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

Mei Wanying was carrying a child in her belly. Although it wasn’t showing yet, she was terrified of being discovered.

She lived in seclusion, never taking a single step out the main gate.

Fortunately, the residence they had acquired was large enough for her to stroll through the gardens when she needed a distraction.

Otherwise, if she continued to be cooped up like this, she’d be thankful just to avoid falling ill from boredom, let alone recuperate.

Though she was well-protected, Mei Wanying’s heart was still unsettled.

’I’m afraid Pei Yan’s men will appear again.’

’I’m also afraid someone is watching me in secret. If so, my pregnancy will be exposed sooner or later.’

She had originally thought that leaving the Capital City meant putting the past behind her and starting a new life.

Only now did she understand that whether the past could be left behind wasn’t up to her. It depended on whether those people in the Capital City were willing to let her go.

Pei Yan was one of them.

As for the Crown Prince... he was gravely injured. It was said his hand was nearly crippled, and it would take at least half a year to a year of recovery before it returned to normal.

His closest confidants from the same faction were also being suppressed by the Emperor.

With the added pressure from Pei Yan’s side, he shouldn’t have the spare capacity to trouble her.

Then there was the Empress, who had constantly urged her to marry, afraid she would become a stumbling block on Pei Yan’s path to power.

Now, there was no news from that front, and no one was pushing her to marry anymore. But if Pei Yan’s people came to bother her again, the eyes of the Crown Prince, Empress Gu, and all the others would fall on her once more.

No matter where she went, even to the ends of the earth, she could not escape their hold.

The mere thought made Mei Wanying feel drained of all strength.

Her heart was weighed down by too many worries. She spent every day on edge, and even after more than a month of recuperation, her health hadn’t improved.

On the contrary, her inability to eat or sleep caused her to lose weight rapidly.

The last traces of youthfulness and naivety vanished from her face, revealing her exquisite bone structure.

Unlike her former coy and lively self, the current Mei Wanying possessed a cold and aloof temperament, her beauty so otherworldly she looked like a fairy who had descended to the mortal realm.

But the beauty’s delicate brows were always furrowed, her eyes filled with an inescapable sorrow.

She was a sight that would stir pity in anyone’s heart.

Mrs. Mei and her personal attendants tried every means to console her, but to no avail.

Mei Wanying was trapped.

Unless she could resolve the turmoil in her heart, she would never get better.

Standing before the bronze mirror, Mei Wanying lifted her moon-white gauze robe and observed her belly in the reflection.

She had lost a lot of weight, her limbs and waist growing ever more slender. She measured her stomach with her hand. She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but she felt her belly had begun to swell slightly.

Leaning closer to the mirror for a careful look, she saw that her previously flat abdomen did indeed show signs of rising.

This sent a jolt of panic through Mei Wanying.

She could feel the child in her belly growing day by day. Before long, her pregnancy would become obvious.

She had experienced all of this in her past life.

Once it started to show, she would feel the baby move. The child in her belly would communicate with her in its own way.

The child from her last life had been very mischievous, moving most vigorously after waking up, punching and kicking inside her belly.

She would have to talk to it, hum tunes for it, and soothe it with a soft, gentle voice before it would quiet down.

Every reaction was telling Mei Wanying that she was truly nurturing a life.

A life connected to her by blood!

In her past life, Mei Wanying had felt blessed by the heavens, so overjoyed she was practically delirious.

But the Mei Wanying of this moment was terrified. ’I can’t develop feelings for this child.’

’It should never have existed in the first place!’

She pulled her gauze robe closed, covering her snow-white skin and hiding the faint curve of her belly.

Mei Wanying composed herself and called for Ding Xiang. "Have the doctor come again."

’I don’t want to wait any longer.’

’I can’t let it grow. I can’t let myself develop feelings for it. Otherwise, Pei Yan and I will never be able to make a clean break!’

A look of grim determination settled on Mei Wanying’s face.

Ding Xiang looked like she wanted to say something, but in the end, she obediently went to fetch the doctor.

