Zong Chengping opened his mouth to speak, but found that his throat hurt terribly. Seeing this, Xu Zhi quickly brought him a glass of water with a reed stick stuck in it. Zong Chengping looked at Xu Zhi in surprise. Xu Zhi smiled and said, "You can't sit up right now. If you want to drink water, just use this reed stick to drink it."

Zong Chengping took the cup of water himself, put it to his lips, and took a sip from the reed stalk to moisten his throat. He felt much better and then said, "Thank you for saving my life, Madam."

Xu Zhi smiled and shook her head, saying, "You saved yourself, not me. If you hadn't had such a strong will to live, even if I wanted to save you, I wouldn't have been able to."

Zong Chengping thought about it for a moment, then remembered what Xu Zhi had said when they parted last time. He suddenly realized what was going on and quickly said, "No, Madam Zheng, if it weren't for your help, I would have been doomed if I had tried to fight this dangerous situation with my bare hands. If it weren't for the people you arranged to rescue me, I would have died in that house long ago. Madam Zheng, I have no way to repay you. Once I recover, I will serve you with all my might."

Xu Zhi smiled and said seriously, "Zong Chengping, I saved you not only because I value your talent, but also because you hold a very important place in Yuanyuan's heart. I know that the feelings between you two are much deeper than we can see. I pity my sister and don't want to see her give up so much for someone she can never be with. Once you're fully healed, I'll help you get a new identity. You can use this identity to showcase your talents. As for how far you can go, and whether you can catch the eye of me and Yuanyuan, that's up to you. Three years, okay?"

Zong Chengping hadn't expected that such a thing awaited him after surviving the ordeal. He buried his face in his arms, biting his lip, letting tears stream down his face. The tears not only soaked his sleeves but also nourished his parched heart. Zong Chengping now understood that this was the moment he was truly reborn.

Xu Zhi made this decision out of desperation. After parting ways with Zong Chengping, Zheng Yuanyuan returned home and stayed indoors, eating very little for dinner and going to bed early. Xu Zhi could even sense the despair in her. She understood that she and Zong Chengping had no future. Xu Zhi couldn't guarantee that if she were to arrange a marriage for her in the future, Zheng Yuanyuan wouldn't disregard her feelings and let her arrange a marriage according to her own wishes. This was not something Xu Zhi wanted to see.

Xu Zhi had been keeping an eye on the movements of the Duke of Cheng's mansion. When she learned that Zong Chengping had returned to the mansion and gone directly to Zong Houzhao's study, she knew that Zong Chengping had not disappointed her. He had made a choice, but this choice might bring him utter destruction and make him suffer unbearable pain. Therefore, Xu Zhi had Jia San send someone to infiltrate the Duke of Cheng's mansion. They watched as Zong Chengping was beaten with thirty strokes of the cane in Zong Houzhao's study and then thrown into the ancestral hall.

This was the opportunity Xu Zhi had been waiting for. She made Zong Chengping make another choice, and this time Zong Chengping did not disappoint Xu Zhi. The male corpse had been prepared long ago. Only in this way could Zong Chengping break away from the Duke of Cheng's mansion. In the future, Zong Chengping would never be a member of the Zong family again. Xu Zhi arranged for him to be a boy from a remote village. With this identity, Xu Zhi gave him three years to make a name for himself through his own abilities. Only in this way could his value be made clear, and only in this way could Zheng Boyuan see the efforts he had made to be with Zheng Yuanyuan.

This is a way of fulfilling Zong Chengping and Zheng Yuanyuan's wishes, but isn't it also a way of fulfilling Xu Zhi's wishes? The pain of her previous life would often make her recall what she had experienced. Now that there is someone who has had the same experience as her, why shouldn't she lend a hand?

It was only at this moment that Xu Zhi realized that her relationship with Zong Chengping was less about her saving Zong Chengping and more about her own redemption. Only in this way could the pain she had experienced be gradually distanced from her, and Xu Zhi felt a peace she had never felt before.