"Who is the real culprit? Have you caught him?" the Empress pressed.
Zhou Zhizhi and Xiao Xiyou exchanged a smile and said, "Your Majesty, your son has not yet caught the murderer, so I am informing Your Majesty first."
Zhou Zhizhi watched from the side as Xiao Xiyou's face remained indifferent, and it was clear that Xiao Xiyou had no desire whatsoever to have anything to do with the Empress.
The Empress pondered for a moment, then ordered them to leave, without allowing Zhou Zhizhi and Xiao Xiyou to investigate the murderer.
After they left the palace, Zhou Zhizhi said with a grin, "Hehe, I think His Highness seems to know who the murderer is?"
Xiao Xiyou glanced at it and said, "There is no evidence yet, so we cannot identify the real culprit."
Zhou Zhizhi patted Xiao Xiyou on the shoulder and said, "Hey, Your Highness, why don't you come and investigate with me? You'll get the credit later, how about that?"
After saying that, he raised an eyebrow at Xiao Xiyou.
Zhou Zhizhi was still thinking about how to repay Xiao Xiyou's favor when Xiao Xiyou coldly said, "Whatever, I'm leaving now."
Just as Xiao Xiyou was about to leave, Zhou Zhizhi grabbed him and said, "Why go back, Your Highness? I don't think you've had a proper look around the market. Come on, I'll go with you and treat you to something to eat."
Before Xiao Xiyou could refute, Zhou Zhizhi pulled him towards the market.
The bustling market was filled with the vibrant atmosphere of everyday life. Xiao Xiyou was captivated by the atmosphere; having grown up alone and destitute, he had never experienced anything like it before, and he was also touched by Zhou Zhizhi's enthusiasm.
Zhou Zhizhi kept pulling Xiao Xiyou along. When they passed a shop selling bracelets, Zhou Zhizhi went up and bought a bracelet. Then she put it on her wrist and asked, "Hey, do you think it looks good on me?"
Xiao Xiyou didn't react. Zhou Zhizhi rolled her eyes at him in disappointment, then dragged him to a shop selling sachets. Zhou Zhizhi immediately picked out a sachet embroidered with gardenias.
"Boss, how much for the purse?"
"Three coins each," the vendor replied.
"Okay, could you please get me the gardenia one?" Zhou Zhizhi took the purse and gave it to Xiao Xiyou.
Xiao Xiyou hurriedly refused, but Zhou Zhizhi said, "Don't be so polite, take it. Do you know what a purse means?"
Xiao Xiyou shook his head, and Zhou Zhizhi looked at Xiao Xiyou and sighed that the male lead really had no emotional intelligence.
"A purse is a token of love," Zhou Zhizhi said disdainfully.
"Hey! Don't look at me like that, I wasn't planning on giving it to you anyway," Zhou Zhizhi said, trying to snatch the purse back.
Little Grapefruit objected, saying, "You can't take back what you've given away."
Zhou Zhizhi gave the little grapefruit a disdainful look and turned to leave.
Xiao Xiyou continued to follow Zhou Zhizhi, and before long, they arrived at the restaurant that Zhou Zhizhi had contracted, now known as "Manxianglou"!
Zhou Zhizhi grabbed Xiaoxiyou and said, "This is it. I'll treat you to dinner today."
"Why?" Xiao Xiyou asked.
Zhou Zhizhi said, "This meal is mainly to thank you for pleading for me in front of the Empress before, otherwise I would have died with Laifu."
After saying that, he pulled Xiao Xiyou into the restaurant.
"The boss is here!" The parents of that spendthrift son were very welcoming when they saw Zhou Zhizhi arrive.
Zhou Zhizhi ran over: "Yes, we're here for dinner today. Do you see the guy next to me?"
The Liu couple nodded.
"Welcome, sir!" they greeted him warmly.
Zhou Zhizhi walked over to him and said, "Order whatever you want to eat."
Xiao Xiyou had never seen these menus before, let alone ordered food. He said sullenly, "You order. Anything is fine with me. I'm not picky."
Zhou Zhizhi replied, "Then I'll just order whatever."
Xiao Xiyou grunted in agreement, and Zhou Zhizhi then instructed the couple to do so.
After the dishes were served, Zhou Zhizhi and Xiao Xiyou started eating. Even Xiao Xiyou, who usually doesn't care much about food, was amazed by the dishes.
