Marrying the Male Lead’s Disabled Uncle – Chapter 41

The interaction between the three of them had left the onlookers completely confused. No one had clearly heard the word “father” that Pei Lang had spoken.

The banquet hadn’t officially started yet, and Yan Han was called to the study by Old Master Yan to discuss some matters. With nothing else to do, Pei Lang wandered around the garden of the villa. The Yan family’s old master preferred peace and quiet, so although the residence was enormous, there were only a handful of staff members maintaining it. Pei Lang strolled around leisurely, occasionally stopping to admire the flowers and plants in the yard.

Just now, when he had entered the hall with Yan Han, they had drawn many surprised looks. Though people were puzzled, no one had dared to ask anything. Now that Pei Lang was alone, someone finally took the opportunity to approach him.

The first ones to show up were the original owner’s father and stepmother.

“You unfilial brat! How dare you show your face here? What makes you think you can come to the Yan family?” The man stormed over furiously, scolding him loudly. Standing beside him was a woman, her gaze vicious and full of hostility.

Pei Lang merely smiled, lowered his head, and took in the scent of a nearby flower. The night sky was filled with stars, the moon hung clear, the floral fragrance lingered in the air, and the lights from the villa shone brilliantly. Such a beautiful evening was marred by the presence of these two.

“I came here with Yan Han. If my presence bothers you, feel free to go tell Yan Han—or Old Master Yan himself.”

“You wretch! Today is Pei Ziqing’s engagement party. If you dare stir up trouble, I’ll never forgive you!” The stepmother’s tone was sharp and threatening, clearly thinking Pei Lang had come to ruin the celebration—after all, everyone knew he had once tried to seduce his brother-in-law.

Pei Lang couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Auntie, don’t get so worked up. I’m not here to pick a fight. But you really shouldn’t get so angry. You’re over fifty, and your face is already full of wrinkles. When you frown like that, the makeup on your face looks like cheap plaster on a crumbling wall—flaking off, piece by piece. So unsightly, so terrifying.”

“On such a grand occasion, imagine if a chunk of it fell into your soup at dinner. That’d be so embarrassing.” His tone was light and innocent, but his words were infuriating. He studied the woman’s face seriously—as exaggerated as his comment sounded, it wasn’t completely false. Her face was indeed painted a bit too pale. But what woman didn’t care about her appearance?

The woman trembled with rage. She gritted her teeth and raised her hand to slap him. “You shameless brat! You’re always making a scene! You’re not even fit to compare with a toe of my son!”

“I’m not competing with a gorilla,” Pei Lang replied mildly, catching her wrist to stop her from striking him.

The man, who had witnessed Pei Lang’s sharp tongue before, quickly helped his wife steady herself and shot a glare at Pei Lang. “Ziqing is going to marry Xiuyuan—he’ll be part of the Yan family. You can’t compare to him. I heard you joined some crew to act? From now on, you’re no longer my son. You’re old enough to take care of yourself. From this night forward, stay out of Ziqing’s affairs.”

They assumed Pei Lang was still unwilling to let go and had resorted to some underhanded trick to get Yan Han to bring him in. By formally cutting ties, they could finally rid themselves of this “shameful” son.

“Sounds good to me.” Pei Lang smiled, though the smile carried a trace of coldness.

He didn’t need a father like this. If the original owner were still alive, he probably wouldn’t want to acknowledge this man either. “But let me give you a word of advice—keep a tight leash on Pei Ziqing. Don’t let him come bothering me.”

“You—” The old man was enraged by Pei Lang’s defiant attitude. His blood pressure shot up, and he nearly lost his footing.

“You’re guests at the Yan residence—and so am I. You’d better watch your words and actions. After all, what you’ve done isn’t exactly honorable.” With his peaceful evening ruined, Pei Lang finished speaking and walked away without looking back.

