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

The moment Pei Yan arrived, the atmosphere in the hall froze.

The woman of the Fang Family lowered her head, her lips pressed tightly together. She didn’t dare beg for mercy out loud, much less cry out that her daughter was being wronged.

Hearing the repeated sound of slaps, the woman of the Fang Family’s heart clenched. This was her own flesh and blood; how could her heart not ache?

Neither Pei Yan nor Mei Wanying spoke, and so the slapping didn’t stop.

Ding Xiang switched between her left and right hands until her own palms began to ache.

’Should I have someone else take over?’

Mei Wanying said languidly, "It’s the New Year. We shouldn’t invite misfortune. Your Highness, what do you say we let her off the hook?"

The man’s expression softened, and his eyes lit up with ecstatic joy. ’Ah Yin is speaking to me on her own!’

’This is the first time!’

Pei Yan finally saw a sliver of hope.

Ecstasy surged through him, spreading to his very bones. He was so overcome that his hands began to tremble.

His heart thumped wildly, as if he had a rabbit trapped in his chest.

He had to grip the armrest tightly to keep from losing his composure.

When he looked at the outsiders, Pei Yan’s gaze was as cold and distant as ever.

His gaze swept over everyone present. "For Ah Yin’s sake, it’s just a slapping this time. If you dare to show up and cause trouble again, you’ll leave your lives behind."

An elderly aunt tried to smooth things over. "Your Highness, it’s normal for family to squabble. There’s no need for talk of killing..."

"It seems to me you’ve long grown tired of living, to have provoked Ah Yin time and time again."

The man’s fingers tapped on the armrest. "Perhaps today is the day I should teach you all a lesson."

A few years ago, when Pei Yan stood up for Mei Wanying, he was like a god of death.

Back then, he only beat people. He never said he would take their lives...

But now, he said it so casually, which was even more terrifying than when he lost his temper.

He was perfectly calm.

This proved he truly meant it and wasn’t just making empty threats in a moment of impulse.

The woman of the Fang Family fell to her knees, begging Pei Yan for mercy. "This humble woman was out of her mind! Sister Qing is innocent! Your Highness, a man of your greatness doesn’t concern himself with the faults of the small. Please, forgive her this one time."

Mei Wanqing’s head throbbed from the beating, her cheeks were swollen high, and she was scared witless.

’Everyone said His Highness had a strange temper, but no one said he’d kill at the slightest disagreement!’

She scrambled and crawled to the woman of the Fang Family’s side, trembling uncontrollably, not daring to utter a single word.

The other relatives didn’t dare to plead either, afraid the fire would spread to them.

They had originally thought that since Mei Wanying had caught His Highness’s eye, he would show them some courtesy for the sake of their familial ties, no matter how much he loathed them.

Even the scraps that fell from between his fingers would be enough to ensure their entire clan’s prosperity and wealth.

That’s why they had shamelessly come to the old residence to mend their relationship with Mei Wanying.

They never expected their clever plan to backfire, offending His Highness yet again.

After today, if they ever came to the old residence again, they would truly face unbearable consequences.

Implicated by the Fang Family mother and daughter, the relatives despised them.

’They didn’t even consider if they were worthy, yet they dared to dream of serving His Highness. Have they gone mad?!’

The sight of these people was an eyesore to Mei Wanying.

She merely frowned, and Pei Yan’s face instantly darkened. "Still here?"

"Your Highness, we’ll get going, right away..."

As they spoke, they scrambled to leave, not forgetting to drag away the Fang Family mother and daughter, whose legs had gone weak with fright.

Pei Yan tilted his head to look at Mei Wanying, a burning light in the depths of his profound eyes, as if begging for her praise.

Unfortunately, Mei Wanying ignored him, rising to leave.

The light in the man’s eyes dimmed.

But then the slender figure paused. She turned back and said, "Give it back."

"Hm?"

Pei Yan didn’t understand at first.

Wei Jue reminded him, "Miss Mei wants the outfit."

The day His Highness woke up, he had rushed to Jiangnan without bringing anything.

