After a Top Idol Married the Sickly Young Master of a Wealthy Family to Bring Him Good Luck - Chapter 7

Six o’clock, third-floor audiovisual room.

Ling Suiyao had drawn the curtains tight, leaving only a single small ceiling light on, casting a dim and soft glow.

The projection screen displayed the interface of Lime TV.

Ling Suiyao sat cross-legged on the carpet between the coffee table and the sofa. The rug was soft and warm, and clutching the world’s cutest panda plushie made him feel truly blissful. It would have been perfect if the table were piled with desserts, snacks, and milk tea.

Unfortunately, there was only goji berry and red date chicken silk porridge, accompanied by a few side dishes that, while exquisite in appearance, were extremely bland.

Ling Suiyao looked pitifully at Housekeeper Zhou, raising a single finger as if to negotiate.

Housekeeper Zhou simply offered a kind smile and shook his head. “That won’t do. Be a good boy, Little Master. The doctor said you must follow the menu for this month. Focus on nutrition for breakfast and lunch, and keep dinner especially light to avoid straining your body.”

Ling Suiyao deflated like a punctured ball, his head drooping. “Alright.”

But it was fine; he still had his “spiritual food.”

Ling Suiyao clicked on the second episode of Born to be an Idol and quickly skipped to the part where Pei Xinglu’s group performed. The bland dinner suddenly became delicious.

This was likely what they meant by “a feast for the eyes.”

After re-watching the episode, Ling Suiyao immediately switched back to the Lime TV homepage to wait.

Five minutes later, the livestream began punctually. The number of viewers skyrocketed, the bullet comments (danmu) flooded the screen, and online viewership broke 100 million, instantly crashing Lime TV and turning the video into a stuttering slideshow.

It took fifteen minutes of emergency repairs by the staff before things returned to normal.

After much anticipation, the main cast of the movie sat neatly in front of the screen.

As the lead actor, Pei Xinglu sat in the center (C-position). His stylist had meticulously arranged his black hair so that fine strands fell over his forehead, accentuating his deep, soulful eyes.

His white shirt was buttoned to the very top, but his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing the smooth lines of his forearms. A silver watch circled his wrist bone, and further up, the veins on the back of his hand protruded slightly. His fingers were long, with well-defined knuckles.

“Hello everyone, welcome to our Ding Feng Bo livestream. Thank you all for your support.”

Pei Xinglu sat upright, greeting the audience with a wave and a faint, though not cold, reserved smile.

【Holy crap, what a handsome guy! Life is worth living.】

【How can such a perfect man exist in this world? Heavy breathing [Heart eyes emoji]】

【Oh my god, Hubby, you look so ascetic and high-cold. Can’t you undo a button? Honestly, you’re treating us like strangers. Clavicle-lovers are crying a storm! [Tears streaming emoji]】

【Tsk, the collar is buttoned, but the cuffs are undone! Half high-cold, half ‘smoldering’—Old Pei knows exactly how to tease us. [Wry smile emoji]】

【Rising from my deathbed! Hand-lovers rejoice! Help me up, I can keep stanning him for another three hundred years!】

Ling Suiyao stared for a few seconds before decisively running to the projection screen. He pressed his phone close and started snapping photos like crazy, happily zooming in further and further.

Ling Suiyao was a closet hand-fetishist.

His current phone wallpaper was still the final shot of Pei Xinglu in The Nine-Link Puzzle. Pei Xinglu was lying in a pool of blood, his blood-stained right hand lightly shaking a nine-link puzzle.

At that time, Ling Suiyao’s entire attention had been on his hand.

Ling Suiyao felt his cheeks flush. He exhaled sharply and sorted the photos he just took into a folder titled “Brother Pei.”

The cast interacted with the chat, took turns greeting everyone, talked a bit about the movie, and then quickly got to the main event.

Director Li Rong said with a beaming smile, “As promised yesterday, if the box office broke 3 billion, we’d give everyone a ‘benefit.’ I assume you all know what it is?”

【We know! Singing and dancing!】

【Banging on the table, I’ve been waiting for a day and a night!】

【Who understands the heart of a show-fan from seven years ago? [Crying emoji] ‘Suisui’s Little Rice Cake,’ from now on! You! Are! My God!】

The director’s face was practically splitting with joy at the level of engagement.

The background music started right on cue.

Next was the long-awaited segment of Pei Xinglu’s singing and dancing performance. The other cast members scattered to give him space.

Pei Xinglu cleared his throat. “A quick heads-up: I only practiced for half a day, and some moves might not be standard. So, don’t be too harsh on me.”

【I’m standing here with a gun—let’s see who dares to insult him!】

【Wuhu, Brother Pei is so considerate. Being able to see Brother Pei sing and dance in this lifetime is what I deserve as a faithful believer.】

Ling Suiyao mixed in and sent a comment, laughing to himself after hitting send.

