The Young Marquis Regrets Too Late - Chapter 30

These jealous words came out of Gu Huaisheng’s lips as naturally as if he were merely asking her whether she’d had lunch.

At this moment, Jiang Jingchun finally noticed Gu Huaisheng. His figure blocked out a swath of light as he stood before her.

He asked her, just like that—did she really like Fang Zhiping so much?

But did it even matter anymore whether she liked him or not?

She had no home to return to now, so she was desperately trying to create one for herself. However, as it stood, her bad luck had yet to end, and no good man had yet to ever cross her path.

Jiang Jingchun had no intention of answering Gu Huaisheng’s question, as she felt no obligation to.

She simply replied, “This has nothing to do with you.”

Seeing her harsh attitude towards him made Gu Huaisheng frown by instinct. He said, “Why do you demean yourself like this? Why do you let someone like that make you sad? What are you even so sad about?”

Again, his tone carried the reprimand of an elder scolding a child.

What he truly wanted to say was, ‘Don’t cry over someone like him.’ 

However, by the time the words left his mouth, they were laced with an entirely different tone.

This wasn’t the first time he’d spoken like this. This was the way he always spoke to her. What he said always contradicted his feelings.

He disliked discussing matters of affection, even more so letting his words suggest any trace of such feelings, for fear they might be misunderstood.

But perhaps he had forgotten that the Jiang Jingchun of today was no longer the one who liked him unconditionally, nor would she interpret his words as an expression of care for her.

Jiang Jingchun simply found him unreasonable—unreasonable to the point of shamelessness!

Demean herself?

She wiped her eyes with her hand to clear away the tears that were threatening to spill. Then, she looked up at him and asked, “Who’s demeaning me here? Back then, when you trampled all over me, I never said a single bad word about you. Since I never did that, what gives you the right to judge me now?

“I just want to find myself a home. How have I demeaned myself by it?”

Her voice trembled as she spoke. It betrayed the grief and anger that she felt. She was grieving—not only for what was lost but for the promises that had turned to dust.

She said she wanted to find herself a home.

Gu Huaisheng’s heart gave an involuntary jolt at those words.

Her meaning was that she had no home anymore.

Hearing that trembling admission from her lips, Gu Huaisheng suddenly realised how thoughtless his earlier words had been.

Ever since Jiang Jinghui returned, Jiang Jingchun seemed to have lost her place in her own family. Even if she was unaware of Jiang Jinghui’s malicious nature, how could he not realise it? How could he not realise the spot she had been put into in the Jiang family?

At that moment, he suddenly understood. Her desperation to marry Fang Zhiping wasn’t because of any great affection for him. It was because she no longer had a home and she was searching for one.

He remembered…

He remembered how Jiang Jingchun used to be. She had changed so much—so much that the once-vivid image of the bright, cheerful girl in his memories had grown faint. Perhaps it was because she rarely appeared before him these days, so he hadn’t noticed, or perhaps he had foolishly assumed she was merely indifferent towards him now and that was why she didn’t smile at him anymore.

But now, he realised the truth.

The poor girl had been abandoned by her parents.

How could someone as perceptive as Gu Huaishen have been so blind to these matters? His slowness to grasp her suffering left even himself seething with frustration.

Gu Huaisheng had always been a proud man. He had become an outstanding person and had grown somewhat arrogant and proud. He was a person who seldom regretted his actions. After all, every decision he made was his own, and he prided himself on being free of regrets. But now, he didn’t even know where to begin his regrets.

The day Jiang Jinghui was brought back into the family was also the very day he pushed Jiang Jingchun away…

He wondered—if he hadn’t hurt her so deeply that day, would she be suffering as much as she was now?

His throat felt unbearably dry. His throat bobbed as he struggled to speak. 

After what seemed like an eternity, he finally managed to say, “I’m sorry.”

However, Jiang Jingchun’s apology didn’t make her feel any better. She looked at him and sneered, then said, “What’s your apology worth?”

Did he expect her to be grateful for his apology?

After giving him that biting remark, Jiang Jingchun turned and walked away. She left Gu Huaisheng standing there, watching her figure fade from view. The sunlight fell on his back, and for the first time in a long while, Gu Huaisheng felt a gnawing sense of unease. He had come all this way to the Jiang family residence without breaking a sweat, yet now, beads of sweat formed on his forehead.

