The Young Marquis Regrets Too Late - Chapter 64 [R19]

Jiang Jingchun still didn’t believe what Gu Huaisheng was saying. He seemed fine now, but sooner or later, he would definitely show his true colours. She resisted and struggled to get away.

This time, when she tried to push him off, Gu Huaisheng didn’t stop her.

Jiang Jingchun thought it was all finally over. She assumed Gu Huaisheng would take care of himself somewhere private. But just as she relaxed, he grabbed her wrist. He looked at her hand with a dark and intense expression on his face.

That look was far too suggestive.

Jiang Jingchun instinctively felt his intentions weren’t good.

As Gu Huaisheng held her wrist, he noticed her fingernails were stained with cinnabar. Her delicate, fair knuckles, that were like slender green onions, were now accented by a striking shade of red lacquer on her nails. It gave her hands a certain alluring charm.

She had never worn such colourings on her fingernails before.

Gu Huaisheng didn’t particularly care if she did or didn’t. If she liked it, she could wear it; if not, that was fine too. But recently, there had been too many strange occurrences, and this was just another one that gave him pause.

What had Jiang Jingchun been up to outside?

His thoughts didn’t linger long, because the crimson hue on her hands stirred something deep within him.

In Gu Huaisheng’s world, everything was either black or white—there were no rich or vivid colours. The bright red on Jiang Jingchun’s hands overwhelmed his senses and seemed to pierce through his self-control.

Jiang Jingchun also noticed the change in him. She could sense the restless energy emanating from his body.

“We won’t do it,” he murmured hoarsely. “But can you help me out? Cousin… it hurts too much…”

It was clearly winter, yet a faint sheen of sweat glistened on the bridge of Gu Huaisheng’s nose.

Jiang Jingchun was utterly stunned.

Not do it…

but how was she supposed to help, then?

Before she could even process what he meant, Gu Huaisheng had already guided her hand towards that spot.

The realisation of what he intended made her almond-shaped eyes widen in shock.

Wasn’t it enough for him to handle it himself? Did he have to drag her into it, too!?

Jiang Jingchun tried to pull her hand away, but he held on tightly and gave her no chance to escape.

In a coaxing tone, he said, “Please help me out. I can’t do it on my own. Once it’s done, we’ll go to sleep. Okay?”

Though he sounded gentle and as though he was asking for her opinion, his grip was firm and unyielding.

Jiang Jingchun looked at the situation in front of her. She was on the verge of tears. Her face flushed so red it seemed like it could drip bl00d.

What else could she do? Her hand was already there.

She felt that, given Gu Huaisheng’s shameless nature, it was a small mercy that things hadn’t gone further than this.

She knelt between his legs and stared up at him with a mixture of shame and anger. As Gu Huaisheng lowered his head and gazed at her expression, his eyes faintly reddened. Gently, he coaxed her, “This is something all married couples do. It’s completely normal, nothing to be embarrassed about.”

He loosened his hold on her hand. Instinctively, she tried to pull it back, but he immediately grabbed it again. 

“It won’t hurt. It’ll be quick,” he assured her.

Jiang Jingchun’s wrist was trapped, and she couldn’t escape his grasp.

They’d already done more intimate things before, so this seemed minor in comparison. 

Her boundaries had long since been eroded.

Gu Huaisheng’s voice grew deeper as he guided her on what to do. She had never done anything like this before, so she didn’t know how to control her strength, which caused him to wince in pain. Still, after a while, she got the hang of it.

He’d promised it would be quick, but even after the time it would take for an incense stick to burn, it wasn’t over. She glared up at him and annoyedly said, “Are you done yet?”

Her arm ached, and she was no longer embarrassed—just frustrated.

Every time she got mad, Gu Huaisheng would placate her with soothing words.

Finally, he let out a muffled groan and came.

Jiang Jingchun was caught off guard as she found her hand stained with a sticky, white mess. She stared at it in disbelief before snapping, “Gu Huaisheng, you shameless scoundrel!”

She was even more exhausted than Gu Huaisheng. A faint layer of sweat glistened on the tip of her nose.

She glared at him and got out of bed to wash her hands, but he stopped her. 

“I’ll get you some water,” he said.

With that, he climbed out of bed to fetch it himself.

After the clean-up, they finally extinguished the candlelight, and the room descended into darkness.

Gu Huaisheng returned to bed and immediately curled up next to Jiang Jingchun.