【How could we? Hubby! Everything Hubby does is perfect!】

Pei Xinglu was wearing a white shirt and black suit trousers today, radiating a natural sense of “ascetic sexiness.”

The song chosen was a jazz piece by Chen Er—a lazy, charming lilt combined with a strong rhythm. The style matched Pei Xinglu’s “cool and aloof” persona perfectly.

Combined with Pei Xinglu’s deep, magnetic voice, the three elements instantly created an intense “sexual tension,” dripping with pheromones.

During the four-minute performance, the public chat was a frenzy of scrolling comments.

【Hubby is too humble, this is so thrilling! I love it so much!】

【Holy crap, that core strength. I feel like he could throw me onto a bed in one go.】

【The person above me, don’t say it out loud! You’re making me shy!】

【Ahhh, I’m willing to stay buried in the pit that is Brother Pei!】

【Does anyone understand my ‘kink’? When Brother Pei dances, that watch on his wrist… I’m literally fainting.】

…

Ling Suiyao pinched the small ears of his panda plushie, trying to suppress the tremors in his heart.

He understood! He totally understood!

White shirt, black trousers—as his body moved, the watch danced along with him. The transparent watch face flashed with silver light, tugging at one’s heartstrings, making one desperately want to unbuckle the strap for him.

In short, it was simply—explodingly handsome!

How could there be a man like Pei Xinglu in this world—handsome face, great body, amazing acting, incredible stage presence, a beautiful singing voice, and such an “Alpha” dance style!

Ling Suiyao was so excited that his heart-rate wristband started beeping.

He hurriedly took a deep breath, exhaling slowly to calm his breathing. He poured a glass of water and took his medicine along with it.

As his heart rate gradually returned to normal, Ling Suiyao covered his still-warm face, suddenly feeling like he was quite pathetic.

But—that was Pei Xinglu, after all.

Ling Suiyao couldn’t control himself; he rushed to Weibo to send a private message, expressing his absolute, peerless love!

When the dance ended, Pei Xinglu, on the screen, wiped the sweat from his forehead and loosened the watch strap on his wrist.

The singer of the theme song, Chen Er, sighed and clapped, clicking his tongue. “As the original creator, I have to say that was incredible. Never do it again. I’ve been upstaged; my heart is broken!”

Countless “Hahaha”s floated across the screen.

The director was enjoying the show. “Is ‘Little Rice Cake’ in the livestream? Are you satisfied with this benefit? I heard that Little Pei specifically pushed back work and practiced all afternoon just for you.”

Chen Er raised both hands. “I testify! That’s exactly what happened! So, where is Little Rice Cake? Quickly bring Little Rice Cake up. Your former ‘wall’ (bias) is right here. Care to consider rekindling the old flame?”

Pei Xinglu shot a glance at Chen Er. “That’s not how you steal a fan.”

Chen Er threw up his hands and said mischievously, “Hey, Little Rice Cake did climb over my ‘wall’ first. Fine, fine, I see how it is—only the new love smiles, while the old love cries. Little Rice Cake, look how overbearing Brother Pei is. He’s nothing like me. Why don’t you climb back over and write a music review for me?”

Pei Xinglu was speechless and let out a cold snort.

【Hahaha, only Chen Er would dare talk to Brother Pei like that. So funny.】

【Can I say I ship them?】

【I’ll say it quietly: actually, I ship Brother Pei and Little Rice Cake.】

【Plus one to the person above! Little Rice Cake spoke, and Brother Pei sang and danced! I’m dying from the sweetness!】

【Piss off. Did you forget Brother Pei is homophobic? Don’t post nonsense.】

Homophobic?

Ling Suiyao thought about it and realized that must have been why Pei Xinglu asked if he was straight that day.

If he was homophobic but still agreed to the “auspicious marriage”…

He really was a career-driven guy.

Actually, Pei Xinglu was currently in a rising phase; he was only one major mainstream award away from being “consecrated.”

After the livestream ended, Ling Suiyao made a phone call.

On the other side, in front of a floor-to-ceiling window overlooking a bustling night view, Ling Jing was swirling a glass of red wine. He was coldly instructing his subordinates on project matters, his tone icy and devoid of warmth.

When he saw the caller’s name, he instantly switched to a high-pitched, pampered “baby voice.” “Suisui, do you miss your Second Brother? I knew it! Why aren’t you asleep yet at this hour? The doctor said you shouldn’t stay up late!”

The subordinate, who had just been scolded until his face was red and his neck thick, hadn’t even made it out the door when he heard this. His heart surged with a chaotic tide; he nearly walked into the door, his expression twisted, almost wanting to vomit.

