A Marriage in Name Only? My Stepbrother Won't Let Me Go Chapter 115: Mei Wanying Comes First

i Wanying was unwilling to return to the capital, unwilling to marry Pei Yan.

Empress Gu found it unbelievable.

’Isn’t this what she wanted most?’

’She shalessly chased Ah Yan for years. Wasn’t it all just to marry him and beco his official wife?’

’Now the opportunity was right in front of her, yet she failed to appreciate it.’

Empress Gu truly had no idea what i Wanying was thinking.

"She’s so set on throwing her own tantrums, but can’t she consider the child? Is she going to ruin her child’s future?"

Empress Gu had already received the news that i Wanying gave birth to a daughter.

But that didn’t matter. As long as the baby hadn’t been shown in public, there was still room to maneuver.

They could just bring in a baby boy and pass them off as boy-girl twins.

That way, i Wanying wouldn’t have to be separated from her own flesh and blood.

And she herself could see her little granddaughter every day.

Empress Gu thought to herself that she had gone to such lengths for i Wanying, yet the girl was still ungrateful.

"So willful. No wonder Ah Yan couldn’t stand her temper. Even though he clearly cares for her, he had to push her away. She has no regard for the bigger picture. It would be torture for any man to marry her!"

The ssenger glanced cautiously at Empress Gu’s expression.

With his head lowered, he said, "Empress, Mr. Gu sent a letter from Jiangnan. He says he’s getting married."

Empress Gu’s eyelid twitched. She had a bad feeling.

"Who is he marrying?"

The ssenger lowered his head even further. "Mr. Gu... is marrying into the i family. He says he’s going to be a live-in son-in-law."

Though she was ntally prepared for the fact that Gu Xun wanted to marry i Wanying,

the news that he was marrying *into* the i family was a clap of thunder, exploding in Empress Gu’s ears.

’The Gu family would never allow one of their sons to marry into another family. He was acting on his own authority, striking first and reporting later!’

Empress Gu’s face turned black with rage. "Was it his idea, or i Wanying’s?"

"It... It was Mr. Gu who went to the i family on his own initiative and said he wanted to marry in..."

Empress Gu didn’t believe it.

’What normal man would ever consider marrying into his wife’s family?’

’i Wanying must have bewitched Ah Xun.’

"It wasn’t enough for her to bring ruin to Ah Yan, and now she wants to drag Ah Xun down with her and pit him against ? Her intentions are truly venomous!"

’Ah Xun is a Gu, her own nephew. No matter how furious she was, she couldn’t truly move against him.’

’i Wanying must have counted on this when she seduced Ah Xun.’

’And Ah Xun, of all people, fell right into her trap, actually wanting to marry into the i family.’

’He must be possessed. He’s lost his mind!’

Empress Gu paced on the spot. "Ah Xun cannot beco a live-in son-in-law. He’s the legitimate heir of the Gu Family! His status is so distinguished. If he really marries into their family, won’t he beco a complete laughingstock?"

Her words had barely faded when a voice ca from behind her. "Whose son-in-law is he going to be?"

Empress Gu turned to see that her son had woken up at so point. He was struggling to sit up.

His face was drained of color, and he had grown thinner, making his eyes and brows appear even sharper.

He exuded an icy aura and seed even more imposing than before.

Even for Empress Gu, who had long been in a position of power, her heart skipped a beat. A chill ran down her spine.

She didn’t dwell on it and quickly sent for the Imperial Physician. "Ah Yan, you’re finally awake!"

Empress Gu cried tears of joy.

’Heaven never bars one’s path. i Wanying refused to cooperate with her, but Ah Yan had woken up.’

’When the news reaches i Wanying, we’ll see if she regrets her decision.’

’She missed her chance for the throne of the Crown Princess Consort!’

Pei Yan’s eyes were as placid as an ancient well—deep and bottomless, making his emotions impossible to read.

He asked the question again, "Whose son-in-law is Gu Xun going to be?"

Empress Gu wanted to use this opportunity to make her son give up any thought of marrying i Wanying.

