The Young Marquis Regrets Too Late - Chapter 20

The Gu family arrived early at the Jiang family residence. By the time they reached the Jiang family residence, the banquet had not yet begun, and the other guests had yet to arrive.

Today’s banquet was set up in the rear garden. It featured an arrangement usually found in winding stream banquets, in which cups would flow along a winding artificial stream. The arrangement lent an air of refined elegance to the banquet. 

The recently found Jiang Jinghui was surrounded by everyone. She was no longer wearing the plain outfit from that fateful day; instead, she was dressed in fine silk garments. Though her attire was luxurious, it avoided ostentatious extravagance and lent her an understated elegance.

She was encircled by other people, and her face was constantly adorned with a faint smile the whole time. She looked somewhat shy but carried herself with grace and poise, and left no impression of being overly timid or unsophisticated.

It was also obvious to all that Jiang Nan cherished Jiang Jinghui immensely.

After all, she was his real daughter, to whom he was related by bl00d. Who would favour an outsider over their own bl00d? Now, everyone surrounded her to chat while Jiang Jingchun sat silently in a corner with her head lowered. 

This was the first time that Madame Gu had met Jiang Jinghui. She had heard of Jiang Jinghui’s difficult past while living away from her parents and expected her to lack proper manners or refinement. However, to her surprise, Jiang Jinghui turned out to be courteous and well-behaved. Jiang Jinghui exceeded her expectations.

When the Gu family arrived, Jiang Nan beamed with joy and pulled Jiang Jinghui over to introduce her to them. 

“This is your uncle and aunt,” he said warmly.

Jiang Jinghui smiled and obediently greeted them, “Uncle, Aunt.”

Jiang Nan then gestured towards Gu Huaisheng and introduced, “And this is your cousin.”

Jiang Jinghui turned to Gu Huaisheng and respectfully said, “I heard of Cousin’s great reputation even before I came to the capital. I didn’t expect to ever have the chance to meet you in person.”

Her gaze towards Gu Huaisheng was different from how she looked at others, as there was a hint of admiration in her eyes. That was understandable. Girls her age often admired someone like Gu Huaisheng, and this must especially be true for girls like Jiang Jinghui, who had grown up in a small, remote place and had never encountered someone so remarkable. It was natural for her cheeks to flush upon meeting him for the first time.

However, Gu Huaisheng did not respond immediately. His gaze drifted towards a corner of the hall.

He was looking at Jiang Jingchun.

Jiang Jingchun did not look their way at all. Her head remained lowered, and she seemed lost in thought.

Gu Huaisheng’s lips pressed into a thin line. He couldn’t quite tell if she had cried.

She seemed so calm, as if she had accepted everything without protest or struggle.

He found himself deep in thought, so much so that he didn’t even realise Jiang Jinghui was speaking to him until Madame Gu tugged his sleeve and brought him back to reality.

He looked at Jiang Jinghui, who was in front of him, and finally greeted her. “Cousin.”

It was a simple and ordinary title. However, it had a rather peculiar tone as it came out of his mouth.

Perhaps it was because he was only accustomed to calling Jiang Jingchun by that term. Even with his other cousins—Jiang Jingfang and her siblings, he rarely used it.

After greeting Jiang Jinghui, Gu Huaisheng considered the introduction complete and didn’t continue the conversation.

Jiang Nan, of course, noticed Jiang Jinghui’s budding interest in Gu Huaisheng. However, Gu Huaisheng’s distant and cold demeanour had created an awkward atmosphere between them.

Fortunately, at that moment, a servant rushed over and announced, “Master, Madame, the guests have arrived.”

With the guests here, the banquet was ready to begin.

Jiang Nan and Lady Li prepared to take Jiang Jinghui to greet the guests, and this conversation came to an end.

Jiang Runchu walked over to Gu Huaisheng and asked, “What were you thinking about just now? You seemed lost in thought.”

Gu Huaisheng shook his head and said, “It’s nothing.”

Jiang Runchu didn’t press further.

However, he commented, “She seems to like you.”

