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

Mei Wanying didn’t believe a single word Pei Yan said.

’Not one to hold a grudge?’

’His heart is smaller than the eye of a needle!’

Mei Wanying hadn’t forgotten how he’d treated Gu Xun. Gu Xun was his own cousin, yet he had shown him no mercy.

He would only be more ruthless with outsiders.

’How could he say such shameless things without feeling a hint of embarrassment?!’

"What are you here for?"

Her gaze fell to the clump of canna lilies planted outside the window. She refused to look at the man who had clearly taken pains to dress up.

Too much time had passed, but Mei Wanying still remembered. The moon-white robe he was wearing—she had sewn it for him, stitch by stitch.

Back then, she had always wanted to take care of every aspect of Pei Yan’s life, as if doing so could secure her place by his side.

A young girl in love is bound to do naive things.

When Pei Yan had first arrived in Jiangnan, the sight of these things had been an eyesore to Mei Wanying, making her wish she could destroy them all.

Now, she had come to terms with it.

Her feelings hadn’t been wrong. Her actions, born of that state of mind, hadn’t been wrong. And these clothes and sachets were certainly not in the wrong.

She was the one who had fallen for Pei Yan first; it was only right that she took the initiative.

She hadn’t done anything wrong.

Mei Wanying no longer wrestled with her past self, no longer tried to erase the traces of what had been.

If he wanted to wear them, then so be it.

She would just pretend not to see.

Pei Yan had no important business to attend to.

He had come for two reasons: one, because he missed Mei Wanying, and two, because he was afraid she would forget him, so he had to pop up in front of her from time to time.

He hadn’t shown up for a few days, and Ah Yin was already having *those* kinds of thoughts.

’If I don’t do something, she’ll start getting ideas again—like finding some other man to marry into her family!’

A vat of vinegar overturned in Pei Yan’s heart, and he silently cursed this non-existent man to high heaven.

’Everyone knows that Ah Yin and I are childhood sweethearts, a match made in heaven.’

’Anyone who covets Ah Yin is a shameless scoundrel.’

’What’s wrong with using a few tricks to deal with shameless people?’

Pei Yan felt he was completely in the right.

Clearing his throat, the man adopted a noble and composed air. "No reason."

Mei Wanying fell silent, choked speechless by those two words.

She had thought he would come up with some grand-sounding excuse, but she never imagined he wouldn’t even bother to pretend anymore.

Just like that, he was laying his roguish side bare for her to see.

Pei Yan’s eyes crinkled with a smile. "I just missed you."

Seeing Mei Wanying’s delicate brows furrow slightly, he added unhurriedly, "And Lingling."

The tips of the man’s ears burned. He still wasn’t used to sweet-talk, but he figured it was what women liked to hear.

In the past, a single kind word from him was enough to make Ah Yin happy for a long time.

And with Ling, if he coaxed her in a soft, gentle voice, she would be delighted too.

’With two ladies in the house,’ Pei Yan thought, ’I have to learn to say these sweet things, no matter how embarrassing it feels.’

’If I don’t praise them, am I supposed to just wait for some other man to do it?’

The thought of such a scenario was unacceptable to Pei Yan.

’I absolutely cannot give any other man an opening!’

The old Pei Yan would have rather died than say such sweet things.

He would only speak in riddles and ambiguities, never revealing his true feelings.

Mei Wanying had to constantly guess at his intentions.

Guessing correctly earned her no praise, but guessing incorrectly would surely earn her his sharp, cutting remarks.

Now, not only had Pei Yan overcome his habit of being as silent as a mute, he had even learned to say nice things. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Mei Wanying felt this only made him even more difficult to handle!

"When Ling wakes up, I’ll have Ding Xiang bring her to you."

His daughter was important, but in Pei Yan’s heart, Mei Wanying was still the most important.

The one he missed the most was, of course, Mei Wanying.

He said shamelessly, "I have nothing to do today. I’ll just wait here."

Mei Wanying knew just how shameless Pei Yan could be.

If he wouldn’t leave, she would!

She got up and went to the study.

Compared to before, their situations were now reversed. Pei Yan was finally learning just how much he had hurt her in the past.

He was reaping what he had sown.

But the Mei Wanying of the past had truly been wronged.

Pei Yan sat alone in the main hall, his hand unconsciously toying with the sachet at his waist, lost in a daze.

No one knew what he was thinking, and no one dared enter the hall to disturb him.

After a long while, Wei Jue hurried in and whispered a few words to Pei Yan.

The man’s expression changed.

He strode toward the study, clearly intending to find Mei Wanying.

