lead, Kaori Miyazono."
"Your Lie in April?"
"Mhm."
"New drama?"
"Mhm."
"So… you didn't forget me."
"Of course not. I told you—I'd think of you first for the next project."
Jing Yu cleared his throat.
"I take promises seriously.
You were willing to believe in 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday' and take on Shou Aimei when no one else did. You saw potential in the script when no one else did.
So naturally, I see the same in you."
He hadn't contacted her sooner because he needed to confirm everything.
If the station had tried to force-cast another lead, even if he admired her, he would've had no choice but to comply—after all, the station held the money.
Until he had true creative power, he had to follow the rules.
Yu Youqing blinked, eyes locking on Jing Yu's face for several seconds.
Then, without a word, she took the script from his hand.
Her heart thumped—but she reined it in.
She opened it, eyes scanning curiously.
It was almost 9 PM.
Inside the flower shop, her voice rang out again and again as she asked about the story, the characters, the scenes—while Jing Yu patiently answered every question.
Meanwhile, over at the White Lovers set—
"You already sent out the casting call to the major agencies in Lan City?"
"Looking for young, handsome actors who can play violin and piano…"
Jiang Shiqing's brow furrowed.
"A music drama? Since when does Jing Yu know music?" he muttered.
His gaze drifted to Song Xin, standing nearby.