After a Top Idol Married the Sickly Young Master of a Wealthy Family to Bring Him Good Luck - Chapter 1

City A, April. The spring scenery was beautiful.

Inside the black Alphard nanny van, however, the air pressure was extremely low.

This low pressure emanated from the man in the back seat.

He wore sunglasses, his long legs crossed. Clutching his phone in his right hand with his elbow resting on the armrest, his thumb slid across the screen faster and faster, his lips pulled into a taut, straight line.

The assistant, Xiao He, glanced at Pei Xinglu through the rearview mirror.

The light comedy film he starred in, Fortune Amidst the Storm, had been released for nearly two months, and its box office had exceeded two billion.

It wasn’t a world-shaking achievement, but for Pei Xinglu, who was touching film for the first time, it was an excellent omen.

With his movie now a hit and his status rising, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he was “red hot.” Reasonably, he should have been receiving numerous business deals.

Yet, for an entire month, not only had there been no movement, but things were heading in a negative direction.

Partners who had previously spoken with him cordially suddenly changed their tune, their attitudes becoming ambiguous. Several endorsements that were supposed to be renewed said in unison, “Looking forward to the next collaboration.” A producer who had personally designated Pei Xinglu as the male lead at a banquet stammered that Pei Xinglu’s image no longer fit the revised script…

On Weibo, his fans were enthusiastically celebrating the box office success, wishing him a bright future.

But in reality, it was all a facade of prosperity.

Pei Xinglu felt as if he were being roasted over a dry fire; the more he scrolled through his phone, the more irritable he became.

His manager, Yang Xing, was so anxious that his hair was falling out in clumps. After pulling many strings, he finally learned obscurely from a high-level executive with whom he had some history that Pei Xinglu had offended Maisui Media.

Maisui Media was currently the most influential agency, a subsidiary of the Ling Group.

Yang Xing pressed Pei Xinglu for answers, and only then did the truth come out.

It turned out that the young master of the current head of the Ling family was gravely ill. He hadn’t recovered for half a year and was in critical condition. In her desperation, Madam Ling had consulted a master to find someone with a matching “Eight Characters” (birth chart) to perform a “Lucky Charm” marriage (Chongxi).

To curry favor with the Ling family, Pei Xinglu’s scumbag father had sent over the birth chart of his illegitimate son, Pei Xinglu.

Who would have thought that Pei Xinglu’s chart would be the most compatible with the young master Ling? The master had called it a match made in heaven.

Pei Xinglu, of course, did not agree.

Thus began nearly a month of pressure from the Ling family.

Yesterday, the Lings called again.

Young Master Ling’s condition was not optimistic. The Ling family issued a final ultimatum: either enter the marriage, or be permanently blacklisted.

Xiao He took a deep breath and, mimicking Yang Xing’s tone, said cautiously, “Brother Pei, the Ling family holds immense power. They are a top-tier wealthy family in A City with generations of accumulated capital. With our current status, we can’t fight them. Let alone blacklisting a small star, they could handle even a top-tier celebrity without a problem.”

“There are many of these types of contracts in the industry. Although a ‘Lucky Charm’ marriage might be rare, it’s all for profit, so it’s basically the same thing. Besides, the Ling family is generous; we won’t be losing out…”

These were words Yang Xing had said a hundred times. Pei Xinglu’s ears had long since grown callouses from hearing them.

With one sweep of his brow, Xiao He shut his mouth.

Pei Xinglu turned off his phone and looked out the window.

Beneath his sunglasses, a bleak landscape flashed by.

Half an hour later, the car arrived at Banshan Garden.

In the hall, a middle-aged man in a formal suit was pacing back and forth, rubbing his hands together, looking extremely anxious.

Seeing Pei Xinglu arrive, his eyes lit up. With a smile like a loving father, he reached out to grab Pei’s arm.

“You’ve finally come! I’m telling you, you’ve hit the jackpot this time. A meat pie fell from the sky! Among so many young masters and ladies in A City’s high society, your birth chart was the best fit…”

Pei Xinglu avoided the hand, took a step back, removed his luxury watch, rolled up his sleeves, and then raised his right hand in a fist.

Under Jiang Qiang’s confused gaze, he suddenly extended his middle finger.

Jiang Qiang’s face turned green. “You little animal!”