It wasn’t until he heard Gu Huailang calling his name nearby that his thoughts finally returned to the present.

When he turned, he saw that at some point, Lady Li and Gu Huailang had appeared at the doorway.

Lady Li’s expression was sombre and uneasy. She must have overheard Jiang Jingchun’s words earlier.

Gu Huaisheng’s face, which was usually calm and composed, was now visibly tense. Without him realising it, his eyebrows had knit into a frown.

He walked towards Lady Li. After covering Gu Huailang’s ears, he said to Lady Li, “Aunt, do you still remember what happened back then at the temple?”

Lady Li’s already uneasy expression grew even more unnatural at his words. Her face paled, and her lips lost their colour.

Gu Huaisheng said, “It was you who wronged her. She has never wronged you.”

His words were a sharp reminder to Lady Li not to go too far.

Without waiting for her response, Gu Huaisheng turned and left with Gu Huailang.

On the way back, Gu Huailang tilted his head up to ask Gu Huaisheng, “Why did Cousin speak as if she has no home?”

She was clearly still living at the Jiang family’s residence. They hadn’t driven her away.

Gu Huaisheng, who was still consumed by his earlier thoughts, barely responded. 

Only after a long pause did he answer, “Because the people in the Jiang family residence treat her poorly.”

Gu Huailang felt confused. He asked, “Weren’t they the ones who used to treat her the best? Why would they treat her poorly?”

Explaining such complicated emotions to a child was no easy task. In the end, Gu Huaisheng only gave his brother a perfunctory response. “Because people’s hearts change.”

Gu Huailang could tell he was being brushed off and didn’t press further. Instead, he looked up at Gu Huaisheng and asked another question. “If her family treats her poorly, why don’t we let Cousin come live with us? I really like her.”

Gu Huaisheng fell silent for a moment at Gu Huailang’s suggestion. His gaze momentarily brightened, before it dimmed again.

“We can’t, because she doesn’t like me,” he said.

Even if he wanted to bring her to his home, she wouldn’t be willing to come. 

Hearing this answer made Gu Huailang even more confused.

How could that be? His cousin clearly liked his brother the most.

He wanted to say more, but seeing Gu Huaisheng’s gloomy expression, he wisely shut his mouth and stayed silent.

The afternoon sunlight slanted westward and dyed the sky with vast swathes of crimson clouds. Since Fang Zhiping came and left, and Jiang Jingchun returned to her room, she had not stepped out again. Even by dinnertime, she remained unseen.

Lady Li was worried that something might have happened to her, so she came by to check. Seeing her lying on the bed, sulking under the covers, Lady Li refrained from disturbing her. She merely instructed Huayun to keep a close eye on Jiang Jingchun and ensure she didn’t act impulsively.

Not long after Lady Li left, Old Madame Jiang, who had heard of the matter, also paid a visit.

Huayun was surprised to see Old Madame Jiang and wanted to wake Jiang Jingchun up to greet her. However, Old Madame Jiang stopped her first. 

She raised a finger to her lips to signal silence and waved for Huayun to leave the room.

After Huayun left, Old Madame Jiang leaned on her cane and walked over. Then, she sat down beside Jiang Jingchun’s bed.

Her movements were quiet, and Jiang Jingchun, buried under her blanket, heard nothing. It wasn’t until someone lifted a corner of her quilt that she assumed it was Huayun and pulled the covers back over herself. She said, “Huayun, I want to be alone. Don’t bother me.”

Alone? She’d been alone all afternoon.

Her voice sounded muffled, tinged with a nasal tone. Whether it was from crying was unclear.

Old Madame Jiang said, “Xiaochun, it’s Grandmother.”

Hearing the slightly aged voice, Jiang Jingchun relaxed her grip and allowed the quilt to be pulled back.

A sweat-soaked face peeked out of the blanket.

Though there was an ice container inside the room to cool it, it wasn’t enough to combat the stifling summer heat and the way she’d worsened it by staying under covers. Her damp hair clung to her face, and her eyes were swollen, as if they had been soaked in water. Whether it was because of the heat or crying, Old Madame Jiang didn’t know.

