A Marriage in Name Only? My Stepbrother Won't Let Me Go

Xue Xingyao had lost her child, and on top of that, her family had suffered a devastating catastrophe. Her postpartum recovery went poorly. By the time Chen Shujing returned home, she was so thin she was almost unrecognizable.

Her once-round face had become gaunt, her body as thin as a sheet of paper.

Her eyes, usually so vibrant, were now utterly dim, devoid of any light.

She looked utterly haggard; it was clear she had suffered a terrible blow.

Xue Xingyao stood just inside the doorway, leaning on the carved wooden door. The cold wind rustled around her, and she looked as if a single gust could blow her away.

Chen Shujing was accustomed to Xue Xingyao’s bright, lively nature. Seeing her so cold and desolate now felt deeply unsettling.

He suddenly hesitated to step forward, instinctively slowing his pace.

Xue Xingyao didn’t step out to greet him. She waited patiently for Chen Shujing to approach.

Her hand gripping the doorframe tightened, the only way she could suppress the rising tide of grievance and rage.

When Chen Shujing drew near, Xue Xingyao asked, "Young Master, how are my mother and younger brother?"

’Young Master?’

Chen Shujing’s eyes shot up, filled with disbelief.

Before he had left, Xue Xingyao never called him that.

She would call him "Husband."

Or she would call him Ah Jing.

She had never used the title "Young Master" with him!

Panic spreading through him, Chen Shujing stepped forward and took Xue Xingyao by the arm.

"Are you still in pain?"

Xue Xingyao shook her head. "It doesn’t hurt anymore."

Chen Shujing didn’t believe her.

’The child was a piece of her own flesh, lost just like that. How could it not hurt?’

He wanted to say something, but though he opened his mouth, not a single word came out. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

He didn’t know how to comfort her...

Xue Xingyao lowered her gaze to his large hand on her arm. It was slender and well-proportioned—a hand whose appearance she had once adored.

Now, his touch only filled her with disgust.

’She could accept that Chen Shujing had a past, but she could not accept his deceit.’

’And it seemed he wasn’t over it at all.’

’He was still pining for that Miss Shen.’

’Using her as a substitute was the ultimate humiliation!’

’She truly couldn’t bear it...’

Xue Xingyao turned to take her handmaiden’s hand, naturally pulling her arm from Chen Shujing’s grasp in the process.

His hand fell on empty air. Chen Shujing froze, the panic spreading through him even faster now.

The man stepped into the room, instinctively following her frail figure.

Chen Shujing said eagerly, "The Xue Family’s ancestors made the Contribution from the Dragon. I will pull some strings. I guarantee I will keep your mother and brother safe."

He spoke with such certainty, clearly confident in his ability.

The heavy weight on Xue Xingyao’s heart finally lifted, and the tension coiling in her body began to unwind.

’Wealth and status are fine, but their lives are what matter most.’

’As long as Mother and the others are alive, everything will be all right!’

Her eyes reddened and filled with tears. "Thank you, Young Master."

Chen Shujing’s throat tightened.

He wanted to take her hand and ask what was truly wrong.

Why had she suddenly grown so distant?

An image of Shen Mingxiao flashed through Chen Shujing’s mind. There was a time when she had been just as distant with him.

He had only learned later that people in the Shen Mansion had been making things difficult for Xiaoxiao.

Saying she wasn’t good enough for him...

With that other face in his mind, Chen Shujing’s hand stopped short of touching the back of Xue Xingyao’s.

His expression grew thoughtful. ’Could someone have said similar things to Ah Yao?’

’Now that the Xue Family has fallen, some tactless people are bound to come and cause trouble for Ah Yao.’

’She’s hurting, and that’s why she’s pushing me away.’

With this thought, the fog in Chen Shujing’s mind instantly cleared.

He took her hand, his tone filled with concern. "Once you’ve recovered, we can have another child."

Xue Xingyao pulled at the corners of her mouth, trying to manage a reassuring smile so he wouldn’t worry.

