Marrying the Male Lead’s Disabled Uncle – Chapter 43

Pei Lang found the dining table quite strange. There were many dishes that Yan Han shouldn’t be eating.

Yan Han had an old leg injury, and some foods were considered irritants—they could easily trigger pain. But Yan Han wasn’t well-versed in dietary matters. He didn’t know what he could or couldn’t eat. In fact, he didn’t even recognize many of the ingredients. The chef had processed most of the dishes so thoroughly that their original form was unrecognizable. Pei Lang had to rely on smell and taste to figure them out.

That one time when Yan Han had a flare-up after coming home—it was because he’d eaten something he shouldn’t have.

So… was this accidental or intentional?

From the looks of it, Yan Han could only safely eat one or two dishes. To keep him from unknowingly eating something harmful, Pei Lang took the initiative to serve him food.

Old Master Yan was so happy he could hardly keep his eyes open from smiling. Meanwhile, Yan Xiuyuan looked furious, his jaw twitching as he bit down hard on his food to vent his rage.

Yan Han simply ate whatever Pei Lang picked for him. The two of them looked like a sweet, loving couple.

After dinner, Yan Han prepared to take Pei Lang home.

Before leaving, Old Master Yan was reluctant to let them go. He repeatedly told Yan Han to bring Pei Lang by more often. The reason?

“Watching him eat so happily made me eat a few more bites too!”

Pei Lang: “…”

As they exited, they ran into the original owner’s father. The man’s expression was twisted, as if he wanted to tear Pei Lang’s skin off. Pei Lang found it amusing and got into the car with Yan Han without even greeting him.

“Your father seems to have something to say to you.” Yan Han glanced into the rearview mirror. The man was rushing toward the car, his expression ugly, clearly conflicted and hesitating to speak.

“My father?” Pei Lang looked around as if confused. “My father’s not in this world. He passed away a long time ago.”

In Pei Lang’s mind, he only had one father—the one from his original world. He didn’t recognize the man chasing the car at all.

Yan Han didn’t press further. Su Jia drove them back to the villa and, not daring to disturb them, left quickly.

Originally, Pei Lang was supposed to return to the set since he had to shoot scenes the next day. But Yan Han wasn’t ready to let him go yet. He instructed Su Jia to pick him up early the next morning instead.

Pei Lang stayed in his own room for a while before Yan Han called him over to his bedroom for a massage.

“Mr. Yan, how was my performance tonight?” Pei Lang asked as he worked on the massage.

“Mm.” Yan Han enjoyed the massage, holding a book in his hand and pretending to read.

“Your big brother and Yan Xiuyuan have always disliked you, haven’t they?” Pei Lang said softly. Yan Xiuyuan was openly hostile, while Yan Tong was more subtle—pretending to be the elder brother, but every word was laced with barbs. He deliberately poked where it hurt, bringing up Yan Han’s injured legs again and again.

Yan Han’s eyelashes trembled, but he didn’t respond. He kept his eyes on the book.

“Mr. Yan, do your legs always hurt after going home?”

Yan Han thought about it and realized it wasn’t always the case—but the pain usually worsened after he ate.

“I think it’s intentional,” Pei Lang said. “The food caused your old injury to flare up. It’d be weirder if it didn’t hurt.”

“You mean… there’s something wrong with those dishes?” Yan Han frowned. The leg pain had lasted for years—it wasn’t like it had just started. Even if he didn’t eat those particular foods, it would still act up, so he’d never suspected the food.

But now that Pei Lang mentioned it, it made sense.

That pain—it felt like something gnawing at his bones. The bones themselves were numb, but the pain would suddenly come alive—sharp and unbearable, like they were being shattered bit by bit.

“Those ingredients are ordinary, but people with old injuries shouldn’t eat them,” Pei Lang explained. “And your injury is already serious. Even a small amount can trigger pain.”

The massage was almost done. Pei Lang gently pulled down the trouser leg to cover Yan Han’s leg, then sat on the edge of the bed, watching Yan Han fall into deep thought.

