The Young Marquis Regrets Too Late - Chapter 16

Perhaps by coincidence, Gu Huaisheng and the third miss of the Meng family had come from the other side of the river. Just after they had gotten off the bridge, they ran into Song Xuan’an and Jiang Jingchun coming out of the deserted alley. The alley’s exit directly faced the bridge, so the four of them happened to meet each other.

Jiang Jingchun looked at Gu Huaisheng, whose gaze fell on her as well.

The four of them stood in silence for a moment, and the atmosphere became somewhat tense.

Finally, the third miss of the Meng family—the Minister of Rites’ household, broke the silence. She looked at Gu Huaisheng and asked, “Young Master Gu, is something wrong?”

Gu Huaisheng was still looking at Jiang Jingchun. His gaze was fixed on her lips, which still held a somewhat… smudged shade of red.

Gu Huaisheng had never visited any brothels or places of indulgence before, nor had he ever done any act of physical intimacy with anyone. However, right now, as he looked at her red lips, his mind inevitably wandered to certain things. 

Normally, that shade of red wouldn’t have led him to think too much. However, considering that the two of them had just come out of a deserted alley… It made his thoughts drift.

The alley was dim, and no light reached its depths, which stretched endlessly in the night. However, as the young man and woman stood at the alley’s mouth, a faint light cast its glow on them and created a beautiful sight.

Gu Huaisheng knew that Jiang Jingchun had a good relationship with Song Xuan’an, and that she had a rather playful personality. As such, he couldn’t ascertain that she wouldn’t do such a thing.

Had they… kissed?

He didn’t know, but he certainly couldn’t ask.

A strange, uneasy feeling stirred in Gu Huaisheng’s chest. 

It was a feeling he hadn’t had for the longest time.

Seeing that Gu Huaisheng hadn’t spoken, Miss Meng glanced towards the alley as well. Standing at the entrance was a woman with her hair styled in twin buns; the woman looked quite glamorous. Behind her stood a man, carrying a bunch of bags, who looked to be around the same age as the woman—if he was older, then perhaps only by a couple of years.

Jiang Jingchun was a well-known person in the capital, and Miss Meng had heard of her. When she saw the two of them now, she could guess that the woman was Jiang Jingchun, the cousin who liked to chase after Gu Huaisheng.

Just as she was about to speak, the young woman in front of her spoke up. She looked at Gu Huaisheng and asked, “Cousin, didn’t you say you had something to do?”

Her tone carried an unintentional sense of grievance.

However, as soon as those words were out, Jiang Jingchun regretted them.

It only made her feel more embarrassed.

He did have something to do, and that was to accompany someone else.

Why did she have to ask such a question?

How annoying.

Miss Meng was the first to sense the awkwardness in the atmosphere. She said, “So it’s Miss Jiang, and the person behind her is…”

“He’s from the Song family,” Gu Huaisheng said from her side.

Miss Meng nodded to indicate her understanding. Then, she turned to Gu Huaisheng and asked, “Since we’ve met by coincidence, why don’t we go together?”

It wasn’t that Miss Meng liked Jiang Jingchun. She naturally wouldn’t have much fondness for someone who liked to pester someone else, especially when the person she pestered was Gu Huaisheng. However, she was still Gu Huaisheng’s relative, after all, and this was her first time meeting Gu Huaisheng. She hadn’t yet reached a point where she could assert her opinions about his business and make decisions for him.

Still, she thought Gu Huaisheng probably didn’t like her much and wouldn’t agree.

To her surprise, though, Gu Huaisheng agreed.

He said, “Alright, let’s go together.”

Gu Huaisheng’s eyebrows were furrowed as he looked at Song Xuan’an and Jiang Jingchun.

Yes, they should go together. Why shouldn’t they?

In fact, this might be for the better. If he didn’t keep an eye on Jiang Jingchun and left her alone with Song Xuan’an, what if she stirred yet another trouble with him later?

However, Jiang Jingchun clearly didn’t want to go with Gu Huaisheng and Miss Meng. Just as she was about to refuse, she saw Gu Huaisheng turn away. He walked away while saying, “Follow me.”

His tone left no room for questions, and Jiang Jingchun thus had no choice but to follow him.

The four of them walked together. Gu Huaisheng and Miss Meng walked ahead, while Jiang Jingchun and Song Xuan’an walked behind. Jiang Jingchun felt awful the entire time, starting from when she first joined Gu Huaisheng. She had wanted to go out with Gu Huaisheng today, and now she had gotten what she wanted, yet she didn’t feel quite pleased.

After seeing Gu Huaisheng and Miss Meng walk together earlier, Jiang Jingchun had lost interest in having any more fun. The two of them walked side by side ahead while Jiang Jingchun trailed behind with a dispirited look on her face.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they were done seeing the lanterns, and it was time for them to part ways. Miss Meng got in her own carriage and went home. 

Then, Gu Huaisheng turned to Jiang Jingchun and said, “Let’s go. I’ll send you back to the Jiang residence.”

