Chapter 116: The Tidal Wave Sparked by The Peach Blossom Promise

Xu Mengqi’s acting skills are undeniably impeccable. That is, after all, why she became a Best Actress.

However, as for singing…

Ye Yuanhang’s manager sat down beside him and smiled, saying, "In the entertainment industry, every top-tier star wants to bloom in both the music and film sectors, and Xu Mengqi is no exception. Since becoming a Best Actress, she has tried to step into the music scene several times and even released a song or two, but the response was mediocre. Consequently, she shelved that ambition and focused on acting. This time, she likely only took on the ending theme song to support the promotion of her drama."

"Of course, this also means that her desire to enter the music industry has never truly vanished. Ordinarily, with her fame as a Best Actress combined with the hype surrounding *Eternal Spirit Romance*, her ending theme would have a high chance of sweeping the new song charts, provided no top-tier singers were releasing music. Unfortunately, she happened to run into you… So, sometimes, luck is hard to call."

"What’s so unfortunate about that?" Ye Yuanhang smiled slightly. "As an outsider to the music industry, shouldn't she be satisfied with reaching second place on the new song chart?"

The manager nodded. "That's true."

Ye Yuanhang said nothing more, as the ending credits began to roll on the television, signaling the start of the theme song.

At first, an orchestra played a melodic, lingering melody in the traditional Chinese style. The soft, elegant prelude drifted from the screen, exuding a rich, classical atmosphere.

"The prelude is not bad," Ye Yuanhang said, smiling as he chewed on a Shine Muscat grape.

The manager nodded as well. "A classic period-style prelude; it fits the drama *Eternal Spirit Romance* perfectly."

Soon, the music transitioned, and Xu Mengqi’s voice emerged:

"If our first meeting was a tangled, wind-swept vow of clouds and mist,
In the passage of time, one asks what year this is today.
With hearts in sync, one hopes a lingering obsession will cycle through the years,
In the snap of a finger, how many times have the flowers bloomed and fallen?"

Accompanied by the gentle, classical melody, Xu Mengqi’s singing seemed to tell the story of the soul-stirring, ancient, and fiery love from *Eternal Spirit Romance*. Her voice, typically cool and detached, now held a hint of softness and melancholy, her clear timbre revealing threads of hazy sorrow through the gentle performance.

Against the backdrop of the poignant scenes on the screen, the sorrowful melody slowly seeped into the depths of the audience’s hearts, evoking a sharp, stinging sensation.

"Hmm?"

Ye Yuanhang’s hand, reaching for another grape, froze. He had been lying on the sofa, but he sat up, unaware of when he had moved.

This song was not what he had expected.

The lyrics were beautiful. The melody was soul-stirring. In Ye Yuanhang’s estimation, even after only hearing a few lines, he realized this song was of an extremely high caliber—at least several levels above the main theme song.

However, what truly shocked him was Xu Mengqi’s performance.

"How can this be?"

In his memory, this Best Actress, who usually sang with a cold, emotionless delivery, was now performing in a way that was completely different. Her voice was soft, warm, yet incredibly infectious and expressive, showcasing the emotions of the song to their absolute limit.

"The entanglement of this life has tugged at my heartstrings,
I know not if we shall meet again in the next.
Leaving a peach blossom as a memento to end this mortal fate,
In my brows remains my longing for you."

Xu Mengqi’s singing continued. Sad, resentful, and hauntingly beautiful.

The song, poetic and evocative, sounded even more heart-wrenching coming from her. One could not help but be moved, their heart rising and falling with the melody.

Ye Yuanhang’s expression had completely frozen. He sat there blankly, listening as waves of music washed over him.

Just then, Xu Mengqi’s voice began to soar:

"An inch of soil, a year of wood, a flower, a tree, a craving,
Love is a seed, yet it blooms on a path of bewilderment.
Forget the road ahead, forget old things, forget my heart, forget you, forget the beginning,
Petals stained, left on the road of loving you."

A powerful sense of infection and emotional release seemed to pour out from her performance. It was a shock to the soul, a sinking of the consciousness.

The rich, powerful, and layered chorus added a sense of strength to the song. Especially when the final falsetto note—"petals stained, left on the road of loving you"—rang out, Ye Yuanhang felt a shiver run down his spine.

Impossible. Absolutely impossible.

Ye Yuanhang shook his head in a daze, only one thought in his mind: How did Xu Mengqi suddenly become so good? This… this was simply not her level.

No, or rather… it was this extraordinary ending theme that had elevated Xu Mengqi, who usually sang so-so, to this level.

How could this happen? Where had things gone wrong?

Beside him, his manager was equally stunned. Even though the manager didn't know much about music, he was left dumbfounded by Xu Mengqi’s performance. He glanced at Ye Yuanhang, swallowed hard, and while the other wasn't looking, quietly took the Shine Muscats away.

"Pious wishes for the road of the afterlife,
A single thought of peach blossoms, a karmic crossing.
That single thought, how many times the time repeats,
Listening to the rain, watching the heavenly lake, in this mortal world, it is hard to express such feelings,
Memories stained, left on the road of loving you."

