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

Pei Yan didn’t demand that Mei Wanying stay by his side. Instead, he asked her not to send him away.

He, who had always been so dominant, abandoned his offensive and even revealed a vulnerable side.

Pei Yan loosely wrapped his arm around Mei Wanying’s waist, wishing he could meld her into his very bones.

’Never to be separated again.’

He could hold off on demanding a formal title, as long as Mei Wanying didn’t send him away again.

Before Mei Wanying could flare up in anger, Pei Yan quickly retracted his arm.

"It’s time for Lingling to have her milk."

He was letting Mei Wanying leave of his own accord.

He seemed like a completely different person from the man who had cornered her just moments before.

Mei Wanying returned to the Mei Mansion, her mind still in a bit of a daze. She couldn’t believe Pei Yan had been so reasonable.

The more she thought about it, the less she believed he’d had a change of heart. ’He must be up to something else.’

Ding Xiang gently swayed the cradle, coaxing Ling to sleep, and glanced at her mistress several times.

Seeing her lost in thought, she asked curiously, "Mistress, has the matter with Mr. Gu been resolved?"

Mei Wanying was pulled from her thoughts.

She nodded. "He really did go back to the Capital City."

Gu Xun was forcibly sent back to the Capital City by Pei Yan’s men before his injuries had even fully healed.

The last time he’d escaped to find Mei Wanying, so to prevent a repeat, Pei Yan had assigned extra men.

’By now, he should have already returned to the Gu Family.’

Mei Wanying couldn’t find any trace of him. It was either Pei Yan’s doing, or the Gu Family no longer wanted Gu Xun entangled with her.

As long as Gu Xun was safe, the weight on Mei Wanying’s heart finally lifted.

Ding Xiang added, "Your mother came by just now. Something major has happened in the Capital City."

"Don’t be dramatic." Mei Wanying shot her a look. "If you have something to say, just say it."

Ding Xiang said, "The Empress Dowager has passed away!"

The Empress Dowager had given Mei Wanying a hard time before she left the Capital City, so she felt not a single ripple of emotion at the news.

But when she thought of someone else, her delicate brows furrowed. "Is there any news of the Useless Crown Prince?"

The Empress Dowager had doted on the Useless Crown Prince, and over the years, she had often helped her precious grandson cause trouble for Pei Yan.

With the Useless Crown Prince imprisoned and stripped of his title, Mei Wanying didn’t believe the Empress Dowager would simply do nothing.

’The Empress Dowager’s death probably isn’t that simple.’

Ding Xiang gave her a thumbs-up. "You’re incredible, Mistress. It really is about the Useless Crown Prince. He’s been broken out."

She glanced in the direction of Pei Yan’s residence. "Don’t you worry, Mistress. His Highness will probably have to leave soon."

With the Useless Crown Prince on the loose, the Court will be thrown into turmoil. If he stays in Jiangnan any longer, his own position as Crown Prince might become unstable.

Ding Xiang believed no man could refuse the power within his grasp.

’Her mistress has been pestered for so long and has grown tired of Pei Yan. If he hurries back to the Capital City, she can finally breathe a sigh of relief.’

But Mei Wanying couldn’t bring herself to be happy.

When two tigers like the Useless Crown Prince and Pei Yan fight, the outcome is either one lives and one dies, or they both perish.

The Useless Crown Prince’s escape didn’t mean the war for the throne was over.

The Useless Crown Prince would be back.

Even if he couldn’t reclaim the throne, he would make trouble for Pei Yan.

He would be more than happy to drag a few people down with him.

The fact that the Useless Crown Prince managed to escape proved he still had some power base left.

’It wouldn’t be difficult to uncover the connection between Ling and Pei Yan.’

’To get at Pei Yan, once he learns of Ling’s existence, he will eventually target her.’

Mei Wanying instinctively reached out and pulled her daughter, who was not yet asleep, into her arms.

She pressed her face against the baby’s tender cheek.

