"This is a compilation of her past performances," said Shinozaki Ikumi as she opened another video file on her laptop.
Su Yan leaned in and watched carefully.
Shen Liqian's acting style naturally radiated the charm of a cute, energetic girl.
After all, that was her actual personality—so her performance felt effortless and authentic.
"If you're not satisfied with her, Su Yan, then we'll probably have to consider casting a newcomer," Shinozaki Ikumi said.
A second-tier-or-above actress, youthful, pretty, with a bright and lively aura, and skilled in violin?
Yeah… good luck finding someone who checks all those boxes.
Take out the "second-tier actress" requirement, and your options open up—but the trade-offs are obvious.
"No," Su Yan said after a brief pause.
Based on everything Shinozaki Ikumi had told him, Shen Liqian was a perfect fit for Kaori Miyazono.
And having an A-list actress with real star power was a rare bonus.
A great script, excellent production, and famous, well-matched actors—only when all these factors aligned could a true hit drama be born.
Casting a rookie as the female lead would very likely hurt the premiere's ratings.
"Can you arrange for her to audition tomorrow?" Su Yan asked.
"Of course. Actually, she lives pretty close to the film base on the outskirts of Hudu. That's why she bought the villa there in the first place."
"Then it's settled. Let's set up a meeting," said Su Yan.
The next morning, at 10 a.m.
Inside the high-end recording studio that Su Yan had rented in advance.
A woman in a flowing red dress walked in, heels clicking, her long black hair falling to her waist. Her skin was porcelain-pale, and her beauty was dazzling.
"Hello, Teacher Su Yan."
Shen Liqian smiled, her eyes curving like crescent moons—an aura of vibrant charm radiating from her.
"Hello."
Su Yan stood and reached out to shake her hand, eyes lighting up slightly.
Sure, her features weren't an exact match for the anime version of Kaori Miyazono, but that could all be adjusted through styling and makeup.
The key was her aura—the natural, bubbly energy that couldn't be faked.
Just like Gu Qingyuan's cold elegance was innate.
You could try to act it—but it would always come off as painfully fake.
With Shen Liqian, no overacting was needed. She just needed to align slightly with Kaori's character, and it would work.
"Didn't you say this was an acting audition? Why are we at a recording studio?" Shen Liqian asked, a little confused.
"Well, in this drama, the male and female leads have several violin-piano duet scenes. So this 'audition'… is that," Su Yan said with a smile.
"I want to do a duet with you. Let's see how the chemistry sounds."
He took a violin from a staff member and handed it to her.
Then he sat down at a grand piano nearby.
Shen Liqian's eyes flashed with amusement.
A violin-piano duet?
Was this a joke?
Acting was one thing—this was real life.
How could a screenwriter's piano skills possibly match her fifteen years of violin training, starting from age five?
Wasn't he just setting himself up to be destroyed?
Even now, though she was a star, the violin remained her passion. She still practiced regularly each week.
"Alright then," Shen Liqian said with a polite smile.
She named a moderately difficult Xia classical piece.
If Su Yan didn't mind embarrassment, she certainly wouldn't either.
Off to the side, Shinozaki Ikumi and Shen Liqian's agent looked completely baffled.
[What… are they doing?]
"I don't know that piece," Su Yan replied with a laugh.
After all, it was a traditional Xia composition—he wasn't familiar with them.
"You don't?" Shen Liqian looked surprised.
Most musicians started with those classics. How could he not know it?
"Then what do you know?" she asked.
Su Yan named a different piece.
The original body had always loved that song. He couldn't play it before, but he had listened to it hundreds of times.
And now? After spending the morning practicing, and with the help of the system's overpowered skills, it had already become muscle memory.
"??"
Shen Liqian narrowed her eyes.
A moderately difficult, well-known classical piece he doesn't know… but he offers a harder, lesser-known one instead?
Was he trying to make a point? Showing that easy songs weren't enough to reflect his skill?
Fine.
Let's see what you've got.
Her expression curved into a slight smirk—one that said "I'm not holding back. Prepare to be crushed."
She was easy to read.
Her agent's face twitched.
"Can you not go all-out like this? Haven't you learned anything after that disaster with Akasaka Yoshitoki?"
Shinozaki Ikumi was just here for the show.
She'd never seen Su Yan fail before—and honestly, she was looking forward to it.
She wanted to see that eternally confident smile finally break.
Inside the studio…
A surge of intense piano and violin notes filled the air.
