My Wife is a Frustrating Genius!!! - Chapter 46

Cheng Yi nibbled her pastry in small bites, and upon hearing Xue Wanning’s words, she looked up and nodded at her.

Xue Wanning, observing Cheng Yi’s relaxed expression, hesitated for a long while before finally asking, “Could it be your happy occasion with Young Master Lu?”

She truly didn’t want to ask this question, afraid of receiving an answer that would make her faint on the spot.

“Yes,” Cheng Yi replied, noticing the hesitation on Xue Wanning’s face and feeling quite curious as to why the other woman was so interested in her relationship with Lu Jiahe.

Boom!

Xue Wanning’s world crumbled! In just one short month, her mistress had actually married an unfavored son of a wealthy family. How could she ever face the Emperor and the Empress, who had raised her with her own hands, again?

“Ah!”

Clutching her chest in agony, Xue Wanning collapsed to the ground with a wail. Why had her mistress lost her memory? Why didn’t she remember her anymore?

Cheng Yi, who had been happily eating her pastry nearby, was so startled that her mouth fell open, and she stared at Xue Wanning in horror.

Something’s wrong, terribly wrong! Could it be that I’ve broken the heart of a young maiden in love? How awful of me!

“Miss Xue, what’s wrong? Get up quickly, the floor is cold.” Cheng Yi set down her pastry, hurried over, and helped Xue Wanning to her feet.

“Ah! It’s all my fault, I shouldn’t have acted like this,” Xue Wanning sobbed bitterly, leaning against her amnesiac mistress.

Lu Jiahe, who had returned home for lunch at noon, had just reached the courtyard gate when she heard heart-wrenching cries from inside. Thinking Cheng Yi might be facing some trouble, she tossed her book bag into Lu An’s arms and rushed into the courtyard.

Expecting to play the hero and rescue the beauty, she was taken aback the moment she stepped inside. It looked suspiciously like she was being cuckolded.

Lu Jiahe stood not far from the pavilion, pursed her lips to steady her emotions, then stepped forward and asked, “What’s going on? Why is Miss Xue crying?”

Hearing the voice, Cheng Yi glanced up briefly before lowering her gaze to the woman clutching her arm and wailing.

Oh no!

Cheng Yi sighed inwardly. She and Lu Jiahe had only been married for just over a month. Would Lu Jiahe misunderstand her because of this?

Cheng Yi pried Xue Wanning’s fingers off her arm one by one, then walked over to Lu Jiahe and whispered, “She found out we got married and was moved to tears, it’s a case of crying from happiness.”

She didn’t want Lu Jiahe to misunderstand her, but she wasn’t entirely sure if Xue Wanning was crying for the reason she suspected.

The rice was already cooked, even if Xue Wanning had ten thousand reasons to be unhappy, it was too late now.

“Young Master Lu, you’re back. I heard you and Miss Cheng are married. Please accept these gifts as my congratulations,” Xue Wanning said, carefully observing Lu Jiahe’s expression, afraid that the other might misinterpret the situation and take it out on her mistress later.

Initially, Lu Jiahe didn’t believe Cheng Yi’s explanation, especially since she had already sensed something off about Xue Wanning during their last encounter in the courtyard.

But with both of them saying the same thing without any prior discussion, Lu Jiahe couldn’t help but wonder if she had indeed misunderstood Cheng Yi.

“Thank you.” She glanced at the items on the stone table, then expressionlessly cupped her hands in gratitude toward Xue Wanning.

“By the way, will you and Miss Cheng be heading to the capital soon? Why not take my carriage when the time comes?”

Xue Wanning felt relieved seeing that Lu Jiahe showed no signs of anger. She still remembered the words exchanged during their last farewell, so she had specially brought back the plainly decorated royal carriage from the capital this time.

Upon hearing this, Lu Jiahe subtly glanced at Cheng Yi. Seeing that she had no intention of responding, she spoke up, “No need. We appreciate your kindness, Miss Xue. My father has already arranged a carriage for us, so we won’t trouble you.”

Lu Jiahe’s tone was cold, and her words carried an underlying message of wanting to send the other party away.

“Don’t be polite, it’s the least I can do.” Loyal to her duty, Xue Wanning naturally understood the implication in Lu Jiahe’s words. She gave the other a slight glance and then silently sat down on the stone stool, determined to ensure her master’s safety.

Cheng Yi sensed the tension in the air and sighed helplessly, rubbing her temples. She then reached out and linked her arm with Lu Jiahe’s, saying, “Why are you back so early today? Are you hungry? I had Guo’er keep lunch warm in the pot.”

As she spoke, she glanced at Guo’er, signaling her to bring the meal from the kitchen.

Lu Jiahe tilted her head and looked down at Cheng Yi’s bright, innocent eyes fixed on her. The irritation she had felt toward Xue Wanning immediately dissipated.

“I was afraid you’d be hungry waiting for me, so I hurried back,” Lu Jiahe said, placing her hand over Cheng Yi’s and guiding her toward the stone stool.

Although they were only a married couple in name, in front of outsiders, they had to maintain the facade, making everyone believe they were no different from an ordinary couple.

