Marrying the Male Lead’s Disabled Uncle – Chapter 05

Chapter 5 What I’m wearing must be a fanfiction

“Brother, you’re back. Are you okay?”

Pei Ziqing’s voice was soft and concerned. His forehead bore the faintest trace of a scar, only visible when the wind lifted his bangs.

Back when Pei Lang had read the novel, he had truly liked Pei Ziqing and Yan Xiuyuan as a couple. They were affectionate and unwavering in their loyalty to each other. No matter how many misunderstandings or hardships they faced, they never doubted their love. That was precisely why no amount of external interference—especially from cannon fodder—could break them apart.

Now that he was standing face-to-face with one of the protagonists, Pei Lang found himself looking at Pei Ziqing with a strange, almost motherly fondness.

Pei Ziqing must have sensed his gaze because his eyes suddenly reddened, tears welling up.

“Brother, are you still mad at me for not speaking up?” His voice trembled. “I’m sorry, truly sorry. I could give you anything else… except Xiuyuan. We love each other too much. When you were arrested, I begged Xiuyuan to let you go, but he was so determined after seeing my injury. He said he had to make you give up, so… Brother, have you been okay in the detention center for the past half month? I wanted to visit you, but Xiuyuan was watching closely, and the fans were monitoring my every move. I only just managed to calm them down, and then you got released.”

Pei Lang listened, his lips curling slightly.

This soft, trembling voice, this beautiful, delicate face, these carefully chosen words—if he had still been the reader, his heart might have melted.

But now?

He simply smiled. “He was right. I’ve given up.” He met Pei Ziqing’s teary gaze and spoke with sincerity. “Ziqing, I wish you a happy marriage.”

Pei Ziqing was stunned.

His expression flickered between doubt and disbelief before settling into an awkward smile. “Brother, you look so different after cutting your hair and dressing like this. I almost didn’t recognize you.”

“Where’s Dad?” Pei Lang asked, his attention shifting as he began exploring this unfamiliar home.

Both he and Pei Ziqing were strikingly good-looking. That made him curious—what kind of man had fathered them? Since his appearance in this world matched his past self, he wondered if this father might resemble the one he had lost in his previous life.

Pei Ziqing followed closely behind him. “You haven’t called him ‘Dad’ in a long time. If he hears you now, he’ll be so happy.”

Pei Lang glanced at him but said nothing.

He stopped walking abruptly, and Pei Ziqing, not paying attention, bumped into him from behind.

It was a light impact, barely noticeable—yet Pei Ziqing collapsed weakly to the floor with a soft thud.

Pei Lang froze.

He turned back to find Pei Ziqing on the ground, his face pale, tears shimmering in his red-rimmed eyes.

What the hell?

This man was truly the protagonist—just looking at him made people instinctively want to protect him.

Just as Pei Lang reached out a hand, a furious voice thundered from the doorway.

“You bastard! What are you doing?!”

A middle-aged man stormed in, dressed in a stiff business suit. Though age had added some weight to his frame and lines to his face, traces of his youthful charm remained.

Grocery bags in hand, his cloudy eyes burned with rage as he stomped toward Pei Lang.

Before Pei Lang could react, the man’s hand swung toward him in a vicious slap.

The sharp crack echoed through the house.

“You rebellious son!” The man seethed. “Why did I ever bring such a disgrace into this world?! Seducing your own brother’s boyfriend, committing such disgusting acts, even landing yourself in the police station—you’ve brought nothing but shame to the Pei family! A disgrace! And now, you dare to bully Ziqing right in front of me?!”

The force of the slap sent Pei Lang stumbling two steps back.

A sharp, burning pain spread across his face, but the sensation in his chest was worse—an overwhelming disgust welled up from deep within him.

It wasn’t just his own emotions.

This body—this Pei Lang—had instinctively loathed this man.

And now that Pei Lang knew the full truth, he finally understood why.

For once, the lingering traces of the original Pei Lang’s resentment aligned perfectly with his own feelings.

He had no regrets about what he did next.

The man raised his hand again.

But this time, Pei Lang caught his wrist midair.

With a swift motion, he twisted it backward.

