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

Mei Wanying had not returned to the Capital City, but a letter from Empress Gu was delivered to her.

She was still in her postpartum confinement.

When the letter was sent, Empress Gu had no idea that Mei Wanying had gone into labor early and given birth to a daughter.

In the letter, the Empress ordered her to return to the Capital City at once and marry Pei Yan!

Mei Wanying’s pupils widened, filled with disbelief.

She thought her eyes were playing tricks on her.

The one person who was most against her marrying Pei Yan was now demanding she do just that.

There was no such thing as a free lunch. Mei Wanying couldn’t help but wonder, ’Could Pei Yan really be in trouble?’

’The kind of serious trouble?’

From what she knew of Empress Gu, the Empress would never have taken this path unless it was an absolute last resort.

If the Capital City was in turmoil, then Empress Gu asking her to marry Pei Yan was no different from pushing her and her child into a pit of fire.

Mei Wanying didn’t know what Empress Gu was planning, but her intuition told her it was a dangerous path, one she had to stay far away from.

She would not return to the Capital City.

And she would certainly not marry Pei Yan!

By now, Mrs. Mei had a good grasp of Empress Gu’s temperament.

The Empress was obstinate; once she made up her mind, she rarely changed it.

It was just like when she sent Mrs. Gu and the others to keep an eye on Ah Yin.

Throughout the entire pregnancy, those people had trailed Ah Yin, never leaving her side for an instant.

Had Gu Xun not intervened, Mrs. Gu and her group would never have left the Mei Mansion.

"Now that the Empress has spoken, she will see it through. My poor child, you were so close to living a peaceful life. Why is this happening again?"

"The Capital City is a furnace, and their fighting is fierce. If you marry Pei Yan, wouldn’t you become a living target?"

"The Empress is trying to kill you!"

Mrs. Mei held her granddaughter, that sense of powerlessness washing over her once again.

Ah Yin had given birth to a daughter.

She had thought the Royal Family had given up on them, that they would no longer be bothered.

So why had Empress Gu suddenly changed her mind, wanting Ah Yin to marry Pei Yan?

Nothing good ever fell into their laps. The most likely reason was that something major had happened in the Capital City again.

Empress Gu, having run out of options, had turned her attention to Ah Yin.

Or perhaps... on the child.

But Ling was a girl, so whatever Empress Gu wanted to do would not be easy.

Mrs. Mei was no naive child; a suspicion surfaced in her mind that made her tremble with fear.

Her daughter and granddaughter were Mrs. Mei’s life. She could not accept either of them being thrown into the fire.

Sensing the tense atmosphere, Ling started to wail in Mrs. Mei’s arms.

As she cried, her little body turned bright red. It was a pitiable sight.

Mei Wanying’s mind was in turmoil. Seeing her daughter, her own eyes reddened with heartache.

She took the child, gently coaxing, "Lingling, be good. Mama isn’t going anywhere. We’ll stay right here at our own home."

Mrs. Mei knew her daughter was a woman of firm ideas, and quite bold.

She was afraid Wanying might do something drastic and hurt herself.

Mrs. Mei said, "Don’t do anything rash. We’re so far from the Capital City; we still have time to respond."

"Yes, there’s still time," Mei Wanying said as well.

Her tone was faint.

Yet it carried an unyielding determination.

Mrs. Mei asked her, "What do you plan to do?"

Mei Wanying replied, "Give her a taste of her own medicine."

Empress Gu had pretended not to see her letter asking for help, so she would pretend not to see this letter as well.

She would never agree to Empress Gu’s demand that she marry Pei Yan.

But she could marry someone else.

Mei Wanying said, "Mother, please ask Gu Xun for me if what he said before still counts."

She didn’t want to use Gu Xun, but other than him, who else would dare to stand with her against the high and mighty Empress Gu?

Mei Wanying could not find another candidate.

She could only do Gu Xun this injustice.

He was a good man. If she had a choice, she would not want to use him.

Mrs. Mei thought Gu Xun was a good man, a considerate and caring young fellow.

