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

It’s easy to grow drowsy in the dead of night.

The two young maids guarding the entrance sat on the floor, leaning against the door as they dozed off.

Inside, Pei Yan reached out to shake Mei Wanying awake.

’I’m about to die of anger, and she’s still fast asleep!’

’What did she mean, "if I die, then I die"?’

’Could it be that Mei Wanying is hoping I’ll die so she can marry someone else?’

’Who would she marry?’

’Gu Xun?’

’Before Gu Xun showed up, Mei Wanying never would have thought of such a thing.’

’She used to worry about me so much. She once saw the scar on my back—it was already healed, mind you—but her heart ached so much she cried.’

’Now, that same Mei Wanying, knowing I’m injured and unconscious, not only says things that cut me to the core, but she’s also sleeping this soundly.’

’Does she... not like me anymore?’

’I’ve been separated from Mei Wanying for so long; it’s not impossible that Gu Xun took advantage of the opportunity to move in.’

The thought sent Pei Yan into a panic. He had never imagined that Mei Wanying would leave him.

’I won’t accept it!’

He wanted to shake her awake and make Mei Wanying give him an explanation.

’What on earth does she mean by it?’

An obsessive look crossed Pei Yan’s face. ’It’s fine if Mei Wanying doesn’t love me, as long as she stays by my side.’

’This time, it’ll be my turn to love her.’

His hand was just about to touch Mei Wanying’s face when Pei Yan remembered that dream.

He had pinched Mei Wanying, and she’d suddenly cried out in her unconscious state.

The man sheepishly withdrew his hand.

’Mei Wanying has a bad temper. If I wake her up, she’ll never let me hear the end of it.’

For the first time in his many years, Pei Yan knew what it felt like to be so indecisive.

’Forget it. I’ll just wait a bit longer.’

’I’ll deal with this after she wakes up.’

’This way, she can’t get mad at me for waking her up.’

’I’m not her punching bag, after all.’

Pei Yan sat up straight and proper. He wouldn’t take her anger, but he could watch over Mei Wanying.

The room’s furnishings were simple. With no bed curtains to obscure his view, the man sitting by the edge of the daybed could take in every detail of Mei Wanying’s sleeping face.

His gaze lingered on her face, tracing Mei Wanying’s features inch by inch.

’Her brows were gracefully curved, her lashes curled upwards. There was a crease on her eyelids; when she opened her eyes, they looked so large. The corners even tilted up slightly. Beautiful.’

His gaze swept downward, finally resting on her beautifully shaped lips.

Pei Yan’s Adam’s apple bobbed. Those sensual dreams surfaced in his mind once more.

’In his dreams, he could freely savor that softness.’

’Without restraint.’

’He could cast aside all hesitation and uncertainty.’

’He could even grip Mei Wanying by the waist and lose himself completely.’

He’d had these dreams several times, each more realistic than the last, almost as if they were real memories of his past with Mei Wanying.

A restless heat stirred within his body.

’It’s happening again... ’

Pei Yan glanced down, a flicker of embarrassment in his eyes.

While he was on campaign, he’d heard others say that once a man had tasted carnal pleasure, he’d be unable to control himself around his woman.

’But he and Mei Wanying hadn’t... so why was he still feeling this urge?’

’It wasn’t like this before.’

’The last few times they’d met, he’d found it increasingly difficult to control his body’s reactions.’

’Could it be because I’m having those dreams too often?’

Pei Yan grew even more embarrassed. Only he knew just how shameless he was in his dreams.

’If Mei Wanying ever found out, she’d definitely show her claws and scratch me.’

Imagining the scene, Pei Yan scooted back guiltily, putting some distance between himself and Mei Wanying.

But then he thought, ’I’m only dreaming. It’s not like I’m actually doing anything. If she’s going to get mad about my dreams, isn’t Mei Wanying being a bit too unreasonable?’

As he shifted, Pei Yan noticed something unusual about Mei Wanying’s stomach.

She was covered by a quilt, but the arc of the mound wasn’t quite what it usually was.

It was as if... something had been stuffed underneath.

Pei Yan froze.

He recalled the things he’d heard at the Mei family residence, and how that maid, Ding Xiang, had also mentioned a child just now.

