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

After Pei Yan sent him back to the Capital City, Gu Xun never went to Jiangnan to find Mei Wanying.

Now that Pei Yan had successfully ascended the throne, Gu Xun finally came to his senses. He realized just how laughable his previous ideas had been.

No matter how hard he tried, he could never climb higher than the Royal Family.

’How could a plan to use power and influence to restrain Pei Yan and snatch Mei Wanying back from him ever work?’

The best thing he could have done was go to Jiangnan and pursue Mei Wanying. If she had just agreed, who could have stood in their way?

But logic told Gu Xun that Mei Wanying would never agree to be with him now.

His one and only chance had been destroyed by Pei Yan. Now, he would never have the woman he longed for.

Gu Xun considered pestering her relentlessly, just like Pei Yan.

But in the end, he couldn’t bring himself to take that step.

He was not like Pei Yan.

He couldn’t just ignore what others thought. And besides, he... was afraid of earning Mei Wanying’s hatred.

Gu Xun spent his days in a daze. Only when he was busy with his official duties could he temporarily push these thoughts away.

Seeing her son in such a state, Mrs. Gu’s heart ached. She could only try to persuade him to give up on Mei Wanying.

"She is the apple of the Emperor’s eye, and she has a child by her side. Her future status is bound to be immeasurably noble. She won’t choose you, Xun. You need to come to your senses."

Gu Xun knew Mei Wanying’s character. "She isn’t a woman who craves power and prestige. Mother, please don’t make such assumptions about her."

Mrs. Gu retorted, "Even if she doesn’t care for prestige, as long as the Emperor refuses to let her go, she can’t go anywhere, let alone choose another man!"

"Xun, stop thinking about her. You two are fated to meet, but not to be together in this lifetime!"

Gu Xun said, dejected, "She doesn’t love him. She’s being forced."

"My dear boy, please watch what you say!" Mrs. Gu whispered, lowering her voice.

Whether or not Mei Wanying loved the Emperor was not something they could recklessly discuss.

Mrs. Gu reminded her son, "Don’t be a fool. You have a great future ahead of you. The Emperor is being magnanimous and overlooking your past transgressions. Do your job well, listen to your mother, and arrange a marriage as soon as possible. The Emperor will value you even more then."

Gu Xun’s tone was flat. "If he’s unhappy, he can strip me of my position."

"You foolish boy!" Mrs. Gu smacked her son on the back, exasperated.

’Did Mei Wanying give him some kind of seductive soup?’

’Otherwise, why is he so fixated on her?’

Mrs. Gu could understand Pei Yan’s obsession with Mei Wanying. They were childhood friends who had grown up together, and their emotional bond ran deep.

But Xun and Mei Wanying had hardly ever interacted.

He was a young man who studied literature and martial arts, while she was a sheltered young lady raised in the inner chambers.

The only chance they might have had to meet would have been at banquets.

As far as she knew, Mei Wanying hadn’t spoken a single word to Xun before she left the Capital City.

’So how did Xun become so infatuated with her?’

Afraid her son would do something foolish, Mrs. Gu reminded him, "You might not be afraid of the Emperor’s wrath, but we are! The lives of over a hundred members of the Gu Family rest in your hands. You cannot act recklessly. How would you face our ancestors?"

A bitter expression crossed Gu Xun’s face.

This was precisely his dilemma.

He couldn’t just sacrifice the lives of his entire family for his own happiness.

Although the Gu Family was Pei Yan’s maternal family, connected to him by blood, that man had shown him no mercy. Who knew what he might do to the Gu Family?

If he were all alone in the world, he would be willing to risk everything for the woman he loved.

Even his own life.

But he wasn’t.

He had so many family members, and they were all his weakness.

With so much to consider, Gu Xun was destined never to act as freely as Pei Yan.

Meeting the worry in his mother’s eyes, Gu Xun said, "Ah Yin won’t give me a chance. It’s useless for me to try anymore."