Jiang Jinghui’s interest towards Gu Huaisheng was evident.

However, Gu Huaisheng did not wish to entertain the topic. He responded flatly, “You’re mistaken.”

Jiang Runchu wasn’t ready to let it go, though. He said, “She’s had such a hard life all these years. If she likes you, you could at least show her some kindness, just for my sake. You don’t need to do much—just smile at her a little. After all, she’s your cousin. Why must you be so cold towards her?”

Gu Huaisheng turned to Jiang Runchu and stared at him for a long moment. His eyebrows furrowed slightly as he said, “You’re being unfair.”

When Jiang Jingchun liked him in the past, Jiang Runchu never said anything like this. In fact, he even told Gu Huaisheng to avoid paying her too much attention.

However, he was now encouraging Gu Huaisheng to be warm and approachable to someone else.

Even if Jiang Jingchun wasn’t his bl00d-related sister, this treatment still felt overly harsh.

Jiang Runchu paused. He was momentarily stunned by Gu Huaisheng’s words.

He indeed disliked Jiang Jingchun—perhaps even despised her.

From the moment she was brought into the Jiang family, he had disliked her.

Perhaps, over the years, he had even felt that Jiang Jingchun had stolen Jiang Jinghui’s place and enjoyed everything that should have belonged to Jiang Jinghui.

He was nine years old that year, and his father had led her—a tiny, carrot-like child to stand before him. His father had told him that she was his sister.

However, he was already nine years old. At that age, he wasn’t so easily fooled.

How could he not recognise whether she was his sister or not?

He had a younger sister, and that younger sister wasn’t her.

He didn’t like Jiang Jingchun. That was right, but so what? Wasn’t that only to be expected?

Rarely did Jiang Runchu lose his temper with Gu Huaisheng, but now his face reddened with anger. He let out a cold snort and said to Gu Huaisheng, “You don’t need to think that. Jinghui has suffered so much over the years, while she—she’s been soaking in honey! She lived a carefree life as the pampered eldest daughter of the Jiang family. How am I being unfair? Besides, now Jinghui is your real cousin. Jiang Jingchun isn’t.”

Gu Huaisheng looked at Jiang Runchu but didn’t respond.

On this matter, he truly was an outsider. He had no standing to criticise anyone.

After a moment of silence, he suddenly asked, “Did she cry?”

The ‘she’ that Gu Huaisheng was referring to was naturally Jiang Jingchun.

Jiang Runchu grew even angrier. So everything he’d said earlier was utterly pointless—it was as if he’d been playing a lute to a cow.

He gritted his teeth and angrily said, “If you smile at Jinghui and speak nicely to her later, I’ll tell you.”

After all, Gu Huaisheng’s charm was undeniable. Even his newly returned cousin seemed to admire him.

This was just a spiteful remark, but to Jiang Runchu’s surprise, after a moment, Gu Huaisheng actually responded with a quiet ‘Mm.’

Jiang Runchu was stunned. “You…”

He stammered for a long while and couldn’t finish his sentence. 

Gu Huaisheng calmly explained, “I’m just curious.”

He really was curious. Had she cried or not?

Before he came, he thought she must have cried. However, when he saw her today, she didn’t look like she had. His thoughts wavered back and forth, and he still wanted to know—did she cry?

Seeing Gu Huaisheng’s calm demeanour, Jiang Runchu didn’t press the issue further. In the end, for the sake of their little bargain, Jiang Runchu answered truthfully. He said, “She didn’t cry.”

She really didn’t cry.

But hearing this answer, Gu Huaisheng frowned slightly.

How could that be?

He had always thought of her as someone who would cry easily. In his mind, he was a child whose eyes would redden over the slightest grievance. Naturally, his first thought was that, faced with such a situation, she wouldn’t be able to bear it and would definitely cry.

Jiang Runchu’s answer took him by surprise.

He turned to look in Jiang Jingchun’s direction. She was still sitting in that corner. At that moment, she happened to glance briefly towards their side of the hall.

Their gazes met.

