Marrying the Male Lead’s Disabled Uncle – Chapter 52

“Come now, daughter-in-law, eat more.”
Old Master Yan looked kindly at Pei Lang, who was happily eating, and his eyes were full of warmth.

Yan Han had always had a poor appetite. Even with the best chefs cooking for him, he’d only eat a little before putting down his chopsticks. As a father, watching his son eat like that made him lose his own appetite too.

But Pei Lang was different—ever since he sat down, he hadn’t stopped eating or talking.

It helped that there were no annoying people around tonight. Just the three of them, the food was delicious, and the mood was pleasant. Naturally, Pei Lang’s appetite kicked in.

But being called “daughter-in-law” made him choke on his rice. He coughed violently.
“Sorry… cough cough cough… I need a minute.”

“Eat slowly, there’s plenty,” the old man said, completely unaware that his casual term of endearment had shocked someone senseless.

Yan Han sat beside Pei Lang, patting his back gently, helping him recover from his coughing fit. It warmed his heart to see how much his father already liked Pei Lang. Maybe it was because Pei Lang had won him over, or perhaps it was that his father saw through the gossip and rumors.

“Han’er has a difficult personality. I was worried you two wouldn’t get along,” the old man said as he looked at the pair affectionately. “But seeing how loving you are, I can finally stop worrying.”

He’d been observing the couple all evening. His son wasn’t faking it—he really liked Pei Lang. As for Pei Lang, although he seemed a little shy, once someone like Yan Han set his sights on him, it was only a matter of time before he came around completely.

“Xiao Lang, he hasn’t bullied you at home, has he? If he ever does, come to me, and I’ll make sure he straightens out.”

“No, he’s really good to me. He’s the best person in the world to me.”
Pei Lang made sure to swallow his bite before speaking again, in case he choked twice in one night.

He wasn’t lying. Since coming to this world, Yan Han was the only person who had consistently stood by his side. Even though Yan Han wasn’t the warmest or most expressive person, he was always the first one to find solutions whenever something went wrong.

Whatever the reasons behind his actions, Pei Lang was deeply grateful—and even more determined to help cure his leg.

“That’s good, very good,” the old man nodded, beaming with joy.

Yan Han glanced over at Pei Lang, his lips curling into the faintest of smiles.

It was a small smile, subtle even—but not missed by the sharp eyes of Old Master Yan.

His son, already in his thirties, had finally fallen in love. The old man was touched.

“Dad, let’s stay the night.”
Yan Han suddenly said, catching both Pei Lang and his father off guard.

Pei Lang looked at him, stunned. He hadn’t brought a change of clothes, assuming they’d leave after dinner. But the old man was thrilled.

It had been a long time since Yan Han had stayed overnight at the old house. This was truly rare and heartwarming.

Immediately, he instructed the housekeeper to prepare Yan Han’s room. Not just the old man—even the cook and the rest of the staff were all smiles. They were thrilled.

Pei Lang didn’t think too much about it. It wasn’t like he hadn’t shared a room with Yan Han before.

As they continued eating, the sound of a car pulling up outside reached their ears. Moments later, Yan Xiuyuan entered, striding in with a bunch of gifts.

“Grandpa, I happened to have some free time today, so I thought I’d stop by and see you,” he said, greeting the old man first before casually pretending to notice Yan Han. “Oh, Uncle, you’re here too?”

Yan Han gave him a nod, but said nothing.
Pei Lang just smiled—calm and unbothered, as if he saw right through everything.

“We’re all family, why bring so many things?” the old man asked, waving to a servant to set another place at the table.

Yan Xiuyuan shamelessly sat down—right next to Pei Lang.

“What happened to your face? Did someone hit you?”
Old Master Yan noticed the faint slap mark—left by Pei Lang earlier in the day. Even with swelling cream, it was still noticeable.

Yan Xiuyuan lied smoothly. “Ziqing hit me.”