Perhaps it was the cold weather making the shared warmth comforting, or perhaps she was too tired to resist him anymore. For once, she didn’t push him away.

Jiang Jingchun was thoroughly worn out after the earlier events. Moreover, she’d spent much of the day outside enjoying herself, so she was already fatigued. She quickly fell asleep after nestling in the warm blankets.

The next morning, when Jiang Jingchun woke up, she spent some time with Madame Gu before heading out again.

She and Huayun made their way towards the theatre.

She had been visiting the theatre quite often lately, to the point that the staff had become familiar with her. The moment she arrived, they guided her inside.

Jiang Jingchun had felt captivated by performers ever since she watched the dancers at the autumn hunting grounds. Upon her return, she sought out Chen Muqing, who indulged her curiosity and accompanied her in seeking entertainment.

Every day, after finishing her work at the shops, Jiang Jingchun would reward herself by watching dance performances.

The two of them first disguised themselves and frequented a brothel to watch performances there. They visited so often that the madam of the brothel was beginning to recognise them. Every time, they did nothing but sit there and watch. Naturally, the madam could tell they were women in disguise but pretended not to notice. It was obvious these were young girls from respectable families sneaking out for some fun. The madam didn’t want to stir up trouble, so she turned a blind eye and simply arranged for a few beautiful dancer girls to perform for them.

Chen Muqing later discovered the Liyuan opera and thought they were fun too. So, the two started frequenting the theatre as well.

In the theatre, it didn’t matter if you were a man or a woman—everyone was welcome. However, seating was separated by gender. There were dedicated sections for women for certain performances, where noble ladies and young misses often came to enjoy performances. Occasionally, they would even reserve private sections for themselves.

Compared to the brothel, the theatre was indeed more entertaining.

The singing was pleasing to the ear, and the performers were pleasing to the eye.

There was a popular young performer who specialised in young male characters there. He had fair skin and delicate features, and he often charmed audiences with sweet and flattering words. Just a few days ago, after a performance, Jiang Jingchun and Chen Muqing were about to head home when they stumbled upon the young performer being harassed.

He was too attractive for his own good and had caught the attention of a group of unsavoury men. Luckily, Jiang Jingchun and Chen Muqing arrived just in time to rescue him.

Since then, the young performer began seeking them out after his shows to chat. Perhaps out of gratitude, he grew particularly close to them.

His voice was soothing, his personality humorous, and his demeanour was obedient and courteous. They thus slowly became well-acquainted.

The young performer had a knack for flattery, and the more he flattered Jiang Jingchun, the more she enjoyed visiting the theatre.

Yesterday, as they parted ways, he told her he’d be performing Ocean of Sin today, and they’d agreed that she would come watch.

So, last night, she pored over the script to prepare.

Chen Muqing didn’t come today. She had been sneaking out too frequently, and Shen Tao, her mother, had noticed something was off and confined her to the house. Jiang Jingchun had no other choice but to go alone.

By the time she arrived, the performance had already begun. The young performer was quite famous, and many had come to see him. Since there was no women-only section today, Jiang Jingchun headed upstairs to a private room on the second floor.

“I am but a delicate maiden, not a man; why then do I wear a yellow girdle and this male robe…”

Jiang Jingchun sipped tea as she listened to the performance.

The young performer was playing a female character today. He sang about the bittersweet emotions of the young nun in Ocean of Sin.

His gaze occasionally flitted toward the second floor, as though he had noticed her arrival.

After the performance ended, Jiang Jingchun got up to find him.

The actors from the stage were now in the back, removing their heavy stage makeup. As the most popular performer, the young man had his own private dressing room.

When Jiang Jingchun entered, he was in the middle of removing his elaborate headpiece.

Upon seeing her, he immediately smiled and rose from his seat, but she quickly stopped him.

The young performer’s name was Lou Guan. His fair complexion and delicate features made him resemble a woman. When he wore makeup, it was especially hard to distinguish his gender.

Perhaps it was this non-threatening appearance that made people instinctively lower their guard around him.

When Lou Guan saw her, his eyes curved into crescents and shimmered as though reflecting ripples on a sunny lake.

He casually struck up a conversation. “Miss Chen didn’t come with you today?”

Jiang Jingchun usually came with Chen Muqing, but she came alone today.