In the original novel, it was never explained how Yan Han’s leg got injured. It was vaguely attributed to Bai Yueguang, who didn’t even show up until the end.

“Mr. Yan is so clever, but when it comes to food, you’re completely careless. That’s how others got the chance to take advantage of you. Why don’t you buy a recipe book and study it? At least learn what you should and shouldn’t eat.”

“So… the reason you picked dishes for me tonight was to stop me from eating the wrong thing?” Yan Han’s voice was slightly stiff.

He’d thought Pei Lang was doing it out of affection—that maybe all his studying of the “guide to chasing your wife” was finally paying off. But now, it turned out Pei Lang was just doing it out of caution, not care.

In other words, Pei Lang still only saw him as a “partner,” with no other feelings involved.

“I can’t just tell everyone at the table that you can’t eat those dishes,” Pei Lang said honestly.

That one sentence stabbed straight into Yan Han’s heart.

His face darkened. “Then from now on, you’ll be in charge of what I eat.”

“…” Pei Lang stared at him silently. This old man was actually throwing a tantrum like a child. “Mr. Yan, I’m an actor. I have filming work. I’m not your assistant. You can have Su Jia handle your food, clothing, and daily needs.”

Yan Han, sulking, couldn’t take rejection.

“I never bring Su Jia to the old house. If you don’t check, I won’t eat. If I eat the wrong thing again, I’d rather die in pain than starve to death.”

“…” Pei Lang sighed. He truly couldn’t do anything about Yan Han.

“Fine, how about this—if I happen to be with you, I’ll check the food for you. If I’m not… just send me a photo of the dishes. I’ll check remotely, alright?”

That was the best compromise Pei Lang could offer. If even that wasn’t acceptable, then so be it. Yan Han could love whoever he wanted—and even if he keeled over from pain, it’d have nothing to do with Pei Lang.

“That’s good enough.” Yan Han finally relaxed, a faint smile appearing at the corners of his eyes.

Pei Lang had to wake up early for filming the next day, so the two of them went to bed early.

Yan Han slept on the bed.

Pei Lang, as usual, slept on the sofa.

Soon, both of them fell asleep. But in another villa of the Yan family, someone was still wide awake—tossing and turning.

Yan Xiuyuan.

His mind was full of Pei Lang and Yan Han being lovey-dovey, and the fact that they already had a marriage certificate. Pei Lang had chased after him for so long, endured so much online abuse, and was ridiculed by the entire internet for being worthless. And yet… he had used every means possible to seduce him—even drugged him.

No one knew what had happened during that time, but somehow… Pei Lang had married his uncle.

Pei Lang had changed too suddenly. Or perhaps, it wasn’t a change at all—maybe the person he used to look down on had never truly loved him. That man had become someone entirely different, and now, everything about him was dazzling and captivating.

Yan Xiuyuan couldn’t adjust to the personality shift, nor the complete reversal in how Pei Lang treated him. He couldn’t believe it. He had humiliated himself in front of Pei Lang again and again, only to find that he couldn’t even cause a ripple.

Only today did it truly hit him—this person was already someone else’s.

Whether he had ever possessed him, whether he had ever liked him, none of it mattered now. Pei Lang had taken over his heart.

He couldn’t sleep. There was only one thought in his mind: Get him back.
That was someone he had lost—and he had to be the one to win him back.

He’d forgotten the most important fact: Pei Lang had never belonged to him. There was no “losing” him to begin with.

Winning Pei Lang—and dealing with Pei Ziqing—was going to be a problem. Everyone knew the two of them were engaged. If they broke it off, their whole image of being loyal and affectionate would crumble, and the internet would be quick to turn against them.

He needed to figure out how to deal with Pei Ziqing first.

That night, Yan Xiuyuan didn’t sleep a wink.

—

Pei Lang, unaware of Yan Xiuyuan’s internal chaos, also didn’t sleep well.

