Marrying the Male Lead’s Disabled Uncle – Chapter 46

“Mr. Yan… ah, husband, have you eaten?”
Pei Lang asked with feigned innocence. A meal that awful shouldn’t be eaten alone—he had to drag Yan Han into suffering with him. Once Yan Han realized how bad his cooking was, maybe he’d finally give up on it.

“I’ve eaten. These are all for you.”
Yan Han calmly and slowly opened the lunchbox. It had multiple layers, and each tier looked visually appealing—much better than the last time.

Aunt Lin had said that Yan Han was very smart and that cooking shouldn’t be a problem for someone like him.

Maybe… he’d improved?

Even so, Pei Lang cautiously took a bite, mentally prepared for the worst… but after a few chews, his eyes suddenly lit up.
“Did Aunt Lin make this?”

He could recognize Aunt Lin’s cooking immediately. Yan Han felt both amused and slightly sour.
“Yes. So… the food I cook is that bad?”

“How could that be? Your cooking is delicious. It’s such a shame I don’t get to eat it today,”
Pei Lang said with mock regret, but continued eating heartily. He wanted to finish early and rest up, so he didn’t bother chewing slowly.

“I see now that your appetite is worse than a dog’s,”
Yan Han said bluntly. He’d never cooked for anyone in his life. After thinking he’d captured Pei Lang’s stomach, he had been so happy.

But even after knowing he had cooked the meal, Pei Lang had fed it to the stray dogs. Even the dogs had refused to eat it. Lu Lu got chased around several blocks—and it was all exposed online. What a humiliation.

Thankfully, the public hadn’t figured it all out, so his reputation remained intact.

Pei Lang’s lie had been exposed, and he paused mid-bite, smiling sheepishly.
“Oh, everyone has things they’re not good at. My husband’s hands weren’t made for cooking. You’re perfect in every way—if you could cook too, how could other men even compare?”

Yan Han knew Pei Lang was flattering him, but the words felt so good. And the way Pei Lang naturally called him “my husband”… now that was the true skill of an actor.

The sourness in Yan Han’s heart vanished, replaced by a subtle smile at the corners of his eyes.
“I’ll come deliver food more often when I have free time.”

“But wouldn’t that be too high-profile?” Pei Lang asked, cautious.

“As an investor, it makes perfect sense for me to visit the set.”

But… walking in holding a lunchbox? That’s a little hard to explain.

“Actually, if I get hungry, I can just go home. You’re usually very busy—it’s good for you to take some time to rest.”

“You’re mine. I won’t let you suffer in the crew. If anything happens, come to me—or the director will help.”
Yan Han reminded him firmly, heart aching at the thought of the cyberbullying Pei Lang had endured.

Usually so fierce and cunning like a little fox, Pei Lang now seemed so restrained and careful in the crew. Yan Han would rather he be bold and aggressive again than hide himself to avoid trouble.

He knew everything Pei Lang had been through on set.

Pei Lang smiled as he ate but didn’t respond.

Yan Han frowned, dissatisfied. “Answer me.”

Pei Lang quickly swallowed and nodded.
“Yes, yes, my husband is the best. If I get into trouble, I’ll let you clean it up for me. But… you do remember, we’re not really husband and wife, right? Once the contract ends, we’ll go our separate ways. I’m using your name to act tough now, but when you’re gone, how will I survive in the entertainment industry?”

Yan Han’s smile instantly faded.

Pei Lang: I don’t get why the little guy on Yan Han’s shoulder is so furious, looking like he’s about to faint and pinching his philtrum to stay conscious.

Isn’t this the truth? Staying clear-headed and not getting emotionally involved is the best way to repay Yan Han.

Pei Lang was puzzled. What confused him more was why Yan Han had made their relationship public—even if only to their families.

“I thought you wanted this contract to quietly end one day, with no one ever knowing we had such a… questionable connection. But now both our families know. It’ll be a mess to deal with later.”

Pei Ziqing, that white lotus, would definitely mock him if he found out, acting like Pei Lang had been discarded. But whatever. He trusted Yan Han to handle it.

Yan Han’s face turned cold, his gaze sharp. “I have my own plans.”

He certainly did. His plan was to not just let the families know—but eventually, the entire internet. He wanted everyone to know that Pei Lang belonged to him, Yan Han.

As for that ridiculous contract… there was still time. Once he’d conquered the little fox, that contract would mean nothing.

After Pei Lang finished eating, Yan Han cleaned up the lunchbox, gave him a few more instructions, and left.

A few days later, Su Jia delivered a bunch of new clothes—including long summer pants and tops. Though long-sleeved, they were made of breathable fabric and surprisingly cool and comfortable.

Fight scenes were increasing, and Pei Lang was growing more exhausted by the day. His movements were so graceful and fluid that the director deliberately added more action scenes. It improved the plot, enriched the character, and made the drama more entertaining—but it left Pei Lang utterly spent.

With more fighting came a greater appetite. On top of three meals a day, he needed snacks to keep his energy up.

Finally, a heavy downpour hit the set, lasting an entire day and forcing the crew to take a break. Everyone stayed in their hotel rooms to rest.

