A Marriage in Name Only? My Stepbrother Won't Let Me Go Chapter 25: Isn’t He Your Child Husband?

i Wanying got out of the carriage and walked away without looking back.

Her steps were hurried, carrying an unspoken urgency.

Only after her slender figure vanished behind the mansion gates did the scowling Pei Yan finally look away.

He tutted. ’What’s so great about the man she picked?’

’Just so frail scholar!’

’He can’t carry a thing on his shoulders or lift anything heavy.’

’Completely devoid of any masculinity.’

’The n after him were so much better. What kind of taste does i Wanying have, picking the worst of the lot!’

When i Wanying wasn’t getting married, Pei Yan found her annoying.

Now that she was actually getting married, he wasn’t happy either.

A knot of frustration tightened in Pei Yan’s chest, leaving him feeling uncomfortable all over, but he had no way to relieve it.

He pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose. ’This is so unlike .’

’No wonder i Wanying gave him the cold shoulder. He felt like sothing was wrong with him, too.’

No matter what i Wanying did, he found fault with it, always wanting to pick a fight.

’Good thing i Wanying ran off so quickly, or he would have poked at her with a few more barbs.’

Pei Yan told himself that he saw i Wanying as a younger sister, so it was only natural to disapprove of her future husband.

’It’ll be fine after a while.’

’i Wanying can’t just not get married forever.’

If General i hadn’t passed away, forcing her into three years of mourning, she might have already had children by now.

’Children...’

At this thought, Pei Yan’s expression darkened even further.

’i Wanying’s children would definitely be just as foolish and annoying as she is!’

He knocked twice on the carriage wall. "Back to the manor!"

He should have returned to the manor long ago. He had only turned back because he was afraid i Wanying would say the wrong thing and be punished by his mother, the Empress, so he had turned back.

He never expected i Wanying to be so ungrateful.

Not only did she not thank him, but she also gave him a frosty look.

When i Wanying was unhappy, she liked to give people the silent treatnt.

Pei Yan was used to it.

’Just let her cool down on her own,’ he thought. ’Once she’s thought it through, she’ll go back to her old self.’

The carriage pulled away from the i Mansion. With a jolt, a blood-stained handkerchief drifted down and into Pei Yan’s line of sight.

The handkerchief was a plain color, embroidered with several life-like orchid leaves.

It had fallen from where i Wanying had been sitting.

The man’s eyes flickered. His long, slender fingers pinched a corner of the embroidered handkerchief.

When he saw the small character "Yan" embroidered in a corner with silver thread, he couldn’t help but let out a derisive laugh.

’What girl is as bold as she is?’

’She’s truly shaless!’

Crumpling the handkerchief into a ball in his palm, a look of understanding dawned in Pei Yan’s eyes.

’No wonder she just randomly picked a man. So, she was trying to give a taste of my own dicine.’

Taking i Wanying’s young age into account, Pei Yan decided not to hold it against her.

Marriage was a serious matter that determined the rest of a woman’s life. Marrying the wrong person would ruin her entire life.

It had to be considered with extre care.

He wouldn’t rush her anymore. He would let i Wanying take her ti to choose.

Lest she rush into a decision and jump into a pit of fire.

When he left the Capital City, he would ask his mother, the Empress, to help look after i Wanying and not let the Crown Prince get near her.

...

When i Wanying returned to the mansion, her mother was already waiting for her in the front hall.

There was a guest sitting in the hall.

With just one look at the guest’s slender figure, i Wanying knew who it was.

Her eyes, still carrying the last traces of her anger, brightened as she hurried into the main hall.

Hearing footsteps, Xue Xingyao turned and ca over to greet her, a worried expression on her face.

"I went out of town with my mother to visit relatives a while ago, and as soon as I got back, I heard you were sick. How are you? How are you feeling now?"

Seeing her close friend, the fire that Pei Yan had ignited in i Wanying was instantly extinguished.

A genuine smile appeared on her face.

In her past life, after she married Pei Yan, Xue Xingyao had promptly married and moved to another region.

They hadn’t seen each other in a very, very long ti.

i Wanying missed her terribly.

Spreading her arms slightly, she spun around in front of Xue Xingyao, blinking playfully with girlish charm. "These past few days, all I’ve done is eat and sleep. I might have even gotten a little fatter."

"Nonsense, you’ve clearly gotten thinner."

i Wanying had an oval face, a very auspicious look, but now she was so thin that her chin had beco pointed.

