When Su Yan spoke, there was a seriousness in his eyes unlike anything before.
At one look, Shinozaki Ikumi could tell—having him write the script independently was a line Su Yan would not back down from.
Although she was anxious, what choice did she have?
She could only choose to trust him.
Su Yan had also mentioned he would give her several music scores in the near future, which she should then have someone arrange into compositions. These would serve as important insert songs and the theme song for 'An Ancient Love Song'.
Shinozaki Ikumi hesitated, wanting to say something.
But remembering how the highly praised track for Rurouni Kenshin was something Su Yan had somehow unearthed, she could only hope that he wouldn't waste too much of his energy on tasks outside of screenwriting.
Polishing the script was what truly mattered!
While the team for 'An Ancient Love Song' was being assembled...
'Pure Breeze' aired its final episode online.
Unsurprisingly, the rating plummeted to a new low of 4.9. The final episode's plot was terrible—
The female lead died from a completely unexplained illness.
The male lead's father died.
The family went bankrupt.
The second female lead ended up with the male lead.
Under Kiyota Sanji's direction,' Pure Breeze' truly reached a new low. A romantic comedy forcefully morphed into a dark tragedy in just two episodes—what could audiences do but shake their heads?
It reminded Su Yan of a romance manga from his previous life, 'Fuuka' from Japan. Just as the story was hitting its peak, the female lead was suddenly hit by a truck and killed off.
That kind of emotional whiplash—
It was exactly what 'Pure Breeze' fans in Xia Nation were feeling now.
To creators caught up in their own delusions, these "plot twists" were strokes of genius. That's how Kiyota Sanji viewed his ending for Pure Breeze—a self-indulgent finale he was proud of.
But for many viewers, their reaction to the finale was uncontrollable laughter—from sheer frustration.
It wasn't tragic.
It was almost comedic.
A meaningless tragedy. Melodramatic nonsense.
The pay-per-view numbers for Episode 12 of 'Pure Breeze' naturally took a nosedive.
From last week's average of 3.2 million views per episode, it dropped to only 3.01 million.
The internet exploded in outrage.
Although 'Pure Breeze's official channels tried to deflect blame, claiming the last two episodes were written solely by the co-writer Kanzaki Yusuke and not Kiyota Sanji...
Angry fans didn't care.
You had advertised 'Pure Breeze' as a co-written project between these two. Now that the show has bombed, you want to pin the blame on just one person?
What, you think we're stupid?
In a relay race, if the team comes in dead last, no one escapes responsibility.
Even if that really were the case, what are you going to do—refund our time? That disgusting ending won't just vanish. Both writers can take the fall.
The outrage intensified when it was revealed that Kiyota Sanji's new series 'Night Sakura' was already scheduled for broadcast next season on Sakura TV.
You? Really?
With your level of skill, do you have the nerve to come out with a new show so quickly? Just to upset us again?
Meanwhile, Sakura TV also released an official announcement for 'An Ancient Love Song', the new series by 'Rurouni Kenshin's writer, Su Yan.
And that was all it took.
'Pure Breeze's fans jumped ship and joined the 'Rurouni Kenshin' fandom in flooding the Sakura TV website's comment section.
"Kiyota Sanji is trying to imitate Su Yan with some tragic twist? Look at 'Pure Breeze'! I've never seen a script crash and burn so hard."
"The grief in 'Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal'—that was the kind that breaks your heart but leaves you deeply moved. It told the story of two lovers torn apart by chaos and their yearning for peace.
'Pure Breeze'? That tragedy was like eating hotpot at home and suddenly getting run over by a truck. No logic. No purpose. Just nausea.
And now that the writer gets a new show? Is the TV station run by his dad?"
"I'm not watching a single second of that dogwater 'Night Sakura'. Let him scam some unsuspecting viewers instead."
"Wait, Su Yan already has a new show for the fall season? That's fast!"
"'An Ancient Love Song'? Is it airing in the Sunday midnight slot? What?! Su Yan's brilliant new script gets the graveyard shift, while 'Pure Breeze's trash writer gets Saturday 10 PM? If there's no shady dealings, I'll eat my hat."
"Midnight slot? Who cares. If Su Yan's writing it, I'll get up at 3 AM just to watch."
"Exactly."
"Lucky me—I work night security. This timeslot's perfect."
"Spread the word about Su Yan's new drama. A talent like his shouldn't go unnoticed."
"Sunday midnight? That's nothing. We've all pulled all-nighters before. The only question is: are you willing?"
"'An Ancient Love Song'... what a beautiful name. I wonder what kind of drama it is?"
"I just hope Su Yan and Gu Qingyuan—who played Kenshin and Yukishiro Tomoe—appear again. Even as side characters! Please! Rurouni Kenshin messed me up so badly that I've been in a daze for a month. I want to see them act as a couple again—with a happy ending this time!"
"Please, Su Yan! Let Gu Qingyuan be in the new show! You too! Just give us a pairing with a happy ending. Let us heal from Kenshin and Tomoe!"
It's rare for TV drama fans to swarm a broadcaster's official site like this.
Usually, this kind of passion is reserved for web drama fans.
But now, both the scriptwriting and production teams at Sakura TV had clearly noticed the massive contrast in public reception between Kiyota Sanji and Su Yan.
