MMLDU Chapter 46

“Mr. Yan… ah, husband, have you eaten yet?” Such awful food, I can’t eat it alone. I’ll make Yan Han eat it with me. After he realizes that his cooking is like poisoning, he won’t cook again next time.

“I’ve already eaten, this is all yours.” Yan Han was calm, slowly opening the lunchbox. The lunchbox had several layers. The food in each layer was beautifully arranged and looked good, quite different from last time.

Aunt Lin said Yan Han was a very smart person, and cooking was no challenge for him.

Maybe he has improved, after all.

Despite that, Pei Lang still reluctantly took a bite, chewed a few times, and then his eyes lit up. “Did Aunt Lin make this?”

When Aunt Lin cooks, you can tell right away. Yan Han felt a mix of bitterness and amusement inside. “Yes, so does that mean my cooking is terrible?”

“Of course not, your cooking is also delicious. It’s such a pity that I didn’t get to eat what you made yourself today,” Pei Lang said, though his mouth was already full. The faster he finished, the sooner he could rest. Pei Lang wasn’t one to savor his food.

“I can tell. Your appetite is even better than a dog’s.” Yan Han, who had never cooked for anyone, thought he had captured Pei Lang’s stomach and was secretly pleased.

Despite knowing it was his cooking, Pei Lang still ended up feeding it to the dog. The dog even rejected it, and the assistant had to run several blocks to avoid embarrassment. The whole thing was practically broadcasted across the internet.

Luckily, no one knew the full story, so he managed to save face.

Yan Han’s words were already very blunt and Pei Lang’s lie had been exposed. His actions paused for a moment before he smiled, trying to please. “Oh, everyone has things they’re not good at. My husband’s hands just aren’t meant for cooking. You’re already so excellent in everything else. If you could cook a little better, how would the men in the world live?”

Even though Yan Han knew Pei Lang was flattering him, he still felt quite pleased. The word “husband” rolled off his tongue more naturally, probably a sign of a good actor’s self-cultivation.

Hearing Pei Lang say “my husband”, the bitterness in Yan Han’s heart disappeared, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of his eyes. “I’ll make time to bring you food often.”

“But wouldn’t that be too flashy?” Pei Lang asked in return.

“As an investor, it’s reasonable to visit the set,” Yan Han replied.

But, big shot, when you showed up with a lunchbox in your hands, it’s hard not to let people think the wrong thing. “Actually, if I wanted to eat, I could just go home. You’re usually pretty busy, so it’s better to rest at home when you have a bit of free time.”

“You’re mine. Don’t let yourself suffer any injustice on set. If anything happens, you can come to me, the director will help you too,” Yan Han reminded Pei Lang, who had been targeted by online bullying. He felt a pang of sympathy.

Usually, Pei Lang’s sharp, scheming fox-like demeanor is quite charming, but he’s been more restrained at the set. Yan Han would rather Pei Lang be a bit more aggressive and assertive than to hold back and swallow his anger just to avoid causing trouble.

Yan Han knew everything Pei Lang had gone through on set.

Pei Lang looked up from his meal, flashing a smile, but didn’t speak.

Yan Han was displeased by his attitude. “Answer me.”

Pei Lang swallowed what was in his mouth and quickly nodded. “Yes, yes, yes. My husband is the best. If I get into trouble, I’ll come to you to clean up my mess. But… have you forgotten? We aren’t really married. When the contract ends, we’ll part ways. Right now, I’m using you to get away with things, but once you’re gone, how will I survive in the entertainment industry?”

Yan Han’s lips twitched. He had forgotten about that detail.

Pei Lang didn’t understand why the little chibi on Yan Han’s shoulder was throwing a tantrum, looking furious and even pinching his own acupoints to stay calm.

But wasn’t that the truth? Staying calm and not getting entangled was the greatest way to repay Yan Han.

Pei Lang was confused. Even more so when Yan Han made their relationship public within the family. “I thought you wanted the contract to end quietly, so no one would know about the mess we had between us. Now both our families know. It’s going to complicate things in the future.”

Perhaps Pei Ziqing, that little white lotus, might come over to mock and flaunt, saying that he was abandoned by Yan Han. Of course, none of that mattered. Pei Lang believed Yan Han could handle things appropriately.

Yan Han was quite upset, his eyes no longer held any hint of a smile. He reverted to his usual cold, unapproachable demeanor. “I have my own plans.”

Yan Han indeed had a plan. His goal wasn’t just to let their families know; he also wanted the entire internet to know that Pei Lang was his. As for that useless contract, there was plenty of time left. Once he had won over the little fox, it wouldn’t matter anymore.

After Pei Lang finished his meal, Yan Han packed up the lunchbox and gave a few more instructions before leaving.

A few days later, Su Jia sent over a lot of clothes—summer long pants and tops. Though they were long-sleeved, they were cool to the touch and very comfortable, not at all hot.

The fight scenes were increasing day by day. Pei Lang was exhausted, as he was required to do many of them. Since his fight scenes looked so good, the director intentionally added more. The plot became better, more in line with the character, and more entertaining. But it was Pei Lang who was worn out.

With more fight scenes came a larger appetite. In addition to the usual three meals a day, he also snacked to replenish his energy. Finally, a heavy rainstorm hit the filming studio, lasting all day. The rain was so intense that it impacted the shooting, so the entire cast rested at the hotel.

