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

Gu Xun had a gentle temperament, but this time, he was absolutely furious.

He had finally been about to marry the woman he loved. He was so close to becoming the legitimate son-in-law of the Mei family.

But in the end, Pei Yan had ruined everything!

As a member of the Gu family, he had studied both literature and martial arts, which was how he managed to escape Pei Yan’s men and rush back to find Mei Wanying.

But what he found instead was Pei Yan at the Mei Mansion.

Pei Yan had even shamelessly declared that he and Mei Wanying had already performed the wedding rites and that he was now the Mei family’s son-in-law—a fact the entire city could attest to.

He even had the gall to call interfering in another’s marriage "shameless."

Pei Yan looked down on him condescendingly and ordered his men to remove him from the Mei family. A rush of blood went to Gu Xun’s head, and he forgot that the man standing before him was the Crown Prince.

He threw a punch at Pei Yan.

Though the lingering poison in his system had yet to be cleared, Pei Yan’s reflexes were sharp—an instinct etched into his very bones.

Instead of dodging, he chose to counterattack.

The two men came to blows.

No one else could stop the fight, nor did they dare try. Their only option was to send for Mei Wanying.

Mei Wanying rushed over just in time to see Pei Yan land a kick squarely on Gu Xun’s stomach.

Gu Xun stumbled back several steps but failed to regain his balance and collapsed to the ground.

Rage flared in Mei Wanying’s heart.

’How impressive of him, coming all the way to the Mei Mansion just to assault someone!’

"Stop!"

Wei Jue looked at her as if she were his savior. If they kept fighting, His Highness would no longer be able to suppress the lingering poison in his body.

His voice rose. "Miss Mei, you’re finally here."

The man with his back to them went rigid for a moment.

Pei Yan clutched his chest, no longer suppressing the agonizing pain as the poison flared up. He coughed violently, and all the color drained from his handsome face.

A trickle of blood escaped the corner of his mouth.

He turned to face Mei Wanying. "Did we disturb you and Lingling? I’ll make him leave right now."

Mei Wanying shot him a venomous glare, refusing to fall for his pitiful act.

She hurried to Gu Xun’s side and helped him up. "Are you hurt?"

Turning to the steward, she ordered, "Go fetch the Household Doctor."

Gu Xun was furious with Pei Yan for acting so despicably—having him abducted to ruin his wedding.

He was also incensed by Pei Yan’s theatrics; just a moment ago, his own fists hadn’t even touched him.

The moment Mei Wanying appeared, Pei Yan had started playing the victim.

Gu Xun had been seething, but the moment Mei Wanying showed her concern, all his anger dissipated.

He allowed her to help him to his feet, his eyes fixed on her, unable to look away.

Pei Yan’s expression flickered before he wiped away the blood, his face becoming a blank mask.

He strode toward the pair, grabbed Mei Wanying’s arm, and pulled her to his side.

When Gu Xun stepped forward, Pei Yan shifted his body to block his view of Mei Wanying.

He wouldn’t let anyone else even look at her.

Mei Wanying shoved him angrily, but Pei Yan, already expecting it, didn’t budge.

The corners of his eyes, however, began to redden.

’This was *his* Ah Yin. Someone had come to steal her, and Ah Yin was even siding with the enemy!’

Pei Yan realized with painful clarity that Mei Wanying truly didn’t seem to love him anymore.

In the past, she would never have spared another man a single glance, much less push past him to go to someone else.

"Ah Yin, I’m hurt too."

The man lowered his head, showing Mei Wanying the bloodstain on his hand. "I coughed up blood."

His voice was soft, like a wolfhound presenting its wound to its master, seeking comfort.

But Mei Wanying ignored him, walking around him to get to Gu Xun’s side.

She asked the other man with concern, "Is it serious? Can you walk?"

Her voice was gentle.

It was as if Gu Xun was the most important person in the world to her.

Pei Yan’s eyes grew redder. A voice in his head urged him, ’Go and take Ah Yin back.’

’She belongs to him and him alone.’

’How could she care about someone else?’

Pei Yan took an instinctive step forward, but Mei Wanying fixed him with a cold stare. "Pei Yan, what exactly are you trying to pull?"

