Marrying the Male Lead’s Disabled Uncle – Chapter 01

Rumbling thunder echoed through the night sky. Dark clouds hung low, rolling ominously, while wind and rain lashed against the glass, shattering it into countless shards.

Raindrops, like splintered glass, pelted down in a torrential downpour, as if determined to overturn the bustling city of Nanfeng. The vibrant city lights flickered on the swaying green trees, their glow distorted by the storm. Pedestrians dashed through the streets in groups of twos and threes, while the occasional blaring car horn pierced the chaotic symphony of wind and rain. The temperature plummeted, and the heavy rain filled the city with restless noise. Yet, there was one place completely detached from this clamor.

Deep within a remote detention center in Nanfeng City, inside a soundproofed building, an eerie silence prevailed.

Pei Lang opened his eyes, and a pungent sour stench assaulted his nostrils, making him frown. The smell was coming from him.

“Where is this place?” Pei Lang murmured in confusion. He squinted in the dim light and checked himself. He wasn’t injured, but he clearly hadn’t bathed in days. His clothes clung to him, sticky and reeking.

He was the youngest award-winning actor in the entertainment industry, highly praised for both his acting skills and personality. The last thing he remembered was being in a car accident on his way back to the hotel after an awards ceremony. The screech of brakes, the sound of shattering glass—then darkness. When he woke up, he was here.

Was he kidnapped? He couldn’t figure out what was happening. Slowly, he got up and surveyed his surroundings. Having once played a role in a prison drama, he quickly recognized his environment—a detention center. His eyelids twitched involuntarily.

Over the past few years, his rising popularity in the entertainment industry had inevitably stirred jealousy. But he had never directly offended anyone, let alone committed any crimes. How could he have ended up here?

Just as he was trying to make sense of the situation, a cheerful robotic voice suddenly rang out—

“Welcome to the world of the novel The CEO’s Beloved Wife, Movie Star. Hello, host. System 007 is at your service.”

Pei Lang froze, his pupils contracting in shock.

That name… sounded too familiar.

His frown deepened as he quickly searched his memory. Then it hit him.

This was the book his assistant had forced on him.

As a 27-year-old straight man who had yet to meet someone he liked, Pei Lang’s assistant had taken on the role of an overly concerned mother, constantly introducing women to him. But Pei Lang remained disinterested, which led her to deeply suspect that her boss was gay. No matter how much Pei Lang denied it, she refused to believe him.

So, a few days later, she threw a BL novel at him and said, “If you don’t turn gay after reading this book, then I’ll believe you’re really straight.”

Well, since he only took on two projects a year and had plenty of free time, Pei Lang had actually read the book.

The only reason he forced himself to finish it—despite it not being his usual genre—was because there happened to be a cannon fodder character with the same name as him. And of course, after reading it, he still didn’t turn gay. He really was straight.

So now…

“You’re saying you’re a system?” Pei Lang’s expression remained calm, but inside, he was in full panic mode. A bad feeling crept over him.

System 007: “Yes, host.”

“This is the world of that book?”

System 007: “That’s correct, host. Friendly reminder: you died in a car accident in the real world. You can forget about going back.”

Pei Lang: “…”

He hadn’t even started thinking about going back yet.

“Then… am I still Pei Lang?”

This Pei Lang was not that Pei Lang.

The system remained silent, but Pei Lang understood. The corners of his lips curled up in a self-deprecating smile.

Taking a few steps back, he suddenly sprinted forward—headfirst into the wall.

In the novel, Pei Lang was a notorious cannon fodder character. He had plenty of scenes, but every single one involved causing trouble. Arrogant and reckless, he shamelessly tried to seduce his own brother’s husband—the novel’s male lead—and committed all sorts of terrible deeds.

In the end, he met a miserable death.

Rather than being tortured to death by the male lead, it would be better to just smash his head against the wall and end it all now.

However, just as his head was about a centimeter away from impact, an invisible force yanked him back.

007, who had been putting on a cutesy act, finally dropped the pretense and started wailing, “Host, please don’t commit suicide! I—I accidentally disrupted the balance of this book’s world and caused the cannon fodder Pei Lang to die early. If he dies, the plot won’t be able to progress! If I get caught, I’ll be eliminated! I had no choice but to bring you in, even though it technically wasn’t allowed. But if you die again, where am I supposed to find another perfect replacement to keep the plot going—uh, I mean… uh…”

The system had blurted out the truth and now had no idea how to cover it up.

Pei Lang finally understood.

