The Young Marquis Regrets Too Late - Chapter 25

Jiang Jinghui seemed oblivious to Gu Huaisheng’s unusual behaviour. Her gaze remained fixed on the pair sitting in the pavilion as she remarked, “They seem to be enjoying themselves. That young gentleman must be a decent person; otherwise, how could he make my younger sister so happy on their very first meeting?”

With a touch of melancholy in her voice, she added, “These days, Jingchun hasn’t had much of a smile on her face.” 

She turned to Gu Huaisheng, then asked, “Cousin, do you think it’s because I’ve returned? Could she be upset because she thinks I’ve taken her place?”

Her voice sounded a little sad.

However, her words subtly painted Jiang Jingchun as petty and narrow-minded.

Gu Huaisheng finally shifted his gaze from the pavilion to glance at Jiang Jinghui. Through the veil of rain, Jiang Jinghui’s features bore a faint resemblance to Jiang Jingchun’s.

He appeared to study her for a moment in silence. Then, he looked away. 

“She’s not that kind of person,” he said.

Jiang Jinghui let out a light chuckle, though the light in her eyes dimmed somewhat.

‘Not that kind of person’? Everyone seemed to go out of their way to defend her.

After a while, Gu Huaisheng asked, “Was it your idea to have Jiang Runchu call me here?”

Jiang Jinghui feigned ignorance and said, “What do you mean, Cousin? I had no idea he would call you. He only told me to wait at the door for someone, and that’s when I found out it was you.”

Gu Huaisheng stared at her without saying anything.

After a moment, he suddenly asked, “Did the people you stayed with teach you things like this?”

The pouring rain made his voice sound even colder and devoid of emotion, yet it pierced Jiang Jinghui’s ears clearly.

When Jiang Jinghui heard Gu Huaisheng’s words, she became stunned. For a moment, she couldn’t react. Her thoughts seemed to scatter elsewhere.

Something seemed to surface in her mind, and whatever it was drained the remaining smile from her face.

After what felt like a long time, she finally pulled herself out of her reverie. 

While looking at Gu Huaisheng, she said, “Cousin, you seem very hostile towards me. The family I stayed with did teach me to read and write. What of it? I’ve been struggling with some classical texts lately and thought I would consult you. Where has your mind wandered to, Cousin? I don’t believe I’ve ever offended you. At the banquet last time, you seemed quite cordial to me. Perhaps I was mistaken?”

Her tone carried a veiled accusation—if he disliked her so much, why did he do things that could be easily misunderstood?

Gu Huaisheng was unfazed by the subtle sarcasm in her words. He said, “Last time was because of Jiang Runchu.”

“But you are the only one who can fully control your actions,” Jiang Jinghui retorted with a mocking smile on her face.

Who could force him to smile and laugh if he didn’t want to?

Gu Huaisheng’s gaze was sharp and cold as it locked onto her. His long, narrow eyes emanated an unmistakable sense of hostility.

Jiang Jinghui realised she couldn’t continue arguing with Gu Huaisheng. What good would it be for her to get angry at him or make an enemy out of him now? 

Jiang Jinghui quickly composed herself. However, before she could say anything more, she noticed him striding towards the pavilion.

Seeing his actions, she immediately concluded that he wasn’t as indifferent towards Jiang Jingchun as the rumours claimed. Her expression returned to normal, and she followed him as if nothing had happened.

She trailed behind him and asked, “Cousin, why are you heading there?”

Gu Huaisheng didn’t respond. He didn’t even pause as he strode towards the pavilion.

Jiang Jinghui noticed his silence. Her lips curled into a cold smile, but she continued to follow.

The atmosphere in the pavilion was markedly more relaxed than the tense situation between Gu Huaisheng and Jiang Jinghui some distance away. The two inside were engrossed in their conversation and were completely unaware of the approaching intruders.

Gu Huaisheng closed his umbrella and stepped into the pavilion. The two people sitting face-to-face were deep in discussion. Whatever Fang Zhiping had said must have been amusing, as Jiang Jingchun was laughing.

The mood in the pavilion was light and harmonious—until Gu Huaisheng and Jiang Jinghui entered.

