The Young Marquis Regrets Too Late - Chapter 7

The stage for the performance was set up in the rear garden of the marquis’ residence, next to the water. As their entourage approached, they could faintly hear the soft, melodic singing of the opera performers that brought a lively atmosphere to the place. 

It was still early; they had just come out after finishing their midday meal. A gentle breeze blew past, rippling the water’s surface as sunlight shimmered faintly on the waves.

Madame Gu was already seated there, waiting for them. When she saw them approaching, she rose to greet them.

“Sisters-in-law, you’ve finally arrived.”

She had thought only the Jiang family members were coming, but to her surprise, Gu Huaisheng had come along as well.

Madame Gu was slightly surprised and asked, “Fuyan, why are you here with your aunts?”

Before Gu Huaisheng could explain, Lady Lin eagerly chimed in. She said, “We happened to bump into Fuyan returning from outside, so we came together.”

Madame Gu, who now understood the situation, nodded. She turned to look at her younger son, Gu Huailang, who was playing with a toy nearby, and said, “Xiaolang, come over and greet the guests.”

Madame Gu had two children—Gu Huaisheng, who was 21 years old, and Gu Huailang, who was only six. The two brothers were over a generation apart in age. Recently, Gu Huailang had caught a cold, and for fear of spreading it to the elderly old madame, he hadn’t accompanied them to the Jiang family. Now that he had recovered, he was once again staying by Madame Gu’s side, and it was no longer an issue for him to meet guests.

Gu Huailang, who was too young to understand the opera performance anyway, sat off to the side to fiddle with a burr puzzle.

He looked nothing like Madame Gu nor like his father, Marquis Gu. Strangely, he most resembled his elder brother, who wasn’t particularly close to him. The two of them looked as though they had been carved from the same mould—only that one of them was older and big while the other was younger and tiny.

Hearing Madame Gu’s words, Gu Huailang obediently walked over to the guests. He politely greeted them as ‘Aunties’ and ‘Cousins,’ but when he turned to Gu Huaisheng, he hesitated, as he was clearly unwilling to greet him. Only after Madame Gu shot him a ‘stern’ look did Gu Huailang reluctantly walk over and call him, “Brother.”

Gu Huaisheng glanced at him. He seemed disinterested in talking to Gu Huailang about his reluctance to greet his elder brother and simply responded with a nonchalant ‘hmm’ before turning his gaze away.

Madame Gu motioned for everyone to sit.

Although the two Madame Jiangs were relatives, they were still technically guests. They sat to Madame Gu’s left and right while Jiang Jingchun and Jiang Jingfang sat beside their respective mothers. Gu Huailang sat on a small stool across from Madame Gu.

Madame Gu motioned for everyone to sit.

Since the empty seat next to Jiang Jingfang was closer, Gu Huaisheng moved in that direction. Just as he was about to lift his robe and sit down, though, a voice called out. “Cousin, please sit next to me.”

Her voice carried a hint of urgency, as though she was afraid something precious was about to be taken from her. It was loud enough to drown out the opera singers and clearly reached Gu Huaisheng’s ears.

Everyone turned to look at Jiang Jingchun, who had spoken.

Jiang Jingchun simply couldn’t stand the thought of Gu Huaisheng sitting next to Jiang Jingfang. She had come to the Gu family today specifically to see more of him.

If he sat so far away, how would she look at him properly?

Faced with everyone’s puzzled looks, as well as Gu Huaisheng’s slightly furrowed eyebrows, Jiang Jingchun suddenly realised her behaviour was very odd. Although she had often done such things before, like insisting Gu Huaisheng accompany her, it was no longer appropriate. She wanted to behave more properly in front of him now.

Meanwhile, Lady Lin mocked her inwardly. So much for her act at the front gate earlier. It only took a moment for her true nature to show.

Jiang Jingfang, who was already displeased with Jiang Jingchun’s behaviour, coldly said, “Cousin can sit wherever he likes. Who are you to tell him what to do?”

Jiang Jingchun ignored Jiang Jingfang’s words, which were dripping with sarcasm. She was only afraid that Gu Huaisheng would refuse, so she quickly explained, “I’ve been learning how to prepare tea while staying with Grandmother lately. I heard you’re quite knowledgeable about tea, so I thought of asking you to try the tea I make. I don’t mean anything else…”

Her tone was slightly anxious and hurried, as if she was terrified Gu Huaisheng might misunderstand her.

