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

Pei Yan leaned over, his tall frame looming over Mei Wanying.

He brushed across her fair, delicate skin, bit by bit.

His movements were gentle, a stark contrast to his cold, stern appearance.

The distance was too close, so close that Mei Wanying couldn’t breathe properly.

The moment she moved, the man cupped her face. "It’s not clean yet."

His gaze was deep, as placid as an ancient well, without a single ripple.

It made Mei Wanying’s inner turmoil seem like a joke!

Mei Wanying pushed at Pei Yan’s shoulder in frustration.

The man reacted quickly, instinctively trying to hold Mei Wanying still to keep her from squirming.

But he was afraid of hurting her, so he followed her momentum and let go.

Emotions churned within Mei Wanying. Her chest heaved, and her almond-shaped eyes were on the verge of breaking down.

"Pei Yan, what on earth are you trying to do?!"

"Just helping you. What did you think I was going to do?"

His tone was light and his expression nonchalant, giving Mei Wanying the mistaken impression that she was the one making a scene.

The anger in her heart burned even hotter.

Mei Wanying felt the urge to cry again. ’Pei Yan is such a bully.’

In the past, he had tried every trick in the book to avoid her, and even when they did meet, he would never give her a pleasant look.

Now that she had given up, he was provoking her again.

’Does seeing me suffer make him happy?’

The tears she had just managed to stop moments ago began to roll from her eyes once more.

They streamed down her porcelain-white skin, slid to the tip of her delicate chin, and finally dripped onto her embroidered dress.

Mei Wanying didn’t want to cry, but she couldn’t control it.

A sense of powerlessness threatened to consume her. ’What do I have to do to get away from these people?’

Watching her cry, Pei Yan’s breathing grew heavier. "What are you crying for?"

His hands, resting on his knees, clenched tightly as he desperately suppressed something.

’Does Mei Wanying hate me this much?’

’Hate me so much she doesn’t even want to be in my carriage?’

’It wasn’t like this before.’

Mei Wanying looked at Pei Yan in despair. "I don’t like you anymore! I won’t pester you again! Whether you marry Xue Yunshu or someone else, can you just stay away from me? Don’t ever appear before me again! And stop pretending to be nice to me—it’s so hypocritical!"

Pei Yan didn’t mind being called a hypocrite.

The first two sentences echoed in his mind: Mei Wanying didn’t like him anymore.

’How is that possible!’

Pei Yan didn’t believe it.

’If she could let go so easily, would she have chased after him for so many years?’

As for who Xue Yunshu was, he had no idea.

’That surname... She must be the daughter of the Duke Mansion.’

Pei Yan recalled his last visit to the palace, when his mother had asked him to choose someone.

He hadn’t even looked at the portraits then, just pointed at one perfunctorily. He never expected his mother to take it seriously, let alone tell Mei Wanying about it.

No one knew better than Pei Yan just how possessive Mei Wanying was of him.

Mei Wanying always said he was her child husband and demanded that he behave himself and not look at other girls when he was out.

Not even a single glance was allowed!

Pei Yan thought to himself, ’Mei Wanying can’t follow me around all the time. She wouldn’t know if I looked or not.’

’Making such a demand... She’s so childish.’

He scoffed. ’It’s a good thing there are no women in the military camp, or I’d be looking all day!’

’She’s so possessive. It’s no wonder she’d throw a tantrum after hearing I’m going to marry someone, and that a candidate has already been chosen.’

’No wonder she’s crying.’

’No wonder she’s resisting my approach and telling me to get lost.’

It all made sense now.

Pei Yan pinched the bridge of his nose and said helplessly, "If you don’t like her, I won’t marry her. She’s an insignificant person. Is it worth getting so worked up you cry over her?"

Mei Wanying’s eyes widened. She looked so shocked that she even forgot to cry.

The corners of Pei Yan’s mouth quirked up, but he quickly flattened them.

He gave a fake cough. "Even if I don’t marry her, I’ll marry someone else. I only see you as a younger sister."

