My Wife is a Frustrating Genius!!! - Chapter 49

As evening passed, Cheng Yi and Lu Jiahe each took a hawthorn pill before returning to their room to rest.

Early the next morning, just as their group was about to set off, a flurry of people burst through the inn’s main door.

“Miss Cheng.”

Cheng Yi, who had been sitting in the hall with her head lowered while eating, heard someone call her name and looked up toward the source of the voice.

Beside her, Lu Jiahe frowned upon hearing the familiar voice and also turned to look.

“Miss Xue, what are you doing here?” Cheng Yi’s brow twitched involuntarily when she saw that the person entering was Xue Wanning.

Xue Wanning paid no mind to the gazes of those around her and walked directly to the table where Cheng Yi was seated, taking a seat.

“Miss Cheng, I’m heading to the capital too. Didn’t I just tell you a few days ago? Why didn’t you let me know when you set off yesterday?” As she spoke, a pained expression appeared on Xue Wanning’s face.

Cheng Yi couldn’t help but sneak a glance at Lu Jiahe’s expression. Seeing the other’s face darken slightly, she quickly explained, “I’m sorry, Miss Xue. My husband and I are in a hurry to get to the capital to buy a house and prepare for the exams, so we left in a rush.”

Husband? Buying a house?

When these words reached Lu Jiahe’s ears, she was overjoyed. Cheng Yi had never called her “husband’ before!

On the other hand, Xue Wanning was utterly shocked by these words. What husband? What buying a house? The old emperor hadn’t even acknowledged Lu Jiahe’s existence yet, how could she say such things!

Lu Jiahe, munching on a steamed bun, grinned gleefully at Xue Wanning’s flustered expression. Ah, she was in such a good mood now!

“Miss Xue, my wife and I are very close and would like some time alone. If we traveled to the capital with you, I’m afraid you might feel neglected~” With that, Lu Jiahe, for some inexplicable reason, suddenly leaned over and planted a light kiss on Cheng Yi’s cheek.

This unexpected kiss not only infuriated Xue Wanning to the point of nearly breathing fire but also flushed Cheng Yi’s cheeks with embarrassment.

Cheng Yi put down her chopsticks and shot Lu Jiahe a coquettish glare, then raised her arm and lightly pummeled the ‘shameless rogue’ with her delicate fists. “What are you doing? There are so many people here!”

“What’s wrong? Is it a crime to kiss my own wife?” Lu Jiahe felt immensely pleased watching Cheng Yi’s bashful reaction. Gazing at her, she mustered the courage to pull Cheng Yi into her arms.

Guo’er and Lu An, who had been quietly eating nearby, were so startled they didn’t dare make a sound. They never expected their young master, who had been timid for over a decade, to act so boldly. It was truly an eye-opener!

A blazing fury burned in Xue Wanning’s heart. If not for the old emperor’s orders to keep her identity hidden, she would have skinned that scoundrel Lu Jiahe alive right then and there.

Slap!

Overwhelmed by her inner rage, Xue Wanning slammed the dagger she carried onto the table. Though she knew it was inappropriate to act this way in front of her master, Lu Jiahe was simply too insufferable!

“Miss Xue, what is this?” Cheng Yi was clearly startled by Xue Wanning’s action. Seeing the expression on the other’s face, she thought to herself that she should avoid Xue Wanning in the future. Had her affection for her already reached such an extreme?

“I’m sorry, Miss Cheng.”

Xue Wanning, who had been glaring fiercely at Lu Jiahe, immediately switched to a fragile, sorrowful expression upon hearing Cheng Yi’s voice. “I didn’t control my emotions well, I’m sorry,” she said.

“You’ll be setting off soon, right? If you don’t want to share a carriage with me, could I just follow behind you? Consider it fulfilling my last wish.”

Xue Wanning inwardly praised her own acting skills. Once they reached the capital, who would care about Lu Jiahe? She’d have him tied up and beaten to vent her anger, then take her mistress back to the palace.

At this thought, the pent-up frustration in Xue Wanning’s heart completely dissipated. She even cheerfully picked up her tea and took a sip.

Cheng Yi couldn’t bear to refuse the red-eyed Xue Wanning and reluctantly agreed to her request.

Nearby, Lu Jiahe wasn’t the least bit afraid that Xue Wanning would steal Cheng Yi away anymore. Seeing Xue Wanning’s earlier dejected appearance, she knew her wife must have already rejected her.

Not far away, Lu Jiahao, who was eating, watched their every move. He summoned his attendant, whispered a few instructions in his ear, and sent him off to arrange things quickly.

“Second brother, what are you up to now?” Lu Jiazheng, seeing his younger brother’s expression, knew he was plotting no good.

Lu Jiahao snorted disdainfully. “I just want to help that young lady. Don’t tell me you want Cheng Yi to stay in our family forever?”

“This is between the two of them. How can you help?” Lu Jiazheng frowned. Although he used to dislike Cheng Yi and Lu Jiahe, after visiting Shangshan Temple and speaking with the abbot, he had let go of these feelings.

