My Wife is a Frustrating Genius!!! - Chapter 2

Guo’er looked up at her young master with confusion, noticing the pursed lips and narrowed eyes. A clear sign of stubbornness setting in again. Huffing in frustration, she grabbed a handkerchief and stormed out of the carriage to vent her anger at Lu An.

Lu Jiahe secretly turned her head and only let out a long sigh after the carriage curtain fell back into place. She shook her head at the water-stained hem of her robe, now darkened and ruined. Whether it was the muddy footprints earlier or this new mishap, she knew she’d face a scolding from her father and stepmother when she got home. It’d be better to stop by a tailor shop in the city and buy a new robe instead.

With that thought, Lu Jiahe called out to Lu An, who was driving the carriage, “Lu An, head straight to the tailor shop once we enter the city. I need a new robe.”

“Understood, Young Master,” Lu An replied, immediately flicking the reins to urge the horse to go faster.

The carriage jolted and swayed as it sped along the winding path, taking nearly half an hour before finally entering Bianjing City. After the guards at the city gate inspected the carriage, Lu An hurriedly steered toward the tailor shop.

As the carriage rocked to a stop in front of the shop, Lu Jiahe instructed Guo’er from inside, “Go in and buy me a new robe.” Then she settled back to wait.

Guo’er acknowledged the order with a quick reply before hopping down and rushing into the shop with a money pouch in hand.

Lu Jiahe leaned back leisurely, closing her eyes to rest while her fingers drummed rhythmically against her knees.

“Young Master, it’s done.” Guo’er had wasted no time picking out a light blue robe, paid for it, and dashed back out with the garment in her arms.

Hearing this, Lu Jiahe slowly opened her eyes and reached for the robe pushed under the carriage curtain, pulling it into her lap. “Lu An, let’s go home.”

“Yes!”

As the carriage began moving again, Lu Jiahe unfastened her wrinkled, mud-splattered robe and changed into the new one.

As the wealthiest family in Bianjing, the Lu residence naturally occupied the finest location in the city.

The gatekeeper spotted the young master’s carriage from afar and immediately ran inside to announce its arrival.

This time, Lu Jiahe’s return from the academy wasn’t just for exam preparations. The most important reason was the Lu family’s ancestral rites. However, having been neglected and targeted by her father and stepmother since childhood, she held little affection for the Lu household. If not for her grandmother, who had raised and cared for her, she would never have returned to this place where everyone seemed to wish her dead.

“Master, Madam, the young master has returned,” the servant panted as he delivered the news to Lu Zhengliang and Diao Yuqing.

Seated in the main hall chatting with Diao Yuqing, Lu Zhengliang cast a stern glance at the servant and commanded, “Tell him to come straight to the main hall.” He then stood, brushing his sleeves before walking out.

Diao Yuqing exchanged glances with her children before following Lu Zhengliang toward the main hall.

After stepping down from the carriage, Lu Jiahe instructed Lu An to take her luggage to her room and handle a few other matters. Once done, she entered the Lu residence with Guo’er in tow.

Lu Zhengliang sat imposingly in the main hall, his expression darkening at the sight of his disappointing son. In contrast, Diao Yuqing beside him couldn’t hide her smug smile.

“Greetings, Father, Stepmother,” Lu Jiahe said, entering the hall and bowing respectfully with clasped hands.

Already angered by Lu Jiahe’s absence from the ancestral worship ceremony due to his tardiness, Lu Zhengliang’s fury only intensified upon hearing his words. He slammed his hand heavily onto the armrest of his chair.

“How many times must I say it! She is your mother! The lady of the Lu family!” Lu Zhengliang glared at Lu Jiahe with a fierce light in his eyes.

Lu Jiahe remained silent in response, though his brows, hidden behind his hands, subtly furrowed.

Diao Yuqing observed the scene with curiosity, wondering why Lu Jiahe seemed like a different person since returning from the academy. In the past, she had to stoke the flames for quite a while to get Lu Zhengliang to reprimand him. This time, however, before she could even intervene, Lu Jiahe had already provoked his father’s anger.

“Alright, my lord, if Jiahe doesn’t want to, don’t force him,” Diao Yuqing said softly, gently patting Lu Zhengliang’s arm. “Jiahe, today is the day your Lu family pays respects to the ancestors. Why are you back so late?”

At this, Lu Jiahe merely pressed his lips together before straightening up and adopting a composed expression to face Lu Zhengliang. “I encountered some matters on the road,” he replied coldly.

Those few words sent Lu Zhengliang into a rage. In his eyes, nothing was more important than the ancestral rites of the day.

Diao Yuqing, noticing that Lu Jiahe hadn’t even glanced at her, seethed inwardly. Yet, to maintain her image as the virtuous wife in front of Lu Zhengliang, she swallowed her resentment.

“Jiahe, today is not only for honoring our ancestors but also the anniversary of your birth mother’s passing. It’s wrong of you to miss the auspicious hour over trivial matters. Since you’ve just returned, go kneel in the ancestral hall for an hour as punishment,” Diao Yuqing said. She had initially wanted to make him kneel all night but feared Lu Zhengliang might see through her targeting him, so she settled for a shorter punishment.

