[March 15th — Genius Screenwriter Jing Yu's New Masterpiece Arrives]
['5 Centimeters per Second' to Stream Exclusively on Qingyun Video — Jing Yu Becomes the First Among Great Zhou's Top Creators to Bypass Theaters for a Full Online Release]
[Streaming platforms — the rising force in Great Zhou's film and TV industry? With the acclaimed Jing Yu on board, is this the future?]
[One hand holding an umbrella, the other cradling cherry blossoms — the breathtaking trailer of '5 Centimeters per Second' sets the tone for spring. What kind of story awaits us on March 15th?]
[Latest update: The film will be split into three chapters — "Cherry Blossom Extract," "Cosmonaut," and "5 Centimeters per Second" — each released separately. Viewers can choose how to watch. Pricing: 6 Yuan, 6 Yuan, and 8 Yuan, respectively. Is this bold or foolish? What if the first chapter fails to hook the audience and the film flops?]
[January 26th — Jing Yu to appear in a Qingyun livestream Q&A. Don't miss it.]
[A web film outshining even traditional dramas and movies this spring — is this a new era for online media? Or is Jing Yu simply in a league of his own, where every project becomes a national event, no matter the format or genre?]
Since '5 Centimeters per Second's promotional campaign began in January, its name had appeared everywhere with striking frequency.
Qingyun Video had gone all in this time. They knew opportunities like this didn't come often. Other than '5 Centimeters per Second', Jing Yu had only agreed to produce three additional exclusive projects for Qingyun. These four works were crucial for the platform's future.
If even Jing Yu, the most talked-about screenwriter in Great Zhou, couldn't carry their platform to success with exclusive content, it would be extremely difficult to convince other big-name creators to come aboard. Investors who were still watching from the sidelines would become even more cautious.
So no matter what—even if this movie didn't turn a profit, even if they lost money—Qingyun had to create buzz and boost sales numbers.
That was the risk of "riding the Jing Yu wave." If a drama failed on Qiezi or Jixun, they could blame poor execution or unproven creators.
But if Jing Yu—a creator with an unbroken record of success—flopped on Qingyun, few would blame him. Most would assume Qingyun's model itself was to blame.
This pressure reached its peak on January 26th.
Jing Yu dressed carefully for the occasion.
He chose a crisp white suit and had the studio's professional stylists do his hair and makeup.
Soon, he, Yu Youqing, and the rest of the main cast of 5 Centimeters per Second had all gathered.
They arrived at the venue arranged by Qingyun.
At the main entrance, 500 fans—winners of an online raffle—were already lined up, waiting.
Their driver tactfully pulled into the underground garage. From there, staff members led Jing Yu's group into the venue via a private side entrance.
"Feels like it's been a while since I did something like this," Jing Yu remarked as they walked.
"It hasn't been that long," Yu Youqing replied with a meaningful smile. "Didn't you do a few variety show appearances for 'Kimi ni Todoke's promotions? You and Xiaoning looked like you were having fun."
"I mean fan meetings, not media events," Jing Yu clarified.
"Ever since I got famous, I've had to stay on alert in public to avoid being mobbed. As for fan meets… I haven't done one since the 'Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal' promo event in the capital. Remember that crazy girl who almost—"
His expression turned a bit uneasy.
If not for the swordsmanship skills he'd acquired through his exchange system, he might not have been able to dodge her lunging embrace… or worse.
"Oh, that!" Yu Youqing laughed. "You mean the 'Screenwriter Jing Yu Nearly Assaulted by Crazy Fangirl' story? I laughed at that headline for ten minutes when I saw it."
Chatting casually, they arrived at the side entrance of the main event hall via the underground elevator.
The other production staff followed quietly behind them, not daring to interrupt. They didn't have the clout. Plus, while Jing Yu was good-tempered with a select few, he had zero tolerance for unprofessionalism on set. If your performance was off or your attitude stank, he would call you out.
Though '5 Centimeters per Second' wasn't a theatrical release, Jing Yu still participated fully in Qingyun's promotional efforts.
At exactly 8:00 PM, the livestream began—just as Qingyun had promised in its earlier teasers.
Streaming wasn't a challenge for platforms like Qingyun. Great Zhou's network infrastructure could handle it. And though the livestream format still felt novel to many viewers, the anticipation and week-long hype drew in a huge crowd of fans.
"It's starting!"
"Any leaks on what's gonna be announced tonight?"
"They say we're getting a second trailer for 5 Centimeters per Second!"
"That's the rumor… but who knows what they'll actually show."
"I've been waiting all spring for this movie. Honestly, this quarter's dramas have been such a letdown. Maybe I've just watched too many of Jing Yu's shows…"
"Same. I don't think the big six networks have dropped in quality. I think our standards just got too high."
"Especially the romance dramas—this spring's offerings on Yindou Net are brutal. Even people who said 'Kimi ni Todoke' ended too abruptly admit that, flawed as it was, it completely wrecked the formula of those old-school love story tropes."
"Lately, even Jing Yu's haters are quiet. Guess they finally realized: no matter how much they complain, nothing is airing right now that's better than his work."
"Didn't win the ticket lottery… but my roommate did. So jealous. He gets to see Jing Yu live!"
The fan group chats were already blowing up.
Then, at 8:00 sharp—
The Qingyun livestream lit up.
The screen flickered, and a new promotional image appeared:
Jing Yu, dressed in casual clothes, was standing amid a flurry of falling cherry blossoms, gazing silently at a railway track.
Or perhaps… someone on the other side of it.
Behind him, a massive illustrated backdrop filled the screen.
At the top, logos:
Bluestar Media × Qingyun Video