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

Pei Yan still hadn’t given up on moving into the Mei Family’s old house. Since he couldn’t convince Mei Wanying, he set his sights on Mrs. Mei.

After carefully choosing his words, he spoke in a worried tone, "That cousin of mine is notoriously ruthless. He’s capable of anything. Having one more person watching over Ah Yin and Lingling would be much safer."

’You’re a ruthless one yourself,’ Mrs. Mei thought. ’What right do you have to call others that?’

She glanced at Pei Yan, who looked so worried and sincere, as if he were genuinely a good man.

’No wonder Ling is so completely charmed by him. He only shows up for a little while each day, and she becomes incredibly attached to him.’

’And back then, Ah Yin’s entire heart had been devoted to him.’

’This boy really knows how to put on an act.’

Mrs. Mei started to suspect that Pei Yan must have done something she didn’t know about,

something that made Ah Yin throw herself at him like a moth to a flame and love him for so many years.

She composed herself and mulled over Pei Yan’s proposal.

Pei Yan had been personally trained by General Mei, and Mrs. Mei had often heard her husband praise him in the past.

He’d said he was powerful, a born general, and that only a man like him could protect Ah Yin.

Pei Yan’s undefeated record on the battlefield had already proven his strength.

With him watching over Ah Yin and Ling, things would indeed be more secure.

Mrs. Mei was swayed.

Pei Yan struck while the iron was hot. "I’ll stay in a guest courtyard."

Mrs. Mei: "..."

’We already said that wedding didn’t count. If he doesn’t stay in a guest courtyard, where else could he possibly want to stay?’

The Mei Family’s old house was very large. When Xue Xingyao had stayed for a short while before, Mei Wanying had specifically ordered the adjacent courtyards to be tidied up.

This made it convenient to visit those she was close to.

Afraid her mother was being duped by Pei Yan, Mei Wanying said quickly, "He’s been poisoned and can barely protect himself. Where would he get the energy to watch over Ling and me?"

The fact that Pei Yan had been poisoned was no longer a secret.

The well-informed families all knew what had happened.

This was also why he hadn’t returned to the Capital City to preside over the Empress Dowager’s funeral rites, and on the surface, no one criticized him for it.

After all, who was it that schemed against him and got him poisoned?

And who was it that, in her foolishness, let the traitor escape?

Mrs. Mei hesitated once more. Pei Yan was poisoned; if something were to happen to him in their home, they wouldn’t be able to bear the consequences.

"This..."

"Ah Yin is right. I can barely protect myself these days," Pei Yan said.

A voice in Mei Wanying’s head told her he was up to his tricks again.

Sure enough, the next moment she heard the man say, "In that case, we have all the more reason to be in one place, so we don’t divide our manpower and give the enemy an opening."

’Just as I thought,’ Mei Wanying said to herself.

Her expression was wooden. "What does it have to do with us whether you live or die?"

Mrs. Mei tugged on her daughter’s sleeve and shot her a reproachful look.

’This child... How can she say such things?’

’If word of this gets out, we’ll be charged with grave disrespect. Won’t we be the ones to suffer?’

’Pei Yan adores Ah Yin, which is why he gives in to her on everything. If his affections were to shift one day, there’s no guarantee he wouldn’t dredge up the past.’

’Misfortune comes from careless words. It’s better to be cautious.’

The old Mei Wanying would have been frantic if Pei Yan had gotten so much as a scratch.

But now, she uttered such words in a tone of complete indifference.

A sharp pain pierced Pei Yan’s heart, like the prick of a needle.

But his greatest fear was Mei Wanying ignoring him completely. He consoled himself, ’At least Ah Yin is still willing to sting me. That’s a good thing.’

"Ah Yin, you didn’t refuse. I’m going back to pack my things."

Mei Wanying had never met such a shameless person.

She wanted to curse him out, but Pei Yan moved so quickly that he vanished from the parlor in the blink of an eye.

A lump formed in Mei Wanying’s chest, tight and uncomfortable, unable to be swallowed or coughed up.

’I must have been blind to have ever liked such a scoundrel!’