He had been dragged into this world purely to play the role of a stepping stone for the protagonist.

Yeah, no way I’m letting that happen.

But dying wasn’t going to be easy either—the system wouldn’t let him.

“Fine, fine, let go of me. I won’t die, okay?” Pei Lang sighed, ceasing his struggle. The invisible force disappeared.

But the moment he was free, he immediately lunged at the wall again.

This time, the system was a step too slow.

A loud thud echoed through the room. A sharp pain shot through his skull, making his vision blur and his stomach churn. He heaved dryly, dizzy from the impact.

Yet—he didn’t die.

So all those TV dramas where people die from headbutting walls are complete lies, huh?

The pain had actually managed to calm him down.

007: “…Uh, host? Are you calm now?”

The system hesitated for a moment before continuing, “Actually, as long as you’re alive, it’s fine. You don’t have to follow the plot exactly. You can be yourself, as long as you don’t completely derail the main storyline. So, host, please help me out, okay?”

In other words, as long as the official couple ended up together in the end, everything else was flexible.

That actually didn’t sound too bad.

Seeing that Pei Lang’s mood had improved slightly, the system struck while the iron was hot, launching into what could only be described as an MLM-style sales pitch. “Think about it! You already died in your world. Isn’t it great to have a second chance at life? And to sweeten the deal, I’ll give you a golden finger! How about it?”

Pei Lang was silent for a moment, weighing his options.

If he refused, what would happen? He’d be sent off to reincarnate? Assuming the system even let him. And since he couldn’t kill himself, he might as well stay and make the most of it.

A golden finger, huh? Hmph, at least this system had some conscience.

“I want teleportation.” Pei Lang thought for a moment before selecting the superpower he wanted most.

The system fell silent.

Pei Lang frowned. “Then how about an indestructible body? Or the ability to eat anything without gaining weight?”

…

More silence.

Just as Pei Lang started feeling like he’d been scammed, the system trembled and weakly explained, “Host, since your situation is… ahem, special, you can’t pick. The ability will be assigned randomly. Also, those abilities you mentioned are all high-level golden fingers… I, uh, don’t have access to those.”

Its voice grew smaller and smaller, filled with guilt.

So you’re making promises you can’t keep?

Whatever. Better to have something than nothing.

“Fine. I won’t make things difficult for you.”

Hearing his compromise, the system immediately perked up. “According to the plot, the host will leave this place tomorrow. I wish you a happy life, host! Your golden finger has been granted—please pay attention to the first person who physically touches you. Bye~”

Then, the system went completely silent.

Pei Lang could tell it had vanished.

It didn’t even say what the golden finger was. Did I really get one, or was that another scam?

Feeling somewhat cheated, Pei Lang sat down and recalled the plot of the novel.

The male lead, Yan Xiuyuan, was a man at the pinnacle of excellence—top-tier skills, knowledge, appearance, and wealth. Most importantly, he was devoted and affectionate. As the CEO of a major entertainment company, he was the nation’s most sought-after bachelor.

At first sight, he fell in love with Pei Ziqing, an artist in his company. From that moment on, he showered Pei Ziqing with attention, indulging and pursuing him relentlessly, spending money and resources without hesitation. Under his persistent efforts, Pei Ziqing was eventually moved. Though he hadn’t agreed to an official relationship yet, he was willing to meet Yan Xiuyuan’s parents—an obvious sign of his intent.

But then came the real problem.

Pei Ziqing’s brother, Pei Lang, also developed feelings for Yan Xiuyuan.

Using every means possible, he tried to seduce Yan Xiuyuan, dropping hints, flirting, and even outright asking for acting opportunities. Shamelessly, he even confessed his love.

However, because Pei Lang was Pei Ziqing’s brother, Yan Xiuyuan didn’t want to blow things up publicly. To avoid unnecessary drama, he gave Pei Lang some small, unimportant acting roles.

Unfortunately, Pei Lang had no acting skills.

While Pei Ziqing rose to stardom, Pei Lang became the laughingstock of the industry.

His reputation tanked—he was labeled artificial, effeminate, talentless, arrogant, and difficult to work with. He used Yan Xiuyuan’s influence to throw his weight around, offending almost everyone in showbiz.

A complete and utter joke.

When entertainment reporters eventually exposed his relationship with Pei Ziqing, the two were compared endlessly. One was a beloved superstar, adored by the nation. The other was absolute trash, universally despised.

Then, when Yan Xiuyuan and Pei Ziqing finally made their relationship public, Pei Lang became the subject of widespread ridicule.