It wasn’t enough. She kissed Ling’s little face again, then freed one hand to envelop her daughter’s tiny fist in her palm.

She kissed it again and again.

Usually, at times like this, Mei Wanying would radiate the bliss of motherhood.

But now, she was filled with unease and anxiety.

It was as if a storm was on the horizon.

Only then did it dawn on Ding Xiang: the Useless Crown Prince had coveted their mistress for a long time.

He had even committed the madness of imprisoning her in his attempt to possess her.

They knew back in the Capital City that he was a madman, even more difficult to handle than Pei Yan.

The Mei family had raised Pei Yan, so no matter how furious he got, he would never lay a finger on their mistress.

But the Useless Crown Prince was different. He was capable of anything.

’Now that he’s free, isn’t the mistress in danger?’

’And Ling...’

’She’s Pei Yan’s blood. The Useless Crown Prince would surely hate her to the core.’

’If the Useless Crown Prince really came for them, the first one whose life would be in danger would be Ling, a mere infant!’

Ding Xiang had watched over Ling every day since she was born, and their bond was exceptionally strong.

She grew frantic. "Mistress, what if he comes for you and Ling?"

Just a moment ago, she’d wanted Pei Yan to get lost, but now she thought it was actually good that he was staying.

’At least if there’s danger, he can be the one to stand in front of them.’

A child is a mother’s greatest weakness.

Mei Wanying held Ling, kissing her over and over. The little one, oblivious to her mother’s worries, thought her mother was just playing with her.

She hadn’t wanted to sleep anyway, and now she was so happy she grinned, revealing her toothless gums.

’Her child is still so small. As a mother, how could she not plan ahead?’

Mei Wanying would not allow anyone to harm her child, nor would she sit by and wait for disaster to strike.

Besides increasing the number of guards, she had other plans.

Her expression grew pensive. "Before, when the Useless Crown Prince was in power, my mother and I were unwilling to drag the General’s old subordinates into our troubles. But things are different now. He’s a wanted man, a traitor. Anyone who captures him would be performing a great service."

Ding Xiang immediately understood her plan.

’Her mistress was finally going to use the network the General had left behind.’

’First, it’s a good opportunity to earn merit for them.’

’Second, by actively hunting the Useless Crown Prince, the faster he’s dealt with, the safer the mistress and Ling will be.’

Ding Xiang admired her mistress’s courage, but she was still worried. "The Useless Crown Prince is focused on escaping right now. If he finds out you’ve sent people to hunt him down, won’t he be driven to desperate measures?"

"A desperate man will do something crazy."

"Not to mention he’s a madman to begin with!"

Mei Wanying didn’t flinch. "We can’t miss this opportunity. If we let him catch his breath, we might not get another chance."

"If we let the Useless Crown Prince recover, he’ll be in the shadows while we’re in the open. We’ll never be able to fully guard against him."

Mei Wanying didn’t want to live her entire life in constant fear.

Ding Xiang said, "Mistress, why don’t we discuss this with His Highness before we act? He’s Ling’s biological father; he won’t neglect her."

"Besides, he cares so much about you. He certainly wouldn’t want you to get hurt."

Pei Yan was even neglecting his return to the Capital City for Mei Wanying’s sake.

His feelings were clear for all to see.

Ding Xiang added cautiously, "Perhaps His Highness has already sent men to hunt down the Useless Crown Prince. We should coordinate with him before sending our own people. Otherwise, we might end up fighting our own allies by mistake, which could allow the Useless Crown Prince to escape..."

Mei Wanying wanted to make a clean break with Pei Yan, but things never went according to her wishes.

Looking at her daughter’s little face, Mei Wanying murmured in agreement. "Tomorrow... ask him to come for a visit."

She wouldn’t go to the residence across the way again. She felt safer in her own home. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

It felt as if the sensation of his arm around her waist still lingered.

He had let go in an instant.

But the force of his grip in that moment had been unmistakable.

Mei Wanying patted her side with her free hand, as if trying to brush the feeling away.