A life of two souls traveling through time

"Bring me a bamboo ruler!"

Jiang Siyao, who originally thought that everything would be fine after leaving the government office, never expected that she would still have to be punished for Li Yunye as soon as she returned to the Li Mansion.

"Master..." Mrs. Li was about to plead for her son when Li Xingyuan interrupted her harshly:

"Because of his willfulness, the reputation of Jiangnan's famous Li family is almost ruined. If you still want to protect him, you are not worthy of being a mother, let alone the mistress of the Li family!"

At this point, Mrs. Li felt that she was in the wrong and was speechless. She sat there slumped and watched her son being taken to the snow outside the hall, stripped of his coat, and tied to a bench with his back facing the air. Her heart was in great pain.

“Let me go... You have no right to lynch me, and I didn’t hurt anyone...” Jiang Siyao’s fear at this moment was no less than when she hid in the closet as a child, but at least she could still hide at that time, and there was another her to face it for her.

"You didn't hurt anyone? If you hadn't ruined Zhang Xiaoyue's innocence and drove her out of the house without permission, she wouldn't have been persecuted to this extent by her brother and sister-in-law. I never thought that I, Li Xingyuan, would give birth to such a villain like you!" Hearing Li Yunye's unrepentant sophistry, Li Xingyuan became even more furious. He concentrated all his disappointment with his son over the years into the bamboo ruler in his hand and brought it down with all his strength.

"Ah! You really hit me... Is there any humanity... Mother, save me... Father, I was wrong, I know I was wrong, please stop hitting me..." Jiang Siyao felt a sharp pain in her buttocks as if it was split open after only two feet of hitting. She had already disregarded her image and started to snot and cry in front of the people in the Li residence.

Mrs. Li, who was standing by, was already heartbroken, but she could only turn her back and wipe her tears in silence.

The servants who were watching were so frightened as they saw the master beating Li Yunye with increasingly fierce blows and Li Yunye's screams of pain that they dared not even breathe. Ange felt even more sorry for her own son and couldn't help but cry as well.

Li Yunye's already pampered and delicate body, covered only by a thin layer of underwear, was beaten almost twenty feet before its buttocks were already torn apart. Blood dripped down the bench onto the snow, staining the ground a bright red.

"He has fainted, and you still don't stop. Do you want to beat him to death to satisfy yourself?" After hearing that her son was silent, Mrs. Li could no longer bear it. She threw herself on her son and raised her eyes, which were swollen from crying and still filled with resentment, and screamed at her husband.

Li Xingyuan was stunned for a moment, then he weakly threw the blood-stained bamboo ruler on the snow. With red eyes, he glanced at the unconscious Li Yunye and turned away.

"Waste! Waste! They are all a bunch of useless waste!"

In the side room of Hongxiang Pavilion, Zhao Chu's face was filled with anger and he slapped the two followers in front of him several times.

The follower who was beaten dared not to breathe a word, and could only silently endure the rage of his master with red and swollen cheeks.

"Mr. Zhao, I have finished the painting, but your anger has not subsided yet." Yan Yu, who had been silent behind the curtain, put down the paintbrush in her hand and walked out with an indifferent expression.

As soon as Xuanyu's cold voice came out, Zhao Chu regained some of his rationality. He waved his hands impatiently, and the two followers also left the room with a sense of relief.

"Miss Xuanyu is indeed knowledgeable and calm. She even has the leisure to paint elegantly at this moment. I, Zhao, can't compare to her!" Zhao Chu turned around and secretly rubbed his equally red and swollen palms. He was indeed quite dissatisfied with Xuanyu's indifferent attitude.

"Those of us who have been stuck in the quagmire early are forced to face things that are not what we want every day. It is better to say that we are helpless rather than calm when encountering things. How can we compare with Young Master Zhao who has been getting whatever he wants since he was a child." Faced with Zhao Chu's dissatisfaction, Huan Yu also responded with a sarcastic tone.

