The Young Marquis Regrets Too Late - Chapter 11

Gu Huaisheng sat quietly. His gaze was calm and cold as he looked at Song Xuan’an. After uttering those words, he showed no intention of speaking further. He remained detached, as though what was happening outside didn’t concern him at all. It was as if that earlier sentence hadn’t come from his lips at all.

Yet, the chill emanating from him was impossible to ignore.

Song Xuan’an immediately realised that the reserved and aloof Young Marquis Gu, who rarely showed his true feelings, did not like him.

Song Xuan’an wasn’t typically a sensitive person, but even he could easily sense the hostility radiating from Gu Huaisheng towards him.

He began to rack his brain and wondered when he might have offended him. However, nothing came to mind.

The only thing that he had done which might count as an offence towards Gu Huaisheng was sneaking out with Jiang Jingchun.

Finally, Jiang Runchu, who had been standing off to the side, broke the strange tension between the two.

With a frown on his face, he walked up to Song Xuan’an and said, “Alright. This is a Jiang family matter. Young Master Song, you’d best head back for now. If you linger too long, I fear Madame Song will start worrying.”

Jiang Runchu’s intention to dismiss him was evident.

Song Xuan’an had come to the Jiang family residence with his mother earlier today, and she clearly already knew about his sneaking off; otherwise, she wouldn’t have left on her own.

He wasn’t too concerned about what awaited him at home—his thoughts were more focused on Jiang Jingchun.

He wanted to say something more but, seeing Jiang Runchu’s frown, he thought of another possibility.

Of course, no elder brother would be pleased with another man taking his younger sister around recklessly. Jiang Runchu naturally wouldn’t like it, so it made sense that Gu Huaisheng, who could be considered an elder brother figure to Jiang Jingchun, would naturally also disapprove.

However, Song Xuan’an had no intention of leaving. He stubbornly stood his ground. Jiang Runchu’s frown deepened, and just as he was about to speak again, a sudden cry of pain came from outside.

Everyone fell silent and turned towards the noise.

It was Jiang Jingchun, who was being punished by Jiang Nan with the wooden rod.

Jiang Nan struck her hand multiple times. Each smack was sharp and jarring to the ears. The sound made everyone present wince. Lady Li tried to intervene and pleaded with him to stop, but Jiang Nan’s temper only flared, and no one could hold him back now.

“A couple of strikes would’ve been enough! Why must you go this far?” 

Lady Li’s heart ached as she watched her daughter get hit, even more so than if she had been struck herself. She couldn’t hold Jiang Nan back and was so furious that tears welled up in her eyes.

This rod was specifically used for punishment, and the blows Jiang Nan delivered were heavy-handed, almost as though he intended to break her hands.

Jiang Nan pushed Lady Li aside and said, “You’re always saying ‘Don’t scold her too much, don’t hit her too many times!’ You’re always indulging her! That’s how you’ve spoiled her! If I, as her father, don’t discipline her properly now, I would just be asking for the time she eventually brings shame upon the Jiang family!”

Jiang Jingchun took the punishment without daring to resist. She feared that evading the hits would only make her father angrier. Even though she was crying, she didn’t dare to sob loudly. She had let out an initial cry of pain earlier, but after that, she only dared to hunch over and whimper quietly as she received her punishment.

Her delicate palms quickly turned red and swollen.

Yet she still said, “This was all my fault. Father, please don’t blame Mother…”

Jiang Jingchun didn’t want Lady Li to continue watching. She was also afraid that they’d make too much ruckus and disturb the old madame resting inside. Jiang Jingchun turned to Lady Li and softly said, “It’s late. Mother, you should go back and rest. I’ll be fine—don’t worry about me…”

Even though she was trembling and choking from the pain as she spoke, she still insisted she was fine.

Lady Li refused to leave, but Jiang Nan forcefully had someone drag her away. Her cries faded into the distance and left the place suddenly much quieter.

Gu Huailang, who had never witnessed such a scene before, was frightened and shrank behind his mother. His little hands clutched his mother’s clothes tightly. He didn’t dare to make a sound.

The sight was heartbreaking for anyone to witness. Even Jiang Runchu, who was usually indifferent towards his younger sister, wondered whether he should step in.