Jiang Jingchun heard the sound of their footsteps and looked up. When she saw Gu Huaisheng, the smile on her face vanished instantly. Across from her, Fang Zhiping noticed the change in her expression and turned to see who had arrived, only to find two unfamiliar figures standing behind him.

His gaze landed on the tall and imposing man, and a look of astonishment crossed his face.

He had once glimpsed Gu Huaisheng from afar. As Gu Huaisheng stood before him now, there was no way he could have mistaken this man’s identity. The figure that was once so distant and unreachable to him was suddenly right in front of him, and Fang Zhiping didn’t know how to react.

What was Gu Huaisheng doing here?

That day wasn’t even a day of rest for government officials. Moreover, this was the Jiang family’s residence, not the Gu family’s residence.

Gu Huaisheng broke the awkward silence first. He nonchalantly said, “I was heading toward the main hall but got caught in the rain. I came here to take shelter.”

His gaze rested on Jiang Jingchun the entire time, but she seemed to have no intention whatsoever to meet his eyes.

He shifted his focus to Fang Zhiping. His eyes—sharp and cold as they were, made it impossible for Fang Zhiping to ignore him. 

Gu Huaisheng said to him, “You are?”

Fang Zhiping was unsure of Gu Huaisheng’s intent behind the question but answered politely nonetheless. “Greetings, Young Marquis. I am Fang Zhiping. My mother and I came to visit Madame Jiang today. My mother is currently inside speaking with Madame Jiang, so I accompanied Miss Jiang outside. We got caught in the rain, so we came here to wait it out. We were just having a casual chat to pass the time.”

Despite the simplicity of Gu Huaisheng’s two-word question, Fang Zhiping found himself explaining everything in detail.

Fang Zhiping was aware of Jiang Jingchun’s past affection for Gu Huaisheng, but her current reaction made it clear she no longer harboured such feelings for him. What he couldn’t figure out was why Gu Huaisheng had suddenly appeared here. Could it really be a coincidence?

Even if he wasn’t sure about the dynamics between Jiang Jingchun and Gu Huaisheng, Fang Zhiping could sense the tension in the air.

Gu Huaisheng and Jiang Jinghui’s sudden arrival was clearly disruptive. Fang Zhiping and Jiang Jingchun had been chatting happily until their untimely appearance. The relaxed atmosphere between the two in the pavilion was now replaced by a palpable unease.

After Fang Zhiping replied to Gu Huaisheng, the pavilion fell into a heavy silence. For a time, none of them made any sound.

However, since everyone was already here, it wouldn’t make sense to let the awkward tension fester. Seeing that no one was speaking, Fang Zhiping respectfully rose and invited the two others to take a seat.

Once everyone was seated, Fang Zhiping voiced the question that had been on his mind. “Does Young Marquis Gu not have work duties today?”

Gu Huaisheng answered in a calm tone, “The emperor granted me a month-long leave.”

A few days after he submitted evidence to Emperor Taihe accusing Wang Shun of his crimes, an official decree came from the Grand Secretariat. It stated that Gu Huaisheng had handled the Tianlu Terrace case satisfactorily, and as a reward, he was granted a month’s leave. 

However, given Gu Huaisheng’s current situation, spending a month idling at home while his responsibilities at the Censorate were transferred to others wasn’t necessarily a straightforward blessing—it was hard to say whether it was a reward or a punishment.

This grant for leave had, in fact, been proposed by Wang Shun himself. It was evident that, though it was called a reward, this was a veiled punishment—a retaliation for Gu Huaisheng’s attempt to implicate Wang Shun in ‘Li Si’s crime.’

Fang Zhiping was surprised by Gu Huaisheng’s response. He knew that Gu Huaisheng was currently rising through the ranks; why would he take a month off? The political climate in court was unpredictable and could change at any moment. With so many people eyeing his position in the Censorate enviously, how could he afford to stay home for an entire month?

Though Fang Zhiping hadn’t officially entered court himself, he wasn’t entirely ignorant of such matters.

Could it be that Gu Huaisheng had made some mistake and was being punished?

