Over the next few days, news about 'Tokyo Love Story' flooded all of Xia Nation.
Plenty of people hadn't been able to follow the show weekly due to work or school.
Others simply didn't like watching ongoing series.
Now that 'Tokyo Love Story' had concluded—though the 'What IF' line was still set to air on Sunday—a massive wave of viewers began binge-watching it on ZhongxiaNet.
The paid view count on ZhongxiaNet skyrocketed.
At the same time, companies lining up to sign endorsement deals with Shen Liqian nearly wore down the doorstep of Su Yan's Tokyo office.
Shen Liqian, Su Yan, Gu Qingyuan, and Satake Shunsuke—the actor who played Kenichi—instantly rose to become top-tier stars in Xia Nation's television industry.
Meanwhile, Su Yan began warming up promotion for the April release of 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica'.
Major websites received advertising investment, riding the explosive popularity of 'Tokyo Love Story' for bundled promotion.
On Dimensional Pictures' official website, information about 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' was gradually released.
Xia Nation had never produced a magical girl series before, so Su Yan personally wrote extensive setting guides and articles to explain to fans what a "magical girl" was.
It wasn't hard to grasp.
Magical girls fighting witches was no different from Ultraman fighting monsters or humans battling aliens.
Xia Nation had no magical girl genre, but stories of justice versus evil were everywhere.
And honestly—
Who wouldn't want to watch righteous, beautiful girls defeat evil witches?
The live-action magical girl costumes weren't overly chuunibyou like in anime. Instead, they emphasized youthful charm. Combined with heavy investment in special effects, the production value stood out.
Though skepticism existed, 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' easily climbed to No.1 on the "Most Anticipated Unreleased Dramas" ranking.
["Looks kinda interesting."]
["But a show without romance… will it really be good?"]
["Not sure. The setting mentions witches and magical girls. Feels a bit like something for kids."]
["Is Su Yan shifting toward the children's market? I noticed with 'Tokyo Love Story' that a lot of elders in my family loved it. Now he's doing magical girls… what's his angle?"]
["If he wanted kids, he wouldn't cast adults. I doubt it's that simple."]
["Never seen this genre before, but judging from the promo photos, I'm definitely watching."]
["Even if the story isn't my type, the visuals are totally my type."
["I need to clear my mind first. The aftereffects of 'Tokyo Love Story' are too strong. Every time I see Gu Qingyuan, I get flashbacks of Satomi's scheming vibes. Hope her role in 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' changes that."]
["But why are most of Su Yan's stories set in the Sakura Island region? Even this one."]
["Isn't it obvious? Middle and high school romance on the mainland would get complaints. Setting it in Sakura Island makes approval easier. It's industry unspoken rules."]
["Oh? Really?"]
["Absolutely. Any Xia Nation drama about teenage romance sets the story in Sakurajima. Parents would protest otherwise."]
["Even Rika's personality in 'Tokyo Love Story' would've sparked complaints if set on the mainland."]
["Screenwriters like Su Yan don't have it easy."]
["It's mid-December already. Once the 'What IF' line airs, it's winter season. Feels weird not having a Su Yan show next quarter."]
["Come on. His output is insane already. In three years, he's produced more than most writers do in a lifetime."]
["And his success rate is even more insane. One random show from him outperforms what 99% of writers will never achieve."]
Tokyo
Since Su Yan wasn't deeply involved in directing the two films, his on-set workload had decreased after 'Tokyo Love Story' wrapped.
However, company management responsibilities now fell more directly on him.
Previously, Shinozaki Ikumi handled those decisions. Now he had to make them himself.
He still visited filming sites regularly and scheduled interviews every week or two to maintain visibility.
Fan meetings were also held across Tokyo prefectures.
Though Su Yan remained hugely popular, playing Nagao had earned him some dedicated anti-fans who occasionally disrupted events.
As both company chairman and a signed star artist, he also had to attend brand events—especially when the pay was substantial.
And just like that, the weekend arrived.
The broadcast day of the 'Tokyo Love Story, 'What IF' line.
From the afternoon onward, fans nationwide were active.
Zhongxia TV's ratings began climbing sharply from 7 PM, more aggressively than any previous week.
The station aired another promotional variety show.
This time, they were even more anxious than Su Yan.
Su Yan wanted the 6% ratings milestone—but he wasn't desperate.
He had the system. If this work didn't hit it, the next would.
But Zhongxia TV was different.
Who knew what the future held? What if Su Yan's success faded? And if he rose again, who would get credit?
Workplace transfers were frequent.
If the 'What IF' line broke 6%, Zhongxia TV's stock would surge, and everyone would have a prosperous year.
8 PM arrived.
The 'What IF' line began.
The early scenes mirrored Episode 11 exactly.
Nagao traveled to Ehime, found Rika, and spoke with her by the sea.
The only visible difference?
In Episode 11, they wore white outfits.
In the 'What IF' line, they wore black.
The same seaside farewell.
The same 4:48 PM train.
This was the pivot point.
Did Nagao really need two hours to think?
Did he need to arrive exactly on time?
What if he came earlier?
The 'What IF'—
The only change was here.
Rika's actions remained the same.
What changed was Nagao.
He arrived at the station early.
A tragic story adding a happy ending often risks feeling bland.
But because audiences had already experienced last week's heartbreak, this week's version felt different.
Before 4:48 even approached, something shifted in Nagao's expression.
Flashbacks filled the screen—
All the times he had been late.
All the times Rika had waited.
Not once had he treated her with the same care he gave Satomi.
When he saw that it wasn't even 4 PM yet—
He ran.
The music swelled.
It was predictable.
Yet countless viewers still cried.
Finally, Su Yan had awakened.
No fancy twists were needed.
Just let Nagao understand who truly mattered.
At the station, just as Rika tied her scarf to the railing—
Nagao: Rika.
Their eyes met.
That alone said everything.
As the train slowly began to move, Rika rushed into his arms.
Across the Xia Nation, fans felt something warm.
Healing.
This drama was complete.
Later, Nagao returned to Tokyo and firmly chose Rika over Satomi.
Satomi cried, pleaded—
But this time, he did not waver.
Viewers were exhilarated.
Call her manipulative now?
Call her fake now?
In the end, scheming led nowhere.
Beyond that, the plot largely mirrored the original timeline.
Kenichi married Nagasaki Naoko.
But this time, Rika and Nagao attended together—along with Satomi and her new boyfriend.
The five-way entanglement finally settled.
The greatest flaw of the story had always been three women and only two men.
In the 'What IF' line, things were smoother.
But it was enough.
When the final scene showed Rika in her wedding dress—
Nagao is placing a ring on her finger—
An enormous wave of emotional energy surged toward Su Yan.
The 'What IF' line might have been simpler.
But the audience was satisfied.
Last week, everyone was married except Rika.
This time—
They finally saw her in a wedding gown.
That was enough.
The end.