The singing seemed to grow heavier, making one's heart sink further. In truth, looking at the melody alone, this was just a simple period-style song without overly complex arrangements or production techniques. Yet, the beautiful, desolate lyrics made all such technicalities redundant.

Xu Mengqi’s lingering, undulating voice easily touched the hearts of the listeners, presenting the emotion and depth contained within the song. It was myriad feelings, like weeping and pleading, enough to move anyone who heard it.

Ye Yuanhang remained seated, motionless, as if turned into a stone statue, until the song ended and a line of text appeared on the screen:

Ending Theme: "Peach Blossom Vow"
Lyrics: Wu Yan
Composition: Wu Yan
Vocals: Xu Mengqi

Ye Yuanhang’s dull gaze paused when he saw the name "Wu Yan."

Then, his brain detonated.

***

On this New Year's night, many people didn't have any holiday plans. Young people were curled up under their covers, either scrolling through Bilibili or Douyin, or binge-watching dramas.

Tonight, the newly aired *Eternal Spirit Romance* on Mango TV had undoubtedly become the top choice for many. Before the first episode had even finished, the internet was flooded with reviews of the xianxia drama.

"It's good."
"The first episode hooked me."
"Xu Mengqi is so beautiful, her look in this is stunning."
"Hahaha, I have something to watch for the next month."

The reviews were excellent. On Douban, after the rating for *Eternal Spirit Romance* opened, the number of reviews quickly surpassed a thousand, and the score reached a high of 9.7. Of course, as time passed, this score would inevitably drop, but a 9.7 rating proved that the quality was top-notch.

Originally, everyone thought that tonight would be a night where the entire internet discussed the plot of *Eternal Spirit Romance*, and nothing else could overshadow the fans' enthusiasm.

Until… the ending theme started to play.

In that instant, countless viewers in front of their televisions were captivated by the hauntingly beautiful singing, gradually sinking into the melody. The beautiful lyrics, the sad melody, the lingering vocals—everything touched their hearts.

By the time the song ended and the commercials began, many people finally snapped out of their daze, still looking somewhat shell-shocked.

"This song is so good."
"My god, that was sung so well, wasn't it?"
"Especially the chorus; I had goosebumps all over."
"Just listening to the song, I was already immersed in the drama."

Casual viewers just thought the song was good, but many music fans noticed something: the singer was Xu Mengqi. Upon realizing this, many fans felt their hearts skip a beat.

"I just found out—is Xu Mengqi this good at singing?"
"Is she that talented?"
"Based on this song alone, her performance is no worse than a first-tier singer."
"Maybe it's the work of a million-dollar sound engineer."
"Don't be sour."
"I didn't hear any auto-tune. With this quality, even with a great sound engineer, you need a solid foundation of vocal skill."
"Amazing. I’ve heard her sing before, and it was never this good. This *Peach Blossom Vow* really stunned me."

However, the real shock was within the industry. Many Chinese industry insiders had been watching the premiere of *Eternal Spirit Romance*. Seeing its strong performance was expected, but hearing the ending theme sung by Xu Mengqi left them bewildered.

They understood her singing the theme, but why… why was it so good? From their professional perspective, her performance had far exceeded what was expected of an actress; it was even stronger than many professional singers.

If it had been any other actress, they wouldn't have been this stunned. But Xu Mengqi was already a Best Actress. For a Best Actress to suddenly display vocal skills comparable to, or even better than, a first-tier singer—what did that mean?

Many people felt a sense of dread the more they thought about it. It wasn't until they saw that the lyrics and composition of *Peach Blossom Vow* were credited to "Wu Yan" that many finally understood why she had suddenly become so formidable.

"Wu Yan, it's Wu Yan again."
"No wonder she suddenly became so good; she got a song from Wu Yan."
"Wait, is Wu Yan working with Xu Mengqi? Didn't he only favor newcomer singers? Even Fu Zhuang only had a bit of fame. If he's collaborating with a Best Actress like Xu Mengqi, and she decides to enter the music industry, it would be like adding wings to a tiger!"

Within the industry, many felt turbulent emotions.

Of course, it was too early to talk about her future. After the first episode of *Eternal Spirit Romance* finished, major music platforms synchronized the upload of *Peach Blossom Vow*, drawing fans of the song to the platforms.

Wang Mo was also watching the performance of *Peach Blossom Vow* on the new song chart. Although he had full confidence in the song and Xu Mengqi’s performance, he was still worried about accidents. After all, in his previous life, this song—originally sung by G.E.M.—did not become a hit immediately, but only exploded in popularity five years later.

Looking at the new song chart, Wang Mo’s eyes suddenly narrowed. He saw a familiar name:

Currently ranked number one on the new song chart was: *Countercurrent* by Ye Yuanhang.

???

Wang Mo rubbed his temples, a question mark appearing over his head: Ye Yuanhang released another song?

Damn it! Is this guy doing this on purpose? Every time I release a song, he releases a song? When I don't, he doesn't? Why is he so stubborn?