In today's Xia Nation, thanks to several past collaborations and the often bittersweet endings of their previous projects, Su Yan, Shen Liqian, and Gu Qingyuan had built a fanbase that, despite their shipping rivalries, generally stood united.
The YanQing (Su Yan × Gu Qingyuan), YanLi (Su Yan × Shen Liqian), and even QingLi (Gu Qingyuan × Shen Liqian) factions coexisted with only minor tensions. There were no full-on "fandom wars."
That's why when the trailer for 'Tokyo Love Story' dropped online, it exploded across all of their fan circles within ten minutes.
Millions rushed to watch it on Zhongxia TV and the four major streaming platforms.
Soon, the related keywords for 'Tokyo Love Story' dominated trending charts across those platforms.
The trailer opened with a bright, stunningly pretty girl smiling warmly. Her outfit resembled retro styles from decades ago, but her incredible beauty gave it a refreshing energy that made countless viewers fall in love at first sight.
[ "She reminds me of Kaori Miyazono!" ]
[ "No—maybe even more energetic than Kaori!" ]
It was Shen Liqian's character—radiating that same vibrant charm.
But then...
In that sweet voice and glowing smile, she delivered a line that completely broke fans' brains:
"Hey... let's make love!"
?
??
???
Instantly, countless Su Yan fans smashed their spacebars, pausing the trailer.
They checked—yes, this really was the official 'Tokyo Love Story' page.
[ "WHAT are these wild, feral words!?" ]
[ "The trailer started with a NUCLEAR bomb!?" ]
The trailer continued.
A girl holding a pickup sign at a station, calling out loudly for "Nagao Kanji."
Then: a girl running through nighttime streets, kicking over buckets outside a convenience store, dragging a man by the arm.
A goodbye scene.
Counting "1, 2, 3" together.
Then they turned their backs and jumped away from each other.
A rainy night.
A girl standing outside a convenience store under an umbrella, waiting.
With gentle background music, the visuals continued to shift.
Over 70% of the footage focused on Shen Liqian's Akana Rika.
Su Yan, Gu Qingyuan, and second male lead Satake Shunsuke only got brief appearances.
Viewers couldn't fully grasp the story yet—but through the music and tone, they felt strong nostalgia and a subtle, persistent sadness.
Finally, one more daytime scene mirrored the nighttime goodbye from earlier:
The same couple, again shouting "1, 2, 3," crouching as if ready to jump.
But this time, their faces were tinged with sorrow.
The screen went dark.
'Tokyo Love Story'
The title appeared.
Only then did the fans truly react.
Most drama trailers don't give away much. Their job isn't to spoil, but to hook you—with small scenes or mysterious lines.
And this trailer nailed it—especially that explosive first line from Akana Rika:
"Let's make love."
[ "Wait—WHAT episode is this!? Where does that even happen!?" ]
[ "Did Su Yan actually write this!?" ]
[ "This is way bolder than anything from 'Cyberpunk: Edgerunners'! Even David and Lucy weren't like this!" ]
[ "How can such a bubbly girl drop a line like that?!" ]
The rest of the trailer, while more abstract, showed fans the costumes, cinematography, and aesthetic direction of the show.
And once it ended, the discussions began—fast and loud.
[ "Interesting start!" ]
[ "Office romance?" ]
[ "No time travel, no music prodigies, no superpowers, no sci-fi, no wuxia—just a pure romance drama?" ]
[ "Honestly, Su Yan's always written love stories. He just mixes in wild settings. But this? This is classic." ]
[ "He's trying to stand out in Xia Nation's most crowded genre—bold move." ]
[ "Not gonna lie, I'm nervous. Pure romance dramas haven't been popular in years. It's always the same formulas. Can this one feel fresh?" ]
[ "Please—no arrogant CEOs and lovestruck idiot heroines. I'm so over that!" ]
[ "Akana Rika is clearly the energetic type—but that kind of character can easily become annoying if not written well." ]
[ "Exactly. Look at Kaori Miyazono—beautiful, but if the script slips, she becomes irritating or self-centered." ]
[ "Honestly, if anyone can pull it off, it's Su Yan." ]
But some weren't entirely convinced.
[ "Let's be real—'Blood Route''s trailer is way more exciting." ]
[ "Sure, but gore and shock value only go so far. When the full show airs, the story will matter more." ]
[ "Right—if horror shows alone could dominate ratings, Xia Nation would be full of them." ]
[ "Su Yan can't lose. The opposing writer literally called him out by name." ]
[ "And Su Yan clapped back, saying 'Tokyo Love Story' won't lose a single week. That's insane." ]
[ "It's a pride war now. Su Yan vs. Akiyama Shunsuke—both staking their reputations." ]
[ "Even if this one didn't cost as much as 'Cyberpunk: Edgerunners', it might still match it in impact." ]
After fans had their say, the media jumped in—analyzing the trailer shot-by-shot, comparing Su Yan's and Akiyama Shunsuke's past works.
