They're constantly trash-talking the movie star - Chapter 1

Yuyang City, early winter.

Snowflakes drifted from the sky, weaving through a misty fog. The bitter wind roared like a beast in the winter night, and a blanket of white snow dressed the earth in silver frost.

Inside, the heating was on. Through the massive glass windows, one could easily take in the scenery outside. A few people dressed as servants stood looking at each other, their faces filled with anxiety and hesitation. Their eyes were all focused on the young man in the center of the room.

One of them spoke tentatively, “Young Master…”

The youth addressed as “Young Master” had silver-gray hair. His light blue eyes, resembling glass, were filled with rage. Yet, he possessed a stunningly beautiful face, and his pale complexion added a touch of fragility that inspired pity.

His brow was furrowed as he leaned back on the sofa, surveying the mess on the floor. His tone grew increasingly harsh: “Who allowed you to bring the things he sent in front of me? Do you all want to be fired?”

“Young Master, please don’t get excited!” Aunt Wang, seeing the youth’s face flush from agitation, hurriedly stepped forward to placate him.

The young master before them was a precious gem, but he was also a sickly one. If he were to collapse, several of their lives wouldn’t be enough to pay for it.

Wu Yan felt the oxygen in his chest grow thin. Looking at those gifts only fueled his anger. He stood up and kicked the nearest box away, a fine sweat breaking out on his forehead. “Throw them all outside.”

Aunt Wang nodded quickly, gesturing for the others standing idly by to move the items. But before she could react, a cry of alarm rang out from behind her.

“Young Master has fainted again! Call the doctor, quickly!”

The clamor and chaos were swallowed by a boundless darkness. Wu Yan felt his head spinning. A bitter taste lingered in his nose, followed by a liquid being poured down his throat. He opened his eyes dazed and saw a stark white ceiling.

“Xiao Yan, you’re finally awake. You scared Mama to death.” The next second, his hand was seized.

Wu Yan turned his head. He looked at the beautiful woman half-kneeling by his bed and the middle-aged man who, though silent, was filled with worry. His eyes were clouded with confusion.

Who are these two… He knit his brow slightly, seeing a doctor and an assistant rush forward with instruments and medicine. They asked, “Does the Young Master feel discomfort anywhere else?”

He opened his mouth to speak, but surveying the entirely unfamiliar environment, he ultimately just shook his head.

“Everyone out.” Wu Nanachu, who had been standing silently, finally spoke. After dismissing the crowd, he helped his wife up and said softly, “Xiao Yan needs rest. Let’s go out first.”

A few seconds later, the room fell into silence.

Lying on the bed, Wu Yan blinked, clearly not yet processing the situation. He vaguely remembered going mountain climbing with friends. The weather that day was beautiful, and he was having a great time. On the way back, he accidentally slipped and fell off a cliff.

And then, he woke up here.

“Young Master?” Wu Yan murmured. He was just an ordinary college student; how could he be a “young master”?

Just then, a flood of text and images flashed through his mind. After ten full minutes, he realized: I’ve transmigrated into a book?

But why did it have to be as a cannon fodder? And a sickly one at that. The book described this cannon fodder as peerlessly beautiful but possessed of a violent temper someone who scolded everyone he met and kicked anyone in his path, despite having a body as weak as a soft willow.

“Well, living a short life is better than being dead.”

Wu Yan let out a helpless sigh and accepted his circumstances. At least this cannon fodder’s family was wealthy, and he was the precious late-born son of his parents. He figured that as long as he didn’t court death, he could at least live for a while.

Wu Yan propped himself up with his arms. Just as he was about to get out of bed, there was a knock at the door. Before he could answer, the door was pushed open.

Aunt Wang entered carrying a tray with several bowls, a glass of water, and a white medicine bottle.

“Young Master, why are you up?” Aunt Wang saw Wu Yan out of bed without a coat and barefoot, and nearly fainted herself. Although the air conditioning was on and the floor was carpeted, Wu Yan’s fragile health terrified them.

Wu Yan hesitated for two seconds before sitting back on the bed. Once he was tucked under the covers, Aunt Wang brought the tray to the bedside.

“Do I have to take all of these?” Wu Yan looked at the various pills and asked, pursing his lips.

Aunt Wang nodded firmly. “Yes. The Madam has even prepared dessert; I’ll bring it in once you’ve finished your medicine.”

Wu Yan, who had previously been perfectly healthy and could count his fevers on one hand, was silent for a moment. He took the glass and swallowed the pills. Then he picked up the bowl of brown liquid and drank it in one go. As the bitter taste spread through his mouth, he gave an imperceptible frown.

Aunt Wang cleared the items and went down to get the dessert vibrant macarons that gave off a sweet scent. Wu Yan picked a lemon-flavored one and took a bite, finally feeling a bit better.

Wu Yan reached out and pulled back the curtains. Through the misty glass, he could see the front courtyard below. Many exquisite boxes were discarded in the corner, some covered in a thin layer of snow, with red ribbons torn and tangled.

At a glance, these gifts were clearly expensive. Recalling the events before he fainted, he felt a bit puzzled. The original owner seemed to harbor a deep hatred for this fiancé he had never met, given such a violent reaction.

