Hot Search Alert! The Princess Goes Viral Worldwide-Chapter 140

Yu Mincai stayed up all night reading the script and planning the shots without a wink of sleep, yet he arrived on set the next morning full of energy.

"Director Yu," Sister Li greeted him. "You're here so early! I thought you'd take a few more days before joining the crew."

Usually, directors needed time to sketch out shot compositions and visualize how to film after receiving a script—a process that took a while. No one expected Yu Mincai to join the production so quickly.

Yu Mincai smiled. "You're early too. Where’s Teacher Gu?"

"She went out to practice swordplay. She’ll be back soon," Sister Li replied, curious. "Do you need her for something, Director Yu?"

"I’d like to discuss the script. I wanted to ask if there will be any further revisions."

"The script? No, it’s final," Sister Li said with a laugh. "Empress Yan is very strict about the script. She hired a dedicated team to review it, and once it’s finalized, not a single word gets changed."

"That’s great, that’s great!" Yu Mincai couldn’t hide his delight and couldn’t resist praising it. "This script is excellent. But I noticed the female lead is a time traveler from ancient times who knows martial arts—there’s a lot of action, wirework included. I was wondering if Teacher Gu is comfortable with that. If not, I can arrange for a stunt double in advance and minimize face exposure during filming."

Action scenes were tricky to shoot, especially nowadays, when few young actresses could handle fight choreography.

Though Director Yu’s tone was polite, Sister Li picked up on his underlying concern. She understood—after all, this entire production, including the script, was under Empress Yan’s sole control. The director was likely testing the waters to see how much creative freedom he’d have.

He probably also wanted to gauge Empress Yan’s attitude—whether she was serious about making a quality film or just going through the motions.

Perfectly reasonable.

To ease his worries, Sister Li led him toward a nearby grove. "Empress Yan is practicing her swordplay up ahead. Let me take you to see for yourself."

As soon as they stepped into the woods, a sharp whistling sound cut through the air. Yu Mincai’s heart jumped, and when he looked up, he saw a woman in white training attire mid-air, twirling her sword in a dazzling flourish.

Yu Mincai’s eyes widened in shock. "Th-this…"

Gu Nanyan actually knew martial arts!

Sister Li chuckled. "Director Yu, haven’t you seen Empress Yan’s variety shows? Her skills are exceptional. You don’t need to worry about the action scenes at all—no stunt double necessary."

Yu Mincai’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

One pleasant surprise after another—first, a well-funded production, then an outstanding script, and now a lead actress who exceeded all expectations.

With Gu Nanyan’s martial arts prowess, willingness to perform her own stunts, and cooperative attitude, this project was already on solid ground.

Even if her acting wasn’t perfect, he could demonstrate the scenes for her to follow.

Noticing their approach, Gu Nanyan sheathed her sword and walked toward them.

Her gaze swept over Yu Mincai, and combined with Sister Li personally escorting him, she quickly deduced his identity.

As a respected veteran in the industry, she held those with talent in high regard. She nodded slightly and spoke first. "Director Yu."

"...Empress Yan," Yu Mincai blurted out, having originally intended to address her as "Teacher Gu." But the commanding aura around her made "Empress Yan" slip out naturally.

No wonder everyone called her that—she truly radiated regal authority.

In all his years in the entertainment industry, he’d rarely encountered a female star with such an overpowering presence.

Sure, many actresses marketed themselves as strong, independent women or powerful heroines, but most relied on styling and branding. Few could simply stand there and exude an air of dominance.

Yu Mincai’s eyes gleamed with excitement.

This was perfect. Gu Nanyan didn’t even need to act—just standing there, she embodied the female lead from the script.

She was the spitting image of a time-traveling general from ancient times.

Director Yu was beyond thrilled.

With everything aligning so perfectly—timing, resources, and talent—if he couldn’t make this script shine, he might as well retire.

All his earlier concerns vanished as he eagerly discussed the script with Gu Nanyan.

And the more they talked, the more astonished he became.

Her thoughts, eloquence, and insights… they surpassed all expectations, even eclipsing his own expertise by several levels.

By the end of their conversation, Yu Mincai was practically fawning over her, repeatedly asking, "Empress Yan, what do you think?"

Sister Li rolled her eyes. She knew no one could resist Empress Yan’s charm.

Once everything was set, Yu Mincai threw himself into filming with unbridled enthusiasm.

Never in his career had he worked on such a smooth production.

Lead actress Empress Yan was not only an incredible performer but also brilliant—whenever she didn’t grasp something, a slight hint from him was all it took for her to instantly understand.

Once she internalized a character’s essence, she’d even discuss with him whether her portrayal needed to be more expressive for television audiences to fully appreciate it.

After all, TV was meant for viewers—clarity was key.

Yu Mincai nodded repeatedly, nearly moved to tears.

Empress Yan was so sharp, so extraordinary.

Given time, she’d undoubtedly become an award-winning actress—her skills were that impressive.

On top of the stellar cast, the production was flush with cash, sparing no expense on the finest resources.

The ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‍production team was top-notch, the costumes, makeup, and props were excellent, and the post-production special effects were also the best.

Yu Mincai felt incredibly satisfied while filming.

What mattered even more was the outstanding script—this drama was bound to be another massive hit, the kind viewers would rewatch over and over.

With everything going so smoothly, filming wrapped up in less than a month. Post-production moved quickly too, and after passing review, the drama was scheduled for release in just two months.

The speed was astonishing.

Starmoon Entertainment.

Yan Ning shot up from her chair, staring at her agent in disbelief. "It’s already scheduled?"

Her agent nodded. "It’s set for May 4th, Youth Day. It’ll air on CCTV-8 and several satellite channels simultaneously, with online streaming on the Zhan Family’s video platform."

"CCTV-8?" Yan Ning frowned. Such a grand rollout meant the drama must be exceptional.

The agent confirmed, "Online buzz suggests Gu Nanyan is on the verge of a breakout. Insiders from the production team say the quality is outstanding.

Gu Nanyan’s salary wasn’t high—most of the 100-million-yuan budget went into production, so the drama is meticulously crafted."

Yan Ning bit her lip. "How are the other agencies reacting?"

"They’re trying to suppress its success," the agent said. "The consensus is that Gu Nanyan can’t be allowed to have another hit. Her popularity is already soaring—if this drama blows up, she’ll dominate the scene, leaving no room for anyone else."

Hearing that everyone was on the same page, Yan Ning relaxed slightly. "What’s their strategy?"

The agent laid it out: "Brown Bear Video has scheduled an S+ drama for May 3rd—a big-budget adaptation of a major IP, starring two A-list idols. Right now, promotions for it are flooding the internet.

But it’s a historical romance, so while it’ll grab attention, it’s not directly competing with Starlight Overload, which is rumored to be a meaningful, reality-rooted youth campus romance.

So, Mango TV is countering with their own campus romance—another hot IP, the third installment in a series where the first two were hits. The hype for this one is huge.

On top of that, everyone’s steadily releasing negative rumors about Gu Nanyan."