Fang Zhiping was lost in his thoughts, to the point that he didn’t even notice when Jiang Jinghui spoke.

“I heard the two of you laughing from a distance. What were you talking about that was so amusing?”

Jiang Jinghui looked at Jiang Jingchun as she asked. Her expression was filled with the gentle affection of an elder sister towards a younger one as she spoke.

In just a few days, Jiang Jinghui had fully adapted to life in the Jiang family residence. She now carried herself with the dignity and poise befitting a proper young miss of the family.

In contrast, Jiang Jingchun had grown increasingly quiet. She spoke less and less to those around her.

Jiang Jingchun replied to Jiang Jinghui, saying, “Nothing much—Young Master Fang was just sharing something amusing.”

Fang Zhiping was witty. He carried himself with the grace of a gentleman but without excessive rigidity. He struck a perfect balance, as he knew when to be proper and when to sprinkle in a bit of humour. Jiang Jingchun had been quite pleased with him in this first meeting.

At this moment, she genuinely felt that marrying wouldn’t be such a bad thing. Fang Zhiping seemed like a decent match for her. Marrying him appeared to be a reasonable choice.

When someone was desperate to escape a bad situation, they would be easily blinded to other things.

At least for now, Jiang Jingchun felt that everything was fine. Even if there were signs that there might be something off with him, she instinctively ignored them.

To other people, Fang Zhiping’s actions might appear as little more than an attempt to curry her favour with smooth talk. However, in Jiang Jingchun’s eyes, he was truly charming and humorous.

It was clear, however, that Gu Huaisheng didn’t like Fang Zhiping very much.

He thought that anyone who could make a girl laugh so heartily upon first meeting her couldn’t be a decent person.

He also thought that Jiang Jingchun was far too gullible. This man was obviously not trustworthy, yet she seemed to like him quite a bit.

Gu Huaisheng glanced at Fang Zhiping. His expression was a mix of amusement and curiosity as he said, “Oh? I’m quite curious to hear what Young Master Fang could have shared that was so amusing.”

Fang Zhiping wasn’t foolish enough to believe that Gu Huaisheng was genuinely interested in his humorous anecdotes. He could sense Gu Huaisheng’s hostility. When this seemingly innocent question came out, Fang Zhiping sensed an undertone that made him feel uneasy.

Fang Zhiping didn’t dare to offend Gu Huaisheng. He hesitated on how to reply, but before he could think of something, Jiang Jingchun suddenly stood up.

She said, “Young Marquis, what does it matter to you what he said? He was speaking to me, not to you.”

She looked at him with a cold gaze. Moreover, she didn’t even bother to address him as ‘Cousin.’ Instead, she distantly referred to him as ‘Young Marquis.’

Everyone present was momentarily stunned by the sharpness of her words. Gu Huaisheng’s faint smile faded, and his eyebrows furrowed slightly.

He wondered if what he said could have been too much.

He’d just said one sentence, yet she was already so protective of this man.

It seemed she truly wanted to sever the ties between them. The last time they met, she had said she wasn’t his cousin and that they no longer had anything to do with each other. She hadn’t been jesting; that was a serious declaration. She now made it even clearer with her words and actions. She truly didn’t want to acknowledge him as family anymore.

Jiang Jingchun didn’t care how Gu Huaisheng looked at her. She glanced outside the pavilion and saw that the brief rain had already stopped. She turned to Fang Zhiping and said, “The rain has mostly stopped. Young Master Fang, shall we go?”

The moment he arrived, she wanted to leave.

“So I annoy you that much, huh.”

Her use of ‘Young Marquis’ stung like a knife to his chest. Watching her prepare to leave with Fang Zhiping, Gu Huaisheng couldn’t help but blurt out a sarcastic remark.

Jiang Jingchun’s steps faltered.

What a baffling man.

He was being unreasonable to the point of absurdity.

Hadn’t he been the one to push her away in the first place? Hadn’t he been the one who grew impatient with her? Now that they were as distant as he had wanted, why was he unhappy again?

Jiang Jingchun almost turned around to confront him and scold him. However, in the end, she merely paused for a moment.

