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

Mei Wanying got out of the carriage and walked away without looking back.

Her steps were hurried, carrying an unspoken urgency.

Only after her slender figure vanished behind the mansion gates did the scowling Pei Yan finally look away.

He tutted. ’What’s so great about the man she picked?’

’Just some frail scholar!’

’He can’t carry a thing on his shoulders or lift anything heavy.’

’Completely devoid of any masculinity.’

’The men after him were so much better. What kind of taste does Mei Wanying have, picking the worst of the lot!’

When Mei Wanying wasn’t getting married, Pei Yan found her annoying.

Now that she was actually getting married, he wasn’t happy either.

A knot of frustration tightened in Pei Yan’s chest, leaving him feeling uncomfortable all over, but he had no way to relieve it.

He pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose. ’This is so unlike me.’

’No wonder Mei Wanying gave him the cold shoulder. He felt like something was wrong with him, too.’

No matter what Mei Wanying did, he found fault with it, always wanting to pick a fight.

’Good thing Mei Wanying ran off so quickly, or he would have poked at her with a few more barbs.’

Pei Yan told himself that he saw Mei Wanying as a younger sister, so it was only natural to disapprove of her future husband.

’It’ll be fine after a while.’

’Mei Wanying can’t just not get married forever.’

If General Mei hadn’t passed away, forcing her into three years of mourning, she might have already had children by now.

’Children...’

At this thought, Pei Yan’s expression darkened even further.

’Mei Wanying’s children would definitely be just as foolish and annoying as she is!’

He knocked twice on the carriage wall. "Back to the manor!"

He should have returned to the manor long ago. He had only turned back because he was afraid Mei Wanying would say the wrong thing and be punished by his mother, the Empress, so he had turned back.

He never expected Mei Wanying to be so ungrateful.

Not only did she not thank him, but she also gave him a frosty look.

When Mei Wanying was unhappy, she liked to give people the silent treatment.

Pei Yan was used to it.

’Just let her cool down on her own,’ he thought. ’Once she’s thought it through, she’ll go back to her old self.’

The carriage pulled away from the Mei Mansion. With a jolt, a blood-stained handkerchief drifted down and into Pei Yan’s line of sight.

The handkerchief was a plain color, embroidered with several life-like orchid leaves.

It had fallen from where Mei Wanying had been sitting.

The man’s eyes flickered. His long, slender fingers pinched a corner of the embroidered handkerchief.

When he saw the small character "Yan" embroidered in a corner with silver thread, he couldn’t help but let out a derisive laugh.

’What girl is as bold as she is?’

’She’s truly shameless!’

Crumpling the handkerchief into a ball in his palm, a look of understanding dawned in Pei Yan’s eyes.

’No wonder she just randomly picked a man. So, she was trying to give me a taste of my own medicine.’

Taking Mei Wanying’s young age into account, Pei Yan decided not to hold it against her.

Marriage was a serious matter that determined the rest of a woman’s life. Marrying the wrong person would ruin her entire life.

It had to be considered with extreme care.

He wouldn’t rush her anymore. He would let Mei Wanying take her time to choose.

Lest she rush into a decision and jump into a pit of fire.

When he left the Capital City, he would ask his mother, the Empress, to help look after Mei Wanying and not let the Crown Prince get near her.

...

When Mei Wanying returned to the mansion, her mother was already waiting for her in the front hall.

There was a guest sitting in the hall.

With just one look at the guest’s slender figure, Mei Wanying knew who it was.

Her eyes, still carrying the last traces of her anger, brightened as she hurried into the main hall.

Hearing footsteps, Xue Xingyao turned and came over to greet her, a worried expression on her face.

"I went out of town with my mother to visit relatives a while ago, and as soon as I got back, I heard you were sick. How are you? How are you feeling now?"

Seeing her close friend, the fire that Pei Yan had ignited in Mei Wanying was instantly extinguished.

A genuine smile appeared on her face.

In her past life, after she married Pei Yan, Xue Xingyao had promptly married and moved to another region.

They hadn’t seen each other in a very, very long time.

Mei Wanying missed her terribly.

Spreading her arms slightly, she spun around in front of Xue Xingyao, blinking playfully with girlish charm. "These past few days, all I’ve done is eat and sleep. I might have even gotten a little fatter."

"Nonsense, you’ve clearly gotten thinner."

Mei Wanying had an oval face, a very auspicious look, but now she was so thin that her chin had become pointed.

