The Young Marquis Regrets Too Late - Chapter 45

Jiang Jingchun still stubbornly remained unmoving.

Gu Huaisheng didn’t seem annoyed by this. Instead, he calmly scooped up a spoonful of porridge and set the bowl aside.

Then, his other hand clamped firmly onto her chin. With a slight force, he pried her mouth open.

Before she could react, he delivered the porridge straight into her mouth.

Jiang Jingchun was caught completely off guard by his sudden forcefulness. She hadn’t expected him to take such a direct approach, and before she could stop him, he’d put a mouthful of porridge into her mouth.

She had returned from the Chen family residence that day in a foul mood. That Gu Huaisheng would force her to eat was out of her expectations. Although he didn’t say it, she could tell that he was angry.

Angry? What did he have to be angry about?

Jiang Jingchun wanted to give him a reason to be angry. Suddenly, she pushed his hand away. Then, she stood up, climbed onto his lap, and spat out the porridge he’d forcefully fed her onto his clothes.

She was putting her words into action. Hadn’t she said that she would make him regret marrying her?

They weren’t even married yet, and she had already made him suffer repeatedly. She thought, maybe she could push him to the point where he couldn’t stand it anymore, and perhaps he wouldn’t want to marry her anymore.

She knew how much he disliked dirt and germs, so she purposely did this to disgust him.

To Gu Huaisheng’s surprise, a puddle of white porridge was spat on him. It stained his pristine white robe.

The air around them froze in an instant. Gu Huaisheng could feel the veins on his forehead throbbing. A dark storm swirled in his eyes.

He lowered his head slightly and saw Jiang Jingchun raising her chin to look at him. Her eyes were filled with uncontainable mischievous glee. After spitting the porridge on his lap, she casually lay back down, and even happily crossed her legs without showing any concern for the situation.

Gu Huaisheng coldly withdrew his gaze, took out a handkerchief, and wiped the porridge she had spat out. He threw the handkerchief aside, then picked up the bowl of porridge again, but this time, he didn’t use the spoon to feed her. 

He drank a mouthful himself, held the porridge in his mouth, and moved closer to Jiang Jingchun, who was still lying on the chaise.

Gu Huaisheng moved closer and closer.

Jiang Jingchun was startled by his sudden move. As she saw his face approaching, she immediately realised what Gu Huaisheng wanted to do.

She had disgusted him by spitting porridge mixed with her saliva onto him. Seeing his stance, it seemed like he wanted to return the favour. This time, he seemed to intend to feed it to her mouth-to-mouth.

That finally made Jiang Jingchun scared. She quickly raised her hand to cover his mouth. His cool lips brushed against her palm and sent a tingling sensation through her, but right now, she didn’t care about that. She just wanted to push his face and mouth away, to get some distance from him.

However, Gu Huaisheng was much stronger than her. With just a little force, he pried her hand away by the wrist.

Jiang Jingchun struggled using both her hands, but Gu Huaisheng immediately grabbed them with one hand.

He restrained her hands and held them against the armrest of the chaise. 

He also used his knee to pin down his thrashing legs.

Then, he grabbed her chin with his other hand.

Jiang Jingchun was terrified by his actions. All he had to do was squeeze her chin, and then he could spit the porridge in his mouth into hers.

That would be too disgusting!

Jiang Jingchun really couldn’t bear it, so she finally lowered her head and surrendered. She pleaded, “I was wrong. I won’t do it again.”

However, Gu Huaisheng remained unmoving.

She quickly softened her voice and continued, “I really was wrong, Cousin. Please don’t put the porridge into my mouth this way. That’s really disgusting.”

He was leaning down, so her face was mere inches away from him. As he looked at her face, she could see a hint of fear in her round eyes.

This method was indeed disgusting, and she seemed truly scared.

After all, if he really wanted to proceed and disgust her, she wouldn’t be able to stop him or escape.

However, Gu Huaisheng didn’t really intend to do it. He just wanted to scare her a little. He hadn’t expected her to give in so quickly, though. Before he’d really done anything, she was already on the verge of tears.

He stopped frightening her, swallowed the porridge, and released her. Then, he took the bowl from the side and handed it to her.

After the earlier incident, Jiang Jingchun became obedient. She picked up the spoon and quietly ate the porridge. She looked much more docile than before.

She was very good at reading people’s moods, especially his.