But she failed.

’They would never have another child. She refused to choke down this half-baked marriage!’

A voice in her head screamed for her to drop the pretense and confront him.

’To demand to know: since he already had someone in his heart, why hadn’t he been honest with her?’

’Why marry her at all?’

’And to ask if he was just using her as a replacement for a dead woman!’

Sensing her body trembling, as if she were suppressing a great pain, Chen Shujing grew frantic again.

"Ah Yao, where does it hurt?"

Her entire body ached, but the worst pain was in her heart.

Tears streamed down Xue Xingyao’s face. "You’re holding on too tight. You’re hurting me."

’Mother and my brother aren’t safe yet. I have to pretend I know nothing.’

’I still need him.’

Xue Xingyao squeezed her eyes shut. ’He owes me this!’

’But having to see his face every day... it’s just so hard to endure.’

’Besides the Chen Family’s residence, where else can I go?’

At that moment, Xue Xingyao seemed so fragile, as if she might shatter at the slightest touch.

Chen Shujing immediately released her, not daring to touch her again.

’Losing the child was a massive blow, and on top of that, her family is in trouble. It’s only natural for her to be this fragile.’

’As her husband,’ Chen Shujing thought, ’I should be by her side and help her through this.’

To coax her into a better mood, Chen Shujing suggested, "Why don’t we go to Jiangnan for the New Year? You’re always mentioning Miss Mei, worrying that she isn’t acclimatizing well in Jiangnan, that she’s not eating or sleeping properly. This is a perfect chance to go see for yourself, isn’t it?"

A flicker of movement appeared in Xue Xingyao’s dull eyes.

’That’s right, I still have Ah Yin.’

She had written to Ah Yin for help, and Ah Yin had done what she could.

She had even written back to console her.

Xue Xingyao knew Mei Wanying was in a difficult position; she had been forced to leave the Capital City.

Even if Mei Wanying hadn’t been able to help, she wouldn’t have held it against her.

"Young Master, I want to go to Jiangnan alone."

Chen Shujing’s brow furrowed. "You haven’t recovered yet. You need someone to look after you."

Xue Xingyao replied, "I can just bring more maids and servants."

’I just can’t stand to look at his face anymore. The fondness I once felt for him has become an equal measure of disgust.’

’But I don’t have the right to lose my temper.’

’Not when my family has fallen.’

’Not when I need to rely on Chen Shujing to sort this out.’

’I can’t get angry, but I can get away.’

’If I stay in the Chen residence any longer, I’ll go mad!’

The tears Xue Xingyao had just managed to suppress began to fall again without warning.

Her eyes were red and swollen, a pitiful sight.

Her handmaiden spoke in a low voice, "Young Master, my lady cries in secret every night. It’s only because you’ve returned that she feels she can finally release her emotions. If you feel for her at all, please grant her wish."

"My lady and Miss Mei are as close as sisters. They need to speak privately. It would be awkward if you were there."

As Xue Xingyao’s dowry maid, she was the person who knew her best.

Even though Xue Xingyao had said nothing, the maid could see her aversion to Chen Shujing.

Chen Shujing was still uneasy. "I won’t get in the way of you and Miss Mei..."

Xue Xingyao cut him off. "Husband, I want to see my mother and brother as soon as possible. Can you please try to think of something else?"

That one word, "Husband," sent Chen Shujing’s head spinning.

He never imagined that single word could hold such power.

Being needed by Xue Xingyao filled him not just with a sense of satisfaction, but also with an inexplicable joy he couldn’t quite define.

He wished he could sprout wings and fly to the Capital City that very instant. He wouldn’t even care how Pei Yan might taunt him; he wouldn’t say a word in retort.

All that mattered was getting his mother-in-law and her son out.

He gave Xue Xingyao’s hand a light squeeze, then quickly released it.

Chen Shujing said, "Once things are settled in the Capital City, I will come to Jiangnan and bring you home."