A short while later, Pei Ziqing showed up. Seeing his parents visibly angry, he became anxious and nearly burst into tears. “Mom, Dad… did my brother say something mean again?”

“You still call him your brother?!” The man was furious at the mere mention of Pei Lang. “I’ve already severed all ties with him. You’re not allowed to call him your brother ever again. He’s no longer part of the Pei family. You’re my only son now.”

Pei Ziqing turned pale, momentarily stunned, tears welling up in his eyes. “Dad… if that’s your decision, I’ll respect it. I promise to be filial to you from now on.”

“Sigh… After raising him for over twenty years, he turned out to be a useless piece of trash—ungrateful and wild, a disgrace I can never tame.” The old man let out a heavy sigh and tightly held Pei Ziqing’s hand. “Ziqing is still the best—clever and competent.”

“It’s all thanks to your good upbringing, Dad,” Pei Ziqing said modestly, which pleased his father immensely and brought a smile to his face.

“Where’s that Xiuyuan boy?” Not seeing Yan Xiuyuan—who was usually glued to Pei Ziqing’s side—the old man couldn’t help but ask.

“Uncle wanted to talk to him about something. I came out to look for you since you weren’t in the hall,” Pei Ziqing explained as he led his parents back. “Mom, Dad, dinner’s about to start. Let’s go back.”

Meanwhile, Pei Lang, having had his stroll interrupted, ended up wandering to the back courtyard where there was an artificial pond.

The lighting around the pond was soft and romantic, and a quaint little streetlamp glowed warmly nearby. The quiet sound of flowing water soothed his heart, gradually washing away the irritation from earlier.

He sat on the guardrail, watching as koi swam to the surface, blowing bubbles. It was unexpectedly entertaining. Pei Lang leaned out halfway over the railing, reaching down to touch the surface of the water. The fish, startled, scattered and swam in all directions.

He found joy in such moments—genuine smiles and laughter from deep within.

The rippling water reflected the scattered lights onto Pei Lang’s face, casting dappled shadows across his features. It was a stunningly beautiful scene—and just then, it was seen by Yan Xiuyuan, who happened to be passing by. For a brief moment, he was stunned, his heart skipping a beat.

So this… this was what Pei Lang was like when he was alone. Not aggressive, not clinging or conniving. He was peaceful, quiet, and serene—utterly incomparable.

But the tranquility was broken by the ringing of a phone.

Pei Ziqing, unable to find Yan Xiuyuan, had called him.

Yan Xiuyuan found the call annoying and hung up after just one second—but it was enough to catch Pei Lang’s attention.

He pulled his hand back from the water. Droplets clung to his fingers, glistening in the light. He turned and saw Yan Xiuyuan standing there. His brows furrowed, unconsciously.

Pei Lang didn’t know how long Yan Xiuyuan had been standing there. He made no sound when he approached. If it weren’t for the phone ringing just now, Pei Lang wouldn’t even have known he was there.

Yan Xiuyuan’s expression was dark. “Are you and Yan Han really together?”

At that moment, he seemed unusually concerned about the answer.

Pei Lang was surprised that Yan Xiuyuan would ask that. The question wasn’t easy to answer, so he deflected. “Do you always call him by his first name in private? That’s a bit disrespectful—he’s your uncle, after all.”

“Heh~” Yan Xiuyuan scoffed and walked a few steps closer to Pei Lang. “You came here today because of me, didn’t you?”

“…Though I don’t really want to admit it—yes. If you weren’t getting engaged, I wouldn’t have come.” Yan Xiuyuan’s expression grew confused, and Pei Lang grew wary. “Congratulations, by the way. I wish you and Pei Ziqing a happy marriage.”

If he’d heard those words before, Yan Xiuyuan might’ve felt triumphant. But now, hearing Pei Lang say them, he didn’t feel happy at all—in fact, he was angry.

This person used to only have eyes for him—even if he had once looked down on her.

