Translator: Ink Hub

Editor: Yoog

Were the actors really miserable?

Nie Ou stared at that sentence and pondered for a moment. Ever since Records of the Bai’s Return began filming, she had frequently seen people badmouthing the show online. Some complained that the adaptation didn’t respect the original work, while others criticized Chen Cheng’s poor acting skills.

In reality, the Records of the Bai’s Return crew had revealed very few behind the scenes clips. The criticism from these people was merely because there had been too many failed adaptations in the past, and Records of the Bai’s Return was simply being lumped in with them.

Nie Ou sighed. Her Sister Cheng’s past acting skills were indeed a bit… lacking. Perhaps even the role of Shen Yin in Code 11 wouldn’t be enough to redeem her, but Nie Ou had always possessed a premonition: Chen Cheng could truly take flight with Records of the Bai’s Return.

Perhaps it was because the Records of the Bai’s Return crew was simply too low-profile.

In the past, whenever Chen Cheng participated in a production, leaked photos and filming snippets would fly everywhere. Before the show even aired, the crew would hype it up to the heavens, pulling Nie Ou’s expectations to the limit. However, the actual quality of those shows… Nie Ou couldn’t even find the words to describe them.

It possessed a certain “brain-dead beauty” that suggested anyone could be a screenwriter even with a missing brainstem.

As a fan, Nie Ou’s mindset was very simple: if the show wasn’t good, please at least film her Sister Cheng beautifully.

Unfortunately, the crews often couldn’t even manage such a simple request.

Lin Ji’s Code 11 was the first drama that allowed Chen Cheng’s beauty and acting skills to reach their full potential. In Nie Ou’s heart, its status even surpassed Chen Cheng’s debut work. Back then, Chen Cheng only had beauty and youthful innocence, but she lacked the charisma of an actress.

Objectively speaking, the amount of badmouthing before the premiere of Records of the Bai’s Return was already considered low. After all, this was a drama spearheaded by the Publicity Department. Even if other talent agencies wanted to buy smear campaigns, they had to weigh their own importance first.

In the past, as soon as Chen Cheng had a new show coming up, the criticism would flood the hot search before it even aired. This often made Nie Ou wonder if her timeline was different from everyone else’s.

* * *

While Nie Ou eagerly anticipated the broadcast, the Records of the Bai’s Return crew was filming in an orderly fashion.

Hu Weiyi and Lin Ji had both seen the online criticism. The two of them ignored all the brainless bashing and only noted down useful suggestions, which would later become filming material for the crew.

As the figures who controlled the overall situation of the crew, the director and screenwriter remained unaffected by external influences, which made the actors feel less anxious during filming.

“Eyes! Pay attention!

“Imagine it! You really need to make eye contact, but you aren’t in a relationship. Don’t be so lingering and sentimental!”

Because the preliminary preparations were sufficient, although various troubles arose during filming, they were all smoothly resolved by the crew.

In this way, from summer to autumn, the filming of Records of the Bai’s Return finally reached its conclusion.

This was also the original deadline set by the crew.

Among the several scripts Lin Ji had created, Records of the Bai’s Return ranked last in terms of filming progress. The setting of scenes and props required the cooperation of a large group of people and took more time. As for grand spectacles like war scenes, Hu Weiyi strove for perfection and filmed them many times.

It could be said that the time and costs Lin Ji saved on the script were all spent on the higher requirements for the scenes. The two factors cancelled each other out.

On the day of the wrap-up, Hu Weiyi grabbed Lin Ji and insisted he accompany him for a drink. “Lin Ji, next time you have time to write this kind of script, remember to call me back to direct it.”

Lin Ji swapped the alcohol for a cola. “Once Records of the Bai’s Return airs, will you even need to worry about having no shows to film?”

Hu Weiyi looked at him with a smile. “You have that much confidence?”

Lin Ji nodded.