CEO Ling was a “split-personality” freak!

“Second Brother, is the casting date for The Blade’s Journey set for this week?” Ling Suiyao asked.

Ling Jing flipped through the proposal, his voice doting. “This Friday. Suisui, if you’re not feeling well, you don’t have to come. Doing it remotely online is also an option.”

Ling Suiyao got goosebumps and said softly, “Second Brother, don’t talk like that, it’s cheesy… I’ll go to the site; the live experience is better. Second Brother, can I recommend someone?”

“Of course! Who does Suisui want to recommend?”

Ling Jing grit his teeth; he felt like he already knew who it was.

“Pei Xinglu. He fits the character of Meng Ce quite well.”

—As expected!

However, Ling Jing was someone who granted his brother’s every wish. “If Suisui thinks he fits, then let him try out. Aside from you, the producer’s side has received several other recommendations for him. If you think his audition is okay, we’ll settle on him directly.”

Ling Suiyao smiled and nodded. “Thank you, Second Brother. Oh, and Second Brother, give him more resources, okay?”

“I gave them.” Ling Jing didn’t feel guilty at all. “Suisui, the water in the entertainment industry is very deep. Some things aren’t as simple as you think. Be good, don’t get involved too much. I, your brother, know what I’m doing.”

Ling Jing nagged for a long time, spending nearly half an hour just on clothing, food, housing, and transportation.

Finally, it was only when Ling Suiyao said the medicine was kicking in and he was getting sleepy that the call ended.

Ling Suiyao cleaned up the dishes on the table and stretched. He really was tired, so he didn’t check his phone. After a quick wash, he tumbled into bed and fell asleep.

Pei Xinglu opened his Weibo for the Nth time.

Pei Xinglu: I actually made two mistakes in the dance tonight. Chen Er has been mocking me relentlessly since the livestream ended.

Posted at nine o’clock.

And now it was twelve-thirty in the morning.

Why hadn’t he replied? Had he not seen it?

That didn’t seem right; wasn’t he Little Rice Cake’s idol? The chat should be pinned.

Then… maybe he was asleep?

The kid’s profile said he was 22. At that age, shouldn’t they be energetic night owls? Is there really someone who sleeps at nine? Was he too busy with work?

Pei Xinglu lay in bed, tossing and turning. Finally, he sat up, becoming increasingly perplexed.

What was he doing? Was he seriously losing sleep in the middle of the night just because a fan he’d never met hadn’t replied to a message?

“Sigh—”

This was totally ruining his “persona.”

Five minutes later, Pei Xinglu turned on his bedside lamp and, with a serious face, picked up the copy of The Blade’s Journey by his pillow to continue reading.

The book was quite worn; Pei Xinglu didn’t know how many times he had read it, and the plot was practically engraved in his heart.

Since Ling Jing had just called to notify him of Friday’s audition, Pei Xinglu took it out again to analyze the psychological changes of the male lead, Zhao Zhi.

He heard that the original author would also participate in the actor selection, which made him very curious. What would “Sui Ning,” the person who could write such a magnificent yet desolate heroic epic, look like?

They should be steady, calm, scholarly, and wise, right?

Three days later, after finishing his work and catching a late flight, Pei Xinglu arrived at Pingye Residence at one in the morning.

The moment he arrived at Pingye Residence, he regretted it.

His brain must have been turned to mush from the constant back-and-forth between planes and cars, and he’d been influenced by Madam Ling’s nagging phone calls.

At this hour, it would have been better to go back to Shadow Moon Bay.

But it was another hour’s drive from Pingye Residence to Shadow Moon Bay, and he had an audition at nine tomorrow morning.

Forget it, he’d make do; there were guest rooms here anyway.

Pei Xinglu found the key and opened the door.

The house was pitch black. Housekeeper Zhou and that “little sickly one” should be asleep.

After nearly four hours of travel, Pei Xinglu hadn’t had much water and was dying of thirst. He went to the fridge to see if there was anything to drink.

Pei Xinglu used his phone’s flashlight, found a bottle of mineral water in the fridge, and was about to turn around when his footsteps suddenly froze. He went stiff all over, his skin crawling.

He saw an object of indeterminate shape, looking suspiciously like a monster! It was staring at him without moving!

The fright made Pei Xinglu’s hand shake, and his phone fell to the floor with a clatter.

The white light of the flashlight swept past, and it seemed to catch a pair of… eyes that blinked a few times?

The kitchen light was turned on.

Ling Suiyao, wearing divine beast pajamas with the pointed horn hood pulled back, was holding half an eaten piece of bread in his hand. He was full of pleasant surprise, his eyes shining as he smiled.

“Brother Pei, you’re back!”