Pei Xinglu retracted the finger, clenched his fist, and with a flick of his wrist, flipped Jiang Qiang to the ground with lightning speed, landing punch after punch.

“Pei Xinglu! You rebellious thing. I am your father!” Jiang Qiang lay on the ground like a toad, howling in pain.

Pei Xinglu curled his lips into a smile. “I’m sorry, my father is dead.”

Pei Xinglu was, in fact, an illegitimate child.

A greasy, married CEO had cheated and deceived a pitiful female employee, resulting in his being caught.

Since childhood, his father didn’t acknowledge him, and his mother didn’t want him; he was dumped in the countryside to depend on his grandmother.

Jiang Qiang, this biological father, had never looked after him.

Ironically, this was the first time the two had met. And upon meeting, he had presented him with such a “grand gift.”

At the thought of this, Pei Xinglu increased his force, breaking one of Jiang Qiang’s front teeth. Watching him wailing like a ghost and crawling on the ground in agony, the suffocating frustration Pei had felt for a month finally eased a bit.

The attendants at Banshan Garden had been notified by the Ling family beforehand. They looked at their noses and their hearts, acting as if nothing was happening.

A while later, in an elegant private room.

Pei Xinglu sat by the window. The carved window was open, reflecting a flowering crabapple tree.

At a rectangular table, on one side sat Pei Xinglu and the bruised, swollen Jiang Qiang, who was forcing a smile. On the other side were three impeccably dressed people.

Madam Ling was elegant and beautiful, though her eyes were swollen like peaches, clearly from crying.

The eldest son, Ling Huan, was dressed in a suit and tie, sitting upright and stern—the image of a business elite.

The second son, Ling Jing, wore gold-rimmed glasses. Beneath the lenses were a pair of shrewd, sharp eyes, giving him the clear look of a villain.

Behind the three of them was the Ling family’s professional legal team.

Pei Xinglu scanned them one by one. One hand toyed with a celadon cup, while the other flipped through the contract. Reaching the end, he tossed it aside and spat out a single word: “Change.”

Ling Jing took a sip of tea, his movements graceful. “Mr. Pei, I don’t think you are in a position to negotiate terms with us.”

“It doesn’t matter what the Second Young Master thinks. You should ask if your younger brother has enough time.” Pei Xinglu leaned back against the chair and straightened his watch. “I heard his fever still hasn’t broken. That’s fine, it doesn’t matter. What I lose is only a career; what he loses is his life.”

“You!”

Ling Jing slammed the table and stood up, consumed with rage.

Madam Ling pulled him back down, dabbing her tears with a handkerchief. “Mr. Pei, how do you want it changed? As long as you agree, everything is negotiable.”

Ling Huan had already taken out his work laptop and pulled up the contract.

Pei Xinglu said, “Three things.”

“First, I am straight and homophobic. I can take care of him, but you cannot force me to have any intimate activities with him.”

“Second, do not interfere with my career. I don’t need Maisui Media or the Ling family to feed me resources. What I want, I will fight for myself, fair and square.”

“Third, I have no relationship with the Jiang family. I do not wish to see the Ling family provide any assistance to the Jiang family because of this so-called ‘Lucky Charm’ marriage.”

Ling Huan nodded efficiently. “Mr. Jiang, the compensation for the birth chart matching will be transferred to you. As an apology, the Ling family will pay you double, but we will discuss future cooperation later. Mr. Pei, is there anything else?”

Jiang Qiang’s missing front tooth made his speech airy. He was convulsing in pain, his face throbbing. He wished he could beat this little brat to death.

Pei Xinglu enjoyed seeing him suffer. “That’s all.”

“Just those?” Ling Jing was somewhat surprised.

He had thought the other party would make outrageous demands.

Pei Xinglu said coldly, “Just those.”

Ling Huan tapped on the keyboard to polish Pei Xinglu’s words, consulted with the lawyers, and finally turned the laptop toward Pei Xinglu. “Does this satisfy you, Mr. Pei?”

Pei Xinglu read it line by line and finally nodded.

The printer hummed as it produced the pages, the scent of ink filling the air.

The Lings signed it and handed it to Pei Xinglu.

Pei Xinglu held the pen, his expression grim. He ground his teeth repeatedly. His right hand felt as if it were filled with reinforced concrete; moving the pen was agonizingly difficult. When he finished the last stroke, his strength vanished instantly, and his finger twitched.

