[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-a-marriage-in-name-only-my-stepbrother-won-t-let":3,"chapter-a-marriage-in-name-only-my-stepbrother-won-t-let-a-marriage-in-name-only-my-stepbrother-won-t-let-chapter-150":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","A Marriage in Name Only? My Stepbrother Won't Let Me Go",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1326651,1761,"Chapter 150: Cannot Let Pei Yan Have His Way","a-marriage-in-name-only-my-stepbrother-won-t-let-chapter-150",150,"\u003Cp>Mei Wanying witnessed, once again, just how thick-skinned Pei Yan was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Seriously, where does he get the nerve? Shouting that name without even batting an eye!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei Wanying repeatedly told herself to ignore him, to distance herself from him, and not to let him get to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she still couldn’t help but be infuriated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She said sarcastically, \"Your mother is in the Capital City, Your Highness. Don’t go around claiming mothers left and right, lest you become a laughingstock and break your real mother’s heart.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei Wanying had experienced just how much Empress Gu doted on Pei Yan in her past life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Empress Gu’s eyes, no one was worthy of her precious son.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The purpose of him marrying was, one, to bring her son political support and help him secure his power over the realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And two, to bear his children and manage his household.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Any woman who could marry her son was considered incredibly lucky!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Mei Wanying of her past life had been clueless. Even under those circumstances, she had happily married into the Prince Chen Mansion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking back now, Mei Wanying felt she must have been an idiot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Yan couldn’t stand her, Empress Gu saw her as a burden—how could she possibly have had a good life after marrying into the Prince Chen Mansion?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if she gained temporary protection that kept the Useless Crown Prince at bay, other problems would have emerged over time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps Pei Yan would have grown to despise her even more, leaving her to fend for herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or perhaps she would have stood in someone’s way and been eliminated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All in all, the path she took in her past life was a difficult one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had plunged headfirst into it, doomed to heartbreak and a bloody end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Yan didn’t know what Mei Wanying was thinking. He said, lacking confidence, \"I was supposed to be the Mei family’s son-in-law. It was decided back then...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Back then I was a fool who didn’t know what to cherish.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Now, all I can do is shamelessly fight for it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’If I back down just because Ah Yin scolds me a little, then I’ll truly have no chance with her in this lifetime.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having lost Mei Wanying once, there was nothing more important to Pei Yan than her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Face, dignity... He could cast it all aside!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei Wanying reminded him coldly, \"Nothing was decided.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Yan said, \"Everyone in the Capital City knows I was your child husband.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A title he once found humiliating now gave Pei Yan a sense of confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the two were about to start bickering again, Mrs. Mei felt a headache coming on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Highness, I truly am not worthy of being called ’Mother’ by you. Please, don’t say things that will shorten my life.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Never mind that Ah Yin wasn’t married to Pei Yan; even if she were, she still couldn’t bear being called \"Mother\" by him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For one, it was against protocol.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For another, if word of this reached the palace, who knew how furious the Empress would be.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And when that happened, it would be the Mei family who would suffer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mention of shortening her life left Pei Yan unable to argue. In his past life, after Ah Yin and the child were gone, Mrs. Mei had been dealt such a blow that she, too, had passed away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Yan fell silent, his expression a mixture of confusion and helplessness, like a child who had done something wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mrs. Mei sighed to herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’He’s truly realized his mistakes far too late. Ah Yin has already been completely heartbroken.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Now that she’s back in Jiangnan, has inherited the family business, and has Ling... now that she’s had a taste of freedom, how could Ah Yin possibly marry him?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’If not for all the barriers between them, perhaps Ah Yin might have compromised, for the sake of their childhood connection.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Unfortunately, the damage has already been done.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Ah Yin won’t be turning back.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The atmosphere grew tense, but Mrs. Mei pretended not to notice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She turned to business. \"Your Highness, your search for Ah Yin is no secret. I imagine the Useless Crown Prince has already received word.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He is your mortal enemy. It won’t be long before he comes looking for trouble.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Yan didn’t shirk his responsibility. \"I’ve already arranged for men to guard the old residence. Hidden Guards will also follow Ah Yin when she goes out.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he first awoke from the poison, all he wanted was to see Ah Yin immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he heard that Ah Yin was going to marry Gu Xun, and in a fit of panic and rage, he lost his senses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t expected the Useless Crown Prince to escape. