A Marriage in Name Only? My Stepbrother Won't Let Me Go Chapter 218: Turning Ungracious

Pei Yan knew i Wanying didn’t want to see him, but he couldn’t stop himself from coming to Jiangnan.

Now that he had seen her, he was even more reluctant to leave.

The man reached out, tentatively touching i Wanying’s fingers as he asked gingerly, "Ah Yin, let’s make up, alright?"

The mont the calloused pads of his fingers brushed against hers, i Wanying snatched her hand back and turned to go downstairs.

As she walked away, his heart went with her, and he instinctively moved to follow.

i Wanying turned and glared at him. "Don’t follow !"

The man froze in place, his face a picture of helplessness and dejection.

His deep eyes rested on i Wanying, his expression innocent and aggrieved.

"Ah Yin..."

i Wanying: "Shut up!"

As her beautiful eyes misted over, Pei Yan felt a pang in his heart. "Don’t cry. I won’t follow you."

Every ti he appeared, Ah Yin cried. It was as if each tear fell directly onto his heart.

The pain left him breathless.

Pei Yan no longer dared to act recklessly or force her to stay by his side against her will.

He didn’t want i Wanying to cry. He didn’t want her to be heartbroken, nor did he want her to ruin her eyes from crying so much.

Her eyesight was already poor, making it difficult for her to see at night.

’I can’t let her cry anymore.’

The man remained rooted to the spot, not daring to take a single step, not even daring to let his gaze fall on i Wanying.

He was afraid he would lose control, pull her into his arms, and never let her go again.

i Wanying reached the turn of the staircase and looked back. The man stood in the shadows with his eyes downcast, cloaked in a cold solitude that made him look as if he’d been abandoned.

The prouder he had once been, the more humbled he appeared now.

Who would believe this was the decisive master of the realm?

A mist of tears welled in her eyes, blurring her vision.

i Wanying rested a hand on the railing, her voice trembling. "Pei Yan, are you an idiot?"

The man’s head snapped up, a light flashing in his dark eyes. He took two steps forward but then stopped, suspecting he had misheard.

’How could Ah Yin possibly talk to first?’

’She cries the mont she sees . She doesn’t want to see at all.’

Emotions surged within him. The man’s jaw tightened as he fought the powerful urge to walk toward i Wanying.

’Ah Yin didn’t call .’

’It must have been my imagination.’

The man turned his back, not daring to even let his peripheral vision fall on i Wanying. By not looking and not listening, he could control himself and avoid doing anything to vex her.

The sound of footsteps on the stairs echoed, and Pei Yan grew even more dejected, his thoughts turning hazy.

’Ah Yin is leaving.’

’She’s never going to let see her again...’

Slender, soft arms wrapped around his waist like vines, and Pei Yan’s body went rigid.

She said through gritted teeth, "If I walk away now, I’m never coming back."

The corners of the man’s lips trembled, and his eyes began to turn red.

"Pei Yan, this is the last ti I’m forgiving you. If there’s a next ti, I..."

Grabbing Wanying’s wrist, the man spun around and pulled her into his embrace, cutting her off.

"There won’t be a next ti."

"This life, the next, and the one after that... Ah Yin, you’ll never have a chance to leave again."

Pei Yan held her with imnse strength, terrified that she would leave him again.

His heart pounded—THUMP THUMP—with the lingering fear of soone who had just survived a catastrophe.

All the misunderstandings and emotional barriers between them had been resolved. Pei Yan had no more secrets from i Wanying.

The sword that had been hanging over their heads was finally gone.

They would never be separated again.

Pei Yan hugged the woman in his arms even tighter, the muscles in his arms bulging, a testant to the force he was using.

As if that still wasn’t enough, he cradled the back of i Wanying’s neck and lowered his head to kiss her.

This ti, i Wanying didn’t push him away.

Instead, she wrapped her arms around his lean waist.

With hurried, stumbling steps, they made their way into Pei Yan’s private room.

The door closed once more.

