MMLDU Chapter 42

In Pei Lang’s eyes, Yan Han is so outstanding. It makes Yan Xiuyuan feel deeply uncomfortable.

The uncle he always despised—a cripple, a useless man incapable of being “functional”.

Sure, when it comes to work, he admits he can’t compare to Yan Han. But to be painted as worthless by Pei Lang? How could that not make him furious?

The rage simmered inside him, but he didn’t dare lash out at Pei Lang. Instead, he confronted him with burning eyes and, as though struck by a sudden thought, sneered coldly. “Hah! He will never stand up again. The doctors have already confirmed that his legs are permanently damaged. The fact that his muscles haven’t atrophied and his veins remain intact is already a miracle. For him to walk again? Maybe in the next life. You like that crippled piece of trash, don’t you? I’ll make sure you regret it.”

“And how can you be so sure he won’t stand up? There are countless cases of people walking again after years of paralysis,” Pei Lang replied, unbothered.

Seeing that his words had no effect, Yan Xiuyuan roared, “I said he won’t stand up, and he won’t stand up!”

“Then just wait and see,” Pei Lang said, growing tired of the argument. He added with a calm but cutting tone, “Oh, by the way, you seem to despise the idea of children born of mistresses. Perhaps you should ask Pei Ziqing to share his little story with you.”

Too disinterested to continue sparring with someone so prone to outbursts, Pei Lang glanced at the time. Dinner was approaching—it was time to return.

Mentioning Pei Ziqing hit a nerve, like stabbing Yan Xiuyuan with a sharp thorn. His voice rose. “What about Ziqing? What does he have to do with a mistress?!”

“You can ask him yourself…”

“Xiuyuan.”

Pei Ziqing’s voice suddenly interrupted, calling out from a distance. Though the tone was gentle, it carried an unmistakable edge of urgency and unease.

Pei Lang halted and turned, amused as he watched Pei Ziqing quickly approach. The younger man clung to Yan Xiuyuan’s arm, rubbing his cheek against the custom-tailored, exorbitantly priced suit in an affectionate display. “Xiuyuan, what are you doing here? The banquet is about to begin.”

Yan Xiuyuan, however, didn’t spare Pei Ziqing even a glance. His eyes remained locked on Pei Lang, whose faint smile gleamed in the pale moonlight, sly and laced with mockery.

Unable to bear Pei Lang’s calm and composed demeanor, Yan Xiuyuan snorted coldly and strode off with Pei Ziqing in tow. As they reached the corner, Pei Ziqing turned back and shot Pei Lang a venomous glare, as if issuing a warning.

Pei Lang blinked innocently, feigning ignorance.

Finally, they’re gone… He thought, letting out a quiet sigh of relief. Life on set was so much simpler—just eating, drinking, and acting without all this drama.

Tonight had been exhausting. First, the encounter with his original father, then the confrontation with Yan Xiuyuan. Soon, he’d have to put on a performance at the banquet alongside Yan Han. It was all too draining.

Since the banquet was about to start, Pei Lang retraced his steps. Yet, just as he turned around, he caught sight of Yan Han sitting quietly in the shadows cast by the building.

Yan Han’s gaze was fixed firmly on Pei Lang.

Startled, Pei Lang walked over. “Mr. Yan, how long have you been here?”

“For a while.”

Which meant he had heard everything. Yan Han lowered his eyes slightly, and his wheelchair turned halfway around. “Let’s go back.”

Though there was no need to push, Pei Lang still placed his hands on the wheelchair. Yan Han remained silent. Even the little chibi perched on his shoulder sat quietly, its expression as placid as water, revealing nothing.

“Don’t take Yan Xiuyuan’s words to heart. In my eyes—no, in many people’s eyes—you’re exceptional and haven’t done anything wrong.”

Noticing Yan Han’s low spirits, Pei Lang figured it was because of the hurtful words he’d overheard earlier.

“I only care about how you see me.” Yan Han’s words were straightforward, but some burdens had been etched in his heart since childhood—things that weren’t so easily let go.

Yan Han was exceptional. But within the Yan family, only his father acknowledged him. By the time he was born, his elder brother had already grown up and fully taken control of the Yan family’s business empire. When the family assets were divided, he received just 5% of the inheritance.

Growing up under his elder brother’s constant suppression and enduring the covert bullying of his nephew, his life, despite being surrounded by wealth and luxury, was far from happy.

His daily drive was to become stronger and more outstanding, and he succeeded.

The 5% inheritance, though small relative to the entire estate, was still a significant amount. Yan Han used it as capital to start his own business. In a remarkably short time, he achieved what most people couldn’t in a lifetime, rising to a level almost equal to that of his elder brother.

Because his business was entirely independent of the Yan family’s company, his elder brother couldn’t control him.

Yan Han’s growing prominence was unstoppable until a car accident a few years ago changed everything. He came close to dying, spent months in the hospital, and barely survived. When he did, he was left paralyzed.

The loss of mobility dealt him a massive blow. Already cold and detached due to his upbringing, the accident exacerbated his temperamental nature. He became more volatile and unpredictable, his methods more ruthless and decisive. Ironically, it was during this period that his company reached its zenith, becoming an unshakeable titan in the business world.

People envied and resented him, mocking his inability to walk, yet they had no choice but to acknowledge his talent and capability. He seemed destined to sit at the apex of the food chain, an object of both admiration and awe.

But the heights were lonely. Yan Han’s sole focus had always been to become stronger, to prove himself to the Yan family that had belittled and oppressed him. Yet, deep down, he had never truly been happy. Even his father’s love, the only familial affection he received, weighed on him like a heavy stone.

No matter how formidable or accomplished he became, he could not heal his legs or stand and walk like a normal person.