Still, she had to ask, "Ah Yin, are you sure?"

Mei Wanying looked at her daughter’s tear-streaked face, and her heart felt like it was being wrung out.

’This is the best choice.’

Otherwise, what awaited mother and daughter would be a violent storm.

She couldn’t afford to take that gamble.

Nor did she want to suffer through this undeserved disaster.

"Mother, Gu Xun is a good man," Mei Wanying said, her expression calm. "He’s good to me, and he’s good to Lingling."

Mrs. Mei said no more. This was indeed the best way out.

She just hoped Gu Xun would prove reliable and not let Ah Yin be heartbroken a second time.

...

Gu Xun had fallen for Mei Wanying at first sight.

Back then, she was still chasing after Pei Yan, her eyes unable to see any other man.

When they met again, Gu Xun finally had a chance to get close to Mei Wanying.

He had said he was willing to marry into her family, and he was sincere.

He had thought he would have to wait a long, long time before he might move Mei Wanying’s heart.

It was also possible she might never accept him at all.

He never expected such good luck to suddenly fall upon him—Mei Wanying was willing to have him!

Gu Xun was so happy he felt dizzy. He immediately sent his personal assets to the Mei family to show his sincerity.

He also had someone select several auspicious dates for the wedding.

He wanted to marry Mei Wanying as soon as possible!

He wanted a legitimate title. Only then could his heart be at peace.

He would no longer have to fear his cousin suddenly appearing and stealing his beloved.

After the excitement passed, he remembered that Mei Wanying was still in confinement and inwardly cursed himself for being inconsiderate.

No matter how eager he was, he should give her time to recuperate properly.

He was hesitant, worried that being too eager would make Mei Wanying uncomfortable.

To his surprise, she was the one who chose the date. It was a very tight schedule; the soonest auspicious day was the day her confinement period ended.

Ding Xiang came to pass on a message. "Mr. Gu, our lady wishes to see you. There is something she must tell you in person."

’For her to be in such a hurry to marry, there must be some hidden reason.’

Gu Xun’s intuition told him this was precisely what Mei Wanying wanted to discuss.

’As long as she isn’t calling off the marriage, I’m not afraid of anything.’

If she did try to call it off, Gu Xun decided he would play the scoundrel for once and pretend he hadn’t heard a thing.

He followed Ding Xiang to the Mei Mansion.

Mei Wanying was still in her postpartum confinement. She couldn’t be exposed to wind, and it was inadvisable for her to sit for long.

She spent most of her time resting in bed, only occasionally getting up to walk around a bit.

To avoid being rude, she waited in the outer room, dressed in a gold-threaded cotton skirt with light makeup on.

Gu Xun had not seen Mei Wanying for a long time, and the sight of her now left him slightly dazed.

He wasn’t sure if it was an illusion, but her aura had undergone a complete transformation.

She carried a unique womanly charm, yet also the steadfastness of a mother.

So very, very beautiful.

As dazzling and captivating as ever.

Gu Xun composed himself and took a seat as a guest.

Mei Wanying spoke slowly. "Mr. Gu, there is something I must make clear to you."

She did not want to deceive Gu Xun. Even if she was using him, she had to state things plainly.

Gu Xun listened attentively. "Miss Mei, please speak."

Mei Wanying said, "The Empress sent a letter. She wants me to marry Pei Yan. I am not willing."

She didn’t have to say more; Gu Xun understood what she meant.

The hands resting on his knees suddenly clenched into fists. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

’Thank goodness, she’s not calling off the wedding...’

Gu Xun’s lips curled into a smile. "I’m honored to be used by you."

He said it so frankly that Mei Wanying felt a tinge of guilt. "I am the one who is wronging you in this. If you are having second thoughts..."

Gu Xun interrupted, "Then let’s do it as quickly as possible, lest complications arise from the delay."

Looking into Mei Wanying’s guilt-filled eyes, Gu Xun said earnestly, "I never even dared to dream that this day would come."