After a Top Idol Married the Sickly Young Master of a Wealthy Family to Bring Him Good Luck - Chapter 3

The next day, at nine o’clock.

At the City Civil Affairs Bureau, Liang Yuan was organizing the stack of materials on her desk. She had only been working for five minutes when she looked up and saw the first couple of the day had arrived.

They were a same-sex couple. The man on the left was a full head taller than the one on the right.

Although they were wearing hats and masks, their faces hidden tightly, the aura and “vibe” were there—they were definitely handsome.

However, the two of them didn’t look familiar with each other at all. They kept a bit of distance between them, lacking any of the sticky, sweet affection found in young couples. They didn’t look like they were getting married; they looked like they were getting a divorce.

Liang Yuan flashed a professional smile and said cautiously, “Hello, you two. Do you have an appointment?”

“Yes, sister. We’re here to register our marriage.”

Ling Suiyao took off his mask.

Liang Yuan immediately felt her heart soften. What a well-behaved, cute, and handsome young man. His eyelashes were so long, though his complexion wasn’t great—quite pale, and he was thin.

“Alright, please follow me. First, fill out the application form. I’ll need your ID cards and household registration booklets.”

Liang Yuan led them to the registration counter in the hall and took their documents and copies.

When she saw the names on the ID photos, Liang Yuan could hardly believe her eyes.

This cold, arrogant “cool guy” who hadn’t spoken a word since entering and was constantly radiating a chilly aura…

This… this was Pei Xinglu!

Three years ago, a Republic-era suspense thriller called The Nine-Link Puzzle exploded onto the scene. Without any promotion or initial “traffic,” it went viral across the country at lightning speed, becoming the undisputed biggest hit of the last three years.

Pei Xinglu played a high-IQ, refined killer who loved solving nine-link puzzles. He was cold and devoid of love; even when he died, slumped in a pool of bright red blood, he was still shaking the puzzle, listening to the crisp clinking sound as if intoxicated.

The male lead, Pei Xinglu, leaped to “top-tier” status on the strength of his dazzling, exquisite acting.

Liang Yuan’s friend followed celebrities, so she knew a few things.

Pei Xinglu had filmed about four movies and TV shows, and in these three years, there hadn’t been a single scandal. Even the paparazzi found it unbelievable, firmly believing that Pei Xinglu just hid things too well. They could only publish ambiguous, baseless rumors, but they were proven wrong every time.

And now, Pei Xinglu was actually getting married!

To another man!

Same-sex marriage was legal, so that wasn’t why Liang Yuan was shocked—the point was, if she remembered correctly, Pei Xinglu had once revealed that he was homophobic!

…What an earth-shattering scoop!

Her heart was a stormy sea, but her surface remained calm and professional.

Once the registration process was finished, she took them to have their ID photos taken.

Liang Yuan felt like she was no longer herself.

Leaving the Civil Affairs Bureau, Pei Xinglu rejected Madam Ling’s red envelopes and her invitation to a wedding luncheon. He decisively took his packed luggage and, citing work as an excuse, didn’t stay a second longer. He got into the car and headed for the airport.

In the car, Pei Xinglu opened the marriage certificate and looked at it—

The photo showed his cold, fake smile paired with Ling Suiyao’s brilliant grin, creating a bizarre sense of festivity.

The steel-embossed stamp: City A, X District Civil Affairs Bureau, Marriage Registration Office.

Marriage Registrar: Liang Yuan.

Liang Yuan… “Good Fate” (Liangyuan)?

Suddenly, he really wanted to smoke a cigarette to calm down.

He couldn’t stay calm for even a second.

Pei Xinglu slammed the marriage certificate shut. This was clearly a “Sinful Fate” (Nieyuan).

He hoped that when they came back to get a divorce three years later, the registrar’s name would be “Nie Yuan.”

Xiao He’s head was nearly twisted off from trying to peek. Finally seeing the photo on the marriage certificate, she couldn’t help but say, “Wow.” “This young master really is good-looking.”

In the photo, with the help of the red background and the photographer’s skill, Ling Suiyao had red lips and white teeth. His complexion looked bright, both beautiful and healthy.

Pei Xinglu frowned. “?”

Xiao He quickly corrected herself. “Of course, Brother Pei is super handsome too.”

Pei Xinglu laughed out of sheer anger: “…Is that what I wanted to hear?”

Xiao He silently swallowed the sentence “You actually look quite well-matched” and said indignantly, “At first glance, you are definitely! Not! A match! I don’t know how that master calculated it. How could this be a ‘match made in heaven’? He must be a fraud! How could the Ling family be so stupid as to believe the words of a fraudulent old fortune-teller!”

