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

Pei Yan stared at Mei Wanying and Ling like a hawk, looking as if he wouldn’t rest until he got what he wanted.

Mrs. Mei and Nanny Liu exchanged a look. ’What was he doing all this time!’

If he had just married Ah Yin from the start, she wouldn’t have had to go through so many hardships. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Ah Yin had suffered through everything, and now he was back to snatch her away. How utterly shameless!

Mrs. Mei said, "Let’s just pretend today’s farce never happened. Your Highness, you should hurry back to the Capital City."

With so many people present to witness this fiasco, you could guess with your eyes closed what sort of rumors would start spreading through the city.

If this entanglement continued, there was no telling how many more complications would arise.

This Pei Yan feared nothing.

But they did!

After a few more commotions like this, they feared Ah Yin wouldn’t even be able to stay in her own hometown.

To Pei Yan, nothing was more important than Mei Wanying.

Why would he return to the Capital City?

Wherever Mei Wanying was, he would be.

"Farce? So many people can testify that Ah Yin and I are married. Mother, you want me to return to the Capital City now? Are you telling me to abandon my wife and daughter?"

Mrs. Mei was startled to hear him use the term "Mother."

’What is he shouting about!’

’What wife does he have?’

’What daughter?’

’Ah Yin doesn’t want him, and Ling doesn’t acknowledge him!’

’And she is not his mother!’

Pei Yan’s expression was perfectly natural; he didn’t seem to think there was anything wrong with how he had addressed her.

’From long ago, he was the Mei family’s son-in-law. Today, he even performed the wedding ceremony, cementing his status.’

’The Mei family raised him, so calling her ’Mother’ was more fitting than ’Mother-in-law’.’

Mrs. Mei was so incensed she felt like going to the General’s memorial tablet to burn incense and ask him why he ever brought Pei Yan home in the first place.

Seeing the mess he had made, if the General’s spirit was watching from the heavens, he likely wouldn’t be able to rest in peace.

Mei Wanying was furious as well. She had met thick-skinned people before, but never anyone this shameless.

’Knowing full well he’d obtained this through improper means, yet still shamelessly calling her that. His skin was as thick as the city walls!’

Mei Wanying’s expression was glacial. "The Mei family’s son-in-law is Gu Xun. Have some decency!"

Pei Yan countered, "I was the one who performed the ceremony."

Mei Wanying sneered. "Something obtained through deceit doesn’t belong to you in the first place."

’He only dared to pull this blatant stunt because he knew my eyesight is poor and I couldn’t see clearly through the veil.’

’If she had known Pei Yan was the one at the other end of the red silk ribbon, she definitely wouldn’t have let it get to the point of lifting the veil.’

Pei Yan ground his teeth. ’She was trying to provoke him again.’

’Setting aside their marriage in their past life, in this life, he was Ah Yin’s child husband, which constituted a marriage contract.’

’Was an interloper like Gu Xun even worthy of the title of the Mei family’s son-in-law?’

’What was happening now was merely setting things right!’

In any case, Gu Xun had already been taken back to the Capital City, so he would just pretend he hadn’t heard any of that.

’Wasn’t Ah Yin saying these heart-stabbing things just to make him leave?’

’He wouldn’t fall for it.’

Pei Yan went ahead and sat down right next to Mei Wanying.

He wanted to hold the daughter Mei Wanying had borne.

However, the moment he sat down, Mei Wanying stood up, holding the child, and moved to the seat furthest away from him, as if he were the plague itself.

The presence that soothed his heart was suddenly distant, and a bitter pang surged through Pei Yan.

’He truly knew he was wrong. He would never again hurt Ah Yin with words that contradicted his heart.’

His emotions churned, and the lingering poison he had just suppressed began to stir again. A fine, sharp pain spread through him, the worst of it centered in his heart.

Fortunately, he had taken his medicine, so he didn’t reveal his pathetic state.

Pei Yan was determined to stay by Mei Wanying’s side. He would cast aside all face and dignity.

He subconsciously wanted to move next to Mei Wanying again.

They had been apart for so long that it still didn’t feel real.

Only by sensing Mei Wanying’s presence could he feel at ease.

