Compared to the modest crew of 'Rurouni Kenshin', which had barely a dozen members, the production of 'An Ancient Love Song' was on a completely different level.
Over a hundred people bustled around the set—lighting, cinematography, props, extras, supporting actors—all fully prepared.
Inside the makeup room, Su Yan adjusted his long, straight black wig and examined himself in the mirror.
Tall and slender, dressed in a white robe with blue trim—he exuded the scholarly aura of a refined gentleman, a stark contrast to the cold-blooded assassin he portrayed in 'Rurouni Kenshin'.
"Not bad," Su Yan murmured, impressed by his own look.
After all, his appearance in his past life hadn't been anywhere near this handsome. Taking a deep breath, he stepped out of the makeup room.
"Good afternoon, Teacher Su Yan."
"Hello, Teacher Su Yan!"
As he walked down the hallway, staff members paused their work to greet him.
In the Xia Nation's film and TV industry, scriptwriters and producers held nearly equal authority on set.
If Su Yan wasn't satisfied with someone—even if Shinozaki Ikumi hired them—they could be dismissed on his word alone.
However, this kind of absolute authority also explains why 'Pure Breeze' turned out so disastrously, thanks to Kiyota Sanji's unchecked control.
Not only was Kiyota the lead writer, but he also exerted massive influence over producer Tu Heng.
When Su Yan arrived at another room, he heard several familiar voices before he even opened the door.
"How is it? Do you think this makeup works?"
"So pretty, Qingyuan! Xia Nation's historical costumes are so much more extravagant than the ones in 'Rurouni Kenshin'."
"I was worried people would still see you as Yukishiro Tomoe, but with this new look, you feel like a totally different person."
"Qingyuan, try showing us how Lu Yuan would act in her younger years. Let's see if the makeup artist needs to tweak anything."
Inside, the crew's makeup artist was doing final touch-ups on Gu Qingyuan's makeup.
Director Shi Peihua and producer Shinozaki Ikumi were chatting with her, both smiling warmly.
The three had built a good relationship while filming 'Rurouni Kenshin', and Shi Peihua genuinely respected Gu Qingyuan's acting skills—never putting on any airs as a director.
As Su Yan entered the room, he glanced over.
Gu Qingyuan stood there in an elegant red palace gown, with a delicate makeup dot between her brows. Her clear eyes held traces of fatigue and wisdom. Her fair skin and red lips added to her striking appearance.
In the first episode of 'An Ancient Love Song', Lu Yuan is 36 years old. The emperor is mentally impaired, so as empress, she essentially governs the nation in his stead.
Su Yan had initially been worried Gu Qingyuan might not capture that gravitas, but now, just one glance was enough for him to feel reassured.
Shinozaki Ikumi, Gu Qingyuan, and Shi Peihua all turned to look at Su Yan, and their eyes lit up.
They saw the same thing—Su Yan's appearance, with his clear eyes and curious expression, was entirely different from Kenshin's. A whole new character.
"Hello, Teacher Su Yan," Gu Qingyuan greeted with a gentle smile.
"Hello, Lu Yuan," Su Yan replied.
Gu Qingyuan blinked, then quickly realized—this was Su Yan's way of approving her transformation into the role.
"Haha, you know," Shi Peihua joked, "there aren't many people with 'Yuan' in their names. Your script's female lead is named Lu Yuan, and Gu Qingyuan's name also ends in Yuan. Were you planning this collaboration from the start?"
"Or," she added teasingly, "was the character based directly on Gu Qingyuan?"
"Pure coincidence," Su Yan replied.
"Lu Yuan and Gu Qingyuan have very different personalities. But you've only read the first three episodes, so you don't have the full picture yet.
Why did I name the female lead just 'Yuan'? That'll be revealed in the final episode—it's a small clue."
"And why was I so specific about their costumes and styling. Why does Lu Yuan appear in a vibrant red palace gown in her first scene, and why does her clothing gradually become more muted later?
Why does Shen Buyan, the male lead, wear plain clothes at the start, and why does his wardrobe darken over time?
It's all intentional symbolism. Once all episodes are finished, it'll make perfect sense."
Gu Qingyuan's eyes sparked with curiosity.
She'd heard that before filming began, Su Yan had given Shinozaki Ikumi several specific requests.
For example, he had full control over the selection of inserted songs. He had to be involved in makeup and costume decisions. He even insisted on filming certain scenes on location, even though it would cost more. No green-screen shortcuts.
Su Yan had even claimed that the seemingly ordinary first episode of 'An Ancient Love Song' was filled with foreshadowing for the entire series.
"The final episode?" Shinozaki Ikumi perked up.
"So you've already outlined how it ends?"
"Just parts of the setup," Su Yan smiled, offering no further details.
If he said more, she'd know the drama ends in tragedy.
And while she wouldn't mind knowing the ending, if she tried to make him change it... They'd probably argue.
After all, she'd already been flamed by 'Rurouni Kenshin' fans for the bittersweet finale—she wasn't eager to go through that again.