Song Xuan’an couldn’t stand seeing it any longer, either. However, just as he was going to walk out, he was stopped by Gu Huaisheng’s voice.

“If you go over now, she won’t just be getting her hand hit.”

Gu Huaisheng had risen to his feet. His tone carried a distinct chill as he spoke, and there was a warning in his words. 

Song Xuan’an froze in place. He was unsure what to do, but before he could respond, Gu Huaisheng turned to Jiang Runchu and said, “You’d better escort him out.”

Song Xuan’an couldn’t stay, as he would only make matters worse if he did. Since he wouldn’t leave on his own, someone had to escort him.

Jiang Runchu nodded and walked over to Song Xuan’an with a stern expression. He said, “Let’s go, Young Master Song.”

Even though Song Xuan’an was reluctant to leave, he had no choice. He followed Jiang Runchu out through a side door. As they stepped into the dark night, Song Xuan’an couldn’t help but glance back.

He saw Gu Huaisheng heading in Jiang Jingchun’s direction.

The weather had been rainy in recent days, and in the late spring, the air was humid. By midnight, even the breeze felt sticky and uncomfortable; it only made him feel inexplicably agitated.

Gu Huaisheng approached Jiang Nan and glanced at Jiang Jingchun’s palm, which was now on the verge of being torn and bloodied.

He said, “Uncle, if you continue, her hand will be crippled.”

His tone was flat and devoid of emotion, as if he were merely stating any fact.

Jiang Nan had noticed this as well, but he was still too angry to stop. Seeing that he intended to continue, Gu Huaisheng added, “Punishing mistakes is necessary, but there must be a limit. You’ve already scolded her and hit her. She clearly knows she’s at fault. If you go any further, it may be impossible to heal her hand.”

Discipline should have boundaries—even for punishment, this was excessive.

His words implied that Jiang Nan had gone too far.

Jiang Nan looked like he wanted to argue, but Madame Gu stepped in to mediate. “Brother, you really can’t keep hitting her.”

She then turned to Jiang Jingchun and urged, “Hurry, apologise to your father and promise you won’t make the same mistake again.”

Jiang Jingchun, whose hand was in severe pain, didn’t dare argue anymore. After being punished like this, she had truly learned from her mistake.

Following Madame Gu’s advice, she cried out, “Father, I really know I was wrong. I promise I won’t run off like that again.”

Madame Gu gave Gu Huaisheng a pointed look to signal for him to take Jiang Jingchun away while she distracted Jiang Nan. She said, “She’s just a child, and you’re an adult. Look at her—she already knows she was wrong. Why must you continue punishing her?”

By the time Jiang Nan could react, Gu Huaisheng had already escorted Jiang Jingchun away.

—

The cool beams of the frosty moon filtered through thin clouds. By now, the situation had dragged on into the third watch of the night, and silence had descended upon the surroundings.

Gu Huaisheng and Jiang Jingchun walked along a path. Gu Huaisheng led the way, while Jiang Jingchun followed a few steps behind him. Neither of them spoke, and the only sounds breaking the stillness of the night were their footsteps and the faint, stifled sobs coming from Jiang Jingchun.

Her palm throbbed with pain, and an unbearable itch began to spread through the wound. She couldn’t bear it anymore and lifted her battered hand to her lips to gently lick at it with her tongue.

The metallic taste of bl00d filled her mouth as a heavy tang of rust seeped across her tongue. The raw wound stung fiercely under the contact, and waves of pain surged through her. She furrowed her delicate eyebrows tightly but felt a brief reprieve from the relentless itch that had tormented her.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps ahead stopped. Jiang Jingchun was startled and looked up, only to see Gu Huaisheng staring at her.

She had been caught secretly licking her wounds. She flushed with embarrassment and awkwardly lowered her hand.

Gu Huaisheng’s gaze lingered on her before he suddenly asked, “Does it hurt?”

Under the clear moonlight, his eyes seemed even deeper and darker. Their depths were unreadable.

Jiang Jingchun hadn’t expected such a question. For a moment, she was stunned. However, as she recovered, her mind flitted to a jumble of thoughts.

