MMLDU Chapter 58

After returning home, Yan Han immediately summoned a doctor to treat Pei Lang. Dr. Ge, a highly respected physician, had retired but found it hard to stay idle. Due to his acquaintance with Yan Han’s father, he had taken up the role of the Yan family’s private doctor.

He brought along an assistant, who, upon seeing the bloody bite marks on Pei Lang’s neck, couldn’t help but conjure up some dramatic rich-family scenarios in their mind. They glanced back and forth between Pei Lang and Yan Han in a highly unprofessional manner. Both were public figures. Though the assistant maintained professional ethics and wouldn’t divulge anything about the Yan family, their imagination ran wild, spinning countless narratives about Pei Lang’s entanglements with Yan Xiuyuan and Yan Han. In fact, they even seemed slightly giddy about the drama.

Pei Lang, a fellow enthusiast of speculative drama, immediately recognized the barely concealed “auntie smile” in the assistant’s eyes. He found it both absurd and exasperating.

“Shipping everything under the sun will only ruin you.” Finally unable to hold back, Pei Lang uttered this seemingly random statement as Dr. Ge redressed his wound. It was random because only two people in the room could understand its meaning.

The assistant, however, laughed even harder. “Only by shipping everything can nourish my soul,” they replied.

Pei Lang gave them a helpless look and stopped speaking, obediently tilting his neck to let the doctor work. The wound wasn’t deep and had been disinfected in time, so the second treatment wasn’t too complicated. Before long, it was done.

“All right, until the wound heals, stick to a light diet. Avoid getting it wet in the shower and be mindful of your posture while resting to avoid aggravating it,” Dr. Ge instructed as his assistant packed the tools back into the case.

When Yan Han had called earlier in the day, his tone was cold and sharp, making the doctor think something serious had happened. He even brought his full medical kit, only to find it was just a simple bite—and on someone else, no less.

Yan Han was someone Dr. Ge had watched grow up. As a child, he had been quiet and reserved, hard to read. This only became more pronounced as he grew older. Among the Yan family, he was the most enigmatic. Yet today, even Dr. Ge, an outsider, could sense his tension. It was clear that this young man before him was of great importance to Yan Han.

Dr. Ge glanced at Pei Lang a few more times and handed a bottle of medicinal liquid to Yan Han. “Apply this three times a day—morning, noon, and night. Don’t slack off. His skin is delicate, especially around the neck, so it’s important to avoid scarring.”

For an actor like Pei Lang, scarring would be the most significant long-term consequence.

Yan Han accepted the bottle, gripping it tightly in one hand as if it were Yan Xiuyuan’s neck he held. His expression suggested he wished he could strangle the other man.

Pei Lang, meanwhile, looked at the little chibi on Yan Han’s shoulder holding a plush toy that bore an uncanny resemblance to Yan Xiuyuan. It was furiously stomping and strangling the plush toy, venting its rage. It was quite the sight.

His brows were rarely furrowed. His face wore a cold, stern expression, a mix of stubbornness and displeasure. This intimidating demeanor was enough to scare off most people, but the contrast only amused Pei Lang, whose eyes curved into crescents as he almost burst out laughing.

Pei Lang didn’t understand why Yan Han was so angry—he simply found it both endearing and amusing.

After personally escorting Dr. Ge out and instructing Aunt Lin on the necessary dietary precautions, Yan Han returned to Pei Lang’s side. His gaze fixed on the bandage wrapped around Pei Lang’s neck, its pristine white fabric faintly stained with a touch of blood. The sight of Pei Lang’s slender neck, coupled with that trace of blood, carried an oddly fragile beauty.

Beautiful, yes—but it must hurt. Every slight movement of Pei Lang’s head or an expressive change in his face tugged at the wound to some degree. Yan Han felt a stifling weight in his chest. He hated the idea of Pei Lang in pain, especially when this pain had been inflicted by Yan Xiuyuan.

Pei Lang, unable to ignore being stared at for so long, finally broke the silence. “It’ll be fine in a few days. Let’s just treat it as being bitten by a rabid dog—it’s no big deal.”