The old madame looked at her and felt a pang of sorrow. She studied her for a long time before letting out a sigh and asking, “Are you heartbroken over that wretched boy from the Fang family?”

The old madame knew what Jiang Jingchun was thinking. She knew all too well that Jiang Jingchun felt she couldn’t stay in this house any longer. She just wanted to marry and find herself a way out. A few days ago, she’d seemed hopeful, even joyful, so how could she not be devastated now that she’d realised that she’d been deceived?

Jiang Jingchun didn’t know how to reply to the old madame’s question. If she were to reflect deeply, what the old madame said wasn’t entirely wrong. If Fang Zhiping hadn’t deceived her, she wouldn’t have experienced such highs and lows, nor would she be this heartbroken.

She nodded absentmindedly.

The old madame pulled her up from the bed and wiped the sweat off her face. While doing so, she sighed, “All mistakes stem from acting in haste. When you’re so eager, how could you not be fooled?”

Jiang Jingchun said nothing. She pressed her lips tightly into a thin line.

“I know you’re unhappy right now. I know you’re in pain. But how… How can you pin your hopes so easily on someone else? You’d have been better off taking care of yourself. Then you wouldn’t have ended up feeling as miserable as you do today.”

The old madame had felt both anger and pity when she’d learned what had happened. She was afraid that Jiang Jingchun wouldn’t be able to see things clearly, so she couldn’t hold back her urge to offer some tough love advice to her.

Jiang Jingchun lowered her head, and the old madame couldn’t be sure if she had understood her words or not. The old madame continued, “Listen to me, my dear. Stay here, in the Jiang family. And in the future, never, ever think of yourself as a guest living under someone else’s roof. Let me tell you this—you’ve done no wrong to anyone. If someone dares blame you for what happened in the past—when you were but a child who was only three years old at the time, then they’re worse than a beast. Don’t feel bad. Xiaochun, you’ve done right by everyone.”

She had done right by everyone.

Her grandmother said that she’d done right by everyone.

Jiang Jingchun’s previously dazed gaze began to clear up. Her eyes slowly regained their clarity.

Then, she looked at the old madame and asked the question that had been troubling her for so long. “Grandmother, who are my real parents? I’ve asked Mother before, but she won’t tell me.”

At this, the old madame fell silent for a long time.

Seeing the old madame’s silence, an inkling of a guess began to form in Jiang Jingchun’s heart. She hesitantly asked, “Have you met them? Are they… are they still alive?”

The old madame was still frowning. At this moment, she couldn’t even meet Jiang Jingchun’s gaze. Whenever she was reminded about what had happened in the past, all she could feel was shame and fear—fear that made her unwilling to think of it, let alone speak of it.

Despite her age, she was still shackled by the struggles of life and the whims of fate.

Jiang Jingchun could see how troubled the old madame looked and decided not to press further. She felt as though she was forcing her grandmother into a corner. Given the old madame’s age, doing this to her seemed unfilial.

She shook her head at the old madame and said, “Grandmother, I won’t ask anymore. I was just curious.”

She was very curious. If she had parents, why had they allowed her to stay with the Jiang family all these years?

What had their reasons been?

However, Jiang Jingchun didn’t try to dig any deeper. Instead, she reflected on the old madam’s earlier words. She looked at her and said, “Grandmother, I understand everything you said. I won’t be sad anymore.”

Her grandmother was a very wise person, and Jiang Jingchun had always taken her every word to heart.

She was right. If one was in a hurry to jump out of one hell, they’d be more likely to jump into another one instead of finding a safe haven.

This entire ordeal was partly her own fault. It was her impatience that allowed her Fang Zhiping to deceive in the first place. What was her mistake? Her biggest mistake, it seemed, was failing to see his true nature.

With these thoughts, Jiang Jingchun finally felt a sense of relief in her heart.

The old madame said, “If staying in Chongming Hall makes you uncomfortable, come live in Rongde Hall. From now on, stay with me.”

Stay with her grandmother…

Jiang Jingchun was silent for a moment. Her eyes seemed empty and her thoughts wandered to some distant place. 

After a while, she finally nodded.

Not long after, Song Xuan’an quickly learned that the betrothal between the Jiang and Fang families had fallen through.