The clothes, shoes, and socks, all hand-sewn by Miss Mei, had only been delivered into His Highness’s hands this morning.

The sachet hanging from his waist was personally embroidered by Miss Mei. It was made in a matching color and embroidered with a lifelike wintersweet blossom.

No wonder Miss Mei recognized it at a glance. The signature was truly obvious.

Pei Yan shot Wei Jue a cold glare.

Wei Jue quickly exited the hall, dragging Ding Xiang along with him.

Pei Yan approached step by step, his long fingers toying with the sachet. "You want it?"

Mei Wanying frowned. "Please return it to its rightful owner."

During her first blush of love as a young girl, she had given Pei Yan many things.

There were clothes, shoes, and socks, as well as waist sashes and sachets.

Back then, Pei Yan had frowned deeply and told her, "I don’t need you to do these things for me. I won’t wear them, and I won’t use them."

Back then, she had been head over heels in love with Pei Yan. Even though he repeatedly refused her, she still handmade many things to give him.

When Pei Yan wouldn’t accept them, she would just leave them directly in his room.

’Thinking about it now, what’s the difference between the person I was then and the person Pei Yan is today?’

’We were both forcing the other to accept our affections.’

Mei Wanying lowered her gaze. "If you never liked these things to begin with, why force yourself to accept them now?"

"I like them."

Pei Yan emphasized again, "Very much."

’If I didn’t like them, I wouldn’t have kept every single one, preserving them all perfectly.’

’I was just stubborn before, always saying the opposite of what I felt. That’s why I did so many things to hurt Ah Yin.’

’I’m willing to change.’

’I’m not asking for Ah Yin to forgive me right away. I just want her to see that I’m changing and give me another chance.’

As he drew closer, the scent of cedarwood from the man’s body invaded Mei Wanying’s senses, mixed with a faint hint of medicine.

Mei Wanying subconsciously held her breath and took two steps back.

Composing herself, she said, "Give it back."

This was something Mei Wanying had given him; there was no way Pei Yan was going to return it.

Even if they wore out, he would preserve them carefully, to be brought into his coffin in a hundred years as his burial goods.

’The things Ah Yin makes are priceless treasures.’

’No other worldly possessions can compare.’

Looking into her eyes, Pei Yan’s lips curved. "Want it? Come and get it yourself."

The man’s eyes were smiling, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, so handsome it was dazzling.

In Mei Wanying’s eyes, however, he was just being excessively punchable.

’No matter how humbly he acts, he can’t change the wickedness in his bones.’

’The moment he gets a chance, he’ll unleash that wickedness on me.’

The man looked supremely confident, certain that Mei Wanying wouldn’t dare lay a hand on him.

In the next instant, there was a tug at his waist.

Pei Yan lowered his eyes, taking in Mei Wanying’s long, raven-feather lashes and her fine, jade-like nose.

Her face was lightly powdered, her skin like snow and her cheeks like peaches, enchanting and lovely.

’She’s so close... so close I could reach out and wrap my arms around her.’

Pei Yan’s Adam’s apple bobbed.

He raised his arm but didn’t let it fall on Mei Wanying. He was still afraid.

Afraid that Ah Yin would push him away.

In his moment of distraction, the sachet landed in Mei Wanying’s hand, and her lovely figure retreated from his presence.

Mei Wanying wished for nothing more than a pair of scissors so she could cut the clothes on Pei Yan’s body to shreds.

She had poured all her affection into these items when she gave them to him, but back then he was high and mighty, unwilling to even spare them a second glance.

Yet now he was wearing them, flaunting them before her very eyes.

It was as if to tell her that because he was using them now, she should be eternally grateful.

And then, continue to throw herself at him, body and soul.

Mei Wanying clutched the sachet and walked quickly outside. Upon reaching the waterside pavilion, she threw the sachet straight into the water.

SPLASH! Someone jumped into the icy lake.

It was Pei Yan.

Wei Jue grew anxious. "Miss Mei, do you have any idea that His Highness was poisoned for your sake?"