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

The next day, another uninvited guest arrived at their door.

"The gatekeeper says the visitor’s name is Gu Xun."

Mrs. Mei had heard about her daughter’s nightmares and had taken Nanny Liu to a temple outside the city to pray for her peace and well-being.

This left Mei Wanying as the only one in charge at home.

Whether or not to see the guest was entirely her decision.

Mei Wanying thought the name Gu Xun sounded somewhat familiar, but she couldn’t recall his face.

His surname was Gu, and for him to show up at a time like this, he was likely connected to Empress Gu.

Ding Xiang reminded her, "Miss, Mr. Gu was on that list of suitors."

Mei Wanying had never looked at the list, so she had no idea who was on it.

Back then, she was solely focused on staying away from Pei Yan and had no intention of marrying, so she hadn’t given it a single glance.

And after what happened later, she had given up on the idea of marriage entirely.

Ding Xiang added, "Mr. Gu was at the top of the list. He’s the Empress’s own nephew and Prince Chen’s cousin. It’s a shame he’s not the legitimate eldest son, but I hear Mr. Gu is an exceptionally handsome and valiant man."

Mei Wanying knew who the Princely Heir of the Gu family was.

He had several younger brothers, and she supposed Gu Xun was one of them.

The Gu family had once been a great clan wielding military power, but they had been suppressed by the Emperor for decades out of fear. As a result, many of the family’s sons had transitioned from military to civil pursuits.

Gu Xun was no exception.

Ding Xiang was Mei Wanying’s personal maid and had previously accompanied her to numerous banquets.

At these banquets, the noble young ladies would discuss the young masters from various families—who was handsome, who was scholarly, and who was a good-for-nothing dandy just waiting to die—all were topics of conversation.

Mr. Gu had naturally been mentioned, and she had overheard bits and pieces.

At the time, her mistress’s heart had belonged entirely to Pei Yan, so she never participated in such topics and had no interest in listening.

Whatever kind of person Mr. Gu was, he had likely left no impression on her mistress at all.

’It’s all Pei Yan’s fault for stringing our miss along,’ Ding Xiang thought.

’If someone had just played matchmaker for her and Mr. Gu sooner, maybe it would have worked out.’

’A talented man and a beautiful woman—what a perfect match.’

’Unlike Pei Yan, who’s a block of ice to his very core, impossible to warm up.’

’What’s the use of being so handsome?’

Ding Xiang thought weakly, ’My lady is truly blinded by lust, completely bewitched by that male vixen!’

So, that was Gu Xun.

Mei Wanying recalled the excuse she had given Pei Yan and felt a strange sense of embarrassment.

Thankfully, Gu Xun himself didn’t know, or she would have wanted to find a hole to crawl into.

Mei Wanying also wanted to know what Empress Gu’s attitude was.

Was she still insistent on marrying her off?

Or had she seen that Wanying knew her place and decided not to interfere with her marriage affairs any longer?

Composing herself, Mei Wanying said, "Show him to the front hall and serve him our best tea."

Ding Xiang called over a maid to relay the message to the front courtyard while she herself helped her mistress with her makeup.

She had been living in seclusion lately and hadn’t gone out. At this moment, Mei Wanying wore no powder or rouge. A more elaborate look would take at least one hour.

Mei Wanying didn’t want to waste the time, nor could she be bothered with the fuss.

She defined her brows, dusted on a light layer of powder, applied a touch of rouge to brighten her complexion, and finally, colored her lips with a thin layer of red.

She had a lovely face with delicate features and an outstanding disposition; she was beautiful with both light and heavy makeup, each in its own way.

Then, she tied up her long hair with a silk ribbon, revealing a slender, graceful neck.

Even though she was used to her mistress’s beauty, Ding Xiang couldn’t help but sigh in admiration.

’She’s just too beautiful!’

’I really don’t know what’s wrong with Pei Yan’s eyes. Every time he sees my lady, his face darkens, and he looks so angry he can barely breathe.’

’What on earth is he so angry about!’

As the weather began to warm, Mei Wanying wore a light green gauze skirt that made her skin look as smooth and fine as white jade.

When she walked, she moved with the grace of a willow in the wind—ethereal and captivating.

