The daily life of a space tycoon raising children, doting on his husband, and farming.

Chapter 158 A Little Joke

The carriage sped into the city, circling several times in the western district before stopping in front of a small courtyard with black tiles and white walls.

A person wearing a black cap was carried down and pushed into the wheelchair. Not long after, a small blue sedan chair carried by two people was carried out from the back door, passed through the bustling market, and entered the Lu residence through the west gate.

The sedan curtain was lifted, revealing a scholarly-looking face with a resemblance to Lu Chengjing in his features.

Compared to Lu Chengjing's aloofness, this person has a gentle temperament and naturally upturned lips, which seem to carry a hint of a smile even when he is not smiling, making him look friendly and approachable.

But in Shang Wan's eyes, all that friendliness and approachability was nothing but hypocrisy and a blatant attempt to get a beating.

This person was none other than Lu Chengyuan, whom Shang Wan wanted to depose but could not do so for the time being.

The servant had already prepared a wheelchair and pushed Lu Chengyuan to the study in the front courtyard. After greeting Master Lu, they went to the main courtyard to pay their respects to Madam Lu before returning to Lu Chengyuan's own courtyard.

Shang Wan had been secretly following him, and seeing that Lu Chengyuan always had a smiling face, she cursed him in her heart again for being hypocritical and pretentious.

Lu Chengyuan's courtyard is the best and largest courtyard in the entire Lu family mansion, apart from the main courtyard. It is filled with flowers and trees, which are well cared for, and you can smell the fragrance of flowers as soon as you enter the courtyard.

Upon receiving the news, Li waited at the courtyard gate early, smiling as she took over the task of pushing the wheelchair, and pushed Lu Chengyuan toward the bedroom.

Lu Chengyuan asked, "Is your luggage all packed?"

Li's smile froze for a moment, but returned when Lu Chengyuan turned to look at her.

"Everything is taken care of. Clothes and other items for all four seasons, especially your books and manuscripts, are all in a separate box."

Lu Chengyuan raised his hand and placed it on the back of her fair hand that was pushing the wheelchair, and sighed softly, "Are you blaming me for not taking you with me?"

The forced smile on Li's face faded, and she did not reply.

"You are coming to the capital to study. If you bring your family with you, you will have to stay at your uncle's house, which will be inconvenient and may cause you and your child to suffer."

Li said, "I am not afraid of being wronged."

Lu Chengyuan gripped her hand a little tighter, his voice gentle, "It's only for a year. I will come back to participate in the autumn imperial examination after a year. If I am lucky enough to pass, I will bring you and the child to the capital. Our family will never be separated again."

Hearing him say that, Li couldn't help but choke up, her eyes welling up with tears.

“I can let it go, but the children have never been separated from you for so long. Just now, Yunyao threw herself into my arms and cried, saying that she didn’t want her father to leave.”

Lu Yunyao is their youngest daughter, only five years old this year, at the age where she is clingy and loves to make a fuss.

Thinking of his youngest daughter's adorable face, Lu Chengyuan's expression softened slightly. "I'll go check on the two children in a bit."

"Talk to them nicely, don't let them come after you leave." Li gently wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, and forced a joke, "When the time comes, your daughter will cry here every day, let's see if you feel sorry for her."

The youngest daughter is indeed a crybaby. Lu Chengyuan sighed, "Don't spoil her too much. Mother likes Yunyao, so let Yunyao go to Mother's side more often and talk to her."

Li was not very happy, but she agreed verbally, saying, "I'll take care of everything at home, so don't worry about it."

Lu Chengyuan chuckled and said, "With such a virtuous wife, what more could a husband ask for?"

Li blushed, gently punched his shoulder, and pushed him to continue walking towards the bedroom.

Lu Chengyuan changed into some casual clothes and wheeled himself to the study. Steward Liu was already waiting there. Upon seeing Lu Chengyuan enter in his wheelchair, he immediately bowed and greeted him, "Young Master."

Lu Chengyuan nodded. "Sit down and let's talk. Has the matter been investigated thoroughly?"

Manager Liu dared not sit down completely, so he only touched the edge of the stool with his buttocks.

Facing this kind and gentle young master, he spoke respectfully, even with a hint of barely perceptible fear.

"Reporting to Young Master, we have investigated and confirmed that the seal on the contract is indeed yours, with only a small missing piece of the pattern in the corner. According to the owner of the carriage and horse shop, the contract should have been signed by the Third Young Master—uh, Lu Chengjing."

Upon hearing this name, a striking face suddenly appeared before Lu Chengyuan.

His expression was always cold and aloof, as if nothing could attract his attention, a stark contrast to his well-behaved and adorable childhood self.

His fingers slowly traced the edge of the armrest for a moment, his voice like a sigh, "After all, you have the blood of the Lu family flowing through your veins. In the future, you should still address me as before."

Steward Liu quickly agreed, then cautiously asked, "Why does the Third Young Master have your personal seal?"

"He likes to carve things, but those were just little toys he made for fun, meant to play a harmless little joke on his older brother. It's alright, he won't use them again."

Lu Chengyuan didn't take the matter to heart, speaking as usual and behaving like a good older brother who tolerates his younger brother.

Manager Liu sighed inwardly, lamenting that the Third Young Master was unaware of his good fortune. The Third Young Master had done such a thing, yet only the Eldest Young Master still indulged him, while he never gave the Eldest Young Master a kind look, acting like a heartless, cold-blooded monster.

A moment of silence followed in the study.

A maid brought in tea. Lu Chengyuan picked up the teacup, lowered his head to smell the aroma of the tea but did not drink it. The rising steam blurred his gentle features.

The water clock in the room made a steady dripping sound, amplifying even the smallest noise in the quiet study.

Manager Liu felt inexplicably nervous, and cold sweat gradually seeped from his slightly hunched back. Just as he was about to say something, he suddenly heard Lu Chengyuan ask, "How is Third Brother doing?"

His tone was as gentle as ever.

Manager Liu swallowed hard, recalling Lu Chengjing's appearance that day as he replied, "The Third Young Master was in a wheelchair, and he looked to be in good health. He was still as thin as before, and his clothes were all old."

As he spoke, Steward Liu couldn't help but add his own opinion, "That wicked servant is unruly. The Third Young Master hasn't even given a word, yet she's already yelling at me to fight. She has no sense of hierarchy and no manners. She must have done a lot of things to bully her master."

His long eyelashes cast a faint shadow under his eyes. Lu Chengyuan held the tea lid and scraped it along the edge of the teacup, making a slight scraping sound.

The voice wasn't pleasant, and Manager Liu's voice immediately weakened as he finished speaking, glancing cautiously at Lu Chengyuan's expression.

Lu Chengyuan didn't look at him, but stared at the tea and asked, "Is Third Brother's injury any better?"

How did Steward Liu know?

He said carefully, "The Third Young Master is still in a wheelchair, so his leg injury must not have fully healed. The injury on his hand is covered by his sleeve, so it can't be seen."

"How is your wife?" Lu Chengyuan stopped fiddling with his teacup, placed it on the desk, and looked up at Steward Liu.

Steward Liu felt a chill run down his spine. "The Third Young Mistress has changed quite a bit. When that wicked servant was beating me, the Third Young Mistress was cheering from the sidelines. She was never like this before. She's completely changed since she left the manor."

"People always change when they move to a different place," Lu Chengyuan murmured, then asked, "I heard that my third sister-in-law suddenly learned martial arts?"