The Young Marquis Regrets Too Late - Chapter 27

Shuliang glanced at the pouring rain outside and hesitated. “Young Master, the rain is coming down hard right now. Why don’t we wait for the time it takes to burn an incense stick? It looks like it might lighten up.”

Gu Huaisheng raised his eyes to look at the curtain of rain outside the house. He suppressed the urgency in his heart.

Yes, waiting a little longer wouldn’t make much of a difference.

However, by the time the afternoon had passed, the rain showed no signs of letting up. Gu Huaisheng couldn’t wait any longer, so he decided to go to the Jiang family residence despite the rain.

The rain poured relentlessly from the sky. Raindrops trickled down the leaves and fell to the ground. Even though it was daytime, the sky was shrouded in a layer of grey, and it was dim and lifeless.

The servants of the Jiang family residence were surprised to hear that Gu Huaisheng had arrived. They couldn’t figure out why he would suddenly visit today. However, his presence at the Jiang residence wasn’t out of place, nor would it cause the kind of uproar that the presence of someone like Song Xuan’an might. If he had been Song Xuan’an, he would have immediately been dragged before Lady Li for questioning.

Gu Huaisheng stopped the servant who was about to announce his arrival. He intended to head straight to Jiang Jingchun.

He walked past the decorative screen wall near the entrance and headed directly toward Chongming Hall.

Gu Huaisheng was known for his extreme cleanliness and disliked going out on rainy days. Rainy weather was bothersome; droplets would often be blown by the wind onto one’s face and the muddy roads stained the hems of one’s clothes—stains that were particularly distasteful to his eyes. The damp and stifling atmosphere of rainy days was also almost unbearable to him. 

Yet today, despite the heavy rain, there wasn’t the slightest trace of irritation on his face.

His mind was preoccupied with something, and he was oblivious to everything else.

He knew that Jiang Jingchun might not be willing to listen to him. 

However, he couldn’t just stand by and watch her walk into trouble. Fang Zhiping was not a good man, and he needed to tell her that.

He was her cousin. Even if she didn’t want to acknowledge it anymore, hadn’t they spent all those years calling each other ‘cousin’? Was that all fake? 

He had known from the beginning that she wasn’t the Jiang family’s daughter, yet he had always treated her as his cousin. What difference did Jiang Jinghui’s return make?

Even if she wanted to sever ties, even if she didn’t want to speak to him anymore, Gu Huaisheng stubbornly clung to that weak connection between them. 

This was because… Without it, there really would be nothing left between them.

As these thoughts drifted in and out of his mind, a bright figure suddenly entered his line of sight. He lifted his eyes and saw Jiang Jingchun holding an umbrella and heading outside. Huayun followed closely after her.

It was still pouring rain. Where could she be going?

It seemed as though she noticed him.

Gu Huaisheng was certain that she glanced in his direction.

Yet, in the next moment, she acted as though she hadn’t seen him at all. Without hesitation, she averted her gaze and continued walking forward. Even as she passed by him, she didn’t show the slightest indication that she intended to stop.

Gu Huaisheng knew that Jiang Jingchun also disliked going out on rainy days. Rain was bothersome—no one would enjoy going out in such weather.

Yet today, he happened to catch her leaving despite the rain.

As they were about to brush past each other, Gu Huaisheng finally couldn’t hold back and spoke.

“Where are you going?”

Despite the countless thoughts swirling in his mind, when he opened his mouth, his tone remained as calm and detached as ever, as though he were merely handling some work matter. Not a trace of the emotions in his heart slipped through.

However, his words were grating to Jiang Jingchun’s ears.

She was free to go wherever she wished. What did it have anything to do with him? Did she need to report her every move to him?

Or, was it that he was so idle during his time off from work that he had nothing better to do than to come to someone else’s house and interrogate them about their daily routines?

Jiang Jingchun didn’t feel the need to show him any courtesy. She responded curtly, “That has nothing to do with you, Young Marquis.”