Song Xuan’an, who was standing next to Jiang Jingchun, stepped forward and said, “No need, I’ll send her. She came with me in the first place, so it’s only right for me to send her home. We won’t trouble you, Young Marquis.”

He was already eighteen—nearly fully grown, and he was similar in height to Gu Huaisheng’s. However, when standing in front of Gu Huaisheng, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was somehow weaker than Gu Huaisheng.

Gu Huaisheng glanced at the servant Shuliang behind him. Shuliang understood his silent cue and stepped forward to take the items that Song Xuan’an was holding.

Song Xuan’an refused to hand them over.

However, Gu Huaisheng’s words left him with no choice but to relent.

Gu Huaisheng said, “Do you want her to be punished again?”

Wasn’t it because they had sneaked away together last time that she was punished? If the Jiang family found out that she was out with him again, they would certainly have a lot to say.

However, if it was Gu Huaisheng who sent her home, then no one would say anything.

People were always more lenient towards those with a good reputation.

Song Xuan’an had no other option but to hand over the items he was holding to Shuliang. He watched as Gu Huaisheng and Jiang Jingchun disappeared into the distance.

After a lively evening, the dragon boat races were finally over. It was late, around the time of the Pig hour, and the lively sounds of the street had quieted down.

The lanterns that had been hanging outside were being taken down, and the bustling atmosphere was settling back into the ordinary.

The two of them walked in silence on their way back to the Jiang residence.

For some time, neither of them said anything.

It wasn’t until they were nearly at the Jiang residence that Jiang Jingchun finally spoke.

She trailed behind him and asked, “Cousin, are you considering marriage?”

Last time, it was Lou Yanxin, and now it was a young miss she hadn’t recognised. 

Jiang Jingchun knew that there were plenty of people who liked Gu Huaisheng. Even if he didn’t like the Lou family’s eldest daughter, or did he like the girl from today, there would always be other families eager to see if they could be the one to finally become in-laws with him and his family.

Today he had gone out with a woman, and there would certainly be a next time, be it with the same woman or not. Sooner or later, he would choose someone.

What about her, though?

What was she to him?

From the beginning, everything she thought she had with him was just her wishful thinking.

She asked, “Cousin, since you didn’t seem to like Eldest Miss Lou from last time, then do you like the young miss you went out with earlier?”

Her words carried an unintentional bitterness, which would immediately be clear to anyone who heard her speak.

Her childish remark didn’t make Gu Huaisheng feel any need to argue further. However, as he looked at her lips, he shamefully found himself thinking of arguing with her despite her being just a child.

Eventually, he said, “She’s acceptable.”

He said she was acceptable.

In Jiang Jingchun’s mind, Gu Huaisheng had never lied, and she naturally thought he would never deceive her. So… did he truly think she was good enough?

Her face fell.

“Marriage is not a joking matter. Cousin, think it over carefully,” she said to him.

What else could she say? Was she supposed to tell him not to like her?

Was she supposed to bluntly say, ‘Don’t consider her; consider me instead?’

Jiang Jingchun clung to her last shred of composure and maintained it. After saying those words earlier, she headed into her family residence.

However, her attempt to maintain composure only appeared to be a child’s clumsy attempt to imitate an adult to Gu Huaisheng. In fact, he found it rather amusing.

Gu Huaisheng watched her retreating figure and finally said, “Your mouth.”

Jiang Jingchun had not gone far, and she heard him. Although she didn’t understand what he meant by those two words, she was afraid that if she stayed any longer, she would lose all her dignity and start crying uncontrollably. So, she paused for a moment but then continued walking without looking back.

She forced herself back into her chamber, sat in front of the copper mirror, and realised that her lip rouge had smeared a bit.

She remembered that it must have happened when Song Xuan’an had pressed his palm against her mouth earlier. That must have been when it got smeared.

She mumbled, “So annoying. It’s all Song Xuan’an’s fault.”

She never thought of anything else and only assumed that someone like Gu Huaisheng, who valued propriety and rules, would think that a smeared lip rouge was improper.

However, she then recalled Gu Huaisheng’s words earlier at the door, and a wave of discomfort washed over her. Her head felt heavy, and the more she thought about it, the more upset she became.

Eventually, she couldn’t hold back her tears, which rolled down from the corners of her eyes.

Huayun was startled upon seeing her like this. However, she understood why Jiang Jingchun was crying. After all, she had just seen the young marquis with another woman, so how could she be happy right now?

However, as the saying went, the one who tied the knot must be the one to untie it—the one who created the problem should be the one to fix it.

No matter how much Huayun tried to comfort her, it wouldn’t help. She could only let Jiang Jingchun cry it out.

When Gu Huaisheng returned to the marquis’ residence, Madame Gu was already waiting for him.

The clouds had obscured the moonlight, and as he walked in from the outside, his face carried a momentary gloom, which only dispersed once he entered the house.