Perhaps it was the lack of a carefree childhood—spent forcing himself to study relentlessly—that led to his inner world being far more vivid than most people’s. However, it all remained in his heart. Outwardly, he maintained strict control over his every action.

The banquet was lavish, with every attendee dressed to the nines. Yan Xiuyuan’s father, though middle-aged, had neither gained weight nor lost his sharp looks. His posture remained upright and his aura was commanding. Even in the presence of his father, he did not restrain himself, exuding a presence that seemed to have been cultivated over many years, radiating from within.

He was accompanied by his beautiful wife, who had not been present earlier but had just now appeared.

Yan Xiuyuan and Pei Ziqing were sitting intimately together, though it was usually Pei Ziqing who initiated the closeness; at this moment, Yan Xiuyuan seemed more upright and proper.

Old Master Yan sat at the head of the table, with Yan Han and Pei Lang on his right. Opposite them sat Pei Lang’s parents. The people at this table were all individuals who didn’t get along with each other.

“It’s not easy for everyone to gather today to witness this boy, Xiuyuan, and Ziqing’s engagement. As for the betrothal gifts, you two will handle it, I won’t worry about it,” Old Master Yan said, addressing Yan Tong and his wife, since they were the ones marrying off their son. “I know everyone’s busy, so I won’t say much. You probably don’t want to hear it anyway. But today isn’t just about Xiuyuan and Ziqing’s engagement banquet; there’s something else I need to announce.”

“What is it, Father?” Yan Tong sensed something was amiss.

Old Master Yan looked at Pei Lang with a loving expression, while Pei Lang, who was already very hungry, was fixated on the delicious food in front of him, waiting for Old Master Yan to finish his speech so he could begin eating.

Everyone followed Old Master Yan’s gaze, all looking at Pei Lang.

Pei Ziqing sneered, mocking Pei Lang for looking like someone who had never eaten good food. Pei Ziqing’s parents couldn’t hide their embarrassment. They had warned against letting him come, feeling it had been a mistake.

“Hm?” Sensing that everyone’s attention was on him, Pei Lang looked up, a little confused.

Old Master Yan smiled even more kindly and, before Pei Lang could react, announced, “Xiao Lang has already married our Han’er. I arranged this myself, so from now on, we are all one family.”

Originally, the marriage was just to bring some joy to Yan Han, but it seemed that Yan Han actually quite liked Pei Lang. Yan Han was already in his thirties. Old Master Yan, who was in poor health, had been holding on just to see his son settled. All the debts of parenthood that could never be repaid had been weighing on him. Now that his son had finally found someone he liked, Old Master Yan felt his wish had been fulfilled.

Just thinking about Yan Han’s personality, fearing he might lose the person, Old Master Yan decided to push the matter forward and publicly acknowledge the relationship within the family, which was also part of the conversation he had earlier with his son.

This decision had been made during their private talk, and Yan Han didn’t oppose it. He had once adamantly refused to marry, and even if he did, he would never allow the relationship to be exposed. His attitude tonight was clearly different—wasn’t this love?

Yan Han even feared that his father might develop a prejudice against Pei Lang due to rumors, so he surprisingly praised Pei Lang, saying he was the most remarkable person he had ever met.

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire dining table fell silent.

Pei Lang glanced at Yan Han. The latter turned his head away without explaining, but the faint smile at the corner of his lips was unmistakable.

Yan Han was smiling…

And it was really handsome…

But that wasn’t the point. The real issue was that their marriage had been exposed and announced in such an important setting. Shouldn’t Yan Han be angry? Why was he smiling?

The expressions around the table varied. Pei Ziqing was first surprised, then sneered. In his eyes, Yan Han was no match for Yan Xiuyuan. Moreover, now that they were married, he wouldn’t have to worry about him interfering with Yan Xiuyuan anymore. This was a good thing.

Pei Lang’s so-called father, on the other hand, had a darkened face. Such a major event, and he hadn’t known about it? Pei Lang clearly didn’t consider him important.

He seemed to still be unaware of just how much Pei Lang hated him. Whether it was the original owner or the current Pei Lang, neither had ever acknowledged him as a father.

Yan Xiuyuan, however, was different. Upon hearing the news, he was stunned at first, then immediately slammed his hand on the table. “When did this happen? How come I didn’t know? Didn’t you just hook up?”

He asked aggressively as if trying to catch them in the act.

The absurdity was that he had no position to question anyone, especially when his lover, Pei Ziqing, was sitting beside him, making him feel embarrassed.

With elders present, Yan Xiuyuan’s actions were truly impolite.

“It was six months ago, we’re already married and have our marriage certificate. Do you need me to show it to you?” Yan Han, displeased with Yan Xiuyuan’s attitude, uttered these words, causing the temperature at the dining table to plummet.

Six months ago? So Pei Lang had already stopped liking him. No, wait, Pei Lang had said he never liked him at all. The reason for the entanglement was to irritate Pei Ziqing. It turns out he wasn’t just saying that in anger—it was true.

Otherwise, why would he still be causing trouble with him after marrying his uncle? They had already gotten their certificate before Pei Lang had even been taken into custody.

For some reason, the more Yan Xiuyuan thought about it, the more uneasy and unwilling he felt. Suddenly, it clicked—this felt like a lost love leaving him dejected, his body swaying as if about to collapse.

“Xiuyuan…” Pei Ziqing couldn’t hide his discomfort. The worry in his eyes as he looked at him showed his concern, fearing that he might have some different feelings toward Pei Lang. His actions were simply too strange.

Pei Lang gave Yan Xiuyuan a puzzled glance, thinking he was being irrational. As for Old Master Yan’s announcement, Pei Lang was only surprised but didn’t overthink it. He knew this was part of the act.

At this meal, only Pei Lang was focused on eating. He instinctively ignored the gazes others were sending his way.

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