"Look, Miss Huanyu is bullying me again... I am also getting anxious and unwilling. I have contributed money and effort, but... Alas, this time I have lost more than I gained. I was going to damage the reputation of Jiangnan's famous Li family, but who would have thought that I would help them gain a new reputation!"

"Reputation, what kind of good reputation?" Yan Yu handed Zhao Chu a cup of tea and asked curiously.

"After the Zhang couple confessed their guilt in the government office, the Li family was so despicable that they redeemed Zhang Xiaoyue's body from the government and buried her with great ceremony. Li Xingyuan was really good at calculating. Now people outside are praising the good deeds of the famous Li from Jiangnan!" At this point, Zhao Chu became so angry that his face turned red again.

"Why should you be angry? It's a good deed for Mr. Zhao to generously help others, isn't it?" Zhao Chu's anger was met with further ridicule from Lai Yanyu.

"Ms. Xuanyu's mouth is like a poisonous knife, it just digs into people's hearts." Zhao Chu was not angry at all for Xuanyu's sarcasm. Instead, he looked at her with an ambiguous and aggrieved expression.

"Did the Zhang couple not give up your people when they confessed?" Yan Yu ignored Zhao Chu's teasing and asked seriously.

"Humph, he dares!" Zhao Chu snorted disapprovingly, and continued angrily: "But he and his wife actually hid the fact that they used my sister to make a business from me, and I was fooled. I must teach them a lesson!"

"Everyone is in prison, how are you going to teach them a lesson, sir?"

"Money makes the world go round..." Having said this, Zhao Chu seemed to shut up defensively, then stood up and resumed his usual proud demeanor to bid farewell to Yan Yu: "I have something else to do, bye."

Yan Yu just stood up and saw him off silently. When the other party walked out of the room, the faint smile on her face disappeared immediately, and she whispered to Hong Nu who had been waiting outside the room, "Go tell Mother Qin that I am not feeling well tonight and will not entertain guests."

Hongnu nodded, gently closed the door and walked along the corridor.

After what happened during the day, the Li Mansion was not at peace at night. The lights in Qingyun Garden were bright, people were coming and going, doctors were invited one after another, and from time to time, Mrs. Li's sad cries could be heard from the attic.

In the study room of Lu Tang, Li Xingyuan held the account book in his hand but was absent-minded. He listened to the noise from Qingyun Garden next door from time to time.

"Master, you haven't had dinner yet. Aunt Xin asked someone to bring some fish porridge." The housekeeper walked in carrying a food box.

"Is he awake?" Li Xingyuan had no appetite. When he saw the housekeeper come in, he asked directly about his son's condition.

"Not yet." The housekeeper put the fish porridge aside and sighed.

"Did I go too far?" Li Xingyuan put down the account book in his hand, looking remorseful.

"Young Master has been weak since he was young. I'm afraid this twenty feet is a bit too heavy. Otherwise, he wouldn't have not woken up yet."

"How are things going outside?" Li Xingyuan sighed and then continued to ask.

"It's all done, don't worry, Master." After saying that, Butler Fang picked up the fish porridge and placed it in front of Li Xingyuan, continuing to comfort him: "There are many things to do this year, so you should take care of yourself."

"Although today's incident was safe and sound, the reputation of the famous Li in Jiangnan will still be affected to some extent. You should ask Old Yuan and the managers of each shop to come to your house tomorrow." Li Xingyuan fed him two mouthfuls of porridge perfunctorily and continued.

"It's Master."

"Also, what do these doctors say?"

"They say that as long as a person wakes up, everything will be fine, but as for when they will wake up, it's hard to say."

"Oh... I don't know what sins I committed in my previous life. These two are my enemies." Li Xingyuan rubbed his slightly aching temple and sighed helplessly.

"Master, don't think too much. You still have Aunt Xin by your side."

"By the way, go to Zhuyuan and tell Xin'er to rest early. I won't go over tonight." At this time, a hint of tenderness appeared in Li Xingyuan's eyes.

"Yes, I'll go right away."