Within the first few seconds, Shen Liqian's expression changed.
She could feel it—the man on the piano bench wasn't normal.
And then—
The tempo accelerated.
The emotional weight pouring out of the piano clearly overpowered the violin.
Five minutes later—
Both Shinozaki Ikumi and Agent He Qihua looked completely stunned.
They turned to Shen Liqian, who looked like she was about to cry.
"Where… am I?
What just happened?"
They had thought this would be a showcase of the former national violin prodigy from five years ago, totally overwhelming Su Yan.
Instead, even with their limited music knowledge, it was obvious.
Su Yan's piano was leagues ahead.
Shen Liqian had been completely led by his tempo.
Su Yan rose from the bench.
Playing piano was physically demanding, but thanks to the system-enhanced physique he gained during the filming of 'Rurouni Kenshin', his stamina far surpassed the norm.
This piece? Barely counted as a warm-up.
He walked over to Shen Liqian with a gentle smile and extended his hand.
"That's enough. You're incredible—your skills have improved a lot since the youth violin finals five years ago. I was worried you might've let it slide, but clearly that concern was unnecessary. Welcome to the cast of 'Your Lie in April.'"
Shen Liqian's emotions were complicated.
That five-minute duet had hit her hard.
She always knew there were people out there more talented than her.
Several of her past competitors who stayed in the music world had already won international awards.
While she earned well as a star, she sometimes envied them, wondering if she'd made the right choice.
But Su Yan?
A screenwriter and actor… who played piano like that?
She had always believed she was a genius, blessed with talent and a smooth path—until she hit the wall named Akasaka Yoshitoki.
Now, seeing the man in front of her, she felt… small.
For the first time, she was unsure of herself.
Shinozaki Ikumi and He Qihua exchanged glances. They both knew:
Shen Liqian had just been won over.
Mid-to-late April
The full cast of 'Your Lie in April' was finalized.
At the same time, the character visuals began appearing on Aozora TV's official site.
Over on the only major streaming platform not owned by the Big Three—RaccoonNet—
The official series page for 'Your Lie in April' also went live.
Both platforms listed the key info:
[Screenwriter: Su Yan
Su Yan as Kousei Arima
Shen Liqian as Kaori Miyazono]
It included a brooding image of Su Yan wearing black-rimmed glasses…
…and a photo of Shen Liqian with long flowing hair, dressed in a school uniform from the Sakura Island district, slender legs visible, her lively smile radiating beauty that made hearts skip.
The moment this info dropped, both fanbases went crazy.
[Su Yan… how did you land Shen Liqian for a drama with just a 20 million yuan budget?!]
Shen Liqian's fans celebrated hard online, joining forces with Su Yan's fans to push 'Your Lie in April' to the #1 trending topic.
[It's been over a year! Shen Liqian finally bounced back from the flop that was 'Pear Blossom' and landed a new project!]
[And she's working with the genius screenwriter behind three consecutive smash hits?!]
Xia Nation's media sensed something deeper was going on.
Everyone knew Su Yan had supposedly left Sakura TV after being suppressed by Akasaka Yoshitoki.
And Shen Liqian?
After the failure of 'Pear Blossom'—a drama aired on Sakura TV—she, too, had been blacklisted thanks to Akasaka's influence.
So the two of them are collaborating now?
[You really think there's no deeper message here?]
This was practically a public statement:
"We don't bow to Akasaka Yoshitoki."
"Not only are we doing fine—we're working together to prove it."
"Go ahead and try suppressing the ratings of 'Your Lie in April'—see if it works."
Even if that wasn't Su Yan's true intention…
Who cared?
The media was already running wild.
An entertainment columnist quickly published a 5,000-word analysis on the casting lineup for 'Your Lie in April'.
The title?
📰'Sakuragi Traitors: Genius Screenwriter Su Yan and Actress Shen Liqian Form a Revenge Alliance Against Akasaka Yoshitoki.'
['Sakuragi Traitor'?]
Shinozaki Ikumi rolled her eyes.
"Whoever wrote this definitely lives on Sakura Island. That name is peak chūnibyō."
She had originally hesitated to show Su Yan Shen Liqian's profile because she knew once the casting was confirmed, public opinion would spiral like this.
Even though she and Su Yan were already on bad terms with Akasaka Yoshitoki, she hadn't wanted to escalate things into a full-on feud with Sakura TV as a whole.
But now?
Whatever.
Let the media stir the pot. Free promotion for the show.