He wasn’t sure why he felt the need to comfort Yan Han, but he did it anyway.

Hearing this only made Yan Han angrier. “If you’ve been bitten by a rabid dog, you should get a rabies shot. Should I call Dr. Ge back?”

Pei Lang, unwilling to take a shot unnecessarily, quickly changed the subject. “I wonder if he’s been sent to the hospital. Compared to me, his injuries were much worse.”

While it had felt good to teach someone a lesson, if something serious did happen, it would only cause trouble for Yan Han. Pei Lang considered the situation from Yan Han’s perspective, concerned about the potential fallout.

“You’re still worried about him after all this?” Yan Han’s jealousy boiled over. What could he do? He had no experience in romance. All his time had been spent building his career and studying. He must have missed the critical period for learning about love. Even the books on relationships that Qi Shaoheng had recommended didn’t help—no matter how much he studied, he just couldn’t figure it out.

On the surface, Yan Han appeared calm, but inside, he was a frantic mess. “He said something strange again, didn’t he?”

He had tried using the techniques he learned from those books to express his feelings, but it was useless. Pei Lang was entirely immune to his efforts and didn’t play by any recognizable rules. His radar for sweetness seemed to work only for other people’s love lives.

Knowing there was no hiding the truth, Pei Lang didn’t bother acting surprised at the question. He simply sighed in resignation. “Honestly, I didn’t want to make a scene out of respect for you, but this time, he went too far. He followed me to my set and started touching me inappropriately. I lost my temper and fought back.”

“If he’s so weak, he shouldn’t have provoked me. Without a lesson, he’ll only push his luck even further.”

“It’s not your fault.” In front of Yan Xiuyuan, they acted like a loving married couple. Though Yan Han hadn’t completely won Pei Lang’s heart, that idiot Yan Xiuyuan wouldn’t notice.

So, he knowingly went after someone who belonged to his uncle!

It was utterly brazen, though, come to think of it, when had Yan Xiuyuan ever taken me seriously?

A storm of rage brewed in Yan Han’s eyes, making him look downright intimidating. Even the little chibi on his shoulder had turned into a menacing, blackened version of itself, ready to devour anyone in its path. Pei Lang, startled by the sudden shift, found himself scared for the first time. Even the little fox spirit that usually lingered nearby was so frightened it curled up in the corner, motionless.

Pei Lang had never seen Yan Han like this before, and the rare fear he felt was mixed with worry. Gently, he pinched the sleeve of Yan Han’s suit jacket between two fingers and tugged it slightly. “Are you okay?”

Yan Han snapped out of it, quickly reining in his fury. “He’s already engaged to Pei Ziqing. I’ll report his actions toward you to my elder brother. If he can’t discipline his own son, then as his uncle, I’ll handle it myself.”

That was certainly one way to deal with it. But Yan Xiuyuan was inherently wild and rebellious, to the point that even his father likely couldn’t fully control him.

Pei Lang thought of another approach. “Why don’t we try a different strategy?”

“What’s your plan?” Yan Han asked.

“We team up and push him into the marriage altar,” Pei Lang said with a sly smile. His eyes sparkled with mischief, but there was no ulterior motive behind them. Yan Han was certain Pei Lang simply wanted to get rid of Yan Xiuyuan’s harassment, without a trace of personal grudge. The purer the intention, the clearer it was that Yan Xiuyuan was nothing more than a persistent nuisance to Pei Lang. Whatever had happened between them in the past was over—Pei Lang didn’t like Yan Xiuyuan.

That was exactly what Yan Han wanted to see.

His mood finally improved a little. Nodding, he signaled for Pei Lang to continue.

“Your dear nephew’s engagement to Pei Ziqing is only a verbal agreement; there’s no set wedding date. That’s why he keeps pestering me. The engagement is too fragile—he can come up with all kinds of excuses to break it off and make himself look completely innocent in the process.”

“If that’s his plan, we won’t let him succeed. He likes schemes? Then we’ll play along with some of our own. His relationship with Pei Ziqing is publicly known, and that works to our advantage.”