After Secretly in Love with You became a massive hit, a large number of satellite TV platforms followed suit. Sweet dramas were broadcast one after another and remained a hot topic to this day. Meanwhile, Code 11 had sparked an espionage craze in the industry. Currently, the vast majority of satellite stations had plans to prepare espionage dramas.

Records of the Bai’s Return would absolutely become a drama series that people remembered.

Lin Ji always felt that it wasn’t that no one was willing to film a certain genre; it was just that the profit incentive wasn’t strong enough.

If one told Qinglan TV and Xingzhou TV that filming a certain drama could suppress Dajiang TV, would those two stations film it?

The answer was absolutely affirmative.

* * *

Records of the Bai’s Return was finished, but it encountered some small problems as the broadcast date approached.

This drama was spearheaded by the Publicity Department and was a rare adaptation of a famous work in recent years. According to the Publicity Department’s plan, it would be best to implement a simultaneous broadcast model across several satellite stations, just like the adaptations of famous works in previous years.

The Publicity Department first considered the three A-list satellite stations: Dajiang TV, Qinglan TV, and Xingzhou TV.

A simultaneous broadcast on A-list stations would better expand the influence of Records of the Bai’s Return.

Unexpectedly, before the drama could even be shown to the three stations, Dajiang TV rejected it without hesitation.

As the representative of high viewership among A-list stations, Dajiang TV did not lack shows to air. While other stations were pondering which drama to use to fill which time slot, Dajiang TV had already planned its upcoming dramas for the year after next.

For Dajiang TV, broadcasting Records of the Bai’s Return did not align with its interests.

Records of the Bai’s Return had many episodes, and the resistance from the book fan community was quite severe. The time it took to air one Records of the Bai’s Return was enough for Dajiang TV to air two other dramas. They could collect a large sum in advertising fees alone. As for Records of the Bai’s Return, if nothing unexpected happened, this drama would not receive much favor from sponsors.

When it came to Qinglan TV, their attitude was equivocal. They didn’t mention broadcasting it, nor did they say not broadcasting it; they only said they would take a look first.

Such an attitude was obvious: Qinglan TV was also unwilling to broadcast it.

All along, Qinglan TV’s only goal was Dajiang TV. If they were to do a simultaneous broadcast with Dajiang TV, Qinglan TV would naturally be willing, as they could share the risks with each other.

But since Dajiang TV refused to take Records of the Bai’s Return, Qinglan TV would not consider broadcasting it either.

When the news reached the Records of the Bai’s Return crew, Hu Weiyi sighed silently. “The satellite stations have their own measurements.”

In Hu Weiyi’s view, the genre of Records of the Bai’s Return was more suitable for Dajiang TV.

Dajiang TV’s high-quality serious dramas were famous in the industry, and their reputation had long been established.

In earlier years, Dajiang TV had also taken detours, trying to rely on traffic and idol dramas to win back the lost market. But after some practice, the results were actually worse than before.

After the current director of Dajiang TV took office, he launched a plan to only promote high-quality dramas.

After the traffic craze gradually dissipated, the audience instead paid more attention to the plot itself and the actors’ skills. Dajiang TV clarified its own positioning through one meticulously crafted serious drama after another, eventually sitting on the throne as the number one satellite station step by step.

Since Dajiang TV and Qinglan TV expressed their unwillingness to take it, the Publicity Department simply didn’t bother asking Xingzhou TV.

What the Publicity Department wanted was the effect of a simultaneous broadcast across several stations. Even if Xingzhou TV was willing to take it, that would mean it could only be broadcast simultaneously with several B-tier stations.

For Xingzhou TV, this was not a good choice.

Among the three A-list satellite stations, Xingzhou TV had the lowest presence. However, the viewership ratings of most of their dramas were quite good because the station had a director who was very good at picking shows.

Xingzhou TV’s decline was not due to an inability to select dramas, but because in the industry, the first choice for serious drama crews was Dajiang TV, and the first choice for idol dramas was Qinglan TV. Xingzhou TV could only pick those dramas that did not target Dajiang TV or Qinglan TV.