This was their first eye contact today. In the past, her gaze had always followed him; as long as he looked her way, he would catch her looking at him. However, today, even though he had looked at her thrice, she had only looked back once.

Maybe what he said the other day had been too harsh and too damaging to her pride. The way she looked at him now was calm and distant. Her gaze was completely devoid of the brightness it used to hold.

She merely glanced at him, as if he were an insignificant stranger to her, and then quickly looked away.

Gu Huaisheng was suddenly reminded of the dream he had that morning.

In the dream, her eyes had been filled with affection. She was entirely unlike the way she looked now. His throat felt dry, and his chest felt heavy—as if it had been stuffed with cotton. He suddenly felt stifled and uncomfortable.

Not long after, Jiang Runchu pulled him out of his thoughts and dragged him away.

The banquet guests moved about to socialise. Today’s event was held in the rear garden rather than the main hall and was, as such, much more relaxed. People chatted and mingled in the open air. Laughter filled the area and echoed throughout the garden.

However, Jiang Jingchun silently sat alone in a corner.

Song Xuan’an and Chen Muqing didn’t come today. Perhaps Jiang Nan had feared that their presence might stir up trouble with her, so he hadn’t invited them.

Jiang Nan took Jiang Jinghui around and introduced her to the guests. From her corner, Jiang Jingchun could vaguely hear the lively conversations. He proudly announced Jiang Jinghui as the daughter he had lost and then found again.

She didn’t know if it was her imagination, but she felt as if people’s eyes kept drifting towards her. Their gazes seemed mocking, as if they were saying, ‘Oh, so that once arrogant eldest miss isn’t even actually the real child of the Jiang family.’

Even as she sat in the farthest corner, she felt as though she had been stripped bare, left exposed for ridicule with nowhere to hide.

Jiang Jingchun hung her head low. She was too afraid to look up.

She didn’t have the courage to face those eyes.

She fidgeted with her fingers and prayed silently. She desperately wished for no one to come talk to her or bring her up in their conversations.

However, her prayers didn’t end up coming true. The moment she finished her silent prayer, she saw someone standing in front of her. That person called out to her.

“Hey, Jiang Jingchun.”

Jiang Jingchun looked up to see none other than Lou Yanyan.

Lou Yanyan smirked maliciously. She put her hands on her hips and said, “Oh, wow, Jiang Jingchun… So you’re not even the real daughter?”

Jiang Jingchun had clashed with her in the past, so now that she was in this vulnerable position, Lou Yanyan naturally came to ridicule her.

Jiang Jingchun didn’t want to argue with her. She got up with the intention to walk away. However, Lou Yanyan blocked her path.

Lou Yanyan stood in front of her and pointed to a spot not far away.

In that spot, Jiang Jinghui had just about finished meeting everyone and was now chatting with Gu Huaisheng and Jiang Runchu.

Jiang Jingchun followed the direction of her hand. She didn’t know what they were talking about, but from this angle, she could see Gu Huaisheng smiling at Jiang Jinghui. His demeanour was warm and gentle, and he seemed a far cry from his usual stoic self.

Lou Yanyan noticed her distraction and leaned in closer with a sly grin. “Jiang Jingchun, who would like you? Look at her—she’s only just arrived, and he’s already smiling at her like that. What about you? You’ve been by his side all this time, flitting about like a clown around him. What have you ever gotten out of it?”

Lou Yanyan wasn’t displeased to see Gu Huaisheng getting along with Jiang Jinghui. Anyhow, her elder sister now had no more chance with Gu Huaisheng—that was all in the past now. In fact, she felt happy to see Gu Huaisheng and Jiang Jinghui smiling and chatting with each other. It would naturally make Jiang Jingchun unhappy, and she would certainly point it out to her.

Jiang Jingchun wasn’t angry at these words anymore. She only found them laughable.

Indeed, what had she ever gotten from Gu Huaisheng? 

She’d only gotten a single word.

‘Shameless.’

In the past, she had desperately wanted to see him smile. But now, he had smiled so warmly at someone else whom he had just met once.

Why hadn’t she seen before that he was this kind of person?