It had always been like this with her, ever since she was young. She would never listen until she had completely irritated someone. She’d only start feeling afraid once she’d pushed that someone too far and irritated them thoroughly.

At the same time, she also knew how to soften her tone and get them to relent.

Anyhow, this tactic always worked on him.

Gu Huaisheng stood up and instructed the servants outside to bring some ice in. Not long after that, a servant arrived with some ice cubes wrapped in cloth.

He took the ice and walked to Jiang Jingchun’s side. She had finished her porridge and set the bowl down. She was now sitting silently on the chaise. Her gaze was fixed on one spot and she seemed deep in thought.

Gu Huaisheng sat back down on the chaise and told her to lie back down.

Jiang Jingchun looked at the object in his hand and asked, “What are you going to do with that?”

What could he do with it?

Seeing the guarded and confused expression in her eyes, Gu Huaisheng pressed his lips together, before he explained, “We’re going to the Jiang family residence later. If Grandmother sees your eyes like this, she’ll be suspicious.”

What if she thought he’d mistreated her?

Jiang Jingchun didn’t immediately retort as she usually did. Gu Huaisheng’s words made sense. Back when she had run away, she had told her grandmother because she didn’t want to make her worry.

If her grandmother saw her eyes red, she would definitely overthink the situation.

With that in mind, she listened to him and lay back down on the chaise.

The world around her plunged into darkness. Gu Huaisheng gently placed the cloth-wrapped ice on her eyelids and rolled it slowly. The cold sensation made her unusually calm. But before long, she heard Gu Huaisheng ask, “Have you completely cut ties with Song Xuan’an?”

Jiang Jingchun didn’t really want to answer this question, but she still retorted, “What’s it to you whether we’ve cut ties or not? Why? Song Xuan’an and I may never be able to marry, but we can still be friends, can’t we?”

Gu Huaisheng didn’t reply upon hearing this. However, he purposely exerted more force with his hand, and Jiang Jingchun felt a slight pain in her eye. She instinctively slapped at his hand, and in doing so, her nails grazed his wrist. It immediately left a red mark on his fair skin.

His wrist was slender, with distinct and pronounced veins. The scratch mark stood out against his porcelain-like skin.

Gu Huaisheng stared at the red mark for a long time without moving.

The ice had been on her eyes too long, and Jiang Jingchun couldn’t stand it anymore. She reached up, grabbed his wrist, and tried to pull his hand away.

By coincidence, she grasped over the red mark she’d made on his skin.

The red mark his cousin had given him… the mark his cousin had touched…

For some reason, this thought made him feel an odd sensation in his heart. At this, his gaze grew darker.

Without much effort, Jiang Jingchun pushed away his hand. When she opened her eyes to glare at him, she met his deep, dark eyes, which caught her off guard.

That look in his eyes scared her a little.

His overly invasive gaze made her feel uneasy, and she didn’t dare to provoke him anymore.

She quickly lowered her eyes and stopped meeting his gaze. Instead, she took the cloth-wrapped ice from his hand and applied it to her own eyes.

Fortunately, Gu Huaisheng didn’t stop her.

After a long while, Jiang Jingchun heard him speak in a hoarse voice. He said, “Don’t cry over him anymore.”

He continued, “Don’t see him, don’t mention him…”

He didn’t want her to ever talk about Song Xuan’an anymore.

From now on, she and he should have no further connections.

They couldn’t even be friends. Gu Huaisheng felt that it’d be too dangerous.

After all, they were childhood friends who almost got married. It was too dangerous for them to continue being friends, considering that.

Jiang Jingchun didn’t respond to his words, which was rare. Gu Huaisheng’s gaze still made her uneasy, so she chose to remain silent.

But though she didn’t speak, she didn’t take his words seriously in her heart. What right did he have to control her? She was going to marry him, not be sold off to him. Why should he get to decide who she met or didn’t meet? Besides, even if she did meet him, how would he even know?

The two didn’t continue discussing this matter.

After Jiang Jingchun’s eye swelling went down, Gu Huaisheng stood up to change into a clean outfit, and they headed to the Jiang family residence together.

Just as they were about to leave, they ran into Madame Gu, who was also heading out. 

Jiang Jingchun couldn’t shake the feeling that the atmosphere was a little strange, but that brief moment of tension was soon broken when she called out to Madame Gu. “Aunt.”