* * *

In fact, among the several B-tier stations, the one most interested in Records of the Bai’s Return was Sunrise TV. Sunrise TV was a station that did not need the Publicity Department to come and persuade them; they actively expressed their desire to take Records of the Bai’s Return. The interest from other stations, however, was meager.

The Publicity Department didn’t want to force anyone. After all, they would have other collaborations with the satellite stations in the future, and making things too awkward was not a good thing.

Fortunately, after waiting for a few days, another station, Daqin TV, finally joined.

It was just that… Daqin TV’s situation was somewhat similar to Sunrise TV’s. It ranked low among B-tier stations, and there weren’t many viewers who usually paid attention to it.

Regardless, the willingness of satellite stations to take it was a good thing for the Records of the Bai’s Return crew.

“It’s a pity to have delayed this drama of yours.” The head of the Publicity Department felt a bit embarrassed. “The drama is indeed a good one.”

After watching the finished version of Records of the Bai’s Return, the Publicity Department wished the drama could be broadcast immediately to cover up all the bad influence caused by the previous adaptation.

The drama was adapted truly well. The pacing, the performances, the scenes—every aspect could be described as perfect.

The moment the camera zoomed in and the melody of the interlude played, the atmosphere belonging to the era of Records of the Bai’s Return rushed toward them.

In the eyes of the Publicity Department, this was a good drama that could absolutely achieve success. If not for this, the Publicity Department wouldn’t have enthusiastically gone to various satellite stations to sell it.

The attitude of the satellite stations could be described as a bucket of cold water poured over them, chilling the Publicity Department from head to toe.

“Daqin TV and Sunrise TV are also quite good.” Hu Weiyi was quite Buddha-like about this. “As long as it can be broadcast, it’s fine.”

Once the representatives from Sunrise TV and Daqin TV arrived, the Publicity Department, the satellite stations, and the Records of the Bai’s Return crew sat down together to discuss the broadcast time. The time was tentatively set before the end of the year, just in time for the Spring Festival slot.

Lin Ji took out his phone and made a checkmark on the date.

Halfway through the meeting, the Publicity Department head’s phone suddenly rang. After the head finished the call, he suddenly looked at the people across from him with a complex expression. “I’m afraid our meeting will have to be moved to the afternoon.

“Xingzhou TV has the intention to participate in the simultaneous broadcast.”

Daqin TV and Sunrise TV: “…”

The director of Xingzhou TV arrived in a hurry, but the fact that he could appear in the meeting room meant that Xingzhou TV was indeed interested in Records of the Bai’s Return.

The meeting was long and boring. Lin Ji saw Hu Weiyi taking notes with high spirits, while he himself couldn’t help but want to yawn. The content negotiated by the satellite stations had nothing to do with him; he only needed to care about when the drama would air and where.

When the meeting ended, Lin Ji walked out with a sleepy face. Just as he pushed open the door, he saw that unfamiliar director from Xingzhou TV walking over with a face full of smiles. “Screenwriter Lin, this is our first time meeting. I am Chu Tianzhou from Xingzhou TV.

“What genre does Screenwriter Lin plan to write for your next drama? Would you consider our Xingzhou TV?”

Seeing this scene, the directors of Sunrise TV and Daqin TV exchanged looks and followed in Chu Tianzhou’s footsteps.

“We are also very curious about what genre Screenwriter Lin will write next.”

“Let’s all discuss it together.”

Chu Tianzhou: “…”

If eyes could kill, he would have already stabbed these eyesores in front of him multiple times.

Chu Tianzhou’s gaze hinted: Now is the time for A-list stations to talk.

Daqin TV and Sunrise TV’s eyes responded: Screenwriter Lin doesn’t care about that.

Lin Ji: “…”

It’s a bit crowded, thanks.

NOTES

Brain-dead beauty (脑干残缺的美): A term used to describe something that looks good on the surface but lacks any logic or substance. 

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