Chapter 166 – The Final Chapter of Si Cui’s Story: Sending Chilly Notes to the Screenwriter

Chapter 166 - The Final Chapter of Si Cui's Story: Sending Chilly Notes to the Screenwriter

To refuse or not to refuse?

Even if Tang Fei were to freeze him with an ice pack, Zhou Weichuan wouldn't decline!

Tang Fei's face also flushed, her hands and feet heating up as she gazed at Zhou Weichuan's face for a long time, until the ice pack in her hand melted and dripped water.

Only then did she pass the ice pack to Zhou Weichuan's hand, her face flushed, her large eyes wide open as she seemingly casually asked, "Boss... did you... argue with the chairman for me?"

The beauty trick might not have worked, but the suffering act was quite effective.

Tang Fei's heart had softened into a dough, imagining her boss standing up against his father for her, her heartbeat pounding so hard it seemed to escape her throat.

Zhou Weichuan replied, "Just a reasonable discussion."

Tang Fei pointed at the ice, "Then why is your face like that?"

A reasonable discussion wouldn't result in a beating, she hadn't heard that Zhou Xianfeng was violent.

Zhou Weichuan: "If one's childhood was incomplete, without such experiences, it's time to make up for them in adulthood."

Tang Fei: "I've also missed classes, and I'd rather die than make them up."

Zhou Weichuan asked, "How have things been lately?"

Tang Fei: "I was genuinely upset for three days, thinking that we were going to terminate the contract."

Zhou Weichuan: "I always keep my promises. Are you still feeling unwell?"

Tang Fei: "Everything's sorted now, Boss. Would you consider investing in the publication of 'The Heavenly Dragon Eight Parts'? I'm sure a million copies won't be a problem. Don't say I didn't clue you in on a money-making opportunity."

Zhou Weichuan: "If we make a fortune, we'll establish a fund and invest in Wangzhong Village. You want me to do manual labor, don't you?"

...

Later, Tang Fei learned to cook Qin Xi's local delicacies on the program 'Farm Goddess.' The 'Si Cuichuan' series finally reached its grand finale in mid-April.

The over ten-episode drama maintained its high popularity for three months. During this time, Xiangnan TV deployed their legendary ace editor, trimming 48-minute episodes down to 32 minutes, with ad duration nearly equaling that of the actual content.

"Si Cuichuan" was stretched into a 19-episode series.

From one episode's broadcast to the next, the discussion fervor remained consistently high, sustaining the buzz for an entire quarter with just over a dozen episodes!

What a remarkable return on investment!

"Si Cuichuan" even broke the conventional pattern of weekly online viewership ratings!

It maintained its peak viewership not only on weekends but throughout weekdays as well. Repeat viewers, those watching it three times over, and newcomers digging into the series all meticulously picked apart every detail, scrutinizing it to such an extent that even the scriptwriters were unaware of such depths of interpretation.

Discussions ranged from who the emperor symbolized, who the crown prince was, to the true identity of Duan Feng.

People spoke with conviction as if everything fit perfectly!

This prompted the scriptwriting team to promptly give interviews to clarify, "Please don't overanalyze! There are absolutely no hidden metaphors! This is just a romance drama! Don't relate it to reality or history! This story is purely fictional; any similarities are purely coincidental!"

However, at this point, the audience flooded in, bombarding the screen with virtual rotten eggs and bricks in protest.

"BIG LIARS! Give me my Cui Cui back in the ending!"

"My tissues ran out; I cried so much yesterday that my mom even asked if I'd been dumped!

"Duan Fei looked at Cuicui and said, 'Look at what you've become.' But what else could she be? A beauty remains a beauty; this child's heart is just too blind.

Screenwriter, can't you give Cuicui a better love story? Now she's lost everything! In this world, there's nothing left to cling to! Cuicui, a strong-willed beauty with a troubled past, deserved a beautiful life, but in the end, she's left with nothing!

"My dear Cuicui, oh, sob sob."

"I'm heartbroken for Cuicui. The romance was fake; Xiangnan TV's tricks were real. Only Cuicui and Yingying's bond was genuine. Now I realize, does 'Cuicui and Yingying' mean 'green light'? See how their love is vast and green, how their feelings are false and hollow!