After resting for most of the day, the two main leads must have gotten bored, because Zhou Yixiao’s assistant came looking for Lu Lu. Lu Lu then knocked on Pei Lang’s door to pass on the message, saying they were inviting Pei Lang to their room to hang out, with Liu Ran also present.

Since they had no other tasks, Pei Lang decided to go.

When Pei Lang arrived, Liu Ran was already there. The three of them sat around the sofa, with some snacks on the table.

Zhou Yixiao greeted Pei Lang warmly and went to fetch some juice. “I didn’t know what you like to eat, but I’ve seen that you don’t have any dietary restrictions, so I just prepared everything. Feel free to pick whatever you want, don’t be shy.”

“Thank you, it looks great,” Pei Lang responded.

“Teacher Pei.” Liu Ran didn’t know when it started, but probably after acknowledging Pei Lang’s great acting skills, she began addressing him like this privately. Pei Lang had been in the industry long enough to deserve the title of teacher, but in this world, it did feel a bit out of place.

Pei Lang had corrected her before, but Liu Ran stubbornly insisted on calling him that. Over time, Pei Lang gave in.

They didn’t do much—just chatted and ate some snacks. Later, getting bored, Pei Lang suggested they play cards. The assistant quickly brought a deck and the three of them sat down to play. After this, their relationship became closer. Pei Lang didn’t have many friends at the crew, but after spending time together, he felt that Zhou Yixiao and Liu Ran were pretty good people, the kind who could be friends.

Because they got along comfortably and didn’t have to worry about anything, Pei Lang became more relaxed, and his scheming nature came out. He won every round as the landlord, quickly winning a lot from the other two. When they left, Pei Lang couldn’t carry all the things himself. It was Lu Lu who helped him take them back.

Not long after, this incident was exposed online.

An anonymous netizen submitted a post claiming that the three main leads of a certain drama were gambling together and that the crew had a poor atmosphere. Curious netizens clicked on the post. Only after hearing the audio did they realize it was about Pei Lang and the others playing cards at the hotel. There was no footage, just the audio, and the submitter thoughtfully added subtitles to the voice recording.

Since the three actors were all well-known, fans could easily recognize their voices. Once Zhou Yixiao’s and Liu Ran’s fans heard the news, they rushed to the scene and blamed everything on Pei Lang. In the audio, Pei Lang won the most, and his voice sounded sly and playful. Because he was the landlord in every round, netizens began to associate him with the image of an evil landlord, exploiting the two “farmer” actors and winning a lot from them.

[— I knew it! I knew there would be problems with him joining the crew. My goddess has been led astray.]

[— My brother is so righteous, how could he be gambling? It must be Pei Lang who coaxed him into it. Please, Director Jin, this person causes black searches every few days and affects my brother’s drama. Can you kick him out of the crew?]

[— One bad apple spoils the bunch. Director Jin’s crew has always had a good reputation. My Liu Ran is an impeccable person with great principles. Since Pei Lang joined, he’s ruined her reputation. Everyone, wake up, this wasn’t my Ran Ran’s choice.]

[— Can we still watch this drama? The director ruined my novel, from the book fans’ condemnation.]

[— The country is strictly investigating gambling. As public figures, whether or not they were tricked, gambling is a fact. Those who participate in gambling should be punished.]

[— Pei Lang should get out of the entertainment industry. From now on, every time we see him, we’ll curse him. Don’t think you can do whatever you want just because you have a powerful backer. If you’re so capable, why don’t you just get everyone’s accounts banned! You can’t even take responsibility for your own issues, and now you’re using your power to silence people. I bet that backer behind you is blind too—probably a nouveau riche with a bit of power but no brains.]

This incident, involving group gambling, exploded on the trending search terms. Zhou Yixiao’s new manager and Liu Ran’s manager were both frantic, wondering how these two ended up getting involved with Pei Lang, this disaster. The PR team was working hard to clear up the situation.

When Pei Lang saw the trending topic, he was speechless. He never imagined that playing cards would land him on the trending list, and… the video leak was really strange.

Zhou Yixiao and Liu Ran were the first to find Pei Lang. They were both anxious, while Pei Lang remained more relaxed. “The nature of this matter isn’t severe; we didn’t do anything illegal. What’s more important is how did the hotel incident get leaked?”

Since it was a place where celebrities stayed, there were surveillance cameras everywhere except the bedrooms. The cameras were there to ensure the safety of the celebrities. Although they were under surveillance, the footage should never have been leaked.

“I’ll look into this matter,” Zhou Yixiao said, his gentle eyes darkening with determination, while Liu Ran looked worried.

“This situation harms you the most. Don’t worry, we’ll issue a statement explaining everything. We won’t let you take the fall. The person behind this will also be investigated. The one who slanders and leaks private information is the real criminal.”

“I’m sorry, this is all my fault. I’ve caused trouble for you,” Zhou Yixiao apologized, his gaze toward Pei Lang full of guilt and complexity.

Pei Lang sighed and comforted him. “It’s not your fault. No one wanted this to happen.”

Though their statuses were different and Pei Lang was widely considered a villain online, ever since joining the crew, they had all been in the same boat. With so many of Pei Lang’s anti-fans, any bad news about him impacted the entire crew.

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