However, all her thoughts were written clearly across her face. Claiming not to ‘mean anything else’ was an obvious lie.

She was a little liar.

In the end, though, he agreed. There seemed to be a faint curve at the corner of his lips, though it was so subtle it was almost imperceptible. He simply turned to instruct a servant, “Bring a tea set.”

Then, he sat down next to Jiang Jingchun. From start to finish, his pristine, untroubled gaze remained fixed on the opera stage, as though he was wholly absorbed in listening to the performance.

The two sat quite close, with only a small table between them. Jiang Jingchun wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but she seemed to catch a faint scent of bl00d in the air.

She thought that she’d just smelled wrong and paid it no mind. Once the tea set was brought over, she quietly began to prepare the tea.

At first, everyone thought that her earlier words were empty. However, when they saw her expertly grinding the tea leaves, they realised her movements were surprisingly practised. It seemed she had indeed learned a lot while staying with the old madame these past few days.

Jiang Jingchun focused on her task, and from Lady Li’s angle, all she could see was her serious side profile. Lady Li silently and expressionlessly watched her daughter. Her expression didn’t betray her inner thoughts.

Her child seemed to really have grown up.

Perhaps she had grown up a long time ago.

However, this realisation didn’t make Lady Li happy. 

She still preferred Jiang Jingchun as she used to be—a child who knew nothing and simply followed her around everywhere.

As her thoughts drifted far and wide, Madame Gu’s voice came from beside her. She asked, “Sisters-in-law, what do you think of today’s performance?”

Lady Li returned to herself and focused on the opera. After just a moment, she picked up on something unusual and asked, “A-Ruo, where did you find this troupe? They’re quite impressive.”

After all, Lady Li came from an elite family, where extravagant entertainment was common. She naturally had a sharp eye for quality, and she also immediately understood why Madame Gu would ask such a question.

A few years back, most people preferred listening to Kunshan tune, but later, someone exceptional reformed this style by making it more lingering, subtle, and captivating. This modified tune became known as the Shuimo tune. It spread across the land and became widely loved, especially by the nobility.

Madame Gu said, “This troupe was personally trained by Master Wei. I spent a great deal of money bringing them in from Taicang. No other troupe compares to theirs.”

Lady Lin, who had been listening for a while but hadn’t noticed anything out of the ordinary, finally understood after Madame Gu’s explanation.

She gave a dry laugh and echoed, “Madame, you certainly have refined tastes. Even the troupes you listen to are the best.”

The words were meant as a compliment, but when spoken like this, they carried a faint tone of envy.

Sure enough, Madame Gu’s expression turned slightly unpleasant. Lady Li, who was sitting by Madame Gu’s other side, sipped her tea and said coolly, “If everyone were like you, that would be the end for all performers.”

Lady Lin turned pale with anger at these words. She wanted to snap back immediately, but Madame Gu interrupted her first.

Madame Gu calmly said, “In a few days, it will be Mother’s sixtieth birthday. I planned to give this troupe’s performance to Mother as a present. Today, I invited Sisters-in-law to see if they are suitable. If not, I’ll have Fuyan search for a new one. Since you both find them impressive, I’ll send them to the Jiang family residence.”

So that was what this was all about.

No wonder Gu Huaisheng came along today as well. Otherwise, given his personality, he wouldn’t be interested in a performance like this.

Old Madame Jiang’s sixtieth birthday was on the eighteenth of the fourth month.

The age of sixty was a significant milestone and had to be celebrated properly. Lady Li herself had been busy preparing for this celebration recently.

Jiang Jingchun paid little attention to their conversation. She couldn’t even focus on the beautiful Shuimo tune flowing from the stage. Instead, her attention was fixed on the tea in her hands. When she was concentrating, her round eyes seemed to brighten slightly. She seemed as if she were undertaking some monumental task.

She had worked so hard to learn this, so naturally, she wanted to show off in front of her cousin.

Finally, halfway through the performance, Jiang Jingchun pushed the teacup towards him and said, “Cousin, I’m done. Try it.”

Gu Huaisheng heard her voice and shifted his gaze from the stage to the cup in front of him.

He remained silent for a moment, as if lost in thought. For Jiang Jingchun, all sounds around them seemed to fade. The opera’s tune entered her left ear and slipped out the right. She nervously watched Gu Huaisheng.

