The Young Marquis Regrets Too Late - Chapter 28

Jiang Jingchun had turned her head but saw nothing. She felt puzzled, so she asked Fang Zhiping what was wrong. However, he dodged the question and avoided the topic.

After that, Fang Zhiping seemed distracted and absent-minded.

Jiang Jingchun didn’t overthink it and assumed he was simply preoccupied with something. Before long, the rain gradually tapered off. Once the boat reached the shore, the two disembarked.

Even after leaving the boat, Fang Zhiping still seemed lost in thought. Just as Jiang Jingchun was about to ask him about it, Fang Zhiping suddenly spoke up. “I just remembered there’s something I need to take care of. How about you head back on your own today?”

Jiang Jingchun noticed his pale face and believed he really had something urgent to handle. She didn’t suspect anything. She nodded, bid him farewell, and left.

Jiang Jingchun’s figure gradually disappeared from the riverside. Shortly after she left, Shuliang stepped off Gu Huaisheng’s boat and approached Fang Zhiping. Shuliang said, “The young marquis has requested your presence.”

Fang Zhiping thought to himself, ‘So it’s just as expected.’

He had already guessed that Gu Huaisheng must have something he wanted to say.

Gu Huaisheng wouldn’t appear here for no reason, much less hire a boat to follow them without purpose. There had to be something he wanted to address—and it surely involved Jiang Jingchun.

Fang Zhiping recalled how he had intentionally brushed his hand against Jiang Jingchun’s when passing her the teacup earlier. Her fingers were long and elegant. She had the hands of someone who had lived a life of comfort and privilege. 

As expected, even that brief touch revealed how soft and delicate they were… 

Yet, the image of Gu Huaisheng’s gaze flashed in his mind and inexplicably made him feel guilty.

These thoughts caused a thin layer of sweat to form on his forehead.

Fang Zhiping was genuinely intimidated by Gu Huaisheng.

However, since Gu Huaisheng had already requested his presence, he could no longer hide from him.

Shuliang noticed Fang Zhiping’s dazed expression and frowned. He called out to him, “Young Master Fang.”

Fang Zhiping snapped out of his thoughts, responded with a nod, and followed Shuliang to Gu Huaisheng’s boat.

It was summer, and the boat was outfitted with ice containers, which created a stark contrast between the cool interior and the stifling heat outside. Gu Huaisheng sat there with the same indifferent expression as Fang Zhiping remembered from their last meeting.

However, the cold detachment emanating from him at this moment made the atmosphere aboard the boat even heavier, as if a chill was radiating from him in waves and forcing anyone nearby into an involuntary shiver.

Fang Zhiping felt as if he were caught between fire and ice. The heat from his anxiety clashed with the suffocating chill and left his heart in turmoil.

Gu Huaisheng was a man whose name Fang Zhiping had heard countless times. His name was often brought up in casual conversations Fang Zhiping had with other people. The words said about Gu Huaisheng in those conversations were always charged with emotions.

Back when Gu Huaisheng had passed the imperial examinations as the top scholar and started working at Hanlin Academy, people had spoken of him with a mix of envy and bitterness. They claimed that he owed his success to his family’s influence. But over time, such disparaging remarks grew less frequent. When people spoke of Gu Huaisheng now, it was only with unanimous admiration.

Fang Zhiping had once thought that Gu Huaisheng was someone he could only ever admire from a distance. At most, he’d probably get the chance to exchange a few words with him by chance in the future if their paths crossed in court. 

The encounter at the Jiang family residence’s waterside pavilion had been an accident, and Fang Zhiping hadn’t expected Gu Huaisheng to seek him out again today.

The look in Gu Huaisheng’s eyes was far from friendly, so much so that it made Fang Zhiping break out into a cold sweat.

Fang Zhiping was no fool and could more or less guess the reason behind this.

But then again, he reasoned with himself, he hadn’t done anything truly inappropriate. Jiang Jingchun was set to become betrothed to him in a few days. He had merely invited her for a boat ride to enjoy the rain and had only accidentally touched her hand when passing her the tea. What could possibly be wrong with that?

This thought gave him a sliver of confidence. He composed himself and, while maintaining his composure, sat down across from Gu Huaisheng.

Gu Huaisheng only raised his gaze once Fang Zhiping had taken his seat.

That brief glance, however, was enough to completely dismantle the mental fortitude Fang Zhiping had just built up.

Fang Zhiping summoned what little courage he had and faced the situation right ahead. He asked, “May I ask what the young marquis wishes to discuss with me today?”

To his surprise, Gu Huaisheng responded to his question with a faint chuckle. The sound left Fang Zhiping stunned; he was unsure why Gu Huaisheng was laughing, especially because there was no trace of amusement in Gu Huaisheng’s eyes.

Gu Huaisheng asked him, “Do you truly not know?”

As if Fang Zhiping wouldn’t understand why he was being summoned at this moment.

Fang Zhiping’s thoughts raced. This confirmed his earlier suspicion—it was indeed about Jiang Jingchun.

Why else would Gu Huaisheng seek him out?