As the light green figure approached, Gu Xun lifted his gaze and saw fingers as slender as spring onions gently lifting the gauze curtain meant to keep out insects.

Her fingers were long and fair, even her nails a delicate pink. They were impeccably cared for, clearly the hands of a young lady raised in luxury.

She emerged from behind the curtain, her gaze flowing over to land upon him.

Gu Xun’s chest tightened, and he let out a subtle breath.

He greeted Mei Wanying. "Forgive my impetuous intrusion, Miss Mei."

The man before her bore a three-tenths resemblance to Pei Yan, but his temperament was gentle, lacking that "keep your distance" coldness.

They were cousins, so a resemblance was to be expected.

Mei Wanying lowered her eyes, invited Gu Xun to sit, and had Ding Xiang serve tea.

She used to have a lively personality, but that was reserved for those she was close to. With outsiders, she actually maintained a considerable distance.

Just like now. She and Gu Xun were complete strangers, so the atmosphere was somewhat stiff.

Gu Xun took the initiative to explain his visit. "Some time ago, I received a letter from my aunt. She mentioned you, Miss Mei, and instructed me to look after you. When I hadn’t heard of your arrival, I grew concerned that you might have run into trouble on the road. As it happens, I was returning to the capital to report on my duties, so I came to check on you along the way."

Mei Wanying breathed a sigh of relief. As long as he wasn’t planning on sticking around, it was fine.

Because he was one of the Gu family and Pei Yan’s cousin, Mei Wanying had no favorable impression of him and just wanted to get this over with.

However, seeing that he didn’t speak or act with the same domineering and aggressive manner as Pei Yan, her impression of him improved slightly.

She said, "You are too kind to worry, Mr. Gu. I was just being playful. The scenery here is so beautiful that I wanted to stay for a while."

It was common for the sons and daughters of noble families to travel and, upon finding a place with beautiful scenery, stay for half a year or even a full year.

Gu Xun didn’t doubt Mei Wanying’s words.

He just felt a bit awkward.

’My aunt said she had found a wife for me,’ he thought, ’and that I must marry Miss Mei and bring her home.’

’First, the Mei family raised my cousin, so a marriage between the Gu and Mei families would be a joyous union to repay that kindness.’

’Second, when my cousin ascends to that position in the future, the Gu family will also rise in power again. It wouldn’t be a slight to Miss Mei.’

’This was all what his aunt had said.’

’His aunt also said that one shouldn’t let fertile water flow into others’ fields. Miss Mei was beautiful, and General Mei had left her with connections and a fortune. Rather than letting her marry an outsider, it was better for her to marry into their Gu family.’

Remembering this now, Gu Xun’s ears burned with embarrassment.

’His aunt was just randomly playing matchmaker.’

’Everyone knows Miss Mei likes my cousin, don’t they?’

’Could it be that she wants to cut off my cousin’s retreat, to make it impossible for him and Miss Mei to ever be together, and that’s why she wants Miss Mei to end up in the Gu family?’

Gu Xun’s peripheral vision fell upon Mei Wanying. He saw her serene expression, a cool indifference in her eyes.

He suddenly remembered seeing Mei Wanying one New Year’s Eve.

She was wearing a fiery red cloak, exquisitely and beautifully made up, demanding that his cousin win her a rabbit lantern.

His cousin was unwilling, and she turned and stormed off in a huff.

New Year’s Eve was bustling. The long street was a mix of light and shadow, and she suddenly found she couldn’t see, standing helplessly in the darkness.

He had heard that Mei Wanying had an eye condition, and he thought about offering her a lantern.

But before he could act, his cousin had already found Mei Wanying.

His face was grim as he said something to her.

Mei Wanying lowered her head, tugged on her cousin’s sleeve, and followed closely behind him, matching his every step.

In the end, his cousin did get her the rabbit lantern. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Gu Xun could still recall how radiant and full of life Mei Wanying had been then.

Compared to the person she was now, it was as if they were two different people.

Gu Xun’s throat tightened, his Adam’s apple bobbed, and he suddenly wanted to ask Mei Wanying.

’Do you not like my cousin anymore?’