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

Xue Xingyao’s younger brother wanted to join the army, and Shen Mingji pulled strings for him, suddenly bringing him much closer to the Xue Family.

He even had a few meals at the Xue residence.

Mrs. Xue and Xue Xingyao both knew about the matter between his older sister and Chen Shujing.

But they knew in their hearts that Miss Shen had nothing to do with Xue Xingyao and Chen Shujing’s divorce.

It was Chen Shujing’s deceit and pressure that had shattered their already unstable marriage.

The fault lay with Chen Shujing, so Mrs. Xue and Xue Xingyao had no desire to take their anger out on Shen Mingji.

Besides, he had helped the Xue Family; they couldn’t repay kindness with ingratitude...

Their relationship was delicate. Xue Xingyao didn’t know how to act around Shen Mingji, so her best course of action was to avoid him altogether.

But Shen Mingji, as if unable to take a hint, kept showing up whenever he had a spare moment.

His excuse was that he was here to give her younger brother some pointers, lest he have trouble adjusting to life in the barracks.

Shen Mingji had once been a profligate son of a rich family, but a stint in the military had tempered him. Not only was he now skilled in combat, but he also spoke and acted with a new maturity.

He seemed very responsible.

He was completely different from the unruly "brother of an old friend" that Chen Shujing had described.

Hearing about Shen Mingji’s past misdeeds and then seeing how he was now, Little Brother Xue was filled with utter admiration.

It only strengthened his resolve to join the army.

He admitted he was someone who cared about face; he simply couldn’t bring himself to be a merchant and haggle over business.

Since he couldn’t take the imperial examinations to become an official, enlisting in the army was his best option.

Even if the path ahead was perilous, with the possibility of bloodshed and sacrifice, he would not back down!

With Shen Mingji’s recommendation, Xue Xingyao’s younger brother went to join the army.

With one less person at home, Mrs. Xue was constantly worried. To accumulate blessings for her children, she began visiting the Children’s Benevolence Hall even more frequently to care for the children there.

The Xue Family was no longer what it once was. Their family wealth was what remained of her daughter’s former dowry. How could Mrs. Xue have the heart to spend it extravagantly?

Unable to afford donating clothes or medicine, doing good deeds at the Children’s Benevolence Hall was the only thing that could set Mrs. Xue’s mind at ease.

The others weren’t idle either. Mrs. Xue sent her youngest son to study; even if he couldn’t pass the examinations, it was still good for him to learn more about how to conduct himself in the world.

Xue Xingyao had once been a noble lady of the Capital City, and though the Xue Family had fallen on hard times, she still had Mei Wanying to rely on.

Perhaps because they respected Xue Xingyao’s upbringing, or perhaps because they wanted to curry favor with Mei Wanying, many wealthy families in the city wanted to hire Xue Xingyao as a female tutor to teach their daughters how to read and write.

Mrs. Xue thought being a female tutor was a good idea, as she wouldn’t have to show her face in public to earn a living.

She would rather live a simple, impoverished life than have her daughter grovel before others.

Xue Xingyao neither agreed immediately nor refused outright.

She wasn’t against being a female tutor, but she didn’t want to be used and cause trouble for her good friend.

She needed to carefully consider which family to teach for, preferably one with no conflicting interests.

A lower salary was fine; what mattered was not getting dragged into a vortex of interests.

Xue Xingyao had no intention of clinging to the local powerful and wealthy. She had two reasons for being willing to become a female tutor.

First, to earn a living.

Second, to make her days more fulfilling.

Ever since coming to Jiangnan, the people and matters around her had become simpler, and she had grown idle.

The scar on her back still hadn’t faded, but Xue Xingyao had come to terms with it.

As Ah Yin said, it was a mark of her courage, so why should she be obsessed with removing it?

’If someone looks down on me for my scar, that only proves we walk different paths.

Why should I care what they think?’

With the burden in her heart lifted, the wounds deep inside healed even faster.

