Chapter 165: Chapter 165: Objecting to Mei Wanying Taking the Risk

Having died once before, Mei Wanying was deeply reluctant to put herself in harm’s way.

But she was also worried. "Can a body double really fool that person?"

No two people in the world are exactly alike. Even if they look similar, there will always be differences in their every move.

Even someone who has been specially trained could still slip up.

Back in the Capital City, Pei Yu had hounded her for a long time. His relentless pursuit was what scared her mother into wanting to marry her off to Pei Yan.

Pei Yu had secretly investigated her, and perhaps even had people tailing her.

How else would Pei Yu know the moment she stepped outside?

The Useless Crown Prince saw her as a trophy, as if possessing her was the surest way to wound Pei Yan.

Under these circumstances, Pei Yu’s knowledge of her had to be greater than most.

And he was so cunning. Would using a body double to lure him out really work?

Mei Wanying felt uncertain.

But one thing was certain: if they missed this chance, catching the Useless Crown Prince again would be incredibly difficult.

Mei Wanying’s fingers curled as she made her decision. "No body double."

They had gone to great lengths to lure him to Jiangnan. Now, only the final step remained. If she backed down, all their previous efforts would be for nothing.

Her life was important, but her mother and Ling were just as important.

She couldn’t leave them with such a lingering threat.

"I don’t agree," Pei Yan was the first to object.

He couldn’t let Ah Yin put herself in danger. If they failed to draw out Pei Yu this time, they could always come up with another plan.

It was only a matter of time.

But if something happened to Ah Yin, all of it would be meaningless.

Killing a thousand, even ten thousand Pei Yus would be pointless!

Even the most perfect plan could have an unexpected turn, and Pei Yan didn’t dare to be overconfident.

One wrong move, and he would lose Ah Yin all over again.

The mere thought of that scenario made it hard for Pei Yan to breathe.

He couldn’t bear that taste of despair a second time.

"Ah Yin, just leave everything to me, alright?" A flicker of fear flashed in the man’s eyes.

’He can actually feel fear?’

Mei Wanying wondered if she was seeing things.

He had been on campaigns for years. What kind of horrors hadn’t he witnessed?

The dangers he had faced were countless.

He usually wore such a dark expression, like a fearsome god of death. It was far more likely for others to be afraid of him.

So Mei Wanying thought.

She said, "I won’t use a body double, but Ling can’t be put at risk."

The Useless Crown Prince had never seen Ling. Even if there was a spy in the manor, the most they could have done was show him a portrait of her.

Babies change from day to day; it’s impossible to tell them apart without a close look.

As long as she, herself, was real, she figured the Useless Crown Prince wouldn’t "mind" the details too much.

Mei Wanying wouldn’t risk her own child, and she couldn’t bear the thought of using someone else’s, either.

A baby only a few months old shouldn’t be dragged into such danger.

She asked Pei Yan, "Do you have any skilled artisans who could make a realistic doll?"

The Useless Crown Prince would surely observe from the shadows before revealing himself.

If the doll was realistic enough, he might not be able to tell it was fake.

Besides, as long as she herself was real, the ploy to lure the snake from its hole would already be halfway to success.

Mei Wanying asked, "Could you leave Wei Jue to guard Ling?"

The guards at the manor couldn’t be withdrawn; they couldn’t give anyone an opening.

Ling was Pei Yan’s own daughter, so her request wasn’t unreasonable.

Pei Yan’s response was the same. "Neither you nor Lingling can be put at risk. I don’t agree."

Mrs. Mei also didn’t want her daughter to take such a risk. "You don’t have an ounce of fighting strength. In a moment of crisis, how would you protect yourself?"

If her daughter knew some martial arts, she would let Ah Yin do as she pleased.

But Ah Yin didn’t.

She was a young lady delicately raised in the inner quarters, schooled in the four arts and household management.

If she truly ran into danger, how was a young woman like her supposed to handle it?

"No, absolutely not. You’re not going anywhere. Just stay home with me and Ling. If it comes to the worst, we simply won’t go out! We’ll just wait him out and see whether our people find that traitor first, or if he manages to sneak into the old estate and harm us!"

But sitting around and waiting for disaster to strike was never Mei Wanying’s style.

At times, she could be quite impatient.

When she knew a danger existed, she always wanted to eliminate the threat as soon as possible.

Preferably, once and for all.

Otherwise, the thought would consume her, whether she was eating or sleeping.

She would be wound so tight that, let alone managing the household’s affairs, she wouldn’t even be able to get a peaceful night’s sleep.

For Mei Wanying, that feeling was unbearable.

It was better to deal with it sooner rather than later.

Mei Wanying glanced at the man out of the corner of her eye. "Mother, I’m not alone. I have him."

Whether in her past life or this one, Mei Wanying believed that Pei Yan would never do anything to harm her.

Even if he didn’t like her, for her father’s sake, Pei Yan would do his utmost to keep her alive.

In her past life, the enemy had tried to use her to negotiate terms with Pei Yan.

On one side was her life; on the other, the lives of an entire city’s people.

No matter what Pei Yan chose, it seemed he would be condemned.

If he chose her, he would be unable to face the world.

But if he didn’t choose her, he would be betraying the Mei family’s kindness in raising him and would be branded as ungrateful.

Even if he didn’t choose and simply met them in battle, with her as a hostage, he would be constrained by the enemy.

War meant bloodshed and sacrifice. The more his hands were tied, the more his soldiers would suffer catastrophic casualties.

At the time, Mei Wanying had no other choice.

She was General Mei’s only daughter. She possessed the integrity of the Mei family; she could not let soldiers and civilians bleed and die for her sake.

Nor did she want to live on in humiliation.

To her, death was a release.

Mei Wanying had already been through the worst-case scenario. Now, Pei Yan was right by her side, and besides, the Useless Crown Prince had very few men left.

As long as she remained calm and knew how to adapt, she should be able to keep her life.

She might suffer a few superficial wounds, but that didn’t matter. As long as she could eliminate the threat and restore peace to the Mei family, it would be fine.

Mei Wanying tilted her head and looked straight into Pei Yan’s eyes. "You’ll protect me, right?"

The man’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and the emotion in his eyes grew complex.

He didn’t want Ah Yin to take the risk, but seeing her be so brave made his heart swell with pride.

He had known for a long time that Ah Yin was not one to cling to life and fear death.

Her innocence and charming naivety came from her family’s wholehearted love.

It wasn’t because she was dim-witted.

When it came to matters of great principle, she was more clear-headed than anyone.

It was precisely because he knew this that in his past life, upon learning that Ah Yin had been captured by the enemy, he had replied with that disingenuous letter and then immediately rushed to her rescue.

He knew in his heart back then that if he were too late, he might never see Mei Wanying again.

She was only delicate on the outside; her spirit was fierce and unyielding.

She would rather be shattered jade than live on in dishonor.

He had rushed to Mei Wanying’s side as fast as he possibly could, but he was still a step too late.

The scene from that time resurfaced in his mind. Pei Yan’s eyes suddenly stung, and he stared at Mei Wanying without blinking.

He said, "I will protect you with my life. But I still don’t agree to you putting yourself in danger."

Hearing the first half of his sentence, Mei Wanying thought Pei Yan had agreed and let out a sharp breath of relief.

But before she could fully exhale, she heard the second half.

The breath caught in her throat, leaving her feeling terribly stuck and uncomfortable.

Mei Wanying gritted her teeth. "Are you an ox? Why are you so stubborn?"

’No wonder little Ling has her stubborn moments. So this is where she gets it from!’