My Wife is a Frustrating Genius!!! - Chapter 57

“My face!” Xue Wanning looked at the person before her with a horrified and pitiful expression, her raised hand not daring to touch her own face.

Cheng Yi felt somewhat speechless at the other’s reaction. While dried egg whites could be slightly sticky, they were hardly capable of peeling the skin off someone’s face. Moreover, when she had peeled off the mask earlier, she hadn’t felt any resistance at all.

“Does your face hurt?” Cheng Yi crossed her arms and looked seriously at the woman sitting in the reclining chair.

Xue Wanning gingerly touched her cheek with her finger. “Not really painful.”

Cheng Yi raised her right eyebrow and explained, “This mask helps clean impurities from your face. When you peel it off, you’ll only feel a slight tugging sensation on your skin, it won’t actually tear your skin off.”

“T-that’s good then.” After all, Xue Wanning was a woman who cared about her appearance, and she feared that her mistress’s haphazardly concocted mask might ruin her looks.

“Mm.” Cheng Yi looked at the other’s face, now stained black by the ink, cleared her throat, and said, “This mask is quite effective, but your face might appear a bit dark right after using it. Wash it thoroughly several times when you get home, and the color will fade in a day or two.”

Xue Wanning didn’t doubt her mistress’s words at all. She nodded, then glanced at the setting sun.

Eager to return home and send a shadow guard to spy on them, she bid farewell to the group after listening to her princess’s instructions.

The four of them saw Xue Wanning to the courtyard gate with concern, watching as passersby cast puzzled and alarmed glances her way, worried she might grow suspicious.

Fortunately, Cheng Yi had already warned Xue Wanning that her face would appear dark, so the latter didn’t react much to the strange looks from others.

After seeing Xue Wanning off into the distance, Cheng Yi lost interest in continuing to fill the secret passage and arranged for everyone to rest early, planning to resume the work the next day.

Meanwhile, back at the princess’s residence, Xue Wanning entered her room under the fearful gazes of the servants along the way.

“Has Aunt Xue been poisoned? Why is her face so dark?”

“I don’t know. Should we call for an imperial physician? The princess has been away from home for so long, we can’t let anything happen to Aunt Xue too.”

The two maids serving in Xue Wanning’s courtyard exchanged glances, then linked arms and headed off to summon the imperial physician who was on good terms with the princess’s residence.

Upon returning to her room, Xue Wanning immediately sent for the shadow guard who was hiding his identity as a chef in a city tavern. After giving him a few instructions, she dispatched him to spy on the Lu residence.

She had placed quite a few shadow guards around her mistress, and later, many of the old emperor’s personal guards had also been assigned to Cheng Yi. However, Xue Wanning thought that given her mistress’s intelligence, sending those rigid-minded shadow guards would surely arouse suspicion. It would be better to send someone who could cook, even if discovered, he could stick around them and gather information more easily in the future.

A few days later, Lu Jiahe and Lu An returned from the academy carrying a large stack of books.

Cheng Yi, who was salting meat in the courtyard, quickly stepped forward to take a look at the books held in the other’s arms. “Why have you brought all the books back? Were you expelled from the academy?” She stared at Lu Jiahe in horror, afraid of hearing the answer she dreaded.

“Huh?” Lu Jiahe handed the books in his arms to Guo’er, then looked at his wife in confusion. “No, why would you think I was expelled?”

Hearing this, Cheng Yi grew anxious. “If you weren’t expelled, why did you bring these books back? Will the academy no longer be teaching these subjects?”

“The exams are coming up soon, so starting tomorrow, I don’t need to go to the academy anymore.” Lu Jiahe thought for a moment and realized he had forgotten to tell her. “I’ve been too busy filling in the holes these past few days. I forgot to mention it to you.”

Cheng Yi rolled her eyes at him in annoyance and said with disdain, “You scared me to death! I thought you’d been expelled. If that were the case, how could I ever face the old lady?”

Lu Jiahe narrowed his eyes, stepped forward, and enveloped her in a bear hug. “No, I promised you I’d study hard.”

Cheng Yi leaned into his embrace, pretending to struggle and push him away. “What are you doing? They’re still here.”

Her face flushed with embarrassment as she shot Lu Jiahe a glare. Guo’er and Lu An would be coming out of the study soon, and if they saw this, she would lose all dignity.

“Don’t worry, what’s there to be afraid of? You’re my wife, their young mistress. Do you think they’d dare gossip about us in front of outsiders?” Lu Jiahe tightened his arms around her, occasionally brushing his lips lightly against her cheek.

From the rooftop, a hidden guard secretly watching the scene struggled to suppress the urge to grab his three-meter-long sword and cut down the man disrespecting his princess. Instead, he took out paper and a brush, recording the incident in his notebook, vowing to report it to the old emperor later to restore his master’s honor.

Meanwhile, the two hiding in the study, peeking through the door crack at the scene in the courtyard, were unsure whether they should go out and interrupt their masters’ sweet moment.

“What should we do? Should we go out?” Lu An stood beside Guo’er, seemingly hoping she would provide an answer.

