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

"Miss Shen...?"

The warm greeting made Shen Zhizhi abruptly stop dragging Xue Liao's hand, her neck stiffened, and she awkwardly turned her head away.

Why does Miss Shen linger here instead of entering?

The person in front of him was dressed in a neat white robe, and his eyes showed surprise.

Even though he was surprised, he remained polite, displaying the demeanor of a true gentleman in every gesture.

Compared to her, who was now grabbing Xue Liao's ear with her other hand, looking every bit the fierce old woman, she was worlds apart.

Shen Zhizhi lowered her hands as if she were a shooting star, and casually placed them on her lower abdomen with her hands folded together. "Lord Zhang, haha, what a coincidence."

On the surface, he appeared calm and collected, but in reality, he was already in tears.

Gone!

Her image in front of her idol is completely ruined!

Xue Liao rubbed his earlobe, which had been pinched until it was red, and muttered in dissatisfaction, "I clearly came here specifically for this, what a coincidence..."

Upon hearing this, Shen Zhizhi's lips twitched.

With a faint smile, she gazed at Zhang Jiali with a gentle smile.

He placed his hand behind Xue Liao's back, moved it upwards, and then struck him on the back of the head with a palm strike.

"Ouch!"

Xue Liao cried out in pain, clutching his head, his eyes filled with tears, looking utterly aggrieved.

Zhang Jiali stared at the interaction between the two, lowered his eyes, and then chuckled softly, "It seems that Miss Shen did not just happen to pass by the lower courtyard, but rather she was looking for her intentionally?"

His tone rose slightly at the end, and it sounded especially pleasant in the night.

Shen Zhizhi felt embarrassed, as if she had been caught red-handed. She awkwardly put her hands behind her back, kicked at the gravel, and then looked up and said, "Well... I do have a small matter to discuss with Lord Zhang."

"Please come in, Miss Shen."

He lowered his eyes and smiled, his white robe fluttering as he moved forward.

His back was as upright as a pine tree, and his steps were slow. Even without seeing his face, his back alone was enough to amaze people, making him seem like a bright moon in the cold sky.

The hem of her robe fluttered in the wind as pear blossoms fell, creating an effect of exquisite elegance.

She suddenly realized that the words the original author used to construct were nothing compared to even a fraction of his true self.

"Miss Shen?"

Before Shen Zhizhi could recover from her daze, the man had already sat down at the stone table under the pear tree. Seeing her standing there for so long, he couldn't help but ask in confusion.

"Ah, I'm here, I'm here," she replied hastily.

Caught red-handed in her infatuation, Shen Zhizhi was thrown into a state of confusion, feeling both embarrassed and flustered. As she took a step, she accidentally stepped on the hem of her robe, causing her to stumble forward.

Before landing, she was filled with regret and screams:

Oh no! I've completely lost face in front of my idol! I've lost all my dignity!

In her consciousness, Ya Dan calmly covered her ears, choosing silence over hearing.

boom!

Then, with a roar of anger in her heart, she fell flat on her back to the ground.

"Miss Shen?" Zhang Jiali was startled by this sudden turn of events and immediately stood up and came over. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

Shen Zhizhi, clinging to the ground like an octopus, desperately wanted to disappear into the ground and escape.

She had never been so embarrassed in front of a handsome guy in her entire life!

Determined to regain her dignity, she quickly sat up and nimbly did several push-ups, making "heh heh heh" sounds as she did so.

Meeting Zhang Jiali's surprised gaze, she said in a serious and unashamed tone, "Lord Zhang's courtyard is truly a perfect place for me to exercise and recuperate."

Ya Dan: ? ? ?

No, has anyone told it that the one who should be embarrassed is the host? Why does it feel awkward in its consciousness?

Waiting online, very anxious.

Zhang Jiali paused slightly, gazing at her wandering eyes. After a moment's thought, he smiled faintly, "If Miss Shen likes it, it's not impossible for her to come often in the future, but..."