She saw him gather his sleeve and raise the cup.

His slender, straight fingers looked even more elegant against the teacup, like smooth white jade. Under the flawless skin of his hand, faint blue veins pulsed with a restrained tension.

Jiang Jingchun was about to ask how the tea was, but her gaze caught stark red marks on his sleeve, and her words became stuck in her throat.

There was a very striking red stain on Gu Huaisheng’s sleeve. The spots of bl00d stood out starkly against his clean white clothing. Jiang Jingchun hadn’t noticed it until now, when he raised his hand to drink the tea.

So, that strong smell of bl00d earlier wasn’t her imagination—it really came from him.

Gu Huaisheng noticed her slightly shocked expression but didn’t seem to care.

He calmly set the teacup back down. The tea had a lingering sweetness—her skills had indeed improved.

In the past, the Jiang family had employed other governesses to teach their young misses the proper manners and arts. Tea preparation was one of the essential things in their studies.

However, Jiang Jingchun was around twelve years old at that time, and by then, Lady Li had spoiled her into being restless. She could never sit still in a chair, was always eager to run about, and her studies were a complete mess. The governesses were mindful of Lady Li’s standing, so they didn’t dare discipline her and could only watch her grow up wild.

Once, when the Jiang family daughters were learning tea preparation in the Jiang residence’s rear garden, Jiang Runchu and Gu Huaisheng happened to pass by. Jiang Jingfang dragged them over, insisting they taste the tea prepared by the young misses and judge whose was best.

Jiang Runchu didn’t have anything better to do at that time, so he dragged Gu Huaisheng along and they stayed for a while.

Jiang Rungchu tasted Jiang Jingfang’s tea as well as tea made by his two other cousins, who were his second uncle’s concubine-born daughters, but he refused to try Jiang Jingchun’s.

How could he not know what Jiang Jingchun was like? The tea she prepared might as well have been dishwater. Who would drink that?

Seeing Jiang Runchu adamantly refuse, Jiang Jingchun brought the cup to Gu Huaisheng instead.

She blinked her eyes pitifully and said, “Cousin Gu, Brother won’t drink my tea. Will you?”

Gu Huaisheng could guess why Jiang Runchu refused, but perhaps because she looked so pitiful, he drank the cup of unappealing tea.

He had prepared himself, but clearly not enough…

The tea tasted dry, sharp, and impossible to swallow.

Gu Huaisheng had always been particular about food and drink. The unexpected taste made his eyebrows furrow tightly. Back then, he still carried the brashness of youth and wanted to spit it out, proper conduct be damned.

However, when he saw Jiang Jingchun’s hopeful gaze, he inexplicably swallowed it down.

If not for her sincere expression—her amber eyes glowing in the sunlight—he would have thought she was deliberately teasing him.

After all, mischievous children loved to play tricks like this.

The tea left him unable to eat for the rest of the day. Jiang Runchu laughed at him for three straight days after that.

Jiang Jingchun’s voice pulled him from his memories.

She didn’t ask how the tea tasted. Instead, with a hoarse voice, she asked, “Cousin, why is there bl00d on your sleeve…?”

Gu Huaisheng glanced at his sleeve and saw a few dried spots of bl00d that had turned rusty in colour.

Jiang Jingchun looked uneasy, but he didn’t seem to mind. “I just came from the Censorate’s prison.”

The prison? And with bl00d on him…

“Were you interrogating someone?” 

Jiang Jingchun hadn’t expected that Gu Huaisheng would use torture instruments.

Perhaps it was because his character was so upright and noble that she couldn’t link such things to him.

Gu Huaisheng looked at Jiang Jingchun. His dark eyes carried a faint hint of a smile as he looked at her and said, “Yes. After all, there are always people in the Censorate who refuse to speak the truth. If you don’t use some force, they won’t open their mouths. Just now, I was there for less than the time an incense stick would take to burn, and the man started talking—but I accidentally got some bl00d on me.”

So, the bl00d on him was the prisoner’s bl00d.

This was perhaps the longest he had ever said to her. His tone was calm, as if he was recounting something utterly mundane.

Jiang Jingchun hadn’t expected this. She was momentarily speechless and quietly stared at him. Under the gentle spring light, she could see his long eyelashes.

After a long pause, Jiang Jingchun finally managed to react. She looked at him and asked, “Cousin, are you trying to scare me?”