In a dark, narrow alley, a masked, vicious chain-wielding swordsman clashes with a handsome young man wielding a long katana.
Amid the pouring rain, a girl stands holding an oiled-paper umbrella, dressed in a white dress.
The swordsman and the youth exchange blows quickly and fiercely. The youth's swordsmanship is sharp and elegant, his movements ghostly and fluid. After just a few strikes, the swordsman is cleaved from head to hip, split in two.
Blood, mixed with raindrops, flicks off the tip of the youth's blade and splashes onto the beautiful girl dressed in white, who looks as delicate as a white plum blossom.
Her white dress is dyed red with blood; the paper umbrella is splattered like red ink. Even her pale face is speckled with vivid crimson that runs down her cheeks, blending with the rain, and drips from her chin.
"You really…"
"…bring storms of blood wherever you go."
The youth's pupils shrink. His sword hand trembles slightly.
The long-unhealed scar on his face begins to bleed once more.
"Click!"
"Perfect! That was amazing, Teacher Jing Yu!"
As usual, the director heaps praise on Jing Yu. After all, in the world of Great Zhou's TV industry, screenwriters already hold a high status—and Jing Yu isn't just the scriptwriter for this drama, he's also the primary investor.
"Is that good enough?"
Xia Yining jogs over to the monitor, watching the playback of her and Jing Yu's performance from a minute ago.
Her white dress is soaked from artificial rain and stained with fake blood, yet her eyes stay locked nervously on Jing Yu's expression.
Jing Yu watches the footage for a moment.
Slowly, his previously furrowed brow begins to ease.
"That's good. This take turned out really well. It's a wrap."
Xia Yining breathes a long sigh of relief.
This scene, where Kenshin and Yukishiro meet for the first time, had taken three nights to shoot.
Jing Yu had kept saying something was off—not that Xia Yining's acting was bad, but that it just didn't capture the version of Yukishiro in his mind.
He'd said it was a blank expression, but not completely blank. Said it was an "ice queen," but not the usual kind…
After trying countless variations, she finally earned his approval.
"The weather's chilly. That costume of yours... You'd better change quickly before you catch a cold."
Jing Yu picks up his jacket from the chair and drapes it over Xia Yining's shoulders.
"Oh, um…" Xia Yining blinks and glances at the coat on her shoulders.
"Thanks."
"You too. Go change your clothes. That fight scene soaked you through."
Xia Yining felt giddy inside.
Jing Yu didn't linger either. His costume drenched, he had to change into the next one for the upcoming scene.
He let out a deep breath.
At last, this scene was finally wrapped.
The first meeting between Kenshin and Yukishiro was a memory deeply etched in Jing Yu's heart. He still remembered being blown away the first time he watched the OVA of 'Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal' in his previous life.
Compared to the main series, the OVA's quality was on a whole different level.
The soundtrack, cinematography, art—everything was god-tier.
Because the original was so brilliant, Jing Yu held himself to a high standard when adapting it into a film. Just this short scene had taken several days to shoot—definitely inefficient, but to him, it was worth it.
Still, they'd need to speed up the filming pace from here on.
By late March, all the major networks ramped up promotion for their summer lineup.
Yunteng TV, sly as ever, scheduled the release of 'Dragon Zakura' during the same prime slot as 'Hikaru no Go' and 'Initial D'.
The premiere was set for Sunday, April 7th, at 9:00 PM.
They even had Jing Yu appear on promotional variety shows for two consecutive nights.
Before that, though, all the major Great Zhou TV stations aired their own dramas one after another.
Jing Yu was like the "catfish" in the catfish effect—his participation in a seasonal release made the top three of the six big networks go all in, even if they doubted the commercial potential of an "inspirational study drama."
I mean, seriously, they thought—if someone's truly into studying, would they even be watching dramas on a Sunday night?
Still, they gave Jing Yu immense respect in terms of strategy.
Once their shows aired, the networks flooded the media with promo articles hyping up their own content.
At the same time, they coordinated with friendly film critics to stir up negative buzz about 'Dragon Zakura' before its premiere.
"Studying is no joke. Beware of dramas pretending to encourage learning but actually misleading viewers."
"If this show really wants to inspire students preparing for Gaokao, 'Dragon Zakura' shouldn't even exist. Telling people to study while making a show for them to watch—what a contradiction."
"Studying isn't just talk. I predict 'Dragon Zakura' will face backlash from student viewers once it airs."
The general audience hadn't even reacted yet, and the critics were already going at it.
Of course, their influence only went so far. In reality—
A show's ratings depend on its content.
Critics might make a bad show's ratings worse, but they can't drag down a genuinely good one. Audiences have eyes of their own.
April 7th — 'Dragon Zakura' premieres!
Before it even aired, Yunteng TV's ratings climbed above 5%—a rare sight.
'Initial D' had only ended one season earlier, and many Great Zhou viewers still remembered Jing Yu. Combined with Initial D's finale reaching over 10% in peak ratings and a month of heavy promotion by Jing Yu, the effect was clear.
A lot of viewers were at least willing to check out the first episode of 'Dragon Zakura'. Whether they'd keep watching would depend entirely on the show's quality.
But contrary to everyone's expectation of a modern school drama…
The episode opened with a rainy night—a handsome young man and a masked, chain-wielding assassin locked in a fierce sword fight.
Longtime fans of Jing Yu instantly recognized the vibe.
"That's Jing Yu-sensei!"
"Wait, what? Isn't this supposed to be a school drama? Why does it feel like a period film?"
"Holy—those moves! Jing Yu-sensei's action scenes are insane!"
"My heart's racing! It's been three months since we last saw him!"
"Hey, that girl with the umbrella is Xia Yining!"
"She's gorgeous too!"
"…Wait, that's it?"
The camera pulled out from the fight scene—it was actually a trailer playing on a giant outdoor screen at a movie theater.
Text flashed: 'Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal' — July 7th release.
Then the scene immediately cuts to 'Dragon Zakura's lead: 'Sakuragi Kenji'—a man in his forties, sharp and composed in a business suit.
Jing Yu's fans were completely caught off guard. The opening of 'Dragon Zakura' had sneakily inserted an ad for his upcoming film, 'Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal'.
Was it blatant product placement? Maybe. But…
At the very least, it was clever and fun.
Many viewers needed a few seconds to shift their minds out of that rainy-night duel. They were still wondering what kind of story would unfold between the blood-stained youth and the girl with the umbrella.
But before long, their attention was pulled into 'Dragon Zakura's own storyline.