Because of Pei Yan’s words, a raging fire ignited in the Crown Prince’s heart.
He laughed in anger.
“Miss Mei has already come of age. You refuse to marry her, yet you won’t allow her to interact with other men?”
“And what if I don’t allow it?”
He simply did not want Mei Wanying associating with men who kept multiple wives and concubines, or men who were fickle and unfaithful.
She was so delicate.
She could not endure even the slightest grievance.
How could she possibly tolerate such filthy things?
Pei Yan thought to himself that even if Mei Wanying could accept it, he would not allow her near anything filthy.
She was still young.
She needed guidance from an elder brother.
If he failed to keep her on the right path, how could he face General Mei’s kindness in raising him?
Perhaps only after Mei Wanying married someone else could he finally let go completely.
He just wondered when that flawless man worthy of her would finally appear.
Hopefully soon.
He no longer wanted to concern himself with Mei Wanying.
Otherwise, she might start harboring unrealistic hopes again.
The two men faced each other head-on.
Pei Yan had been tempered by the battlefield. His physique was stronger, taller, and more imposing.
That was one of the reasons the Crown Prince hated him.
Unfortunately, Pei Yan excelled in both civil and military affairs.
He was a formidable opponent.
Afraid of being caught in the crossfire, Mei Wanying retreated two steps with her mother.
Madam Mei looked deeply worried.
As long as the Crown Prince remained heir to the throne, they would always be at a disadvantage.
Pei Yan could not stay by Wanying’s side forever.
What were they supposed to do?
Just as the tension reached its peak, the Crown Prince’s personal guard hurried in.
His expression suggested he had urgent news to report.
The Crown Prince straightened his sleeve and concealed the darkness on his face.
Smiling gently, he said,
“Miss Mei, in a few days, I would like to invite you boating on the lake. You mustn’t decline again.”
He paused.
“Otherwise…”
He did not finish the sentence.
But the threat was unmistakable.
The Crown Prince sneered and cast a contemptuous look at Pei Yan.
Then he turned to Madam Mei.
“I shall take my leave.”
Madam Mei wished he would leave immediately.
Without hesitation, she rose to see him out.
“No need.”
The Crown Prince strode away.
Only after leaving the front courtyard did his face darken.
“What is it?”
The guard reported,
“One of the weapon stockpiles caught fire…”
“Damn it!”
The Crown Prince’s expression changed drastically.
Because of Pei Yan’s appearance, he had been forced to prepare for multiple possibilities.
Weapons were of utmost importance.
Now that they had been exposed, he needed to cover his tracks.
Ideally, he would find a scapegoat and sever any connection to himself.
Otherwise, if the matter reached the Emperor, his position as Crown Prince would be in jeopardy.
At that moment, Mei Wanying completely vanished from his thoughts.
He had to protect his position.
He had to sit upon the Dragon Throne.
Compared to an empire, a beauty was insignificant.
Pei Yan watched the direction in which the Crown Prince departed, his face calm and unreadable.
A cornered dog would jump the wall.
For now, he would leave him a path to retreat.
The border situation had yet to be resolved.
If chaos erupted in the capital, enemy nations would certainly take advantage.
First stabilize the frontier.
Then close the net and catch the prey.
As soon as the Crown Prince left, Pei Yan prepared to leave as well.
But Madam Mei stopped him.
“A Yan, I have something to tell you.”
“Mother!”
Mei Wanying cried out anxiously.
She did not want Pei Yan to learn what had happened that night.
She did not want him to marry her unwillingly out of a sense of responsibility.
And then spend the rest of their lives locked in endless cold wars.
She had truly had enough.
She no longer wanted to be entangled with Pei Yan.
Unable to persuade her mother, she could only try to send Pei Yan away first.
“Your Highness has important duties to attend to. We shouldn’t delay your work.”
Your Highness.
You.
Those formal terms sounded unbearably harsh to Pei Yan.
Others might flatter him that way.
Mei Wanying never had.
Why was she suddenly speaking so coldly?
His gaze turned probing.
“You’ve done something you’re guilty about, haven’t you?”
Mei Wanying did not answer.
Instead, she made a gesture toward the door.
“I’ll have Nanny Liu…”
She quickly corrected herself.
“I’ll have the steward see you out.”
Her expression was sincere.
She was not playing hard to get.
She genuinely wanted him gone.
A flicker crossed Pei Yan’s eyes.
The more she acted this way, the more convinced he became that she was hiding something.
And she clearly did not want him to know.
She did not want him speaking privately with Madam Mei.
Nor did she want him interacting with Nanny Liu.
Which meant both women knew the truth.
And Madam Mei wanted to tell him.
Only Mei Wanying objected.
Now he truly wanted to know what she had done.
What could possibly make her behave so strangely and desperately want him gone?
The Mei Wanying of the past had always been clingy.
Every time she saw him, she would try every possible way to make him stay a little longer.
When he left, she would follow him all the way to the gates and watch him depart with reluctant eyes.
She had never been subtle.
Every thought was written plainly across her face.
Something abnormal was definitely happening.
Perhaps she had gotten herself into serious trouble.
Serious enough that she dared not let him find out.
Pei Yan pondered silently.
He could not imagine what kind of earth-shattering disaster a sheltered noble lady could possibly create.
Then he deliberately revealed a wicked smile.
“I’m not actually that busy.”
“In that case, I’ll stay a while longer.”
Mei Wanying felt as though she had been struck by lightning.
Her beautiful eyes widened in disbelief.
Was this really Pei Yan?
He disliked her so much.
He avoided anywhere she appeared.
Why was he shamelessly insisting on staying now?
She did not want to guess what was in his mind.
She only wanted him gone.
Ignoring status and propriety, she pushed lightly against his arm.
“I have something to discuss with my mother. Today is not a convenient time to receive guests.”
“I’m not a guest.”
Pei Yan said it seriously.
His eyes were serious.
His tone was serious.
From the day General Mei brought him home, he had considered himself half a member of the Mei family.
Though he spent most of his time in military camps, the Mei family had always been different in his heart.
That was why, despite all the things Mei Wanying had done that annoyed him, he still regarded her as a younger sister.
If it were anyone else, he would not have bothered with them.
Mei Wanying was furious at his stubbornness.
Why did he always oppose her?
She already knew she was wrong.
She had given up her feelings for him.
She would no longer interfere with his future marriage.
What more did he want?
Did seeing her suffer make him happy?
The injustice felt unbearable.
A layer of mist gathered in her beautiful eyes.
Not wanting to cry in front of him, she turned away.
Taking a deep breath, she desperately suppressed the urge to weep.
Her slender shoulders trembled.
Even without seeing her face, Pei Yan knew she was crying.
She had always cried easily.
She cried when she was happy.
She cried when she was sad.
He had never understood where all those tears came from.
An indescribable frustration filled his chest.
He had not even scolded her.
Did she really need to react this strongly?
Or had she truly done something she shouldn’t have, and now she was frightened?
Pei Yan pressed his lips into a thin line.
Staring at the back of her head, he remained silent.
Madam Mei looked at him.
Then at her daughter.
Conflict and hesitation filled her eyes.
But when she thought of the Crown Prince’s relentless pressure, she knew the matter could no longer be delayed.
Wanying had to marry Pei Yan.
Determination flashed through her eyes.
She summoned two servant women and ordered them to forcibly take Mei Wanying away.
Mei Wanying struggled desperately.
The women dragged her toward the door.
Unable to hold back any longer, she burst into tears.
“Mother, please…”
“Give me a way to live!”
Pei Yan’s long fingers clenched tightly.
His jaw locked.
His breathing grew heavy.