Pei Lang’s plan was straightforward. Yan Xiuyuan might slowly release rumors about Pei Ziqing being unfaithful or other negative narratives, creating public sympathy for himself. That way, when he broke off the engagement, it wouldn’t cause much backlash for him or the Yan family. Pei Lang intended to act before Yan Xiuyuan could, forcing him to take responsibility for Pei Ziqing.

“I’ll handle Pei Ziqing, and you take care of the Yan family. With some careful maneuvering, we’ll make sure he has no choice but to marry him.”

This way, the task would be complete and Yan Xiuyuan’s harassment would be gone for good.

With Yan Han’s help, the plan would be twice as effective.

The thought of it brought a smile to Pei Lang’s face. Since their goals aligned perfectly, reaching an agreement was easy.

“Alright,” Yan Han agreed, “but every step needs to go through me. Tell me immediately if anything comes up.”

“No problem,” Pei Lang replied confidently.

—

Meanwhile, Yan Xiuyuan had been taken to the hospital by someone Director Jin had arranged. He was now lying in a hospital bed, his bloodshot eyes staring at the ceiling, unable to move. His bones were intact, but the bruising and swelling made it impossible for him to turn over. The shocking blue-and-purple marks covering his body were enough to scare even the doctors. Though the skin hadn’t broken, the subcutaneous bleeding was severe. The only treatment was IV drips and medication.

On the way to the hospital, Pei Ziqing called and learned about Yan Xiuyuan’s hospitalization. He rushed over immediately. When he saw his fiancé in such a condition, he broke down in tears, believing Yan Xiuyuan had suffered a great injustice—unaware that Yan Xiuyuan’s injuries were the result of harassing someone else.

Pei Ziqing was heartbroken. He busied himself around the hospital, even personally cooking chicken soup to feed him. But Yan Xiuyuan didn’t spare him a single glance, leaving him feeling utterly defeated.

He could clearly sense that Yan Xiuyuan no longer cared for him. Each time they met, that feeling grew stronger.

His suspicions were confirmed when he tried to gently wipe Yan Xiuyuan’s feet, only for Yan Xiuyuan to curse him out angrily because his touch was slightly firm. It became painfully clear—Yan Xiuyuan no longer had him in his heart.

No one’s attitude changes so drastically in such a short time unless they’ve fallen for someone else. His presence now annoyed Yan Xiuyuan, leading to increasingly harsh words each time.

This time, Pei Ziqing’s tears weren’t an act; they were real. Seeing him cry only made Yan Xiuyuan more irritable. He had no intention of comforting him.

“Cry, cry, cry. All you ever do is cry. Get the hell out of here! Just looking at your face annoys me,” Yan Xiuyuan snapped.

“Xiuyuan, wuu wuu~~ What happened to you? Is it work stress? It’s okay. We can work through it together,” Pei Ziqing said, refusing to give up. Yan Xiuyuan had once pursued him so passionately and fervently. Even if that passion had cooled now, it couldn’t have turned into complete indifference. He knew he was beautiful, and in the past, his tears had always softened men’s hearts. His only weapon now was his tears.

Still trying to appear understanding and kind, he endured his insults, looking hurt but striving to empathize. “I’m your fiancé. Whatever is bothering you, you can talk to me. I might be too foolish to help, but I don’t want you to keep everything bottled up. It hurts me to see you like this.”

But his tearful pleas didn’t soften Yan Xiuyuan’s heart. Instead, they fueled his anger.

“Fiancé? Ha! Now I realize you’re nothing compared to him. Give it up—I’ll never marry you,” he sneered.

Yan Xiuyuan was the epitome of a scumbag. When he liked Pei Ziqing, he played the devoted lover, stepping on Pei Lang’s dignity to elevate him. But now that he no longer cared for him, he used Pei Ziqing to exalt Pei Lang instead.

What he failed to see was that Pei Ziqing’s kindness was just an act, a facade of a manipulative “white lotus”. His disdain for him wasn’t because he saw through his pretense—it was simply because he no longer loved him. And for Yan Xiuyuan, the lack of love was enough to justify humiliation and abuse.

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