’This isn’t a dream. I’ve really seen Ah Yin.’

Pei Yan’s gaze followed Mei Wanying, completely glued to her.

Meeting Mei Wanying’s chilling gaze, Pei Yan didn’t dare make another rash move.

He comforted himself. ’Mei Wanying is alive right in front of me. She’ll curse me, glare at me... It’s better than her being lifeless. I should be content.’

’I can’t push Ah Yin any further, or I’ll just drive her farther away.’

Because no one welcomed Pei Yan’s presence, no one made a move to ease the tension. The air was overwhelmingly oppressive.

Only little Ling, who understood nothing, lay in Mei Wanying’s arms, blowing spit bubbles.

Every so often, she would let out a soft, milky gurgle.

The room was so quiet that even the slightest sound was magnified.

Listening to her, Pei Yan felt his heart melt into a puddle.

He was convinced that this was the child from their previous life.

’Ah Yin chose to keep her. She must want to make up for the regrets of their last life, right?’

Pei Yan subconsciously ignored one thing: Mei Wanying had chosen a path completely opposite to her previous life.

That night, she had intended to drink abortion soup.

If he hadn’t intercepted Ding Xiang, taken the prescription to be filled, and had a doctor verify it, this child truly would have been lost.

Reason told Pei Yan that Mei Wanying’s decision meant she wanted no more entanglement with him.

But emotionally, he couldn’t accept it.

The stalemate couldn’t last forever. Mrs. Mei spoke again, "The mansion has no guest rooms prepared, Your Highness. The hour is late; you should leave now."

The Pei Yan of the past might have left the Mei Family’s old house, found another place to stay in the city, and watched over Mei Wanying from a distance.

But he wasn’t that person anymore.

He had lost Mei Wanying once before; he knew what it was like to live a life worse than death.

He would absolutely not go through that a second time!

Pei Yan said, "No matter. I’ll have my men prepare a room."

Not daring to push them to their limit, he added, "I’ll stay in the courtyard next to Ling’s. That way, I can be aware if anything happens to her."

Ling was still tiny and needed to be fed several times a day, so she stayed with Mei Wanying.

Pei Yan’s words all but declared that he intended to live next door to Mei Wanying.

How could Mrs. Mei dare to let him stay? ’It’s easier to invite a demon in than to send one away.’ If she let him stay today, he’d dare to move into Ah Yin’s courtyard tomorrow.

The man’s skin was simply too thick.

In all her years, Mrs. Mei had never met anyone like Pei Yan.

For Ah Yin to have met him was truly a calamitous fate!

She said with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, "Your Highness, you should really leave now. Don’t make things difficult for Ah Yin."

Being driven away time and again, Pei Yan felt the bitterness in his heart intensify.

In the General Mansion in the Capital City, they still kept a courtyard for him.

But this old house, as large as it was, no longer had a place for him.

The man lowered his gaze. "Mother, I just want to watch over Ah Yin and the child. I won’t hurt them again."

Mrs. Mei was at a loss for words.

’So after all she’d said, her mouth going dry from talking, had he not heard a single word?’

"Your Highness, don’t make things difficult for us. I cannot bear the title of ’Mother’ from you."

Pei Yan was insistent. "I performed the wedding ceremony with Ah Yin."

Mrs. Mei suddenly understood her daughter’s feeling of helplessness.

Pei Yan did everything according to his whims. In the past, when he didn’t like Ah Yin, he desperately pushed her away.

Now that he’d had an epiphany and wanted her, he was clinging to her for dear life, regardless of anything else.

The hard approach wasn’t working, so she could only try a softer one.

Mrs. Mei said, "Matters of the heart require mutual feelings. Ah Yin does not want to be with you right now. For the sake of the fact that you grew up together... Ah Yan, will you let her go? Please?"

The man’s eyes were downcast, hiding his deep gaze and making his emotions impossible to read.

Everyone waited for his answer.

Even knowing how stubborn Pei Yan was, they still held onto a sliver of hope.

The air was silent for a long time.

Suddenly, Ling burst into tears. Pei Yan instinctively shot up and hurried over to Mei Wanying’s side.

His expression was one of helplessness. "What’s wrong with her?"