Madame Gu had a somewhat complicated expression on her face but still responded. Seeing their appearance, Madame Gu figured that they were indeed heading to the Jiang family residence.

She asked, “Are you going to the Jiang family residence?”

Jiang Jingchun replied with a single ‘Mm.’

After receiving this confirmation, Madame Gu said, “I’m going to see my mother as well. Let’s go together.”

She didn’t concern herself with the expressions on Gu Huaisheng and Jiang Jingchun’s faces and walked alongside them after saying this.

Gu Huaisheng couldn’t figure out what Madame Gu’s intentions were, at this moment. Their last conversation with each other hadn’t been pleasant, so he didn’t expect her to help him with his marriage matters.

Though Gu Huaisheng knew going to propose himself might seem odd, he clearly didn’t mind. He only wanted to settle things quickly so he could put his mind at ease.

He wasn’t sure what Madame Gu was planning, but seeing her follow along, he didn’t say anything.

The three of them boarded a carriage.

The carriage headed to the Jiang family residence. It was quiet inside the carriage, and none of them said anything to break the silence. The carriage curtain was lifted slightly, and Jiang Jingchun’s gaze remained fixed on the scenery outside the window.

The view of the capital city passed by. Just a few days ago, she had excitedly prepared to leave the city in order to escape Gu Huaisheng. At that time, she didn’t know when she would return, so she’d made a point of committing her last view of the capital to memory. 

Now, seeing the same scene again, she couldn’t help but recall her feelings back then—anticipation, curiosity about the outside world, and most of all, her eagerness and hurry to escape Gu Huaisheng.

But now, looking again… the outside world was indeed beautiful, but it was also quite frightening.

And now that he had caught her and brought her back, he was sure to be even more suspicious and would never allow her another chance to leave.

She couldn’t fend him off. She also didn’t understand why he was so persistent.

She rested her head against the window and got lost in thought until she suddenly heard Madame Gu’s voice calling her.

Jiang Jingchun snapped out of her reverie and looked at her.

Madame Gu was looking at her. Her expression was hesitant, as though she wanted to say something but wasn’t sure how to start.

Seeing that Madame Gu had something to say but was hesitant, Jiang Jingchun spoke first. She said, “Aunt, if you have something to say, please just say it.”

After a moment of indecision, Madame Gu spoke up, asking, “Xiaochun, are you… are you willing to marry your cousin?”

As soon as these words left her mouth, Gu Huaisheng also turned his gaze towards Madame Gu. His expression was calm, though it was unclear what he was thinking.

Jiang Jingchun wondered—if she said ‘no,’ would it matter?

Would Madame Gu follow her wish, or Gu Huaisheng’s?

She knew the answer without even needing to think about it.

She had already realised that no matter how much she resisted, it wouldn’t be of any use. She couldn’t win against Gu Huaisheng. Unless it was Gu Huaisheng who relented and let her go, all her struggles would be in vain. From the moment he caught up with her in such a short time, she should have known she was no match for him. She couldn’t even disgust him more than he could disgust her, so how could she defeat him in anything else?

In the past, he hadn’t seemed so difficult to deal with. If she had known things would turn out this way, she never would have gotten entangled with him.

But now, there was no point in thinking about that anymore. She had struggled, run away, made a scene, and now that they’d all failed, it was time to face reality. She couldn’t win against Gu Huaisheng. And now, they were already on their way to the Jiang family residence to propose, so what was the use of saying ‘no’ now?

It’d only make everyone upset.

She fell silent for a long time, and Madame Gu, who understood that she might be internally conflicted, didn’t rush her. Gu Huaisheng, who was sitting beside her, also shifted his gaze towards her. His palm unconsciously tightened, as he too, waited for her response.

The silence in the carriage made her hesitation even more noticeable.

Finally, they heard her speak.

To Madame Gu’s question about whether she was willing to marry Gu Huaisheng, she replied with a simple ‘Mm.’

That simple answer conveyed her meaning.

Her answer was that she was willing.

Even though Gu Huaisheng knew that Jiang Jingchun was still reluctant to do it, hearing her response still made her loosen his tightly clasped hands. A smile slowly appeared on his face.

Madame Gu hadn’t expected this answer. She couldn’t believe it and asked, “Are you sure it’s your own choice? Is anyone forcing you?”