He was cruel—Gu Huaisheng was truly cruel.

Lou Yanyan kept jabbering on. Jiang Jingchun found her voice incessantly grating. If this was any other day, Jiang Jingchun would have pushed her away and told her to shut up.

However, they were at Jiang Jinghui’s formal recognition banquet today.

She couldn’t cause a scene. She didn’t have the right to cause a scene.

She couldn’t stay here any longer, either. She felt like she was suffocating. Her chest was tight with suppressed emotion.

Finally, she couldn’t bear it any longer and fled.

She ran out of the rear garden, away from the guests. Once she was outside, she couldn’t hold back anymore. She was desperate to escape this place of torment, and she started running freely. Emotions that she had pushed down for the past few days finally erupted.

Why hadn’t they invited Song Xuan’an or Chen Muqing but let Lou Yanyan come?

Didn’t they know that she and Lou Yanyan had a bad relationship?

Since Lou Yanyan had come today, it was only natural for her to come and torment Jiang Jingchun.

She had no right to question their decisions. It was already kind of them to let her stay and not drive her away. 

However, precisely because she couldn’t voice her grievances, the frustration burned her from the inside out. She was in an unbearable torment—she felt like she was being roasted alive, and her soul felt as if it was being scorched and flayed. 

She couldn’t face the stares from those people anymore. She didn’t have enough courage to.

Ever since she learned she wasn’t the real daughter of the Jiang family, she had lost all confidence. She didn’t even have the courage to argue with Lou Yanyan anymore now.

The summer wind was hot and stifling. It slammed against her face as she ran aimlessly. Her hair flew wildly, and sweat drenched her in layers.

She ran out of the Jiang family residence without knowing where she would go. She just kept running, without direction and tether. All she knew was her body and soul felt lighter after she left.

Eventually, exhaustion caught up to her. At that point, she passed by a bridge. Beneath the bridge, the water rushed swiftly by. The air around her cleared her head and refreshed her, and she finally decided to stop.

She leaned over the railing and half-hung off it. Her head drooped downward as she let herself relax.

Her eyes drifted towards the swift river beneath the bridge. Its surface seemed to glow under the midday sun. Its waves sparkled like a dream, and she could see her reflection in the ripples. Schools of tiny fish darted across the river’s surface, carried by the current to all corners of the river.

Jiang Jingchun stared at the water and, unexpectedly, began to laugh softly to herself. She murmured, “Swim faster, little fish, faster…”

Could they perhaps take her away with them?

This damned world. Why did it have to treat her like this?

She wanted to escape so badly.

She leaned there for so long that her head started to spin, and her mind grew foggy. Darkness crept into her vision, and specks of light danced before her eyes. She decided to straighten up by supporting herself on the railing.

However, just as she was about to, she heard a voice come from behind her. The voice was tinted with a slight anger.

“What are you doing?”

Gu Huaisheng had been dragged by Jiang Runchu to talk to Jiang Jinghui earlier. While they were talking, he noticed Lou Yanyan heading towards Jiang Jingchun. However, after a brief exchange between the two, Jiang Jingchun had gone and disappeared from his sight.

A faint unease had settled in his chest. Considering her condition today, he couldn’t bring himself to feel at ease. In the end, he decided to follow her.

She had run off too quickly, and for a moment, he lost track of her. He had to ask around before someone pointed him in the direction she had gone.

When he arrived, he saw her leaning on the railing, with half of her body leaning dangerously outward.

He instinctively assumed she was attempting to take her own life.

Perhaps Lou Yanyan had just given her trouble, or maybe the weight of everything had finally crushed her. Whatever the reason, she had run off, and now it seemed she was at her wit’s end and was going to embrace death as an escape.

When he saw her in that position, his eyelids twitched. Without him realising it, worry had seeped into his voice.

Hearing the sudden sound, Jiang Jingchun straightened up abruptly and turned her head. To her dismay, it was none other than Gu Huaisheng.

She didn’t want to see him.

She didn’t say anything upon recognising him. Instead, she just turned around and ran away.