"Are you… My Master?"
The girl with a righteous, resolute expression looked at the man and his wife before her and spoke.
Her clear voice carried a faint trace of loneliness.
It took Zhao Yuchen less than a second to fall completely for the character.
The drama was filled with attractive characters—any one of them could be considered handsome or beautiful.
But why had this character been listed as the female lead in Su Yan's official settings?
With that kind of presence…
No wonder.
Even though Zhao Yuchen still didn't know who the blonde girl in blue knight armor was—
There was no doubt about it.
He liked her immediately.
Then several large words appeared on the television screen.
"Episode 1 – Heroic Spirit Summoning."
The ending theme of 'Fate/Zero' began to play.
Zhao Yuchen froze.
?
?
That's it?
Is it over?
Did I just watch nothing?
Old sadist —you spent so long setting things up, and the golden-armored guy you played, and this female lead only appeared for less than five seconds?
After making fans wait more than half a year, this is all we get for episode one?
During the first half of the episode, Zhao Yuchen had nearly fallen asleep from the slow pacing.
But the second half had just started getting exciting.
He had just understood the Holy Grail War and gotten into the mood.
And he had just become extremely interested in the female lead.
And now—
It ended?
Old sadist.
After half a year without watching your dramas, you still cut episodes at the most painful moment.
Fine.
I'll forgive you this time.
Don't do it again.
Zhao Yuchen took a deep breath and opened the fan group chat on his phone.
The group was already in a heated discussion.
Across various forums and websites, threads about 'Fate/Zero' were appearing every second.
A huge number of viewers who had just finished episode one were rushing online to discuss it.
People like Zhao Yuchen—who could understand the setting after one viewing—were actually in the minority.
Most viewers were still confused.
["So where did this Holy Grail War come from? Why is it so complicated?"]
["If the three mage families of Fuyuki City can create the Holy Grail, why don't they just make a wish themselves? Why make seven groups fight each other? Isn't that unnecessary?"]
["Does anyone know who the actress was in the final scene? I'm instantly in love. She's unbelievably beautiful."]
["Her name is Zhuang Yuxin. She's a sophomore at our university! Please support her!"]
["Absolutely stunning. That girl in the last scene left a deeper impression on me than the golden shining guy played by the old thief."]
["Well, she's a beautiful Western-looking girl, so, normally, she stands out. But seriously, the old thief cutting the episode there is unethical."]
["Honestly, doesn't anyone think the pacing is too slow? I thought this was going to be a VFX action show, but we didn't see much action or effects."]
["You need patience. Special-effects battle dramas aren't like games. Games just need constant fighting. But in dramas, the real appeal is why they fight, not just how they fight. If the characters and motivations aren't explained first, what's the point of the battles?"]
["Exactly. No matter the genre, the most important core of any story is always the story itself, not the special effects or action scenes."]
["But it is slow at the start."]
["It's an ensemble cast. That's how these shows begin. Once you're familiar with the characters, it'll get better and better."]
Then one comment caught everyone's attention.
["I work at the VFX company for 'Fate/Zero'. I can't reveal too much, but from what I know about the story, the later episodes are incredibly good. The battles, effects, and story themes everyone is expecting will all be there. Also, even though the show only premiered today, I've been a fan of Zhuang Yuxin for four months already. So let me shout it here—Long live our King! She deserves everything."]
["I'm so jealous of you guys who get to see the story early. You must know the whole plot already, right?"]
["The later episodes' effects are still being produced and will be finished before broadcast. But we basically know the whole story. Just look forward to it. The character Zhuang Yuxin plays has incredible charm—you won't be disappointed. This drama will definitely become a landmark work in Xia Nation's television industry."]
["Slow start or not, I trust Su Yan. Alright, brothers, that's it for this week—see you next week!"]
["I'm going to rate 'Fate/Zero' first."]
["Yeah, same. I'll give it a 10 before the haters show up and mess with the ratings."]
["Exactly. Don't let those haters disgust everyone."]
That entire night, discussions about the plot, setting, and characters of 'Fate/Zero' continued nonstop.
And people in the Xia Nation television industry soon noticed something unbelievable.
Before the premiere yesterday, actress Zhuang Yuxin's verified social account had only 430,000 followers.
After all, she was a complete newcomer.
She hadn't even appeared in a finished production yet—she was only known because Su Yan had chosen her.
But after the first episode aired—
Her follower count exploded from 430,000 to 3.7 million overnight.
Just a single night.
Three million new followers.
Her classmates were already feeling envious.
But for many established actresses in Xia Nation—
It was pure jealousy.
Across major video platforms, trending searches in the top ten were filled with topics about Zhuang Yuxin.
And for many actors—
Even spending money couldn't guarantee a spot on those rankings.
Yet she was just a new actress.
Tokyo.
With a packed schedule and a fan meeting planned today, Zhuang Yuxin felt dizzy all day.
She knew Su Yan's influence in the Xia Nation was huge.
But she had never imagined that overnight fame could come so easily.
In Xia Nation's female popularity rankings, despite appearing for less than five seconds in 'Fate/Zero', she had already climbed to ninth place.
At noon, after finishing a fan meeting and media interviews, she received a call from Su Yan.
"The ratings for episode one are out," Su Yan said with a faint smile in his voice.
"5.23%. Slightly higher than I expected. Congratulations."
"N-no, it's all thanks to your support and effort on this project, Teacher Su Yan…"
"You don't have to be so formal." Su Yan laughed softly.
"I called just to share the good news—and to tell you that your performance was excellent. Both the audience and I in Xia Nation really like the Artoria you portrayed. Over the next few months, you'll probably be traveling across the Xia Nation promoting 'Fate/Zero'. It'll be hard work."
"It's not hard at all."
After hanging up, Zhuang Yuxin took a deep breath.
But her head still felt dizzy.
She had imagined this situation before the drama aired.
But when the fantasy actually became reality—
The mental preparation she thought she had made collapsed instantly under the overwhelming excitement.
Tokyo.
Inside the company office.
Su Yan finally looked away from the sea of online comments about 'Fate/Zero'.
Most complaints were about the slow pacing of the first episode.
But that wasn't a big issue.
The opening rating of 9.5 already showed that fans were willing to be patient.
They might complain—
But their support was still fully committed.
And besides…
Su Yan glanced at the Xia Flame Awards nomination invitation placed on his desk.
After all, last year's 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' had practically rewritten records in the Xia Nation's television industry.
As expected, this year, Su Yan would likely sweep awards again.
He placed the invitation into his drawer, stretched lazily, and stood up.
After all—
That afternoon, he still had scenes to film for 'The Simplest Love!'.
As for the results of 'Fate/Zero'—
There was no need to pay too much attention right now.
After all—
The story hadn't even reached the point where it truly began to explode.
Just like 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica'—
Both it and 'Fate/Zero' were signature works of the infamous "old thief" Gen Urobuchi from Su Yan's previous world.
And just like that, work—
The real highlights only appeared later.