Her question was almost direct. She might as well have asked, was Gu Huaisheng forcing her?

However, Jiang Jingchun had already thought it through, and she wasn’t going to struggle anymore. They’d meet her grandmother later, and she didn’t want to cause her any worry.

She laughed and joked, “Of course, it’s my own choice. Aunt, have you forgotten? I used to like my cousin the most, didn’t I?”

Her words were spoken with a smile on her face, but they carried an underlying tone of sarcasm. It wasn’t just Gu Huaisheng who noticed—even Madame Gu sensed it.

Upon hearing Jiang Jingchun’s words, Madame Gu glanced at Gu Huaisheng, then remembered what Marquis Gu had said to her the previous night. She sighed deeply before speaking, “I see. Since both of you want this, I’ll go talk to my mother about it today.”

Gu Huaisheng didn’t seem to expect Madame Gu’s attitude to shift so suddenly. He furrowed his eyebrows. He felt somewhat confused about what she was thinking.

Seeing his expression, Madame Gu couldn’t help but scold him, “What’s wrong with that? Are you not happy I’m going? Do you think you can go by yourself? Your mother is still alive; do you expect to propose your marriage on your own? You really are something.”

In truth, proposing would have been the job of the matchmaker, and Madame Gu wouldn’t have been involved in the proposal process, but since the two families were very close and Gu Huaisheng was so eager, she decided not to fuss over the matchmaker’s role.

In truth, she didn’t even know why he was so anxious. It was odd that he was rushing to bring Jiang Jingchun to propose himself.

Gu Huaisheng had thought that Madame Gu wouldn’t be happy to help in this matter, and he hadn’t expected her to relent. Although he didn’t understand why her attitude had changed, and he still didn’t understand what she thought of this marriage inwardly, he still found it happy that she was willing to agree to the marriage.

Gu Huaisheng said, “I don’t dare. I simply thought Mother wouldn’t want to come.”

Madame Gu noticed his very light and relaxed tone. She knew that he mustn’t have taken the scolding she’d given him that night to heart.

Indeed, Gu Huaisheng had always been like this since he was a child. Whenever anyone scolded him, he’d never take the scolding he’d received to heart or hold a grudge over it, and would instead only act as if nothing had happened.

If he didn’t care about being scolded, why should she dwell on it? With that thought, she decided to let go of the matter as well.

Before long, the carriage arrived at the Jiang family residence, and they headed towards Rongde Hall.

Unexpectedly, just as they reached the entrance, they ran into Lady Li and Jiang Jinghui, who’d returned together from outside.

The maids behind them carried packages of various sizes. This clearly showed that the pair had just been out shopping.

What a surprising coincidence.

As Madame Gu, Jiang Jingchun, and Gu Huaisheng stepped out of the carriage, the two groups bumped right into each other.

This was the first time Jiang Jingchun had seen Lady Li since she’d moved out of the Jiang family residence.

Lady Li had not expected them to come at this time. She also didn’t understand why Jiang Jingchun was with the Gu family. But after so long without seeing her, the moment Lady Li’s eyes landed on Jiang Jingchun, they became fixated on her.

Even though she knew staring like this was inappropriate, she couldn’t stop herself.

Jiang Jingchun already knew the truth about what happened back then. She had moved out of the Jiang family to sever ties completely. Even now that she’d visited the residence, she’d never come to see her.

Jiang Jingchun must resent her for what happened in the past.

However, even though she knew this, Lady Li still couldn’t help looking at Jiang Jingchun.

Her gaze was so intense that Jiang Jingchun chose to ignore it entirely. She kept her head down and pretended not to notice a thing.

To her, Lady Li was now no different from a stranger.

This indifference pierced Lady Li’s heart like a dagger. She couldn’t believe Jiang Jingchun would avoid her so blatantly.

She wouldn’t even spare her a glance.

It was Jiang Jinghui who broke the silence. Her voice was laced with curiosity as she asked, “Sister, why are you here with Aunt and Cousin?”

Just a few days ago, she had heard that the three men who had kidnapped Jiang Jingchun claimed they had sold her to a brothel. Yet here she stood, perfectly fine.

Her gaze shifted to Gu Huaisheng, and in an instant, she understood.

He must’ve pulled Jiang Jingchun out of that place before she’d even spent a day there.

He was quite swift.