The old man didn’t want to get involved in young people’s personal affairs, so he didn’t ask further.

Pei Lang, however, put down his chopsticks and played along. “Isn’t Ziqing a good person? Why would he hit you? Did you do something to upset him?”

Yan Xiuyuan’s expression twisted.

He’d come here specifically to show his face in front of Pei Lang, hoping to leave a good impression. He deliberately claimed it was Pei Ziqing who hit him because he knew Pei Lang didn’t get along with Ziqing.

He hadn’t expected Pei Lang to defend him.

“How would I know? Maybe he’s having a personality change. If you can change, why can’t he?” Yan Xiuyuan grumbled bitterly. Pei Lang just kept smiling.

“Ah~ You’ve heard of pre-marital anxiety, haven’t you?” Pei Lang said, faking concern. “Maybe he’s just nervous about your engagement. You should be more understanding and spend time with him. Comfort him. Or better yet—just get married already and go on a nice honeymoon. That’ll clear it right up. Don’t you think so, Father?”

Old Master Yan was caught off guard, but nodded quickly. “Yes, yes! If you both love each other, why not get married sooner? I’ll talk to your father about it.”

“No need!” Yan Xiuyuan blurted out, panicked.

He’d been trying to cancel the engagement. But with just a few words from Pei Lang, the wedding was being pushed forward. How scared was Pei Lang of being pursued by him?

Realizing he was overreacting in front of the elders, Yan Xiuyuan quickly calmed himself.

“Grandpa, I’m not a child anymore. I can make my own decisions about marriage. You don’t have to worry.”

“Did my uncle also have pre-marital anxiety?” he asked suddenly, using the polite address of “uncle” for Pei Lang—much to his own distaste—but he had to be respectful in front of his grandfather.

Pei Lang was delighted at being addressed properly. Smiling, he reached over and took Yan Han’s hand. He clearly felt Yan Han’s fingers tense for a moment, but soon, he returned the grip. Their hearts beat wildly—but on the surface, they looked calm as ever.

Yan Han kept eating, and Pei Lang kept talking.

“Of course I was anxious. Living on set while my husband was busy with work—we were apart so much, I was afraid our feelings might fade.”

Then Pei Lang turned and gazed into Yan Han’s eyes, filled with genuine affection. Their eyes met, unguarded.

“But I’ve learned that if two people are truly in love, no amount of distance can change that. If anything, it makes the longing deeper. And with that kind of longing, no obstacle is too big.”

Even though Yan Han knew Pei Lang was acting, his ears still turned red when he heard those words. He coughed lightly and chimed in with perfect coordination, “Once you’re done filming, let’s go traveling.”

Yan Xiuyuan’s eyes practically lit with fire as he stared at them, wishing he could rip their hands apart and sever the saccharine gaze they exchanged. When had his cold-faced uncle become so affectionate—and so nauseatingly sweet?

But where Yan Xiuyuan was fuming, the old master was beaming from ear to ear.

Throughout dinner, the couple held hands the entire time. Yan Xiuyuan had no appetite left; after a few bites, he put down his chopsticks.

Later, they sat in the parlor chatting with the old man. The atmosphere felt… tense. Yan Han, who had never liked this nephew to begin with, kept speaking to him in a tone filled with the authority of an elder scolding a junior. Pei Lang wasn’t any better—he matched Yan Han beat for beat.

Yan Xiuyuan was so angry he couldn’t sit still. He had only come today to see Pei Lang—to get closer, to make his presence known. But all he saw was a loving couple flaunting their happiness in his face.

Only now did he finally realize: they were truly in love. Pei Lang didn’t love him at all anymore. He didn’t even hate him. And that was the most heartbreaking thing.

Because when someone neither loves nor hates you… you’re just a stranger.

Pei Lang only felt disgust toward his antics—nothing more.

By the time they finished dinner and conversation, it was already late. The old man wasn’t in the best of health, so he retired early, bidding them goodnight.

Only the uncle and nephew were left in the parlor.