His attempts at seducing his brother-in-law were leaked, and the entire internet voted to blacklist him from the entertainment industry.

And after that—he completely lost it.

A few months later, Pei Lang learned about an exclusive high-society banquet where Yan Xiuyuan would be in attendance. Seizing the opportunity, he prepared poison with the intent to kill him. However, his plan was exposed before he could act.

To make matters worse, Pei Ziqing was also at the event. Overcome with anger and jealousy, Pei Lang clashed with his younger brother, and their argument soon escalated into a physical fight. In the scuffle, Pei Lang’s long nails scratched Pei Ziqing’s face, enraging Yan Xiuyuan, who immediately called the police.

Following his arrest, the media uncovered his history of mistreating Pei Ziqing since childhood. Their half-brother relationship was brought to light, further solidifying Pei Lang’s reputation as a villain. This time, Pei Ziqing made no attempts to defend him—any lingering familial ties were completely severed.

Ultimately, Pei Lang was sentenced to fifteen days in detention, with tonight being his final night behind bars.

Now inhabiting this tarnished identity, Pei Lang exhaled deeply. Once he stepped outside, he would have to brace himself for yet another storm of public backlash.

Pei Ziqing’s fanbase was massive, whereas Pei Lang was reviled across the internet. There were likely people waiting outside just to see him suffer.

His new body was exhausted from prolonged stress and lack of sleep. Though anxious about what lay ahead, Pei Lang quickly succumbed to fatigue and fell asleep.

The next morning, he was abruptly awakened by the police.

Still groggy, he got to his feet, momentarily disoriented before remembering his current situation. Taking his personal belongings, he walked out, while the officers only escorted him as far as the entrance, clearly eager to wash their hands of him.

No one dared to stir up trouble directly in front of the detention center, but a crowd had gathered about fifty meters away, waiting.

Thankfully, his new body had sharp eyesight.

As he walked, Pei Lang pulled out his phone and called for a taxi, setting a random destination.

The driver, unaware of his identity, arrived within five minutes.

Unfortunately, an observant entertainment reporter caught on and alerted the crowd.

In an instant, a wave of people surged toward him.

For the first time in his life, Pei Lang found himself in such a humiliating situation—stumbling as he scrambled into the taxi, slamming the door shut.

“Drive! Now!”

Though confused, the driver instinctively stepped on the gas, speeding away and successfully shaking off the mob.

Looking out the window, Pei Lang saw people still chasing after the car in a frenzy.

If he had been a second slower, they might have torn him apart on the spot.

That was terrifying.

He patted his chest to calm himself down.

Taking a deep breath, he retrieved his phone, unlocked it with his fingerprint, and searched for his home address.

He only had a vague understanding of the novel’s plot and hadn’t inherited the original Pei Lang’s memories, meaning he had no idea where he lived.

However, he recalled a few details about the residential area and figured there must be a record of past taxi rides.

Sure enough, he found an address in the ride history, relayed it to the driver, and then adjusted the destination.

What the outside world didn’t know was that Pei Lang was actually married.

It happened right after Yan Xiuyuan publicly announced his relationship with Pei Ziqing.

At the time, the original Pei Lang had been deeply upset.

Then, out of nowhere, a man approached him with a contract.

That man was Yan Han—Yan Xiuyuan’s uncle.

The original novel barely mentioned Yan Han.

All that was known was that he had lost the ability to walk because of Bai Yueguang and had been confined to a wheelchair ever since.

Despite receiving treatment, his condition remained unchanged.

Desperate, his father—the male lead’s grandfather—turned to Feng Shui and superstitions. A master advised that Yan Han needed to marry in order to recover.

By chance, Pei Lang’s birthdate was a perfect match for the requirement.

The old man didn’t care about Pei Lang’s reputation or past misdeeds.

Determined to follow through, he pressured Yan Han by saying, “I’m old and don’t have many years left. If you refuse, you’ll regret it.”

Eventually, Yan Han relented.

As for Pei Lang, he saw it as an opportunity to get closer to Yan Xiuyuan.

Once they were legally family, he would have more chances to interact with the male lead.

The marriage was purely transactional.

There was no wedding, no guests—just a signed contract binding them together.

For five years, they lived under the same roof but stayed out of each other’s affairs.

At the end of the term, Pei Lang would receive a substantial sum of money.

It was a mutually beneficial arrangement.

And to this day, even Yan Xiuyuan remained unaware of it