No one noticed Jiang Jingchun’s thoughts. Madame Gu responded to her question by saying, “We’re here to propose marriage.”

The moment Madame Gu said these words, everyone fell silent. Lady Li, in particular, turned pale. Her expression also darkened with anger.

What was going on? Gu Huaisheng wanted to marry Jiang Jingchun?

Why would he seek to marry her? When had their relationship reached such a level? Perhaps it’d been long since she and Jiang Jingchun stopped being close, she didn’t know the answers to those questions… Indeed, she didn’t seem to know anything about Jiang Jingchun anymore.

But she couldn’t focus on why Jiang Jingchun and Gu Huaisheng wanted to marry now. Instead, her mind was consumed by the thought that Jiang Jingchun was getting married—and she hadn’t been told a thing.

Was she not her mother? She had raised her for over a decade, yet Jiang Jingchun was so heartless as to not tell her she wanted to marry. If they hadn’t bumped into each other today, would she have remained unaware until the wedding?

Lady Li felt a deep sense of sorrow but refused to admit it was her own doing that had driven Jiang Jingchun to such distance. 

She blamed it all on Jiang Jingchun being cruel.

Suddenly, she seemed to regain some energy. She forced herself to remain composed and said, “Is that so? Then I suppose you’re headed to Rongde Hall to see Mother. Jinghui and I also happened to have bought some pastries we’d like to send her. Let’s go together.”

Jiang Jingchun clearly didn’t want Lady Li involved. She wanted her to stay out of it entirely. However, Lady Li refused to be sidelined. She had worried endlessly about Jiang Jingchun’s marriage in the past—why shouldn’t she see how things were being discussed now?

Everyone turned to Jiang Jingchun and waited for her reaction. Even Lady Li stared at her.

Jiang Jingchun raised her head and met Lady Li’s gaze. With a faint laugh, she said, “Sure, go ahead. Who could stop you if you wanted to go?

“Who could ever stop you?”

Her tone carried a sharp edge of sarcasm. It was a tone she had never used with Lady Li before.

The two people, who had once been so close, now looked at each other with nothing but disdain. Neither showed any kindness in their eyes.

Lady Li was stung by her words. Her lips trembled slightly as if in disbelief. She wanted to say something more, but before she could, Jiang Jingchun had already turned and headed towards Rongde Hall.

Gu Huaisheng, who had remained still and silent the entire time, followed after her.

Lady Li watched Jiang Jingchun’s retreating figure as her words replayed in her mind. Her eyes reddened with unshed tears.

Madame Gu didn’t know what to say upon seeing this. She could only step forward and offer her a few words of comfort. She said, “Ah, it’s normal for Xiaochun to have a hard time accepting things right now. After all… it’s been over a decade. Don’t take it to heart.”

After all, Jiang Jingchun had been deceived for more than ten years, and her mother had died so tragically. If she could accept things easily, that would be more strange.

But what had been done was done. Worrying about it now was pointless.

Lady Li didn’t want to be reduced to tears outside, in broad daylight, either. After hearing what Madame Gu said, she took out her handkerchief and wiped the corners of her eyes, saying, “It’s nothing. Let’s go. I was just irritated by her words, that’s all.”

Seeing her unwillingness to admit her true feelings, Madame Gu didn’t press further. Every family had its own troubles. She could barely make sense of her own issues, let alone help Lady Li navigate hers.

Meanwhile, Jiang Jingchun and Gu Huaisheng had already arrived at Rongde Hall.

After returning to the capital, Xuezhao had already made her report about Jiang Jingchun to the old madame. She followed Jiang Jingchun’s instructions.

She avoided mentioning that Gu Huaisheng was the one who brought her back and why. Instead, she glossed over the details and said that Jiang Jingchun had simply grown tired of wandering and found the outskirts of the capital unimpressive. Thus, she decided to come home. She even deliberately left out the incident of her being sold to the brothel.

Although the old madame found it peculiar, she chose not to pry further. Whatever the truth was, she felt relieved that Jiang Jingchun was back. While she was away, the old madame had always been uneasy and worried that something might happen to her. 

It was great that she was home now.

The old madame was reclining on a chaise lounge in the courtyard. She had taken her midday nap after lunch and had just woken up. It was now late afternoon, the most pleasant time of day. The autumn sunlight was warm but not harsh as it cast a gentle glow over everything. She squinted slightly and tilted her head back to gaze at the vast expanse of blue sky beyond the eaves.

