When Jing Yu posted his latest update, it naturally drew the attention of a massive number of fans.
After all, many viewers still weren't familiar with how to use these newer apps, but simply reading the update? That posed no problem at all.
"Jing Yu-sensei just dropped news about a new project!"
Within seconds, fan groups all across Great Zhou were in chaos.
People began sharing the photo Jing Yu had posted to his QingYun account—an image of the film crew, cast, and crew details, and the project title: '5 Centimeters per Second'.
Soon, the fan chat was buzzing:
"Five... centimeters per second?"
"…"
"???"
"Whose tragic story is this gonna be?"
"Time to protect your kidneys!"
"Hey, don't be gross—it's a romance film."
"With a title like that, how could it not be a romance film?"
"Just from the name alone, I can already tell this love story will end in heartbreak."
"Come on now, be serious. Didn't you read the description in Jing Yu-sensei's post? 'The speed at which cherry blossoms fall is 5 centimeters per second. ' That's where the title comes from—it's supposed to be poetic."
"Exactly. Stop twisting it."
"Say what you will—female lead: Yu Youqing, male lead: Jing Yu!"
"But those two child actors? So good-looking!"
"I heard they're playing the middle school versions of Jing Yu and Yu Youqing's characters."
"A romance film, huh? I'll be honest, I'm not that into Jing Yu-sensei's romance movies. I'm more interested in the next chapter of 'Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal'."
"Same. '5 Centimeters per Second' sounds pretty and poetic with that cherry blossom line, but I really want to see more from Rurouni Kenshin."
"Ugh, seriously though. If he had time to start filming a new movie, couldn't he at least air 'Kimi ni Todoke' twice a week?"
"Forget it. One episode per week is a decades-long tradition in Great Zhou's TV industry. Even if Jing Yu wanted to go wild, Yunteng TV would never allow it."
"Any info on the release date?"
"Nope—just a production announcement and the genre. But since we have actors for both the adult and middle school versions of the leads, it means one thing…"
"What's that?"
"The male lead doesn't die in middle school like in 'Love Letter'. So, probably not a tragedy this time."
"I think so too. Look at Jing Yu-sensei lately—he's kind of changed. 'Kimi ni Todoke' is full of sweet romance vibes. Sure, the misunderstanding in episode two was frustrating, but overall it's still a heartwarming love story. You get me?"
"Heh. You saying that makes me think you're the one who doesn't get Jing Yu-sensei. 'Kimi ni Todoke' has only aired two episodes, and you already think it's pure fluff? Did you forget the trauma of his past works?"
"Seriously. Who would've thought that 'Initial D' would take nearly ten episodes just to reveal Natsuki's dad? People saying that kind of thing after two episodes are just too young."
"Shut up already. You doomsayers. I firmly believe 'Kimi ni Todoke' and '5 Centimeters per Second' will both be wholesome love stories!"
"Believe what you want. I only believe one thing: a person's nature doesn't change easily. I wouldn't be surprised if another male or female character shows up later to complicate things. What if Sawako ends up in the arms of some random background guy?"
"Get lost! Who even comes up with this nonsense? Go crawl back into your cuckold cave!"
"Weren't we talking about '5 Centimeters per Second'? How did this turn into another debate about 'Kimi ni Todoke'?"
"Well, the movie just started production. Not much to talk about yet. Guess we'll just see it in theaters."
"Either way, I'm watching it. Jing Yu-sensei's work has never let me down."
"Except when he's crushing hearts—he never lets us down there either."
"I still believe he'll switch sides and join the pure love party!"
News of '5 Centimeters per Second's production spread like wildfire across the internet, pushed forward by Jing Yu's massive fan base.
For the average person, it was all a bit confusing, but for those in the film and TV industry? This move was... interesting.
Wait—a blogging app can be used like this?
Because Jing Yu had been regularly appearing on Yunteng TV programs to promote 'Kimi ni Todoke', and also helped promote QingYun's two new apps, his follower count had already surpassed a million.
And those million fans? They weren't just on the app—they were also active on dozens of forums, communities, and fan groups. Word spread fast. One post became two, two became four. The ripple effect created a huge wave of publicity.
What's more, Jing Yu had done all this without spending a single cent.
Just like that, the public knew he was working on a new film.
This kind of promo strategy—
Those with a keen eye immediately realized: if this kind of mobile blog app continued to grow, there might come a day when a celebrity's influence on social media would outperform a prime-time TV ad campaign.
Of course, Jing Yu already knew all this would eventually come true.
What he didn't know was which of the currently trending video or blogging apps would actually last.
And all these platforms were backed by major companies in Great Zhou—no angel investors needed. If they did, he'd have already shamelessly asked if they wanted early-stage investment.
Still, he navigated it all with ease.
He might not have eaten pork, but he'd definitely seen pigs run!
Time passed.
Two days later, '5 Centimeters per Second' officially began filming.
October 20th.
The third Sunday of October.
In the previous two days, the third episodes of 'Stardust' and 'Summer Echo', airing on Xingtong TV and Imperial Capital TV, respectively, both premiered.
Their viewerships landed at 6.68% and 6.71%.
Strong numbers—but unfortunately…
It was already Week Three. Neither show had managed to surpass the first episode rating of 'Kimi ni Todoke'. It was safe to say both shows would likely spend the rest of the winter season locked in a battle for third and fourth place. As for the seasonal champion? Out of reach.
At this point, the only show with a realistic chance of overtaking Jing Yu's new drama was 'That Year!'
Though it had trailed 'Kimi ni Todoke' in viewership for two straight weeks, the difference was only about 0.1%. If 'Kimi ni Todoke' had a single episode that faltered slightly, the lead could be overturned, and from then on, the two shows would be neck-and-neck.
That evening at 8 p.m., 'That Year!' aired its third episode.
Having lost to 'Kimi ni Todoke' two weeks in a row, Liang Hui was fired up. She invested heavily in the third episode, increased the marketing budget, and poured resources into post-production and polishing.
Thanks to that, the episode's viewership increase was slightly higher than the previous week, landing at 7.51%.
Seeing the numbers, Liang Hui exhaled in relief.
But she didn't dare relax too much.
"Know yourself and know your enemy, and you'll never lose a battle."
She immediately turned her attention to 'Kimi ni Todoke's upcoming third episode.
Sunday nights were always Yunteng TV's strongest time slot. After two weeks of glowing word-of-mouth, the show's influence only grew.
Even before the episode began, Yunteng TV's viewership had already surged past 7%.
And it kept rising—slowly but surely.
Finally, at 8 p.m. sharp, 'Kimi ni Todoke' episode three began broadcasting.