A sickening snap filled the room.

The man’s face contorted in pain.

This father had never cared for Pei Lang, but after the scandal of him “seducing” Yan Xiuyuan, his hatred had only grown. Ever since, he had endured judgmental stares and gossip whenever he stepped outside. The anger he couldn’t release in public had been simmering within him, waiting for a chance to explode.

And now that his youngest, precious son had been knocked to the ground, he didn’t hesitate to unleash it all on Pei Lang.

But Pei Lang wasn’t going to take it.

His grip tightened.

“Ziqing,” Pei Lang called calmly. “Won’t you explain?”

Pei Ziqing was still on the floor, teary-eyed.

If this had been the original Pei Ziqing, he would have cleared up the misunderstanding immediately.

But instead, he let the moment stretch, his delicate features trembling with emotion.

Then, with a choked sob, he said, “Brother… wuwuwu~ I’m sorry. Xiuyuan and I truly love each other, and no matter what happens, I won’t give up on him. Please, help us. Don’t make things difficult for Father—his blood pressure has been high lately, and he shouldn’t be getting upset.”

Pei Lang narrowed his eyes.

Something was off.

This wasn’t the Pei Ziqing he remembered from the novel.

In the original story, Pei Ziqing had been kind, intelligent, and fair. No matter how awful Pei Lang had been, he had always upheld the truth.

But now?

He had deliberately left things ambiguous.

His words sounded so pitiful, so innocent.

Yet, he hadn’t denied or clarified a single thing.

Pei Lang, still in a daze from the unexpected turn of events, caught a glimpse of something unsettling in Pei Ziqing’s expression—a flicker of calculation and satisfaction beneath the tears.

What the hell?

The protagonist he had once admired had become… this?

This wasn’t the Pei Ziqing he remembered.

This wasn’t the novel he had read.

This had to be fanfiction.

Pei Lang clenched his jaw. Damn it! Why didn’t the system explain things properly?!

Irritated, he released the old man’s wrist and shook his own in disdain.

Pei Ziqing, still sobbing, scrambled to his feet and rushed to support his father, who was clutching his arm in pain.

“Dad, are you okay? Wuwuwu~ It’s all my fault! I upset Brother and made him lash out at you!”

“Ziqing, I don’t blame you,” the man gritted out through his pain. His eyes, filled with hatred, turned to Pei Lang. “If there’s anyone to blame, it’s this shameless, ungrateful bastard. If I had known he’d turn out like this, I should have let him and his mother die together! Instead, he’s grown up into nothing but a disgrace, bringing harm to everyone around him!”

Pei Lang’s expression darkened.

His mother.

He still has the audacity to bring her up?!

A sharp sneer curled on Pei Lang’s lips.

“You’re wrong,” he said coolly. “It’s not me who brought shame to the Pei family—it’s you.”

His voice was steady, but every word struck like a blade.

“I wonder if you’ve forgotten how your wife died. It was you who cheated on your marriage. You who betrayed your vows. You had an affair, fathered an illegitimate child, and then dragged your mistress and bastard son into our home. And what? You think running away to a different city erased your sins? A rotten man will remain rotten no matter where he hides. You think pretending to be an upstanding citizen changes anything? The moment you decided to betray your family, you lost any right to call yourself a decent human being.”

The words poured out of him effortlessly.

Maybe this was what the original Pei Lang had always wanted to say but never could.

It wasn’t just anger—it was truth.

And judging by the sudden change in their expressions, they knew it too.

Pei Ziqing’s face turned ghostly pale, and for the first time, the way he looked at Pei Lang changed.

Gone was the innocent, pitiful younger brother.

What replaced it was something darker.

Shame. Resentment.

The label of “illegitimate child” was something Pei Ziqing could never escape, no matter how successful he became.

And the fact that Pei Lang, of all people, had thrown it in his face?

That was an insult he couldn’t tolerate.

Pei Lang didn’t miss the shift in his expression.

Oh? So you’re not as simple as you pretend to be, huh?

Pei Lang had spent years acting and reading people—he could spot a façade from a mile away.

