Fairy, you call this repaying a debt of gratitude?

Seeing that Shen Wei remained silent, Gu Lengyue felt less inclined to speak.

She had never spoken so many words in her entire life; she always felt that talking was very tiring.

It's more tiring to express your thoughts so sincerely like this.

Despite being exhausted, she felt an unprecedented sense of peace after sharing her pent-up feelings with the person in front of her.

Exhaustion and a sense of security washed over her at the same time, so she leaned down slightly, gently lay down, pressed her cheek against Shen Wei's warm chest, and closed her eyes.

"Why can't you just be a complete scumbag...?"

The girl's voice was muffled, coming from Shen Wei's chest, filled with a deep weariness, lacking its usual sharpness.

"That way I won't have any worries... I can face death without any concerns."

There was a time when he had the same thought.

"In short, I will help you... because you can only die by my hand."

"Shh, I'm sleepy..."

Gu Lengyue gently interrupted him, unconsciously tightening her arms around him, her voice as soft as a dream.

As soon as she finished speaking, her half-closed eyes closed completely, her long eyelashes drooped quietly, and her breathing gradually became even and long. She had clearly exhausted all her energy and had fallen into a deep sleep.

But Shen Wei was still conscious; the girl's clumsy yet sincere kiss was deeply etched in his heart.

Over the past few months, their relationship has progressed from initial confrontation to gradually adapting to each other's presence, a development that far exceeded Shen Wei's initial expectations.

But such development is quite reasonable; to some extent, they are all monsters that this world cannot tolerate.

Therefore, it is natural for them to stick together for warmth.

But this was only temporary; after that, they would all inevitably head towards their own demise.

Sometimes, he almost forgot everything he carried, forgot the deep-seated hatred, and forgot the mystery of his own origins.

Sometimes, he even felt that living a peaceful life with the girl like this might not be so bad.

When did this cowardly thought that shouldn't have come to mind?

he does not know.

But he didn't want to let the girl go to her own end all alone.

******

The next day, the snow continued to fall heavily without any sign of stopping.

But the faint sunlight still managed to seep in through the window.

Shen Wei opened his eyes and glanced around. He noticed that the girl had quietly slipped to the side, but her hands were still tightly wrapped around him, as if she desperately craved his warmth.

He slightly withdrew his hand, and Gu Lengyue immediately opened her eyes. Her sleepy state slightly dissipated the aura of unapproachability that the girl usually exuded.

Shen Wei's gaze inadvertently swept over her clothes, which had slipped slightly off her shoulder. He reached out and gently tugged at them, pulling them back onto her shoulder.

"morning."

In an instant, Gu Lengyue's eyes gradually regained their clarity, and all the scenes from last night flooded her mind, causing her cheeks to flush crimson.

"......morning."

Shen Wei immediately noticed the girl's embarrassment and, fearing she would become even more awkward, quickly sat up and said in a lighthearted tone:

"I'll go prepare breakfast now."

"oh."

Shen Wei turned and walked out of the room, leaving Gu Lengyue alone inside.

She slowly sat up, raised her hand to touch her burning cheeks, and the warmth from her fingertips made her feel a little embarrassed.

Although she had imagined what happened yesterday countless times in her mind, she still felt embarrassed after actually doing those bold things.

Hmm... Luckily I had a few drinks yesterday, otherwise I wouldn't have dared to be so reckless.

After clearing her mind of meaningless thoughts, Gu Lengyue sat up, washed up, changed into clean clothes, and slowly walked out of the room.

******

Meanwhile, in the capital of Zhongzhou, a bustling tavern was filled with the aroma of wine and the noise of the crowd.

Just then, a woman walked in, and the noisy crowd instinctively made way for her, simply because she was wearing a black brocade flying fish robe with gold trim, and a black long sword at her waist, exuding a murderous aura.

It wasn't just the clothes that signified her status, but also the woman's serene and beautiful face, which also revealed a touch of heroism, that made people hesitate to approach.

Zhang Jingchu walked through the noisy crowd and found a man drinking alone in a corner.

The man had a full beard, slightly disheveled hair, and deep-set features that were somewhat unkempt.

His overall demeanor seemed unremarkable, but his sharp, wolf-like eyes constantly warned that this person was no pushover and should not be provoked.

Zhang Jingchu walked over and sat down opposite him, her tone crisp and decisive:

"The higher-ups have unanimously decided that you and I will investigate this matter."

The man glanced at her, a mocking smile playing on his lips, picked up the wine jar, and took a large gulp, his voice hoarse and arrogant:

"Ha, it seems the higher-ups take this very seriously, actually sending such an important figure as you to accompany a rough man like me."

The person who said this was named Qiu Wuhen, and he was different from the boorish man he described.

He came from humble beginnings, without any official rank or family honor. He has risen to his current high position entirely through his own hard work and ability.

He was a very famous figure in the capital.

He uncovered almost everything about the dirty dealings and underhanded transactions among high-ranking officials in the imperial court, offending countless people, yet he was still able to maintain his high position, which shows his ability.

"Hmph, if you're not happy about it, then go and talk to the head of the guards yourself."

Zhang Jingchu had already anticipated that this person would be difficult to deal with, but after actually meeting him, she found that he was even more unruly than she had imagined, and her tone inevitably carried a hint of impatience.

Qiu Wuhen put down the wine jar and casually asked, "I heard this is the Emperor's decree?"

Zhang Jingchu glanced around, and seeing that no one was paying attention to them, she lowered her voice and answered:

"...That should be true."

"I had already investigated before you came."

Qiu Wuhen picked up the wine jar again and took a big gulp.

"Do you... know anything about Gu Hanfeng?"

Zhang Jingchu frowned, her gaze sweeping over the noisy crowd around her, and replied in an unfriendly tone:

"Should we discuss serious matters here? This place is a mixed bag, with many people and gossips. If we're not careful, information could easily leak out."

Qiu Wuhen chuckled and retorted:

"Then tell me, where should we talk?"

"Return to the yamen."

Zhang Jingchu answered without hesitation.

Although there are constraints within the government offices, they are the safest and most suitable places to discuss serious matters.

"I never go to places like that." Qiu Wuhen refused without even thinking, his tone full of disdain. "Those places are full of people who are just trying to gain fame and fortune and have nothing better to do. I find them annoying."

Zhang Jingchu frowned helplessly, and finally compromised a bit:

"We should at least get a private room, right? We can't discuss such confidential matters in the main hall."

Qiu Wuhen seemed to have been waiting for this answer, and his voice was loud and clear:

"Shopkeeper, please open a private room! This young lady will pay!"

"Alright, please follow me, sir!" the innkeeper replied hastily, a fawning smile plastered on his face.