’She had given i Wanying a chance. It was the girl who failed to appreciate it.’

’So i Wanying couldn’t bla her for taking that chance away!’

"Who else could it be? He’s been completely bewitched by i Wanying! He made this foolish decision without even consulting the family!"

"If we send soone to stop him now, I don’t know if they’ll make it in ti..."

The frail man struggled to his feet and tried to walk out as soon as he was off the bed.

Empress Gu rushed to stop him. "Ah Yan, where are you going? You haven’t recovered yet, you can’t go out..."

Pei Yan turned back, his face devoid of emotion.

His expressionless face was all the more frightening, like the calm before a storm.

Empress Gu’s heart pounded in her chest. For so reason, she found she didn’t dare to et her son’s eyes.

Pei Yan, his face a blank mask, suddenly asked an unrelated question. "Did i Wanying write to ?"

The hand beneath Empress Gu’s wide sleeve tightened. "She must have learned of your condition. Fearing she’d be dragged down with you, she rushed to coax Ah Xun into marriage."

A flash of mockery crossed Pei Yan’s eyes. "I know best what kind of person she is. I don’t need outsiders to embellish the facts."

Empress Gu cried, "Ah Yan, I’m your mother! How could I be an outsider?"

The aura around Pei Yan grew even more frigid.

"I’d advise you not to interfere in my affairs again. Otherwise, I can renounce my place in the Pei Family."

Empress Gu’s eyes widened. "Ah Yan, what do you an?"

’What did he an, renounce the Pei Family?’

’Does he not want his position as Crown Prince?’

’Does he not want the empire that is within his grasp?’

Empress Gu suspected sothing was wrong with her hearing. Otherwise, how could her son say such a thing?

’If he didn’t want the empire, then what was all their past suffering for?’

Pei Yan made it even clearer. "As far as I’m concerned, i Wanying will always co first."

’Power, wealth, and these so-called blood relatives—none of them could ever compare to i Wanying.’

’All of it put together wasn’t worth i Wanying’s little finger.’

’He had missed too much, and he had only just, with great difficulty, gotten a chance to start over.’

’He would never give i Wanying the chance to leave him again.’

’He couldn’t bear that consequence!’

Looking into Empress Gu’s eyes, Pei Yan said without a hint of hesitation, "Anyone who causes trouble for i Wanying becos my enemy. When that ti cos, don’t bla for being ruthless."

The old Pei Yan had also been cold, but he would never have said such things.

Empress Gu was utterly shocked. For a mont, her mind went blank, and by the ti it cleared, Pei Yan’s figure was already gone.

She hurried forward a few steps. "Ah Yan, let the Imperial Physician take your pulse!"

But he was already gone, leaving her without a single word in reply.

Empress Gu’s mind was in turmoil. "What does Ah Yan an? Why do I feel like he’s beco a completely different person?"

Mrs. Feng felt the sa way.

His Highness was never an easy person to get along with, but now that he was awake, he was even colder.

It was a coldness that radiated from his very bones, as if there were nothing left in the world that he cared about.

’No, that’s not right. He cared about i Wanying.’

’For i Wanying’s sake, he had cast aside all filial piety and said things that stabbed right at the Empress’s heart.’

"i Wanying is truly a curse. His Highness has just woken up, and now she’s going to marry Xun? Isn’t she trying to turn the brothers against each other?"

This only irritated Empress Gu further. "Not a single one of them gives any peace!"

’Her son’s gaze had been so cold, as if he had seen right through everything she’d done.’

’If she went after i Wanying again, would Ah Yan really disown her?’

The child she had carried for ten months actually valued a woman more than her. A bitter, sour feeling filled Empress Gu’s heart.

Then she thought of the true culprit.

"If it weren’t for him, my son and I wouldn’t have been separated for so many years, and Ah Yan wouldn’t have grown so distant from ."

The light of hatred burned in her eyes.

Now that Ah Yan is awake, it’s ti for *that man* to abdicate his throne to Ah Yan...