’No amount of comfort from me will help. At a time like this, the young miss just wants to solve the problem.’

’Once the problem is gone, her health will naturally improve.’

’I’ll just let the doctor talk to her.’

’Right now, the doctor is the only one she’ll listen to.’

The doctor lived in a nearby courtyard. When Ding Xiang went to find him, he was nowhere to be seen.

She called over a serving woman and asked, only to learn that the doctor had gone to the front courtyard.

"Mrs. Mei and Nanny Liu both went. It seems some important person has arrived..."

Ding Xiang didn’t wait to hear the rest, instead jogging toward the front courtyard to investigate.

Her heart was pounding.

’Don’t tell me Prince Chen has sent someone again?’

’He wasn’t like this before. He used to have this ’keep away from me’ air about him all day long, acting like he couldn’t get far enough away from the young miss.’

’It was no exaggeration to call him a block of ice.’

’How did he suddenly turn into such a persistent leech?’

’He can’t come himself, so he sends people to make trouble in turns.’

’How shameless!’

Mei Wanying’s pregnancy was a secret that absolutely could not be known by outsiders.

Ding Xiang decided to check on the situation first, then report back to her young miss.

That way, she could be mentally prepared.

「In the front courtyard.」

The Imperial Physician sent by Pei Yan was insisting on seeing Mei Wanying in person. "If I don’t take Miss Mei’s pulse myself, I won’t be able to report back."

The people from Prince Chen Mansion had made it clear: he must conduct a thorough examination. If Miss Mei had some ailment that he failed to detect, he would be the one held responsible.

They also said that no matter what illness Miss Mei had, the Prince Chen Mansion would be responsible for finding any medicinal herbs she needed.

In short, this Miss Mei was very important—so important that he had to leave the Capital City in secret just to diagnose and treat her.

If he couldn’t even see her, how could he possibly report back?

Mrs. Mei smiled gracefully. "Ah Yin is truly fine. She was just unaccustomed to the new climate, and her eye condition flared up. That’s why we stopped here to rest."

Everyone knew that Mei Wanying’s eye condition was incurable.

Regardless of the truth, the Imperial Physician’s task was to diagnose Mei Wanying personally.

"Mrs. Mei, please don’t make things difficult for me. I am only acting on orders."

Mrs. Mei was cursing Pei Yan in her heart.

’He was dead set against marrying Ah Yin before, and even pushed her to a dead end.’

’Now he’s pestering her relentlessly. What on earth is he trying to do?’

Mrs. Mei couldn’t fathom Pei Yan’s intentions. Even she felt exhausted by it all, to say nothing of Ah Yin, the person at the center of it.

Pei Yan had a noble status and held great power; he had the luxury of acting on a whim.

But Ah Yin was different. One wrong step for her would lead to a fall from which she could never recover.

Mrs. Mei’s head began to ache. "This is the Household Doctor who takes Ah Yin’s pulse daily. Let him tell you about Ah Yin’s condition, and you can report back. While you’re at it, please relay a message to Prince Chen for me. I am planning to arrange a marriage for Ah Yin. From now on, His Highness need not concern himself with Ah Yin’s affairs. Her future husband will be there to solve her problems."

The marriage arrangement was a lie, but if it could make Pei Yan back off, what was the harm in deceiving him once?

If Pei Yan were to place blame, she would bear it all herself. It would have nothing to do with Ah Yin.

’Besides, Pei Yan wanted Ah Yin to marry anyway. Words, once spoken, are like spilled water; he can’t deny them.’

’If this entanglement with Pei Yan continues, how can Ah Yin’s body possibly endure being on edge all day?’

’She’s carrying a child in her belly!’

Seeing that he was clearly unwelcome, the Imperial Physician’s face fell. "It’s not that I want to make things difficult for you, but it’s truly impossible for me to report back like this."

’These people are desperately trying to stop me from seeing Miss Mei. Could it be that they’re hiding something?’

A sharp glint flashed in the Imperial Physician’s eyes.

’I must see Miss Mei and find out what kind of "illness" she really has!’