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

His eyes were deep with intoxication, his breathing hot and rapid. He stared at her for a long while, then released her hand and looked down to search through his sleeves.

After searching for an unknown amount of time, he finally pulled out a white jade hairpin, presented it to her with both hands in a proper manner.

"Second Prince, what is this?" Shen Zhizhi asked, completely bewildered.

Chu Chouchi's dark eyes were like stars, with a faint red tinge at the corners due to his drunkenness.

He looked up and glanced at her bare black hair, which was devoid of any jewelry. After hesitating for a long time, he stammered, "I bought it on the street. I'm giving it to you."

Shen Zhizhi was stunned. She was worried that she had lost her only hairpin when she was kidnapped by Chu Tu that day. Now this hairpin was a timely help.

She happily took the hairpin, casually inserted it into her hair, and blinked her almond-shaped eyes slightly. "How is it, Your Highness? Does it look good?"

Chu Chouchi remained silent for a moment, then stared blankly at her with his eyes wide open, before seemingly unable to hold on any longer.

"Oh!"

His forehead slammed heavily onto the table, and he remained motionless.

He was just muttering something, "Burn, burn..."

Shen Zhizhi:? ? ?

She was just wearing a hairpin, and this bastard called her a slut?!

Enraged, Shen Zhizhi thought for a moment, then swung her wrist and slapped him on the head!

After letting out a painful groan, Chu Chouchi fell completely silent.

She clapped her hands triumphantly, figuring he was drunk anyway and wouldn't remember anything when he woke up.

......

Seeing that they were completely drunk and had no chance of getting up, Shen Zhizhi had no choice but to send Xiao Ling and Chief Feng to help one of them back to rest.

The night was cool and still, and Shen Zhizhi and Zhang Jiali walked side by side through the alley.

The cold moonlight cast hazy dappled light from the sky. Shen Zhizhi tilted her head, looked up at him, and said with her eyes crinkling, "Thank you for escorting me back, Lord Zhang."

A gentle laugh rang out from above. Zhang Jiali chuckled and lowered his eyes. "Miss Shen, please keep your thanks to me. Today, it is I who should express my gratitude. After all, if it weren't for Miss Shen, I wouldn't have had the honor of entering the Prince Tu's residence."

"Huh?" Shen Zhizhi stared at him blankly.

Does he mean the banquet he was asked to attend earlier? How could he know that she intentionally had Chu Chou Chi bring him here?

"It's not hard to guess that the Second Prince never contacts important officials in the court."

Seemingly noticing the confusion in her eyes, Zhang Jiali gazed at her with a gentle voice and a faint smile in his eyes, his expression completely calm.

Feeling somewhat embarrassed by that clear gaze, she lowered her head and said dryly, "As expected of the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, nothing escapes Lord Zhang's discerning eyes."

"That's not the case either."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jiali abruptly stopped and stood before her.

Under her puzzled gaze, he leaned down slightly to meet her eyes, a faint smile playing on his thin lips.

"It's like, no matter how hard I try, I can't guess who is in Miss Shen's heart who is perhaps so similar to me?"

Shen Zhizhi was so startled by his words that she took a heavy step back.

Even though I'd mentally repeated "Don't panic," "It's okay, I've transmigrated," "Don't be nervous, it's nothing" countless times, I still felt a sense of unease.

But this sudden question still startled her, leaving her completely bewildered. She then realized that when people are in a state of extreme panic, they are unable to even provide the most basic explanation.

Seeing her reaction, Zhang Jiali lowered his eyes thoughtfully.

Then his eyes flickered slightly, his eyebrows relaxed, and a hint of a smile appeared in his eyes.

"When Miss Shen looks at me, who is she looking at through me?"

Shen Zhizhi was practically going insane!

There are no two people who are exactly alike. The person she was talking about is indeed him!

Before she could defend herself, he spoke again: "I was merely curious about who could make Miss Shen so concerned. Would you be so fortunate as to hear your story?"

Shen Zhizhi looked up, a moment of confusion in her eyes.

Is it an illusion?

In the original text, Zhang Jiali is gentle and refined. Even though he knows about Shen Qinshou's past behavior as a sea queen, he still keeps it to himself.

He would only occasionally mention it to her, and after seeing the guilt on her face, he would stop talking and just gently comfort her. If she didn't want to talk about it, he wouldn't.

Therefore, his actions made Shen Qinshou feel even more guilty, feeling that what she had done in the past was really unworthy of such a pure and gentle person.

Overwhelmed with guilt, she devoted herself wholeheartedly to his path to the throne, sacrificing everything for him.

In any case, he would never be as aggressive as he is today.

Zhang Jiali lowered his eyes, carefully taking in all the struggle and confusion in her eyes.

A moment later, her tone softened, and her words, as light as smoke, drifted into his ears, "Miss Shen, do you now understand that the person before you is not as you imagine, not as you think—"

He paused, then chuckled, "Exactly the same?"

Having her thoughts exposed, Shen Zhizhi was half surprised and half embarrassed.

She pursed her red lips, gazing into Zhang Jiali's eyes, which held an inscrutable emotion, with a hint of sorrow in their depths.

Zhang Jiali had been adept at understanding people's hearts since childhood. Her praise and trust in him after such a short time together inevitably aroused his suspicion.

Once he's made up his mind, there's no way to hide it anymore.

If she tries to hide this matter, his impression of her will definitely worsen because of it.

I can't tell him the truth, so it seems I can only go along with what he guessed.

Shen Zhizhi looked up, her tone firm, "I do know a man who looks exactly like Lord Zhang. He is gentle and refined, kind, respectful and frugal."

Zhang Jiali's smile remained, but a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

Shen Zhizhi gritted her teeth and simply quoted the original author's description of Zhang Jiali: "This man is happy when the people are laughing and sad when the babies are crying. He is tireless in giving alms and never tired of doing good. He is an excellent person."

Zhang Jiali pursed his lips, staring at her intently, seemingly very interested in the person she was talking about.

Shen Zhizhi looked up at him, then pretended to be calm and continued, "His heartfelt wish was for the common people to be able to live without worry about food and clothing. He believed that the emperor should be punished the same as the common people when he broke the law, and he stood up for the people and was not afraid of powerful forces."

After memorizing a paragraph from the original text, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, she was a huge fan of Zhang Jiali. She didn't miss a single description of him in the original work, and even copied them down in her notes.

Staring at her animated expression as she spoke, Zhang Jiali remained silent for a long time before asking softly:

"Then, where is the person Miss Shen spoke of now?"

Shen Zhizhi pondered for a moment, then sighed with feigned regret, "This problem has no solution. Perhaps we will have another chance to see it in the future, or perhaps we will never see it again."

If the mission fails, she will perish along with this entire plane of existence.

"Wherever he is, I think he would be happy even if someone else fulfilled his wishes."

"Lord Zhang," she called out, looking up.

Zhang Jiali responded by lowering his eyes, and their gazes met unexpectedly.

"He is a very, very good person, just like Lord Zhang. He would be very happy if Lord Zhang could fulfill his wish."

The moonlight slanted down, and the girl's clear and bright eyes shone with anticipation.

Zhang Jiali pondered for a moment, then suddenly burst out laughing:

"I am willing to give it a try for Miss Shen."

……