Qianqian's Truth

On the eve of the Assembly, Qianqian makes a full confession to both Changyu and Xie Zheng. She tells them everything: she is from the modern era, she read their story in a novel called "The Marquis's Wife and the Butcher's Knife," and she has been trying to change the tragic ending of the original story. In the novel, Changyu dies, Xie Zheng goes mad with grief, and Qi Min wins.

Xie Zheng is skeptical but cannot deny that Qianqian's warnings have been consistently accurate. Changyu, characteristically practical, says it doesn't matter whether the story is true — what matters is that they have been warned. She refuses to accept a predetermined fate. "If the book says I die," she declares, "then we rewrite the book."

Qianqian reveals one more crucial piece of information: in the original story, Xie Zheng is ambushed on the way to the Assembly. The ambush is what triggers the tragic cascade. Knowing this, they can prepare. For the first time, Qianqian feels the burden of her secret lift. She is no longer alone in trying to change the story.