On the first day of 'Your Lie in April', the summer lineup of dramas began airing across Da Zhou's major TV stations. Viewers' attention quickly shifted to the new shows.
But the battle of the spring dramas wasn't over yet. The merchandise market was still booming: character outfits, props, photo books, signed photos, music CDs, and drama DVDs. Each station had established partners rushing to produce and sell them.
In this climate, the sales of 'Your Lie in April' DVDs drew heavy industry attention.
On day one of pre-sales, over 200,000 were sold.
By day two, sales passed 400,000.
By the end of the first week, total pre-orders had surpassed 900,000.
Even though 'Your Lie in April' had only ranked 18th in average ratings for the spring season, its DVD sales had quietly climbed to 9th place on the spring charts.
Many insiders had already felt 'Your Lie in April' had enormous potential, held back only by the wrong platform. Now, seeing the DVD and merchandise sales, their opinions were confirmed.
As the writer of 'Your Lie in April', Jing Yu's name began appearing in countless industry reports and media pieces.
In early April, filming wrapped on the 'Your Lie in April' side story.
The footage was rushed through post-production, staff working overnight to make sure it would be ready for the April 20th release.
But unlike before, Jing Yu didn't return to his relaxed daily routine.
He had to prepare for his fall season drama.
'Your Lie in April's payments had already been wired—the production costs, post-production music budget, and the male lead's fees. Because of the additional investment later on, everyone's income had increased proportionally. Jing Yu's total income from 'Your Lie in April' exceeded 2.2 million.
Da Zhou's tax rate wasn't as high as in his past life—less than 30%. His take-home pay was about 1.6 million.
From being broke just a few months ago to a millionaire now—plus the fact that his new project had already been approved—he should have been ecstatic. So why…
No, wrong track.
Jing Yu dragged his eyes away from the stack of video game DVDs he'd just bought.
"So this time, the station's budget for my new drama is 23 million, right?" Jing Yu asked, clearing his throat.
"Yes, that's the initial budget," Chu You nodded quickly. "But you know how it works—if the ratings climb, like with Dangerous Girlfriend, extra funds can always be added later."
That was standard practice. Unlike the big national networks, Jinhui didn't have the foundation to throw 50–80 million at a single drama upfront. Their usual model was to start small and add funds gradually.
Even Dangerous Girlfriend had started at about 20 million.
Of course, most of the extra funds had gone into actors and promotions rather than the production itself, which might explain why its ratings had lost steam in the later episodes.
"We can talk about that later," Jing Yu smiled.
He didn't care much for "big stars." The real A-listers of Da Zhou were far beyond Jinhui's reach. And within Lan Province, he and Yu Youqing were already the hottest names around.
"So, Jing Yu—about your new script. Any progress?" Chu You asked with eager eyes.
"I have a question first, Uncle Chu. What if my new drama can't finish within one season?" Jing Yu asked.
"Can't finish? A long drama?" Chu You's eyes lit up.
"Across two seasons?"
"Not that long. About 18 to 20 episodes," Jing Yu replied with a smile.
"That's…" Chu You frowned.
Commercial ad deals were always calculated per season. A drama that ran for one and a half seasons didn't fit the rules. Normally, such a script would be rejected outright.
But this was Jing Yu. Rules existed to be bent—if you had the standing to bend them.
"No problem. Leave it to me. I'll explain it to the station. You just focus on the script," Chu said seriously.
If the ratings were good, Jing Yu could run his drama as long as he wanted. If they were bad, even six episodes might get it axed. Either way, Chu You had no pressure in making the promise.
No matter how successful a writer's past work had been, every new drama was judged by its ratings. Da Zhou was full of big-name writers whose new projects had been cut short by major stations to reduce losses.
"Then I've got no problem," Jing Yu exhaled.
"No problem?" Chu You blinked.
"You don't have requests for the production team? Actors you prefer? The station can negotiate. As for the director, our Li Xian is a seasoned veteran. And if you'd trust me, though I've been handling more administrative duties lately, this uncle of yours can still serve as producer."
"No need. I'd like to keep the original 'Your Lie in April' team. Of course, some roles in the new script will require auditions, but that's no big deal."
"The same people?" Chu You frowned.
"This will be your third straight project without changing the core team. Why?"
"Right now, in Lan Province's TV industry, what's more impactful than the words 'from the original 'Your Lie in April' team'?" Jing Yu countered.
"And besides… I enjoyed working with them."
Chu You stared at him for a long while before sighing.
"So you're someone who values loyalty, eh?"
For the first time, he felt like he truly understood Jing Yu a little.
These people had chosen to stick with him back when 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday' was just a filler project with little future. Now that he had risen, of course, he would bring them along.
After 'Your Lie in April', Jing Yu's reputation in Lan Province was unmatched. If he wanted, no actor or director would refuse him. Yet he chose to stay with the same team.
If only I—or the station—hadn't been so cold to him back then… maybe he'd have already signed a new long-term contract with us.
Chu You sighed again.
"Your new drama isn't one of those projects that demand extremely artistic cinematography, right?" he asked cautiously.
"No. Just a standard romance. Though perhaps… not quite as warm as 'Your Lie in April'," Jing Yu said.
As long as it wasn't wuxia or an arthouse drama, Chu You was reassured.
He trusted Gao Wancang's ability—ordinary romance dramas were no problem. 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday' and 'Your Lie in April' had already proven that.
"Right—what's the new drama about? And what's the title?" Chu You asked.
"Like 'Your Lie in April', it's a campus romance. Later, there might be touches of music and workplace themes, but not much. As for the name…"
"White Album 2."