Seeing the frosty expression on his face, though, Madame Gu instinctively felt something was wrong.

Sure enough, when she asked him about Miss Meng, Gu Huaisheng repeated the same thing he’d said about Miss Lou. “I don’t like her.”

Madame Gu’s head immediately started to hurt. She had met Madame Meng many times over this matter and had even met the young Miss Meng herself once. To her, Miss Meng seemed like a perfectly nice young girl.

What exactly was it that he didn’t like about her?

In annoyance, she said, “You had agreed to see your potential matches, and only after getting your agreement did I start looking for those potential matches. However, you’ve liked none of the girls I’ve shown you so far. Are you doing this on purpose to anger me?”

She had given him the best possible match in Miss Meng, and still, he didn’t like her. Was he expecting a celestial being, then?

Madame Gu had a sinking feeling that no matter how many matches she arranged, he would never like any of them.

“Fine, if you don’t like the ones I’ve found, at least tell me what kind of woman you do like. Otherwise, you’ll have to go through all the young misses in the capital, and I’ll become at odds with all their mothers!”

“I don’t know,” he coldly replied.

Hearing his indifferent tone nearly made Madame Gu faint from frustration. She said, “I’m worrying myself sick over your marriage, and you can’t even take it seriously?”

“Then stop worrying.”

“If I don’t worry, who will!?” she shot back. If she left this matter to him, she’d probably never live to see her first grandchild.

However, seeing Gu Huaisheng’s stubborn look also made her feel that there was no use in arguing further with him. She couldn’t continue this; otherwise, sooner or later, she’d really faint from the sheer anger she felt.

Madame Gu got to her feet and left.

Gu Huaisheng sat quietly for a moment longer, then also prepared to leave.

As he stepped towards the door, a small head peeked in. He looked up and saw Gu Huailang, his younger brother.

He found it strange that Gu Huailang hadn’t gone to bed at this hour.

Gu Huaisheng pretended not to see the little child and walked out without even pausing.

However, Gu Huailang suddenly said, “Brother, which of the dragon boat teams won today?”

Earlier in the week, he’d seen the dragon boat teams preparing for the race while out with their mother. He had thought all of the teams seemed great, and he’d been eagerly waiting to know who emerged victorious in the end.

Gu Huaisheng stopped and looked down at him. He asked, “Why didn’t you go out to watch?”

Gu Huailang pouted upon hearing this. In a slightly aggrieved tone, he said, “Mother said she’d take me, but she was too busy and forgot. She also wouldn’t let me go with the servants when I asked.”

His mother had never kept her words to him. Gu Huailang had gotten so angry at this matter that he couldn’t even bring himself to sleep.

A lantern hung by the corridor at the entrance. Under its light, Gu Huaisheng noticed Gu Huailang’s swollen eyes. He seemed like he had just been crying.

Madame Gu had indeed promised to take Gu Huailang out tonight, but it was the Dragon Boat Festival tonight, and she had a family banquet that she needed to host. The preparations dragged on until it got very late. Even though Gu Huailang said he wanted to go out without her, Madame Gu still adamantly refused to let him go.

The incident with ‘Jiang Jingchun’ getting lost at the temple when she was a child had left everyone, including Madame Gu, shaken even now. 

Back then, she had been right by Lady Li’s side. She had disappeared from right under her nose. With such a precedent, how could Madame Gu allow Gu Huailang to go out without her?

As such, no matter how much Gu Huailang cried or threw a tantrum, Madame Gu wouldn’t budge. She only promised to take him out next time.

But next time, next time—it was always next time and never this time!

Madame Gu always broke her promises. How could Gu Huailang not be upset?

Gu Huaisheng found the sight of his younger brother’s cheeks puffing up in anger rather amusing. He crouched down on one knee, met Gu Huailang at eye level, and asked, “If you want to go out, why didn’t you come with me?”

Since Gu Huailang had come to ask which team won today, he should have known that Gu Huaisheng had gone out to the streets.

“But you don’t like me,” Gu Huailang mumbled with his head hung low.

If he followed his brother around, he would only make his brother annoyed, right?

Gu Huailang’s childish voice reached Gu Huaisheng’s ears. He paused for a moment and seemed to become lost in thought.

This was just how children were, right? If he didn’t like them, they wouldn’t like him either.

At this moment, he thought of Jiang Jingchun. He always considered her a child; if she were, then she must be quite a persistent one. 

No one else—whether it was his mother, his younger brother, or anyone else—had insisted on approaching him despite his coldness.

But she, and only she, was different from them.

Time and time again, he had pushed her away, but she always came back every time.

Tonight, why had his heart been so stirred just because of her smudged lip rouge? He reasoned that it was simply because her actions clashed with the values of propriety that he’d always upheld and thus stirred an unsettled feeling within him.

Yes, that must be it.

What else could it be?

She said she liked him, but how could she do such a thing?

Gu Huaisheng stood up and said, “The team with the blue armbands won.”