The implication was a reminder to Mei Wanying not to get any ideas.

Just because he wasn’t marrying Xue Yunshu didn’t mean he would marry Mei Wanying.

Pei Yan’s tone was indifferent. "You should prepare yourself. The day will come when I take a wife, and I don’t want you to cause another scene and make everyone unhappy."

Pei Yan had no expectations for marriage. In his position, any marriage would be a relationship of mutual exploitation.

He had to admit, though, that Mei Wanying was special.

He could use anyone, but he was unwilling to use Mei Wanying.

’Just let her live a peaceful life.’

’Marry a man from a respectable family and live out the rest of her life well.’

A flicker of loss crossed Pei Yan’s heart, fleeting and gone before he could grasp it.

Meeting the man’s cold eyes, at that moment, Mei Wanying felt nothing at all.

No matter what she said or did, Pei Yan thought she was just throwing a tantrum.

Besides, he was already prepared to marry. He would marry anyone—just not her.

Since they were both ready to cut ties, why let the feelings linger?

Mei Wanying was truly tired.

Not wanting to say anything more to Pei Yan, she leaned against the carriage wall and closed her eyes to rest.

She was turned to the side, her fair, swan-like neck exposed to the air. Her dangling earrings swayed, and Pei Yan found himself mesmerized.

What he had originally planned to say was forgotten.

The carriage became unusually quiet. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Pei Yan found himself unconsciously recalling the past, when he had refused to acknowledge Mei Wanying and would close his eyes to rest the moment he boarded the carriage.

Mei Wanying, not the least bit reserved, would stare at him without blinking.

She would even lean in close to count his eyelashes.

Every time, he would get so angry he’d curse at her and want to throw her out of the carriage.

It was clearly the same face, but the person before him now was utterly indifferent. The one closing her eyes to rest was now her.

The one proactively drawing a line between them was also her.

Pei Yan was lost in his own thoughts.

He didn’t snap out of it until the carriage stopped. They had arrived at the Mei Mansion.

Mei Wanying rose, eager to get out of the carriage.

Pei Yan reacted quickly, stretching out a long leg to block the carriage door.

Mei Wanying’s eyelid twitched.

The emotions she had worked so hard to calm began to churn once more.

Her slender fingers dug into the inner wall of the carriage. Mei Wanying exhaled, just barely managing to keep her composure.

"Your Highness, what is your command?"

Pei Yan himself didn’t know why he had stopped Mei Wanying.

His body’s reaction was completely beyond his mind’s control.

Being stared at by those clear, almond-shaped eyes, Pei Yan felt an urge to crawl into a hole and hide.

’I must be sick in the head!’

’Why else would I do something like this?’

’I don’t even like Mei Wanying. If she wants to give me the cold shoulder, let her. At least I’ll get some peace and quiet!’

’I’m leaving the capital in a few days. By the time Mei Wanying wants to stop this cold war, she won’t even be able to find me.’

’Let’s see if she regrets it then!’

Pei Yan lifted his sharp, chiseled chin, his expression cold and proud.

"You still haven’t given me an answer."

"Hm?"

Mei Wanying didn’t understand.

Pei Yan: "Who do you want to marry?"

Mei Wanying laughed in exasperation. ’He’s still fixated on this.’

’Pei Yan won’t be at ease until he marries me off!’

"Your Highness, you’re really going to great lengths for my sake!"

Of course Pei Yan had gone to great lengths; he had meticulously curated that list.

The men on the list were not only from respectable families and possessed outstanding scholarly achievements, but their back courtyards were also "clean"—no concubines, no mistresses. They were also handsome enough that they wouldn’t offend Mei Wanying’s eyes.

Pei Yan: "I’ll be leaving the capital in a few days. I hope you can make a decision before then. If you don’t like any of those men..."

Mei Wanying cut him off. "The first one is fine."

She hadn’t seen the list and had no idea who it was.

She just wanted Pei Yan to get lost already!