He paused, his gaze falling to her wrist, and chuckled softly, "Just don't get hurt like you did today."

Shen Zhizhi felt suspicious and, following his gaze, slowly raised her wrist.

Her once delicate skin had been worn down by the small pebbles on the ground, leaving streaks of blood.

"It's nothing, just a scratch, it'll be fine in a few days." She stared at the pebbles stuck to the wound and subconsciously reached out her other hand to brush them off.

But then they heard the sound of robes fluttering.

A hand with distinct knuckles and long, jade-like fingers followed closely behind, capturing her hand that was trying to cause trouble.

Zhang Jiali's slightly cool touch traveled through her skin along the thin sleeves of his clothes, causing a shiver to run through her.

Her eyes widened in surprise as she looked up to meet a pair of soft, watery eyes. "Lord Zhang?"

He lowered his eyes, his jade-like face extremely close to hers, his straight nose almost touching her body. Shen Zhizhi was so shocked that she lost her composure and tried to pull her wrist back.

"Miss Shen, do not move."

Zhang Jiali tightened his grip on her hand slightly, his brows furrowing as he stared at the injury on her wrist. "Don't touch it. It would be troublesome if the wound got infected. I have some ointment in my room. Please wait here for a moment, Miss Shen."

After speaking, she gracefully departed, carrying with her the delicate fragrance of pear blossoms.

Shen Zhizhi stared longingly at his retreating figure, once again swooning over him, her expression dreamy and her heart fluttering.

“Ahhhhh——!”

As Shen Zhizhi was still sighing, Xue Liao's shouts echoed through the courtyard behind her, startling her so much that she almost jumped up.

Before she could turn around to reprimand him, he forcefully pulled her shoulders towards him, making her look directly at him, tears streaming down her face. "Master, are you alright, Master? Waaaaah~ It's all my fault for not protecting you, waaaah~"

Shen Zhizhi stared blankly at Xue Liao crying like a child, and her heart softened. The thought of scolding him just now vanished instantly.

Although this guy has a bit of a split personality and is occasionally a little mentally unstable, his loyalty to his master is unquestionable.

Moved, she tried to offer comfort, but then heard Xue Liao wail again:

"Master, please be careful! Don't fall and die! If you die, I won't have any meat buns to eat! Waaaaaah!"

Shen Zhizhi:? ? ?

Shen Zhizhi smiled and waved her left hand.

Xue Liao quickly parried, grinning and revealing his little tiger teeth, and said, "Hehe, my mother said, things shouldn't happen more than three times."

His smile was still on his face when, in the next instant, Shen Zhizhi raised her right hand and struck him hard on the forehead!

boom!

A sharp rap on the head left Xue Liao with a huge bump on his head. He squatted in a dark corner, looking utterly miserable.

Shen Zhizhi twirled her wrist, blew a light breath, and said smugly, "Little brat, trying to mess with me?"

In the blink of an eye, Zhang Jiali had brought out his medicine box and placed a basin of clean water on the stone table, greeting her: "Miss Shen, let me treat your wound."

"Ah, okay." She walked over happily and plopped down. "Then I'll have to trouble you, Lord Zhang."

Zhang Jiali smiled faintly, picked up her injured wrist, and gently placed it in the water in the wooden basin.

Shen Zhizhi blinked, feeling the unique warmth of his body on her wrist, and said dryly, "It was already bad enough to bother you tonight, and now you have to trouble Lord Zhang with Zhizhi's troubles, really... ah."

Suddenly, he tightened his grip on her wrist, causing Shen Zhizhi to gasp in pain.

Only then did she turn her wandering gaze toward Zhang Jiali.

But Zhang Jiali, whose eyes were always smiling, had a dark look in them. His long, dark eyelashes covered his eyes, casting layers of shadows, making his expression unfathomable.

He held her hand tightly, his eyes fixed on the water in the basin. The warmth around him was gone, replaced by a chill.