“And you still haven’t thanked your mother!” Lu Zhengliang gritted his teeth as he glared at Lu Jiahe. He had intended to discipline him with the family rules, but Diao Yuqing had already decreed the punishment.

Lu Jiahe glanced at them both without a word, then strode off toward the ancestral hall with Guo’er in tow.

“Young master, are you really going to kneel in the hall? Shouldn’t we go straight to the old madam instead?” Guo’er trotted anxiously behind him.

“It’s fine. Go back and help Lu An tidy up the courtyard,” Lu Jiahe said, stepping into the ancestral hall and closing the door before Guo’er could react.

Left outside, Guo’er stamped her feet in frustration. She called out a few times, but when no answer came, she hurried off to the old madam’s courtyard.

“Old Ancestor, the young master has been punished with kneeling again!” Guo’er gasped, rushing into the old madam’s room without even knocking.

The old matron nearby eyed Guo’er, who was now kneeling on the floor, thinking that if she weren’t the beloved young master’s maid, she would have had her dragged out and scolded properly.

The old madam, reclining on her daybed, opened her eyes briefly to glance at Guo’er before turning her gaze to the old matron. “Is the soup prepared for Jiahe heated yet?”

The old matron bowed respectfully. “Yes, Old Madam. It’s been kept warm in the pot.”

The old madam nodded. “Good. Let it heat a little longer before serving.” With that, she closed her eyes again, showing no intention of addressing Guo’er further.

Guo’er lowered her head and pouted upon hearing this. Having grown up in the mansion alongside Lu Jiahe since childhood, how could she not understand the meaning behind the old madam’s words? Moreover, the fact that she hadn’t been told to rise clearly indicated that she was no longer to involve herself in this matter.

Meanwhile, Lu Jiahe knelt in the center of the ancestral hall, her gaze fixed intently on the rows of neatly arranged wooden tablets.

She scrutinized the names carved upon them, unable to comprehend why her father had always refused to grant even a small corner here for her mother. After all, her mother had been the first one he had properly married into the Lu family!

Her heart ached with indignation for her mother. Why had she married him? Why had she given birth to her only to pass away so soon, leaving her to endure such heart-wrenching pain?

Though sorrow filled Lu Jiahe’s heart, not a single tear fell from her eyes—they had long since dried up years ago, exhausted by the wounds inflicted by her father.

…

“Guo’er.” The old madam, reclining on the long couch, felt that enough time had passed and called out to the girl still kneeling on the floor.

Guo’er bowed her head in response. “Old Madam.”

“Go and tell Jiahe to come drink the soup.”

“Yes.” Guo’er answered promptly, quickly rising to her feet and rushing out.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

“Young Master, the Old Madam asks you to come drink the soup now!” Guo’er called out while knocking on the door.

Creak!

The ancestral hall door swung open from within, and Lu Jiahe stepped out. As she walked, she couldn’t resist chiding Guo’er, “When will you ever learn to temper your impulsive nature?”

Guo’er pouted, her voice tinged with grievance. “I was only worried about you!”

Lu Jiahe shook her head helplessly and said nothing more.

Since Lu Jiahe had just returned from the academy today and had already gotten into trouble, the old madam didn’t keep her in the room for long. After a few patient admonishments, she dismissed her back to her own courtyard.

Lu Jiahe, Lu An, and Guo’er spent the entire evening tidying up the room. After dinner, Lu Jiahe read in the study until Lu An returned with the yellow paper. She then changed into casual clothes and left the city alone to pay respects to her mother.

Kneeling before the grave, she lit the yellow paper and recounted her experiences studying and traveling over the years, as well as pouring out the bitterness in her heart.

As the curfew hour approached, Lu Jiahe finally stood up, rubbing her numb legs before hurrying back toward the city.

In the pitch-black night, only the full moon and scattered starlight illuminated the traveler’s path home.

The rustling sounds from either side of the mountain road made Lu Jiahe quicken her pace. But before she could take more than a few steps, a white figure tumbled down from a small slope and landed right on top of her.

“Ah!”

It was unclear who had let out the cry, but Lu Jiahe’s face had already turned pale with fright.

Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around the unknown figure. Whether human or ghost to shield it. Before she could react, her head was struck several times by something heavy.

Cheng Yi, who had gone up the mountain late at night to harvest potatoes, hadn’t expected the loose soil beneath her feet to give way, sending her tumbling down. She had braced herself for a fall that would leave her bedridden for months, only to land in a warm, soft embrace instead.

Dazed by the potatoes raining down on her head, Lu Jiahe lay on the ground with the stranger in her arms, taking a long moment to recover. Meanwhile, the “culprit” Cheng Yi was the first to push herself up, intending to check if the person beneath her was injured.

“Are you okay?” Cheng Yi propped herself up on the shoulders of the person beneath her. She brushed aside the strands of hair obscuring her vision and took advantage of the moonlight to clearly see the face of the person below.