MMLDU Chapter 83

“Put on more clothes, it’s chilly outside.” Yan Han personally helped Pei Lang into his windbreaker, then rubbed his short, newly grown hair.

In front of the dressing mirror, Pei Lang opened his arms to hug Yan Han. “Wait for me at home. After the event and interview, I’ll come back right away.”

“Okay, remember to call me if you need anything.” Yan Han carefully adjusted Pei Lang’s clothes, then glanced at his watch. It was almost time to head out.

They went downstairs. Su Jia drove them to the company, where Pei Lang’s manager would take him to the event venue.

The event was in the city, an online live-streaming event. Zhong Yixiao and Liu Ran were also there. It was just a game in front of the camera, promoting the drama, followed by interviews with the host. First, there was a group interview, then an individual one. The event organizers had already sent the interview questions to the manager in advance. Pei Lang had gone over them in the car.

He needed to remember both the interview content and how to respond. He had done this kind of high-profile interview many times when he was the Best Actor, so he wasn’t nervous at all.

Half an hour later, they arrived at the event building. There were many people. Pei Lang was taken to the lounge by the staff to wait for his turn to go on stage. They also reviewed the event schedule with him.

By the time they reached the lounge, the two lead actors were already there, deep in conversation. Pei Lang’s arrival briefly silenced the room, but soon he joined in the conversation.

They mostly talked about work and life, and the atmosphere was great.

[Husband: Are you at the venue?]

Pei Lang’s phone had a special ringtone for Yan Han’s messages. He pretended to drink some water, then casually took out his phone to reply. [Already here. The event starts in ten minutes. I’m in the lounge.]

[Husband: Alright, I’m all set.]

[All set for what?] Pei Lang wondered. Could it be that Yan Han was also involved in the event? Just as this thought crossed his mind, he dismissed it. If Yan Han was attending, he would have come with him.

[Husband: The giant screen and electronic devices are ready. I don’t want to miss a single thing about you, including the live stream.]

So that’s what he meant.

Pei Lang laughed freely, completely unaware that Zhong Yixiao and Liu Ran had stopped talking. They were both intently watching him, their expressions filled with a mix of sweetness and surprise as he typed his replies.

[Husband is amazing, but remember to block the bullet comments.]

Yan Han didn’t quite understand what that meant. But the event was about to start, so they stopped chatting.

The event began. The three of them took the stage together, introducing themselves and their characters. Under the host’s guidance, they completed a series of fun games and shared some behind-the-scenes stories from filming.

As soon as they appeared, the scrolling speed of the public screen noticeably sped up. The specific messages were unreadable, but the screen was filled with “husband” and “wife” comments, along with countless screams of excitement.

【Public screen】

[—Ahhh, husband! Husband looks so handsome with that buzz cut!!]

[—Pei Lang is the real Wen Yan!! Screen licking, screen licking!]

[—Husband, husband! This look was totally unexpected, but it doesn’t affect my love for him.]

[—Wow, wow! What a beautiful head, I want to touch it.]

[—Look closely, this person is Xiao Lang, my wife.]

[—Ahhh~ I’m going to declare war on that legitimate husband!! How did I not notice how handsome he was before?]

[—………]

Yan Han didn’t immediately realize that he should block the bullet comments. Seeing all these people drooling over Pei Lang, his mood immediately soured.

Do these people not have wives of their own? Why were they fixating on his? He made a mental note of the ID that said they were going to declare war on him.

Out of sight, out of mind. Yan Han pursed his lips, frustrated, and swiped right to clear the screen. Now, he could finally appreciate his wife’s beauty without distractions.

The questions for the lead actors were mostly directed at the male and female leads. Pei Lang quietly sat to the side, listening.

His hair hadn’t fully grown back yet, and his fair, handsome face, framed by his buzz cut, inexplicably made people want to stroke that beautiful head. As a result, the bullet comments on the screen were flooding with requests for the host to ask Pei Lang more questions, some even typing out the questions themselves.

The host, understanding the audience’s desires, took a random comment from the screen and asked, “Pei Lang, we saw that you played the guqin in the behind-the-scenes footage. Would you be willing to play a song for us here today?”

The staff had already prepared a guqin out of view of the camera.

“Sure. But I didn’t prepare anything in advance, so if anything is lacking, I hope everyone will understand.” Pei Lang’s acting experience made him adept at finding the camera. After speaking, he flashed a smile directly at the camera, his lips curling upward, his eyes narrowing with a sparkle that seemed to pierce through the lens and into the soul.

Yan Han’s heart skipped a beat when he saw this. He stared at the screen, mesmerized by Pei Lang’s charm.

And then, the public screen went wild again.

“Pei Lang, you’re too modest! Please come this way.” As the host and Pei Lang moved, the camera shifted to the guqin.

Pei Lang sat down and gave an “OK” gesture to the camera. The frame now captured both Pei Lang and the guqin. As his beautiful hands plucked the strings, a slow, haunting version of “Jianghu Xiao” filled the air.

There were no lyrics. But the music conveyed the turmoil and sorrow of the martial arts world, perfectly mirroring the drama’s story. The tragic ending of Wen Yan lingered in everyone’s hearts. Sadness filled the air.

