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

Gu Xun wanted to see the child and check on Mei Wanying.

But as a man who was not family, he couldn’t enter Mei Wanying’s room for fear of ruining her reputation.

He paced outside the courtyard for a long time, still unable to make up his mind.

Ding Xiang came out and called to him. "Mr. Gu, are you here to see the child? Ling is awake. I can bring her to the outer room. Please, follow me."

This was clearly Mei Wanying’s idea; Ding Xiang never acted on her own authority.

Gu Xun didn’t hesitate any longer and followed Ding Xiang.

"How is Miss Mei’s health?"

"The doctor said that as long as she has a proper postpartum confinement and doesn’t develop any lingering ailments, she’ll be fine."

The tension in Gu Xun’s brow eased.

He felt a mix of nervousness and regret. ’I came in such a hurry, I forgot to bring a gift for the little one.’

’I’ll have to make up for it later. I hope she won’t be upset with me.’

Ling...

Gu Xun repeated the name in his mind. ’It sounds so pure and clear,’ he thought, ’perfect for a little girl.’

’Did Mei Wanying choose the name?’

’She must have.’

’It’s beautiful...’

Lost in thought, Gu Xun was led by Ding Xiang into an outer room. It was elegantly furnished, with porcelain vases by the window, but none of them held flowers.

Ding Xiang followed his gaze. "Our lady said that Ling is still too young and might be sensitive to strong scents, so she had us remove all the flowers and incense."

Gu Xun nodded in understanding. "That’s very thoughtful."

It was another clear sign of how much Mei Wanying cared for this child.

Even if the child’s father was... Pei Yan.

After seating Gu Xun with some tea, Ding Xiang and Nanny Liu brought out the cradle together.

Gu Xun instinctively stood up and moved toward it.

Nanny Liu teased, "Ling isn’t going to run off. You can see her just fine from your seat."

Gu Xun let out a quiet breath.

For some reason, he was nervous, worried that Ling’s first impression of him wouldn’t be a good one.

Fortunately, his fears were unfounded.

Ling was fast asleep and didn’t see him at all...

Nanny Liu explained in a hushed voice, "Babies sleep a lot. I’m afraid you’ve come at an inopportune time, Mr. Gu."

Gu Xun looked at the baby in the cradle. She was so tiny, not even as long as his forearm.

A child so small could stir a person’s protective instincts with just a single glance.

Looking closely at Ling’s little face, Gu Xun thought to himself, ’She doesn’t look a thing like my cousin.’

’Who would believe she’s my cousin’s child?’

A smile touched his lips. He wanted to touch the baby’s face but feared his calloused hands would hurt her delicate skin.

He had to stop himself.

Nanny Liu had been Mei Wanying’s wet nurse, and now she looked upon Ling as if she were her own granddaughter.

Her eyes were filled with adoration.

She stood guard by the cradle. She didn’t stop Gu Xun from looking at the baby, but she was ready to intervene at a moment’s notice.

Although she approved of Gu Xun and hoped he would become the Mei family’s son-in-law, Nanny Liu believed all men were clumsy and couldn’t be trusted.

It didn’t matter if it was Gu Xun; even if Ling’s own father were here, she would watch him just as closely.

She wouldn’t give anyone the chance to be careless and hurt Ling.

While they spoke in the outer room, Xue Xingyao was inside with Mei Wanying.

She watched Gu Xun’s every move through the hanging beaded curtain.

’His fondness for Ling doesn’t seem to be an act.’

She whispered to Mei Wanying, "If Pei Yan ever found out that the first man to see Ling was his own cousin, I wonder how he’d feel."

Perhaps because she was still weak from childbirth, an inexplicable chill ran down Mei Wanying’s spine.

She said flatly, "What the hell does it have to do with him? This is *my* child. I’ll let whoever I want see her."

Xue Xingyao smiled. "It’s rare to hear you curse. Good. You shouldn’t keep your grievances bottled up inside."