Jiang Jingchun pulled a chair and sat down beside him while responding, “She’s been coming out with me too often lately, so her mother locked her up at home.”

Lou Guan’s expression immediately showed concern. “Ah… Miss Chen didn’t get into trouble because of me, did she?”

His worried expression naturally tugged at heartstrings.

Jiang Jingchun quickly reassured him, “How could she? Her mother treats her well. Don’t worry.”

Lou Guan let out a sigh of relief. “That’s good to hear. If something happened to you two because of me, I would never forgive myself.”

Although he still seemed troubled, he didn’t dwell on the topic. 

Instead, he turned to Jiang Jingchun and asked, “Miss, did you think my performance today was good?”

His voice was soft, and a little high-pitched. It had the effect of making those who heard him lower their guards, somehow. His eyes seemed to glimmer as he looked at Jiang Jingchun, and even seemed somewhat expectant as he asked that question.

Jiang Jingchun was momentarily stunned by his beautiful eyes. Eventually, she nodded and said, “It looked nice.”

Ah, wait…

She wanted to say it sounded nice.

Lou Guan wasn’t as handsome as Gu Huaisheng, but he was undeniably beautiful in a way that transcended gender. There was something about him that drew people in. His gentle demeanour also made Jiang Jingchun enjoy talking to him.

Lou Guan seemed to understand her sentiment. He lowered his head and smiled but said no more.

As he removed the makeup from his face, it revealed a fresh and clear complexion.

He then got up and walked over to the clothes rack to change out of his costume. He seemed unbothered by Jiang Jingchun’s presence.

Jiang Jingchun, however, was curious. Lou Guan’s face was as delicate as a woman’s, but was his body like other men’s? She found herself tempted to sneak a peek but quickly corrected her thoughts.

Lou Guan trusted her enough to change in front of her. She couldn’t betray that trust by taking advantage of the situation.

She lowered her eyes and fixed them on her embroidered shoes.

When Lou Guan finished changing, he turned to see Jiang Jingchun practically burying her head in the ground.

Lou Guan froze for a moment, but he quickly came to his senses. He walked up to Jiang Jingchun and then said, “I apologise, Miss. I was out of line. I shouldn’t have changed my clothes in front of you.”

Jiang Jingchun looked up after seeing he had finished changing. She hadn’t expected Lou Guan to say that and felt even more ashamed of her earlier impulse to peek at him. She hastily replied, “What’s so inappropriate about that? If anything, I was the one being improper…”

Lou Guan crouched down in front of her, looked up, and asked, “Miss, do you like the red nail polish I applied for you the other day? Should I change it to another colour?”

A couple of days ago, Lou Guan had complimented her hands. He said they were beautiful and would look stunning with polish. Jiang Jingchun had never tried such things before, so she let him apply some for her.

It did look good, but for some reason, it made her feel a bit uneasy.

The bright crimson colour reminded her of bl00d.

Jiang Jingchun stretched out her hand to take another look, and she couldn’t stop herself from thinking about what had happened last night.

Now, every time she saw this scarlet polish, she couldn’t help but think of Gu Huaisheng’s…

No, this wasn’t right. It was unbearable, utterly unbearable.

After a moment of thought, she nodded and said, “Lou Guan, I think you’d better change it for me. This red is a bit too much.”

Lou Guan had grown up in an opera troupe and naturally learned a lot about all kinds of cosmetics and makeup. There were plenty of them around him, and he’d gotten a lot of chances to observe how they were used.

He didn’t like such things—after all, they were meant for women. But in the troupe, he had no choice but to become accustomed to them. He only thought that Jiang Jingchun’s fair and delicate hands would look pretty painted red.

He assumed she might like it.

The two of them sat facing each other. Jiang Jingchun naturally placed her hands in Lou Guan’s.

While he reapplied the polish, they chatted.

Jiang Jingchun brought up the opera Ocean of Sin that he performed earlier. Before arriving today, she hadn’t known that he played female roles. She said, “You’re amazing. How do you even perform female roles so well?”

The differences between male and female roles were stark, especially in vocal technique. She found it remarkable that he could excel in both.

Lou Guan focused on her hands with a serious expression. After hearing her question, his face remained calm as he replied, “When I was younger, they wanted me to train as a female role performer.”

“But you’re a man,” she said in surprise.

Lou Guan smiled faintly. “But I was born beautiful.”

Jiang Jingchun froze for a moment in surprise.