When the song ended, there was a lingering sense of melancholy, followed by a wave of applause from the audience.

Pei Lang stood up to thank them, his smile helping to lift the mood of most people. The event continued with more segments involving the male and female leads.

An hour and a half later, they reached the individual interview portion. The host interviewed Zhong Yixiao first, followed by Liu Ran, and then Pei Lang.

At first, the questions were just like the ones Pei Lang had already prepared for, but as the interview went on, the tone began to shift.

The host asked, “Pei Lang, I’d like to ask how you were able to improve your acting so much in such a short period. Was there a specific turning point? And as a senior, do you have any tips to share with the younger generation?”

Pei Lang maintained his smile, knowing that millions of viewers were watching online and many media outlets were waiting for him to slip up. Any small mistake could cause backlash and negatively affect the drama.

He is not sure if this question was added last minute, as it wasn’t in his script.

When Yan Han heard this question, he immediately felt something was off and quickly called Su Jia to handle it.

Pei Lang answered graciously. “I don’t consider myself a senior; I’m still in the process of learning and improving. The recognition for the character Wen Yan wouldn’t have been possible without the guidance of the director, the senior cast, and the hard work of the production team.”

The host seemed intent on digging for something. The questions became increasingly sharp. “Mr. Pei, your younger brother hasn’t had any roles in the past six months. Are you aware of the reasons behind that?”

The two brothers were often compared—Pei Lang had married a wealthy man, while Pei Ziqing had no work. The host subtly guided the conversation, emphasizing there might be some unspeakable reasons.

“I haven’t seen him in a while. Perhaps Ziqing wants to shift his focus from his career to his family. He has his own thoughts and life. I have no right to interfere.”

“Mr. Pei…” The host was about to ask something further when someone in his earpiece reminded him of something. His words faltered, and he quickly shifted direction. “Mr. Pei, what do you enjoy doing when you’re not filming? Can you share that with us?”

“I do things I enjoy.” Pei Lang’s smile was even more radiant than before, and his tone remained unchanged. The host, standing close, could see the coldness in his eyes.

This answer was as good as no answer at all. The host awkwardly laughed.

“Is there anything else you’d like to ask? Someone’s waiting for me to have dinner at home.” This time, Pei Lang responded with a question of his own. The host didn’t expect him to bring up such a personal matter in this setting. He stumbled over his words, unable to respond.

After all, dating isn’t a secret. The host had been the first to cross the line, and Pei Lang wasn’t afraid to speak up. He used his powerful husband as a shield to silence the host, while also casually making a public announcement to avoid any jealousy from home. His husband was incredible, solving this small scandal effortlessly, so why should he be cautious?

As expected, after Pei Lang said this, the host didn’t dare to ask any further questions. In fact, they had already asked everything important. The later questions were last-minute additions. The event was nearly over, and they finished with a group photo.

Afterward, Pei Lang met with his manager. As they got into the car, Yan Han called. “You’ve worked hard. You did great.”

“Of course, you should always use ‘husband’ when it’s time to,” Yan Han said. Having a husband to back you up is also a skill.

Although Pei Lang answered flawlessly, the topic still trended on hot searches. Fortunately, the impact wasn’t significant. Despite some wild speculations, nothing major came of it.

By the time Pei Lang got home, Yan Han had already contacted the event organizers for an explanation. The organizers said the host had added the question on his own initiative because he was a fan of Pei Ziqing and had deliberately tried to set Pei Lang up.

Of course, this was just the organizer’s side of the story. The host had already admitted his mistake and taken responsibility. No further investigation would come of it.

Pei Lang was at the peak of his popularity, and many people envied him. There were many similar events during the drama’s airing period, so extra caution was necessary. Meanwhile, the negative hot searches were suppressed, except for one that not only didn’t get suppressed but instead grew more popular.

#PeiLangShowsOffHisLoveInLiveStream

What a joke. Now the whole internet was focused on his wife, so of course, he had to make it clear to those hopeless romantics that Pei Lang was his, and they shouldn’t continue dreaming. It was also a warning to those scheming behind the scenes—Pei Lang was not someone they could manipulate.

It felt like something was still missing. Yan Han logged onto Weibo, using the “Pei Lang’s Legitimate Husband” ID, and posted a message.

“Wen Yan is fair game, but Lang Lang is mine. [picture]”

Along with a picture of Pei Lang in home clothes, curled up on the sofa reading a book, to assert his claim. It was unclear when the photo had been taken, but back then Pei Lang didn’t have his buzz cut. The photo, taken from a boyfriend’s perspective, was full of possessiveness.

The method might have been a bit childish, but Pei Lang laughed loudly when he saw it. “How is it both bittersweet and funny at the same time, hahaha~~”

“I know they don’t mean any harm, but I can’t help but feel jealous,” Yan Han ignored the comments in the section and, angrily, pushed Pei Lang onto the sofa, kissing him hard as a form of mild punishment. He only stopped when Pei Lang’s lips were swollen.

“Alright, don’t be mad. When the day comes that you no longer hide the fact that your legs have healed, we can go out together openly. Once they know my husband is you, they won’t dare to make you jealous again.”

“Am I really that scary?”

Pei Lang smiled and said nothing.

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