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

Pei Yan knew Mei Wanying didn’t want to see him, but he couldn’t stop himself from coming to Jiangnan.

Now that he had seen her, he was even more reluctant to leave.

The man reached out, tentatively touching Mei Wanying’s fingers as he asked gingerly, "Ah Yin, let’s make up, alright?"

The moment the calloused pads of his fingers brushed against hers, Mei Wanying snatched her hand back and turned to go downstairs.

As she walked away, his heart went with her, and he instinctively moved to follow.

Mei Wanying turned and glared at him. "Don’t follow me!"

The man froze in place, his face a picture of helplessness and dejection.

His deep eyes rested on Mei Wanying, his expression innocent and aggrieved.

"Ah Yin..."

Mei Wanying: "Shut up!"

As her beautiful eyes misted over, Pei Yan felt a pang in his heart. "Don’t cry. I won’t follow you."

Every time he appeared, Ah Yin cried. It was as if each tear fell directly onto his heart.

The pain left him breathless.

Pei Yan no longer dared to act recklessly or force her to stay by his side against her will.

He didn’t want Mei Wanying to cry. He didn’t want her to be heartbroken, nor did he want her to ruin her eyes from crying so much.

Her eyesight was already poor, making it difficult for her to see at night.

’I can’t let her cry anymore.’

The man remained rooted to the spot, not daring to take a single step, not even daring to let his gaze fall on Mei Wanying.

He was afraid he would lose control, pull her into his arms, and never let her go again.

Mei Wanying reached the turn of the staircase and looked back. The man stood in the shadows with his eyes downcast, cloaked in a cold solitude that made him look as if he’d been abandoned.

The prouder he had once been, the more humbled he appeared now.

Who would believe this was the decisive master of the realm?

A mist of tears welled in her eyes, blurring her vision.

Mei Wanying rested a hand on the railing, her voice trembling. "Pei Yan, are you an idiot?"

The man’s head snapped up, a light flashing in his dark eyes. He took two steps forward but then stopped, suspecting he had misheard.

’How could Ah Yin possibly talk to me first?’

’She cries the moment she sees me. She doesn’t want to see me at all.’

Emotions surged within him. The man’s jaw tightened as he fought the powerful urge to walk toward Mei Wanying.

’Ah Yin didn’t call me.’

’It must have been my imagination.’

The man turned his back, not daring to even let his peripheral vision fall on Mei Wanying. By not looking and not listening, he could control himself and avoid doing anything to vex her.

The sound of footsteps on the stairs echoed, and Pei Yan grew even more dejected, his thoughts turning hazy.

’Ah Yin is leaving.’

’She’s never going to let me see her again...’

Slender, soft arms wrapped around his waist like vines, and Pei Yan’s body went rigid.

She said through gritted teeth, "If I walk away now, I’m never coming back."

The corners of the man’s lips trembled, and his eyes began to turn red. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

"Pei Yan, this is the last time I’m forgiving you. If there’s a next time, I..."

Grabbing Wanying’s wrist, the man spun around and pulled her into his embrace, cutting her off.

"There won’t be a next time."

"This life, the next, and the one after that... Ah Yin, you’ll never have a chance to leave me again."

Pei Yan held her with immense strength, terrified that she would leave him again.

His heart pounded—THUMP THUMP—with the lingering fear of someone who had just survived a catastrophe.

All the misunderstandings and emotional barriers between them had been resolved. Pei Yan had no more secrets from Mei Wanying.

The sword that had been hanging over their heads was finally gone.

They would never be separated again.

Pei Yan hugged the woman in his arms even tighter, the muscles in his arms bulging, a testament to the force he was using.

As if that still wasn’t enough, he cradled the back of Mei Wanying’s neck and lowered his head to kiss her.

This time, Mei Wanying didn’t push him away.

Instead, she wrapped her arms around his lean waist.

With hurried, stumbling steps, they made their way into Pei Yan’s private room.

The door closed once more.

...

When the storm had passed, lanterns were already lit along the long street.