When she recovered, she asked again, “Then why did you switch to playing male roles later on?”

“Because I really didn’t want to play a woman,” Lou Guan said. “I told the troupe leader I could perform just as well as a male role performer, that I didn’t need to pretend to be a woman to succeed.”

In the opera world, a man portraying a woman was often considered an extremely bad thing. However, many patrons specifically liked that aspect.

In the end, he had to threaten the troupe leader by saying he’d take his own life to carve out a new path for himself—a path where he could be a man on stage.

Looking back now, it seemed he’d made the right choice. He could still thrive, even as a male role performer.

Jiang Jingchun understood his explanation and asked, “Then why did you take on the role of Sekong today?”

Why did he return to playing a female role?

Hearing this, Lou Guan unconsciously tightened his grip on her hand. Jiang Jingchun let out a small ‘ouch,’ which brought Lou Guan back to his senses. He had an apologetic expression on his face as he said, “I’m sorry… Miss…”

Jiang Jingchun shook her head and dismissed it. She didn’t take it to heart, though she couldn’t help wondering why he had such a strong reaction.

Before long, Jiang Jingchun made arrangements to come back and watch his next performance. As the day was coming to an end, she hurried home to avoid encountering the same awkward situation as the night before.

After Jiang Jingchun left, the polite smile on Lou Guan’s face faded entirely.

Later that evening, the troupe leader came to Lou Guan’s room.

The troupe leader was a stout man with a large belly, who was nearing forty years old in age.

He plopped himself onto a chair and asked, “So, how’s it going? Have you managed to win her over? Does she seem willing to buy your freedom?”

Lou Guan lowered his eyes and honestly replied, “I don’t know.”

Jiang Jingchun seemed kind-hearted, but even the kindest of people wouldn’t casually hand over 2,000 taels of silver to buy the freedom of a stranger they’d only known for a few days, right?

She enjoyed listening to his singing, so he sang for her. She liked hearing him talk, so he tried his best to be humble and please her. She admired his beautiful looks, so he stayed by her side and let her take her fill.

Lou Guan knew she was the wife of Gu Huaisheng, the young marquis of the Gu family. She was an extraordinary woman of high status. He also knew Gu Huaisheng was a cold man. Surely, he, as her husband, would never dote on and coax her the way he did, so she must be happy to see Lou Guan act the way he did to her.

But no matter how much she enjoyed his company, in the end, he was just a source of amusement to her.

Who would spend thousands of taels on a mere toy?

The troupe leader snorted at his answer and said coldly, “I’m giving you two more weeks. By the fifteenth of next month, if she’s not willing to buy your freedom, I’ll sell you to Master Li.”

Master Li was willing to pay a thousand taels for Lou Guan, who was a popular performer. If Jiang Jingchun could offer 2,000 taels of silver, then the troupe leader would sell him to her instead.

Lou Guan was very popular, so the troupe leader was actually very reluctant to sell him. However, money was money. If Master Li wanted to buy Lou Guan, he couldn’t just refuse. 

Still, Master Li was stingy—offering just 1,000 taels for such a prized actor…

The troupe leader knew Jiang Jingchun had been frequenting the theatre lately and was well aware of her noble status. She was someone he couldn’t afford to offend.

The theatre had been passed down through generations, and its continued existence to this day was no coincidence. Truthfully, the troupe leader could easily exploit Jiang Jingchun’s frequent visits to the theatre and her mingling with the performers to extort the Gu family, which would be much more profitable. However, offending such a high-status and influential family could result in the entire theatre being wiped out.

Why would he bother doing something so labour-intensive yet thankless to earn such dangerous money?

But if he just squeezed some money out of Jiang Jingchun’s pocket… Well, that wouldn’t be his fault. He could only blame her for not having deep enough pockets to find that amount of money negligible.

If Jiang Jingchun were willing to pay an additional thousand taels to purchase Lou Guan, the troupe leader wouldn’t mind slightly offending Master Li for that sum.

By then, he could simply say that Lou Guan had already been bought by the young marquis’ wife. What could Master Li do about it? If he wanted to settle accounts, he’d have to take it up with the marquis’ household.

Without paying any more attention to Lou Guan’s expression, the troupe leader continued, “See? You play a female role so well. Everyone said so today. Back when I told you to train as a female role performer, I wasn’t wrong, was I? Over the next few days, if you want to keep Master Li pleased, perform Ocean of Sin a few more times. He enjoys listening to it.”