She had truly suffered a lot these past few days.

Xue Xingyao held onto i Wanying’s arm. She had so much she wanted to say to her.

Looking at Mrs. i, she said with a beaming smile, "Aunt Su, I’d like to go for a walk in the garden with Ah Yin and chat for a bit."

Mrs. i was more than happy to have soone keep her daughter company and lift her spirits.

But she was still worried about that matter, and she didn’t know what the Empress had said.

As if mother and daughter shared one mind, i Wanying said in a relaxed tone, "The Empress said she will restrain the Crown Prince and told us not to worry anymore. I also ntioned returning to our ancestral ho in Jiangnan, and the Empress didn’t object."

If she hadn’t been sensible, the Empress wouldn’t have helped her solve this problem.

She might have even tripped her up to teach her a lesson.

i Wanying was very clear on this point.

"What? You’re going back to Jiangnan!" Xue Xingyao looked anxious, desperate to ask for details.

Mrs. i waved her hand. "Go on and have your private chat."

’It’s good to return to our ancestral ho.’

’It’s true that there’s trouble wherever there are people, but the i family has connections in Jiangnan. If sothing really happened, the two of them wouldn’t be helpless.’

’As long as they don’t deal with the Royal Family and don’t get caught up in power struggles, even if the i family has fallen on hard tis, she can still protect Ah Yin.’

’Returning to our ancestral ho is a good thing!’

Having put her mother’s mind at ease, i Wanying took Xue Xingyao to the garden.

The maids and old servants followed at a distance, unable to hear the contents of their conversation.

Xue Xingyao asked, "Did you find out about it? That the Empress is finding a wife for Pei Yan? Is that why you want to go back to Jiangnan?"

It was only after returning to the Capital City that Xue Xingyao found out. Her and Xue Yunshu’s portraits had already been sent to the palace on her grandmother’s orders.

All the noble families with daughters of a suitable age had sent portraits to the palace. It wasn’t sothing Xue Xingyao could control, but she still felt guilty.

She felt that she had let i Wanying down.

After all, she knew how much her best friend liked Pei Yan.

Xue Xingyao did not like Pei Yan.

A grown man who wore a perpetual scowl—he just wasn’t likable.

’It would be hard enough to be friends with such a person, let alone a husband. The thought is terrifying.’

Xue Xingyao had often questioned i Wanying’s taste. How could she have fallen for that block of ice, Pei Yan?

She imdiately clarified her stance to i Wanying. "This trip I took out of the capital, on the surface it was to visit relatives, but it was actually to et a potential match. The Chen Family is a prominent noble family there, and their eldest legitimate son is exceptionally talented, gentle, and considerate."

Xue Xingyao blushed. "I think he’s wonderful."

"So, I would never fall for Pei Yan. Even if I were chosen, my mother would find a way to get out of it."

"My mother said that Pei Yan is a Prince. He’s bound to have many won in the future. In families like theirs, having many won is one thing, but it’s also a life-threatening situation!"

"My mother said she’s endured a lifeti of hardship, and she absolutely won’t let go through the sa, nor will she give anyone the chance to harm ."

The Xue Family was already wealthy enough; Mrs. Xue didn’t need to sacrifice the rest of her daughter’s life just to add more glory to the Xue Family’s na.

Marrying into the Royal Family looked glorious on the surface, but it ca with a much greater price behind the scenes.

It was much better to marry into a noble family of equal social standing!

i Wanying squeezed Xue Xingyao’s hand, feeling happy for her.

In her past life, she had also married the eldest legitimate son of the Chen Family. After their marriage, the couple lived in harmony, treating each other with mutual respect.

"You don’t have to feel sorry. It’s not like you stole anything from ."

Xue Xingyao countered, "But isn’t he your child husband? The one no one else is allowed to even look at?"

i Wanying choked, feeling extrely awkward.

"That was just a joke. You can’t take it seriously."

Xue Xingyao had been very afraid that this matter would affect their friendship.

Seeing that i Wanying didn’t bla her, the weight in her heart was finally lifted.

It was also at this mont that Xue Xingyao noticed sothing unusual about i Wanying.

"Pei Yan is discussing marriage prospects, and you’re not sad?"

i Wanying shook her head. "His business has nothing to do with ."

"How could it have nothing to do with you?"

Xue Xingyao asked cautiously, "Did he do sothing to hurt you?"