Pei Yan's words ignited a raging fire in the Crown Prince's heart.
He was so furious he laughed. "Miss Mei has long since come of age. You won't marry her, yet you forbid her from interacting with other men?"
"And what if I do?"
He just didn't want Mei Wanying involved with fickle men who kept three wives and four concubines.
She was so delicate and couldn't bear the slightest grievance. How could she possibly accept such filth?
'Even if Mei Wanying could accept it,' Pei Yan thought, 'I wouldn't let her near such filth.'
'She's still young and needs a brother's guidance.'
'If I don't keep her in line, how can I face General Mei after all he's done for me?'
Perhaps only when Mei Wanying was married could he finally wash his hands of it all.
'I wonder when that faultless man will finally appear?'
'I hope it's soon.'
'I don't want to manage Mei Wanying anymore, lest she develop more unrealistic fantasies!'
The two men stood in stark opposition.
Having been on the battlefield, Pei Yan's physique was firmer and more imposing, and his presence dominated the exchange.
This was one of the reasons the Crown Prince hated him.
If Pei Yan were an incompetent fool, he wouldn't be a threat, even if he were the Emperor's own son!
Unfortunately, Pei Yan was skilled in both scholarly and martial arts.
A formidable rival!
Afraid of getting caught in the crossfire, Mei Wanying took two steps back with her mother.
Mrs. Mei's face was filled with worry.
'As long as the Crown Prince is not deposed, they will remain in a passive, vulnerable position.'
'Pei Yan can't watch over Ah Yin forever. What are we to do?'
Just as tensions reached a breaking point, the Crown Prince's personal guard hurried over. He hesitated to speak, clearly having urgent matters to report.
The Crown Prince straightened his sleeves, wiping the sinister look from his face and replacing it with a warm smile. "Miss Mei, in two days, I invite you to go boating on the lake. You must not refuse me again, or else..."
He didn't finish, but the threat was obvious.
The Crown Prince sneered, his gaze toward Pei Yan filled with contempt.
He said to Mrs. Mei, "I shall take my leave."
Mrs. Mei couldn't wait for him to leave and moved to see him out without a second thought.
"Please, stay."
The Crown Prince strode away.
Once he was out of the front courtyard, his face darkened. "What is it?"
The guard reported, "The stockpiled weapons... there's been a fire at one of the locations..."
"Dammit!"
The Crown Prince's expression changed drastically!
Because of Pei Yan's appearance, he had been forced to make contingency plans.
The weapons were of the utmost importance!
Now that they were exposed, he had to find a way to cover it up. Best to find a scapegoat and sever all ties.
Otherwise, if this reached his father the Emperor, his position as Crown Prince would be in jeopardy!
At a moment like this, Mei Wanying and everything else were thrown to the back of the Crown Prince's mind.
He had to protect his position as Crown Prince.
He had to sit on the Dragon Throne!
In the face of the empire, a beautiful woman was not worth mentioning!
Pei Yan watched the Crown Prince depart, his expression as calm as still water.
'A cornered dog will jump the wall. For now, I'll let him breathe.'
'The problems at the Border have yet to be resolved. If chaos breaks out in the Capital City, the enemy will certainly take advantage of the weakness.'
'First, stabilize the Border. Then it'll be like trapping a turtle in a jar!'
Once the Crown Prince was gone, Pei Yan also prepared to leave, but Mrs. Mei called out to stop him. "Ah Yan, I have something to tell you."
Mei Wanying said anxiously, "Mother!"
She didn't want Pei Yan to know about that night. She didn't want him to marry her unwillingly just to take responsibility.
And then be locked in a ceaseless cold war with her.
She had truly had enough!
She didn't want to be entangled with Pei Yan anymore.
Mei Wanying couldn't persuade her mother, so she could only try to send Pei Yan away first.
"Your Highness is busy with official duties. We won't keep you from your important business."
'Your Highness... You...'
The words were so formal, so distant. They grated on Pei Yan's ears.
Other people might flatter him, but Mei Wanying never would.
Why was she being so sarcastic and strange?