He pulled his phone from his pocket and unlocked it. He opened the browser and typed in the name “Pei Jin.” The encyclopedia page clearly detailed the man’s information.

Pei Jin, 28 years old, 189cm, Cancer, birthday June 22. The youngest Movie Star. Following that was a list of his representative works and honors.

Wu Yan scrolled through the content, but his attention was fixed on the top photo. The man had sharp, cold features, narrow eyes, and dark tea-colored hair. He looked indifferent a top-tier handsome man.

A cheap husband delivered by a marriage alliance; might as well take him.

“He’s actually quite handsome…” Wu Yan murmured. After three seconds of silence, he found Pei Jin’s name in his chat app. He scrolled through the previous logs; they were all the original owner venting his temper, telling the man to give up because he would never marry him.

He bit his lip and edited a message to send over.

In the city, Pei Jin had just finished a shoot. He picked up his phone from the workstation and saw a notification on the screen.

Wu Yan: As you know, I haven’t had a husband since I was a child. I’ve only just gotten one, so I’m not used to it yet. [Confessing Cat Emoji]

Pei Jin’s face showed no emotional fluctuation. He stared at the message, wondering why the person who had loathed him so much had suddenly changed his tune.

“Brother Pei, it’s time to head back to the company.” Just then, Pei Jin’s assistant, Luo Xia, pushed the door open. Seeing him standing still, he gave a reminder.

“Mhm, let’s go.” Pei Jin turned off his phone, slid it into his pocket, and strode out.

Standing by the window, Wu Yan felt a bit defeated after not receiving a reply for a long time. In his previous life, he had never failed to get something he liked. This Pei Jin was a bit too cold toward him. He couldn’t help but think of the terrible things the original owner had done.

If he hadn’t seen the man’s face, he thought the original owner might have even slapped him. But that wasn’t him. Now, meeting Pei Jin, Wu Yan would likely stick to him.

He opened his closet and changed clothes, then headed downstairs. In the living room, Wu’s parents were on the sofa the father reading a magazine and the mother watching a drama. Hearing footsteps on the stairs, they both looked up.

“Xiao Yan, are you going out?” Wu’s mother asked. “Yes, I have some business,” Wu Yan replied concisely.

“It’s snowing outside, it’s very cold. Why not stay home and rest?” His mother’s tone was full of worry and helplessness. “Yes, whatever Xiao Yan needs or whoever you want to see, just have Xiao Xu do it for you,” his father added.

Wu Yan shook his head, leaning against a cabinet to change his shoes. He said, “I’m going to see Pei Jin. I’ll be back soon.”

Hearing Pei Jin’s name spoken so calmly by Wu Yan, the two elders were stunned. “Xiao Yan, don’t you dislike Ah Jin? Why the sudden meeting?”

“Mama…” Wu Yan had a bad personality and loved to throw tantrums, and his frail body was becoming even thinner, but his parents truly loved him.

Hearing Wu Yan’s coquettish tone, Wu’s mother felt her heart melt. She stood up, took a scarf from the rack, and walked to her son. She gently wrapped it around him and instructed, “Alright, but have Xiao Xu accompany you.”

“I know,” Wu Yan nodded.

Walking from the warmth of the house into the cold, the biting wind swept over him like sharp needles. Xu Yike, holding a black umbrella, hurried to Wu Yan’s side to block the wind and snow.

“Young Master,” he called out respectfully, though there was a hint of anxiety in his voice.

Wu Yan didn’t seem to notice anything strange. He gave a light hum of acknowledgment. Seeing him, the driver opened the car door. Wu Yan climbed in and leaned back against the seat, saying flatly, “To the Bauhinia Hotel.”

After stating his destination, he lowered his eyelids, looking weary and lethargic. Xu Yike, who followed him into the car, showed a flash of disappointment. The frost on his shoulders melted into crystal droplets in the warmth.

The car traveled slowly down the road. Wu Yan, a light sleeper, didn’t actually fall asleep. He knit his brow slightly and opened his eyes to see a thermos before him. Meeting Xu Yike’s gaze, he shook his head. “I don’t want to drink.”

Xu Yike withdrew the thermos and spoke calmly, “The Madam asked me to follow you. Young Master, Brother Pei probably isn’t at the Bauhinia Hotel right now.”

“How do you kn—” Wu Yan cut himself off, remembering that Xu Yike and Pei Jin were actually quite good friends. “Then where is he?” he asked.

“This…” Xu Yike hesitated.

Wu Yan let out a cold laugh. “What, are you afraid I’ll hit him? Xu Yike, look at me, do I look like I could win a fight against him?”

Xu Yike’s gaze was complex. Given Wu Yan’s personality, he would likely attack Pei Jin even if he couldn’t win.

Wait, whose side is this guy on?

Wu Yan recalled the book’s description; there wasn’t much about Xu Yike, but the man didn’t seem to like him very much. Finally, pressured by the fear of making Wu Yan angry, Xu Yike compromised: “He’s at Chunse.”

“In a bar?” A flash of surprise crossed Wu Yan’s eyes, his tone filled with disbelief.

Hearing the disbelief in his voice, the driver’s hands began to sweat on the steering wheel, and he quickly changed direction.