She wasn’t just trying to spite Gu Huaisheng—she was genuinely annoyed at this moment.

What was Gu Huaisheng doing now? Had he come to figuratively offer a sweet treat after slapping her in the face? Since he had already chosen to push her away, since he had already said such a hurtful thing, why was he acting like this now?

Did he really think she had no shame? That she wouldn’t feel humiliated after hearing what he said? Did he believe she was merely throwing a tantrum, and that as soon as he came to her, she’d immediately forgive him?

The more Jiang Jingchun thought about it, the angrier she became. She was about to get betrothed; her eyes were already set on someone else. Why must he insist on coming near her and reminding her of what had passed?

What he was doing was utterly pointless.

She thought for a moment, then looked at Gu Huaisheng and said, “I’m about to get betrothed. What happened in the past… Please consider it youthful foolishness and forget it.”

Gu Huaisheng never liked her anyway, so she didn’t think there was anything wrong with what she said.

She didn’t want her future husband to know about the reckless mistakes she had made when she was young. It would be best if those mistakes could be erased from everyone’s memories before she was betrothed.

These words were different from what she’d said when they stood by the river. Those words had been spoken in anger. These ones were serious and genuine.

‘Forget it’? Did she really think it was that simple?

Did she expect him to forget her calling him ‘Cousin’ for over a decade and everything else that had happened between them over the years?

He knew she wanted him to forget what had happened that day in the teahouse, but what about everything else?

Was she asking him to forget everything else as well?

After spending over ten years together, she was telling him to forget everything just like that. He had never realised she was capable of saying such heartless words.

The sweltering atmosphere weighed heavily on him and made it even harder to breathe.

Gu Huaisheng watched as Jiang Jingchun turned to leave. Almost instinctively, he reached out and grabbed her wrist.

Right—he had come today for a proper talk with her.

He tried to calm himself down, but his grip only tightened.

He held her pale, slender wrist tightly in his hands. No matter how she tried, she couldn’t break free.

So, all her earlier words… were they all pointless? Had they all gone to the dogs?

Just as she was about to question his behaviour, he spoke first.

She heard him say, “Fang Zhiping is not a good man.”

His words were absurd and baffling.

Jiang Jingchun couldn’t understand why Gu Huaisheng was suddenly trying to slander someone else. Ruining other people’s reputations wasn’t the act of a courteous person. This was something Gu Huaisheng himself had told her in the past.

Back when he first arrived at the Jiang family residence, she was still young. Jiang Runchu often bullied her by pulling her braids and tripping her on purpose—there were countless such incidents. She was so upset that she cried and told her mother, who scolded Jiang Runchu, but it didn’t help. He kept bullying her.

One day, she couldn’t hold back and complained to Gu Huaisheng. She angrily badmouthed Jiang Runchu to him.

Gu Huaisheng listened without much expression and then, with the maturity of someone far beyond his years, told her that slandering other people was not the act of a courteous person.

Jiang Jingchun was baffled and didn’t understand. She continued cursing Jiang Runchu.

She even retorted to Gu Huaisheng, “He bullies me, and instead of calling him not courteous, you say I’m not a courteous person? I’m the one being bullied. How am I supposed to be courteous?”

At that time, Gu Huaisheng frowned slightly but said nothing more. However, afterwards—and perhaps it was her own imagination, but… Jiang Runchu seemed to bully her much less after she had complained to Gu Huaisheng. 

His words now stirred up memories from those years.

The warmth from his hand on her wrist felt scorching and pulled her back to the present.

Gu Huaisheng said that Fang Zhiping was not a good man.

Why did everyone keep saying this?

Song Xuan’an had said it. Now Gu Huaisheng was saying it, too.

Song Xuan’an could say that about Fang Zhiping. But Gu Huaisheng?

Was there anyone in this world who could be worse than Gu Huaisheng in this world?