Although he had left harsh words for Jiang Jingchun after their last fallout, he had secretly been keeping tabs on their situation.

So, when Fang Zhiping left the Jiang family in a daze and never showed up again there, Song Xuan’an immediately knew that the betrothal was off.

Upon realising this, he completely forgot the harsh words he had spoken and hastily instructed Chen Muqing to find Jiang Jingchun.

He needed to hear it directly from Jiang Jingchun to set his mind at ease.

When Chen Muqing arrived at the teahouse, she found the request strange. “Why don’t you ask her yourself?”

Song Xuan’an didn’t hide anything and directly said, “Because I told her I wanted to marry her, and it made her angry.”

At that moment, the two were sitting face-to-face. Hearing his words, Chen Muqing immediately spat out the tea she had just sipped and sprayed it all over his face.

His face darkened. He held back his temper and pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his face clean, all while glaring at her. Then, he said, “What’s so funny? Do you find it strange too?”

Chen Muqing propped her arms on the table. She looked at Song Xuan’an with a knowing expression but said nothing.

Her gaze made him uncomfortable. In annoyance, he said, “If you have something to say, just say it. Why are you looking at me like that?”

Her scrutinising gaze made him feel uneasy, even though he had nothing to feel guilty about.

Finally, Chen Muqing stopped teasing him. With a sigh, she said, “It’s not strange at all. I’m just surprised you’d actually dare to say it.”

She had always known that Song Xuan’an had special feelings for Jiang Jingchun.

But she never thought he would have the courage to express them.

After all, some things were better left unsaid. Speaking it would put even their friendship at risk.

Look at how things had turned out for Song Xuan’an. Hadn’t he lost his friendship with Jiang Jingchun exactly because he’d spoken out about his feelings?

Song Xuan’an felt exposed, but he stubbornly argued, “What’s there for you to be surprised about? I’ve always been clear-headed and observant. I could tell that Fang guy wasn’t any good. My offer to marry her came from years of friendship—I just wanted to save her from a bad situation.”

Chen Muqing rolled her eyes so hard they nearly reached the ceiling. “Stop pretending.”

“I’m not pretending…”

Seeing his stubbornness, Chen Muqing asked directly, “If it were me, would you say you wanted to marry me?”

Her question caught Song Xuan’an off guard and left him speechless.

Fine. If it were Chen Muqing, at most, he’d beat up the man she married if he mistreated her.

Chen Muqing laughed at him. “Just the thought makes you want to vomit, doesn’t it?”

She knew what he was thinking because she felt the same. When she imagined marrying Song Xuan’an… The image made her feel sick to her stomach.

“There’s one silver lining, at least,” she teased. “Xiaochun’er didn’t vomit when you said it.”

She could imagine Jiang Jingchun becoming flustered when she heard Song Xuan’an confess, but she certainly wouldn’t vomit on him.

Song Xuan’an finally stopped arguing.

Chen Muqing rested her chin on her hand and looked at him. “I’ve always known your intentions weren’t pure.”

How should she put it? The old Jiang Jingchun was lively, carefree, and charming. If she were in his shoes, she might’ve wanted to marry her too. But lately, Jiang Jingchun had become pitiful and withdrawn, like a withered flower.

Chen Muqing understood what Song Xuan’an felt, but if Jiang Jingchun didn’t like him back, she wouldn’t support him, either.

She said, “If you want to talk to her, go yourself. I’m not going to help you trick her into coming.”

Song Xuan’an panicked. “What do you mean, ‘trick her’? That sounds awful. Don’t you want us to reconcile? Besides, don’t you think she’d be better off marrying me than anyone else? If she has to marry someone anyhow, then why not me?”

Chen Muqing thought about it and reluctantly admitted he had a point.

At the very least, Song Xuan’an wouldn’t mistreat her.

They were childhood friends who had grown up together. If she judged it this way, Song Xuan’an did seem like the best match for Jiang Jingchun.

In the end, Chen Muqing relented and sent someone to call Jiang Jingchun over.

The three met at the teahouse.

When Jiang Jingchun arrived, she didn’t expect Song Xuan’an to be there. She froze at the door and couldn’t decide whether to enter or leave.

Chen Muqing didn’t mention that he’d be here as well.

