MMLDU Chapter 43

Pei Lang felt the dining table was quite strange, with many dishes that Yan Han couldn’t eat.

Yan Han had a leg condition, and certain foods could trigger pain if eaten. Yan Han didn’t know much about food and wasn’t aware of what he could or couldn’t eat. In fact, he didn’t even recognize many ingredients. The dishes had been prepared by the chef, and most of the ingredients were no longer recognizable in their original form. Pei Lang could only tell from the smell and texture of the food.

It was because Yan Han had once had a flare-up of his leg condition after eating something that shouldn’t have been eaten.

So, was this intentional or accidental?

Looking around, there were only one or two dishes Yan Han could eat. Pei Lang, to make sure Yan Han didn’t accidentally pick something harmful, proactively served him the food. Old Master Yan smiled so much that his eyes narrowed into slits, while Yan Xiuyuan, on the other hand, was visibly angry. His jaw twitched, chewing with great force as a form of venting.

Pei Lang served Yan Han whatever he ate, the two of them appeared like a loving young couple.

After the meal, Yan Han was ready to take Pei Lang back.

Before leaving, Old Master Yan reluctantly told Yan Han to bring Pei Lang to visit him more often, adding that… watching Pei Lang eat made him want to eat more as well.

Pei Lang: “…”

As they exited, they happened to run into the original Pei Lang’s father, whose glare seemed like it could peel off his skin. Pei Lang found it amusing and didn’t greet him, directly getting into the car with Yan Han.

“Your father seems like he has something to say to you,” Yan Han said, looking through the rearview mirror at the man quickly chasing after them, his face grim and hesitant to speak.

“My father?” Pei Lang feigned ignorance, looking left and right. “My father’s not in this world. He’s been dead for a long time.” Pei Lang only acknowledged the father from his original world; he certainly didn’t recognize the man chasing the car.

Yan Han didn’t say anything further. Su Jia drove them to the villa, not daring to interrupt, quickly leaving.

Originally, Pei Lang was supposed to return to the set, as he was due to film the next day. But Yan Han didn’t want him to leave so soon. He instructed Su Jia to come pick him up the next morning.

Pei Lang stayed in his room for a while before Yan Han called him to his room, asking Pei Lang to massage him.

“Mr. Yan, I did well tonight, didn’t I?”

“Mm.” Yan Han enjoyed the massage, holding a book and pretending to read.

“Does your older brother and Yan Xiuyuan always dislike you?” Yan Xiuyuan was open about it, while Yan Tong was more reserved but deliberately spoke with a tone, occasionally poking at Yan Han’s heart by repeatedly mentioning his legs and their inconvenience.

Yan Han’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, but he kept reading the book without answering.

“Mr. Yan, does your leg always hurt when you come back home?”

Yan Han thought carefully. It wasn’t always the case, but after having dinner at home, it hurt more than usual.

“I think they’re doing it on purpose. The dishes they make cause your old injury to flare up again. It’s no wonder it hurts.”

“Are you saying there’s something wrong with those dishes?” The leg pain wasn’t just a one-day thing. Even without those dishes, it would still hurt, so Yan Han never suspected anything for so long.

Every time the pain came, it was as if the bones were being eaten away. The bones, which usually had no sensation, felt painfully clear as if they were being cracked inch by inch.

“They’re just normal foods, but people with old injuries shouldn’t eat them. And your old injury is severe, so eating those dishes easily triggers the pain.”

After the massage was almost done, Pei Lang pulled down the pant leg to cover Yan Han’s legs, then sat down on the edge of the bed, watching Yan Han, who was lost in thought.

The original text never explained what exactly happened to Yan Han’s legs. It only casually mentioned that they were injured because of a past love, but this “white moonlight” never reappeared until the end of the story.

“Mr. Yan, you’re so clever, yet you’re careless when it comes to food, so that’s how they found an opening. Maybe you should buy a cookbook and study it, then next time at dinner, you’ll know what to eat and what to avoid.”

“So, you picked food for me tonight to prevent me from eating something I shouldn’t?” Yan Han’s focus was off. He thought Pei Lang was picking food for him because of the “chase the wife” guide he had been studying, not realizing it was for another reason.

This meant that Pei Lang still viewed him only as a business partner and had no other intentions.

“I can’t exactly say in front of everyone that you can’t eat those dishes,” Pei Lang’s honesty made Yan Han feel hurt.

Yan Han’s expression darkened, and he sulkily said, “Then from now on, I’ll let you be in charge of what I eat.”

“…”

Pei Lang fell silent, looking at Yan Han’s face. This old man was throwing a tantrum.

“Mr. Yan, I’m an actor. I have to film. I’m not your assistant. As for your food, clothing, and other needs, you can have Su Jia handle that.”

Yan Han, sulking, couldn’t tolerate being refused.

“I never bring Su Jia back to the old house. If you don’t take responsibility, then I won’t eat. If I end up eating something I shouldn’t, between dying from pain or starving to death, I choose the latter.”

“…”

Pei Lang sighed deeply, feeling helpless with Yan Han. “Fine. If I’m around, I’ll check your food. If not… send me a picture of the food and I’ll approve it remotely. How about that?”

This was the best compromise Pei Lang could offer. If that wasn’t enough, then it was up to Yan Han. Whether he starved or suffered pain, it wasn’t his problem.

“That’s more like it.” Yan Han finally seemed satisfied, a faint smile playing at the corner of his eyes.

Pei Lang had to wake up early the next day for the filming, so the two of them went to bed early.

Yan Han slept on the bed, while Pei Lang still slept on the sofa.