Though no one officially said the two shows competed,
Everyone behind the scenes could feel the unspoken rivalry between Su Yan and Kiyota Sanji.
September 12th.
Due to time constraints, casting and crew recruitment for 'An Ancient Love Song' were happening simultaneously.
This time, the production team was significantly upgraded compared to 'Rurouni Kenshin'.
Director Shi Peihua—highly trusted by both Su Yan and Shinozaki Ikumi—was back.
Other departments, such as makeup, lighting, art, cinematography, editing, and costume design, were handled by even more renowned teams from Hudu. The visual quality would be a major step up.
Su Yan's vision was simple:
15 million yuan wasn't a small budget, but in the world of TV production, it wasn't exactly abundant either.
Hiring A-list or B-list stars was out of the question.
And hiring third-tier actors wouldn't help—especially in a late Sunday midnight slot. They lacked the pull, and the money would likely be wasted.
The only way for 'An Ancient Love Song' to stand out was through a strong script and investing that money in top-notch production quality.
Good word of mouth could make a hit—no matter the timeslot.
Shinozaki Ikumi agreed wholeheartedly.
After all, Su Yan and Gu Qingyuan's portrayal of Kenshin and Yukishiro Tomoe had left a lasting impression on fans.
Bringing in unknown third-tier actors to play male lead Shen Buyan and female lead Lu Yuan likely wouldn't have the same impact.
Plus, judging by the passionate posts on Sakura TV's site, the 'Rurouni Kenshin' fanbase clearly wanted to see Su Yan and Gu Qingyuan reunited on screen.
"So, you'll play Shen Buyan," Shinozaki Ikumi looked at Su Yan, "and for the female lead, Lu Yuan... I already asked Gu Qingyuan. She agreed immediately, didn't even ask about her pay. Are you okay with that?"
"Of course," Su Yan nodded. "I promised her during 'Rurouni Kenshin' that if I had a good new script and a suitable role, she'd be the first I'd consider. Besides, those hundreds of thousands of 'Rurouni Kenshin' fans expect this.
If 'An Ancient Love Song' wants any chance of success in this midnight slot, we have to mobilize those fans to promote it organically once it starts airing."
He paused, then added,
"Lu Yuan's character has several action scenes. She's pretty strong. I'll be playing a frail scholar type who gets saved by her a few times. If Gu Qingyuan plays Lu Yuan, she'll have to train for the fight scenes."
"Not a problem," Shinozaki Ikumi said with full confidence.
"You're the real expert in fight choreography anyway. We don't even need to hire a martial arts coach. When we were filming Rurouni Kenshin, those stunt directors at Hudu film base didn't dare correct you—it was like showing off in front of a master."
"Now, about the four other important supporting characters—
Prime Minister Li Yong, Lu Yuan's brother Lu Shi, her maid Yihua, and Emperor Yuanqi.
Their roles are heavy, and their auditions—"
"Will begin this afternoon and run into the evening," Shinozaki Ikumi continued. Over a hundred actors will come today to audition for those four roles. That's why I came to get you—we're heading to the audition venue together."
"So soon?" Su Yan was surprised.
'An Ancient Love Song' had only just been greenlit a few days ago.
It already felt like filming would begin any moment.
"What did you expect?" Shinozaki Ikumi said softly.
"The premiere is set for Monday, October 1st, 00:01 AM."
"We only have a bit more than two weeks to shoot."
"Every day, our footage will be immediately sent to post-production for dubbing, editing, and compositing. But don't worry—we don't have any flashy energy beams or fantasy effects. This is a straightforward historical drama. As long as we have the budget and script, the short production window won't hurt quality."
"So, Su Yan, I need you to—must—deliver the script on time.
I respected your choice not to hire assistants or divide the writing.
But once shooting begins, no matter how tired you are from acting during the day, you have to keep up with the writing pace."
"I can solve any other issue—even if it means pulling all-nighters.
But I can't solve script delays.
Only if you deliver the script on time can my production schedule stay airtight."
"Don't worry." Su Yan looked at her seriously.
"I won't drop the ball."
That afternoon, Su Yan attended the supporting role auditions for 'An Ancient Love Song'.
Each of the four characters needed strong acting chops.
Li Yong needed to portray a righteous young official in his early years and a power-hungry prime minister later in life.
Yihua had to go from cheerful and fearless in her youth to serene and cold after losing her beloved.
Lu Shi, the younger brother, was practically modeled after Huo Qubing from Su Yan's previous life—
Handsome, brilliant in martial arts, and a role that required real acting power.
Each character came with serious acting challenges.
But as it turns out, money talks.
With funding, you could find the right actor for any role.
As for minor supporting roles, they were handed over to Shinozaki Ikumi's assistants to handle.
For instance, the old woman who sells a jade pendant to the male lead at the start—
Director Shi Peihua herself was so intrigued that she wanted to take the role.
At the Hudu outskirts film base, dozens of crews were in motion—
Not just 'An Ancient Love Song', but also 'Night Sakura', three A-tier fall dramas, over ten B-tier productions, and various C-tier and web dramas.
In this massive crowd, neither Su Yan nor Kiyota Sanji was anything special.
And yet—
Every one of these creators had their eyes set on the fall season.
Everyone was hoping this would be the launchpad to their breakout success.
September 14th.
After days of preparation, 'An Ancient Love Song' officially began filming.