Yan Xiuyuan, still angry but too much of a coward to go head-to-head with Yan Han, could only swallow his frustration. Especially after Pei Lang had just defended him—his heart ached with resentment.

“It’s getting late. When are you two planning to head back? Is your assistant coming to pick you up?” he asked casually, pretending not to care.

“No,” Yan Han said calmly. “We’re staying the night.”

“WHAT?!”
Yan Xiuyuan jumped up. “You two are staying overnight? You’re sleeping together?!”

He couldn’t believe it. When Yan Han nodded in confirmation, he nearly exploded with rage. “Uncle, didn’t you used to have mysophobia? You nearly beat me to death just for walking into your room when I was a kid!”

Yan Han sneered, “So what? What’s mysophobia when it comes to your own spouse?”

Yan Han was no fool. He had already noticed the shift in Yan Xiuyuan’s feelings toward Pei Lang. The idiot wasn’t even trying to hide it. His entire face was practically painted with desire and jealousy. It was a blatant provocation.

How dare this little bastard covet what was his?

“We’re legally married. Of course we sleep in the same bed,” Pei Lang added with a smile.

Yan Xiuyuan lost it. He rushed up to Pei Lang, completely abandoning manners and respect. “How could you let him touch you? You… you’re not… you—didn’t you love me? You were obsessed with me, weren’t you?! Heh… Guess your love was cheap, huh? So easy to transfer. Can’t resist the genes in our family, is that it? Dumped me and ran into my uncle’s arms?”

“Hold up—” Pei Lang interrupted, rubbing his ear like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “What do you mean ‘left you’? When were we ever together? Don’t smear my name in front of my husband.”

He emphasized that last word deliberately.

“And besides, we’re already married. Isn’t it normal for a couple to do what married couples do? What’s strange would be not doing it.”

Their words struck Yan Xiuyuan like a slap. He started ranting again, loud enough to wake the whole house.

“I don’t believe it! You’re acting! My uncle has a serious cleanliness disorder—physical and mental! Not even my grandfather has special privileges. You think he’d let you touch him?!”

The moment he said “acting,” Yan Han’s eyes turned icy cold. His whole body exuded a terrifying pressure. The air shifted. His hands clenched the armrests of his wheelchair, the veins on the backs of them bulging from restraint.

Suddenly, a faint scent wafted past. Something soft and warm pressed against his cheek.
Yan Han froze.

Staring at the stunned and furious face of Yan Xiuyuan, Yan Han slowly realized—Pei Lang had kissed him.

In front of Yan Xiuyuan.

To prove it wasn’t an act, Pei Lang had taken the initiative to kiss him.

He had done it to completely crush Yan Xiuyuan’s hopes and push him to finally accept reality—and hopefully go marry Pei Ziqing as planned, completing the system’s mission.

But what no one expected was… the cold, supposedly mysophobic Yan Han wasn’t mad at all.

In fact, after being kissed, the frost in his eyes completely melted. You could almost see the gentleness radiating from him. The corners of his mouth curved upward.

He liked it. He really liked it.

Yan Xiuyuan saw it all.

“So it’s real…”
Yan Xiuyuan murmured, devastated.

If this were just some fake show, he might still have had a chance. But now? How could he possibly fight his uncle for real?

Yan Han’s ears were still red from the kiss. He tugged Pei Lang closer, and the man, caught off guard, lost his balance and tumbled into his lap.

Strong arms circled his waist from behind, holding him tightly.

“It’s late. Let’s go upstairs and sleep,” Yan Han said gently.

And just like that, Yan Xiuyuan watched as Pei Lang sat in Yan Han’s lap and they headed upstairs together.

He stood frozen in place, unable to move.

The housekeeper walked past, noticed his expression, and gently asked if he was alright. Yan Xiuyuan didn’t respond—he just clenched his jaw, then turned and ordered the housekeeper to prepare a room.

He had also decided… to stay overnight.