He leaned back against his chair, feeling utterly drained.

He had been so close to spending his life with the woman he loved.

To have missed that chance... Gu Xun’s heart ached. Every time he thought about it, a suffocating tightness gripped his chest.

The whole world knew that Pei Yan would have no one but Mei Wanying.

But no one knew that he, too, desired her just as desperately, longed to spend his life with her.

It pained Mrs. Gu to see her own son suffer. She had repeatedly warned him not to compete with Pei Yan for a woman, but seeing him so dejected, her heart ached for him all the same.

"You two were fated to meet, but not to be together in this life. If there is a next life, perhaps if you find her sooner, things will turn out for the best."

General Mei was a man of iron, defending the nation on the battlefield. As his only daughter, Mei Wanying was more than worthy of her Xun.

Since it was hopeless in this life, all she could do was hope that in the next, her son could marry the woman he desired.

Gu Xun gave a choked laugh. ’If he couldn’t have her in this life, how could he possibly be sure of the next?’

’The next life... it felt so far away.’

Enveloped by a sense of powerlessness, Gu Xun couldn’t find the energy to do anything.

He missed Mei Wanying terribly.

He missed Ling, too.

But he could only bury his longing deep in his heart. For one, Mei Wanying didn’t need it; for another, he couldn’t risk bringing disaster upon his family.

Gu Xun admitted to himself that he was a coward, not as decisive as Pei Yan.

No wonder the old Mei Wanying had been so attracted to Pei Yan that she had no eyes for any other man.

Most people are drawn to the strong, and she was no exception.

When her son remained silent, Mrs. Gu spoke again. "If you want to forget Mei Wanying, the best way is to get married. Once you have a wife and children of your own, you won’t have the time to think about her."

"With time, even the greatest regrets fade. In three or five years, you’ll look back and realize that Mei Wanying wasn’t so special after all."

Feelings either deepen over time or fade away. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

’The bond between Xun and Mei Wanying isn’t deep,’ she thought. ’Give him time, and he’ll surely move on.’

Gu Xun’s face was impassive. "Mother, I have no plans to marry. Do not bring this up again."

Mrs. Gu grew deeply worried.

’That foolish boy... surely he isn’t still waiting for Mei Wanying to have a change of heart?’

"Unless the Emperor casts her aside, she will never consider you. Give up on that idea!"

The Gu Family was Pei Yan’s maternal family, and they stood united with him in the imperial court.

However, Pei Yan also had his eyes and ears within the Gu Family. He had even assigned extra men to watch Gu Xun in particular.

Their orders were to keep a close watch on Gu Xun and forbid him from going to Jiangnan to find Mei Wanying.

They were also to prevent him from contacting her in any way.

Even before Pei Yan had realized his own feelings, he had been extremely possessive of Mei Wanying, forbidding her from interacting with other men.

Now that he understood his own heart, his possessiveness had only grown stronger.

He was afraid of frightening Mei Wanying, so he did his utmost to restrain himself and appear remarkably magnanimous.

But in places where Mei Wanying couldn’t see, Pei Yan had far fewer scruples.

He hoped Gu Xun would be sensible enough not to provoke someone he shouldn’t.

Otherwise, not even the ties of blood would save him. He would not be merciful to Gu Xun.

The conversation between Gu Xun and Mrs. Gu reached Pei Yan’s ears. Learning that Gu Xun still hadn’t given up on Mei Wanying, Pei Yan was deeply displeased.

Fortunately, Gu Xun’s fear of implicating the Gu Family kept him from taking any action.

Pei Yan considered arranging a marriage for Gu Xun by imperial decree to extinguish any hope he might have.

But then he worried that if word of it reached Mei Wanying, she would be furious.

Left with no other choice, Pei Yan had to abandon the idea.

During a break from his duties, Pei Yan thought to himself, ’When dealing with a rival, ignoring him is the best option.’

’It will keep certain people from playing the victim in front of Ah Yin!’