Both sides' fandoms got swept into another wave of hype and speculation.
At Sakura TV and Zhongxia TV, full promotional efforts kicked off for their respective October dramas.
Unlike 'Cyberpunk', this was a head-to-head war.
Everyone in the industry knew—Sakura TV was aiming to take Su Yan down.
And if they failed?
They'd be humiliated.
---
Tokyo – 'Tokyo Love Story' set.
"So this is what you really are, huh?"
"Was the tennis shoe deal the same? Did you sleep with that man to close the deal?"
"What are you saying…? You're talking nonsense…"
A woman's face shifted from calm to shock and sorrow.
"Cut!" director Shi Peihua called.
Su Yan and Shen Liqian snapped out of their scene.
Shen Liqian's eyes were red and teary, and she took deep breaths to calm herself.
"Great job," Su Yan said, his gaze curious.
"You acted that very well."
"Thank you, Mr. Su," she replied, smiling softly.
Su Yan stared for a moment.
In his previous life, 'Tokyo Love Story' had one irreplaceable role—Akana Rika, played by Honami Suzuki.
Every other actor could have been replaced, but her portrayal was untouchable.
Even now, with Shen Liqian having years of acting experience and a fitting image, her Rika couldn't surpass the original—but…
She brought a different kind of magic.
It reminded him of the two legendary Xiaolongnu portrayals by Carman Lee and Liu Yifei—both iconic, but in very different ways.
Su Yan's biggest fear when filming started was that he or the cast might mess it up—turn it into a forgettable remake like the 2020 reboot of 'Tokyo Love Story' in his past life.
But now, by episode 4, all those worries were gone.
The scenes they'd shot so far only made him more confident by the day.
And today's scene?
"Keep performing like this," he told Shen Liqian.
"If your acting stays at this level, when the show airs… your portrayal of Akana Rika will make you explode in popularity across Xia Nation."
Shen Liqian froze for a moment, then beamed with joy.
"Thank you, Mr. Su. I'll do my best."
That wrapped up the day's filming.
This half-minute shot had taken extra time—they'd already shot the night scenes before and after it, but this particular scene hadn't felt "right" until today.
It was now 11 PM.
"Mr. Su, want to grab a late-night bite?" Shen Liqian called out.
She also invited Shinozaki Ikumi, Shi Peihua, and other crew members.
"My treat," she said brightly—but clearly looked at Su Yan most of all.
"Besides, I have a lot to ask you about Akana Rika's future scenes."
"Sure," Su Yan replied casually.
Shen Liqian had been quite active in engaging Su Yan on set—but that wasn't strange.
She wasn't foolish.
Su Yan was the hottest creator in Xia Nation, and getting closer to him was a smart move.
Later that night, the team went to a large food stall near the studio.
After some casual discussion, Shen Liqian changed the subject.
"Mr. Su, my management contract is about to expire…"
"If I decide not to renew with my current company… can I transfer my contract to Dimensional Pictures?"
Su Yan paused.
Shinozaki Ikumi, sitting beside him with ramen, also slowed her movement slightly—ears perked.
Normally, stars like Shen Liqian wouldn't let their contracts get this close to expiration.
But after offending Akasaka Yoshitoki, she'd gone over a year without work.
Her agency had nearly abandoned her, offering almost no support.
It was only when she herself reached out to Su Yan that her career turned around.
Since then, she'd been extremely cautious with her contracts.
Now, only a few months remained.
She brought it up here—not randomly, but clearly planned.
She envied how much Su Yan supported Gu Qingyuan.
Though Su Yan was kind to her, too, not being part of his company always left her insecure.
[ "If I were in his position," she thought, "would I go out of my way for someone not signed to me?" ]
[ "Surely not—there's only so far 'friendly alliances' can go." ]
Su Yan looked toward Shinozaki Ikumi.
She gave no reaction—leaving the decision to him.
Taking in Shen Liqian officially would be beneficial, given how long they'd worked together.
But signing an actress of her level required a significant contract, with resources and benefits—not a casual decision.
Then Shen Liqian quietly said:
"I can join Dimensional Pictures under the same terms I signed with my current agency, Xingcheng, years ago."
That stunned both Su Yan and Shinozaki Ikumi.
She was offering very modest terms for someone of her status.