Soon, both of them fell into sleep, while over in another villa of the Yan family, Yan Xiuyuan tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

His mind was filled with images of Pei Lang and Yan Han’s affectionate moments, as well as the fact that they had already gotten their marriage certificate. Pei Lang had been entangled with him for so long, endured multiple online attacks, and had been belittled by netizens as worthless. Yet, despite all of that, he still went to great lengths to seduce him, even resorting to using drugs.

He wasn’t sure what had happened in between, but somehow, Pei Lang ended up marrying his uncle. Pei Lang’s feelings seemed to change so quickly, or perhaps, the person he had looked down upon had never loved him in the first place. Now, that same person had transformed into someone else, every action so captivating and mesmerizing.

He couldn’t adapt to the stark contrast in his character, the contrast in how he treated him. It was hard to believe, so in front of the other person, he kept humiliating himself, furious, yet unable to stir up any response.

Only today did he realize that this person had already completely become someone else’s. Whether it was possession or affection, Pei Lang had already taken hold of his heart.

Unable to sleep, he could only think of one thing—he wanted to take the person back. That was someone he had lost. If he were to reclaim them, it had to be him who did it.

He had forgotten, however, that Pei Lang had never been his in the first place, so there was no loss to speak of.

Taking Pei Lang, or rather, Pei Ziqing would be troublesome. Everyone knew they were engaged. If he broke off the engagement, not only would his image of being deeply affectionate and devoted collapse, but he would also have to face the scrutiny of netizens.

He needed to find a way to resolve the Pei Ziqing issue.

That night, Yan Xiuyuan never managed to sleep.

Pei Lang still didn’t know what was on Yan Xiuyuan’s mind. He slept fitfully and when his alarm went off at six, Yan Han hadn’t woken up yet. Pei Lang quietly got up, left the room, washed up in his own room, and then contacted Su Jia.

Not long after, Su Jia arrived. Pei Lang got in the car, sending Yan Han a message: [Mr. Yan, I’m heading back to the set.]

“Should I be calling you ‘madam boss’?” Su Jia asked with excitement in his voice, his eyes sparkling early in the morning.

Pei Lang was startled and nearly choked on his own saliva, his hand trembling as he typed. He coughed lightly. “Stop talking nonsense, don’t say that.”

“But the boss took you back to the Yan family’s old house. That house is only accessible to Yan family members or those with special permission.” As soon as Su Jia said this, Pei Lang couldn’t refute it.

Even Su Jia, his personal assistant, had never been to the house, so it was easy to imagine where Pei Lang stood in Yan Han’s heart.

Yes, they were officially married, but in reality, they were married with a five-year contract. Of course, Pei Lang couldn’t tell Su Jia that—it would be embarrassing for Yan Han.

Pei Lang’s silence could be taken as tacit approval.

“I knew your relationship was different,” Su Jia said, his tone full of curiosity. “The boss isn’t that young anymore, he should have a companion. But you two are playing it pretty wild, pretending in front of me. I was wondering why the boss would let you into his room. I remember you said you were strengthening your training to be able to do a big strong move. You even did a princess carry with the boss…”

Realizing this fact and combining it with everything else he had noticed, Su Jia became more and more convinced that he had discovered something major. Suddenly, it clicked, and he exclaimed in shock, “The boss can’t be the one on the bottom, right?!”

Su Jia’s eyes went wide, disbelief written all over his face. “You beast! When you’re doing it, can you be gentle and pay attention to the boss’s legs?”

Pei Lang could only facepalm in silence. Su Jia’s imagination was always running wild. The more he spoke, the more ridiculous it became. “You’re overthinking it. Mr. Yan and I are still completely innocent…”

“Let me tell you secretly,” Su Jia continued, ignoring Pei Lang’s attempt at clarification. “The boss has several assistants who handle different tasks. My job is to stay by his side and take care of him. We all thought the boss would end up lonely because honestly, no girl would want to marry a cold-faced guy. We were small-minded, though. It turns out the boss isn’t the one doing the pampering; he’s the one being pampered. Though it’s a bit hard to accept, at least the boss has someone who accepts him and someone he’s willing to accept. For us assistants, isn’t this what we’ve all been hoping for?”

Pei Lang couldn’t explain further. With how big Su Jia’s imagination was, he knew it would be futile unless he told him the whole truth, so he decided to just stop explaining.

“You’re openly speaking ill of Mr. Yan. Aren’t you worried I’ll report you?” Pei Lang asked. If Yan Han heard what Su Jia said, his salary might be docked again.

“You won’t,” Su Jia said confidently. The vehicle turned a corner and entered a straight road. The sky was beginning to brighten. The fiery red sunrise climbed over the distant mountain, casting a warm glow over the land. Su Jia was in a great mood and always felt relaxed around Pei Lang. “You haven’t spent much time together, and the boss isn’t a very talkative person. I’m just helping you get to know him better.”

“Should I thank you then?”

“Of course.” Su Jia stopped at a red light and took the opportunity to turn his head. “I can tell the boss really likes you. He treats you differently. I’ve never seen anyone so comfortable around the boss. A man whose heart is starting to flutter is really different—he’s not as harsh as before. You’re amazing. You can sing, act, and even conquer the boss in bed. You’re practically a divine being.”

Su Jia couldn’t help but marvel at this, while Pei Lang was left speechless. This misunderstanding was getting out of hand.

“Just drive your car. Stop saying nonsense. Your boss is still your boss. Keep talking like that, and you might find your job on the line,” Pei Lang warned helplessly.

Su Jia wasn’t worried, though. He didn’t take it seriously and made sure to get Pei Lang to the set half an hour before filming started.

Lu Lu was almost panicking, afraid Pei Lang might be late. He breathed a huge sigh of relief when he finally saw Pei Lang arrive.

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