As the three chatted, the sky darkened.
Su Yan had completed filming the modern scenes of the first episode in just two days.
But the latter half of the episode was all set at night.
As the sun set and dusk fell, lanterns lit up the imperial city set at the Hudu film base, casting a golden glow.
Props like willow branches and mustard greens with boiled eggs (for the Shangsi Festival scene) were all ready.
Gu Qingyuan, standing a few meters away, turned to Su Yan and said:
"Teacher Su Yan, for the next three months, I'll be in your care.
Whether it's the martial arts scenes or the guzheng-style instrument you said Lu Yuan plays in the story—I may not be as skilled as you, but I'll do my best to make sure the footage holds up."
"Same here. I still have a lot to learn from you in the acting department," Su Yan replied with a calm smile.
It was time.
Su Yan and Gu Qingyuan walked to the camera together, under the watchful gaze of the entire production crew.
It was their second time acting together—there was no nervousness at all.
Tonight's scene was their first on-screen encounter: the moment when Shen Buyan, who travels from the modern world to the ancient Sheng Kingdom, meets the demon-like Empress Lu Yuan.
Time passed quickly, and late September arrived.
This was when all major TV networks began promoting their upcoming fall season dramas.
Hudu TV had invested 43 million yuan into 'Lone Doctor', a high-grade medical workplace drama.
Zhongxia TV spent 38 million on 'The Painted One', a fantasy-horror A-grade drama.
Sakura TV, for its part, had poured 39 million into 'The Gilded Ones', a corporate intrigue A-grade series.
These top-tier dramas were promoted directly after this season's primetime shows—seamless transitions, high exposure.
Even before airing, these three shows had already drawn millions of fans.
The three stations were also smart about their scheduling—airing 'Lone Doctor' on Friday, 'The Gilded Ones' on Saturday, and 'The Painted One' on Sunday.
This avoided competing for the same audience and hurting everyone's ratings.
Then came the B-tier dramas from Sakura TV:
'Midnight Gourmet' (29 million yuan),
'Under the Blue Sky!' (27 million yuan romance),
and C-tier fantasy romance drama 'Night Sakura' (15 million yuan).
These too had decent promotional support, appearing in primetime ad slots with trailers airing between segments.
But when it came to C-tier dramas like 'An Ancient Love Song' and the other seven or eight low-budget fall season shows on Sakura TV—
They only got limited promotion, mostly in low-viewership time slots. The impact was clearly weaker.
Even so, for fans of 'Rurouni Kenshin', the release of 'An Ancient Love Song''s trailer was explosive news.
On SakuraNet, where Sakura TV's dramas were listed, fans could now find the official page for 'An Ancient Love Song'—complete with director, writer, producer, cast, art team, lighting, and makeup credits.
Once the preview trailer was uploaded, the 'Rurouni Kenshin' fandom—silent for over a month—suddenly came roaring back to life.
Among them was Tong Xiaoqi.
No one knew how she managed to recover after finishing 'Rurouni Kenshin' in mid-August.
For two nights after Episode 4, she lay awake for hours, devastated by the tragic love between Yukishiro Tomoe and Himura Kenshin.
The first week after the finale, she ranted online about Su Yan.
By week two, she started recognizing the genius of the ending.
By week three, she fully realized what a masterpiece it was.
Now, she was completely obsessed with Su Yan and Gu Qingyuan as a couple.
As a die-hard 'Rurouni Kenshin' fan, her only wish was that Su Yan and Gu Qingyuan would act in 'An Ancient Love Song'—
Preferably as lovers again.
And most importantly, with a happy ending.
She begged Su Yan not to waste his stunning looks, god-tier martial arts choreography, and brilliant acting just to hide behind the scenes as a faceless genius writer.
That would be a crime against the talents heaven had given him.
With all that hope in her heart, Tong Xiaoqi clicked on the trailer for 'An Ancient Love Song' on SakuraNet.
The screen paused for half a second—then a familiar voice rang out:
"I must change her fate."
A man in white-blue robes, refined and handsome, eyes filled with determination—
appeared onscreen.
Tong Xiaoqi instantly stopped breathing.
That was…
Su Yan.
Onscreen text appeared:
"Su Yan as: Shen Buyan"
"We are not strangers brought together by fate!"
Another familiar female voice spoke.
A beautiful woman in red brushed her fingers over a konghou's strings.
"Gu Qingyuan as: Lu Yuan"
In the trailer's opening three seconds, the message was already clear to Tong Xiaoqi.
The lead roles in this drama were once again played by Su Yan and Gu Qingyuan.
And sure enough, fans of 'Rurouni Kenshin' who had already seen the trailer lit up the screen with bullet comments:
[Holy crap!]
[They're working together again!]
[YESSS!]
[Must-watch for sure!]
[No discussion—this show is getting watched. Period.]
[Su Yan really gets it! If this series makes up for 'Rurouni Kenshin''s heartbreak, I'll stan him for life!]