She had truly suffered a lot these past few days.

Xue Xingyao held onto Mei Wanying’s arm. She had so much she wanted to say to her.

Looking at Mrs. Mei, she said with a beaming smile, "Aunt Su, I’d like to go for a walk in the garden with Ah Yin and chat for a bit."

Mrs. Mei was more than happy to have someone keep her daughter company and lift her spirits.

But she was still worried about that matter, and she didn’t know what the Empress had said.

As if mother and daughter shared one mind, Mei Wanying said in a relaxed tone, "The Empress said she will restrain the Crown Prince and told us not to worry anymore. I also mentioned returning to our ancestral home in Jiangnan, and the Empress didn’t object."

If she hadn’t been sensible, the Empress wouldn’t have helped her solve this problem.

She might have even tripped her up to teach her a lesson.

Mei Wanying was very clear on this point.

"What? You’re going back to Jiangnan!" Xue Xingyao looked anxious, desperate to ask for details.

Mrs. Mei waved her hand. "Go on and have your private chat."

’It’s good to return to our ancestral home.’

’It’s true that there’s trouble wherever there are people, but the Mei family has connections in Jiangnan. If something really happened, the two of them wouldn’t be helpless.’

’As long as they don’t deal with the Royal Family and don’t get caught up in power struggles, even if the Mei family has fallen on hard times, she can still protect Ah Yin.’

’Returning to our ancestral home is a good thing!’

Having put her mother’s mind at ease, Mei Wanying took Xue Xingyao to the garden.

The maids and old servants followed at a distance, unable to hear the contents of their conversation.

Xue Xingyao asked, "Did you find out about it? That the Empress is finding a wife for Pei Yan? Is that why you want to go back to Jiangnan?"

It was only after returning to the Capital City that Xue Xingyao found out. Her and Xue Yunshu’s portraits had already been sent to the palace on her grandmother’s orders.

All the noble families with daughters of a suitable age had sent portraits to the palace. It wasn’t something Xue Xingyao could control, but she still felt guilty.

She felt that she had let Mei Wanying down.

After all, she knew how much her best friend liked Pei Yan. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Xue Xingyao did not like Pei Yan.

A grown man who wore a perpetual scowl—he just wasn’t likable.

’It would be hard enough to be friends with such a person, let alone a husband. The thought is terrifying.’

Xue Xingyao had often questioned Mei Wanying’s taste. How could she have fallen for that block of ice, Pei Yan?

She immediately clarified her stance to Mei Wanying. "This trip I took out of the capital, on the surface it was to visit relatives, but it was actually to meet a potential match. The Chen Family is a prominent noble family there, and their eldest legitimate son is exceptionally talented, gentle, and considerate."

Xue Xingyao blushed. "I think he’s wonderful."

"So, I would never fall for Pei Yan. Even if I were chosen, my mother would find a way to get me out of it."

"My mother said that Pei Yan is a Prince. He’s bound to have many women in the future. In families like theirs, having many women is one thing, but it’s also a life-threatening situation!"

"My mother said she’s endured a lifetime of hardship, and she absolutely won’t let me go through the same, nor will she give anyone the chance to harm me."

The Xue Family was already wealthy enough; Mrs. Xue didn’t need to sacrifice the rest of her daughter’s life just to add more glory to the Xue Family’s name.

Marrying into the Royal Family looked glorious on the surface, but it came with a much greater price behind the scenes.

It was much better to marry into a noble family of equal social standing!

Mei Wanying squeezed Xue Xingyao’s hand, feeling happy for her.

In her past life, she had also married the eldest legitimate son of the Chen Family. After their marriage, the couple lived in harmony, treating each other with mutual respect.

"You don’t have to feel sorry. It’s not like you stole anything from me."

Xue Xingyao countered, "But isn’t he your child husband? The one no one else is allowed to even look at?"

Mei Wanying choked, feeling extremely awkward.

"That was just a joke. You can’t take it seriously."

Xue Xingyao had been very afraid that this matter would affect their friendship.

Seeing that Mei Wanying didn’t blame her, the weight in her heart was finally lifted.

It was also at this moment that Xue Xingyao noticed something unusual about Mei Wanying.

"Pei Yan is discussing marriage prospects, and you’re not sad?"

Mei Wanying shook her head. "His business has nothing to do with me."

"How could it have nothing to do with you?"

Xue Xingyao asked cautiously, "Did he do something to hurt you?"