Pei Yan's gaze turned probing, landing squarely on Mei Wanying. "Have you done something to feel guilty about?"
Mei Wanying didn't answer.
She made a gesture for him to leave. "I'll have Nanny Liu..."
She quickly corrected herself, "...have the steward see you out."
Mei Wanying's expression was serious. She wasn't playing hard to get; she genuinely wanted him to leave.
A flicker of movement in Pei Yan's eyes.
He grew even more convinced that Mei Wanying had a guilty conscience about something, and whatever it was, she didn't want him to know.
She was stopping him from speaking with Mrs. Mei and didn't want him to interact with Nanny Liu. This proved that both Mrs. Mei and Nanny Liu were in on the secret.
And what's more, Mrs. Mei had wanted to tell him.
But Mei Wanying was against it.
'I'd like to see just what Mei Wanying has done.'
'What could make her act so abnormally, so desperate for me to leave?'
The old Mei Wanying was very clingy.
Every time she saw him, she would use every trick in the book to keep him a little longer.
When he left, Mei Wanying would follow him to the manor gate, watching him with a reluctant gaze.
She was not reserved at all; her thoughts were always written plainly on her face.
'This is too abnormal, there must be something strange going on. Mei Wanying has probably gotten herself into some huge trouble.'
'Trouble so serious that she doesn't dare let me know.'
Pei Yan looked thoughtful, unable to figure out what kind of earth-shattering incident a sheltered young lady like her could possibly get into.
A mischievous expression appeared on his face. "I'm not that busy, either. In that case, I'll stay a while longer."
Mei Wanying looked as if she had been struck by lightning. Her beautiful eyes widened, filled with disbelief.
'Is this really Pei Yan?'
'He detests me so much. He dislikes interacting with me. He always keeps his distance from any place I am.'
'What does he mean by shamelessly staying now?'
Mei Wanying didn't want to guess Pei Yan's thoughts; she just wanted him to leave immediately.
Disregarding the difference in their statuses, she gave his arm a push. "My mother and I have things to discuss. It's not convenient for guests today."
"I'm not a guest."
Pei Yan said.
His eyes were earnest, and his tone was serious.
From the day he was brought back by General Mei, he had been half a member of the Mei family.
Although he spent most of his time in the military barracks, the Mei family always held a special place in his heart.
That was why, even though Mei Wanying did many things that annoyed him, he still thought of her as a little sister.
'If it were anyone else, I wouldn't have given them the time of day!'
Mei Wanying was angry at Pei Yan's perversity. Why did he always have to oppose her?
She already knew she was wrong and had withdrawn her feelings for him. She wouldn't stand in the way of him marrying another woman anymore.
'What more does he want!'
'Does seeing me in pain make him happy?'
Feeling utterly wronged, a thin mist veiled Mei Wanying's beautiful eyes.
Not wanting to cry in front of Pei Yan, Mei Wanying turned her back and let out a sharp breath.
She fought to suppress the urge to cry.
Her slender shoulders trembled. Even without seeing her face, Pei Yan knew that Mei Wanying was crying.
She'd always been a crybaby since she was little.
She cried when she was happy.
She cried when she was sad.
He didn't know where she got all those tears.
Pei Yan felt incredibly frustrated.
'I didn't even scold her. Does she really need to have such a huge reaction?'
'Or... has she really done something she shouldn't have, and is now crying out of fear?'
Pei Yan pressed his thin lips together, staring intently at the back of Mei Wanying's head, but he didn't react.
Mrs. Mei looked at him, then at her own daughter, her eyes filled with hesitation and uncertainty.
But thinking of the Crown Prince's aggressive posture, Mrs. Mei knew this matter could not be delayed any longer.
'Ah Yin must marry Pei Yan!'
With a flash of determination in her eyes, she summoned two sturdy servant women and ordered them to take Mei Wanying away by force.
Mei Wanying resisted, but she was forcefully dragged away.
She couldn't help but cry out.
"Mother, I'm begging you, give me a way to live!"
Pei Yan's well-defined fingers suddenly clenched into a fist. He gritted his jaw, and his breathing grew heavy.