He had initially thought Zhou Zhizhi was just a politician who manipulated power, and he had no confidence in her promise to give him a shop that would make him a fortune. Now, he had reason to believe that Zhou Zhizhi was not joking with him.
Judging from his expression, Zhou Zhizhi knew that he was very satisfied, which was one of the reasons she brought Xiaoxiyou here.
After a while, they left Manxianglou after they had eaten and drunk their fill.
"Help! Help!"
Zhou Zhizhi and Xiao Xiyou rushed over upon hearing the noise and saw a woman and three burly men. The burly men were arresting the woman who had run away from the brothel.
Seeing this, Zhou Zhizhi couldn't stand it anymore, so she ran over and kicked the two big men to the ground.
The burly man looked at Zhou Zhizhi in front of him and said, "Oh, she's a woman. Come with us, and we'll make sure you live a life of luxury."
Zhou Zhizhi ignored them and continued to attack. Seeing that Zhou Zhizhi refused to give in, the three burly men continued to attack her with their knives.
At this moment, Xiao Xiyou darted out from behind Zhou Zhizhi and knocked the big man down in a few moves. Seeing that he couldn't beat them, the big man got up and staggered away.
Zhou Zhizhi helped the woman up, and the woman kept bowing to Zhou Zhizhi and Xiao Xiyou to express her gratitude. Xiao Xiyou took out some silver from his pocket, gave it to the woman, and said, "Take this money and go home. This should be enough for you for a while."
The woman bowed to express her gratitude. Afterwards, Zhou Zhizhi and Xiao Xiyou watched the woman leave. Zhou Zhizhi smiled and thought, "Xiao Xiyou is a cold-faced but warm-hearted person. Isn't she quite emotionally intelligent?"
After Zhou Zhizhi and Xiao Xiyou returned, Zhou Zhizhi said, "Xiao Xiyou, consider this meal as repaying your favor. We're even now."
Just as Zhou Zhizhi was about to leave, Xiao Xiyou spoke up, "Was it you or me in my residence last night?"
Zhou Zhizhi was stunned; she had been discovered after all.
Zhou Zhizhi said awkwardly, "Um... I didn't see anything yesterday."
Xiao Xiyou didn't let her finish speaking before walking forward.
After walking a few steps, Xiao Xiyou stopped and said, "Does the Imperial Advisor never notice the footprints he leaves when he sneaks into someone's home?"
He left after saying that.
Zhou Zhizhi also returned to the mansion, but she became irritable as soon as she arrived at the gate because Wu Da and Wu Er asked her where she had been again.
"Are you two out of your minds? You think the manor can't function without me?" Zhou Zhizhi muttered, looking at the two of them.
Back in her room, Zhou Zhizhi kept thinking about what had happened that day. Feeling wronged, she thought, "If it weren't for my own life, who would even bother with someone like Xiao Xiyou?"
That jerky system has popped up again.
[Cheese Sauce, you managed to hold back today and didn't kill anyone!]
Zhou Zhizhi didn't quite understand. Was something big about to happen recently? The system kept popping up reminders.
[System reminder: You have one chance to avoid being eliminated.]
Zhou Zhizhi lay on the bed, tossing and turning, thinking about the events of the past few days, and eventually fell asleep.
In the early morning, Zhou Zhizhi finally woke up naturally, and didn't get up until noon (which is now 12 noon).
"Grand Preceptor, are you awake?" Xiaoyue called from outside the door. Zhou Zhizhi yawned and replied, "I'm up. What is it?"
"Imperial Preceptor, Eunuch Cao has come to deliver the imperial decree."
Zhou Zhizhi hurriedly put on her clothes and knelt down in front of Eunuch Cao to receive the imperial decree.
Eunuch Cao said, "I have been waiting for you, Imperial Preceptor. Imperial Preceptor, please accept this decree. By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees that I have invited you to a banquet in the palace on the Mid-Autumn Festival the day after tomorrow. So be it!"
"Your Majesty, do you have something to discuss with me?" Zhou Zhizhi accepted the imperial decree, stood up, and asked Eunuch Cao, "Does Your Majesty have something to discuss with me?"
Eunuch Cao said, "No, every year during the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Emperor arranges a banquet, and all the ministers, empresses, concubines, princes and princesses attend. Imperial Preceptor, have you forgotten?"
At this moment, Zhou Zhizhi realized that she had just traveled through time, so she dealt with Eunuch Cao and told him that she would arrive on time.
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