When the alarm rang at six in the morning, Yan Han was still fast asleep. Pei Lang quietly slipped out of the room, went back to his own to wash up, and then contacted Su Jia.

Su Jia arrived shortly after.

Pei Lang got in the car and sent a message to Yan Han:
[Mr. Yan, I’m heading back to the set now.]

“You want me to start calling you ‘Boss Lady’ now?” Su Jia asked as she drove, her eyes sparkling with excitement despite the early hour.

Pei Lang nearly choked on air, coughing twice, his fingers slipping on the phone. “What kind of nonsense are you spouting?! Cut it out.”

“But the boss took you to the Yan family’s old residence! Only direct family members and specially authorized personnel are allowed in that place.”
Su Jia’s words left Pei Lang speechless.

Even Su Jia—Yan Han’s personal assistant—had never stepped foot in that house. It was clear just how special Pei Lang’s status was to Yan Han.

Yes, they were married in name. But in reality? They were married in every sense. Only, they had a five-year contract. Of course, that detail couldn’t be revealed to Su Jia, lest she embarrass Yan Han.

Pei Lang’s silence was taken as silent confirmation.

“I told you your relationship was different,” Su Jia said earnestly. “The boss isn’t getting any younger. He should have someone to share his life with. But you two still love playing around—pretending like nothing’s going on. I kept wondering why the boss was letting you into his bedroom. I even remember you talking about working out more to become more ‘manly,’ and then there was that time you gave him a princess carry—”

Su Jia suddenly gasped as she pieced things together in her head.
“The boss isn’t the one on the bottom, right?!”

Her eyes widened in disbelief. “You beast! At least be gentle, and take care of the boss’s legs!”

Pei Lang covered his face in silence. Su Jia’s imagination always ran wild, and now it was getting way out of hand.

“You’re overthinking it. Mr. Yan and I haven’t even… we’re still completely innocent.”

“I’ll let you in on a secret,” Su Jia whispered, eyes still on the road. “The boss has a few assistants stationed in different places, but my job is to stay close to him and take care of his daily life. We all used to think he’d end up alone. I mean, what woman would want to marry someone with such a cold face? Turns out we were too narrow-minded. The boss isn’t the one who loves, he’s the one who’s loved.”

It was a bit of a shock, but still something to be happy about. It wasn’t easy to find someone willing to accept someone like the boss—and for the boss to accept someone in return.
Wasn’t that what all the assistants secretly hoped for?

Su Jia’s imagination had taken flight, and Pei Lang couldn’t be bothered to explain. Unless he told her the whole truth, it would only make things worse.

“You speak so freely about Mr. Yan—aren’t you afraid I’ll tell on you?” Pei Lang raised an eyebrow.

If Yan Han heard this, he might deduct Su Jia’s salary again.

“You won’t,” Su Jia said confidently. The car turned onto a long, straight road. Dawn was breaking, and the red sunrise spilled over the hills in the distance, casting a soft glow across the land. Su Jia was in high spirits. She always felt relaxed around Pei Lang.

“You and the boss don’t spend that much time together, and he’s not the kind to talk much. I’m just helping you get to know him better.”

“Oh? Then I guess I should be thanking you?” Pei Lang said dryly.

“Of course not,” Su Jia replied seriously. She stopped at a red light and took the chance to glance at him. “I can tell the boss really likes you. He treats you differently. I’ve never seen a man act so naturally around him. Turns out, men with charm really are something else. The boss isn’t nearly as harsh as he used to be. You’re amazing—you can sing, you can act, and you even managed to conquer the boss. You’re basically a god.”

Pei Lang didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. This was one enormous, ridiculous misunderstanding.

“Just focus on driving and stop with the nonsense. Your boss is still your boss. If you keep running your mouth, you might lose your job,” Pei Lang warned helplessly.

Su Jia clearly wasn’t worried. She brushed it off and delivered him to the set half an hour before shooting began.

Lu Lu was nearly having a panic attack, terrified that Pei Lang would show up late for work. It wasn’t until she saw him arrive that she finally breathed a sigh of relief.