But as soon as she said it, she thought of her own situation, and the smile vanished from her face.

In order to get Chen Shujing to do everything in his power to help her, wasn’t she forced to keep silent, even knowing he had someone else in his heart?

Ah Yin’s situation wasn’t any better than her own.

She was up against the Royal Family!

How could she possibly vent her frustrations freely?

A pained, wry smile crossed Xue Xingyao’s face. "We really are sisters in misery."

At a time like this, the best way to comfort Xue Xingyao was to help rescue her family.

Mei Wanying had written to Pei Yan, but her letter had vanished without a trace.

She wasn’t sure if Pei Yan didn’t want to reply, or if the letter... had never reached him at all.

She had Mrs. Gu watching her every move. Those people were taking every precaution, terrified she would use the child to blackmail her way into the position of Pei Yan’s primary wife.

It wasn’t impossible that the letter had been intercepted.

Mei Wanying’s heart sank.

’Do I have to return to the Capital City and see Pei Yan in person just to ask him to help Ah Yao?’

Seeing Xue Xingyao forcing a brave face, Mei Wanying bit her lip. "Once my confinement is over, I’ll make a trip back to the Capital City..."

She had barely begun when Xue Xingyao knew what she was about to say.

She quickly cut her off. "Chen Shujing is completely confident. He said he can rescue my mother and brother. I believe him."

The Chen Family is a noble family with a century-long history. Although Chen Shujing doesn’t hold an official position at court, the family’s proteges are everywhere. Having him mediate is far better than the two of them blindly begging for help.

When this first happened, Xue Xingyao had truly panicked, which was why she wrote to Mei Wanying for help.

Thinking back on it now, she felt a lingering fear.

’What if someone used this opportunity to blackmail Ah Yin? Wouldn’t I have just dragged my dearest friend down with me?’

Xue Xingyao had already made up her mind to share in her mother and brother’s fate, for better or worse.

If they were safe, they would live out their days in Jiangnan under new identities.

If they were sentenced to exile, she would go with them.

Once she had made her decision, Xue Xingyao was no longer afraid of anything.

The worst that could happen was death.

Mei Wanying considered for a moment before finally asking the question. "You want to divorce Chen Shujing?"

Xue Xingyao had never uttered the word "divorce" in front of Mei Wanying.

But they had known each other for too long and understood each other perfectly.

Mei Wanying had a gut feeling that Xue Xingyao had come to Jiangnan to distance herself from the Chen Family.

And once her family was safe, she would ask for a divorce.

He was a man she had once genuinely loved, and the memory still brought a pang of pain to Xue Xingyao’s heart.

But it was better to make a clean break now than to endure a slow, prolonged agony.

The fact that her husband loved someone else—that was an obstacle she simply couldn’t overcome.

Nor did she want to spend the rest of her life competing with a dead person. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

She gave a soft "mhm." "I’m going to divorce him."

If she had remained ignorant, perhaps she could have muddled through her whole life without issue.

But she just had to stumble upon his secret.

And now she couldn’t just cover her eyes and pretend she hadn’t seen it.

She really couldn’t do it.

An amicable separation was the best possible ending for her and Chen Shujing.

Mei Wanying asked, "Will he agree?"

She didn’t know Chen Shujing well, but he was a good friend of Pei Yan’s, so she figured their personalities might be similar.

’Now that Chen Shujing has married Ah Yao, he probably won’t let her go easily.’

Xue Xingyao sneered. "Then he can’t blame me for airing all his dirty laundry. When that happens, neither of us will walk away with any dignity!"

Her eyes held pain, resentment, and a sense of injustice.

If Chen Shujing had someone else in his heart, he could have just said so. They could have had a marriage of convenience, protecting their mutual interests like so many other couples.

But he didn’t.

He seduced her, made her fall in love, and let her believe they were a devoted couple.

And in the end, he was the one who personally shattered her illusion.

Chen Shujing... was truly despicable!