Even so, Fang Zhiping still replied, “I’m afraid I must ask Young Marquis Gu to clarify.”

Hearing this, the faint smile on Gu Huaisheng’s lips disappeared. “It won’t serve you well to play dumb now.”

Gu Huaisheng’s words, laced with an almost aggressive directness, made Fang Zhiping drop the pretence. He asked, “Is this about Miss Jiang?”

Gu Huaisheng simply stared at him without answering.

Fang Zhiping knew his guess was correct. Seeing Gu Huaisheng’s increasingly hostile expression, he hurriedly explained, “My relationship with Miss Jiang was arranged by our families. It was Madame Jiang who approached my mother to propose the match. I neither tricked nor coerced her. Our meeting today was simply to strengthen our bond before the betrothal….”

He genuinely didn’t know what Gu Huaisheng was so angry about right now.

He thought Gu Huaisheng didn’t like Jiang Jingchun. So, what was with this sudden interference?

When Gu Huaisheng heard the word ‘betrothal,’ he let out a cold chuckle. Fang Zhiping didn’t have the courage to say anything else now.

“Arranged by our families,” Gu Huaisheng repeated Fang Zhiping’s words mockingly. Then, he said, “Do you know why the Jiang family chose you?”

Fang Zhiping’s heart skipped a beat at the question, and for a moment, he was at a loss for words. Of course, he knew.

It wasn’t because he was an ideal match but because his family background was modest, which meant he would be easy to control. The Jiang family had no concerns that he would ever mistreat Jiang Jingchun.

It sounded noble to say the marriage was arranged by their families. However, in reality, Fang Zhiping saw it as an opportunity to elevate his own status. From his end, their marriage would be an alliance born of ambition rather than true compatibility.

However, now that he faced such a question from Gu Huaisheng, he was unsure about how to respond. What should she say now?

Fang Zhiping’s expression turned sour as he said, “It’s merely because Miss Jiang and I are well-matched. Even though my status is low right now, in the future… I will earn scholarly honours and ensure that Miss Jiang will not suffer any grievances.”

He had already started taking shortcuts, yet he still dared to talk about earning scholarly honours in the future. Even if he failed to pass the imperial examinations later, the Jiang family would undoubtedly pave the way for him.

Gu Huaisheng smirked, as though Fang Zhiping’s words were the most ridiculous joke he’d ever heard. He said, “You won’t let Miss Jiang suffer any grievances? Then what about your cousin?”

Fang Zhiping froze in an instant the moment that Gu Huaisheng mentioned the word ‘cousin.’

How did he know? How could he possibly know?

Fang Zhiping didn’t know how Gu Huaisheng knew, or to what extent his knowledge was. He forced himself to feign composure and said, “I’m not sure what you mean, Young Marquis Gu.”

Gu Huaisheng leaned forward slightly. His voice was like a sharp blade cutting through Fang Zhiping’s defence as he said, “You sent your cousin back to your hometown recently. Why? If you’re not hiding something, why get rid of her before the betrothal?”

Fang Zhiping’s mind reeled. He thought he had acted discreetly enough. How did Gu Huaisheng still find out?

Perhaps Gu Huaisheng only knew that he’d sent her away. Perhaps he didn’t know about the other thing… 

Fang Zhiping said, “She’s reached the age to marry. My mother and I naturally can’t take care of her forever, and since I’ll be starting a family soon, my mother and I felt it was best for her to return to her hometown to find a suitable match…”

“She’s pregnant. How’s she supposed to find a match?” Gu Huaisheng coldly interrupted him. 

The words struck Fang Zhiping like a thunderclap. They left him momentarily stunned and panic-stricken. How could he know about that too!?

His face contorted as he weakly attempted to deny it. “Her pregnancy has nothing to do with me! Young Marquis Gu, why are you questioning me about this?”

He spoke in panic, and as a result, his words carried a mix of anger and embarrassment.

“I never said her child was yours. Why are you so eager to confess?”

Gu Huaisheng merely mentioned that she was pregnant and had not accused him of being the father, yet he reacted like a guilty man and blurted it out himself.

Gu Huaisheng idly rubbed the rim of his teacup while his piercing gaze fixed on the lying man in front of him. His emotionless eyes seemed to see straight into the depths of his mind.

“You’ve already engaged in marital intimacy with your cousin, yet you still dare promise the Jiang family that you won’t take concubines.”

This filth. Even now, he was still trying to deny it.

The matter was now exposed and impossible to conceal. As Fang Zhiping realised this, his face showed a mix of shame and irritation. However, he didn’t dare lose his temper while facing someone like Gu Huaisheng. 

He suppressed his anger and retorted, “So what if I did that? Who said I have to take her as a concubine? Emotion and desire are part of human nature—what young man doesn’t have a few flings? What I did was merely human instincts! Why must Young Marquis Gu press me so harshly over it?”

It all began one late night. The moon was full, the night serene, and a gentle breeze carried the fragrance of flowers through the window. Under such a romantic setting, he and his cousin couldn’t resist the temptation. One thing led to another, and they gave in to their passions.

