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

Ding Xiang came running back, out of breath.

"Miss, this is bad!"

Mei Wanying’s heart sank; she had a bad feeling.

Ding Xiang spoke in a rush. "Prince Chen sent someone again! This time, it’s an Imperial Physician! He insists on seeing you. Mrs. Mei couldn’t stop them, and they’re already heading for the rear courtyard."

The porcelain cup in her hand trembled, and a few drops of warm water splashed onto the back of her fair hand.

A sense of grim inevitability settled over Mei Wanying.

Pei Yan still wouldn’t leave her be.

He was unhappy when she clung to him.

And now that she’d tactfully left, he was still dissatisfied.

’In Pei Yan’s eyes, is my very breathing a mistake?’

Ding Xiang had barely returned when a person sent by Mrs. Mei arrived. "Miss, the mistress asks you to prepare. The doctor from the Capital wants to take your pulse personally."

Mei Wanying’s expression was calm, but Ding Xiang was growing frantic.

"Miss, what are we going to do?"

’Never mind an Imperial Physician; even a quack off the street could tell that the miss is pregnant.’

Ding Xiang was nearly dying of anxiety. "Should we go out and lay low for a while?"

Mei Wanying said, "We can hide for now, but not forever."

Ding Xiang: "Then what should we do?"

’If they diagnose this, Prince Chen will definitely find out.’

’Pregnancy before marriage... It’s a cataclysmic scandal!’

’With His Highness’s temper, who knows if he’d kill the Crown Prince or come after our miss?’

’He’d probably do both...’

’And then there are the nobles in the palace.’

’The Empress and the Crown Princess Consort would never want the miss to give birth to the Crown Prince’s child.’

’Even though the miss doesn’t want to have it either...’

’As for the Crown Prince, he already wanted the miss to enter the Eastern Palace and become his Concubine.’

’If he found out, he might use it as leverage to force the miss to marry him.’

’If this gets out, her reputation will be utterly destroyed.’

Ding Xiang didn’t dare to imagine the terrible storm of blood and gore that would follow.

Mei Wanying had been on edge day in and day out, terrified that more people would arrive from the Capital City.

Now that they had truly arrived, her restless heart, paradoxically, settled.

"Go lie down on the bed."

"Huh?" Ding Xiang was baffled.

Following Mei Wanying’s gaze, she saw the curtained canopy bed.

She understood in an instant.

’Normally, I’m not allowed to lie on the miss’s bed. It would be a transgression.’

’But this is an emergency. Keeping the miss’s secret is more important.’

Mei Wanying took out a silk dress and had Ding Xiang change into it.

Ding Xiang was Mei Wanying’s personal head maid and wasn’t required to do menial chores.

When they were out, she represented Mei Wanying’s public image.

Her food, clothing, and general care were better than that of a young lady from an ordinary family, so her skin was fair and delicate.

Mei Wanying’s everyday clothes were exquisitely tailored from the finest fabrics. Wearing them, Ding Xiang looked even more elegant than usual.

As Mei Wanying had instructed, she lay down on the bed.

With the bed curtains drawn, only a vague silhouette was visible.

Mei Wanying’s beauty was so striking that anyone who saw her would never forget her. Afraid of being found out, Ding Xiang undid her hair buns and used her long hair to cover one side of her face.

Her heart was pounding furiously from nerves.

"Don’t be nervous. The Imperial Physician will be able to tell from your pulse."

Ding Xiang didn’t want to be nervous, but she couldn’t help it. This was too big!

Mei Wanying reassured her, "It’s best if we can fool him. But if we’re found out, it’s not the end of the world. What’s he going to do, kill me?"

She couldn’t control what others did.

All she could do was react as things happened.

She had died once before. It was only by heaven’s grace that she had a second chance at life.

She cherished this life more than anyone.

Though she feared the rumors and gossip, dying because of them was out of the question.

Do your best and let heaven do the rest.

She hadn’t reached a dead end yet; there was no need to be frightened to death.

The weight on Mei Wanying’s heart lifted slightly, and she felt much more at ease.

With the arrival of people from the Capital, the thing she had been dreading had finally come to pass, which paradoxically put her more at ease.

’If I can just get through this, everything will be fine!’