She remembered that Fang Zhiping was still there, and she didn’t want him to know about her past affection for Gu Huaisheng. She feared he might mind.

In the end, she simply cursed Gu Huaisheng inwardly, said nothing, and walked away without looking back.

When Fang Zhiping saw that Jiang Jingchun was leaving, he saw no reason to stay in the pavilion anymore, either. As such, after bidding Gu Huaisheng and Jiang Jinghui a quick farewell, he hurriedly followed Jiang Jingchun.

As their figures disappeared into the distance, Jiang Jinghui, who had observed their earlier exchange, couldn’t help but feel amused at Gu Huaisheng’s discomfort.

“Cousin, you’re quite something. I’ve never seen my sister bare her teeth at anyone like that,” she said.

Gu Huaisheng caught the subtle jab in her tone. His expression darkened further, and without a word, he turned to leave the pavilion.

“Cousin, weren’t you planning to visit Grandmother? Why are you leaving in such a hurry?” she called after him with feigned concern.

Gu Huaisheng naturally ignored her. Once she was out of his sight, Jiang Jinghui’s expression turned cold. She stared at his retreating back.

She had indeed used Jiang Runchu to lure Gu Huaisheng over, but he left the rear garden after this.

Anyhow, from what she saw today, Jiang Jinghui was certain something had happened between Jiang Jingchun and Gu Huaisheng. Moreover, Gu Huaisheng’s feelings towards Jiang Jingchun were conclusively anything but ordinary.

After all, he’d been practically dying of jealousy when Jiang Jingchun exchanged just a few words with Fang Zhiping.

How amusing.

As Gu Huaisheng made his way back on his carriage, he summoned Shuliang.

He asked, “I asked you to investigate Jiang Jinghui before. Did you find anything?”

After speaking with her again today, he was even more convinced that Jiang Jinghui wasn’t as simple as she appeared.

She claimed she’d been abducted and forced to become a child bride, but what kind of child bride would possess her level of knowledge and refinement? She seemed kind on the surface, yet her words often carried a sharp edge, with most of all her sentences laced with hidden barbs.

Shuliang replied with a shake of his head. He said, “I sent someone to investigate her former household, but they found nothing unusual.”

“Nothing unusual?” Gu Huaisheng repeated. He clearly didn’t believe it.

Shuliang replied, “Yes, we had them check thoroughly, but there’s truly nothing strange about it. Young Master, could it be that you’re overthinking…?”

The carriage fell into a brief silence. The only sound they could hear now from inside the carriage was the rhythmic clatter of its wheels against the cobblestone road.

Was he overthinking?

No, he trusted his instincts.

Besides, her comments earlier had betrayed inconsistencies.

Yet if Shuliang’s investigation turned up nothing, it meant she had thoroughly concealed any trace of her past. Any further attempt to find more evidence would likely be futile.

Gu Huaisheng dropped the subject of Jiang Jinghui and brought up another matter. “Look into the family that visited the Jiang family residence today.”

Shuliang was puzzled. “Young Master, did something happen with them?”

“Just investigate them,” Gu Huaisheng said. 

In his mind, he recalled the events that had happened earlier in the garden, and this gave him a headache.

Fang Zhiping seemed decent enough. He looked like a proper gentleman.

However, marriage was a lifelong matter. How could she consider marrying someone without knowing the

Without knowing someone’s background, how could she consider marrying him? How could she know if he was truly trustworthy and wasn’t hiding anything? 

Gu Huaisheng couldn’t understand what she was thinking. How could she be willing to entrust her life to that man so easily?

She didn’t seem to care about this, and neither did the Jiang family. As her older cousin, he had to at least make sure whether that man was a scoundrel on her behalf. Otherwise, if she were deceived by him…

Wouldn’t that be too terrible?

Gu Huaisheng came up with an excuse that he couldn’t refuse himself. He even brushed off the fact that Jiang Jingchun had long since stopped acknowledging him as her cousin. 

After all, she had called him ‘Cousin’ for so many years, he thought. Even if she didn’t care about him anymore, he couldn’t possibly turn a blind eye to such an important matter as her marriage.