On one hand, he wanted Lou Guan to flatter Jiang Jingchun; on the other, he instructed him to bait Master Li.

Lou Guan felt a surge of disgust in his heart but ultimately said nothing. His face darkened, and he remained silent.

***

That evening, when Jiang Jingchun returned home, Gu Huaisheng hadn’t yet finished his duties.

As she walked inside, she occasionally glanced at the nail polish on her hand.

The colour was lighter this time, so it looked more pleasing and less jarring than the one she had worn a few days ago.

She had mulled over it the whole way home. She felt that Lou Guan had been acting a little strange today.

However, she didn’t dwell on it any further.

She’d been going out a lot recently. After listening to today’s performance of Ocean of Sin, she planned to stay home for a few days. Otherwise, Gu Huaisheng might notice something was amiss.

From beside her, Huayun worriedly asked, “Miss, wouldn’t it be bad if the young master finds out?”

When Jiang Jingchun had been frequenting a brothel a while back, Huayun had already been fearful. It had been a relief when Jiang Jingchun stopped going to a brothel, but now she had taken to visiting the theatre and was even getting entangled with one of the young performers there.

That young performer didn’t look like a decent person. He charmed people effortlessly with his sweet talk and sharp gaze, as if he was a girl who had been trained in a brothel.

Jiang Jingchun didn’t take Huayun’s words to heart. She said, “We’re not doing anything improper; we’re just talking. I just go to the theatre to enjoy the performances—what could possibly happen? Besides, why is it that men can seek entertainment after work, but I can’t? Running the shops every day is tiring too. Can’t I just enjoy a little opera?”

She might have felt nervous about visiting a brothel, but she felt no such fear about going to a theatre. What was there to worry about, anyhow? Men could listen to the opera, so why couldn’t she? Nobody ever said that women couldn’t watch opera performances.

What was there for her to fear?

Just as she was thinking this, Gu Huaisheng returned home from work.

Upon hearing the sound of his arrival, Jiang Jingchun looked towards the courtyard gate.

Gu Huaisheng, dressed in his crimson official robes, appeared slim and imposing, as distant and unattainable as the bright moon in the sky. For some reason, though, Jiang Jingchun felt that he seemed even colder today than usual.

She pressed her lips together and said nothing. She just withdrew her gaze and turned her attention back to washing her hands in preparation for dinner.

The weather was cooling down, and the doors and windows of the house had been closed. Since the night was falling, the candles inside had already been lit.

Gu Huaisheng took a seat across from Jiang Jingchun.

He was still upset by her behaviour today, and his stomach felt uncomfortable. He had little appetite, and he didn’t even pick up his chopsticks to eat.

Today, he’d learned that Jiang Jingchun had been frequenting the brothel some time ago. As if that weren’t enough, she had recently started going to the theatre. The secret guards who went to check on her today also reported that she had been getting quite close to a young performer there.

If he didn’t step in, she’d probably keep someone outside as a kept lover, eventually.

At the autumn hunting grounds, he had felt a faint unease. He was worried she might start liking someone else and stop behaving herself.

He hadn’t expected to be right.

Jiang Jingchun seemed entirely out of line. She was behaving like the libertine sons of wealthy families. She had been to the brothel, and now the theatre too.

Thinking of the words his secret guards overheard today made him inexplicably furious.

That young performer had her wrapped around his finger and called her ‘Miss, Miss’ with every other word. What kind of proper, decent man would act like that?

And yet, she treated him nicely and even praised him for being good-looking.

She had never once praised Gu Huaisheng for his looks.

Gu Huaisheng didn’t bring up the matter directly. Instead, he glanced at her hand holding the chopsticks and asked, “Why did you change your nail polish today?”

He already knew it was that young performer who had changed it for her.

He asked his question with gnashing of teeth and suppressed anger.

Jiang Jingchun didn’t expect him to ask about this and felt her heart skip a beat. She lowered her head almost into her bowl and casually replied, “Oh… The one I had on before didn’t look good, so I wanted a change.”

“Who helped you change it?”

Who helped her?

His question made Jiang Jingchun inexplicably guilty.

If anyone else—say, the old madame or Madame Gu—had asked her, she wouldn’t have hesitated to answer truthfully.

She liked chatting with this young performer. She found him beautiful and appreciated his gentle demeanour. Since she liked him quite a bit, she didn’t resist him when he approached her. 