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have come looking for Ah Yin in such a high-profile manner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his past life and in this one, he could never bear to let Ah Yin be in danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mrs. Mei felt a little more at ease. Pei Yan’s Hidden Guards weren’t ordinary bodyguards; with them around, Ah Yin and Ling would be safer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei Wanying also secretly breathed a sigh of relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She cherished her life. She didn’t want anything to happen to her, nor to her mother and Ling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei Wanying knew full well that if she agreed to let Pei Yan’s men follow her, her every move would be reported back to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t want to live under Pei Yan’s constant watch, but for the sake of safety, Mei Wanying didn’t object to his arrangement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’These are special circumstances. I just have to endure it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Once the Useless Crown Prince is dealt with, I’ll make Pei Yan’s men leave immediately.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Yan had been watching Mei Wanying’s reaction. When she accepted his arrangement without getting angry, he subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Ah Yin had first left the capital, he had sent men with treasures from his storehouse to find her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, thinking she was ill, he had even arranged for an Imperial Physician to take her pulse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah Yin had been furious at the time, finding his men an eyesore and even writing him a letter to curse him out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of that letter, Pei Yan still felt a small urge to laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Ah Yin being willing to scold him was a good thing.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Yan then remembered something else. At the time, the Imperial Physician had taken Ah Yin’s pulse and said she was merely suffering from anxiety and agitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Ah Yin had already been pregnant then, and she wasn’t in her early stages. It would have been impossible for an Imperial Physician not to detect the pregnancy pulse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Yan’s gaze grew searching. ’How did she manage to hide it?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei Wanying felt the hair on her back stand up under his stare. She subconsciously wanted to glare back but was afraid Pei Yan would misinterpret it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She simply averted her gaze, giving him no response whatsoever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Yan rubbed the tip of his nose. He didn’t mean to settle old scores; he was just curious how Ah Yin had deceived the Imperial Physician.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Could it be... that the Imperial Physician didn’t take *her* pulse?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei Wanying was pregnant out of wedlock; a matter like that couldn’t possibly be made public.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were only a few people who would have helped her cover it up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Ding Xiang is around the same age as Ah Yin. It looks like she had a hand in this.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Yan felt a mix of pride at Mei Wanying’s cleverness and disappointment that Ah Yin had actually hidden such a huge thing from him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If his mother, the Empress, hadn’t interfered, Ling might not even exist today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Yan knew better than anyone just how much Mei Wanying had loved him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For her to make such a decision proved that she had been truly, deeply hurt in their past life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Yan stared infatuatedly at Mei Wanying. As a bystander, Mrs. Mei felt embarrassed for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’This man truly knows no shame.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Staring at Ah Yin without blinking, just like a creep.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’I wonder if Ling will inherit his bad habits. Will she be rooted to the spot every time she sees a handsome young man in the future?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’How mortifying.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mrs. Mei gave a false cough. \"What are your plans? Tell me, so I can help if necessary.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The memory of her daughter’s imprisonment left Mrs. Mei deeply fearful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She, too, wanted the Useless Crown Prince dealt with as quickly as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If anything else were to happen to her daughter and granddaughter, she definitely wouldn’t be able to bear it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Yan wasn’t a man of many words, but he answered all of Mrs. Mei’s questions one by one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she heard they planned to \"lure the snake from its hole,\" Mrs. Mei immediately objected. \"Are you using Ah Yin as bait? Or Ling? No, that’s too dangerous! I won’t allow it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei Wanying explained, \"The man is a lunatic. He’s been severely weakened, which actually makes him easier to deal with.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don’t want you to take such a risk.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei Wanying’s beautiful eyes were filled with resolve. \"I still haven’t paid him back for what he did last time. Besides, he won’t let us live in peace anyway.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mrs. Mei was speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She said, resigned, \"You’re as stubborn as your father. Fine, we’ll do it your way. But I have one condition: you and Ling must be safe.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for whether Pei Yan lived or died, Mrs. Mei wasn’t particularly concerned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every mother dotes on her own child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if the heavens were to fall, she would stand by her daughter and granddaughter!\u003C\u002Fp>",1619,"2026-06-05T19:26:55.507Z",1,"novelbin.me","56c2a9438d6f00651e98b2c3efdd363b8657b1f0f8045fce088d93e8645e77ba","a-marriage-in-name-only-my-stepbrother-won-t-let-chapter-51","a-marriage-in-name-only-my-stepbrother-won-t-let-chapter-149",175,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-marriage-in-name-only-my-stepbrother-won-t-let-cover.jpg"]