“Brother, I’m sorry,” Pei Ziqing suddenly whimpered, tears still glistening in his eyes. “Mom didn’t mean any harm. Mom and Dad truly love each other.”

Pei Lang’s patience snapped.

“Don’t cry, dear~”

His tone was gentle, almost affectionate.

But his eyes were ice-cold, his smirk laced with mockery.

“As the victim here, why am I not crying? Why are you the one acting like you lost a mother?”

“You—!”

The old man, livid, raised his hand again.

Pei Lang’s sharp gaze locked onto him, and he froze mid-motion.

“You really want to try that again?”

A chilling intensity radiated from Pei Lang, the kind that made people’s instincts scream at them to back away.

Yan Han wasn’t the only one capable of exuding pure intimidation.

“Seems like you’ve already forgotten the pain from earlier,” Pei Lang continued, voice deceptively calm. “Fine, then let’s refresh your memory.”

He tilted his head, his tone taking on a taunting lilt.

“You’re such a hypocrite. You and that woman of yours caused a scandal so big the entire town gossiped about it for years. And now you have the nerve to call me embarrassing? Back then, I was just a kid. But let me ask you, teacher—who seduced who first? Did you seduce her, or did she seduce you? Since it was mutual seduction, does that mean I was just ‘following your example’ when I went after Yan Xiuyuan? What’s the difference?”

Pei Lang let out a sharp laugh, shaking his head.

“You. A cheater. Your mistress. An opportunist. And now, your son—pretending to be pure and devoted. Tsk, tsk, tsk.”

He clicked his tongue in mock admiration.

“You really have raised him well. You should consider teaching a parenting class after retirement—share your wisdom on how to raise an illegitimate child with ‘noble morals’ and a deep sense of ‘loyalty and love.’ I bet those perfect, happy couples out there would love to hear your advice.”

The old man trembled with fury, his mouth opening and closing as if he wanted to scream but couldn’t find the words.

In all these years, no one had ever spoken to him like this.

And he had no way to refute it.

“Brother,” Pei Ziqing suddenly interrupted, his voice sickeningly sweet, “how can you say that to Dad? After all, we’re family—we should be supporting each other.”

Pei Lang let out a sharp laugh.

“Family?” He repeated mockingly.

His smile faded, his expression turning icy.

“When have you ever treated me like family?”

Pei Ziqing’s eyelashes trembled.

Pei Lang leaned in slightly.

“Listen carefully, Pei Ziqing. I won’t interfere in your life from now on. Before, I was obsessed with competing with you. But now? I’ve finally woken up.”

His smirk widened.

“You can have your little achievements. I won’t fight for garbage. It’s only garbage in your hands, after all. And as for Yan Xiuyuan?” He scoffed. “The world is full of men. You better keep a tight leash on him, because I really don’t care anymore.”

“Dad, wuwuwu~” Pei Ziqing whimpered, clinging to his father. “Brother must be sick. He’s never spoken like this before! It must be the stress from the detention center—he’s clearly not in his right mind. We should send him for treatment!”

Pei Lang narrowed his eyes.

Oh.

So that’s your game?

Pei Ziqing had been spoiled rotten all his life. Now, faced with an unfamiliar, unshakable Pei Lang, he was resorting to the oldest trick in the book—gaslighting him into “mental illness.”

Unfortunately for him, the person standing before them wasn’t the original Pei Lang.

“How thoughtful,” Pei Lang drawled. “Worried about my well-being, are you?”

His smirk sharpened.

Pei Ziqing’s fingers curled slightly, his unease showing through.

Pei Lang turned away.

“I came here today to tell you something,” he said flatly. “I’m moving out. As of today, I have nothing to do with this family. Don’t contact me.”

He headed straight to his old room, grabbed his things, and walked out without a second glance.

As he passed them, he threw out one last remark.

“Keep whatever’s left in my room—I don’t want it. Enjoy your dinner. I won’t disturb you anymore.”

Just as he reached the door, he crossed paths with a woman—Pei Ziqing’s mother.

Her expression twisted with hatred the moment she saw him.

Pei Lang ignored her entirely.

Too bad she was late.

He would have loved to curse her out too.