111: Chapter 1, "The Ballad of the Blue-Clad Woman"

Xiao Dao had always forgotten to ask this question, and she was also curious about who exactly had recommended her.

Could it be the owner of their background actors' group, the production manager who had taken good care of her before? But they probably didn't have that much power.

It shouldn't be the actors she collaborated with; she only played a maid for them, so there was no need for them to give her the female lead.

Seeing Xiao Dao's confusion, the director said directly, "It was Qingyu who recommended you."

This answer was unexpected for Xiao Dao; she wouldn't have been able to guess it in a lifetime, and she never dreamed it would be Lu Qingyu.

Looking at Xiao Dao's shocked expression, the director added, "I've seen many comments online saying you're not good enough for the male lead. Don't worry about what they say; you were personally chosen by the male lead himself. Although Qingyu is young, he has a very sharp eye. If you really weren't suitable for this role, he wouldn't have recommended you to us."

Xiao Dao felt her eyes grow hot. Her younger brother had taken great care of her during filming and often shared delicious food with her. When she first met Lu Qingyu, she was especially afraid he would look down on her and then not want to film with her, demanding a lead change or something. Such things were all too common in the entertainment industry; she had even been replaced like that when she was a background actor. But she never expected her younger brother to recognize her so much.

Suddenly learning that she was recognized by so many people, a surge of motivation rose within Xiao Dao.

Xiao Dao said gratefully, "Director, I understand. I will act well."

After the morning heart-to-heart, Xiao Dao felt as if she had been given several cups of chicken soup for the soul and recovered instantly. The afternoon filming went much more smoothly.

A month later, "Zhu Xian" finished filming. Coincidentally, "palace lock" also finished filming.

Both dramas were submitted for review at the same time. As if by agreement, they were both set to air on January 18th after passing review. Even more coincidental was that they were on the same platform.

Wang Ning's face turned dark when he saw the news. Regarding the matter of being on the same platform, Wang Ning hadn't known at first because the news released for "palace lock" was that it would be on Kiwi. Therefore, Wang Ning had specifically chosen Penguin. Who would have thought that just after he finished releasing the news and confirming the broadcast time with Penguin, "palace lock" also released its news?

This was clearly "palace lock" targeting "Zhu Xian," but people didn't see it that way. In the eyes of the audience, "Zhu Xian" couldn't compare to "palace lock."

The first trailer was released. The first trailer for "Zhu Xian" was quite standard, mainly ensuring every character in the drama got some screen time, with the plot slightly hinting at a mysterious feeling to pique everyone's interest.

It's worth mentioning that most of this drama used on-location filming, which looked excellent on screen. The special effects for some animals and moves were also very well done.

The first trailer attracted many people.

[Although I don't know what the plot is, the special effects are well done.]

[Weren't previous xianxia dramas like this too? They look good in the trailer, but the actual plot is a different story.]

[The budget for the post-production special effects was probably all used up on the trailer.]

[Although I quite like Lu Qingyu, there have been too many xianxia failures; I don't dare watch you.]

The trailer for "palace lock" also came out. Relying on the popularity of the male and female leads, this trailer was also highly praised.

Currently, after both opened for reservations, the number of reservations for "palace lock" was over four million, while the number for "Zhu Xian" was seven hundred and twenty thousand.

Out of these seven hundred and twenty thousand people, it was very likely that seven hundred thousand of them were traffic brought by Lu Qingyu alone.

Wang Ning looked at this situation with some worry. This number was truly too low. If it were a short drama or an A+ film project with this many reservations, Wang Ning would be laughing in his sleep. But this was an S+ project with a total investment of four hundred million. If there really were only seven hundred and twenty thousand people, it would be difficult for this drama to break even.

"palace lock" was determined to make sure "Zhu Xian" couldn't even make a ripple.

The total production cost of "Zhu Xian" exceeded the budget by over ten million. Wang Ning wanted to do some promotion, but he was very careful with money now because he was also unsure whether "Zhu Xian" could earn this money back.

He wanted to ask Lu Qingyu to approve another portion of money for the promotion of "Zhu Xian," but he was afraid it would go to waste again.

With only two days left before "Zhu Xian" was to air, Wang Ning was incredibly conflicted, deeply experiencing the feeling of being unable to back down.

"Boss, could you see if that promotion budget can be approved?"

Lu Qingyu carefully looked at the information Wang Ning handed him. The data for "Zhu Xian" was indeed not very good.

The momentum of "palace lock" was too great. "Zhu Xian" was at a disadvantage compared to it, mainly because the number of reservations was too low.

With "Zhu Xian"'s level of popularity in such a disadvantageous situation, even if the plot picked up later, it would only be a matter of reversing its reputation through slow fermentation. It would certainly be difficult if it wanted to become an explosive hit.

Lu Qingyu thought for a moment and said, "Isn't there another version of the trailer specifically for the female lead and male lead that hasn't been released yet?"

Several versions of the trailer were edited in post-production, and those unused videos would be placed in the drama as easter eggs.

Wang Ning had reviewed this and was naturally aware: "Yes, Boss."

Lu Qingyu said, "Send it to me; I'll add some music."

Hearing the boss say he would add music, Wang Ning's eyes lit up. That's right, their boss was great at music. Coupled with the plot, it could bring another wave of popularity.

Wang Ning was annoyed with himself again. He was just used to a fixed way of thinking. Every time he interacted with Lu Qingyu, he subconsciously thought of him as his boss, the person who should be the company's decision-maker, and didn't realize at all that the boss's side jobs were singer and actor.

Wang Ning immediately had someone send the video to Lu Qingyu. Lu Qingyu watched the video once, then made some minor adjustments. In the afternoon, he spent two hours creating "ballad of the green robe."

The final promotional song for "palace lock" came out. It was a duet by the male and female leads, and it reached over 300,000 listens as soon as it was released online.

[This atmosphere is so beautiful; the female lead's singing voice is so lovely.]

[The male and female leads match so well; I just love watching period dramas.]

[A grand palace drama; the story of a prince and a palace maid is so attractive.]

[Just watching this trailer makes me a fan of their CP.]

Meng Wei looked at the excellent situation regarding "palace lock" online with full confidence.

If such a large project co-produced by Qingcheng Entertainment flopped, they would surely lose a lot of money. When they couldn't hold on any longer, Xiangwan could go and acquire them. That way, all of Qingcheng Entertainment's short dramas would belong to Xiangwan Entertainment.

Thinking of this, Meng Wei couldn't help but be happy. He would take this opportunity to let everyone see who was the boss of the entertainment industry.

Just as everyone was immersed in the promotional song for "palace lock," the final trailer for "Zhu Xian" also came out.

Lu Qingyu posted it himself. He had many Weibo followers, and since Lu Qingyu was releasing a new song, everyone was incredibly curious.

[Little brother finally released a new song! The grass on my grave has grown so tall while waiting.]

[I'm moved; it's been so long since I heard little brother sing. He's finally here.]