After their last argument, she thought he wouldn’t want to see her again—yet here he was.

Seeing her hesitation, Song Xuan’an couldn’t help but say, “What are you doing? It’s not like I’m going to eat you.”

He didn’t understand why she was avoiding him.

He was the one who’d been rejected and embarrassed. Why was she the one acting all confused and awkward?

Hearing his words, Jiang Jingchun finally stepped into the private room, though the atmosphere was still a bit awkward. None of them spoke for a moment.

It was Chen Muqing who broke the silence. She looked at Jiang Jingchun and asked, “How are things with Young Master Fang?”

Song Xuan’an perked up his ears to listen, even though he pretended to be uninterested and only fiddled with the teacup in front of him.

“It’s over,” Jiang Jingchun said. Her tone was calm and indifferent as she spoke. Neither Chen Muqing nor Song Xuan’an could detect any sadness in her voice.

Chen Muqing and Song Xuan’an exchanged glances. They couldn’t tell if she was hiding her heartbreak or if she was truly unaffected by what’d happened.

Jiang Jingchun noticed their reaction and chuckled. “What’s with those looks?”

Hearing her laugh only deepened Song Xuan’an and Chen Muqing’s confusion and rendered them speechless. 

Was she forcing herself to laugh to cover her pain?

Jiang Jingchun saw their expressions and laughed harder. “I’m really fine. I’ve long moved on. He was tangled up with his cousin and lied from the start. Why would I waste my feelings on someone like that?”

Song Xuan’an and Chen Muqing looked at her and saw that she didn’t seem to be lying. She spoke in a light tone, and she truly didn’t seem to be thinking about Fang Zhiping anymore. As such, they could breathe a sigh of relief.

Indeed, she no longer looked as lifeless as before. Her eyes sparkled with an authentic joy they hadn’t seen in a while.

Song Xuan’an, who was still playing it cool, said, “See? I told you that guy was no good.”

His nonchalant attitude clearly showed he’d forgotten about the harsh words he’d said to her during their last fight.

Jiang Jingchun found the memory awkward. Since he was acting as if nothing had happened, she decided to let it go as well. She took a sip of tea and said, “Let’s not bring it up anymore.”

The two thus tacitly agreed to let the matter drop.

The atmosphere grew lighter until Chen Muqing asked, “Do you still plan to get married?”

Jiang Jingchun shook her head. “I’ve learned my lesson. These things can’t be rushed.”

The more she rushed, the worse the outcome would be.

Besides, Lady Li had been so angered by Fang Zhiping’s deceit that she’d stopped pushing for marriage altogether. After this ordeal, she’d realised that haste only led to disaster. Moreover, Jiang Jingchun was now staying with her grandmother and no longer stayed in Chongming Hall. No one brought up the matter of her marriage again.

It wasn’t until dusk that they each went their separate ways.

Jiang Jinghui also went out that day.

She had been staying at the Jiang family residence for quite some time without leaving the house. She took advantage of the mild evening weather and decided to go out shopping with her maid. Before leaving, she also informed Lady Li of her plans.

Lady Li, who was still upset over the fiasco involving Fang Zhiping, appeared preoccupied and out of sorts. Upon hearing Jiang Jinghui’s intention to go out, she only reminded her to bring some guards along and repeatedly urged her to be careful on the way.

Jiang Jinghui found Lady Li’s deep concern for Jiang Jingchun somewhat ironic and laughable. Jiang Jingchun had already moved to stay with the old madame, anyhow—why was Lady Li still worrying and brooding over her?

Jiang Jinghui didn’t dwell on it. She merely smiled, nodded, and left the house.

As night fell, she started feeling tired from wandering around and decided to dine at a restaurant. However, while the waiter was pouring tea, he accidentally spilt some on her clothes. Jiang Jingchun saw no other option but to send her maid back to the Jiang residence to fetch clean garments. Meanwhile, she was escorted to a private room by the waiter to wait for her clothes. The Jiang family guards remained stationed outside.

When she entered the room, someone was already waiting inside.

The waiter ushered her into a partitioned section of the private room, bowed respectfully, and left.

Jiang Jinghui sat down across from the person and greeted him. “Master.”

