Pei Shuai led Jing Wanyu, and unexpectedly took her directly to the door of the house she used to live in. Seeing this house, a fleeting light flashed across Jing Wanyu's eyes.

  Pei Shiwei still had that cold and stern expression, slanting his eyes at Jing Wanyu: "The young master said so, you can stay here."

  Jing Wantong unconsciously lifted her foot and walked forward, pushing open the door to enter. The room was spotless, not a speck of dust in sight, clearly it had been regularly cleaned.

  It wasn't until then that Jing Wan'er finally had a complex emotion that she couldn't suppress rising to the surface of her heart.

  Here, too many memories of the past have emerged.

  Jing Wan'er forced down her emotions and smiled calmly at Pei Shiwei: "Thank the lord for me, and apologize to him again for causing more trouble."

  It's not just adding trouble, Jing Yuanyu herself felt that she had brought nothing but a mess to Pei Tan.

  Pei Shuaiwei gazed at the girl's face, feeling as if he couldn't escape his fate. He slowly opened his mouth and said, "Young Master has never been good with words, but what you say is little, yet you do a lot. For the sake of clearing the name of the Jing family, who knows how much heart and soul you've put into it? Several times, you've walked on the edge of a knife, yet Young Master has never frowned."

  "Your Excellency's efforts for me will be etched in my heart forever."

  Pei's expression was a bit speechless, looking at Jing Wanyan, is that it?

  Jing Wan'er was also slightly surprised, looking at Pei Shuaiwei, "Huh? To think that Pei County's Shuaiwei is also someone who isn't good with words, why did he suddenly say so much today?"

  "In the past, you often made tea for adults?" Pei Shuaiwei suddenly said.

  Jing Wan'er looked at him, her lips moving slightly as if she was about to say something. Pei Shuaiwei's voice rose again, with a hint of solemnity: "Nowadays in the Imperial Court, no one knows how to brew tea; Your Majesty has been drinking cold spring water every day."

  Inside the temple are all a group of rough men, with blood on their blades and an air of violence about them. They would know nothing of the refined art of tea-making, a pursuit only suited to the elegant households of the wealthy.

  Now the weather is cool, a gust of wind at night can make people feel refreshed to their bones, let alone drinking cold spring water?

  Jing Wan'er thought of this, and her eyes moved unconsciously.

  But saw Pei Shuaiwei had already turned and walked away, with big strides that quickly disappeared into the distance.

  Cold spring water...

  It was night, and more than a dozen skilled bailiffs were guarding Pei Tan's study very tightly. A slender figure approached the study.

  They stared blankly, not even a single female hair in sight at the Da Li Temple, yet in the darkness, a woman slowly walked over? That figure's gait, face smiling, wasn't it a female demon?

  Just as Jing Wanyu was getting very close, the bailiff suddenly woke up like a dream and immediately shouted: "Halt! Who are you? How dare you approach the master's study? Don't you know this is a forbidden area?"

  In the past, many traitors emerged from the Temple of Great Wisdom, and from now on, Pei Tan's side would never allow anyone to approach easily.

  Jing Wan'er looked at these several bailiffs, their faces were very unfamiliar, and they were no longer the ones she knew.

  It's said that after the Crown Prince case, Pei Tan has replaced everyone in the Dali Temple. Those treacherous spies with ulterior motives naturally didn't escape. The people sent now are all personally appointed by Emperor Zhongzong, and they are all clean officials with a clear background.

  Jing Wan'er was momentarily embarrassed standing there, and just said: "I am..."

  "A soft and gentle voice came from the study: 'Let her in.'"

  The obstructing official immediately stiffened, then hastily bowed his head towards the study and said: "Yes, sir."

  The people blocking the way immediately fell silent and retreated.

  Jing Wan'er saw this and slightly pursed her cherry lips, then walked towards the study with a steady gait.

  Just then, the attendant Yu Guang stared at Jing Wanyu again, carefully looking at her face and seeing that her eyebrows and eyes were clean, it seemed... she was indeed an ordinary maid, not some kind of evil spirit, and only then did he slightly relax.

  Jing Wan'er walked to the front of the study, lightly lifted her hand and pushed it open. Pei Tan was alone in the study, with a candle on the table, not even accompanied by his guards.

  Pei Tan sat behind his desk, his eyes fixed intently on Jing Wanyan.

  Jing Wan'er carried a teapot and smiled: "Sir."

  A gentle voice, sir, truly touching.

  Jing Wan'er walked gently towards Pei Tan's desk, where he sat under the lamp, wearing loose robes, apparently ready to sleep in the study. However, when Jing Wan'er approached the desk and took a closer look, she barely caught sight of his collarbone faintly visible beneath his clothes, revealing that he had lost a lot of weight.

  Just look at the mountain of files on his desk and you'll know why he's so thin.

  Pei Tan said softly: "Wan Er."

  Jing Wan'er shifted her gaze away, feeling a slight warmth in her ears. "Wan'er... earlier, I saw the light on in Master's study and thought I'd come take a look. Didn't expect to disturb Master."

  "No." Two faint words, Pei Tan said as he gazed at her.

  Jing Wan'er pursed her lips and glanced over, seeing that the tea on his table was indeed cold.

  Jing Wan'er had just put down the teapot. She couldn't do anything else for Pei Tan, but brewing tea was still something she could handle with ease. "It's getting late and dew is heavy, sir should take care of your body and not drink cold tea."

  Looking at the teapot she had put down, Pei Tan slightly furrowed his brow and fixed his gaze on her face: "What are you doing again?"

  In the past, she was said to be a palace maid, a slave servant. Now it's not like that anymore. How can she still do the work of "serving" people?

