MMLDU Chapter 35

He was starving and the food at the shop was delicious. Pei Lang ended up eating quite a bit of the light meal. However, after eating, his mouth felt devoid of any flavor.

That night, when they got home, Lu Lu ransacked all his snacks and locked them inside a password-protected suitcase. After enjoying complete freedom for so long, Pei Lang finally… returned to the days of having his diet strictly controlled.

Once the wild beast within is let out, it’s hard to cage it again. Besides, this body wouldn’t gain weight no matter how much he ate, so why the need for dietary restrictions?

Pei Lang could feel that he was inside a novel. Although his presence had introduced new thoughts to this body, as part of a fictional world, the body retained some fixed characteristics of a “paper doll”. For instance, his figure remained impeccable and his fair skin never tanned.

To avoid making things difficult for Lu Lu, Pei Lang didn’t insist on eating snacks. Instead, he focused on acting seriously. Day by day, he became more and more impressed by himself. He noticed that the male and female leads’ attitudes towards him had changed significantly. The female lead now looked at him with genuine smiles and would even chat and discuss the plot with him during their free time.

Everything was moving in a positive direction.

—

President’s office of Lanjin Entertainment.

Yan Han repeatedly watches Pei Lang’s portrayal of Wen Yan on his phone. The more he watched, the more he liked it, wishing he could tie Pei Lang up and keep him by his side. But when he recalled the passionate gaze Pei Lang showed when acting, he couldn’t bear to do that.

These past few days, thanks to videos of Pei Lang which soothed him, his insomnia had improved significantly—though, of course, it couldn’t compare to having Pei Lang by his side.

“Boss, there’s a package for you,” Su Jia said as he walked in, carrying a box. Yan Han discreetly put away his phone.

“Leave it there and get back to work.”

“Understood, Boss.”

Su Jia set the box down and tiptoed out. The boss’s mood had finally softened; no one wanted to mess up and upset him now.

Once alone, Yan Han grabbed some tools to open the package. Inside were several thick books, sent by Qi Shaoheng. According to him, the strategies in these books were foolproof—no woman could resist them.

He wasn’t sure if this would work on guys, but either way, trying was better than doing nothing.

What was infuriating, however, was that Pei Lang had been on set for days and hadn’t sent him a single message or made a phone call. Did Pei Lang not miss him at all?

Yan Han felt a pang of frustration. Even someone like Yan Xiuyuan, that scumbag, had once been entangled with Pei Lang. Even if Pei Lang no longer loved him, he had once been so passionate about him. Why couldn’t he manage to attract Pei Lang the same way?

The thought weighed on Yan Han. After some hesitation, he couldn’t resist using Pei Lang’s phone number to add him on WeChat. At the moment, Pei Lang was filming and hadn’t yet approved the friend request, so Yan Han had no choice but to dive into the content of the books instead.

Meanwhile, Pei Lang had just finished his morning scenes. After having lunch with Lu Lu, he rested on set. Lu Lu had bought him a comfortable folding recliner, which proved incredibly useful for moments when there wasn’t enough time to return to the hotel to rest.

Lounging on the chair, Pei Lang drank half a bottle of water to replenish his energy. Lu Lu stayed by his side, though there wasn’t much to take care of. Pei Lang was independent, easygoing, and didn’t cause trouble, making him very pleasant to be around. They mostly just chatted casually.

“Brother Lang, your phone.” Lu Lu handed it to him with both hands. Pei Lang took it and, out of habit, checked if there were any strange trending topics. He noticed a few insignificant negative posts about himself.

He also spotted a new friend request. The avatar was a plain black circle, the username was just a single period, and there was no additional note. Pei Lang didn’t recognize it, so he decisively declined.

On the other side, Yan Han had been monitoring his phone closely. When he saw the rejection, his expression darkened, and he sent another request. Pei Lang declined again.

Who was this? Could it have been a mistake? Or someone the original owner had known?

By the second rejection, Pei Lang started to grow suspicious. But before he could think further, his quick reflexes caused him to reject it again.

In a fit of frustration, Yan Han sent the request yet again. This time, Pei Lang accepted.

【Lang: Hello?? May I ask who this is…?】

【. (Voice message): 🙂 5”】

…Selling pirated media?

