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

Xue Xingyao had already brought up divorce with Chen Shujing. Besides, her loved ones had already escaped that prison.

With no more worries holding her back, there was no need to put on an act for Chen Shujing anymore.

Chen Shujing chattered on, but Xue Xingyao didn’t even spare him a glance.

She had been wounded on her back, and the injury was particularly severe.

To call it a mangled mess of flesh and blood would be an understatement.

The day Mrs. Xue was released from prison, she saw her daughter’s injuries and was so overcome with tears she nearly fainted.

A wound on her child is a pain in the mother’s heart; Mrs. Xue wished she could take the pain onto herself.

She was now personally brewing her daughter’s medicine and preparing her food, which had given Chen Shujing the opportunity to approach Xue Xingyao.

With the injury on her back, Xue Xingyao could only rest by lying on her stomach. The position was uncomfortable, and the wound hurt terribly.

The pain drained all the color from her face.

Her lips were cracked and pale. One didn’t even need to see the burn under the gauze to guess how severe it was.

Xue Xingyao kept her eyes closed, not responding to Chen Shujing.

With or without him, the matter was already resolved. She didn’t need to argue with Chen Shujing about anything.

It would be utterly pointless.

Now, there was only one matter between them: divorce.

Beyond that, there was nothing to say.

She couldn’t be bothered to drive him away. For one, Chen Shujing wouldn’t leave easily.

For another, she was afraid she might tear open her wound.

Third, she truly had no strength left.

At this moment, Xue Xingyao was in pain and exhausted. She just wanted to get some proper sleep and not waste her energy on a useless war of words.

She had given Chen Shujing chances, but he had proven with his actions that the Shen family’s affairs would always come before her.

That would have been one thing, but to make her submit, Chen Shujing had resorted to any means necessary to crush her, leaving her isolated and helpless.

’Is that any way to treat your own wife?’

’That’s how you treat an enemy!’

’I’m a living, breathing person. I feel pain, sadness, and fear.’

’How could I possibly just brush this off and continue being a "loving" couple with Chen Shujing?’

’I can’t do it.’

’The only path for us is divorce. There’s nothing else to discuss!’

The woman on the bed remained silent.

If not for her labored breathing and the slight movements she made from the discomfort of lying on her stomach, Chen Shujing would have thought she had fainted from the pain.

He knew what he had done wrong, and he was filled with regret.

’If only I had known she would use such an extreme method to save her family, I would have ordered men to guard her no matter what.’

’By withdrawing my men, I not only allowed others to kick Ah Yao while she was down, but I also caused her to be so grievously wounded.’

’I was truly wrong.’

Chen Shujing was filled with regret and heartache, feeling anxious and at a loss.

’Will Ah Yao forgive me?’

’She probably will, right...?’

Since Ah Yao was ignoring him, he had to be the one to take the initiative and apologize properly.

’This is my lawfully wedded wife. There’s no shame in admitting I’m wrong to her.’

Chen Shujing pressed his lips together, mentally choosing his words, terrified of upsetting Xue Xingyao.

He began cautiously, "Ah Yao, that incident was my fault. I should have explained everything to you long before we were even engaged."

Xue Xingyao frowned. Perhaps because she had truly moved on, the sound of Chen Shujing’s voice now merely irritated her.

There was no longer any flutter of her heart, nor any pang of sorrow.

’I don’t care about what happened between Chen Shujing and Miss Shen anymore!’

’And I don’t want to hear it!’

Xue Xingyao opened her eyes and looked at the man beside her bed.

He was the heir to a noble house, always meticulous about his dress and bearing. But now he was unshaven and disheveled, his eyes bloodshot, completely devoid of his usual refined and dignified air.

Her eyes were devoid of any emotion as she said earnestly, "You are very irritating. Could you please leave?"

Her tone was just as calm, as if he were a complete stranger.

Chen Shujing stared at her, stunned, completely unsettled by her attitude.

’She was never like this before.’

’Even on the day she’d mentioned divorce, she hadn’t been this cold.’

A wave of bitterness washed over his heart, along with a dull ache.

Chen Shujing couldn’t help but wonder, if he hadn’t left that day, and especially if he hadn’t withdrawn the Chen Family’s help, would the outcome have been different?

His voice was halting. "I didn’t mean to. I... I just..."

Xue Xingyao said indifferently, "You just wanted to teach me a lesson. To make me recognize my situation—that with the Duke Mansion fallen, my fate would be miserable if I left you."

In his anger and panic that day, Chen Shujing’s clouded judgment had led him to make the wrong decision.

Looking back now, he realized just how shameless his decision had been.

Xue Xingyao was his wife; he absolutely, under no circumstances, should have used such vile tactics on her.

She was a daughter of the Duke Mansion, with a pride all her own. How could she ever be forced into submission like that?

His actions would only push Ah Yao further and further away.

He had been so terribly, utterly wrong.

Chen Shujing was speechless. Xue Xingyao took a breath and continued, "As you wished, I have indeed learned my lesson. If I leave you, I will be gossiped about. They will call me an abandoned wife..."

"You’re not!"

Chen Shujing hurriedly declared, "I won’t divorce you. I never will!" 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

From the day he decided to marry, he had already made up his mind that Xue Xingyao would be the only woman in his life.

He had never thought of taking a concubine, let alone leaving her.

Never!

The man looked distraught, as if he were the one who had suffered some great injustice.

His eyes held a pleading look, and even a trace of being wronged.

Xue Xingyao thought, ’What does he have to feel wronged about?’

’Aren’t I the one who’s injured?’

"We get a divorce, or... *I’ll* divorce *you*!" Xue Xingyao’s tone left no room for argument.

Divorce him?

Chen Shujing’s heart gave a violent lurch. ’Has Ah Yao’s loathing for me really reached this point?’

His lips trembling, he rushed out, "I refuse!"

"Ah Yao, things between us haven’t reached the point of splitting up. Xiaoxiao is gone, and Ah Ji has settled down in the barracks. I don’t have to worry about anything anymore. We can live a good life together..."

Under Xue Xingyao’s frigid gaze, Chen Shujing’s voice gradually died away.

He was the one who had done wrong.

Ultimately, he lacked the conviction to continue.

A corner of Xue Xingyao’s mouth lifted in a sneer. "This whole affair has finally shown me how unreliable you are. Since you can’t protect me, I don’t have to hold my nose and choke down this rotten meal!"

’A rotten meal?’

Chen Shujing’s already haggard face grew even paler, as if he were the one who was seriously injured.

Xue Xingyao merely thought he was putting on an act.

’Again, I’m the one who’s hurt. What "pain" is he supposedly feeling?’

"Since you chose to stand against me, you should have been prepared for us to make a clean break. Chen Shujing, I’m not the coward you take me for. This marriage... I’m done with it!"

"Get the hell away from me, and stay away. Don’t ever let me see you again! The sight of you makes me sick!"

Saying all this exhausted the last of Xue Xingyao’s strength. Her body ached, her head was spinning, and she was utterly exhausted.

But once the words were out, she felt a wave of relief wash over her.

Even setting aside the fact she had Ah Yin to back her up, she wouldn’t take Chen Shujing back.

She could endure being wronged; after all, there was more to life than romance.

But she could not accept her own husband kicking her when she was down.

If it weren’t for Ah Yin and Pei Yan’s help, Chen Shujing’s actions really would have been the death of her.

’How terrifying is that!’