The man nodded in acknowledgement. “Did you ensure no one suspected anything?”

“Everything is fine,” Jiang Jinghui replied. “I sent the maid back to the house and had the guards wait outside. They won’t hear anything from this room.”

“Good. I trust your handling of the matter,” he said. The two of them skipped the pleasantries after that, and the man asked, “How has it been for you to live at the Jiang family’s residence these days?”

Jiang Jinghui had been there for some time now, and the Jiang family hadn’t seemed to notice anything unusual about her presence. Jiang Nan and Jiang Runchu, in particular, treated her exceedingly well.

The only thing she hadn’t expected was Lady Li’s reaction to her return.

Who would have thought that Lady Li would be so sentimentally attached to Jiang Jingchun?

She recounted these observations to the man seated across from her. “These past few days, Lady Li has been deeply distressed over Jiang Jingchun’s failed engagement. Ever since Jiang Jingchun moved to stay with the old madame, though, it seems not only did the whole ordeal not crush her spirit, but she’s become more cheerful. She no longer looks as despondent as she did before.”

Jiang Jinghui admitted she couldn’t understand what Jiang Jingchun was thinking anymore.

The man chuckled softly.

Jiang Jinghui couldn’t figure out what he found amusing and asked, “Master, what are you laughing at?”

“Don’t you think it’s strange that Fang Zhiping suddenly broke off the betrothal?”

The prompting of his words made Jiang Jinghui realise the strangeness of the matter as well.

“You see?” he continued. “Your thinking is still too rigid. Back at the residence, you were always making mistakes because you couldn’t grasp the bigger picture. Now that you’re away, you mustn’t continue like this. Your father won’t tolerate a foolish child.”

Jiang Jinghui was embarrassed and ashamed because of his words, and her face flushed.

The man had always criticised her for her lack of intelligence.

She lowered her head and apologised. “I’m sorry, Master.”

Hearing her apology, the man chuckled again. “Good girl, I didn’t mean to scold you.”

He balanced his earlier reprimand with a kind word, which only made Jiang Jinghui lower her head even more.

Suddenly, she recalled something and looked up anxiously. “It must be Gu Huaisheng! It must have been him!”

“Oh?” The man raised an eyebrow. “And why do you think that?”

“Gu Huaisheng doesn’t dislike her as much as our spies suggested. On the contrary, he seems to be pestering her. When he saw she was about to get married, he must have intervened.”

The man across from her fell silent, as if sceptical of her reasoning.

Gu Huaisheng, pestering Jiang Jingchun?

That sounded absurd.

After a moment of silence, Jiang Jinghui lowered her head again. She was now filled with worry. “Gu Huaisheng seems to be suspicious of me. I don’t think I can deceive him for much longer.”

The man dismissed her concern with a laugh. “No need to worry. He’s indeed hard to fool, but as long as you can deceive the Jiang family, it doesn’t matter. He’s an outsider—how could he possibly meddle in the Jiang family’s affairs?”

He didn’t dwell on Gu Huaisheng after that and changed the subject.

“In a few days, Miao’en Temple will host its annual Dharma assembly—its divination ceremony.”

Miao’en Temple was a renowned monastery, celebrated for its flourishing incense and spiritual efficacy. Every year, around the tenth day of the seventh month, it would hold a grand ceremony involving offerings of light and water, prayers, and penance. 

Over time, people discovered that the lots drawn on this day would be particularly accurate and significant. Over time, the event became widely known as its ‘divination ceremony.’

Jiang Jinghui didn’t understand why he was bringing up this upcoming event.

But soon, the man revealed his intention.

“In that year, the Jiang family had brought Jiang Jingchun back from Miao’en Temple.”

Night had fully fallen by now. The room was dimly lit by flickering candlelight that cast eerie shadows across the man’s wrinkled face. He smiled, and his expression twisted. Under the dancing light, he seemed somewhat frightening.

He said, “The Jiang family—those hypocrites—have kept the truth hidden all these years. It’s time for you to let your ‘dear sister’ know the truth. Once she learns about this, we’ll see how she’ll manage to stay in the Jiang family.”

The man paused before coldly continuing, “When the time comes, fan the flames a bit more—they’ll surely fall apart. When they fall apart, your position in the family will be unshakable.”