In the dead of winter, even the distant corners of the park still had their share of visitors. Many passersby were stopping to stare in surprise at a particular spot.
"Is that a film crew?"
"That girl's so pretty."
"She's barely dressed… It's freezing! Why is she only wearing a skirt? Aren't her legs cold? At the very least, throw on a pair of black tights!"
"Oh! Wait, I remember her—that's the lead actress from that drama 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday' that aired a while back, isn't it?"
"A new show?"
"Interesting! They're filming on location here?"
Although it was a cold winter morning, the bright sunshine had drawn quite a few people to the park. Once they saw the production crew filming, most stopped to watch.
"We've got to move quicker, or once the crowd gets too big, it'll be hard to keep things under control," Gao Wencang said to Jing Yu.
This scene was mainly focused on introducing the character Miyazono Kaoru. But, well...
Yu Youqing had zero experience playing the melodica—she was just miming the motions. The music coach on-site, however, was a stickler for accuracy. She could tolerate bad playing, but she drew the line at incorrect finger movements.
And so…
Half an hour later—
"Ugh, finally got through that bit." Yu Youqing looked around at the crowd of onlookers and felt a bit embarrassed.
Although the weather was cold, the high-powered heaters that Jing Yu had arranged in advance made things bearable. It felt more like autumn than winter, and that biting chill faded after a while.
"The next shot is of me filming you with my phone. The wind is blowing upward, catching the edge of your skirt…"
"You're making me sound like some creepy perv…" Yu Youqing commented as she walked down the grassy hill to join Jing Yu, who was holding the script.
"This is how Kousei and Kaoru meet for the first time," Jing Yu replied, ignoring her sarcasm.
"So how should I act? Shy? Cold and aloof?" Yu Youqing stood beside him with her hands behind her back, tilting her head as she read the script in his hands.
"Just be your typical cheerful, energetic type of girl."
"Energetic girl?" she repeated, puzzled. "Another new term?"
"You know—the outgoing, lively, carefree kind. Not dumb, but emotionally sensitive on the inside."
"So… just treat you like a pervert, right?"
"I'll make sure to aim the phone camera at your skirt at just the right moment, and the crew will activate the wind machine then," Jing Yu explained.
Yu Youqing's expression stiffened.
"That really does sound creepy."
"You're wearing safety shorts, what are you worried about?" Jing Yu frowned, confused.
"You girls are weird. You wear way less at the pool, and no one bats an eye. But in everyday life, a guy glances at a skirt and it's suddenly scandalous."
"It's completely different, okay?" Yu Youqing shot back, unamused.
But there wasn't much time for idle chatter. The next shot was already prepped.
Yu Youqing and Jing Yu quickly moved into their designated positions.
For the entire drama, 'Your Lie in April', Jing Yu's acting skills were going to be put to the test.
It wasn't about dramatic highs and lows, but rather the subtle emotional shifts of a young man.
Take this entrance scene, for example. To be honest, if the acting wasn't on point, it would just come off… creepy.
Jing Yu had been working hard on improving his acting. He often wondered: since the system panel gave him all these tools to aid in filming, why not just give him a pre-made "acting boost" package?
But the system completely ignored that request.
So, he had no choice—he had to train on his own.
The flower petals, blown by the wind machine, fluttered around Yu Youqing as she held the melodica. Suddenly, a stronger gust lifted the hem of her skirt ever so slightly. At that moment, Jing Yu lifted his phone and aimed it at her.
Click.
"Ah! You perv with a hidden camera!"
The camera followed Yu Youqing as she ran down the grassy slope.
This scene had to be reshot seven or eight times. Since it was her first appearance, Yu Youqing still hadn't fully grasped Miyazono Kaoru's character. Jing Yu's script wasn't super detailed in that regard, so her performance had to be adjusted on the fly.
However, Jing Yu was quite satisfied with the performances from Zelin and Du Liang. Their characters—a sporty, pretty boy and the childhood friend with a crush on the male lead—weren't particularly difficult to portray.
"I'll be performing over there. I'm… a violinist."
Yu Youqing lifted the violin case onto her shoulder and turned back with a beautiful, fresh smile.
"Cut! That's a wrap for this scene!"
In the final drama, this scene would only last a few minutes. But in real life, it took until early afternoon to finish filming.
As soon as they wrapped, Yu Youqing rushed to the dressing room to change. Even though they'd used the heater on her the entire time, it was still freezing.
"That's it for today's outdoor shoot, right?"
She changed into her thick coat and even grabbed two heat packs from Jing Yu, tucking them into her clothes.
"Yeah, we're done. The rest depends on you. Half of Episode 1 is complete. The remaining scenes focus on Kaoru's solo violin performance. You'll need to keep it up—your performance is the centerpiece of the episode. It'll determine our premiere ratings," Jing Yu said, looking at her.
"Got it. So I'm that important, huh?" Yu Youqing joked.
"Well then, shouldn't you treat me to a big meal after today's shoot, Jing Yu?"
"A big meal? You think I'm skipping out on that?" Gao Wencang suddenly popped in.
"Wait, is Jing Yu treating us?" Liu Yushi, who played Zelin, also came running over.
"We've still got interior scenes to shoot this afternoon! Who said anything about treating anyone right now? Back to the script, all of you. Once we get back, we're diving into the next set of scenes," Jing Yu said with a straight face.
In a typical crew, the actors wouldn't be joking so casually with the scriptwriter. But Jing Yu wasn't the type to put on airs. They were all around the same age, and after spending time together, everyone had gotten used to his personality. Working with him didn't feel stifling.
Within half an hour, the entire crew had packed up and driven off.
But word had already begun spreading online, thanks to parkgoers sharing photos and videos.
In certain fan groups from Lan Province...
Once the pictures surfaced, they sparked a wave of discussion.
"So these are the photos from Jing Yu's new drama shoot? As expected—Yu Youqing is the lead again!"
"Makes sense. 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday' had high ratings. It's only logical for the network to pair them up again."
"Shoai Mei and Gao Shan… man, their ending in 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday' was just tragic. Once they missed their chance, that was it. I hope their characters in the new show have a normal love story. Just something simple and sweet."
"I heard the new show is called 'Your Lie in April'. Weird name. But judging from the costumes and setting, it's a campus romance, right? Should be safe."
"Exactly. What's there to worry about in a school romance? Maybe a few twists and turns, but the ending's always happy."
"Still, I'm kinda disappointed it's just a regular romance. I really liked the fantasy romance vibe of 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday'. But who knows? Maybe 'Your Lie in April' will surprise me, too."