Guo’er smoothed her hair, equally frustrated about how to exit without making the situation awkward.

She glanced at the teapot nearby, then stepped forward and picked up the expensive glass teapot Cheng Yi had bought, intending to smash it on the ground to catch the attention of the couple in the courtyard.

Seeing this, Lu An hurriedly snatched the teapot from her and stopped her. “This is expensive! If you want to break something, break that cup instead.” With that, he pointed at the white teacup on the table while clutching the teapot.

Seeing no other way, since they couldn’t stay trapped in the study forever, Guo’er picked up the teacup, stomped her foot, steeled her heart, and with a “crash,” smashed the cup on the ground.

Hearing the noise, the affectionate couple outside turned to look toward the study. Seizing the moment, Lu An opened the door, walked out, grabbed a broom, and went back inside.

“Let me handle it, I’ll sweep it up.” Guo’er calmly took the broom from Lu An’s hands, showing no sign that she was the one who had broken the cup.

Cheng Yi and Lu Jiahe hurried over to check on them.

“Are you okay? Did you hurt your hands?” Lu Jiahe entered the room, frowning as he looked at the two.

“No, no, Young Master and Young Mistress need not worry.” After sweeping up the broken teacup fragments from the floor, Guo’er quickly took them away to discard.

Left alone in the room, Lu An stood with his hands tightly clasped behind his back, thinking to himself how disloyal Guo’er was to abandon him there by himself.

“Are you sure you’re not hurt? If you are, go tend to it right away.”

“No, no, Young Mistress, please rest assured, I’m really fine.”

Hearing this, Cheng Yi glanced at Lu An and nodded. “That’s good then. If you’re done moving the books, come help in the courtyard. We’ll have a barbecue together tonight.”

At the thought of enjoying his Young Mistress’s grilled meat again that evening, Lu An immediately smiled and nodded.

The group worked busily for half an hour, after which Lu Jiahe and Lu An set up a charcoal fire on the stone table. Cheng Yi then placed the skewered meat on the custom-made grill to roast.

Under the heat of the charcoal, the aroma of the meat instantly filled the entire courtyard. The cook hiding on the roof, who had never smelled such a delicious scent before, couldn’t help but lift his head and lean out to see what the group was doing.

“Hey! Hey, hey, hey!”

Everyone eating in the pavilion froze when they heard someone fall from the eaves.

Who is this? How did they end up in our courtyard?

Lu Jiahe, chewing on a skewer, stared at the man on the ground.

Oh my god! Could this be an assassin sent by the family that dug the secret tunnel to kill them?

Guo’er, terrified, immediately grabbed her young master’s arm, thinking that if the man got up, she would pull her young master away and flee at once.

“Let’s go take a look.” Calming down, Cheng Yi set aside what she was holding and led Lu An over to the man.

The hidden guard lay on the ground, sobbing softly while clutching his body. Only when he noticed two pairs of shoes in front of him did he stop, grit his teeth against the pain, and kneel before his princess.

Why does everyone keep kneeling to me!

Cheng Yi took a step to the side, but to her surprise, the kneeling man shifted his knees and turned in her direction.

She tried moving in several different directions, but each time, the man lowered his head and followed her by shifting his knees. Finally, with no other choice, Cheng Yi gave in.

“Who are you? Why are you here?” Cheng Yi frowned, eyeing him warily.

The hidden guard had prepared his story long before coming to the Lu residence to spy, so when Cheng Yi questioned his identity, he showed no sign of panic.

“I’m a cook from the tavern in the west of the city, named Li Damao. I was just passing by your gate when I smelled the incredible aroma from your courtyard. I couldn’t resist climbing the wall to see what delicacy you were preparing. I wanted to steal a few tricks.”

Despite his explanation, Cheng Yi remained suspicious. “What a coincidence?” She didn’t believe a word he said. After all, she had already discovered a secret tunnel in her own home. What if this man was sent to spy on her?

While Cheng Yi and Lu An were interrogating Li Damao, Lu Jiahe’s sharp eyes caught sight of a notebook that had fallen beside the man.

“What’s this?” Lu Jiahe stepped forward, picked up the notebook from the ground, and flipped through it.

Li Damao’s heart sank at the sight, and he immediately tried to get up and snatch the notebook back.

Seeing someone attempt to harm his young master, Lu An leaped into action, tackling Li Damao to the ground.

Even though Li Damao was highly skilled in martial arts, with his amnesiac princess present, he had no choice but to pretend he knew nothing and struggle helplessly on the ground.

“Young master! You mustn’t read it! If you read it, I won’t be able to go on living!” Li Damao clung desperately to Lu Jiahe’s ankles, pleading with bitter anguish.

His heart ached! As a hidden guard, when had he ever suffered such humiliation? And all of it was for the sake of his master!

Lu Jiahe frowned as he scanned the contents of the notebook. “The two of them clung together in a sickeningly sweet embrace, that young master always taking advantage of my master. Look at his face, lecherous as a ‘debauched scoundrel’—my master’s purity!”