From the direction of the courtyard gate came the faint sound of a servant announcing visitors. Her hearing wasn’t what it used to be, so the voices were muffled. In curiosity, she looked towards the entrance.

She saw Jiang Jingchun and Gu Huaisheng.

The two walked side by side. Their steps fell in sync as they passed through the hall and into the courtyard. As they moved from the shadows into the sunlight, the warm light enveloped them, and they seemed almost dazzling. 

Jiang Jingchun kept her head lowered and seemed lost in thought. Her twin buns swayed gently with each step she took. Gu Huaisheng walked beside her. His pace was measured—he took small steps to match her pace.

In the past, the old madame had always thought that Gu Huaisheng and Jiang Jingchun were the most mismatched pair. But now, for some reason, she felt differently.

By the time the old madame collected her thoughts, the two were already standing in front of her.

They bowed to her in greeting.

The old madame sat up in her chair and didn’t immediately question why they had come together. Instead, she reached for Jiang Jingchun and started inspecting her closely. Only after confirming that she was unharmed did she feel reassured.

Despite having heard Xuezhao’s account, the old madame still felt uneasy. She needed to hear it from Jiang Jingchun herself. She asked a few more questions in the hope of gleaning additional details.

Jiang Jingchun crouched beside her lounge chair and recounted her recent days. She stuck closely to the version Xuezhao had given. “The world outside is fun, but after a few days, I realised it’s nothing special. I missed home, so I came back.”

The old madame chuckled and teased her, saying, “You silly girl. It was you who wanted to go out, and it’s also you who came back in a rush. Other people can roam outside for a year or more without getting bored, but you couldn’t last three days.”

Jiang Jingchun leaned in coquettishly and seized the moment to change the subject. She said, “Grandmother, I missed you.”

Her words instantly lifted the old madame’s spirits and brought a broad smile to her face. She let the matter drop without further questioning.

The old madame laughed heartily but soon remembered that Jiang Jingchun had come with her cousin. She glanced at Gu Huaisheng in confusion. “How is it you two came together? Did you just happen to meet at the gate?”

Just as Gu Huaisheng was about to answer, more noise came from the courtyard entrance—it was Madame Gu arriving with Lady Li and her daughter, Jiang Jinghui.

Seeing this, the old madame couldn’t help feeling intrigued.

She asked, “What’s going on today? Why is everyone suddenly here?”

She hadn’t expected Lady Li and Jiang Jingchun to appear together.

Madame Gu took it upon herself to reply. “We’re here today because Fuyan wants to propose marriage to Jingchun.”

The old madame was stunned by these words. Propose marriage? Gu Huaisheng and Jiang Jingchun? Had she misheard?

The notion was so strange, and it’d come so suddenly, that the old madame couldn’t quite process it right away.

She sensed something amiss, so she instinctively looked at Jiang Jingchun.

Jiang Jingchun noticed her gaze and lifted the corners of her lips into a smile. There was no trace of reluctance on her face.

The old madame couldn’t help but feel bewildered. She couldn’t decipher what Jiang Jingchun was thinking. After a moment, she asked, “Are you truly willing to marry your cousin?”

Just a few days ago, she’d said that she wanted to marry Xiaosong—the boy from the Song family.

Jiang Jingchun was afraid that the old madame might see through her, so she nodded immediately without showing the slightest hesitation. She said, “Of course, I’m willing. Cousin is dashing, handsome, graceful, talented, and dignified… How could I not be willing to marry him?”

Because she was worried that the old madame would become suspicious, she looked at Gu Huaisheng as she spoke.

But to him, although her words were cheerful, she still sounded as if she spoke them through gritted teeth.

He feigned obliviousness and acted as though he hadn’t noticed the barbed implication behind her words as he smiled back at her.

He looked back at her and said, “My cousin is like a radiant and splendid blossoming peach tree. She has occupied my thoughts day and night. I wish for nothing more than to hold her hand and grow old together.”

His smile seemed more sincere than Jiang Jingchun’s. It was faint, and his eyes even seemed to sparkle as he spoke.

His words also sounded much more solemn compared to Jiang Jingchun’s.

When Jiang Jingchun heard these words, though, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, and she shuddered.

Why did this sound like… like he was saying he’d never let her go until death came?