Chapter 35: The Man I Married Has a Crippled Body but an Unyielding Will

“Dad! Dad, you have to help me—I don’t want to go to jail, I really don’t want to go to jail!”

Liang Kang was in a state of panic. If that matter got exposed, not just him, even the entire Liang family would be affected.

“Who was it? Who’s trying to ruin me?! I was so careful—no one should’ve noticed anything! Dad, who got dirt on me?!”

Liang Jianren gritted his teeth and snarled, “It was Han Xuzhou!”

Liang Kang’s eyes turned bloodshot with fury, hatred twisting his features.

“Han! Xu! Zhou!”

He gave a cold, derisive laugh. “A cripple trying to stir up a storm? Dad, didn’t you plant someone close to him? Help me—there has to be a way!”

Liang Jianren was fuming. “That mole was reserved for more important use! He could’ve accomplished something critical! And now I’m forced to burn it just to clean up your mess—you tell me, how am I supposed to explain this to the old man?”

If Han Fuyang found out that he’d used a long-planted asset just to cover up for this worthless son, he might blow a gasket.

But Liang Kang didn’t care about any of that.

Later, when he found his way back to Shen Yuwan’s side—

“Did your dad scold you?” Shen Yuwan had overheard the shouting but couldn’t make out the details.

Liang Kang forced a smile and tried to comfort her. “It’s nothing. What about your parents—what did they say? If you want to quit, we can leave tonight.”

That only made Shen Yuwan more annoyed.

“My dad said the show’s getting a lot of attention. Other people are dying to get in—there’s no reason for us to back out.”

Shen Guochang thought their actions weren’t that big of a deal. A bit of backlash didn’t cross any lines. Let people talk—any publicity was still publicity.

Shen Yuwan couldn’t even bear to check Weibo anymore. She had turned off comments and private messages.

The direction everything was heading in was the complete opposite of why she joined the show in the first place.

“In that case, we won’t quit!”

Liang Kang had heard that Han Xuzhou would be visiting soon and sneered.

He was dying to see who would end up defeated this time.

The show had reached its halfway mark, and Peach Blossom Valley had become a hit.

The production team had already started planning the guest list for Season Two.

Some netizens had even launched a poll asking: which guest would survive until the end?

To everyone’s surprise, the one with the most votes was actually the least popular—Li Fan.

【She keeps a low profile, but she’s incredibly steady.】

【It’s amazing how all the scandals have nothing to do with her, yet she’s somehow present at every turn.】

【Li Fan is so pretty. Why isn’t she popular in the entertainment world? What a total hidden gem.】

【I’ve been a fan for two years. You guys have no idea how laid-back she is. She’s got the looks but refuses to hustle. It’s maddening!】

Li Fan wasn’t in high spirits today—she didn’t even feel like teasing Ruan Li.

After showering and scrolling through her phone for a while, she quickly fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning when she woke up, 006 reported:
【The big villain’s already arrived. He’s staying in the resort’s villa area.】

【Did he come with Assistant Chen?】

006: 【Qihang Capital is doing a corporate retreat. A bunch of them came. With all the scandals recently, the show isn’t inviting celebrities for now. Instead, they brought in Qihang Capital’s VP, Zhou Xian.】

Li Fan thought for a second. Zhou Xian? Never heard of him.

But she did know that Qihang Capital was founded by Han Xuzhou and was a major investor in Green Hills.

Some even said that drama was tailor-made for Gu Lan.

Too bad—Gu Lan had crashed and burned here.

After washing up and going downstairs, she saw Ji Yin Xun packing up to leave today.

“Mr. Ji, won’t you stay a couple more days?”

Ji Yin Xun gave a gentle smile. “No, I’ve got things to do. But I had a wonderful time here.”

Li Fan: “……” We barely even did anything fun.

Ji Yin Xun poured her a warm glass of milk and slid his phone over.

Li Fan looked up and saw a QR code for adding a friend.

“Can we exchange contact info? If there’s a suitable script in the future, I’ll recommend you.”

For an actor of Ji Yin Xun’s caliber, a recommendation basically meant the role was in the bag.

Li Fan was flattered. “Of course!”

She scanned the code with her phone and sent him a friend request, grinning to herself.

【Ji Yin Xun’s not bad, huh.】

006: 【Of course he’s not. He’s actually got a little crush on you. He looks at Gu Lan and Ruan Li with polite detachment, but when he looks at you, there’s a softness in his eyes.】

Hearing that, Li Fan lifted her eyes and studied him.

Didn’t really seem like it.

【And he’s good-looking too.】

006: 【Duh! He’s got 50 million followers on Weibo—50 million! Oh, and guess what—he’s still a virgin! Never dated. If you snag him, you’d be his first love!】

【Oh ho, that’s way cleaner than that dog Han Xuzhou! Damn—he’s hot, rich, built, gentle, and he’s never even dated! Quick, tell me his flaws, come on!】

The biased system couldn’t take it anymore:
【Don’t praise one just to diss the other! Strictly speaking, our big villain is also a virgin—he’s never been in a relationship either.】

Li Fan scoffed inwardly.
【Ew, then what about Gu Lan and Bai Xiaoxian? You gonna call those real relationships? Please—friends with benefits don’t count.】

006: 【……】

Ji Yin Xun, oblivious to Li Fan’s inner monologue, only noticed how animated her expressions were.

Li Fan sipped her milk and tried to find something to talk about with him.

Her gaze landed on his chest. She had touched it yesterday—it had felt really nice.

He was wearing a thin T-shirt today, subtly outlining his chest muscles.

【He probably has abs too, right? I wonder how many…】

006: 【I can’t bear to watch. Wipe your drool, please!】

“Mr. Ji, do you work out regularly?”

Ji Yin Xun blinked, then nodded.
“Yes.”

Li Fan paused, trying not to sound too obvious. “Do you train muscles? Like chest or abs? I’m thinking of starting a fitness routine but not sure where to begin…”

Ji Yin Xun’s face twisted slightly. “You want abs?”

Li Fan: “……Like maybe a toned waistline. If you have abs, could I use them for reference?”

006: 【Why don’t you just rip his shirt off—it’s faster!】

【If only! Shut up.】

Ji Yin Xun: “Reference?”

Did those things even serve as reference material?

Li Fan put on her best thick-skinned smile. “Just wondering how many abs are ideal.”

Ji Yin Xun: “……How about I introduce you to a fitness trainer?”

Li Fan immediately knew her plan had flopped—she felt a little let down.

But then she perked up at the thought of the trainer.

“Is he handsome?”

Ji Yin Xun looked conflicted. “Aren’t you trying to get fit?”

What does looks have to do with it?

“Oh, right—does he have abs? How many?”

Ji Yin Xun’s gaze grew more complicated.
This girl wasn’t looking for a workout—she was clearly searching for a man.

“I heard Miss Li is married.”

Li Fan let out a soft “ah,” suddenly realizing it wasn’t exactly a secret.

She sighed and grabbed a tissue to dab at the corner of her dry eyes.

“Since you asked, I won’t hide it. Yes, I’m married. But the man I married has a crippled body and an unyielding spirit—he’s practically the best among the disabled. Out of 30 days a month, he spends 28 rolling around in bed with women.”

Ji Yin Xun was left speechless. That’s what “crippled but unyielding” meant?

“And the other two days?” he asked.

Li Fan sneered. “Medication. He is disabled after all—without it, he can’t even move.”