Chapter 246: Psycho Couple 6

Ji Xiaosong didn’t care whether Wu Daniu was genuinely repentant or just putting on a show for her.

As a First-Grade General, his behavior today—regardless of the motive—made Ji Xiaosong see him in a slightly better light.

Her body’s previous owner might not have understood, but Ji Xiaosong saw it all perfectly clearly.

‘That Xiao Mumu is just a pawn. All the schemes are most likely Li Zhixiao’s doing.’

This time, Li Zhixiao was sentenced to forty military strikes. As a frail scholar, he’d be lucky to survive. If he was unlucky, he’d be beaten to a pulp.

Just as Li Zhixiao’s continuous screams from the beating faded and he was about to pass out, Xiao Mumu suddenly broke free from the guards holding her and rushed into the courtyard.

She threw herself over Li Zhixiao, shielding him desperately. Her voice was hysterical. “Stop! You can’t hit him anymore! He’s not going to make it!”

The guards stopped, military canes in hand, and looked to Wu Daniu for instructions.

Wu Daniu’s brow furrowed, his tone laced with anger. “Mumu, get out of the way! This is a military order, not a child’s game!”

Xiao Mumu lifted her head, her eyes filled with tears, her voice resolute. “Grandfather, you can’t do this to Zhixiao! He’s at his limit! If you keep hitting him, he’ll die!”

Wu Daniu looked at her coldly, his tone authoritative. “Mumu, get out of the way! Li Zhixiao committed a crime and must accept his punishment!”

Xiao Mumu bit her lip, a crazed look flashing in her eyes.

She shot to her feet, her voice sharp. “Grandfather, if you hit him again, I’ll die right here! I’m carrying Zhixiao’s child. If you make my child fatherless, I’ll make sure your great-grandchild is motherless too!”

Hearing this, Wu Daniu’s expression changed instantly. He stared at Xiao Mumu, his voice filled with disbelief. “What did you say? You… you’re pregnant with Li Zhixiao’s child?”

Xiao Mumu nodded, her voice choked with sobs. “Yes, Grandfather. I’m carrying Zhixiao’s child. If you keep hitting him and he dies, I won’t live either!”

Wu Daniu was silent for a moment, a complicated look in his eyes.

He turned to look at Li Zhixiao and saw that he was on his last breath, his back a bloody mess. He clearly couldn’t take any more.

Wu Daniu let out a long sigh, his voice tinged with exhaustion. “Fine, fine. Mumu, you… you’ve thoroughly disappointed me.”

He waved his hand, signaling the guards. “Alright, that’s enough for now.”

The guards immediately lowered their military canes and stepped aside.

Li Zhixiao lay limp on the bench, his breathing faint, on the verge of passing out.

Seeing this, Xiao Mumu quickly threw herself beside Li Zhixiao, her voice breaking into a sob. “Zhixiao, how are you? Don’t scare me!”

Li Zhixiao forced his eyes open, his voice weak. “Mumu… I… I’m fine…”

With tears streaming down her face, Xiao Mumu turned to Wu Daniu, her voice pleading. “Grandfather, please spare Zhixiao! He’s been punished enough, you can’t hit him anymore!”

Wu Daniu stared at her coldly, his tone stern. “Mumu, you disappoint me so much. You run amok, relying on my power, and now you dare use such tactics to threaten me? Do you even have any respect for me as your grandfather?”

Xiao Mumu bit her lip and said in a low voice, “Grandfather, I know I was wrong. Please spare Zhixiao. I’ll never dare to do it again!”

Wu Daniu was silent for a moment, his gaze shifting between Xiao Mumu and Li Zhixiao before finally landing on Ji Xiaosong.

He took a deep breath, his tone weary and helpless. “Miss Ji, today’s events are a private matter of my General Mansion, yet you’ve been dragged into it. Although Li Zhixiao has been punished, he has not yet completed the forty military strikes. Now that Mumu is using her unborn child as leverage, as her grandfather, I find it difficult to make a decision. This matter started because of you, so why don’t you decide whether to continue Li Zhixiao’s punishment?”

Hearing this, Ji Xiaosong was slightly taken aback before she sneered inwardly.

‘Wu Daniu is playing a clever hand here.’

‘He doesn’t want to seem too heartless in front of Xiao Mumu, nor does he want me to think he’s favoring Li Zhixiao, so he’s just tossed the problem to me. If I insist on continuing the punishment, Xiao Mumu will hate me to the bone. If I choose to let Li Zhixiao go, Wu Daniu can go with the flow and protect his granddaughter.’

However, Ji Xiaosong had already seen through it all.

Besides, she had no intention of finishing Li Zhixiao off in one go anyway.

She wanted to watch as he slowly lost everything.

She gave a faint smile, her voice calm but with a hint of coldness. “General, although Li Zhixiao has been punished, he has not yet completed the forty military strikes. However, since Miss Xiao is pregnant, I have no wish to see an unborn child lose its father. Let’s let the matter end here for today.”

Wu Daniu’s eyes flashed with surprise when he heard this.

He had expected Ji Xiaosong to insist on continuing the punishment and was surprised by her magnanimity.

He nodded, a note of approval in his voice. “Miss Ji is truly magnanimous. I am impressed.”

When Xiao Mumu heard Ji Xiaosong’s words, a flash of resentment crossed her eyes.

But to prevent Li Zhixiao from being beaten again, she had no choice but to bite her lip and say in a low voice, “Thank you for your generosity, Miss Ji.”

Her tone, however, held not a trace of gratitude, but rather a sense of indignation and hatred.

In her eyes, Ji Xiaosong was just a lowly country girl who had no right to decide Li Zhixiao’s fate.

She sneered inwardly, thinking Ji Xiaosong’s “generosity” was just a meaningless act.

Ji Xiaosong smiled faintly, her voice calm. “Miss Xiao, there’s no need to thank me. I simply don’t wish for an innocent child to suffer the pain of losing a father. However, the punishment Li Zhixiao received today can be considered the price he’s paid for his past actions. I hope he can turn over a new leaf and treat you and the child well in the future.”

Hearing this, Xiao Mumu grew even more indignant.

She looked up, a venomous glint in her eyes, her tone sharp and sarcastic. “Miss Ji, that’s easy for you to say. Zhixiao has already been punished so severely, and you’re still here, hypocritically talking about ‘turning over a new leaf’?”

When Wu Daniu heard Xiao Mumu’s words, his face darkened instantly, his voice filled with anger. “Mumu, shut your mouth! Miss Ji was generous enough not to argue with you, yet you don’t know what’s good for you!”

Xiao Mumu bit her lip, a stubborn look in her eyes. “Grandfather, I know I was wrong. But I won’t accept this! She’s just a country girl, she’s not worthy! I bet she was holding some past favor over Zhixiao’s head!”

Hearing this, Wu Daniu’s expression grew even uglier. He slammed his hand on the table, his voice trembling with rage. “Mumu, shut up! Miss Ji’s willingness to let Li Zhixiao go today was already a huge show of respect to you! If you dare to spout any more nonsense, I will not let you off lightly!”