TYMRHBDES Chapter 173

The filming concluded successfully, and the skyrocketing viewership numbers confirmed that the variety show had reached its peak in popularity.

As Jiang Luoluo, Pei Yu, and their two companions disembarked from their flight from Qihai, a swarm of reporters descended upon them.

Amidst the cacophony of questions and the jostling microphones, a particularly loud and inappropriate voice cut through the noise:

“Jiang Luoluo, are you the third party in this relationship?”

The other reporters exchanged surprised glances and swallowed their own questions.

The reporter who had shouted pushed his way to the front, microphone in hand, and repeated his question: “Jiang Luoluo, Film Emperor Pei has a fiancée he’s about to marry. Were you aware of this?”

He pressed further: “Did you deliberately interfere in their relationship?”

“And regarding your sudden fame on *Taste of Time*, was that a scripted character provided by the production team, or did you intentionally orchestrate it yourself?”

His barrage of questions left Jiang Luoluo completely bewildered.

The little beauty, still groggy from sleeping on the plane, blinked slowly, his watery eyes fixed on the questioner. He let out a small “Ah.”

Seeing Jiang Luoluo’s discomfort, Jiang Wei quickly pushed through the throng of reporters. Zhou Jing shielded Jiang Luoluo and tried to lead his away.

The reporter, mistaking their actions for guilt, pressed forward, blocking Jiang Luoluo’s path. “Jiang Luoluo, are you involved with Film Emperor Pei—”

Before he could finish, a large hand snatched the microphone away.

Pei Yu, who had returned to retrieve Jiang Luoluo’s sunglasses, strode back, microphone in hand, his aura cold and commanding.

The reporter, caught off guard by Pei Yu’s sudden appearance, flinched slightly, raising his hand to create distance between them.

Pei Yu merely glanced at him coldly, as if regarding a clownish buffoon.

His words, amplified through the microphone, rang out with icy clarity:

“He is not a third party.”

Pei Yu’s gaze swept over the diverse crowd before adding:

“I am pursuing him.”

Tossing the microphone back into the reporter’s arms, Pei Yu draped an arm around Jiang Luoluo’s shoulders and strode away.

After bidding farewell at the airport, Pei Yu took Jiang Luoluo home to settle in before returning alone to the Pei Family’s ancestral estate.

Passing through a courtyard with locked gates, he strode directly into an exceptionally rustic study, entering without knocking.

His father sat in a rattan chair, sipping tea, seemingly waiting for him.

Pei Yu tossed his phone onto the table, his face grim. “Dad, you owe me an explanation.”

Father Pei glanced at the phone screen—

A video was playing: a girl in a champagne-gold dress nestled against Pei Yu, her long, curled hair cascading down her back, her frame slender.

The glimpse of her pale, delicate profile, cradled intimately in Pei Yu’s arms, radiated warmth.

The night’s ambiance heightened the tender atmosphere, making their unusually close relationship unmistakable.

Father Pei took a sip of tea, his aging eyes glinting with stubbornness. “What’s wrong?”

Pei Yu kicked a stool aside and sat down. “You leaked this, didn’t you? What exactly are you trying to accomplish?”

Father Pei set down his teacup, his voice measured. “Don’t you know what I want?”

“Since you’ve forgotten, let me remind you.”

“A family like ours would never allow a man to enter as a daughter-in-law. Give up now.”

Pei Yu: “What if I refuse to give up?”

His deep voice echoed the same stubbornness as his father’s:

“I’ve already said it: I’m going to marry him.”

Father Pei glanced at him, his booming voice filling the air:

“You’ve clearly lost your mind.”

“I shouldn’t have let my heart soften and allowed you to enter this chaotic industry in the first place.”

“Everyone worships you, and they’ve spoiled you rotten.”

“You think you can do whatever you want, act however you please.”

Father Pei stood up, fixing him with a stern gaze:

“Do you think they respect and worship you for nothing? Do you think you can act recklessly in the entertainment industry just because you’ve won a few meaningless awards?”

“It’s because you bear the Pei name!”

“And that little internet celebrity—why do you think he’s getting close to you? Do you really believe his intentions are pure, that he genuinely likes you?”

“If you had nothing, he’d be off to find his next target!”

Pei Yu lifted his eyelids slightly. “So?”

“You think you can make me give up the person I love with a casual accusation?”

“You’re too arrogant, Father.”

Pei Yu stood up from his chair, his tall figure casting a shadow across the diamond-patterned window illuminated by the setting sun. He exuded an air of solemn nobility.

“Think whatever you want.”

“If I said I’d marry him, I will.”

The two men locked eyes, their stubbornness equally matched, neither willing to yield.

Father Pei scoffed in anger. “Fine.”

“Pei Yu, you’ve grown up and think you’re capable now.”

“The Pei Family doesn’t need a man as a daughter-in-law. Our family can’t afford such disgrace!”

“If you insist on this path, then get out and never return to this house!”

Pei Yu stared steadily at his father for a moment, his dark pupils radiating an icy indifference.

He curled his lips into a smile and tilted his head slightly.

The obsidian cartilage earring glinted with the reflected light of the setting sun, casting a cold, eerie shimmer in the dimly lit study.

“Fine.”

He grabbed his coat and turned to leave, just as Old Madam Pei arrived, having heard the commotion.

Old Madam Pei trembled with rage, her hand shaking as she gripped her cane. She pointed toward the room and shouted at Mother Pei:

“Listen to this! Listen to this!”