’Pulling?’

Pei Yan froze, staring at Mei Wanying in disbelief.

’She was actually scolding him for another man.’

Pei Yan was willing to be scolded by her; he would take it as proof that he was still special to her.

But he could not accept her protecting an outsider against him!

His jaw clenched, the lines of his face growing sharp and strained with suppressed emotion.

Gu Xun shot Pei Yan a triumphant look. ’So what if you crashed the wedding?’ he thought. ’Wanying won’t even give you the time of day.’

’Now, the one she’s protecting is me, Gu Xun!’

Meeting Gu Xun’s provocative gaze, a vicious energy surged within Pei Yan.

’This interloper who took advantage of my absence, what right does he have to look so smug?’

Mei Wanying cast a fleeting glance at Pei Yan, her eyes filled with warning and disgust.

It was enough to instantly extinguish the violent energy rampaging through him.

Finally, Pei Yan said stiffly, "Fine. I was the one causing a scene."

Everyone present thought they had misheard.

Wei Jue looked up at the sun.

’Did it rise in the west today?’

Gu Xun watched Pei Yan warily, certain that he was up to no good.

And sure enough, the next moment Pei Yan said, "Ah Yin, you can punish me."

’As long as she stops paying attention to Gu Xun, she can hit me or curse me. I’ll take it,’ Pei Yan thought.

Mei Wanying had no desire to engage with Pei Yan; it was impossible to reason with him.

Supporting Gu Xun, she said, "Let’s go."

Gu Xun obediently followed her lead.

They had only taken a single step when Pei Yan’s chilling voice cut in, "You threw the first punch, yet now you’re playing the victim. Is this some kind of game to you?"

He was turning the tables and blaming the victim!

If the man weren’t the Crown Prince, Gu Xun would have spat in his face.

’How could such a shameless person exist in this world!’

’No wonder he always used to bully Wanying until she cried. He’s truly thick-skinned and black-hearted.’

He clutched his chest. A moment ago, Pei Yan had thrown a punch that was impossible to dodge, and he’d had no choice but to take the full force of the blow.

Pei Yan hadn’t held back. If Gu Xun hadn’t also been trained in martial arts, he would have been severely injured.

Pei Yan had struck a vicious blow, yet he now accused him of faking it. Gu Xun laughed with rage.

"I can’t compete with you. Forcing yourself to cough up a mouthful of blood—what a convincing performance!"

Pei Yan kept his eyes fixed on Mei Wanying, waiting to see her reaction.

But he was destined for disappointment. Mei Wanying’s expression remained unchanged; she didn’t even spare him a glance.

Disappointment washed over him, and a dull ache began to throb in Pei Yan’s heart once more.

It was like being pricked by countless needles—a pain impossible to ignore and impossible to soothe.

The last time news of his injury had reached Jiangnan, Ah Yin had gone to a temple to pray for him.

Now, he was coughing up blood right in front of her, and she showed no reaction at all.

’Does Ah Yin really not care about him anymore?’

Pei Yan stared blankly as Mei Wanying supported Gu Xun and walked away. Suddenly, he was reminded of his past life.

To divert his enemies’ attention to Xue Yunshu, he, too, had "chosen" her.

Now the knife was twisted in his own heart, and he finally understood the pain Mei Wanying must have felt back then.

Pei Yan opened his mouth, wanting to call out to Mei Wanying and explain what had happened in their past life.

A strange sensation rose in his throat, and he coughed up more blood.

Ever since arriving in Jiangnan, he had been coughing up blood constantly. The more frequently the poison flared, the more dangerous his condition became.

Wei Jue grew frantic. "I’ll go tell Miss Mei! If she knew you came looking for her even while seriously poisoned, surely her anger would vanish, no matter how great!"

"Come back!"

Pei Yan’s voice was ice. "Don’t let her know."

’If Ah Yin cares about me, telling her about the poison will only add to her worries.’

’But if she doesn’t care... she might think I’m just trying to win her sympathy.’

A bitter taste filled Pei Yan’s heart.

’He had brought all of this upon himself. He had no choice but to endure it.’

’He deserved it.’