Mrs. Mei gently patted her daughter’s back. "Why are you getting so worked up over him? Even if he moves into the Mei Family’s old house, as long as you don’t give your consent, what can he possibly do?"

Pei Yan had a forceful personality, but Mrs. Mei could see clearly that he was genuinely repentant.

If Ah Yin didn’t agree, he wouldn’t dare go too far.

She whispered, "Just treat him like a Raccoon, or a puppy. Coax him like you coax Ling. He responds to a soft approach, not a hard one. As long as you go along with him, he’ll listen to you on anything."

As if she’d heard something horrifying, Mei Wanying’s eyes widened. "Coax him? In his dreams!"

If he weren’t a member of the Royal Family, with his immense power, she would have had him beaten and thrown out long ago.

’And I’m supposed to coax him?’

’Absolutely not!’

Mrs. Mei said, "I’m not telling you to really coax him, just to play along for now. Once this matter is settled, we’ll have him return to the Capital City."

Pei Yan was the Crown Prince; he couldn’t spend his whole life bogged down with them in Jiangnan.

He had to leave sooner or later.

Mrs. Mei had also figured it out. "He’s afraid that if he goes back to the Capital City, you’ll marry someone else. That’s why he’s sticking to you like glue."

"If you give him a calming pill, he’ll go back to the Capital City on his own. Isn’t that better than having him hovering around you all day?"

The more Mei Wanying listened, the darker her expression became.

"Mother, who *is* your real child here?"

"You are, of course."

Mrs. Mei explained, "You don’t want to be entangled with him anymore, and I won’t try to set you two up. I’m just telling you to trick him a little, to get him to hurry back to the Capital City."

Mei Wanying also wanted Pei Yan to return to the Capital City and never seek her out again.

But she wouldn’t do it this way.

She had already experienced how difficult Pei Yan could be. That man only heard what he wanted to hear.

If she really did trick him, he would just play dumb, even if he knew it was a lie.

If she dared to go back on her word, he would definitely go crazy and do something shameless.

Pei Yan was the kind of man who would swap out a groom. Mei Wanying held no illusions about his moral character.

Mrs. Mei said, "It’s just an act."

Mei Wanying’s tone was firm. "Impossible."

She could put on an act for anyone else, but that person would absolutely not be Pei Yan!

Mrs. Mei sighed helplessly. "You child, why are you so stubborn? I’m only doing this for your own good."

"If that Useless Crown Prince really comes looking for us, with Pei Yan here, his guards will be much more dedicated!"

"Even if you won’t think for yourself, you should consider Ling more. With Pei Yan around, she’ll be safer."

Nanny Liu also chimed in, "If you are displeased, you can simply ignore His Highness. Just bear with it for a while, and this will all be over."

Mei Wanying’s lips twisted into a bitter smile. "Do I have any other choice?"

Her mother’s stance had already softened, and Pei Yan had already taken action.

Before long, he would move into the Mei Family’s old house, and they wouldn’t be able to drive him away even if they tried.

Pei Yan’s greatest strength was the offensive. His current concessions were merely a tactic as he waited for the perfect moment to strike.

Letting him move into the Mei Family’s old house was giving him an inch, and he would surely take a mile.

Mei Wanying had a premonition that he would no longer hold back.

Her expression grew even more bitter.

’After all this running in circles, why can’t I ever get rid of Pei Yan?’ 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Seeing her daughter like this, Mrs. Mei’s heart ached. "I really don’t mean to set you two up."

Mei Wanying didn’t want to hear any more of it. She just hoped the Useless Crown Prince would take the bait soon.

’Once the potential danger is dealt with, I’ll make Pei Yan leave immediately!’

Meanwhile, Pei Yan personally packed his bags. He was unwilling to let anyone else touch the things related to Mei Wanying.

He left the rest for his subordinates to handle.

Carrying a single bundle, he moved impatiently into the Mei Family’s old house.

Watching the man’s tall back, a thought popped into Wei Jue’s mind: ’His Highness... he’s really acting like the Mei family’s live-in son-in-law...’