Jiang Jingchun couldn’t help but laugh mockingly. “He’s still a far kinder man than you, Cousin.”

She had once again called him ‘Cousin.’ Just a few days ago, she had tried so hard to sever ties with him, and now, here she was calling him that again.

The word ‘Cousin’ coming from her mouth once more felt like a reminder that forced Gu Huaisheng to recall the past.

In the past, she used to call him ‘Cousin’ so warmly, but back then, how had he treated her?

Now, when the word fell from her lips again, it was laden with sarcasm.

Gu Huaisheng frowned deeply. He was clearly lost in memories of the past.

His lips moved, as if he wanted to say something.

However, before he could, Jiang Jingchun took advantage of his moment of distraction to pull her hand away. She put her hand on her umbrella and left without hesitation.

She walked away without the slightest pause. Her figure slowly disappeared into the curtain of rain. Everything that had just happened seemed like an illusion. Gu Huaisheng’s gaze lingered on her retreating figure. 

His hand felt so empty. The lingering warmth in his palm was the only proof he had of touching her earlier.

His throat was dry, and he couldn’t find the words to speak. The ache in his chest felt like a sharp stab to his heart.

He stood there in the rain. For a long time, he couldn’t snap out of his daze.

In that moment, he felt regret—regret for what he had done that day, regret for pushing her away so cruelly….

He had subconsciously believed that no matter what, she wouldn’t leave. After all, she had always stayed, hadn’t she? So when she kissed him that day, he pushed her away harshly. 

He had acted out of spite. That action seemed to be a punishment for her for being close to someone else, for showing the same warmth she showed him to someone other than him.

However, he hadn’t expected that this one push would drive her away completely.

Shuliang, who stood near him, softly said, “Young Master, your cousin has already left…”

The sour ache in Gu Huaisheng’s chest lingered.

No. 

Even so, she couldn’t marry Fang Zhiping.

He instructed Shuliang, “Send someone to follow her and see where she’s headed.”

Shuliang hesitated. “Young Master, isn’t this… improper?”

After all, Jiang Jingchun had made it clear earlier that she was eager to sever ties with him. Now, for him to secretly have someone tail her…

Gu Huaisheng, however, suddenly turned around and walked briskly in the direction Jiang Jingchun had gone.

If that was improper, then he would go himself to see where she was headed today.

—

It was the last day of the month, and Fang Zhiping had a day off from his studies at the Imperial Academy, so he invited Jiang Jingchun to go out and enjoy the scenery on that rainy day.

Sitting on a boat while listening to the rain on such a day had its own poetic charm.

Although Jiang Jingchun wasn’t particularly fond of going out in the rain, since it was with Fang Zhiping, she thought about it and decided to go anyway. 

Her mother had said that this was the time to nurture their relationship, and seeing each other more often would be a good thing.

By the time Jiang Jingchun arrived, Fang Zhiping was already waiting for her on the boat.

The rain that had been falling all day had lightened to a drizzle, which made this the perfect time to listen to its soothing rhythm.

It was a rest day, so many others had also come out to enjoy the rain, and she could see several other boats docked on the water.

Jiang Jingchun was led by a servant to step onto the boat where Fang Zhiping was waiting. He sat at a table with a pot of hot water steaming before him. There were tea leaves prepared beside the pot, but they hadn’t yet been brewed.

Jiang Jingchun bent slightly as she boarded the boat.

When he saw her, Fang Zhiping stood up to greet her with a smile. “Did you get the rain on you while on your way here?”

The rain hadn’t entirely stopped when she left, so she had been splashed a little. However, she looked at Fang Zhiping, smiled, and shook her head. “I had an umbrella, so I didn’t get very wet.”

Fang Zhiping noticed the faint traces of raindrops on her face and pulled out a handkerchief to gently wipe them away. “You say that, but you’re all damp…”

They had grown close, and a subtle intimacy presented itself in his actions to her.