She remembered that her cousin disliked children. Surely, he liked children even less if they whined about pain. And crying children? He would detest them the most.

Besides, this was her fault. She had made a mistake and deserved punishment. That was the lesson her grandmother had instilled in her. When she made a mistake, she must accept the consequences. That was only right and proper.

Though the pain was unbearable, Jiang Jingchun shook her head resolutely and said, “It doesn’t hurt.”

The night breeze stirred and blew her hair against her tear-streaked cheeks. Her red-rimmed eyes glistened with unshed tears, and her face, which was pale from pain, carried a delicate fragility. She looked like an oleander flower by the roadside that had been beaten down by the rain—wilting, lifeless, yet tinged with a peculiar charm.

The rain from the past few days had washed the Jiang family residence clean. Even now, the faint smell of wet earth lingered in the air and mingled with the night wind.

When she said that it didn’t hurt, Gu Huaisheng let out a sound that seemed to be a soft chuckle. The sound was low and came from deep in his throat.

Despite her clear injury, she still said that it didn’t hurt.

Gu Huaisheng raised his eyebrows and said, “What’s the point of pretending it doesn’t hurt?”

Gu Huaisheng felt that he understood children well enough. With his younger brother, Gu Huailang, he could often predict what the boy was thinking before he even spoke. In his eyes, Jiang Jingchun shouldn’t be much different from Gu Huailang. Now, though, she had behaved in a way that he couldn’t understand. Despite the pain that she was clearly in, she still insisted on denying it.

However, he didn’t wait for her to answer his question, nor did he seem interested in figuring it out. Seeing her hesitation and discomfort, he turned away and said, “Let’s go. I’ve already sent for the physician.”

They soon arrived at the main hall of Rongde Hall, where the household physician was already waiting for them. After examining Jiang Jingchun’s palm, he sighed and shook his head. He couldn’t fathom who had been so merciless on her—that person had delivered blows to this girl as if intent on smashing her bone and flesh together.

The physician had a maid bring hot water before beginning to treat her wounds.

The injury was severe, and every touch sent waves of excruciating pain through Jiang Jingchun. Yet, because she was aware of Gu Huaisheng’s presence nearby, she bit her lip hard and refused to let even the faintest sound escape from her mouth. Her lips were nearly bleeding from the effort, but she endured in silence.

At the third watch of the night, all was silent—even the buzzing of gadflies and the chirping of leeches had ceased. She endured her suffering with such tenacity and refused to make a sound.

Without a word, Gu Huaisheng turned and left the hall. The rustling of the curtains marked his departure.

After he left, Jiang Jingchun’s resolve crumbled. Since she was now alone, she began to cry, at first softly, but soon her sobs grew louder as the pain overwhelmed her.

Her cries were so intense that even Gu Huaisheng, outside, could hear them.

His eyes fell on the windowsill without him even realising it. Her sobs emanated from inside.

It was unclear how much time passed before her cries finally subsided. When the physician emerged, he left instructions for how to care for the injury to Jiang Jingchun. However, Gu Huaisheng then asked him again and carefully committed them to memory, so he could later relay the physician’s explanation to Jiang Jingchun’s maid.

After the physician departed, Gu Huaisheng returned to the hall.

Jiang Jingchun sat on a chair with her head bowed. She seemed lost in thought. A single candle flickered in the dim hall, and its warm light cast soft shadows across her face. Her expression appeared dazed, and her eyes were distant, as though her mind was wandering elsewhere.

Gu Huaisheng walked over and stood before her.

He cast a shadow over her small figure. Jiang Jingchun was startled and looked up at him.

“Does it hurt?” he asked again. His tone was calm, but firm. Before she could respond, he added, “Lying isn’t what good children do.”

For some reason, his words seemed to strike a nerve. Jiang Jingchun’s eyes flashed with a hint of frustration, and for a moment, she forgot the pain in her hand.

She held up her heavily bandaged hand to him.

Then, she indignantly asked, “Cousin, do you think I’m a child—just like Xiaolang?”

Before he could answer, she continued, “I’m not! If Xiaolang got hurt like this, he’d be crying for his mother by now. He would. But I wouldn’t.

“So, Cousin, I’m really not a child anymore.

“Could you please stop treating me like one?”