That’s more like it.

Pei Xinglu hid the marriage certificate away, out of sight, out of mind.

“By the way, Brother Pei, ‘Salted Fish’ is subtly mocking you online again. He’s also shamelessly buying top-tier trending searches to suppress you. It’s honestly exhausting.”

The “Salted Fish” Xiao He referred to was named Yu Zhihan.

He and Pei Xinglu had a long-standing feud. Their two fanbases clashed every few days, leaving a trail of blood and chaos wherever they went.

Yu Zhihan’s surname was Yu, which sounds like “Fish” (Yu). His given name Han (second tone), when pronounced in Xiao He’s hometown dialect, sounded like “Salty” (Xian).

Additionally, Yu Zhihan’s public persona was “indifferent as a chrysanthemum”—not competing, not grabbing, letting everything happen by fate.

The “Salted Fish” black-label nickname, created by Xiao He, has stuck ever since.

Pei Xinglu opened the Weibo trending list. The top five trends featured his rival’s name and his own.

#Yu Zhihan Family Dinner

#Pei Xinglu My Dad Is Dead

#Pei Xinglu Manners#

…

He clicked on one at random, and the first thing he saw was a certain marketing account active on the front lines of gossip.

Big-Eyed Handsome Guy V: [Screenshot 1][Screenshot 2] Viewers can compare for themselves. I don’t dare say much; after all, Pei’s fans are great at silencing people [Slipping away with a pot lid on my head.jpg]

The first picture was a stitched screenshot of Pei Xinglu’s outburst on the internet a few days ago.

The details were as follows:

[Random User]: Storm in a Teacup is really hard to watch. Pei Xinglu’s acting looks like his father just died. This trash acting made me laugh. Come, come, everyone, enjoy this good stuff together. (Sneakily recorded video)

@Pei Xinglu: Smile, you’re so smart. You’re right, my dad is dead. Happy? Thank you for spending money to see the movie, but please crawl away with your illegal recording.

[Random User]: Which brand sponsored this suit of Pei Dog’s? His face is so handsome, but the clothes are so ugly. Blacklisted. It reminds me of Pei’s “Upstart” period. You’re so rich, buy something better. If you’re really stingy, just call me ‘Dad’ and Dad will sponsor you ten cents. (ps: edited unflattering photo)

@Pei Xinglu: My dad is dead. Those who want to be my dad, please take a number. Your number is 250SB. Stay in line and mind your manners.

Even so, there was a reason.

At the time, that idiot Jiang Qiang had called to harass him, and Pei Xinglu had given him a harsh scolding.

Thinking back on all those years of suffering—all because Jiang Qiang couldn’t keep his pants zipped back then, and now, because he “returned from the dead” and secretly sent the birth charts to the Ling family without permission, resulting in this forced “Good Luck Marriage.”

Pei Xinglu hated him to death. He called back and scolded him for another ten minutes, yelling until the other person turned off their phone, yet he still wasn’t satisfied. He went on Weibo, and as it happened, several anti-fans who had been chasing and cursing him for six or seven years ran right into the muzzle. Pei Xinglu whipped out his keyboard and let out a barrage of output.

This was the first time Pei Xinglu had lost his composure in public, and naturally, his rival wasn’t going to let such a good opportunity go.

These past few days, one malicious trending search after another targeted him. Pei Xinglu found it almost hilarious.

For example, look at the second screenshot posted by the trash marketing account.

@Yu Zhihan: [Image] Took some time to go back to my hometown and have dinner with my parents. Before I knew it, the white hair at their temples could no longer be hidden. They age day by day. Clearly, their own health should be the most important thing, yet what they care about most is how their child is doing outside and whether I’m suffering.

The picture was of a family of three, warm and natural.

Comment 1: Crying, Fish-Fish’s writing is so good, his empathy is so strong.

Comment 2: Fish-Fish is so filial. Compared to the ‘Pei Dog’ next door shouting ‘my dad is dead,’ it’s so disappointing.

Comment 3: Fish-Fish’s parents look like intellectuals; you can tell they are educated!

Comment 4: Passing by—this is the substance a top-tier star should have. Polite and refined, unlike Pei Dog, who has no manners.

…

Xiao He complained, “So melodramatic, you can tell it’s a staged photo. He posted this on Weibo last night, and it already has a million comments. The fans of both sides are tearing each other apart underneath it, yet he pretends not to see.”

“The fans are fighting in his comments?” Pei Xinglu asked.

Xiao He: “Yes, Brother Pei, scroll down. It should be under the fourth comment from the top. There’s an ID called ‘Suisui’s Little Rice Cake.’ They’ve managed to offend both fanbases single-handedly and are being ganged up on. It’s tragic.”

