“Brother Lang, your TV drama is airing today, and the ratings are really high!” Lu Lu was always keeping an eye on Pei Lang’s work, including everything happening online. Whenever something seemed off, he would report it promptly, helping his Brother Lang eliminate any negativity.
Too many people bullied Brother Lang. I couldn’t let any more tragedies happen.
Today was the first day of the TV drama The Mortal Swordsman airing. After half a month of promotions, the drama had become the most anticipated one on the entire internet. On the first day of airing, it reached the top of the ratings for the year. Although Pei Lang’s character, Wen Yan, hadn’t appeared yet, fans were already flooding the comment section, using beautiful stills from the trailer to promote it.
“Really? Let me have a look.” Pei Lang put down his work and took Lu Lu’s phone. After a quick glance, the data indeed looked great. “Teacher Zhong and Teacher Liu performed very well, and the production team is excellent. All of our efforts weren’t in vain.”
“Yes, yes~ Everyone is great. I’m so excited for Wen Yan to appear. Even though I was on set during filming, the effect is different from the actual production. Brother Lang, the crew will be releasing a lot of behind-the-scenes footage as part of the promotion. I wanted to ask your opinion.”
This drama updates two episodes every day. Wen Yan appears in the later episodes, so it wouldn’t be many days before his character shows up.
There’s always a contrast between behind-the-scenes footage and the characters in the drama. Some actors avoid releasing such footage to protect their character’s image in the audience’s mind. Pei Lang was more laid-back and didn’t care about this.
“It’s fine. Tell them everything’s up to their arrangements.” Pei Lang trusted the production team; they wouldn’t do anything to harm the drama’s reputation. Besides, who would dare cause trouble under Director Jin’s watch?
The scenes for tonight had been wrapped up. After removing his makeup and changing into his own clothes, Pei Lang went out with Lu Lu to grab something to eat before heading back.
Once home, he made a quick call to Yan Han to chat for a while. After washing up, he prepared to go to bed.
The crew needed to cooperate with some promotional efforts, and Pei Lang always took the initiative. As expected, when Wen Yan appeared on screen, the entire internet went wild, and the popularity remained high. His demeanor was even more captivating than in the trailer. The refined doctor, playing the guqin and savoring tea, had an air of elegance, and his face and figure were unmatched in the entertainment industry. Especially the unique bamboo leaf playing gesture he designed, which was isolated into a GIF and spread across the internet, garnering praise from countless people.
His subtle gaze of falling in love at first sight with the female lead was perfectly portrayed—like a scene from an anime, one look that lasts a thousand years. Pei Lang brought it to life flawlessly. There was no trace of Pei Lang in the character. It made the audience wholeheartedly believe that was truly Wen Yan.
The character of Wen Yan was complex and morbid; if played poorly, he would just seem like a madman.
But Pei Lang controlled the nuances perfectly, making it impossible to feel any dislike.
The character’s popularity far surpassed that of the male and female leads, partly because the role itself was so intriguing, and partly because it was played by Pei Lang. Pei Lang was already the subject of widespread discussion across the internet. When Pei Lang was associated with Wen Yan, it was common for him to dominate the trending topics every day.
Although the heat overshadowed the lead couple, the atmosphere on set was great. Director Jin’s crew wouldn’t allow any trouble. The three lead actors shared a solid friendship, often calling each other in promotional clips, and no matter how much certain haters tried to stir up trouble, they couldn’t succeed.
As the drama aired, Pei Lang’s fanbase continued to grow. Lu Lu was thrilled and would often visit the official blog, posting enthusiastic comments about how amazing Pei Lang was.
One day, the movie Rot wrapped up. Pei Lang was taken away by Yan Han even before the wrap party.
“So many people are praising me online. Did you do something?” Today, Yan Han was driving and Pei Lang was sitting in the passenger seat. Autumn was almost halfway over. As they passed through a maple tree-lined road, the red maple leaves caught their eyes. A breeze blew, and a leaf drifted through the car window, just in time for Pei Lang to catch it.
Pei Lang looked down and gently traced the veins of the leaf with his pale fingertips, his lazy posture, a faint smile at the corner of his mouth, and his eyes overflowing with happiness.
Yan Han had arranged for some online promotion with hired commenters; of course, with his wife being so amazing, he wanted the world to see it. It wasn’t mindless flattery, so why not admit it? However… “I kind of regret doing this.”
The gloomy tone made Pei Lang raise an eyebrow in confusion. “Why? Isn’t it great? This round of promotion has brought a lot of attention to me and the crew.”
The autumn wind was chilly. As the vehicle moved forward, pieces of maple leaves leisurely fell, the scenery so beautiful it felt almost oppressive, matching Yan Han’s mood at that moment. Yan Han sighed and said, “You’ve suddenly gained a whole bunch of husbands and wives. I’m your man, and no other man can tolerate this kind of humiliation.”
God knows that he was just promoting his amazing wife, yet it brought a whole crowd of rivals and made him sulk at home for days. Only after Pei Lang finished filming today did he feel a little better.
“Ha~~” Pei Lang couldn’t help but laugh. “Hahahaha~~~ But shouldn’t you be proud? Out of so many people, I only like you. If you think about it from a different perspective, doesn’t that mean you’ve defeated millions of people?”
That’s right, Pei Lang’s fanbase had skyrocketed from two million haters to over ten million fans, showing just how loved the character of Wen Yan was.
Though that was true, as the head of the entertainment company, Yan Han naturally knew this was just one way fans expressed their admiration, but he still wasn’t very happy.