"Screenwriter, tell me, are Cuicui and Yingying the real deal? Speak up! Come out! I know you're home, open the door!

"Is there a razor blade manufacturer here? I want to buy several boxes of these local specialties to send to the 9 o'clock drama team!

"Coincidentally, razor blades are also a specialty from my hometown.

"A nationwide specialty, screenwriter, give us your address, let us show you the love from the audience!

"I can't take it anymore. We were promised a dominant palace maid, but why is the maid being tortured so tragically? I've been deceived, I realized it last week, but I couldn't resist watching Cuicui. After yesterday's finale, I've been crying so much that my eyes are swollen."

"Proclaiming now that Si Cui is my dearest treasure! Feifei must take a step back! Truly heartbreaking! I waited for a plot twist, only to be stabbed directly by the finale."

"Cuiying, Rio, Bamboo Pole and Duan Feng, kindly make way, don't be a third wheel."

"I love Cui 1, I love Ying 2, I love Cuiying 3!"

"123123! Mark them all for me! I love them all!"

The final episode of "Si Cuichuan" dominated online discussions and triggered a wave of emotional outpouring from viewers. News media dedicated extensive articles to analyze the plot twists.

The genuine love and hatred interwoven in the narrative flowed so authentically that it deviated from the usual style of reports. It seemed the editors too had been pierced by the screenwriter's sharp pen, their emotions running high.

"Si Cuichuan" concluded with a peak rating of 5.8 and an average of 3.4, with the entire series averaging 2.83. Undoubtedly, it was the top-rated show of its time slot!

"Flying Tennis" on both channels ended March with a rating of 2.52, while "Soccer Teenager" garnered 1.98.

"Si Cuichuan" single-handedly lifted the overall ratings, resulting in a 170% quarter-on-quarter increase compared to the same period last year.

Xiangnan TV emerged as the undisputed leader in nationwide daily ratings!

Following the conclusion of "Si Cuichuan," Xiangnan TV promptly began airing it during the daytime, boosting their daytime ratings. To prevent a second round of broadcasting at 9 p.m., they even increased their offer!

They purchased the exclusive rights to air it for an entire year!

The notoriously frugal Xiangnan TV was actually willing to pay more – they managed to pluck some feathers from a stubborn mule! "Si Cuichuan" had soared to incredible heights.

Online views were so overwhelming that other web dramas, despite their marketing efforts, couldn't make a ripple. They collectively flopped as all the hype was absorbed by "Si Cuichuan."

A producer commented, "Next time a drama produced by Tang Fei and Nine O'Clock comes out, we must avoid scheduling conflicts!"

Otherwise, they'd be crushed like cannon fodder.

Industry analysts found the situation terrifying. The data for "Si Cuichuan" and Tang Fei were both deep purple with negligible negativity. Their commercial value was sky-high!

However, despite numerous endorsement offers and event invitations, Time Culture, Tang Fei's agency, turned them all down, resulting in her not having a single endorsement deal. It was unclear what was going on.

When the organizers of the Starlight Awards calculated the first quarter's star power, the industry was stunned by the results!

Tang Fei's first-quarter data alone surpassed the most stellar female actress of last year's entire year!

If this continued for the whole year, it was equivalent to securing the title of this year's Starlight Goddess in advance.

The VIP viewing figures for 'Si Cuichuan' on the video streaming platform, from free to paid episodes, showed an impressive 70% retention rate among VIP subscribers.

This indicated that the drama had a large number of both die-hard fans and casual viewers.

Tang Fei had already been classified as an S-grade artist on online video platforms, meaning her appearances in future dramas would be highly sought after!

After 'Si Cuichuan' ended, fans suddenly realized, "Where's Fei? It feels like we haven't seen her since after the New Year."

"Where has Tang Fei gone?"

This topic quickly gained traction. Surprisingly, Tang Fei didn't even come out to promote the finale of 'Si Cuichuan.' The other production team, investors, producers, lead actors, and even extras all took to Weibo to assert their presence.

So where did the leading lady, Si Cui, go?