After a few seconds of silence, a pleasant piano melody suddenly echoed in the room.

Madam Ling snapped back to reality and hurried to answer the phone. “Hello… what? Suisui is awake?! Good, good, I’ll head to the hospital right away…”

“Mom! Really? Suisui is awake?”

Ling Huan and Ling Jing were ecstatic, finding it unbelievable.

Hanging up the phone, Madam Ling shed tears of joy. Her gaze toward Pei Xinglu was filled with gratitude and affection as she choked out, “Xiao Pei… thank you so much, I am truly grateful… As soon as you agreed, Suisui woke up over there…”

Pei Xinglu: “…”

If he hadn’t signed, would Ling Suiyao not have woken up at this exact moment?

He ran a hand through his hair irritably and supported the woman who was about to kneel.

It was a damn coincidence.

More than an hour had passed since Pei Xinglu went in.

Xiao He was waiting anxiously in the car, muttering incessantly, “Please, please, don’t let them start a fight!”

The driver, Xiao Qian, suddenly called out, “The Ling family is coming out.”

Pei Xinglu followed shortly after. He got into the car, holding a folder containing the contract.

Pei Xinglu was shrouded in gloom.

Xiao He didn’t quite dare to talk to him. “Brother Pei…”

The next second, Yang Xing sent a message.

Pei Xinglu clicked to view it.

Within just a few minutes, partners who had been hesitant were enthusiastically extending invitations. Various business endorsements were coming to his door—magazines, advertisements, scripts, an endless stream.

Pei Xinglu slowly exhaled. Holding the thin contract, his expression remained dark and unreadable.

Seven days later, after finishing an ad shoot, Pei Xinglu flew back from H City to A City.

Xiao He handed him water. “Brother Pei, you’ve worked hard. You can rest tomorrow morning.”

“Mhm.”

Pei Xinglu tilted his head and finished the water.

Xiao He hesitated for a moment before asking, “Brother Pei, are we going to Shadow Moon Bay or Pingye Residence?”

Shadow Moon Bay was Pei Xinglu’s own residence, while Pingye Residence was the “new home” the Ling family had purchased for Ling Suiyao and Pei Xinglu.

Pei Xinglu checked his phone for messages.

Madam Ling: Xiao Pei, Suisui has been discharged. He went back to Pingye Residence this afternoon.

Madam Ling: Suisui is sensitive. Don’t let him realize you were forced into this marriage. This auntie thanks you.

Madam Ling: Tomorrow is an auspicious day. Don’t forget to go and register the marriage.

Pei Xinglu pinched the bridge of his nose, his voice raspy. “Pingye Residence.”

Pingye Residence was located in the suburbs, with stream rocks and bamboo shadows—a quiet, elegant scenery. Looking up, the sky was full of stars.

Under the guidance of the butler, starting today, Pei Xinglu was moving into the mansion of the wealthy young master.

To be his… lucky charm partner.

He didn’t know what the character of this wealthy young master was like. The Ling family members were so calculating; based on genetics, he was likely a very pampered and difficult master to serve.

Housekeeper Zhou said with a smile, “The young master took his medicine and went to bed early. He’s been a bit groggy these days and needs more time to recover. We won’t disturb him for now. Mr. Pei, please follow me to another room.”

They went up the stairs and stopped at the second door on the right.

Housekeeper Zhou opened the door and invited Pei Xinglu in.

Just then, there was movement from next door.

It was the sound of a door opening.

A beautiful youth stepped out of the room.

He wore cream-colored bear pajamas. A button had been rubbed off at the collar, revealing a snowy-white, slender neck.

He seemed to have just gotten out of bed; a tuft of light black hair stood up at the crown of his head, and his eyes were sleepy.

He was very pale, but it was a sickly pallor from a lack of vitality.

The whole person looked clean, thin, and haggard, yet his features were exquisite—especially his clear, dark eyes, which made him look like a fragile porcelain doll. The corners of his eyes were slightly red, as if a single harsh word would make him cry from grievance.

He looked very well-behaved and quiet.

Pei Xinglu looked at him with a cold stare.

The young master blinked, looking at Pei Xinglu with wonder. “My husband?”

Pei Xinglu: “…”

Damn it.