...

When the storm had passed, lanterns were already lit along the long street.

i Wanying had sent Ding Xiang back to the estate earlier, telling her to bring so of the restaurant’s signature dishes to her mother and Ling.

The estate had its own cook—a very good one, at that—but eating out was a nice change of pace.

Pei Yan frequently traveled to Jiangnan, and besides the mansion, he had acquired other properties as well.

He planned to give them all to i Wanying and Ling one day.

This very restaurant was one of them. From its highest private room, one could overlook the entire bustling city.

i Wanying sat by the window, her back to Pei Yan, fixing her hair.

The man ca over to cling to her again, pressing his broad, firm chest against her back.

He wrapped his long arms around her, smoothing the loose front of her robes and retying the sash.

The man’s features were soft, the corners of his lips turned up in a smile, and his gaze never left Wanying for a second.

He looked utterly content. Where was the pitiful man from before?

He asked Wanying, "Should we have dinner before heading back to the estate?"

It was getting late, and i Wanying needed to get back to put her daughter to bed.

If they dallied any longer, her mother and the others would start to worry.

She shook her head. "We’ll eat at ho."

Pei Yan deferred to her. Resting a palm on i Wanying’s flat stomach, he figured she must be hungry.

"Have a little sothing to tide you over."

He leaned over, picked up a pastry, and held it to her lips.

i Wanying chided him playfully, "Stop ssing around. You’re just like Ling."

Ling also loved to make a fuss while she was getting ready, one mont feeding her a snack, the next offering her a drink.

And Wanying wasn’t allowed to refuse.

Ling was still little, but she was already quite vain. She would even take i Wanying’s rouge and sar it on her own small face.

Every ti she got into mischief, it would end in utter chaos.

Pei Yan nudged the pastry closer, saying with perfect justification, "I’m holding it for you. It won’t interfere with you doing your hair."

’How could it not interfere when he’s this close?’

i Wanying shot Pei Yan a look. "No wonder Ling loves to cause trouble. She gets it from you."

As she spoke, she took a bite of the sweet pastry.

She had been busy all day, leaving the city to handle several matters before rushing back without a mont’s rest.

And just a mont ago, she and Pei Yan had... i Wanying blushed. She really was hungry.

The blush that spread across her stunning face was more captivating than the finest rouge.

Pei Yan couldn’t resist placing a soft kiss on her cheek.

’He really, truly loved his Ah Yin.’

He was grateful their bond ran deep enough that, after so many years of fighting and fussing, they were still by each other’s side.

Once i Wanying had finished tidying her appearance, Pei Yan led her out the back door of the restaurant.

The family carriage was waiting there. i Wanying climbed into the cabin.

The short walk was enough to make her legs feel weak.

Seeing Pei Yan follow her in, i Wanying pushed at him. "Get out."

Pei Yan: "..."

’Everything was so good just a mont ago. How could she turn on so suddenly?’

The man looked aggrieved but ordered the coachman to return to the estate.

He sat down in the spot farthest from i Wanying, stealing glances at her from the corner of his eye.

A long while passed, and i Wanying still made no move to placate him.

Pei Yan’s voice was mournful. "Ah Yin, was my performance lacking?"

i Wanying nearly choked. "What nonsense are you spouting? Have you no sha?"

Afraid he’d say sothing even more outrageous, i Wanying leaned over and covered the man’s mouth with her hand.

Her palm was warm, and a faint, pleasant scent seed to emanate from her skin.

It was a lovely scent, one that put Pei Yan at ease.

The man was srized. He gave her palm a light nip.

A tingling sensation shot through her palm. i Wanying’s cheeks flushed crimson as she lightly slapped the man’s handso face.

"Can you just behave yourself for a minute?"

Pei Yan chuckled. "Ah Yin, I feel so doted on."

He knew her temper. She would never act this way toward a man she truly disliked.

i Wanying: "..."

’Sure enough, he was still the sa madman!’

’He hadn’t changed one bit!’