After the first time came the second. After the second, there were countless more…

By day, they called each other ‘Cousin’ as if nothing had happened between them. But after the sky turned dark and day turned to night, they were as close as could be.

Though Fang Zhiping hadn’t officially taken a concubine, he had been intimate with his cousin more times than he could count.

Eventually, their indiscretions went too far, and she became pregnant.

He feared that the Jiang family might discover the truth and that this would ruin his betrothal. As such, he sent her back to their hometown, under the pretence that she was of marriageable age and should settle down. In reality, it was just to cover his tracks.

“Human instincts?” 

Upon hearing Fang Zhiping’s defence, Gu Huaisheng placed his teacup on the table with a loud clang. 

The sudden noise startled Fang Zhiping and made his heart tremble. 

Then, Gu Huaisheng’s voice followed.

“I’ve yet to see a pair of cousins so overcome with passion that they ended up in bed together until now.”

Fang Zhiping turned pale as his guilty conscience was laid bare. “You think I don’t know? She used to flirt with you too! I turned a blind eye to it, but what right do you have to judge me?”

As if he wasn’t also at fault! And where did he think he and Jiang Jingchun—they, who were also cousins, stand in comparison?

His face flushed with anger, and his embarrassment morphed into defiance. He was no longer the timid man who had walked in earlier. Now that his lies were exposed, he was bold enough to say anything.

Seeing that Fang Zhiping was still trying to deny and even trying to blame Jiang Jingchun for something, Gu Huaisheng let out a cold laugh. “Even now, you’re trying to drag someone else down with you. She has a kind heart, while you lack self-control and aim to climb the social ladder. Tell me, how could I turn a blind eye to this?”

Fang Zhiping wanted to argue further but was quickly interrupted by Gu Huaisheng. “If you don’t want things to get ugly, end this betrothal yourself.”

“Why? I’ve already sent my cousin away and won’t have any further dealings with her. I said I wouldn’t take a concubine, and I mean it!”

Before Jiang Jingchun even entered his household, he had already gotten someone else pregnant. And now he dared claim he wouldn’t take concubines? Who could trust that? True feelings were fleeting, and he didn’t even seem sincere to Jiang Jingchun now. How dare he talk about the future?

Seeing Fang Zhiping’s unwillingness to let go, Gu Huaisheng frowned. His gaze was filled with disdain as he said, “Do you think I’m negotiating with you?”

The moment Fang Zhiping met Gu Huaisheng’s eyes, his defiance crumbled.

Gu Huaisheng said, “You’re bound to enter officialdom one day. If you don’t want your career path to be difficult, spare us all the nonsense.”

The statement carried a clear undertone of threat.

Fang Zhiping looked at Gu Huaisheng’s icy expression and ultimately didn’t dare to speak again.

He couldn’t afford not to pursue his career. If Gu Huaisheng decided to make his life difficult, it would be all too easy—just a single word would suffice. What was more, Gu Huaisheng already knew about his affair with his cousin. If word reached the Jiang family… not only would the betrothal end, but even Lady Li wouldn’t let him off easily.

Fang Zhiping’s eyes filled with resentment as he looked at Gu Huaisheng, as though blaming him for ruining his betrothal.

Shuliang, who had been quietly listening, grew furious. This scoundrel! He had flirted with Miss Jiang while entangled with someone else, and now he even dared to glare at his young master?

He scolded, “You scoundrel! What’s with that look? You messed up and still dare blame other people for what you did yourself?”

Fang Zhiping, who was chastised by Shuliang, didn’t dare respond. Shuliang was Gu Huaisheng’s personal attendant—arguing back would be equivalent to arguing with Gu Huaisheng himself. How could he even think of doing that?

Gu Huaisheng raised his hand to stop Shuliang from continuing. He looked at Fang Zhiping and said, “Two days. I’ll give you two days to end this matter.”

Ending the betrothal now wouldn’t harm Jiang Jingchun much. After all, they were only in the early stages of getting to know each other and hadn’t formally agreed to marry. However, if things were dragged out until everything was finalised, everything would become more complicated.

Fang Zhiping was unwilling to give in. He still clung to the hope of salvaging the situation. However, before he could devise a plan, Gu Huaisheng added, “On the second day of the seventh month, you’ll go to the Jiang family yourself and explain everything.”

Gu Huaisheng wanted Fang Zhiping to personally end the betrothal.

He didn’t want to bring up Fang Zhiping’s scandalous relationship with his cousin in front of Jiang Jingchun. Such disgusting matters would only taint her ears.

Besides, Gu Huaisheng understood her all too well. She wanted a clean break from him and was resistant to anything related to him. She wouldn’t want to hear him badmouth Fang Zhiping. 

Even if he told her, she wouldn’t believe it and might even accuse him of trying to deceive her. That would lead to her giving him yet another scolding, and she would definitely tell him to stop interfering in her life…

He really didn’t like hearing such words.

However, it would be different if Fang Zhiping confessed himself.

When the time came, Gu Huaisheng would personally oversee the conversation to ensure that Fang Zhiping’s deceitful mouth wouldn’t utter another lie to manipulate her.