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

Pei Yan left the Mei Family’s old house.

He left very suddenly.

His personal belongings were still in the guest courtyard. Before leaving, he gave an order that no one was to touch a single thing.

Who would dare provoke such a powerful figure?

Mei Wanying said nothing, so the housekeeper could only order people to clean the guest courtyard daily, just in case that personage decided to return.

Pei Yan wasn’t a man of many words, but once he was gone, the residence felt much quieter.

It wasn’t just Ling who couldn’t get used to it; she would cry and fuss to see Pei Yan when the hour came. Even Mei Wanying felt a bit dazed, as if everything that had just happened was a dream.

Pei Yan had appeared suddenly, and just as suddenly, he left.

He had stirred the waters of a calm lake.

Mrs. Mei, on the other hand, breathed a sigh of relief. "I was worried he would try to drag you and Ling back to the Capital City. From the looks of it, he’s not that much of a scoundrel after all."

Mei Wanying huffed, "Even you are speaking up for Pei Yan now. Just wait until he starts coming here to bother us every other day. Then you’ll see what a scoundrel he is."

Mrs. Mei clicked her tongue. "That stubborn rascal really would do something like that."

Another man might have prioritized the throne, thinking women and children were unimportant.

But Pei Yan’s stance was already very clear: he wanted the throne, and he wanted Ah Yin, too.

The most likely scenario was that he would run back and forth, seizing every opportunity to see Ah Yin.

"If he dares to come every other day, he’ll have to appoint a regent. Isn’t he afraid someone will steal his throne?"

Mei Wanying huffed again. "That would be what he deserves. It’s his own fault for being so unreasonable!"

Mrs. Mei chided, "What ’deserves this’ or ’deserves that’? You child, you’re being just as unreasonable as he is."

He is Ling’s biological father. Only if Pei Yan does well can Ling do well.

’I just don’t know if he will take a wife.’

’Will he be like the previous emperor, lingering among a crowd of women just to produce a son?’

’If Pei Yan marries and has children in the Capital City, yet still comes to pester Ah Yin, what does he take Ah Yin for...?’

The more Mrs. Mei thought about it, the heavier her heart became.

She couldn’t bear to let her daughter enter the palace to serve Pei Yan, nor did she want Pei Yan to keep pestering her daughter.

’Unless... he never marries.’

Pei Yan is the New Emperor. The court and the Harem will both urge him to take an empress and consorts to continue the Royal Family’s lineage.

Even ordinary men can’t withstand the pressure to produce heirs. In his position, can Pei Yan truly resist it?

’If Ah Yin had given birth to a son, perhaps there would still be a chance.’

’But Ling is a girl.’

’The Royal Family needs an heir. If Ah Yin doesn’t marry Pei Yan, does that mean another woman will have to give birth to this heir?’

The more Mrs. Mei’s thoughts strayed, the angrier she suddenly became.

"If he gets involved with other women, he shouldn’t come looking for you again! That would be throwing you and Ling into the fire!"

’When that time comes, what will the world say about Ah Yin and Ling?’

’Wouldn’t that just be setting them up to be scorned and criticized by everyone?’

Mei Wanying didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "He won’t be causing any trouble anytime soon, so you can relax."

Mrs. Mei couldn’t relax.

Not unless Pei Yan stopped provoking Ah Yin, and they went their separate ways.

Seeing her daughter’s calm expression, Mrs. Mei asked, "Did he give you some sort of calming pill?"

Mei Wanying: "I don’t believe a word of a man’s lies."

Mrs. Mei understood. "So he did."

Pei Yan had a thousand faults, but when he promised Ah Yin something, he would always do it, no matter how unwilling he was.

Mrs. Mei relaxed slightly. "We’ll see. It’s not yet time to draw any conclusions."

Pei Yan was so "unreasonable," maybe he really was different from other men.

After half a month, peace was completely restored to the residence. Ling no longer cried looking for Pei Yan.

Mei Wanying observed that her daughter seemed to have forgotten a certain someone.

