Chapter 243: Crazy Man and Crazy Woman 3

Wu Chufeng had just returned when he saw a plainly dressed woman standing at the entrance of the General Mansion, talking to the guards.

As he drew closer, he overheard the woman claiming to be a distant relative of General Wu from his home village. She had even produced a Copper Coin as proof. He couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow, the corners of his mouth curling into a playful smirk.

“Interesting,” Wu Chufeng murmured to himself and walked over.

Seeing Wu Chufeng approach, the guards at the gate quickly saluted. “Young Master.”

Rongrong’s voice echoed in Ji Xiaosong’s mind. ‘Song, this is your mission target, Wu Chufeng.’

‘Mm, he’s not bad-looking. He fits my aesthetic.’

Wu Chufeng waved a hand at the guards, dismissing the formality. His gaze then fell upon Ji Xiaosong, raking over her from head to toe. He smiled and asked, “Miss, did you just say you’re a distant relative of General Wu from his home village?”

Seeing the man’s luxurious clothes and extraordinary bearing, Ji Xiaosong guessed he must be an important figure in the General Mansion. She gave a slight curtsy and said respectfully, “In response to your question, Young Master, my surname is Ji. My grandmother and General Wu’s mother were cousins. My family has suffered a sudden calamity and I had nowhere else to turn, so I came to the Capital City to seek refuge with the General.”

Upon hearing this, a hint of amusement flashed in Wu Chufeng’s eyes, and his tone was teasing. “Oh? So you’re a relative of my father’s from his village. But how come I’ve never heard of my father having any descendants from a cousin?”

Ji Xiaosong’s expression remained unchanged as she replied respectfully, “You may not be aware, Young Master, but when General Wu left home in his youth, he left this Copper Coin with my grandmother. He said that if she ever faced hardship, she could use this to find him. I have come today for that very reason.”

Wu Chufeng took the Copper Coin from the guard and examined it closely. He found that it did indeed have a faint character for “Wu” carved on it.

He chuckled, his tone laced with mockery. “This Copper Coin is interesting, but all of my father’s relatives from his village are pretty much dead. What distant relative could possibly show up with a coin to claim kinship?”

Ji Xiaosong’s heart tightened, but her face remained calm.

She raised her head, looked Wu Chufeng straight in the eye, and said firmly, “If you don’t believe me, Young Master, you can ask General Wu to come out and see for himself. The General can judge for himself whether I am telling the truth.”

Seeing her composed expression, a flash of surprise crossed Wu Chufeng’s eyes.

He had assumed this woman was a fraud trying to swindle them, but he hadn’t expected her to be so calm and collected.

He mulled it over for a moment, then suddenly laughed. “Alright. Since you’re so confident, I’ll take you to see my father. But let me give you a fair warning: if you’re lying, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”

Ji Xiaosong smiled faintly and nodded. “Thank you for your help, Young Master.”

Wu Chufeng waved his hand, gesturing for the guards to stand down, then said to Ji Xiaosong, “Follow me.”

Following behind him, Ji Xiaosong breathed a secret sigh of relief.

She knew she had successfully piqued Wu Chufeng’s interest. As long as she could meet General Wu, things would become much easier.

The two of them walked through the corridors of the General Mansion and arrived in front of a study.

Wu Chufeng pushed the door open, but instead of taking Ji Xiaosong inside to see General Wu, he turned, shut the door, and leaned against it with his arms crossed, a smirk on his face as he looked at her.

“Alright, talk. Who are you really? What’s your purpose for coming to the General Mansion?”

Wu Chufeng’s tone was casual, but his eyes were sharp as a knife, as if they could see right through a person’s heart.

Ji Xiaosong’s heart skipped a beat. She knew Wu Chufeng didn’t believe her story.

She was silent for a moment before raising her head to meet his gaze, her tone calm but tinged with resolve. “Since you don’t believe me, Young Master, there’s no need for me to hide it any longer. It’s true that I’m not a distant relative of General Wu, but I didn’t come to the General Mansion to swindle anyone either.”

Wu Chufeng raised an eyebrow, his tone playful. “Oh? Then what did you come for?”

Ji Xiaosong took a deep breath and said slowly, “I came to the General Mansion for revenge.”

“Revenge?”

A flicker of surprise crossed Wu Chufeng’s eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. “Who are you seeking revenge against?”

“Li Zhixiao. And Xiao Mumu,” Ji Xiaosong’s voice was ice-cold, and a murderous glint flashed in her eyes.

Hearing those two names, Wu Chufeng frowned slightly. “Li Zhixiao? That new scholar? And Xiao Mumu… my father’s maternal granddaughter?”

“Yes. Li Zhixiao was originally the man who married into my family. But now he’s engaged to Xiao Mumu. To cover up his past, he made a move on me—he tried to have me killed.”

After listening to Ji Xiaosong’s story, a playful gleam appeared in Wu Chufeng’s eyes.

The corners of his mouth lifted into a smirk, and his tone was teasing. “Interesting, very interesting. So, Li Zhixiao, the new scholar, has such an unknown past.”

He crossed his arms, leaned against the door, and let his eyes sweep over Ji Xiaosong before suddenly laughing. “You’ve got some nerve. Coming straight to the General Mansion and telling me you want revenge. Aren’t you afraid I’ll hand you over to Li Zhixiao and Xiao Mumu?”

Ji Xiaosong’s expression didn’t change as she replied calmly, “If you were that kind of person, Young Master, I wouldn’t be standing here today.”

Hearing this, Wu Chufeng burst out laughing. “Excellent, excellent! I like your personality.”

He straightened up, clapped his hands, and said in a light tone, “Fine. Since you’re so gutsy, I’ll play along. I’d love to see the looks on Li Zhixiao and Xiao Mumu’s faces when they see you. And I’m even more curious to see how my dear father will handle his own granddaughter.”

A flicker of surprise crossed Ji Xiaosong’s eyes, but she quickly regained her composure. “You’re willing to help me, Young Master?”

Wu Chufeng waved his hand dismissively, his tone laced with amusement. “Help you? No, I just find this whole thing interesting. That hypocrite Li Zhixiao puts on such a righteous act, but behind the scenes, he’s doing this kind of filthy business. I want to see how he’s going to get himself out of this one.”

After speaking, he turned, pushed open the study door, and waved Ji Xiaosong over. “Let’s go. I’ll take you to see Li Zhixiao and Xiao Mumu. But again, fair warning: if you mess this up, don’t expect me to clean up your mess.”

Ji Xiaosong smiled faintly and nodded. “Rest assured, Young Master. I know what I’m doing.”

Wu Chufeng led Ji Xiaosong through the corridors of the General Mansion, heading straight for General Wu’s study.

He raised his hand and knocked, his tone casual. “Father, I’ve brought someone interesting to see you.”

A deep, commanding voice came from within the study. “Enter.”

Wu Chufeng pushed the door open and led Ji Xiaosong inside.

Inside the study, General Wu was sitting behind a large desk, holding a scroll on military strategy.

Of course, he was holding the scroll upside down. A general who had risen from the common rabble, he was actually illiterate. His original name was even Wu Daniu.

He looked up at Ji Xiaosong, his gaze sharp as a knife. “And who might this be?”

Wu Chufeng smiled, a hint of teasing in his voice. “Father, this young lady claims to be a distant relative of yours, and she even brought a Copper Coin as proof. But I think the more interesting thing about her is that she’s here for revenge against Li Zhixiao and Xiao Mumu.”