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

Following Mei Wanying’s instructions, the butler of the General Mansion took special care of Xue Xingyao and her family.

Knowing she wanted to divorce Chen Shujing, he even settled her family in the mansion.

This way, as long as the Mei family didn’t grant him entry, Chen Shujing couldn’t see Xue Xingyao.

Chen Shujing was not discouraged and came to the Mei residence every day to try his luck.

He thought he could show Xue Xingyao his sincerity and win a sliver of hope for their marriage, but he never expected to be served a divorce paper.

The butler relayed a message to Chen Shujing. "Miss Xue said that if you do not agree to the divorce, she will have no choice but to repudiate you as her husband."

Such an act was utterly shocking and against all convention.

To achieve her goal, she would undoubtedly have to go to great lengths.

She might even have to suffer physical punishment again before the Government would permit her to repudiate her husband and return to her family.

Clutching the divorce paper, a vein throbbed on Chen Shujing’s temple.

To save the Xue Family, Ah Yao had rushed into a sea of fire, disregarding her own life and death.

’To repudiate me, would she also be just as reckless?’

Chen Shujing’s heart pounded with fear. He never knew Xue Xingyao could be so fiercely resolute.

He had never imagined her determination to divorce him was so unshakeable.

He gripped the divorce paper tighter and tighter, wrinkling it noticeably.

It was like his heart at that moment, forcefully squeezed by a giant hand. A sour, aching sensation spread rapidly through his entire body.

Chen Shujing was in a daze, unsure of how to react.

He only knew one thing: he did not want a divorce.

Seeing him crumple the divorce paper, the butler promptly produced a second one.

"Heir Chen, please take good care of this one. Miss Xue is severely injured, yet she still forced herself to write both of these."

These words were like a dagger, stabbing viciously into Chen Shujing’s heart.

’Just how much must Ah Yao hate me to force her ailing body to write these two divorce papers?’

’Is she that desperate to cast off the title of my wife?’

Xue Xingyao was making a clean break, but Chen Shujing couldn’t bring himself to be so nonchalant. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

His dark eyes stared at the divorce paper in his hand. After a long silence, just as the butler was about to turn back into the mansion, he finally spoke.

"Tell her to focus on her recovery first." Chen Shujing handed the divorce paper to his attendant.

He said to the butler, "As long as her injuries aren’t healed, I will not agree to the divorce."

He paused, then added, "If outsiders were to find out, they might think I am kicking her while she’s down. It would damage the Chen Family’s reputation."

The attendant glanced at his Young Master and felt the urge to faint.

’If he doesn’t want to divorce his wife, he could have just said so. Why did he have to bring up the Chen Family’s reputation...’

’His wife already resents him for that incident. Hearing this will only make her heart grow colder.’

’How could she possibly change her mind now?’

Chen Shujing knew this wasn’t the best strategy, but he was out of options. He couldn’t bring himself to actually sign the divorce paper.

Other than stalling, he couldn’t think of a better solution at the moment.

In all his life, he had never dealt with someone demanding a divorce, and Xue Xingyao’s attitude was so resolute that he truly didn’t know what to do to make her change her mind.

Chen Shujing even considered asking Pei Yan for advice.

His situation was more urgent than Pei Yan’s; just being shameless wouldn’t be enough.

’His Highness has been pursuing Miss Mei for so long, he must have figured out some effective methods by now.’

But reason told Chen Shujing that he was just clutching at straws in his desperation.

If Pei Yan were really that capable, Miss Mei wouldn’t have been so disappointed in him.

But he couldn’t worry about that now. He just wanted someone to help him devise a plan to save his precarious marriage.

’I should also send a letter home to explain the situation. If the elders step in to mediate, surely Ah Yao will change her mind?’

Chen Shujing was filled with regret. He should have listened to Pei Yan and confessed everything to Xue Xingyao from the start.

When Shen Mingxiao came to the Duke Mansion that day, he shouldn’t have changed the subject.