Wei Jue’s mouth fell open. ’Even at such an urgent time, all His Highness can think about is Miss Mei.’

’The empire and the beauty—is the latter truly so important?’

Mei Wanying’s slender, fair hands moved across the abacus as she carefully checked the accounts.

Hearing footsteps, a wave of dissatisfaction rose within her.

No matter who it was, she disliked being disturbed while attending to business.

And she could tell from the sound of those footsteps that it was Pei Yan!

"Ah Yin, I have to return to the Capital City."

It was so sudden that Mei Wanying froze for a moment before nodding.

"Your Highness, I wish you a safe journey. We will not see you off."

Pei Yan didn’t need Mei Wanying to see him off. He was leaving immediately, and if Ah Yin and Lingling were there, he wouldn’t be able to bear leaving.

He explained to Mei Wanying, "My father, the Emperor, has passed away."

When he was young, the Emperor had been obsessed with women, hollowing out his own body long ago. Later, he experienced a palace coup, and it was said he hadn’t been able to leave his bed since.

His death was to be expected.

The Useless Crown Prince was dead, and the Emperor only had one biological son left: Pei Yan. He also still held the title of Crown Prince.

Once he returned to the Capital City, he could rightfully ascend the throne.

In other words, the man standing before her was about to become the New Emperor. He had reached the pinnacle of power.

He was completely different from before.

A small ripple stirred in Mei Wanying’s heart. They were... already on different paths.

The Capital City was where Pei Yan belonged. As for her... she would never go back.

A hand gripped her shoulder. Pei Yan said in a low voice, "Once I’ve handled things, I’ll come back to see you and Lingling."

Pei Yan didn’t want to be separated from Mei Wanying, but he also knew that she would never return to the Capital City with him.

If Ah Yin wouldn’t go to be with him, then he would just have to be the one to come back to his hometown to see her and Lingling.

From now on, they were destined to spend more time apart than together.

Unless Lingling grew up quickly and could take his burden from him as soon as possible.

Only then could he and Ah Yin be together every day.

Pei Yan felt a sense of urgency. Once he dealt with the immediate matters and stabilized the court, he would personally select renowned tutors to begin Lingling’s education.

’As long as one of them—father or daughter—could make it happen, he and Ah Yin could be properly reunited.’

Pei Yan placed immense hope in his daughter.

He wasn’t afraid of the travel; he was only afraid Mei Wanying would cast him aside. "Ah Yin, I’ll be back as soon as I can. I won’t make you wait long."

"I won’t take a wife. That position will always be reserved for you. Don’t overthink things, and don’t believe any nasty rumors."

Pei Yan tried to reassure her. "I will pave the way for Ling. She will be my heir. The three of us are a family; we will prosper together."

He knew that once he ascended the throne, court officials would undoubtedly use the issue of siring heirs as an excuse to pressure him into expanding his Harem.

Pei Yan was terrified someone would fill Mei Wanying’s ears with nonsense, so he was making things clear to her in advance.

His injuries hadn’t fully healed yet, and Mei Wanying struggled slightly in his grip.

She snapped, "This isn’t your home, and there’s no ’family of three’ here. Have you no shame?"

Pei Yan replied, "Wherever you and Lingling are, that’s my home. We *are* a family of three."

He hadn’t even left yet, but Pei Yan already missed Mei Wanying.

His gaze swept over her face, her eyes, her features, tracing its way down as if trying to carve her image into his very bones.

Mei Wanying grew uncomfortable under his intense stare. "Aren’t you leaving?"

Pei Yan said, "While I’m gone, you’re forbidden from looking at other men. Don’t speak to them. Not a single word."

His tone was so domineering, anyone who didn’t know better would think he was actually Mei Wanying’s husband.

Mei Wanying glared at him. "You have no right to tell me what to do! Don’t you forget your place!"

"My place? I am your husband," Pei Yan reminded her yet again.

Mei Wanying had never met such a shameless man. "Don’t forget you kidnapped me at my own wedding! Something stolen can never truly be yours."

Mei Wanying still hadn’t relented, and now Pei Yan had to return to the Capital City. His heart was already fraught with anxiety.

Her words instantly struck a raw nerve in Pei Yan’s already taut heart.

He felt a desperate urge to do something to solidify his status.

Without a moment’s hesitation, he captured that soft, cherry-pink mouth with unstoppable force.

One arm banded around her slender waist, while his other hand pressed against the back of her head.

It was as if he wanted to melt her into his very bones.

"I am yours now, so don’t even think about denying it!"