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

The Mei Family’s old house was peaceful on the surface, but security had been secretly tightened.

Pei Yan had always acted without fear, but now he had a soft spot. He had no choice but to consider Mei Wanying and Ling.

He personally stood guard over Mei Wanying and their daughter, but he was still afraid that any oversight on his part would lead to irreversible consequences.

He didn’t want to experience the pain of losing them a second time.

Pei Yan assigned his most elite Hidden Guards to Mei Wanying and Ling.

He also ordered Wei Jue that, no matter what happened, his first priority was to protect the mother and daughter.

Wei Jue was alarmed. "Your Highness, the residual poison in your body hasn’t been cleared. If we all go to protect Miss Mei and the young mistress, what will happen to you? We absolutely cannot give the enemy an opening."

After waking from being poisoned, Pei Yan had recklessly come to Jiangnan and done many irrational things for Mei Wanying.

Everyone could see that he truly cared about Mei Wanying.

Even the most unobservant Mei family relatives had seen the writing on the wall and no longer dared to provoke her.

As Pei Yan’s personal guard, Wei Jue knew better than anyone how much his master cared for Miss Mei and Ling.

If danger were to arise, His Highness would rather lose his own life than fail to protect Miss Mei and Ling.

Wei Jue understood Pei Yan’s decision, but logic dictated that His Highness was the most important person and should be the one receiving protection.

"Your Highness, I urge you to reconsider."

Pei Yan was indeed powerful, but there was still residual poison in his system. If an enemy attacked just as the poison flared up, the consequences would be dire.

Pei Yan’s gaze was frigid. "I am protecting my wife and daughter. What is there to reconsider?"

’Ah Yin and Lingling are the most important thing to me.’

’More important than anything—including my own life!’

Wei Jue’s lips twitched. ’Miss Mei hasn’t even accepted her role as his wife,’ he thought. ’What’s the point of His Highness sacrificing so much?’

Bracing himself, he pressed on, "You are the Crown Prince, the future ruler of this land. The empire needs you. You must put your own safety first. If Miss Mei knew, she would want the same thing."

Pei Yan thought to himself, ’My Ah Yin is clever and decisive. She would never do something so foolish.’

He raised a hand. "Go receive your punishment. If there’s a next time, you’ll be sent back to the training grounds to start over."

This was a far more severe punishment than a mere flogging.

Wei Jue’s breath hitched. He realized once again that Miss Mei was the most important person in the prince’s heart.

’As long as Miss Mei is around, His Highness can maintain some semblance of composure.’

’But if something were to happen to her, he would truly throw the entire empire to the wind!’

Clasping his fist in another salute, Wei Jue retreated, secretly vowing never to advise the prince on this matter again.

’Let His Highness do whatever he wants.’

’Besides, with Miss Mei and Ling around, the prince probably won’t lose his mind completely and throw away the power already in his grasp.’

’And besides, I don’t want to get punished again...’

「Outside the city.」

The Useless Crown Prince had taken shelter in a remote, dilapidated mountain villa.

His subordinate reported, "The city is full of Pei Yan’s men. The Mei Family’s old house is like a fortress; our men can’t infiltrate it."

The enemy was strong while they were weak. If their location was exposed, only certain death awaited them.

They had already exhausted their strength just staying hidden.

Stirring up trouble now would be suicide.

"Your Highness, you must not act rashly. ’As long as the green mountains are there, one need not worry about firewood.’"

Pei Yu’s expression was sullen, his eyes filled with a sinister gloom.

’I am the rightful heir! Why should I be the one hiding in the shadows, while Pei Yan gets to have Mei Wanying, and even make her bear his child!’

During the confrontation at the Royal Villa, Pei Yu had nearly lost the use of one of his arms.

He was injured again while escaping, and with no time to recover on the run, the arm was now truly useless.

The man’s face was pale, suffused with a sickly air.

He was already a broken man. Rather than just clinging to a wretched existence, he might as well stir up some trouble for Pei Yan.

If he could make Mei Wanying and her daughter die with him, then his own death would be worthwhile.

He sat languidly behind a low table, his sinister gaze fixed on a portrait spread across it.

The baby in the drawing was robust and adorable, with big, round eyes—the spitting image of Mei Wanying.