However, even though she hadn’t resisted his approach, she swore she hadn’t done anything to betray Gu Huaisheng. Thus, she could mention Lou Guan to anyone else without a trace of guilt.

However, Gu Huaisheng was different. Even if Jiang Jingchun hadn’t done anything, he would still think she had done something.

If he found out the truth, wouldn’t a complete upheaval happen?

She remained calm and said, “I went out to browse the streets today. I stopped by a jewellery shop and bought something. The people there said the nail polish on my hands was too red, so they changed it for me.”

Gu Huaisheng stared at the liar in front of him and thought to himself that she’d definitely been influenced by those bad influences outside. Now that she’d been exposed to more things and had done more questionable things, she could even lie without batting an eye.

He now saw everyone around her in a negative light, as if they were all the culprits leading her astray.

He didn’t expose her lie. Instead, he asked, “Really? Then where does the fragrance on you come from? I’ve been smelling it for days now. Did that also come from the jewellery shop? But yesterday, you said you were coming back from your shops, not the jewellery shop.”

His tone carried an unintentional chill, one even he didn’t realise was there.

Jiang Jingchun could hear the accusatory edge in his voice. She guessed that he might already know something.

The more she argued, the guiltier she’d look. She gave up denying it and admitted outright, “I just went to watch an opera performance. That’s all. I didn’t do anything else.”

Didn’t do anything else? Not yet, more likely.

“You didn’t even use to like opera. So why are you so enamoured with it now? Who’s at the theatre? Why do you insist on going? Can’t you maintain some distance from other people? You’re married now. Do you think this kind of behaviour is appropriate? Am I really that unbearable? You don’t even care to acknowledge me, but you run around out of the house and play around with other people instead.”

What was so wrong with him? Was he so inadequate that she had to go find someone else?

Was he not good-looking enough? Did she just want to praise someone else instead?

Jiang Jingchun knew he’d react this way. The moment he found out, that mouth of his wouldn’t stop nagging.

‘Play around’… He even used such unpleasant words.

Jiang Jingchun knew she was in the wrong. First, for going to a brothel, then a theatre. Second, for lying.

But he was always like this. Whenever he brought up such things, he would go on and on endlessly. And every time she thought of Lou Guan, she found Gu Huaisheng even more unbearable. Lou Guan would never be like this. He was always gentle and considerate in everything he did.

Sometimes, one wouldn’t know something was bad until one had compared it to something else. Indeed, this comparison made Gu Huaisheng seem insufferable to her.

After being scolded like that, Jiang Jingchun lost her appetite. She set her chopsticks down and said, “Why are you being so harsh?”

Her words carried a hint of grievance. She was clearly the one in the wrong, yet after just a couple of questions from him, she managed to turn it around and felt like she was the one being wronged instead.

However, her words still instantly doused his anger.

He fell silent and said nothing more. However, Jiang Jingchun still felt displeased. She pouted and muttered, “Other people never speak harshly to me. It’s only you. You’re always scolding me harshly. What right do you have to be so harsh to me?”

Did Gu Huaisheng even realise how scary he looked when he was cold and stern? When he asked a string of questions like that, it felt as though he was interrogating her like some criminal under investigation by the Censorate.

Was he really being harsh? 

He thought he’d merely asked her a few questions.

Had he been harsh to her?

Should he act like other people who talk sweetly to her but lead her astray?

What sort of nonsense had that young man filled her head with? Why wouldn’t she listen to anyone else anymore?

Gu Huaisheng held back for a long while before finally saying to her, “I’m just worried that someone might lead you astray.”

“Why would I be led astray? I’m not a fool. Can’t I tell right from wrong? He’s not a bad person. He didn’t choose to be an opera singer. Just a few days ago, I saw some men bullying him. They said crude things and even laid hands on him. He’s really pitiful.”

Gu Huaisheng felt his head throbbing. Here she was again, feeling sorry for someone else.

Now, it was Jiang Jingchun’s turn to ramble on. “I just think he’s very beautiful. He speaks gently, so we chatted a bit. He invited me to watch him perform, and I enjoyed his singing. That’s all. There’s nothing more.”

She eventually lost interest in eating. She felt sulky, so she left him with a curt, “Believe what you want.”

Then, she headed inside.

That young male performer was very gentle.

Meanwhile, he was harsh.