“Husband, it’s getting colder. Do you feel cold when you sleep at night? I remember you’re sensitive to the cold.” Pei Lang threw the maple leaf out of the car window, changing the subject.
Yan Han wasn’t poor, and even in winter, their home was always warm. But when faced with Pei Lang’s question, he lied. “It’s very cold.”
“Those fans are just saying things to express themselves. They know I have someone I like. Don’t be angry. How about I warm your bed tonight?” Pei Lang’s voice was already charming, but when he intentionally softened it, it was even more seductive. Yan Han’s eyes immediately lit up. He pretended to be reserved, nodding.
He subtly pressed the accelerator, speeding up to get home.
They first returned to the temporary house they had bought during the filming of Rot. Pei Lang packed up some important documents and then they took a flight back home.
After the film wrapped up, there was nothing left to do, so Pei Lang decided to take a break for a while.
Once home, the The Mortal Swordsman production team called, asking him to attend an interview to promote the drama. The male and female leads had already given several media interviews, but the highly anticipated Pei Lang hadn’t appeared yet.
Pei Lang was determined to have a long-term career in the entertainment industry. This drama was intended to be his first step toward a comeback. He was more than willing to cooperate with the promotion.
“How’s the script coming along?” It wasn’t yet dinner time, so Pei Lang grabbed a plate of fruit from the fridge and brought it to the study. He sat next to Yan Han, eating while craning his neck to look at the computer screen.
Yan Han was writing very seriously, and Pei Lang fed him a piece of apple.
“Cough, cough, cough~~” When Pei Lang saw the content, he was so startled that he coughed violently. “This… I don’t think it can be filmed. Even if it is, it won’t be able to air.”
The scene involving the young monk turning secular and the wandering bandit H was written in a very serious tone, while Pei Lang blushed from coughing, his eyes glistening with moisture.
“I didn’t say it was going to air,” Yan Han paused his writing, saved the chapter, and then pulled Pei Lang into his arms, snuggling against his shoulder and cheek from behind like a puppy.
“Not airing?” Pei Lang was confused for less than two seconds before seemingly understanding something, and he was startled. “You… weren’t you supposed to be pure? When did you become such a rogue?”
“Being pure means no experience, being a rogue means acknowledging me. Lang Lang, are you complimenting me?” Yan Han’s hand restlessly moved over Pei Lang’s stomach through his clothes, making him feel a ticklish sensation. “Once the script is done, I’ll have someone design the costumes, and we’ll film it just for our own enjoyment.”
“I’m not filming with you!” Pei Lang, feeling embarrassed, struggled out of Yan Han’s embrace, grabbed the fruit plate, and fled. “The food should be almost ready. Come downstairs and eat.”
Yan Han stood up, laughing, and followed. Aunt Lin saw the affectionate young couple and couldn’t stop smiling. She placed the dishes down quietly before disappearing to give them some space.
During dinner, Pei Lang couldn’t shake the feeling that Yan Han was looking at him with ulterior motives. By the end of the meal, he was feeling uneasy.
Sure enough, after dinner, Yan Han domineeringly picked him up and carried him upstairs. They washed up together and then lay down in bed, both of them in the nude. “Didn’t you say you’d warm my bed?”
Pei Lang decided he couldn’t keep being teased. He was going to tease back. With Yan Han on top, he wrapped his arm around Yan Han’s neck and kissed him. “Are you sure you just want me to warm the bed?”
“It’s been a long time. I missed you.” Yan Han kissed Pei Lang’s face and neck gently, his heavy, passionate breath scattering over his tender skin. Pei Lang’s waist involuntarily trembled.
Pei Lang’s hand slid into Yan Han’s hair, his fingers gently rubbing the scalp, and a breath of discomfort mixed with pleasure escaped his lips. This stirred Yan Han’s lower abdomen with heat, causing his scalp to tingle and his head to spin. What started as a kiss soon turned into a bite, and before long, a series of red marks appeared.
When Yan Han reached Pei Lang’s left chest, the scar from the bullet struck Yan Han’s heart with pain, causing him to pause. His eyes filled with tenderness.
Pei Lang, half-closing his eyes, opened them when Yan Han stopped. Seeing Yan Han like this, he pressed Yan Han’s head down, gently kissing the high bridge of his nose. “It’s okay, it’s all over now. See? I’m fine, aren’t I?”
“That time was just lucky…” If the bullet had been two centimeters more to the left, Yan Han couldn’t bear to imagine what his life would have been like without Pei Lang. He might have gone mad or fallen into lifelong despair.
Pei Lang was indeed fine now, but the scar remained as a reminder to Yan Han—someone wanted his wife dead, and that person hadn’t been completely dealt with.
If it hadn’t been resolved, the hidden danger would always be there.
“But don’t I still have you? You’ll protect me, right?”
“Of course.” Yan Han answered with certainty. He would make those who hurt Pei Lang pay, but since Pei Lang’s drama was currently airing, he didn’t want any negative publicity that might harm the show. So, for now, he let those people remain unpunished for a while.
“Honey, in a couple of days, I need to do an interview for the promotion of the drama.”
“I’ll have the manager accompany you.” After receiving the reassurance, Yan Han continued what they were doing. Considering how tired Pei Lang had been from filming recently, Yan Han was gentle, not pushing him like he normally would until late at night.
Afterward, the two of them embraced. Pei Lang was too exhausted to speak, silently curling up in Yan Han’s arms, feeling the steady heartbeat of their close proximity. In this peaceful, quiet night, even without words, their bond felt incredibly romantic.
