Seeing this scene, Ji Yunshu was not surprised. Ji Lingzhi’s hands had been injured by the shards, so she would certainly go complain!

And Ji Yuanzhi, who always sided with her, would naturally vent his anger on her behalf.

It was just heartbreaking to see all the flowers and plants in the courtyard like this.

Ji Yunshu walked over calmly, narrowing her eyes, her expression blank.

Luan’er knelt on the ground, her face covered in tears. Seeing her mistress return, she cried even more sadly, sobbing out: “Miss!”

Ji Yunshu walked to her side and helped her up from the ground, saying as she did so: “Who told you to kneel at the drop of a hat? How spineless.”

Luan’er hiccupped with sobs, frantically wiping her tears with her sleeve.

Wasn’t she just heartbroken over these flowers and plants!

Ji Yuanzhi stood with his hands behind his back, chest puffed out, arrogantly looking down his nose at Ji Yunshu. Seeing her dressed in men’s clothing and only returning to the residence when the sky had already darkened, he felt uncomfortable from the bottom of his heart.

He snorted!

He shouted at the servants: “Hurry up and smash everything! Don’t leave a single thing—smash it all!”

The servants, having received their orders, wielded their clubs even more vigorously. The entire courtyard sounded like firecrackers going off with all the crashing and banging.

Sure enough—a small incident every three days, a major one every month!

As punctual as a menstrual cycle.

Ji Yunshu lowered her eyes, looking at Ji Yuanzhi, and simply said: “Go ahead and smash them. Smash them all. If you don’t feel satisfied, there are more things in the room. Why not bring them out and smash those too?”

“You dare talk back?” Ji Yuanzhi’s arrogance was rampant!

“Third Brother, don’t you like smashing things? Since that’s the case, wouldn’t it be even better to smash everything in the room as well?”

“You think I don’t dare?” Ji Yuanzhi thrust his chest forward, very angry. “You pushed Lingzhi down and caused injuries to both her hands. Not to mention smashing the things in your courtyard—even burning down this entire courtyard wouldn’t be excessive. You bastard child simply aren’t worthy of being part of the Ji family.”

Bastard child!

Another “bastard child”!

Ji Yunshu’s expressionless face suddenly became somewhat fierce. Her gaze was like scalding black oil splashing onto Ji Yuanzhi’s arrogant, domineering eyes.

With a shiver, Ji Yuanzhi actually felt his legs go weak, his expression wavering slightly.

Ji Yunshu took a step closer to him. Those cool, ice-thin lips parted: “All these years, I haven’t stepped foot through the Ji family’s main gate, I haven’t claimed to be a member of the Ji family, and I haven’t used a single tael of the Ji family’s silver. Today, you keep calling me ‘bastard child’ with every breath. I, Ji Yunshu, owe you nothing, have done nothing to provoke you, and my mother doesn’t owe the Ji family even half a measure. What right do you have to insult me time and again?”

“You…”

Ji Yuanzhi raised his hand, spreading his five fingers, about to strike down with his palm.

“Go ahead and hit me if you dare!”

Accompanying this was Ji Yunshu’s utterly fearless voice. She even raised her face high, and in those coldly clear watery eyes, it was as if sharp icicles had been driven in!

“You should know that the knife in my hands cuts into dead people’s bodies. If you leave a scar on my face today, I wouldn’t mind letting you experience that same sensation!”

“Uh!”

Ji Yuanzhi was a brutish man by nature, extremely despicable, who had done all manner of vicious things. Yet at this very moment, when facing Ji Yunshu’s gaze, he actually trembled slightly.

The hand raised above his head froze in mid-air, never falling upon Ji Yunshu’s face.

This was also the first time he had seen such a fierce side of Ji Yunshu.

Fierce? She was more than just fierce!

If this slap truly came down, today she would dissect his corpse and examine whether the heart beneath his skin was red or black!

“Third Miss, the Old Madam and the Master want you to go to the front hall.”

At just the right moment, a voice came from outside the courtyard.

A maid ran in. She first glanced at the scene in the courtyard with a gasp, then said to Ji Yunshu: “Third Miss, hurry and go. The Old Madam and the Master are both waiting.”

Ji Yuanzhi felt somewhat embarrassed. Finally finding a way out, he lowered his cowardly hand and didn’t forget to spit on the ground.

“I’ve taught you enough of a lesson on behalf of Lingzhi. As for Father’s side, just wait to be disciplined.”

With a wave of his hand, he left with those sweating servants…

Throughout the entire courtyard, broken ceramic pots and soil mixed with the dirty water from melted snow—truly a complete mess, chaotic and unbearable.

In short, everything that could be smashed was smashed, everything that could be ruined was ruined.

Even the small sandalwood tree she had raised for several years had been uprooted and now lay in the center of the courtyard, its branches broken and leaves defeated!

Ji Yunshu quietly looked at the scene before her, her brow emotionless. Her hands clutching the book tightened, her fingertips gradually turning white with the pressure.

Luan’er at her side was still crying softly. She rubbed her eyes and stepped forward.

“Miss, it’s all this servant’s fault. I should have guarded the courtyard and not let the Third Young Master in. If you must blame someone, blame this servant.”

“This has nothing to do with you!”

The little maid who had come to deliver the message, fearing delay, stepped forward: “Third Miss, you should hurry to the front hall.”

She nodded faintly and stuffed “The Capital Case” in her hands into Luan’er’s hands. “Put it in the room.”

“Yes.” A tearful response.

After the book was put away, Ji Yunshu was too lazy to change into women’s clothing. Not letting Luan’er follow, she went to the front hall alone.

Sure enough, in the great hall, Old Madam Ji and Ji Shuhan were both present. Ji Lingzhi’s small body was curled up in Old Madam Ji’s embrace, her head drawn in, her eyes full of tears. Those hands injured by the ceramic shards were already wrapped in bandages and suspended in front of her chest.

And beside them was Ji Muqing with an expression of watching a good show, as well as Ji Wanxin with a worried look on her face.

If it weren’t for the fact that her eldest and second brothers were both serving duties in the capital, and Ji Yuanzhi had already finished his disciplinary actions and left satisfied, the entire Ji family should have been gathered here now!

Seeing Ji Yunshu dressed in men’s clothing, Old Madam Ji raised those wrinkled eyelids, her eyes blazing with fury.

Ji Shuhan was even more angry, his chest heaving up and down, air rushing from his nostrils. He clenched his fist and slammed it forcefully on the table beside him.

The teacups trembled with a clanging sound!

“Today, how exactly did you push Lingzhi?” Ji Shuhan questioned.

Push? Where did that come from!

Clearly she had fallen when her lunge missed—what did that have to do with her?

Ji Yunshu suddenly shot Ji Lingzhi a cold glance. At such a young age, not only had she learned to complain, but she also enjoyed exaggerating and spreading discord!

Under Ji Yunshu’s gaze, Ji Lingzhi pursed her lips and nuzzled into Old Madam Ji’s embrace.

“Grandmother, look at Third Sister.”

The villain complains first!

Old Madam Ji glared at Ji Yunshu and moved her lips: “What, are you still unconvinced? Lingzhi is only eight years old, yet you’re vicious enough to want her life. You’re exactly like your dead mother—both vicious to the core!”

She said nothing!

A thousand words of explanation would probably be futile anyway.

What everyone saw was Ji Lingzhi’s bloody hands!