In his office, Jing Yu sat deep in thought, considering various aspects of filming White Album 2: the finer points of the story, which actors to cast, and how to adapt or trim certain scenes from the original script.
Meanwhile, Liu Neng and Gao Wencang were fully focused on the stack of scripts that Jing Yu had handed them.
To be honest, the first three episodes were just the beginning—the story hadn't reached its emotional core yet. In Liu Neng and Gao Wencang's eyes, it seemed like nothing more than a wholesome, heartwarming school romance.
Two girls becoming close friends, preparing to perform together with the male lead at the school festival…
Such a beautiful friendship.
Such youthful innocence.
The love triangle setup was interesting, with all three characters well-defined.
"Jing Yu… is this another music-themed romance?" Gao Wencang asked, intrigued.
Sure, the early parts seemed mild, but 'Your Lie in April' had been the same—it started ordinary, and then exploded in popularity. Who could've predicted that?
This one might be just like 'Your Lie in April'. Gao Wencang wasn't about to jump to conclusions again. And if White Album 2 had similar music-romance elements, there was no doubt that 'Your Lie in 'Your Lie in April's fanbase would tune in—ratings would be guaranteed.
"There's some music involved," Jing Yu replied, "but it's not the focus, and it won't take up too much screen time."
"But you don't need to worry. I'm just as confident in 'White Album 2' as I was with 'Your Lie in April'."
"Just as confident… meaning what exactly?" Liu Neng asked, a bit breathless.
"Exactly what you're thinking—ratings, impact, popularity. I believe once it airs, it won't lose to 'Your Lie in April' in any of those areas," Jing Yu said calmly.
Liu Neng and Gao Wencang exchanged a glance, both visibly tense with excitement.
'Your Lie in April's success had been overwhelming—so overwhelming that neither of them had dared to expect Jing Yu's next work to reach the same heights.
After all, what screenwriter could consistently produce hits?
If White Album 2 averaged even 1.4–1.5% viewership, that alone would be enough to uphold Jing Yu's growing legacy.
The two left Jing Yu's office, a little dazed.
They knew one thing clearly: whether this drama took off or not didn't rest on their shoulders.
They could guarantee quality, but not success. That was entirely up to Jing Yu.
His words sometimes felt like empty corporate hype—like those bosses promising "10 million in sales this year, 100 million next year, and by year five, you'll be on the national rich list."
The problem was…
Everything Jing Yu had ever promised so far?
He'd delivered.
"He said this one would at least match 'Your Lie in April', right?" Gao Wencang asked as they stepped out of the office.
"Yeah… he really did," Liu Neng replied, taking a deep breath.
"You believe him?"
"Didn't use to. But now I do."
"Damn, same here. Beating 'Your Lie in April', huh? I'm getting fired up just thinking about it—I've got goosebumps already," Gao Wencang said, rubbing his arms.
Late May.
The news that casting had begun for Jing Yu's new drama spread quickly through the Lan City film industry.
The roles were renamed for the Da Zhou setting:
Kitahara Haruki → Yuan Cunxi, played by Jing Yu himself.
Ogiso Setsuna → Mu Xuecai, played by Yu Youqing.
Touma Kazusa → Dong Hesha, played by Xia Yining.
Iizuka Takeya → Wuye, played by Chen Zhongyi (who had played Watari in 'Your Lie in April').
Mizusawa Io, Setsuna's close friend → Ze Yixu, played by Liu Yushi (who played Ze Xun in 'Your Lie in April').
Other key roles—like Touma's mother, Haruki's mother, college friends from the CC arc, and characters like Chiaki Izumi, Mari the editor, and Setsuna's frenemy-turned-bestie Tomo Yanagihara—would all be open for public casting.
In short, Jing Yu brought over nearly the entire core cast of 'Your Lie in April'.
All contracts were signed without a hitch. After all, Jing Yu was now the biggest name in the Lan Province drama scene. Who would turn down the chance to work with him again?
Funding from the network arrived swiftly. Departments were staffed, sets were built.
June 3rd, actors officially entered the production phase.
Inside the dressing room, Xia Yining spent nearly an hour getting ready. When she stepped out, she was in full costume—a high school uniform for her role in White Album 2.
White blouse, black pleated skirt, long legs, silky black hair, porcelain skin…
Her naturally cool demeanor gave her an aura of "Don't come near me".
She looked exactly the part.
When she got the call from Jing Yu asking her to play Touma, she had been on cloud nine for three days straight.
Back at her performing arts school, her classmates—both peers and underclassmen—were green with envy.
It was obvious: she'd caught the eye of Lan Province's most in-demand screenwriter. If she followed in Yu Youqing's footsteps, she was on track to become his next go-to actress—and maybe the next breakout star.
"That guy's my lucky star," she whispered to herself. "First acting role—his. First lead role—his."
Outside the dressing room, the early summer sun bathed the set in golden light. Unlike the snowy days when 'Your Lie in April' was filmed, June in Lan City meant 30+ degree heat, staff members in shorts and sandals hustling about.
As soon as Xia Yining walked onto the set in her school uniform, half the men present were stunned into silence.
Jing Yu, sitting under an umbrella to avoid the sun, glanced up.
In the sunlight, a girl so cold and beautiful it was hard to look away.
In his mind, the anime image of Touma Kazusa overlapped with Xia Yining's real-world version.
Sure, one was 2D and one was real—but the impact?
Uncannily similar.
Before he could finish his thought, another figure stepped out of the dressing room.
Yu Youqing is also in a school uniform.
Orange hair is hard for most people to pull off without looking cartoonish. But on her—tied into twin tails—it worked. Her tall, curvy figure gave her presence.