Lady Li had mentioned that in a few days, their betrothal could be finalised. If all went smoothly, after Fang Zhiping’s provincial-level imperial examinations this autumn, they would marry.

Thus, Jiang Jingchun didn’t resist his intimate gesture, even though she wasn’t entirely used to it yet. When she instinctively flinched, though, Fang Zhiping paused and asked, “Did I offend you?”

After Jiang Jingchun realised her reaction, she shook her head and said, “No.”

Fang Zhiping resumed his actions, and this time, Jiang Jingchun didn’t flinch or pull away.

After wiping the rain from her face, he stopped and invited her to sit down.

The water in the kettle was bubbling. It emitted a soft gurgling sound. Fang Zhiping suddenly asked, “Miss Jiang, do you know how to brew tea?”

Hearing his question, Jiang Jingchun nodded. Inwardly, she felt a bit relieved. Fortunately, her grandmother had taken her in to learn these skills back. Otherwise, she really wouldn’t know what to do now.

Jiang Jingchun picked up the tea set on the table and began to prepare the tea. Fang Zhiping watched her movements, which were fairly skillful, and felt a surge of satisfaction. He had heard that she was spoiled at home and might be clumsy in such matters, but her performance was unexpectedly decent.

Outside, the rain continued to patter, while inside, the presence of the beauty added warmth to the scene. 

Fang Zhiping couldn’t resist reciting a few lines of poetry.

Jiang Jingchun ignored him and focused entirely on the task at hand.

What scholar wouldn’t love a cultured and refined lady in such an atmosphere? If she could recite or compose poetry at this moment, it would be perfect. Unfortunately, Fang Zhiping seemed to forget that Jiang Jingchun wasn’t a well-read, scholarly woman.

When she remained silent and didn’t engage in his poetic musings, he felt a faint pang of disappointment.

However, he then thought better of it. This was already more than enough. To ask for anything else would be greedy.

Jiang Jingchun finished preparing the tea and handed him a cup.

Fang Zhiping reached out to take it, and in doing so, his fingers accidentally brushed against the back of her hand.

The momentary contact made Jiang Jingchun frown slightly. She glanced up at him, searching his eyes, but his expression remained upright and composed. She dismissed it as an accidental touch.

As Fang Zhiping took the teacup, he suddenly felt a piercing gaze on him. The intensity of the stare was so overwhelming that it was impossible to ignore.

He looked around the boat and spotted another vessel nearby, moving slowly in parallel with theirs.

That boat had been there for a while, but he hadn’t noticed it until now.

He squinted and finally noticed a familiar figure—Gu Huaisheng. His expression was stoic, yet his eyes bore into Fang Zhiping with an icy intensity.

The other man’s imposing presence seemed to freeze the air around him, and his icy gaze felt like a gust of frigid wind that made Fang Zhiping shiver involuntarily.

His hand jerked and caused him to spill the tea inside the cup he was holding.

Jiang Jingchun was baffled by his clumsy action. Seeing that his eyes were fixed on something behind her, she turned to look as well.

However, Gu Huaisheng had already lowered the curtain, and she didn’t end up seeing him.

Inside that boat, the warm steam mingled with the chill from outside. The sound of rain hitting the vessel created a rhythmic melody. Gu Huaisheng sat still with his hands resting tensely on his knees.

She had gone out in this heavy rain, all to enjoy it with Fang Zhiping.

It had been raining for days on end. Instead of getting tired of it, they instead went out to enjoy it. 

What was so great and enjoyable about the rain, anyway?

Gu Huaisheng had followed her to this spot and secured a boat to trail hers. He had seen everything that had transpired between her and Fang Zhiping.

Fang Zhiping wiping her face was bad enough, but to use the excuse of passing a teacup to touch her hand?

This despicable man was rotten to the core—what on earth did she see in him to make her like him so much?