Now, Xue Xingyao felt unburdened. It was time for a new beginning.

The Xue Family had no roots in Jiangnan. If Xue Xingyao wanted to thoroughly investigate each family before deciding where to teach, she would need Mei Wanying’s help.

When it came to her good friend, Mei Wanying naturally gave it her all.

Within three days, she had the results of her investigation for Xue Xingyao.

"Anyone who can afford a female tutor is, at the very least, a well-to-do family. The town is only so big; it’s impossible for there to be no intersecting interests. You just need to pick a decent, honest family. You don’t need to overthink it."

Mei Wanying wasn’t stupid. ’If others want to use Ah Yao, it’s up to me whether I play along.’

Besides, Ah Yao was very sharp; she wouldn’t let herself be used either.

’Ah Yao just needs to pick a decent, easy-going family and do her job as a tutor.

She doesn’t need to worry about anything else.’

Mei Wanying put on a domineering air. "If anyone dares to use you, I’ll make sure they lose everything!"

Xue Xingyao couldn’t help but laugh. "With you saying that, I’m not afraid of anything."

Mei Wanying said, "You’re going to be a tutor, not selling yourself to them. If anything seems off, you can leave at any time."

"Ah Yao, don’t be so hesitant. I won’t let myself be taken advantage of, and you shouldn’t put yourself in a difficult position either."

Xue Xingyao didn’t want to cause trouble for her friend, but she was also afraid her friend would be taken advantage of.

Mei Wanying’s attitude helped Xue Xingyao relax considerably.

In the end, she chose a well-to-do family that owned an embroidery workshop.

This family’s surname was Xu. They had five daughters, and the elders hoped the girls would learn to read and write, and also pick up skills in household management and accounting.

When it came time to discuss marriage, the more capable a young woman was, the more suitors would come calling.

By being selective, they were bound to find a good match.

And so, the matter of Xue Xingyao becoming a female tutor was settled.

Before she could start teaching at the Xu Family’s home, Mrs. Xue’s birthday arrived.

This was Mrs. Xue’s first birthday since the fall of the Duke Mansion, and Xue Xingyao took it very seriously.

Not wanting her mother to feel sad about the past, she specially arranged a family banquet and invited Mei Wanying and Ling as well.

But unexpectedly, an uninvited guest showed up.

The moment she saw Shen Mingji, Xue Xingyao felt a headache coming on. "You’re this idle?"

Shen Mingji set down his gift and said brazenly, "Little Brother Xue couldn’t come back, so I’m here in his stead..."

For the first time, Xue Xingyao truly understood what it meant to be speechless.

’This man is so thick-skinned.

Then again, if he weren’t so thick-skinned, how could he possibly keep showing up and interacting with them, knowing full well that I’m Chen Shujing’s ex-wife?’

Aside from Pei Yan, Xue Xingyao had never met anyone more thick-skinned than Shen Mingji.

"Who’s your ’little brother’?"

Shen Mingji rubbed the tip of his nose, his tone weakening slightly. "He’s younger than me. What’s wrong with me calling him ’little brother’?"

As he spoke, he cautiously watched Xue Xingyao’s expression.

For some reason, he was afraid of Xue Xingyao.

When they first met, he had found her very proud, like a cat you didn’t want to cross.

Now, she was looking down at him, her gaze as proud as ever.

Shen Mingji felt a little scared, yet he couldn’t control the urge to get closer to her.

The feeling was strange, and he couldn’t make sense of it. He could only follow his heart.

The tall man lowered his head, as if waiting for a scolding from Xue Xingyao.

Mei Wanying, holding Ling, saw this scene from a distance.

A strange feeling washed over her.

’This Shen Mingji... why does he act just like Pei Yan?’

’When that man is trying to act pitiful, he also lowers his head and looks up at me obediently. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Like a loyal wolfhound, hanging on my every word.’

A probing look entered Mei Wanying’s eyes. ’This Shen Mingji... I’m afraid his intentions are not so pure!’