The other party suddenly sent a voice message, leaving Pei Lang hesitant to listen to it. He had encountered this kind of scam before: add a stranger as a friend, then immediately send an odd voice message followed by a suspicious link.

This all felt too familiar. In such a public setting, Pei Lang didn’t dare to open it.

He waited and waited, but the other party didn’t send a suspicious link. This was different from the usual pattern. Pei Lang frowned, starting to doubt. “Are they changing tactics now, these people selling pirated stuff?”

He muttered softly, but Lu Lu didn’t catch what he said and leaned in to ask, “Huh? Brother Lang, what did you just say? Selling what?”

“Nothing.” Pei Lang turned off his phone screen to keep Lu Lu from seeing. After Lu Lu looked away, he lowered the phone volume to its minimum, pressed play on the voice message, and held the phone speaker close to his ear.

“How is it that after just a few days on set, you don’t recognize me anymore?”

For some reason, hearing Yan Han’s voice made Pei Lang let out a sigh of relief. At least it wasn’t some scammer. But still… why had Yan Han taken the initiative to add him on WeChat? And after being rejected twice, no less. Hopefully, he wasn’t upset.

“Of course not, Mr. Yan. You’re joking, right?” With an avatar and username like that, who would’ve thought it was you, man?

Pei Lang sent a voice message in reply but quickly switched to typing, worried that Lu Lu might become suspicious if the conversation went on for too long.

【Lang: Mr. Yan, what made you think of contacting me? Is there something I can help you with?】

【. : ……】

Pei Lang stared at the six dots on the screen, deeply puzzled and unable to decipher their meaning.

Yan Han, on the other hand, didn’t know how to respond. He couldn’t exactly say, I like you. I miss you. I’ve been thinking about you nonstop these past few days. Since you didn’t call me, I had to reach out first.

And so, the two fell into an awkward silence.

After a few minutes.

【. : Are you still there?】

【Lang: I am.】

【. : My father asked about how things are between us today. To avoid suspicion, I need you to cooperate with me and play along. From now on, at least two phone calls a day, and we must chat by text as well. My father might check the chat history.】

Why hadn’t he checked before, and why was he suddenly so strict now?

Pei Lang’s doubt was fleeting. After all, the contract clearly stated that he must cooperate with Yan Han to act in front of his father whenever necessary. Pei Lang didn’t mind—it was acting, after all. That was his specialty.

【Lang: No problem, Mr. Yan. I’ll follow your instructions. If there’s anything you need my help with, just let me know. As long as it’s within my limits, I’ll do my best.】

Pei Lang had no idea that on the other side of the phone, Yan Han’s lips had subtly curled into a smile. Staring at the message, Yan Han’s mood significantly improved.

【. : Alright, go ahead with your work. Call me back when you’re done; my father needs to see the call log.】

【Lang: Goodbye, Mr. Yan.】

After putting down his phone, Pei Lang rested for a few more minutes before preparing for the next scene. Handing his phone back to Lu Lu, he immersed himself in the filming.

Today, they were shooting the setup for Wen Yan’s eventual descent into darkness.

Wen Yan was the son of the Demon Cult Leader. He had grown up in the cult, accustomed to his father’s killing sprees and cruelty. The cult had harmed countless people using bizarre techniques and toxic substances that Wen Yan could never understand.

He disagreed with his father’s principles but was powerless to change anything. At a young age, he left the cult and became an apprentice to Qi Shi, a renowned divine doctor. There, he learned medicine and martial arts, dedicating himself to healing and saving lives. He also studied the toxins used by the cult. Perhaps due to some innate connection, he could neutralize poisons that others couldn’t.

Despite his position as the Demon Cult Leader’s son, his father, though deeply disapproving of his actions, never truly harmed him. Outsiders wondered why the cult tolerated him, as he had repeatedly saved its enemies. Yet, Wen Yan remained alive and well.

Thus, the name “Doctor Wen” spread across the martial world. With unparalleled martial arts skills and mastery of both righteous and demonic techniques, he never suffered from qi deviation. However, to the martial artists of the Jianghu, he was seen as a gentle and kind healer. Choosing to live in the mysterious Fengzhu Residence was a form of self-protection.