The Mei family hadn’t tried to hide the child. Plenty of people had seen Ling, and this portrait had been drawn by Mei Wanying’s own cousin.

She had been on an outing outside the city when the Useless Crown Prince’s men found her, and she thought her luck had finally turned.

In Mei Wanqing’s eyes, it was impossible for a Heavenly Royal not to have a backup plan. The fact that the Useless Crown Prince had escaped with his life proved he still had power hidden in the shadows.

If the Useless Crown Prince fought his way back to the Capital City, she would have made a "Contribution from the Dragon."

’Wouldn’t she have a meteoric rise? Not only would she no longer have to bow and scrape to others, but she could even grind Mei Wanying under her heel!’

The very thought of it thrilled Mei Wanqing.

In order to hitch her wagon to Pei Yu, she had proactively described the layout of the Mei Family’s old house.

She had explained everything clearly, including the distribution of the courtyards.

Knowing that the Useless Crown Prince and Pei Yan were mortal enemies, she had even sketched a portrait of Ling.

She secretly cursed Mei Wanying’s spawn, thinking that the brat shouldn’t be allowed to live!

Gazing at the portrait, a storm of dark emotions churned in Pei Yu’s eyes.

He had once thought Mei Wanying was as untouchable as the moon in the sky, full of pride. He never imagined she’d been carrying on an illicit affair with Pei Yan all along.

’When did it happen?’

That day, Pei Yan had taken Mei Wanying from the villa and settled her in the Prince Chen Mansion.

Not long after, Mei Wanying left the Capital City and returned to Jiangnan.

’So, did it happen that night?’

’Or even earlier?’

The thought that he might have done all the work only for another man to reap the rewards made Pei Yu’s heart burn with frustration. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

’The woman I set my sights on was touched by the man I hate most!’

The more sinister his expression grew, the more gently his fingers caressed the portrait.

He truly couldn’t bear to kill a child who looked so much like Mei Wanying.

’It’s not that I’m cruel,’ he mused. ’The child was simply born to the wrong parents. How could she end up as Pei Yan’s daughter?’

’First, I’ll send her to wait in the underworld. And then... it will be Mei Wanying’s turn.’

’Without them, Pei Yan will surely go mad, won’t he?’

A look of vicious delight appeared in Pei Yu’s eyes as he imagined the scene.

"Use any means necessary to force Mei Wanying out of the city!"

The city was full of Pei Yan’s men, putting them at a disadvantage. They had to lure her out; otherwise, they would be the ones trapped like turtles in a jar.

The subordinate looked troubled. "Getting them to leave the city won’t be easy."

Pei Yu tapped his fingers on the desk. "Start with the water supply. Find a way to create an epidemic."

Even if the plague doesn’t reach the Mei Mansion right away, would Mei Wanying just sit back and wait for death?

Her daughter is so young and fragile. A single illness could claim the child’s life.

Pei Yu was certain Mei Wanying would not allow her child to remain in danger.

The subordinate was aghast. "Your Highness, you... you mean to poison the water supply?"

"And why not?"

The subordinate’s face drained of color. "This plan will have widespread consequences! If... if word gets out, how could you ever hope to reclaim the empire?"

If you do this, you will be nailed to the pillar of shame, cursed by all the people in the land.

Forget staging a comeback; you’ll be lucky if they don’t grind your bones to dust and scatter your ashes.

Pei Yu touched his useless arm. ’Do I even have a chance to reclaim the empire anymore?’

’No.’

’I might as well use the time I have left to land one vicious blow against Pei Yan.’

’I don’t care what the cost is!’

Thinking of the woman who dreamed of climbing to a higher station, Pei Yu ordered, "Get rid of her."

She had no more value. Keeping her alive was a liability.

Only the dead can’t be turncoats!

Mei Wanying was shocked to learn that Mei Wanqing was dead.

"How could that be?"

Mrs. Mei said, "The messenger said she went on an outing outside the city with friends, fell from a cliff, and died instantly."

Although Mei Wanqing had been unpleasant, she was still a life lost. Mrs. Mei sighed with sorrow.

Mei Wanying’s heart sank.

’It was him. He’s started going after the people around me.’