Mei Wanying had sent Ding Xiang back to the estate earlier, telling her to bring some of the restaurant’s signature dishes to her mother and Ling.

The estate had its own cook—a very good one, at that—but eating out was a nice change of pace.

Pei Yan frequently traveled to Jiangnan, and besides the mansion, he had acquired other properties as well.

He planned to give them all to Mei Wanying and Ling one day.

This very restaurant was one of them. From its highest private room, one could overlook the entire bustling city.

Mei Wanying sat by the window, her back to Pei Yan, fixing her hair.

The man came over to cling to her again, pressing his broad, firm chest against her back.

He wrapped his long arms around her, smoothing the loose front of her robes and retying the sash.

The man’s features were soft, the corners of his lips turned up in a smile, and his gaze never left Wanying for a second.

He looked utterly content. Where was the pitiful man from before?

He asked Wanying, "Should we have dinner before heading back to the estate?"

It was getting late, and Mei Wanying needed to get back to put her daughter to bed.

If they dallied any longer, her mother and the others would start to worry.

She shook her head. "We’ll eat at home."

Pei Yan deferred to her. Resting a palm on Mei Wanying’s flat stomach, he figured she must be hungry.

"Have a little something to tide you over."

He leaned over, picked up a pastry, and held it to her lips.

Mei Wanying chided him playfully, "Stop messing around. You’re just like Ling."

Ling also loved to make a fuss while she was getting ready, one moment feeding her a snack, the next offering her a drink.

And Wanying wasn’t allowed to refuse.

Ling was still little, but she was already quite vain. She would even take Mei Wanying’s rouge and smear it on her own small face.

Every time she got into mischief, it would end in utter chaos.

Pei Yan nudged the pastry closer, saying with perfect justification, "I’m holding it for you. It won’t interfere with you doing your hair."

’How could it not interfere when he’s this close?’

Mei Wanying shot Pei Yan a look. "No wonder Ling loves to cause trouble. She gets it from you."

As she spoke, she took a bite of the sweet pastry.

She had been busy all day, leaving the city to handle several matters before rushing back without a moment’s rest.

And just a moment ago, she and Pei Yan had... Mei Wanying blushed. She really was hungry.

The blush that spread across her stunning face was more captivating than the finest rouge.

Pei Yan couldn’t resist placing a soft kiss on her cheek.

’He really, truly loved his Ah Yin.’

He was grateful their bond ran deep enough that, after so many years of fighting and fussing, they were still by each other’s side.

Once Mei Wanying had finished tidying her appearance, Pei Yan led her out the back door of the restaurant.

The family carriage was waiting there. Mei Wanying climbed into the cabin.

The short walk was enough to make her legs feel weak.

Seeing Pei Yan follow her in, Mei Wanying pushed at him. "Get out."

Pei Yan: "..."

’Everything was so good just a moment ago. How could she turn on me so suddenly?’

The man looked aggrieved but ordered the coachman to return to the estate.

He sat down in the spot farthest from Mei Wanying, stealing glances at her from the corner of his eye.

A long while passed, and Mei Wanying still made no move to placate him.

Pei Yan’s voice was mournful. "Ah Yin, was my performance lacking?"

Mei Wanying nearly choked. "What nonsense are you spouting? Have you no shame?"

Afraid he’d say something even more outrageous, Mei Wanying leaned over and covered the man’s mouth with her hand.

Her palm was warm, and a faint, pleasant scent seemed to emanate from her skin.

It was a lovely scent, one that put Pei Yan at ease.

The man was mesmerized. He gave her palm a light nip.

A tingling sensation shot through her palm. Mei Wanying’s cheeks flushed crimson as she lightly slapped the man’s handsome face.

"Can you just behave yourself for a minute?"

Pei Yan chuckled. "Ah Yin, I feel so doted on."

He knew her temper. She would never act this way toward a man she truly disliked.

Mei Wanying: "..."

’Sure enough, he was still the same madman!’

’He hadn’t changed one bit!’