When he fell in love with Qin Junru, everything began to change. The moment he saw his beloved showing affection to another man, the dark energy he had suppressed within him became the key to his eventual descent into darkness.

This scene requires Wen Yan’s complex inner emotions to be portrayed. Pei Lang handled the nuances exceptionally well and everything went smoothly.

It wasn’t until evening that Pei Lang’s scenes wrapped up and he returned to the hotel after finishing work.

The two leads were still filming and most of the crew hadn’t come back yet, leaving the hotel feeling somewhat empty. Pei Lang and Lu Lu had dinner, then he washed up and returned to his room. Lying on the bed, he wasn’t sure what to do.

He thought about Yan Han, wondering if he was off work yet. Remembering the requirements, he made the call.

It was picked up almost instantly, barely ringing twice before being answered.

“Mr. Yan, how have you been lately?” Pei Lang realized only after dialing that he had no topics to talk about. With Yan Han being so aloof, it was even harder to find common ground for conversation.

“Mm.”

“…”

“Does your leg still hurt?” Pei Lang almost wanted to bite his tongue. Why did he bring that up? If it hurts, so what? If it doesn’t hurt, so what? They were so far apart—he couldn’t exactly give him a massage through the phone.

Someone as proud as Yan Han wouldn’t admit pain anyway. If he didn’t complain about it, then it wasn’t hurting. Yes, exactly—no need to feel guilty.

Wait, no, why should I feel guilty in the first place? I didn’t injure his leg. Helping out is good if I can, but if I can’t, it’s not my responsibility.

“Every night. It hurts so much I can’t sleep.”

Yan Han, usually so composed and strong, openly admitted his pain. His voice was as steady as ever, but Pei Lang somehow caught a hint of grievance in it.

Pei Lang fell silent for a moment, then let out an awkward chuckle. “When my schedule gets less hectic, I’ll take a couple of days off to come home and give you a massage. How about that?”

As the two chatted, there was a knock on Pei Lang’s door. The call was still connected as Pei Lang yelled toward the door. “Lu Lu, what is it?”

“Brother Lang, it’s still early. Want to check out the night market at the film studio? If you’re too tired, we can skip it,” Lu Lu’s voice came from outside the door. Yan Han caught every word clearly.

“Another day, maybe. You wouldn’t let me buy snacks to eat anyway, so it wouldn’t be fun to walk around.” Pei Lang raised his voice in reply.

“Alright then. Brother Lang, have a good rest. Let me know if you need anything.”

“Got it.”

Finally, it was quiet again. When Pei Lang looked down, he realized Yan Han hadn’t hung up the call. He brought the phone back to his ear, hearing nothing but silence. Hesitantly, he asked, “Mr. Yan, are you still there?”

“Mm, was that your assistant just now?” Yan Han’s tone carried a trace of frost, though Pei Lang didn’t notice it. After all, Yan Han always spoke in that cool, indifferent manner. If they’d been face-to-face, Pei Lang might have picked up on it.

“Yeah, why?”

“You two… live together?” Yan Han asked again.

“Mm-hmm. The hotel rooms are limited. Since he’s my assistant, it’s more convenient for us to stay together. There are two bedrooms—Lu Lu’s in the room next to mine.”

“Heh~ Got it.”

Got what?

Pei Lang was utterly baffled as the call ended.

Half an hour later, a staff member handling room arrangements knocked on his door. After some discussion, Pei Lang learned he needed to move to another room. When he arrived, he discovered it was a deluxe single room—far better than the previous one but designed for only one occupant.

Strangely, Lu Lu also received his own room, an upgrade that was unusually generous compared to the accommodations for other assistants, including those of the lead actors.

Lu Lu repeatedly confirmed with the staff, but they insisted there had been no mistake. Reluctantly, he settled into the luxurious room, albeit with trepidation.

Pei Lang mulled over the situation and could only think of one person responsible: Yan Han.

He sent a text to confirm and received a straightforward response.

【. : To act convincingly for my father, frequent phone calls are necessary. Having someone else around would be inconvenient.】

【Pei Lang: …Even with separate bedrooms, it’s still inconvenient?】

Of course, Yan Han didn’t bother to reply to that comment.

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