At the time, Chen Shujing had thought it was better to avoid trouble, but only now did he realize he had gone down the wrong path from the very beginning.

If he had confessed earlier, there would be no talk of divorce, and their child would be fine.

The child...

An even greater ache filled Chen Shujing’s heart.

If their child had survived, then for the child’s sake, Ah Yao would never have tried to divorce him.

’Just like Pei Yan and Mei Wanying—weren’t they also bound together by their child, unable to completely sever ties?’

His mind flooded with a torrent of thoughts as he left the General Mansion, utterly dejected.

The butler watched him go, shaking his head.

’Miss Xue has made up her mind. It’s useless for Heir Chen to keep pestering her.’

He was suddenly reminded of his own young miss. The last time His Highness came to the mansion, he had taken a wooden box with him. ’The items inside were probably gifts from His Highness.’

Everyone had seen how much his young miss adored His Highness.

For her to throw away his gifts... ’That’s as likely as the sun rising in the west!’

And look now, his young miss still hadn’t returned to the capital. She must be completely disappointed in His Highness.

Pei Yan and Chen Shujing were good friends, and now both had "lost" their wives. The butler could only curse them under his breath, thinking they both deserved it.

’They’re still young men, so how could they be so foolish?’

「In the guest courtyard of the Mei residence.」

The butler personally went to report the news. "Heir Chen has accepted the divorce paper. He said that you should focus on your recovery and that you can discuss the divorce once you are well."

The divorce was the most important thing on Xue Xingyao’s mind. With Chen Shujing refusing to agree, the matter would constantly weigh on her. How could she possibly recover in peace?

She once thought he was noble and magnanimous, a true gentleman, unlike that rogue Pei Yan.

She never expected he would stoop to using Pei Yan’s tactics.

’Those two are cut from the same cloth!’

Xue Xingyao said, "If he comes again, please tell him that stalling is useless. Tell him not to force me to hate him."

Hating someone took energy, and Xue Xingyao just wanted to part amicably with Chen Shujing and then never see him again.

As the one in the wrong, Chen Shujing was still shamelessly playing games. This infuriated Xue Xingyao.

By not pressing those past matters, she had already allowed him to save plenty of face. What more could he possibly want?

The annoyance on Xue Xingyao’s face was undisguised, so the butler saw no need to cover for Chen Shujing.

"Heir Chen isn’t just stalling. He feels that a divorce at this time would be bad for the Chen Family’s reputation."

’In any case, that’s what the man said,’ the butler thought. He didn’t care what Chen Shujing truly felt.

’Heir Chen said it, and I’m just relaying the message. What’s wrong with that?’

Xue Xingyao’s expression froze.

Before, she would have immediately denied it, believing Chen Shujing wasn’t that kind of person.

But after what had happened, Xue Xingyao no longer trusted him.

It was true he didn’t want a divorce, but it was also true that he didn’t want the Chen Family’s name to be tarnished.

After a moment’s daze, she said softly, "Then relay another message to Heir Chen. I will give him three days. If he still refuses to divorce, then it won’t just be the Chen Family whose reputation suffers. That Miss Shen’s name will also be dragged through the mud because of him."

She had not wanted to involve Miss Shen in her affairs with Chen Shujing.

But with Chen Shujing refusing the divorce, she had no choice but to use Shen Mingxiao to threaten him.

Xue Xingyao apologized silently in her heart. Miss Shen had done her no wrong; this time, she was the one letting Miss Shen down.

Xue Xingyao’s words were relayed to Chen Shujing.

In his heart, Shen Mingxiao would always hold a special place.

’I’m the one who did wrong,’ he thought. ’How could Ah Yao target Xiaoxiao?’

The very thought of the deceased Shen Mingxiao being subjected to gossip filled Chen Shujing with immense guilt.

He gritted his teeth. "She wants a divorce? Fine, I’ll grant her one!"

’Once she’s suffered enough out in the world, she’ll understand that our conflicts were nothing at all!’