Cheng Yi was momentarily stunned by the warmth of Lu Jiahe’s hand. In her eyes, Lu Jiahe was as pure and innocent as a little white rabbit, so why was she now actively asserting her position in front of others?

Xue Wanning bit her lip, her gaze following the two closely.

When she noticed her master’s ears turning red, she was utterly shocked!

How had the princess, who once refused to marry and desired to remain alone, turned into such a love-struck fool?

The situation was growing increasingly bizarre. Watching the two, Xue Wanning unconsciously touched her neck. If her princess did not return to the palace before her pregnancy became noticeable, she feared her head would be separated from her body.

“Would you like to join us, Miss Xue?” Cheng Yi picked up a bowl as if to serve Xue Wanning some rice.

Xue Wanning hastily declined. She dared not share a table with her master, so she stood up to take her leave, leaving the remaining time to the two of them.

Throughout the meal, Lu Jiahe did not initiate a single conversation. Normally, during their daily lunches together, she would share stories from her morning at the academy with Cheng Yi. But today, because of Xue Wanning, she had no mood to discuss such trivial matters.

With years of experience as a “confidante” for her roommates, Cheng Yi naturally sensed that something was off with Lu Jiahe. After the other finished her meal and returned to the academy, Cheng Yi went back to her room to ponder why Lu Jiahe had suddenly become this way.

In the evening, troubled by her thoughts, Lu Jiahe had Lu An return home first to send a message to Cheng Yi, informing her that she would be dining with Jiang Huai and the others that night.

At first, Cheng Yi worried that Lu Jiahe might be feeling upset and intended to join the others for some entertainment, perhaps listening to music. But after hearing from Lu An that they had gone to Yiju for a meal, she finally felt relieved, her inexplicably anxious heart settling down.

Late at night, Lu Jiahe returned home reeking of alcohol. Unable to shake her concern, Cheng Yi rose upon hearing the door open and guided the drunken woman to a chair to sit down.

“Why did you drink so much? Don’t you know alcohol is bad for your health?” Cheng Yi took a damp cloth and wiped the sweat from Lu Jiahe’s face.

“Hic~” Lu Jiahe couldn’t hold back a drunken hiccup. Though she appeared thoroughly intoxicated, her mind remained surprisingly clear.

Seeing that Lu Jiahe hadn’t responded, Cheng Yi patiently sat down beside her. “What’s wrong? Are you upset about what happened at noon today?”

Lu Jiahe remained silent.

Though she said nothing, Cheng Yi could tell from the way Lu Jiahe deliberately avoided her gaze that she had guessed correctly.

“There’s really nothing between me and Miss Xue. When she found out we were married, she collapsed to the ground, and I just helped her up.” Cheng Yi reached out, held Lu Jiahe’s arm, and recounted the events of that afternoon in detail, though she kept her own suspicions to herself.

Oh my god?

Lu Jiahe was inwardly astonished, but her expression betrayed nothing.

When had Cheng Yi ever been this patient or acted so coquettishly toward her? This sudden change was nothing short of overwhelming!

Lu Jiahe was actually frozen stiff by Cheng Yi’s behavior, but in Cheng Yi’s eyes, it seemed like she was angry and didn’t want to talk.

Thinking that Lu Jiahe might be bothered by her interaction with someone else, Cheng Yi mustered her courage, leaned in slightly while holding Lu Jiahe’s arm, and gently kissed her on the cheek.

Thump-thump-thump! Clang-clang-clang!

At that kiss, Lu Jiahe’s heart erupted into a lively symphony of drums and gongs.

“Please don’t be angry, alright? I really didn’t do anything behind your back.” This was Cheng Yi’s first time kissing someone. Though she couldn’t hide her shyness, she forced herself to endure the embarrassment and explain herself to the sulking woman before her.

Lu Jiahe’s mind was already in chaos, unable to process a single word Cheng Yi said.

“I-I’m not angry. I just drank too much and don’t feel well.” That kiss had completely sobered Lu Jiahe up.

Seeing this, Cheng Yi helped Lu Jiahe to her feet and removed her outer robe. “Let’s sleep. Even though you’re off duty tomorrow, if you don’t rest properly after drinking so much, you’ll have a headache.”

“Oh, alright.”

Lu Jiahe raised her arms and let Cheng Yi assist her, then blew out the candle and lay down beside her on the bed.

As Cheng Yi’s steady breathing sounded beside her ear, Lu Jiahe opened her eyes and stared intently at the woman lying next to her.

“Why did she kiss me? Does she really want to give us a try?”

“Her lips are so pretty, they look delicious.”

Originally pondering the reason for the kiss, Lu Jiahe soon found her attention shifting to Cheng Yi’s rosy lips, her thoughts taking a different turn.

Perhaps the wine gave her courage. Lu Jiahe listened carefully to the breathing sounds, then quietly lifted the blanket and propped herself up.

She slowly moved closer to Cheng Yi, stopping only when their lips were just a few centimeters apart.

“You kissed me just now, so it wouldn’t be too much for me to kiss you back, right?”