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

There was a person standing in a corner, and his figure looked very familiar.

Before Chu Tu could even ask a question, the man turned around and strode out from the shadows.

He looked closely, and the person who came into view surprised him.

Shen Zhizhi?

Chu Tu was stunned. She was holding something in her hands that he didn't know the name of. A candle was stuck in it, shining brightly in the dark night.

As the girl walked forward, she sang a tune he had never heard before, "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you—"

In the dim, hazy light, she seemed to possess a beauty he had never seen before, and every glance and smile captivated his heart.

Then, as her singing ended, fireworks shot into the sky behind her, exploding with a loud bang, and the entire courtyard was enveloped in the light of the fireworks.

Shen Zhizhi stepped forward and presented the object in her hands to him, blinking her eyes, "Third Prince, make a wish, blow out the candles."

Chu Tu looked dazed, turning his gaze to the crowd gradually approaching from the shadows, a sense of unreality filling his heart at that moment.

Something inside me suddenly collapsed with a crash, yet I couldn't make a sound.

Seeing that Chu Tu hadn't moved, Shen Zhizhi moved the cake closer to him: "Third Prince, quickly close your eyes and make a wish, it's very effective!"

As she spoke, her beautiful eyes shone brightly in the candlelight, and the sparse light and shadow reflected on her face, revealing an indescribable and unparalleled allure.

As if guided by some strange force, Chu Tu closed his eyes and silently made a wish in his heart.

After blowing out the candle, the dimly lit courtyard was instantly illuminated, and thunderous applause erupted.

It was accompanied by repeated wishes for a happy birthday to His Highness the Third.

Chu Tu suddenly felt a foggy mist before his eyes and darkness all around, but she arrived carrying light.

He... seemed to have had a beautiful dream.

-

After the formalities, the group sat down to enjoy the delicious food.

Chu Tu held a porcelain spoon, stirring the longevity noodles in the bowl. He stared at the girl in front of him, whose cheeks were flushed with pink from drinking. For a moment, he didn't know if he was dreaming or hallucinating.

He never expected to have such a lively birthday banquet, so unexpectedly, and so delightfully.

[Ding dong, Chu Tu's corruption value has dropped sharply, and the final value for the host is -90]

Eh?

Shen Zhizhi's hand trembled as she offered the toast, and she looked at Chu Tu with suspicion.

Chu Tu was caught red-handed peeking and quickly turned his head away.

Shen Zhizhi was secretly delighted. Now that her "darkening value" had decreased, could she go and ask for the antidote?

Taking advantage of Chu Chouchi leaving the table, she swiftly flashed to Chu Tu's side and lowered her voice: "Hehe, Third Prince, happy birthday."

The girl's hot, alcohol-laden breath hit him, causing him to recoil sharply. "Shen Zhizhi! Just talk! Why are you getting so close!"

Shen Zhizhi's lips twitched violently.

Why is this guy acting like his wife is being humiliated? He's actually quite traditional in upholding male virtues.

"Alright, alright, I won't get any closer." Shen Zhizhi resignedly stepped back, reaching out expectantly, "Third Prince, that, that antidote for the Seven Mile Fragrance—"

Chu Tu remained silent upon hearing this.

A layer of gloom swept across his eyes.

Yes, all she did today was to get the antidote; no one in this world would care about his birthday.

[Chu Tu's corruption value has increased; according to the host's statistics, it has decreased by 100.]

Shen Zhizhi:? ? ?

No, is he sick? It just went down and then went up again?

Could it be that because Shen Qinshou didn't come, he didn't plan to take out the antidote?

Shen Zhizhi felt a pang of fear. She fumbled for the sachet she had casually bought from a small stall earlier and presented it to the stall as if it were a treasure.

"Hehe, Your Highness, to be honest, my sister really wanted to come, but she caught a cold today and was afraid of infecting you, so she asked me to come and cook this meal. She also asked me to give this to you."

Never mind, let's just keep him happy and get the antidote first.

Chu Tu's gaze fell on the sachet, his lips moved, and in the end he reached out and took it.

Ha, what a fraud.

Ah Shou would never sew such a crude sachet, nor would she—

Chu Tu's eyes darkened instantly as he glanced at the delicious dishes on the table in front of him.

It's impossible for them to prepare these things for him.

[Chu Tutian's dog value has dropped sharply, resulting in a -90 statistic for the host.]

"Huh?" Shen Zhizhi was completely dumbfounded.

What happened? Why did his "simp value" drop for no reason? Did he think the sachet was poorly made and that Shen Qinshou wasn't as attentive as before, and he couldn't accept it right away?

That would be wonderful!

Shen Zhizhi almost burst out laughing.

"That is not poison."

Chu Tu put the sachet in her hand into his bosom, his narrow, almond-shaped eyes slightly lowered, and suddenly said something.

"what?"

Shen Zhizhi's thoughts cleared, and she blinked in confusion.

Chu Tu turned his head somewhat awkwardly, his voice tinged with unease, "I did not use poison on you that day, so you don't need to look for any antidote."

Upon hearing this, Shen Zhizhi's smile vanished instantly.

Damn it! This brat had her terrified, fearing she'd die a violent death, only to find out there was no poison in her body at all?!

[Dog Egg, can I beat him up?]

Ya Dan was silent for a moment, then replied: [If the host isn't afraid he'll use real poison next time, then go for it.]

Very well, she's scared.

Chief Feng and Xiao Ling stood under the pear tree, holding top-quality wine. After taking a few sips, they were slightly tipsy.

"Waaah, I'm so glad I'll finally get to see His Highness get married one day!"

The Wind Chief stared at the two beautiful women at the dining table, who seemed to be discussing something, and couldn't help but choke up and wipe away tears.

Xiao Ling's eyes twitched slightly, and she said coldly, "Marry whom? The second young lady of the Shen family?"

"Pooh!"

The leader of the wind suddenly looked up, realizing his voice was a bit too loud, and quickly lowered his tone, saying with dissatisfaction, "What Miss Shen the Second? It's clearly Miss Shen the Third!"

"What Miss Shen the Third? His Highness the Third Prince is in love with Miss Shen the Second. Miss Shen the Second is the Third Prince's consort. Miss Shen the Third can only be the Second Prince's consort."

Xiao Ling looked displeased.

Miss Shen can only belong to the Second Prince of his family; no one else can take her away.

Chief Feng stomped his foot and glared at him angrily, "Miss Shen is our Third Prince. Look, even though the Third Prince poisoned her, she was still willing to celebrate his birthday in his place. This affection is truly touching."

Xiao Ling's eyes turned cold. "Poisoning? How dare the Third Prince lay such a deadly hand on Miss Shen?"

"This, that..."

The Wind Chief touched his nose somewhat guiltily.

The next second, she complained, "So what? It's just a minor squabble, and Miss Shen is fine, isn't she?"

"Heh, they've already used poison. Miss Shen isn't stupid, how could she still be in love with the Third Prince? Let's just give the position of Third Princess Consort to Miss Shen!" Xiao Ling glanced at him lightly.

"Xiao Ling! If you continue to spout nonsense and slander His Highness the Third Prince, I'll never forgive you!"

The Wind Chief picked up the sledgehammer, and the next second Xiao Ling drew his blade, equally unwilling to be outdone.

The two put down their wine jars, lightly touched the ground with their toes, and leaped into the air. Soon, the sounds of fighting could be heard.

Chu Chouchi's eyes turned cold the moment he overheard their conversation.

It turns out that the reason she mentioned today was this poisoning incident.

His gaze darkened as he stared at Chu Tu on the table, a cold and sharp smile playing on his lips.