“What kind of nonsense is this little brat spouting?!”

“I’ll beat him to death today!”

Despite her age, Old Madam Pei moved with surprising agility. She shook off Mother Pei’s restraining hand and swung her cane with furious force.

Father Pei snorted coldly, adding fuel to the fire:

“He deserves it! Hit him harder!”

The words had barely left his lips when the cane landed with a resounding *thwack*—squarely on his own backside.

Father Pei yelped in shock: “Mom!!!”

Pei Yu burst into laughter, standing by with gleeful amusement, eager to stir the pot further:

“Grandma, take your time,” he chimed in. “He’s not going anywhere. You can beat him slowly!”

Mother Pei quickly slapped his hand, signaling him to shut up.

The cane showed no mercy, landing two more sharp blows on Father Pei’s rear as Old Madam Pei muttered:

“So you think you’re so capable now!”

“You’ve grown bold enough to chase away my grandson!”

“You’re the one who thinks your wings have grown too big, you little rascal!”

Father Pei frantically grabbed the cane. “Mom! I’m over fifty years old!”

His weathered face flushed crimson. “Can you stop calling me a little bastard while spanking my butt?”

Mother Pei covered her mouth, stifling a laugh.

Pei Yu steadied the old woman, calling out, “Grandma.”

Father Pei carefully placed the old woman’s cane aside, glaring at Pei Yu, who was watching the scene with amusement.

Pei Yu raised an eyebrow, meeting his father’s gaze with nonchalant indifference. “Does it hurt, Dad?”

“Get lost! I’m not your dad.”

Father Pei, seething with anger, silently moved to the other side of the room, out of the old woman’s reach. Sticking his neck out, he declared:

“Hitting me won’t change anything! Even if you beat me black and blue, I’ll never agree to him marrying a man!”

“Look at families like ours—how many dare to bring a man into the family?”

“Playing around is one thing, but actually marrying him? How would we take him to formal events? People would laugh us out of the room!”

“He’s always been so reckless, thinking he can do whatever he wants!”

The old woman turned to Pei Yu.

Pei Yu’s expression turned serious. “Whether you approve or not, I’m marrying him.”

Father Pei was so enraged by his son that he saw stars.

“Then get out right now!”

“Come back when you’ve finally come to your senses. Until then, don’t you dare call me Dad again!”

Pei Yu nodded. “Alright, Pei Zhang.”

Father Pei was speechless, his heart aching even more.

Pei Yu patted his grandmother’s arm. “Grandma, Pei Zhang doesn’t like me. I’m leaving.”

He glanced at his mother. “Mom, I’m off.”

The old woman gripped his hand. “Don’t listen to your father’s nonsense. You’ll always be my precious grandson.”

“But… how did you change your mind so quickly?”

She held onto Pei Yu’s hand tightly. “Where’s Xiao Xi? Did you two break up?”

Pei Yu replied, “Grandma, Luo Luo *is* Xiao Xi.”

He quickly added a lie to cover his tracks: “I was afraid you wouldn’t approve, so I dressed him up as a girl when I brought him here.”

Father Pei let out a loud, scornful snort.

Pei Yu shot him a glance, then waved casually at everyone in the room.

“I’m leaving now! Going home to spend time with my little boyfriend!”

***

The next morning, Pei Yu was having breakfast with Jiang Luoluo when Zhang Hao rushed in, looking flustered.

“Brother Pei!”

Pei Yu set down his chopsticks. “Why are you here so early? Isn’t the new film’s start time 10 AM?”

Zhang Hao waved his hands frantically. “Brother Pei! That son of a bitch just bailed on us!”

Pei Yu raised an eyebrow, his phoenix eyes flickering slightly.

Zhang Hao’s words came out like machine-gun fire:

“They were begging us, sucking up to us, insisting only you could play the role! It was only because you liked their script, Brother Pei, that you squeezed them into your schedule!”

“Do they even know what Brother Pei’s appearance fee is?! Their budget was too tight, so they begged and pleaded, practically kneeling on the ground! They came to our door again and again, more persistent than Liu Bei’s three visits to Zhuge Liang’s thatched hut! Finally, we agreed!”

“And now, the motherfucker bails on us right before filming starts!”

“Damn it! What kind of person does that?!”

Zhang Hao dragged a chair over and sat across from Pei Yu, looking bewildered.

“Has that Wang bastard gone mad? Forget about our fame and popularity—is there anyone in the entertainment industry more suitable for the male lead than you?”

“What’s that idiot even making a movie for? Does he not care about box office revenue anymore?”

Jiang Luoluo looked equally puzzled, chopsticks clutched in his hand as he tilted his small face up at Pei Yu.

Pei Yu raised an eyebrow, a half-amused, half-mocking expression on his face.

“That old man moves fast.”

Zhang Hao was completely bewildered.

Sure, that bald idiot Wang was in his forties, but calling him an “old man” seemed a bit premature, didn’t it?

Pei Yu offered no explanation. He casually pulled out a wet wipe and meticulously cleaned his slender, even fingers.

After tossing the wipe into a trash can emblazoned with a large logo, he leaned down slightly to look at Jiang Luoluo and smiled.

“Sweetheart, wanna go to the amusement park?”

Jiang Luoluo’s eyes lit up. “Yes!” he exclaimed happily.

Pei Yu pinched his soft cheek. “Get dressed. Let’s go.”

Jiang Luoluo nodded eagerly and dashed off to his room to change.