Mei Wanying patted Ding Xiang’s hand. "Don’t be afraid. If anything happens, I’ll be here to handle it."

Ding Xiang’s eyes welled up with tears.

’Our miss is such a good person,’ she thought. ’Why must her fate be so harsh?’

’She’s suffered constantly since the day she was born...’

Taking a deep breath, her sympathy for Mei Wanying overwhelmed her own nervousness.

"I’m not afraid," Ding Xiang said.

Voices drifted in from the courtyard. Nanny Liu was deliberately speaking in a loud voice, "This is the Imperial Physician from the Capital City, here especially to treat our miss! Go prepare tea and entertain our guest properly!"

She then offered to lead the Imperial Physician to the flower hall for tea. "If you would please wait a moment, sir, and allow our miss to prepare."

This was a young lady’s private courtyard; one couldn’t simply barge in.

The Imperial Physician agreed to the arrangement and went to the flower hall to wait. As long as he could see Miss Mei, take her pulse, and report back to the Capital, he was willing to be patient.

Mrs. Mei, worried that her daughter wasn’t ready, was about to go give her some last-minute instructions when she saw a familiar figure slip into a side room.

She was wearing Ding Xiang’s clothes, and though her face wasn’t visible, that was her own flesh and blood. How could Mrs. Mei not recognize her?

And so, she understood her daughter’s plan.

’Hiding is impossible. We can only find a way to get through this.’

Mrs. Mei felt a little more at ease.

’That girl, Ding Xiang, grew up with Ah Yin, so she’s very familiar with her habits. It has to be her for this to work without raising suspicion.’

’This is the first time she’s done something like this, so Ding Xiang must be nervous. It’s best to give her some time to calm down.’

After letting the Imperial Physician finish a cup of tea, Mrs. Mei personally led him into Mei Wanying’s bedchamber.

The gauze curtains were drawn. The person behind them snorted coldly. "Tell his man to get lost! Don’t come here and offend my eyes!"

Mrs. Mei: "..."

Nanny Liu: "..."

Mei Wanying, listening intently from the side room, felt the corner of her mouth twitch.

She couldn’t help but chuckle.

’That girl,’ she thought, ’she’s got the impression down perfectly!’

’Just from the voice, anyone who doesn’t know me well would really believe it’s me.’

Seeing the drawn curtains, the Imperial Physician grew suspicious, thinking the Mei family was trying to fool him.

But the voice was indeed Miss Mei’s. Her proud and willful nature was well-known throughout the Capital City.

He had been the one to treat Miss Mei previously, after her "incident," when His Highness had brought her back to the Prince Mansion.

The Imperial Physician’s suspicions faded. "Miss Mei, His Highness heard that you were unwell and was very concerned. He ordered me to come and examine you."

Ding Xiang rolled her eyes.

But her tone was sorrowful. "His Highness wanted me to leave, and I did as he asked. But now he refuses to leave me be. What more must I do to be granted a moment of peace?"

The Imperial Physician looked moved.

’It’s no secret that His Highness rejects Miss Mei and dislikes intimacy,’ he thought.

’Everyone in the Capital City is saying that by leaving this time, Miss Mei must have finally given up on His Highness.’

’They said that from now on, they would go their separate ways, marrying others and having nothing more to do with each other.’

’If the Crown Prince also gave up on Miss Mei, then all the Noble Children would rush to her door, seeking her hand in marriage.’

’General Mei was a great hero. He may be gone, but his old network of subordinates remains.’

’As long as the Royal Family doesn’t interfere, marrying Miss Mei would be a great benefit to any family.’

’Mei Wanying is still an unmarried maiden. After all she has been through, she deserves some pity.’

’But if I don’t complete my task properly, I’ll be the one in for a world of trouble!’

"Miss Mei, if you please."

’If I listen to any more of this, my conscience will start to bother me!’

Ding Xiang gritted her teeth. ’He really is one of Pei Yan’s men,’ she thought.

’Just like him.’

’Cold-blooded!’

’Heartless!’

She was dizzy with anger.

A fair, slender hand extended from behind the curtain. The Imperial Physician quickly stepped forward to take the pulse. It was the pulse of someone suffering from extreme anger and anxiety.

This was consistent with the information he had received.

There was no major illness. The Imperial Physician let out a huge sigh of relief.

This was the best possible outcome.