After his talk with Jing Yu, Chu You hurried straight back to the station. He had originally planned to report the conversation directly to Minister Shi Teng, but Shi Teng wasn't in.
So it wasn't until the next morning that Shi Teng learned from Chu You what had been discussed.
"Teacher Jing Yu is interested in the fall drama slot?" Shi Teng immediately broke into a wide grin.
Jinhui's spring season lineup had made a real splash, not just in Lan Province, but across the entire Da Zhou TV industry.
Although Jiang Shiqing's Dangerous Girlfriend had been crushed mid-season by 'Your Lie in April', when the spring season closed, it still ranked 27th in average ratings—making it Jinhui's best performance in nearly ten years outside of 'Your Lie in April'.
And as for 'Your Lie in April', its final episode had broken 3%. Although low ratings in the early episodes dragged the average down so it never quite broke 2%, it still ranked 18th overall for the spring season.
It was the single best quarter Jinhui had ever had in the national ratings.
But for Shi Teng, once the awards and commendations were done, the real question was the summer season.
If spring had exploded this spectacularly, what about summer?
The reality was clear: Jinhui would collapse back to its usual mediocrity. Fans who had just watched something like 'Your Lie in April' would not forgive being handed a bland drama right after. Criticism would be nonstop.
But if Jing Yu returned in the fall, that would be a completely different story.
"Teacher Jing Yu already has a new concept?" Shi Teng shot up from his chair in excitement.
"Uh, well…" Chu You thought back to Jing Yu's room full of computer games and DVDs, then nodded heavily.
"Yes. After pouring his heart and soul into 'Your Lie in April' and achieving such brilliance, he hasn't grown complacent. Instead, he's quietly been planning his next script. He told me very clearly—he has confidence for the fall season."
Chu You was, of course, talking nonsense.
Whatever Jing Yu was really planning, in the eyes of everyone at the station, he was still "Chu You's man." Even though Chu You hadn't been the producer in 'Your Lie in April', he was the point of contact and overall handler within the station.
At a time like this, of course, he had to speak up for Jing Yu.
"Not arrogant, not restless," Shi Teng nodded with satisfaction.
But he wasn't stupid either. He asked another question:
"And what about Teacher Jing Yu's contract?"
"Oh, that. Teacher Jing Yu said his current contract hasn't expired yet. He'll talk to the station when it does."
Naturally, Chu You wasn't about to spill Jing Yu's true intention of leaving. If things changed later, he needed room to maneuver.
He'd just play dumb. If Shi Teng wasn't satisfied, he could go ask Jing Yu himself—and eat the rejection himself.
"After the contract expires, we'll talk?" Shi Teng's smile froze for a moment.
He lowered his head, thinking silently for half a minute.
After years in the industry, he could tell Chu You was glossing things over. And thinking it through, he could more or less guess Jing Yu's state of mind.
With a sigh, Shi Teng recalled the mess months ago, when Xu You and Jiang Shiqing had sabotaged the contract. Who could have guessed that the young man they cast aside so casually would explode with this kind of talent only months later?
It had been easy to strip him of a long-term contract then. But now, asking him to sign a restrictive deal again? Not a chance.
"This matter, I hope Director Chu can pay more attention. As for conditions, everything is negotiable."
Of course, he didn't voice what he really thought.
The problem was obvious—Jing Yu had become famous using the station's resources. But if he didn't stay, it would be a serious issue.
Still, talk of him leaving could never be spoken aloud. If Jing Yu really did leave and the higher-ups came down on them, they'd be blamed for incompetence. Better to feign ignorance now than later; they could deny responsibility.
Who knew he was going to leave? Did you know? If you did, why didn't you say anything? Why didn't you pull out all the stops to keep him? I didn't know. Otherwise, why would I have invested so much in producing more dramas with him?
As for the fall lineup—whatever Jing Yu's true intentions were, his strength, popularity, and influence were already undeniable. Even if he left afterward, Shi Teng would absolutely still invest in his script. Keeping Jing Yu long-term was a future interest. His next drama was an immediate interest. Either way—it was Interest. And Shi Teng would not pass it up.
Shi Teng and Chu You exchanged a glance. Everything was understood without words.
They both knew: if Jing Yu truly left, the ones who would take the fall were Jiang Shiqing and Xu You. They'd be blamed for undermining new talent and causing the station enormous losses.
Jing Yu himself had expected complications after Chu You reported back. Given his attitude, it wouldn't have been strange if the station decided to shelve him.
But everything went smoothly. None of the problems he'd worried about arose.
'Your Lie in April' and 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday' DVDs and merchandise were already being arranged.
Funding for an 'Your Lie in April' extra episode had even been approved.
Jing Yu almost felt strange at how smoothly things were progressing.
Two days later—
The main cast of 'Your Lie in April' reunited.
"Teacher Jing Yu!"
"Hello, hello!"
"Teacher Jing Yu, you've worked hard."
"Teacher Jing Yu looks even more handsome!"
Yu Youqing, Xia Yining, Liu Yushi, and Chen Zhongyi were all thrilled to see him again.
Especially Yu Youqing. After filming wrapped, she had daydreamed that maybe Jing Yu would suddenly call her out of the blue. But half a month had passed with nothing. When she called his phone, it had been shut off for an entire week.
It felt like he'd vanished. For a while, she even suspected he'd blocked her and was heartbroken.
"This time, you all know why we've gathered again," Jing Yu said, standing before them. "The station is preparing to release DVDs and merchandise for 'Your Lie in April'. We'll also be filming a short extra episode to include, to help boost sales."
"The special isn't long—basically the length of one TV episode. We'll aim to finish filming within a week."
Naturally, this "extra" was based on the original short manga epilogue of 'Your Lie in April': The Final Movement.
It was just a collection of side stories not shown in the main plot, compressed into one episode to be packaged with the DVDs.
"And also… if nothing unexpected happens, I'll have a new drama airing in the fall season," Jing Yu added slowly.
Beside him, Gao Wancang and Liu Neng were stunned.
They hadn't heard a word about this.
"Unlike some people, I'm a sentimental person. So—do your best, everyone," Jing Yu told the cast.
Everyone instantly understood the meaning behind his words.