The man’s expression grew doubtful. His reason told him that Mei Wanying was probably faking it.

She needed a child to extinguish her relatives’ hopes of seizing the property of an heirless family.

But he was still uneasy. If... if Mei Wanying really was with child... Pei Yan’s thin lips pressed together, and his gaze turned to ice.

’Whoever dared to touch Mei Wanying, I would make them pay with their life!’

’Even if that person was his own cousin, he wouldn’t go easy on him.’

His breathing grew heavy, and a conflicted look appeared in the man’s eyes.

He only had to lift the quilt to find out the truth.

’But there were proprieties to be observed between men and women. He and Mei Wanying weren’t married yet. Would doing something like this make her angry?’

Pei Yan rubbed his fingers together. ’I don’t want to be paranoid. I shouldn’t have to doubt how much Mei Wanying loves me.’

’But her situation is different. So many people are eyeing her family’s property with avarice.’

’Backed into a corner, it wasn’t out of the question for her to have a child to solidify her claim to the inheritance.’

’Rather than adopting an unrelated child and investing her heart and fortune in him, it’s better to have one’s own flesh and blood. Many people would think that way.’

The more he thought about it, the more Pei Yan’s heart hammered in his chest.

It was the panic of having one’s treasure stolen away.

Pei Yan didn’t want to agonize any longer. Since there was doubt, he had to get a clear answer.

He glanced at Mei Wanying’s face. Her eyes were closed, still lost in slumber.

The man’s large hand, with its well-defined knuckles, grabbed a corner of the brocade quilt.

One of Mei Wanying’s hands was resting on the quilt. She was wearing only a simple, light-colored nightgown.

’Lifting this might reveal things he shouldn’t see, but it didn’t matter. He was Mei Wanying’s child husband, after all.’

’And a child husband is still a husband!’

So Pei Yan thought.

Mei Wanying was supposedly asleep, but with an extra, breathing presence by her bed—she wasn’t a corpse, how could she not have noticed?

As long as the enemy didn’t move, she wouldn’t move either.

The more nervous she grew, the more acute her senses became. She could feel the other person’s breathing.

Sometimes fast, sometimes slow.

Not like a normal person’s.

Mei Wanying forced herself to relax as countless thoughts raced through her mind. ’Who is in the room?’

’Did those relatives send someone to kill me?’

’Or is it just a petty thief?’

Mei Wanying was awake but didn’t dare open her eyes.

She didn’t dare let her eyes move, even slowing her breathing to a crawl.

The quilt was tugged gently. Every nerve in Mei Wanying’s body went taut, and she secretly pressed down with the arm resting on the covers.

A corner of the quilt was lifted. Mei Wanying could no longer pretend to be asleep. She shot up and flailed wildly toward the edge of the daybed with her pillow.

She opened her mouth to call for help.

Pei Yan had let his guard down around Mei Wanying, and he was too focused on her stomach. It wasn’t until the pillow hit him that he snapped out of it.

The corners of his eyes tilted up, a hint of a smile flashing past.

Tsk!

’So, Mei Wanying’s gotten clever. She’s even learned to play possum!’

Before she could cry out, he quickly clamped a hand over Mei Wanying’s mouth.

Lanterns were hanging outside, but the room was dim, the faint light insufficient for Mei Wanying to see by.

Unable to see, her sense of touch became more pronounced.

The hand covering her mouth was lightly calloused, its palm dry and searingly hot. It felt like a man’s hand.

Mei Wanying had been abducted by enemies before, and that incident had been far more perilous.

’Stay calm.’

She told herself.

And so she gave up struggling, waiting for the person to lower their guard so she could find the right opportunity to call for help.

Her mind hadn’t yet settled when she heard a familiar male voice.

"Mei Wanying, you use every trick in the book on me. I suppose I must have owed you in a past life, to be bullied by you like this in the present one."

His tone was light and teasing, laced with nonchalance.

’It was Pei Yan.’

She would recognize him even if he were reduced to ashes.

Tears suddenly streamed down Mei Wanying’s face. "Why don’t you just go and die!"

Pei Yan: "..."

’Cursing him to die the moment she sees him. Mei Wanying really was a handful!’

He gave a haughty snort and stuffed the pillow back into Mei Wanying’s hands. "Fine. Go on and beat me to death."