Pei Xinglu found the ID.

@Suisui’s Little Rice Cake: Brother Pei was just snapping back at anti-fans; it’s not that he lacks manners. Don’t be like this. Brother Pei and Fish-Fish are clearly both very good.

[Reply]: Gross, is this a ‘double fan’? I’m gonna puke.

[Reply]: Seven years ago, the group ‘Moonstar’ was forced to disband, and it was so messy because of Pei Xinglu. As the leader, Yu Zhihan didn’t know how much pressure he had to endure. After seven years of finally making it, he’s stuck being clung to by Pei Dog’s fans again. If it were me, I’d be disgusted.

[Reply]: Agreed. With such a deep grudge, how can anyone support both Yu Zhihan and Pei Xinglu at the same time? How big does your heart have to be?

[Reply]: Ahhhh, don’t put Pei Dog and Fish-Fish together, it feels like it lowers the class. Lack of manners is lack of manners; fans, don’t try to save face. Pei Dog just has no manners! No manners!

@Suisui’s Little Rice Cake: I’ve watched all of Brother Pei’s shows since his debut. He’s someone who is cold on the outside but warm on the inside.

[Reply]: Hahahaha, holy shit, I’m dying laughing. [Reply]: Does he actually not know about the Moonstar feud seven years ago?

@Suisui’s Little Rice Cake: [Screenshot * 9] This one is the most moving. Brother Pei was so gentle and patient with this old grandmother. He kept weaving bamboo baskets for her, cooked, washed dishes, and gave her so much food. He even cried right before he left.

[Reply]: Idiot, that’s a show. It’s just acting for people like you. Pei Dog’s fans are so mentally challenged. Have you even started middle school yet? [Reply]: I’m begging you, just quit the fandom. Pei Dog and Fish-Fish, you can only choose one.

[Reply]: We Fish-fans don’t want anyone who has liked Pei Dog. Get over to Pei’s side.

[Reply]: Wait! Are we some kind of garbage recycling center? We don’t want anyone who likes Salted Fish either.

[Reply]: DON’T COME! NEAR US!

Pei Xinglu’s gaze lingered on the screenshots posted by “Suisui’s Little Rice Cake,” his eyes flickering slightly.

Every time he saw that grandmother in the show, he thought of his own grandmother, who passed away three years ago. He remembered that in this world, he didn’t have a single family member left.

How many times did this “Suisui’s Little Rice Cake” have to rewatch that show to capture a screenshot showing the tears in his eyes?

Under this thread, there were nearly a thousand replies, a trial by public opinion. It was essentially a war between both fanbases against Suisui’s Little Rice Cake, with some words being extremely excessive.

Liking me that shows good taste. But why also like Salted Fish?

Pei Xinglu thought for a moment, then decisively logged into his official Weibo account to edit and post.

Pingye Villa, Third Floor Art Studio.

The window was half-open, a breeze fluttering the light curtains.

In April, it was the best time of year.

The warm, gentle sunlight spilled over the colorful oil paintings, making the colors glow brilliantly. The sunlight also unreservedly fell on the young man’s face; his already fair complexion seemed almost transparent, and the fine downy hair on his skin was clearly visible.

Ling Suiyao leaned over his desk, using the marriage certificate as a reference to sketch in his sketchbook.

Finally, he wrote a line of words at the end, chuckled to himself with pleasure, and closed the sketchbook. He stood up and solemnly placed the marriage certificate inside a white display cabinet.

A breeze blew the papers on the desk, making them dance with a rustling sound, like a light, ethereal melody.

The doctor suggested he avoid catching a draft as much as possible.

Ling Suiyao let out a soft cough, walked over, stretched his arm, and closed the window.

The wind stopped abruptly.

The sketchbook remained on the latest page. On the high-quality paper, a pencil sketch of their marriage photo remained.

Ding.

A notification appeared: You have been mentioned.

Ling Suiyao found his phone buried at the bottom of a pile. When he opened it, he froze, his eyes widening into circles.

@Pei Xinglu V: The person graduated from A University.

[Screenshot] Passerby A: Idiot, that’s a show. It’s just acting for people like you. Pei Dog’s fans are so mentally challenged. Have you even started middle school yet?

@Pei Xinglu V: Garbage recycling center? Forwarded Passerby B: Wait! Are we some kind of garbage recycling center? We don’t want anyone who likes Salted Fish either.

@Pei Xinglu V: Suisui’s Little Rice Cake, looks like a choice must be made. Come on, pick one of the two. Who do you choose?