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

After the master and servant left, Chu Chouchi immediately ordered his guards to dispose of all the poisoned rice.

All the toxic grains were disposed of without exception, and then replaced with fresh, non-toxic grains for future use.

At the same time, several elite soldiers were specially dispatched to guard the granary to ensure its safety.

The wheat ears in the field swayed in the night breeze, making a soft rustling sound. The two walked quietly to the path without making a sound.

Shen Zhizhi rolled her eyes and glanced to the side.

Then he saw that Chu Chouchi's expression was serious, his eyes were deep and dark, as if he was still considering what had just happened.

Although his feelings for Shen Qinshou are related to the author's character setting, the two of them had actually spent several years together, so he must have felt some reluctance to part ways.

Shen Zhizhi observed his expression and cautiously inquired, "Second Prince, are you alright?"

Upon hearing this, he lowered his gaze slightly, "It's nothing."

Shen Zhizhi pursed her lips. She had completed half of Chu Chouchi's mission; now all that remained was for his corruption level to be cleared.

From now on, all she needs to do is give him more care and consideration, and make sure he doesn't turn evil again. Even if he doesn't do good deeds, he shouldn't do bad deeds either.

After thinking for a moment, she said, "Your Highness, you can tell me if you have anything to be sad about. Although I can't help much, at least you can pour out your troubles and it will make you feel better."

Chu Chouchi paused slightly, meeting her worried gaze, his voice low and hoarse:

“A-Shou is the first person to be kind to me after my stepmother passed away.”

But how could he have imagined that the person who usually treated him so well and cared for him so much would secretly collude with others to frame him?

Thinking of this, Chu Chouchi couldn't help but laugh at himself, a cold glint in his eyes. "This world is full of lies and scheming, it's hard to tell the truth from the falsehood."

Shen Zhizhi remained silent as she recalled the original plot.

The author briefly mentioned the encounter between Chu Chouchi and Shen Qinshou.

On the day Consort Rou passed away, young Chu Chouchi cried miserably in the Imperial Garden, a scene that Shen Qinshou happened to witness while accompanying Shen Hongsheng to a banquet in the palace.

Shen Qinshou was still young at the time, but she was already adept at social etiquette. Seeing his gorgeous clothes, she knew that he must be of noble status, so she ran up to greet him.

For Chu Chouchi, who was in deep grief at the time, Shen Qinshou's appearance was like a ray of dawn breaking through the darkness.

When a person is in darkness, they always crave the light that shines through.

Those villains saw Shen Qinshou as their salvation, which is why they tried their best to fight on the desperate path of life and death, just to regain that light.

Shen Zhizhi sighed, then raised her eyes and said earnestly, word by word, "Your Highness, lies exist everywhere in this world, but there will always be people who come with sincerity, who will accompany you for a hundred years, not just for a night."

Chu Chouchi was moved by these words. He slightly raised his eyelids and met her gaze.

He gazed at her for a moment, then said slowly, "And what about you?"

"Huh?" This sudden question startled Shen Zhizhi, causing her to gasp.

Chu Chouchi's gaze made her feel extremely guilty. In her panic, she stumbled and fell forward.

Just as she was about to fall, a force grabbed her waist and pulled her back.

The next second, a warm breath enveloped her.

"You can even fall while walking, you're so clumsy."

Before she could even breathe a sigh of relief, Chu Chouchi's reprimanding voice came from above.

Feeling guilty, Shen Zhizhi took a half step back, looked up and said with a sheepish smile, "It was dark, I didn't see the pebbles under my feet and tripped over them."

He had intended to change the subject, but Chu Chouchi had no intention of avoiding the question from earlier.

He leaned down slightly, his eyes clear as water, his voice filled with expectation, "You, too, are you meant to be with me for a hundred years, not just for a single night?"

"..." Shen Zhizhi's breath hitched.

He paused, then asked again, "Did you lie to me?"

His voice was extremely low, like the sound of bamboo leaves falling, barely audible.

Feeling guilty, Shen Zhizhi dared not meet his gaze, not even lingering in his eyes, and could only murmur in silence.

How could she tell him the truth? She was only getting close to him to complete a mission, and being nice to him was also for the purpose of completing a mission.

This hardly qualifies as coming with sincerity, let alone the idea of ​​accompanying you for a hundred years, not just for a night; it might not even take a year or two.

Once the mission is complete, she will leave without hesitation and have nothing to do with him again.

Although she couldn't bear to lie, reason prevailed over emotion, and in the next instant, she looked up and laughed.

"Your Highness, I would never deceive you and I will always stay by your side."

Chu Chouchi didn't speak, but leaned closer and pulled her into his arms.

The scent that filled the fields was quickly overwhelmed by his aura.

Shen Zhizhi felt her face burning, and in her panic, she didn't know what to do, so she could only let him hold her in his arms.

"As before, if you say so, I will believe you."

[Chu Chouchi's corruption value has decreased sharply, with the host's final corruption value being -70.]

……

Back in the courtyard, Shen Zhizhi lay half-reclined on the hammock, feeling somewhat lost as she thought about what Chu Chouchi had said.

She had never felt guilty about deceiving him before, but tonight, when he asked her with such expectant eyes and tone, she felt a little guilty.

If he later discovers that Shen Qinshou treated her well only for his own benefit.

Her treatment of him was not innocent; she had ulterior motives.

At that time, will he be utterly disappointed or filled with rage?

"Host, are you feeling guilty?" Ya Dan's voice broke through her chaotic thoughts.

"Hey, can you please stop suddenly coming back to life? It's terrifying!" Shen Zhizhi pouted and complained.

Ya Dan: ...

She then sighed softly, "If I had to say I feel guilty... I guess so."

"Host, there's no need to have any feelings towards them. They're just words. Once you leave the interface, you won't see them again," Ya Dan gently comforted her.

Shen Zhizhi stared at the night sky, silent.

[Host, try to think more positively. If you feel truly guilty, then complete the mission well, win over Zhang Jiali, and make him a member of the main character group for a happy ending.]

A happy ending?

Shen Zhizhi remained silent for a moment, then, as if thinking of something, a slight smile appeared on her lips, and the knot in her heart unknowingly untied.

The system makes sense; no matter how much deception they engaged in, they only wanted him to have a good ending.

As long as he doesn't go against Zhang Jiali, he can live well in the book in the future, which can be considered as compensation for her deceiving him.

[Host, Chu Chouchi's simp value has been reset to zero. Next up is Chu Tu's simp value. Good luck, host.]

Ya Dan's words made Shen Zhizhi's lips twitch again. Damn it, she almost forgot about Chu Tu.

"By the way, you mentioned there were three villains before, so who's the last one?"

Ya Dan swiped twice on the virtual screen, then said in frustration: [The plot hasn't been unlocked yet, and I can't see who the third villain is.]

Shen Zhizhi smiled and gave the middle finger. "Alright, you can leave now."

Ya Dan: […Host, you've gone too far!]