The system forced me to blow up the female lead's fishpond.

Shen Zhizhi was startled!

She hurriedly let go of his hand, and without hesitation, she prostrated herself on the ground and kowtowed deeply.

"Your Highness, please calm down! We only resorted to this desperate measure because of the emergency. We will never dare to act recklessly again in the future."

It's not that she's making a fuss over nothing!

The original text described that Chu Chouchi had a severe case of emotional fastidiousness. Any woman other than Shen Qinshou who dared to touch him would have her hands or feet cut off and then be thrown into the Dragon Tiger Cave to be eaten by wild beasts.

Waaaaah! She was really scared!

Chu Chouchi's dark eyes were fixed on the wrist that had just been held and still faintly warm, which slowly cooled down the moment she let go.

Perhaps it was because no other woman besides Ah Shou had ever been in contact with him, which stirred a strange feeling in his heart.

Shen Zhizhi, who was kneeling on the ground, had been kneeling for a long time. Seeing that he had no intention of telling her to get up, her palms were sweating with nervousness, and a million ways to die flashed through her mind.

Finished!

She not only held his hand, but it seemed that her lie about being blind had been exposed!

Shen Zhizhi became increasingly panicked as she thought about it, and lowered her head even further. "Your Highness, pretending to be blind was something I had no choice but to do. Please forgive me."

Hearing her voice, Chu Chouchi's thoughts gradually returned.

He lowered his gaze, his eyes reflecting her kneeling and pleading figure. After a long while, he said softly, "It's alright, get up."

Ga?

Upon hearing this, Shen Zhizhi raised her small face in disbelief, "Second Prince, you don't blame me?"

She thought that according to the plot, she would either die or lose an arm or a leg. She was thinking that if he dared to do anything reckless, she would take advantage of his injury and die with him.

"You saved this prince, so you should make amends." Chu Chouchi glanced at her and snorted coldly.

Shen Zhizhi smiled broadly and quickly stood up. "Thank you, Your Highness! You are such a kind person!"

[Congratulations to the host for completing the mission! 】

Ya Dan was overjoyed. It thought to itself, "Great! My host has finally stood up. Completing the mission is just around the corner."

The alley was long, and the two walked side by side without saying a word, creating an awkward atmosphere.

"Haha." Shen Zhizhi couldn't stand the atmosphere, so she laughed and forced a topic: "Second Prince, although the moonlight is dim tonight, it has a hazy beauty. Doesn't it have a unique charm?"

Chu Chouchi raised his eyes and glanced at the moon hidden in the clouds. "What beauty is there in it? It's a dark and windy night for murder. If the moonlight hadn't been so dim, I wouldn't have fallen into this trap today."

"..." Shen Zhizhi's lips twitched violently.

Indeed, some people are destined to be unable to appreciate beautiful things.

Having failed to find a topic to talk about, Shen Zhizhi felt dejected, sighed deeply, and kicked the small pebbles under her feet with resentment.

Chu Chouchi seemed to have thought of something, turned his head and asked in a deep voice, "Was A-Shou with you just now?"

The greeting made Shen Zhizhi pause in kicking the pebble. She suppressed her twitching lips and rolled her eyes at the sky with a look of exasperation.

He clearly knew that Shen Qinshou had abandoned him and run away, so why was he asking this? Did he still care about her life or death?

So what about her, who got involved with this group of assassins to save him? Was she a clown?

Shen Zhizhi was instantly furious. Love-struck people really deserve to die! Especially those who are overly devoted to love and act like simps!

She pouted and kicked the pebble far away.

He then turned around, forced a stiff smile at Chu Chouchi, and said in a sarcastic tone.

"Don't worry, Your Highness. When she saw that an assassin was about to attack you, Sister A-Shou ran incredibly fast, as if ten dogs were chasing her. So Your Highness doesn't need to worry about her. She will be safely by Your Highness's side tomorrow."

After saying that, she turned her head away angrily, and her pace became noticeably faster and heavier.

Chu Chouchi noticed the dissatisfaction of the person in front of him, raised his narrow eyes slightly, but did not call her back.

[Shen Zhizhi: Damn it, seriously, I might as well just kill him. I really can't stand this love-struck brain anymore!]

"Host, don't be so hard on money. Just bear with it for the sake of money." Ya Dan lazily comforted her, legs crossed.

[Besides, he's a simp; if he weren't a simp, he wouldn't have done something as perverse as imprisoning the female lead later on.]

Ya Dan's words instantly extinguished her burning anger.

That makes sense. After all, the author's character is what it is, and it's unrealistic to expect him to realize the truth so quickly. Changing a character's personality can't be rushed.

Shen Zhizhi let out a long sigh of relief. Sure enough, it proved that the motivation that could make working people grumble and complain while continuing to go to work was indeed money.

Thinking of this, she slowed her pace and took a few steps back to walk alongside him.

Then, turning her head under Chu Chouchi's questioning gaze, she smiled and said, "Your Highness, I was ignorant before and thought that love meant possession. Now I understand that love is actually letting go."

Shen Zhizhi was inwardly laughing hysterically!

She's a genius!

These words not only served to dispel Chu Chou Chi's impression of the original owner as persistent and clingy, but also set an example for Chu Chou Chi, hoping that he would be able to let go for love in the future when he thinks of her.

"..." Chu Chouchi opened his mouth, as if something was stuck in his throat.

What did she mean by that? Did she mean she wouldn't bother him anymore?

For some reason, the thought of this possibility left him with a feeling of emptiness and utter boredom.

He paused for a moment, and before he could say anything, he suddenly met the girl's sincere gaze, and her soft, spring-like voice entered his ears—

"However, I cannot bear to see Your Highness misplace your affections. If Your Highness cannot let go of my sister for the time being, then I will stay by Your Highness's side until Your Highness changes your mind. I only want Your Highness to see the right person for you and will not interfere with Your Highness's choice, is that alright?"

She lowered her eyes and pondered for a moment before continuing, "The term is one year. If Your Highness still favors my sister after one year, then you may go with Your Highness."

Chu Chouchi was slightly lost in thought, as if something was melting in his heart. After a long while, he softly hummed in agreement.

[Ding dong! Congratulations, host! Chu Chouchi's licking dog value -1]

The joyful notification from Ya Dan in her mind made Shen Zhizhi's gaze towards Chu Chou Chi brighten even more.

Looks like this kid isn't hopeless! With a little effort, he can still turn things around!

"..."

Chu Chouchi felt a little uncomfortable under the girl's intense gaze, so he subtly looked away, his ear tips blushing slightly.

It's just a small favor I agreed to. Why is she so happy about it?

Thinking about it this way, no matter how good he was to A-Shou, he had never seen A-Shou look at him with such surprise.

Chu Chouchi was slightly disappointed, and his gaze happened to fall on Shen Zhizhi's fair and delicate hand.

Her hand was cut by something, and the wind had dried it, leaving scarlet bloodstains that had congealed on the wound.

Chu Chouchi frowned, his voice cold, "Your hand is injured..."