As soon as she stepped out, she looked straight at Jing Yu and gave him a brilliant smile.
Several men on set immediately shifted their gaze from Xia Yining… to her.
Then came Chen Zhongyi, in costume as Takeya.
This wasn't the official first day of filming—just a photoshoot for promotional material.
But as the core cast of White Album 2 lined up for the group photo, a quiet pride filled everyone on set.
"Ratings-wise, maybe we can't beat the national networks," someone muttered.
"But for looks? No one's beating this cast."
The shoot wrapped in about an hour.
Afterward, Yu Youqing approached Jing Yu with a bright smile. It was their first time seeing each other in over a month.
"Teacher Jing Yu, you look so handsome today~"
Jing Yu, flipping through documents, smiled lightly.
"You too. Your Setsuna look is great. I think the audience will love it."
Just then, another voice chimed in:
"What about me? How does my Touma look compared to what you imagined?"
It was Xia Yining, walking up beside them, her tone curious and light.
Despite her cool image, she knew better than to act aloof around Jing Yu.
Back on the 'Your Lie in April' set, she'd realized Jing Yu wasn't the type to abuse power. He was dependable and loyal to the people around him.
Despite his current clout, he still chose to work with the same team: Gao Wencang, Liu Neng, Yu Youqing… even her.
In short, he was the kind of person who didn't forget his friends after getting rich.
Rare.
A talented and loyal screenwriter? Xia Yining wasn't dumb—this time, she wasn't going to play it cool. She'd learned from Yu Youqing: chat, engage, show up.
After all, Yu Youqing had gotten three back-to-back lead roles that way.
The fandom had long speculated about a real-life romance between her and Jing Yu. Many 'Your Lie in April' and 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday' fans even hoped the rumors were true—to them, it would be a perfect ending.
Jing Yu gave Xia Yining a direct answer:
"Visually, it's spot-on. But your vibe is too cold. Touma—er, Touma—is more of an ice-on-the-outside, warm-on-the-inside character. She's not arrogant, just socially awkward. The expression you had in the promo shots made her look like she looked down on everyone."
"Ah, I see… So in this show, my character is in a couple with you, right?" Xia Yining asked playfully, blinking.
Yu Youqing's expression shifted subtly.
Warning bells.
"Not necessarily," Jing Yu replied. "Early on, it's a dual heroine setup. As for who ends up being the 'true' female lead…"
He paused.
"That depends on the audience."
"You're deciding the outcome based on fan popularity?" Xia Yining asked softly.
"In that case, I'll probably lose to Sister Youqing. She's beautiful and already has tons of fans."
"Don't say that. You're just as good," Yu Youqing quickly replied.
"So what you're saying is… the final heroine hasn't been decided yet?" Yu Youqing asked, taking a deep breath, her eyes flashing with determination.
This time, she was going all in.
She was going to breathe life into Setsuna and make audiences love her.
Looks? Maybe she and Xia Yining were evenly matched.
But acting ability?
She wasn't about to lose.
"You're not wrong," Jing Yu nodded. "Also, this drama's tone is very different from 'Your Lie in April'."
"In 'Your Lie in April', even by the end, Kousei and Kaori never got together. The most intimate they got was holding hands."
"But White Album 2 is different."
"It spans from high school to working adulthood, and the love triangle gets increasingly intense. So yes—romantic scenes, kisses, emotional confrontations… they'll all be there."
Yu Youqing had already shot those kinds of scenes with Jing Yu in 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday'. No big deal.
But Xia Yining was still a college senior, graduating next month, and had never been in another drama.
Jing Yu wanted to give her a heads-up to avoid issues during filming.
What he didn't expect… was that Xia Yining didn't even flinch.
Her eyes narrowed slightly, but her expression remained calm.
Yu Youqing, on the other hand, had a visible reaction.
"What's wrong?" Jing Yu asked.
"You mean… in this drama, you—no, Haruki —will have kissing scenes with Touma?" Yu Youqing's tone was tight.
"Of course," Jing Yu replied. "It's natural."
More than one, actually.
But they'll be toned down for TV.
"What is it?" he asked again, puzzled.
"As an actress, this shouldn't bother you. You've done similar scenes before."
"N-no, it's nothing. I was just curious," Yu Youqing replied quickly with a forced smile.
Xia Yining gave her a sideways glance, smirking slightly. Then looked at Jing Yu.
"Anyway, you both have the first three episodes' scripts. Study them carefully," Jing Yu said. "If anything feels off about your character interpretations, call me."
He had too much on his plate to waste time chatting with them all day.
June 5th
White Album 2 officially began filming.
That evening, Jinhui TV posted the drama's official cast photos on their website.
Same crew as 'Your Lie in April'.
Same energy.
Different story.
On the website, over 10,000 comments popped up under the photos—most from Kaori fans.
But Xia Yining's fans weren't backing down.
"Wait— Igawa Emi's second female lead?"
"Second lead? What are you talking about? It's a dual heroine story. Equal screen time!"
"Yeah, right. We've seen this before. The dual heroine is just bait. Whoever's more popular after airing wins. The loser becomes the 'emotional underdog.' You think Kaori is gonna lose to Touma?"
"Are we finally getting a drama where Yu Youqing and Jing Yu's characters end up together?"
"Don't celebrate too soon. Xia Yining's no pushover."
"Let's see who the real female lead is once the show airs."
Just from a photo drop, fan wars had already begun.
Truth was, Xia Yining's fanbase still lagged behind Yu Youqing's. In online arguments, it often felt one-sided.