  Jing Wan'er smiled and raised her eyes: "Sir, don't misunderstand, I'm not trying to curry favor with you. It's just that this tea is brewed in a pot, and one pot is too much for me alone. Since you're also awake, I naturally brought it over to share with you."

  The words are spoken so smoothly and without any fault. But why still need to find Pei Tan to drink tea together?

  Pei Tan gazed at her, his eyes gradually deepening, but he didn't say a word.

  Jing Wan'er had already stretched out her slender hand, naturally taking the cup of tea from in front of Pei Tan and pouring the cold water into the flower pot on the table.

  He picked up the teapot and refilled his cup with hot water.

  Two small hands picked up the cup again and handed a cup of warm tea to Pei Tan's face.

  Pei Tan looked at her, slowly stretched out his hand and took it over.

  Jing Wan'er's fingers accidentally touched Pei Tan's fingertips, a thread of warmth and coolness instantly spread throughout her body. As soon as Pei Tan took the teacup away, she quickly withdrew her hand.

  Pei Tan glanced at her.

  Bai Tan's hands were indeed cold. It seemed that what the guards of Bai County said was true. In this weather, Bai Tan was still awake at midnight, even an iron man couldn't withstand it.

  Jing Wantong's mouth twitched as she stared at the scrolls on the table, smiling lightly: "Is the Supreme Court still handling many cases these days?"

  "The Emperor ordered a thorough investigation into the old cases that had been pending, to see if there were any unjust or overlooked cases."

  It seems that Zhong Zong is really serious this time. Just because of one sentence from the king, Pei Tan, as a minister, was put in a difficult position.

  Jing Wanyi couldn't help but glance at Pei Tan again, and a volume of case files fell off the desk at this moment. Just as Pei Tan was about to pick it up, Jing Wanyi bent down: "Wanyi will help, sir."

  While speaking, she had already picked it up and looked at the messy table, Jing Wanyu stretched out her hand and put the volume on top, and also tidied it up neatly.

  In the past, Jing Wan'er seemed to have done this too. She accompanied Pei Tan by his side and helped him flip through the case files of the Crown Prince and the Jing family.

  After tidying up and putting away her hands, she saw Pei Tan staring at her, Jing Wanyu slightly stiffened and felt a little uneasy.

  It's strange, I'm so used to wanting to help Pei Tan that the influence is still deeply ingrained in my heart. It has already become second nature, and I couldn't help it even if I wanted to.

  "Why don't adults... find a maid to serve them?"

  Jing Wan'er spoke softly, in the past, Pei Tan had been under the scrutiny of Zhong Zong and countless imperial relatives, with swords drawn behind his back. She could understand why Pei Tan never brought extra maids by his side, lest people think that the Da Li Temple Master was a pampered young master, which would damage his dignity.

  But now that the world is settled, the Crown Prince's case has also been cleared up. Pei Tan's position is now secure, and he holds power in his grasp. No one in Chang'an dares to provoke him again, and Pei Tan no longer needs to be as simple as before.

  He was so lonely and isolated. Just now, Jing Yuanner was outside, and from the window, she could see his silhouette. At that moment, she felt a pang in her heart.

  "I'm used to it." Pei Tan's light voice.

  In the past at Pei's home, I was surrounded by servants and maids, and got used to it. Now alone in Chang'an, walking on thin ice, I also got used to it.

  Jing Wan'er stared blankly at him, suddenly feeling a sourness in her nose.

  She lowered her head, but then forced a faint smile onto her lips after a brief moment.

  Pei Tan raised his head and saw the girl smiling. A rare look of puzzlement appeared in his eyes: "What's wrong with you?" What was there to laugh about?

  Jing Wan'er's eyes seemed to have a glimmer of water light, and her lips curled into a smile: "Nothing, Wan'er smiles at the adult, still the same as before, it is the appearance in Wan'er's heart."

  These words caused Pei Tan's eyes to freeze, and after a long time, he suddenly asked in a low voice: "What do you think I am like?"

  Jing Wan'er was taken aback for a moment, her face frozen for a while before she met Pei Tan's deep and mysterious gaze. Jing Wan'er's heart suddenly skipped a beat, and she slightly lowered her head, her tone softening: "In my heart, sir... is one who has the world in his heart, sympathizes with all living things, and is also a humble gentleman, warm and gentle as jade..."

  Pei Tan looked at the girl with her head lowered, and his eyes sparkled.

  A humble young man, gentle as jade.

  Such words would never be used to describe the Grand Justice of Chang'an. The outside world already regards him as a plague god, a calamitous star.

  Jing Wan'er remained still for a moment, seemingly calming down a lot, before daring to lift her head again.

  Pei Tan's eyes were slightly warm and gentle: "Thank you for your praise."

  Jing Wan'er looked at Pei Tan's lips, the faint arc that rose, perhaps it was the position of Dalisi Temple that required him to be majestic, he rarely smiled, but at this moment, just one arc, had made his whole person, like warm jade, with a soft glow.

  Jing Wan'er said in a low voice, "Wan'er is not flattering, but what she says should also be what everyone who has been close to and understood the master thinks in their heart."

  Pei Tan's lips were thin and lightly pursed, but who had ever said that about him? The humble and courteous young master, as smooth as jade. Perhaps it was true for the Pei Tan of many years ago, back in the Guanzhong Pei family. But put into today, could the image of the Da Li Temple's Master, as seen by others, be like this?

  Thinking of the outside world, seeing the plague god, retreating three houses away, is simply a change in complexion.

  Seeing the curve of his lips, fleeting and then returning to a faint expression, Jing Wanyu's bitten lip tightened again, and she slowly said: "Wanyu was once fortunate enough to be able to follow Master every day, and I thought I was the one who understood Master best."

  In the dim light, the girl's gaze, with a hint of mist rising, deepened.