’I wonder what his reaction will be when that scoundrel comes again and sees that Ling doesn’t recognize him?’

With Pei Yan gone, Mei Wanying was as busy as ever. She had to manage the household and take care of her child, so busy she could hardly touch the ground.

It was only in the dead of night, when all was quiet, that she would think of Pei Yan.

She had to admit that Pei Yan’s visit to Jiangnan had affected her greatly.

’If he hadn’t come, I would have forgotten him long ago!’

...

Mei Wanying had wished upon the stars and moon, and finally, her wish was granted: Xue Xingyao returned to Jiangnan.

Having received word in advance, Mei Wanying personally went outside the city to welcome Xue Xingyao.

She even brought extra hands to help unload the luggage.

The Xue Family had suffered a great disaster, and now Xue Xingyao was the family’s pillar of support. She couldn’t show any weakness in front of her relatives.

She had lost her child and her marriage. After rushing into a sea of fire to save someone, she was left with an ugly scar on her back.

For a woman, each of these was a major life event.

Xue Xingyao was a woman, too, and she also had her moments of vulnerability.

In front of her family, she could only be strong and optimistic. But the moment she saw Mei Wanying, Xue Xingyao’s nose tingled fiercely. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

She sniffled, trying hard not to cry. "Ah Yin, I’ve come to seek refuge with you. You can’t think of me as a burden."

Xue Xingyao had already bought a house, but for the Xue Family to establish a firm foothold here, Mei Wanying’s help was indispensable.

Seeing her good friend go through so much, Mei Wanying’s heart felt tight and sore, and she also felt the urge to cry.

She took Xue Xingyao’s hand. "Ah Yao, your best days are still ahead of you!"

’Getting away from that awful man was cutting her losses. It’s a good thing.’

’Things will definitely get better and better from now on!’

Before seeing Mei Wanying, Mrs. Xue had been a little worried that she might have changed her attitude.

The Duke Mansion was gone, and there were plenty of people who would kick a man when he’s down.

Now, seeing Mei Wanying’s attitude with her own eyes, Mrs. Xue was relieved.

’Ah Yao is more capable than I am. She has friends who will genuinely help her. Even after the divorce, Ah Yao can pull herself together.’

Mrs. Xue held Mei Wanying’s hand. "Mei, we’ll have to trouble you from now on."

Mei Wanying: "Ah Yao’s business is my business. If you need anything in the future, please don’t hesitate to send someone to my home. Don’t be a stranger."

Mrs. Xue patted her hand, her eyes full of gratitude. Everything was understood without words.

Mei Wanying hosted a banquet at a restaurant to welcome the Xue Family and wash away the dust from their journey.

After the meal, Mrs. Xue and the others returned to the house Xue Xingyao had bought, while Xue Xingyao went back with Mei Wanying to the Mei Family’s old house.

Having not seen each other for months, they had much to talk about.

There was also a little baby waiting for Mei Wanying at the old house, so Xue Xingyao had no choice but to go home with her.

They say children grow up in the blink of an eye. After not seeing her for a few months, Xue Xingyao felt that Ling had changed.

"She’s starting to look a bit like... you-know-who. Could it be because he spent time with Ling?"

Mei Wanying took a closer look and realized Ling’s eyes and brows were very much like Pei Yan’s. Even the creases of her eyelids were identical.

She said, "Perhaps her features are just starting to show."

Xue Xingyao had a teasing look on her face. "Looks like you two have made some progress."

Mei Wanying shot back quickly, "That’s not true! Don’t let your imagination run wild."

How could Xue Xingyao not know her own best friend’s temperament?

She blinked. "If there was no progress, you would’ve definitely said that Ling looks nothing like Pei Yan and that there’s something wrong with my eyes."

Mei Wanying: "I’m not him—I don’t pester people unreasonably and love to twist the truth. If she looks like him, she looks like him. As long as Ling is healthy, that’s all that matters."

She said it calmly, but Xue Xingyao still trusted her own judgment.

’Perhaps... Ah Yin and Pei Yan really are going to mend their broken mirror.’