Could it really be nothing? 

Was it just that Jiang Jingchun disliked how stern he usually was?

He thought about the young performer’s demeanour. No, even if Jiang Jingchun had no ulterior motives, that man definitely did.

With that, Gu Huaisheng also lost his appetite. He rose to his feet and went inside as well.

Whenever he got upset, his old habits would resurface.

But he didn’t want to fight with her.

When Gu Huaisheng entered the room, Jiang Jingchun was already cleaning up in the washroom. The sound of splashing water echoed from inside. She was probably going to lie down soon.

Sure enough, before long, Jiang Jingchun came out. She was dressed in her inner garments, with her outer garment draped over her shoulders.

She came out quickly, only to see Gu Huaisheng already seated on the edge of the bed.

She froze for a moment, but the cold was unbearable. She ignored his presence, rushed to the bed, kicked off her shoes, and slipped under the quilt.

She buried her head under the quilt and pretended not to see him.

But it wasn’t long before Gu Huaisheng pulled the blanket open slightly and exposed her eyes.

Angrily, she asked, “What do you want?”

“I believe you,” he said.

Gu Huaisheng’s seemingly random comment left Jiang Jingchun a little bewildered.

“What?”

He stared into her exposed pair of eyes and repeated, “I believe what you just said.”

After a moment of thought, he added, “You just like listening to opera and wouldn’t do anything else.”

He leaned over her and gazed into her eyes. 

His long fingers rested on the blanket, and suddenly, the pad of one finger brushed lightly against her cheek. The gesture carried a hint of yielding softness. 

When he thought about how she had accused him of being harsh earlier, he softened his voice as he said, “You wouldn’t have anything with him. You just think he’s beautiful, don’t you?”

Jiang Jingchun noticed his change in tone and didn’t argue. She nodded. Her head moved like a chick, making quick pecks as he said, “He really is very pretty. If you saw him, you’d think so too.”

She was even thinking about introducing them.

Gu Huaisheng remarked again, “But I don’t like the scent on him.”

Every time she came back, there was a lingering fragrance from someone else on her, and he found it utterly unpleasant.

“Then, before you return next time, I’ll make sure to cleanse myself properly.”

She wouldn’t let him catch any trace of those scents.

In Jiang Jingchun’s view, this was a compromise on both sides. But in Gu Huaisheng’s eyes, she was determined to see that opera performer no matter what.

Fine…

He switched his approach. He took her hand and looked at the lacquered nails painted on them. “But no matter how beautiful he is, he’s still a man, isn’t he? Being with him—is that right? Having him do all this for you—is that appropriate? What if someone saw you two meeting in private? Would anyone care about how beautiful he looks?

“In the past, you said you only spent time with Song Xuan’an because you were friends. And now, this opera singer—is he just a friend too?”

Where had she found so many ‘friends,’ really?

After a moment of silence, Gu Huaisheng asked her, “Do you… do you enjoy having him serve you?”

Jiang Jingchun froze for a moment when she heard this. His calm tone made it hard for her to get angry, as it made his words not sound like unreasonable badgering.

She had no choice but to seriously consider his words.

Did she truly see that opera performer as a friend? Or did she simply enjoy the way he served her?

Deep down, had she ever really viewed Lou Guan as an equal?

It dawned on her—she was no different from those men who had forced themselves on him in the past. Like them, she was captivated by his looks. She liked how gently he coaxed her, how his face was as beautiful as a woman’s.

But he was a man.

Subconsciously, she had treated him as nothing more than an entertainer for her amusement.

It was only earlier, when he painted her nails, that she realised Lou Guan didn’t like being treated like a woman. Yet, she had still imposed feminine traits onto him.

She had looked at him the same way that she had looked at beautiful dancing girls…

With such thoughts in mind, if she still shamelessly insisted that he was her ‘friend,’ then she was truly despicable.

After sorting through her thoughts, Jiang Jingchun finally said, “I understand now. He’s a man, and I can’t stop treating him as one just because he’s beautiful.

“I’ll see him one more time to tell him in person that I won’t watch his performances anymore. Is that okay?”

She couldn’t simply stop going without saying anything—it would be too heartless. At the very least, she wanted to tell him face-to-face.

She was discussing this with him…

This gave Gu Huaisheng no reason to stay upset.

In the past, she had never cared about his thoughts at all.

Yet, in recent days, she’d been so good and considerate.