After spending most of the day in his room, the lead actors seemed to get bored. Zhong Yixiao’s assistant came knocking—he had invited Pei Lang to hang out, and Liu Ran would be there too.

Pei Lang usually didn’t socialize with them outside of scenes, but with nothing else to do, he decided to go.

When he arrived, Liu Ran was already there. The three of them sat around the sofa, with snacks and drinks laid out on the table.

Zhong Yixiao warmly greeted Pei Lang and handed him some juice.
“I didn’t know what you liked, so I got a bit of everything. Help yourself—don’t hold back.”

“Thank you, it looks great.”

“Teacher Pei.”

Liu Ran didn’t remember when she had started calling Pei Lang that—it probably began after she admitted he was a good actor. Considering how long he’d been in the industry, he did deserve the title. Still, in this world, it sounded a bit out of place.

Pei Lang had tried to correct her, but Liu Ran insisted. Over time, he gave up and just let her call him that.

They didn’t do anything special—just chatted and snacked a bit. Later, Pei Lang got a bit bored and casually suggested they play Landlord. The assistant quickly brought a deck of cards, and the three of them gathered around to play.

From that day, the relationship between the three became much more relaxed. Pei Lang didn’t have many friends here, but after spending some time with Zhong Yixiao and Liu Ran, he felt they were decent people—worthy of being friends.

Because they got along so comfortably, Pei Lang gradually let his guard down. His mischievous, dark-humored side started to show, and he won every single round of Landlord. By the end, he had won so many snacks and little gifts that he couldn’t carry them all himself. Lu Lu had to help bring everything back to his room.

However, within just two days of that casual game night—it blew up online.

An anonymous user submitted a post, revealing that three major actors from a film crew had been gambling together. The post claimed that the crew’s atmosphere was terrible. Out of curiosity, netizens clicked to listen to the audio recording—an eavesdropped voice recording of Pei Lang and the other two playing cards in a hotel room. There was no video, only the sound, but the post even included helpful subtitles.

All three actors were well-known, and their voices were easily recognizable. Fans of Zhong Yixiao and Liu Ran rushed to the scene, quickly pushing all the blame onto Pei Lang.

He had won the most during the card game, and in the audio, his tone came off playful but slightly sinister. Since he had been playing the role of the “landlord,” it didn’t help that his voice sounded smug. Netizens—already biased—began to imagine him as some kind of cold-hearted capitalist, ruthlessly draining the “peasant” characters of their fortunes.

Online Comments:

—— I knew it! I knew something was off when they let him join the group. Now my goddess has been corrupted!

—— My boy is so upright. There’s no way he’d gamble. It must be Pei Lang leading him astray. Director Jin, this guy shows up on the trending tab every other day—he’s affecting the whole drama. Kick him out!

—— One rotten apple spoils the bunch. Director Jin’s productions have always had a positive rep. Liu Ran was known for being upright and decent—how could she fall so far in such a short time? This wasn’t voluntary, for sure!

—— Is this drama even watchable anymore? The director ruined my favorite novel—disgraceful!

—— The government’s cracking down on gambling! Celebrities shouldn’t be doing this. Legal or not, gambling is gambling. Punish them all!

—— Pei Lang, get lost from the entertainment industry. We’ll roast you every time we see you. Just because you’ve got a sponsor doesn’t mean you’re untouchable! If you’ve got guts, block every single account! You never self-reflect. All you do is use money and power to erase criticism. Whoever’s backing you must be some clueless rich guy!

Because this incident involved group gambling, it hit the hot search almost immediately. Zhong Yixiao’s new agent and Liu Ran’s manager were both panicking. Why had their clean-cut celebrities gotten tangled up with a walking disaster like Pei Lang?

Both actors’ PR teams were scrambling to clarify.

Pei Lang, meanwhile, was speechless as he stared at the trending topics.

Seriously? Playing cards landed me in hot search again?

And what was with that audio leak? There were no cameras—only sound. Something about this whole situation felt off.

Zhong Yixiao and Liu Ran found him first. They were clearly more anxious than he was, while Pei Lang appeared calm.

“This isn’t a serious issue. We didn’t break any laws. The real problem is—how did a recording from inside the hotel get leaked?”

Since artists were staying there, hotel surveillance was tight. Although there were security cameras, especially in public areas, the videos were highly protected. Leaking them was practically impossible.

“I’ll definitely get to the bottom of this,” Zhong Yixiao said, though his gentle eyes were clouded with rage. Liu Ran also looked deeply worried.

“This incident hurts you the most,” she said, trying to reassure him. “Don’t worry. We’ll release a joint statement to explain everything. You’re not going to take the fall alone. And the person behind this… leaking private recordings like this is a serious offense. We’ll investigate and hold them accountable.”

“I’m sorry,” Zhong Yixiao said suddenly, his tone low. His gaze toward Pei Lang was filled with guilt and frustration. “We dragged you into this.”

Pei Lang sighed and offered a comforting smile.
“It’s not your fault. No one wanted this to happen.”

Even if their public images were different—Pei Lang still being the “cursed” one online—now they were all on the same boat. Pei Lang had too many black fans. A single scandal involving him would snowball and impact the entire production.