Yan Xiuyuan had always been a cruel man. When entangled with Pei Lang, he had belittled and humiliated her in countless ways, trampling her dignity to build up an illusion of loyalty and love. Now that Pei Lang no longer liked him and had seemingly moved on, he couldn’t accept it. Even if he didn’t want her, even if he abused her—that was his choice. No one else was allowed to take her away. Especially not that damned uncle of his.

This had to be deliberate—to upset him.

Yan Han had taken her in, cultivated her, made her shine—and that made him feel… something. A flicker of emotion.

“I don’t need your blessing!” Yan Xiuyuan snapped. He didn’t dare to lay a finger on Pei Lang—he was Yan Han’s man, after all. And he’d seen Pei Lang’s strength firsthand. If they really fought, he might not win. So all he could do was vent his anger with words.

“What’s so good about him that you’d choose to follow him? Do you even know who he is? His mother used to be our family’s cook. That slut seduced my grandfather while he was drunk and climbed into his bed. He’s nothing but a bastard—illegitimate trash who doesn’t belong in the Yan family.”

Pei Lang had always known the uncle and nephew weren’t on good terms—but he hadn’t expected that, in Yan Xiuyuan’s mind, Yan Han was so thoroughly degraded.

His words were disgusting.

Pei Lang felt a pang in his heart and spoke coldly, “Who taught you how to speak Chinese? What do you mean by ‘mistress’? Your grandmother had already passed away by then. Your grandfather married again. And you think someone like your grandfather—who’s seen all kinds of tricks in the business world—would lose his head over a few drinks unless there were feelings involved?”

Old Master Yan had been in his forties when he had Yan Han. By that time, Yan Xiuyuan’s father had already grown up—and he’d done everything he could to suppress and belittle his younger half-brother in the fight for family power. That attitude had clearly been passed down to Yan Xiuyuan, who had disrespected his uncle from childhood. Though he feared Yan Han’s capabilities, and shared his blood, he had never acknowledged him as family.

But a person doesn’t choose how they’re born. Yan Han hadn’t done anything wrong.

Yan Xiuyuan’s expression darkened further. “And now you’re speaking up for him? He’s just a cripple! He didn’t even get five percent of the Yan family inheritance. If it weren’t for my father’s pity, he would’ve been kicked out long ago. He’s lucky the Yan family even raised him!”

Pei Lang was thoroughly angered now. His tone sharpened—cold and cutting like a blade.

“Listen to yourself. No matter what, he’s still your elder. He carries the Yan family’s blood. What gives your father the right to decide who stays and who goes? When did he become the head of the Yan family before your grandfather even passed away? If Old Master Yan heard you talk like this, do you think he’d be proud?”

Pei Lang suddenly remembered the time Yan Han had gotten drunk after visiting the old Yan estate, his silence heavy with sadness. He must have suffered deeply there.

It seemed that only Old Master Yan had truly cared for him. The rest of the family had mocked and rejected him. Yan Han was proud and dignified. He had done nothing wrong, yet his very existence was used as ammunition to slander him. And the fact that he had been wheelchair-bound for a time only emboldened his enemies to tear him down further.

In Pei Lang’s story, the “male lead” Yan Xiuyuan’s character had long since collapsed. Strip away the protagonist filter and halo, and Yan Xiuyuan simply wasn’t a match for Yan Han.

He had no right to judge or ridicule Yan Han.

Pei Lang’s words struck hard, leaving Yan Xiuyuan speechless. Rage burned in his eyes, but Pei Lang didn’t flinch.

“You should be grateful that he has difficulty walking right now,” Pei Lang said slowly. “Because even while sitting in a wheelchair, he’s brilliant. You’re not even a speck of dust compared to him. Without your Yan family name, you’re just a temperamental, entitled himbo.”

“Things change. Your pride today doesn’t guarantee pride tomorrow. He shines while sitting—and the day he stands, you’ll be nothing more than a lab rat in a glass box—completely at his mercy.”