“Enough already! Don’t lecture me with what you’ve learned. Weren’t you like this before? Why are you criticizing me now? Isn’t what I’m doing good for both of us?” Lu Jiahao couldn’t stand his brother’s preaching tone and his face immediately turned cold.

Lu Jiazheng shook his head at him, then regardless of his brother’s reaction, finished his meal and took his wife back to their room to pack.

“Miss Xue.”

Xue Wanning, who had been contemplating life in front of the stables, looked up at the voice. She knew who he was. She had investigated every member of the Lu family thoroughly since the first day she encountered them.

Lu Jiahao’s attendant, seeing her staring at him without response, thought she didn’t recognize him and introduced himself. “This humble one is Lu Er, the second young master’s attendant.”

Xue Wanning gave him a disdainful glance, then turned and grabbed some hay to feed her horse.

Lu Er, feeling awkward at being ignored, spoke again. “Our young master knows you want to separate Miss Cheng from our young master, so he specifically sent me to offer you a suggestion.”

Xue Wanning immediately perked up upon hearing it concerned her mistress. “Oh? What is it? Tell me.” She brushed the grass off her hands and walked over to him.

Seeing her interest, Lu Er relayed his master’s plan.

“Tch.” Xue Wanning took two steps back after listening and scrutinized him. “Tell your young master to remember his place. What kind of rotten idea is this?”

Although she held considerable prejudice against Lu Jiahe being with Cheng Yi, the other party was, after all, chosen by her own princess. It was not the place of such a lowly person to interfere.

Lu Er, provoked by the mockery in Xue Wanning’s words, immediately grew agitated. “Our young master is the future Second Master of the Lu family! He was kind enough to help you and that parentless wild girl, and yet you show such ingratitude!”

Oh ho!

Xue Wanning raised an eyebrow and looked at him. She was already in a foul mood, and now here was a punching bag delivered right to her doorstep.

She lifted her arm and clapped her hands, and immediately, four or five burly men appeared, hoisted Lu Er up, and dragged him to a secluded corner near the stables, where they gave him a ‘lesson in love.’

A procession of four carriages traveled along the bustling road. This was Cheng Yi’s first long journey since transmigrating, and as she lifted the curtain to gaze at the scenery outside, she couldn’t shake off a sense of unreality.

“Young Master, Second Young Master hasn’t called for the carriage to stop even once today. Do you think he’s plotting some mischief to play tricks on you again?” Guo’er, sitting inside the carriage, wore a troubled expression as she poured tea and fetched pastries for her two mistresses, all the while fretting that something might go wrong on the journey.

“It’s fine. We just need to be more cautious. After all these years, I’ve grown used to it.” Lu Jiahe shook her head at Guo’er, thinking to herself that as long as Cheng Yi wasn’t targeted, she could endure anything else.

Cheng Yi, who had been admiring the scenery by the window, turned her head upon hearing their conversation. “What’s going on? What happened?” she asked, her curiosity piqued as she stared at the two of them.

Guo’er knew just how formidable her young mistress was, so she wanted to reveal the truth and have her stand up for her master.

But just as she was about to recount all the past incidents, she caught her young mistress glaring at her with a dark expression.

“It’s nothing. It’s all in the past, so there’s no need to bring it up.” Lu Jiahe turned her head toward Cheng Yi, signaling that everything was fine.

Cheng Yi, who had only been mildly curious before, grew even more intrigued by the hesitant looks exchanged between the mistress and her maid.

“Guo’er, you tell me,” she said, ignoring Lu Jiahe’s words and fixing her probing gaze on Guo’er instead.

Guo’er was stuck.

One was the mistress she had served since childhood. The other was her mistress’s wife, should she speak or not?

Seeing the hesitation on Guo’er’s face, Cheng Yi turned and warned Lu Jiahe with a few sharp words before looking back at Guo’er. “It’s alright, go ahead. With me here, she won’t dare do anything to you.”

Even so, what if the two of them had a falling out later? Wouldn’t her mistress still.

“Don’t you trust her character?” Cheng Yi pressed, noticing Guo’er’s lingering hesitation.

Fine, let it be!

Guo’er glanced at her young mistress, then steeled herself and spilled all the despicable things Lu Jiahao had done in the past. As she reached the most painful parts, she wept bitterly, pouring out all the resentment that had been pent up in her heart for so long.

Lu Jiahe leaned back against the soft cushion, closing her eyes in frustration. She had finally managed to show Cheng Yi her assertive side today, but before half a day had passed, her own secrets were laid bare. How was she supposed to display all those things she had learned from romance novels in front of Cheng Yi now?

In the evening, a large group of people arrived at a small town under the jurisdiction of Bianjing. They found a fairly decent inn, booked several rooms, had a quick meal, and then returned to their rooms to rest.

Late at night, a series of urgent knocks on the door woke Lu Jiahe and Cheng Yi, who had been sound asleep.