Chapter 41: Boundless Scale (Extra Chapter for "Even the Gods Have Broken Their Promises")

Very soon.

Yin Mengna updated her Weibo with a new post—a short video, plain and without any extra words. For the weary, hard-fighting fans, the sudden appearance of this video, so unheralded, brought a wave of ecstatic joy. They knew: Yin Mengna had spoken.

Their day-long battle of words online had not been in vain; their efforts were not for nothing. At last, they had waited for their beloved idol to respond. Excitement and anticipation mingled as the fans clicked to watch her latest update.

As the video started, several large white characters appeared on the screen: “I Love You, But You Love Her.” It was the title of a song.

The fans were instantly thrilled—Yin Mengna was finally releasing a new track. For devoted followers, nothing compares to the exhilaration of a fresh song or a new drama from their idol. Especially in that first moment, the rush of excitement was at its peak.

The video showed a haggard Yin Mengna, her complexion pale, her gaze unfocused and lost, arousing a fierce protective instinct in those who watched. Male fans, in particular, felt their hearts melt—she was just too irresistibly attractive.

The camera pulled back, bringing Yin Mengna fully into view. At that point, her male fans went utterly wild.

Question: What kind of woman holds the most fatal allure for men? There are many answers—everyone has their preferences. Some like innocence, some desire, some prefer voluptuousness, others a gentle grace. But at this moment, all Yin Mengna’s fans reached the same conclusion: a stunningly beautiful woman, eyes brimming with tears, helpless and pitiful, wearing a rumpled white men’s shirt, buttons half undone to reveal a tantalizing collarbone.

This was... a knockout.

The song hadn’t even played yet, but this single image was enough to drive her fans to distraction. The video rolled on, indifferent to their excitement, and when it finished, those who had watched felt utterly spent, as if collapsing en masse before Yin Mengna’s white shirt.

Five minutes after posting on Weibo, Yin Mengna’s trembling hand updated DouTalk with another short video.

Meanwhile, Jiang Qi’s fans were still in the heat of their online tirade. How dare she respond with another video? Their rage only fueled their momentum, intensifying the attack. Yet curiosity got the better of some, and they clicked, watched, and then shared the video.

And then... Well, perhaps Yin Mengna wasn’t so unlikable after all.

The onlookers were baffled. What was going on? The argument was raging, and in an instant, it was over.

Weibo, DouTalk, Tieba—the battlegrounds of fandom—suddenly fell into an uncanny silence. Li He, snacking on sunflower seeds while enjoying the drama, was also drawn in by gossip-fueled curiosity and clicked on the video.

Then, for the sake of studying Yin Mengna’s editing techniques, Li He watched it again. He realized her approach was sophisticated and subtle, warranting repeated study and reflection.

All in the name of learning, Li He tried to convince himself.

After several viewings, he suddenly discovered that Yin Mengna had something truly intriguing about her. Her voice was incredibly seductive, like a hook that could snare the soul of any man listening, especially when paired with such an enticing video.

Damn!

“Jiang Qi has met a worthy opponent,” Li He murmured, silently mourning for Jiang Qi—but in truth, it made little difference to him. The truncated version of “Foam” had already been released, the necessary profits made, and a healthy dose of negative sentiment garnered.

As for the battle for the June Rising Star Chart? That was none of his concern.

After another analysis of Yin Mengna’s editing style, Li He suddenly realized that she bore a striking resemblance to a singer he’d heard of in his previous life, someone whose songs he’d listened to before.

“What was her name?” Li He tapped his head, searching his memory.

Bear in Trouble, Happy Superman, Ultraman, Pleasant Goat…

“That’s it—Pleasant Goat,” Li He’s eyes sparkled.

That singer who nearly turned the Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf theme song into a weapon of mass parental complaint. Yin Mengna’s voice was remarkably similar, and with her seductive, femme fatale features, her allure was even more potent.

If Yin Mengna were to sing “Itch”...

Hiss!

Amitabha, Amitabha.

“Yin Mengna is seriously underestimated, probably because she debuted on the February Newcomers’ Chart,” Li He analyzed. “And February is the month of the gods' war; any newcomer is doomed to be overlooked.”

A pity, really. People are deeply influenced by first impressions, and it’s hard for the public to change their view. Moreover, “I Love You, But You Love Her” is a sorrowful song, but Yin Mengna’s voice has a sharp, captivating edge—not quite fitting for this kind of music.

It’s like sending the national soccer team into the World Cup final—no matter who their opponent is, it’s just too much to ask. The players feel awkward, the audience feels uncomfortable. The team’s very presence is a curious surprise, and beyond that, just doesn’t fit.

That’s exactly the situation with Yin Mengna’s video: her appearance and voice are captivating, but paired with those lyrics, it feels jarringly mismatched.

And also, the boundaries pushed by this video were a little too far; upright and well-meaning Li He couldn’t help but criticize.

Even though Brothers Entertainment hadn’t provided extra promotion, the ongoing fan war meant that when Yin Mengna’s video dropped, the battle had not yet ended. Its release not only put an end to the almost day-long conflict but also drew in a flood of casual onlookers—like the upright Li He himself.

The video skyrocketed in popularity.

Likes, shares, reposts, and favorites poured in.

[You Are the Stars]: “Holy crap, is this really Yin Mengna? She feels completely different from when she debuted, like a whole new person.”

[Ride the Dream]: “It’s not that Yin Mengna has changed, it’s the director behind this video who’s different. The MV for her debut album was nothing compared to this, not even close.”

[User4675499]: “Doesn’t matter if the song is good—the video is great to watch, anyway.”

[User12348464]: “Who comes to DouTalk to listen to music, aren’t we all here for the videos?”

[User1349469]: “If Yin Mengna had done this earlier, I’d have been a loyal fan by now.”

[yiahj]: “Does anyone else think the boundaries in this video are a bit much?”

[Four Seas Collateral]: “Be kind, my friend.”

[Idle Hands]: “Mind your own business, @yiahk.”

[User464646]: “+1”

[But It’s You]: “+1”

“……”

“……”

On the other side, Jiang Qi put down her phone with a grave expression, the atmosphere heavy around her.

She had never underestimated Yin Mengna; while others might not know her true ability, Jiang Qi did. To have snatched a portion of the spotlight and fans in the fierce battle of February was proof enough of Yin Mengna’s strength.

The pity was that the general public didn’t understand this nuance—what they knew was that Jiang Qi was the champion of a February talent show, a rising star in the music world.

“I’ve taken Yin Mengna very seriously—so much so that I spent eight hundred thousand to buy ‘Foam’,” Jiang Qi said bitterly.

Yin Mengna’s tone was simply too distinctive, and with that dangerously provocative video, her impact on male viewers was absolutely explosive.

Her assistant offered a suggestion: “Qi Qi, maybe you should ask Teacher Gabe for his opinion. ‘Foam’ is his labor of love—he wouldn’t want to see it buried.”

When in doubt, let Gabe help… The assistant even gave herself a mental thumbs-up for the conclusion.

Finally using your brain for once… Jiang Qi quickly sent Li He a message on MicroChat:

“Good evening, Teacher Gabe.”

So polite… Li He closed the video editing study window and switched to the chat with Jiang Qi.

And then.