Hua Jiang stood before her in silence.

After a brief moment, he looked away, preparing to move on to the next target.

But before he’d taken ten steps, Bai Youwei called out after him. “Hey — where are you going?”

Hua Jiang was taken aback, and then the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

Ha. Women…

He turned around to face Bai Youwei, adopting an expression of attentive understanding, and said, “I’m going to check on the other brides — in case any of them need assistance.”

“Who could possibly need help more than someone who can’t walk?” Bai Youwei said mildly. “Stay here and help me.”

Hua Jiang smiled and bowed. “It would be my honor to be of service.”

Bai Youwei’s face remained impassive, her tone airy and light. “Since I am the Duke’s bride — which makes me the lady of this manor — and you are merely a gardener, of course you should serve me.”

The smile on Hua Jiang’s face stiffened slightly. “…As long as it is within my ability to do so.”

Bai Youwei gestured downward. “The others are all searching the third floor. I’d like to look downstairs. Carry me down.”

Hua Jiang considered for a moment. “Very well.”

He crouched down in front of Bai Youwei and waited for her to climb onto his back. Once she was settled, he rose and made his way down the stairs.

When they reached the ground floor, he set her down on the sofa in the main hall.

Bai Youwei said, “I’ve changed my mind. This place is too enormous — a cripple like me has no real way to search for the key. I should go back to the third floor and keep an eye on the others, so they can’t hide the key while I’m not looking.”

Hua Jiang felt there was some logic in what she said.

He carried Bai Youwei on his back and returned to the third floor.

The moment Bai Youwei’s hands touched her wheelchair, she let out an irritable sigh. “Actually, forget it. Let’s go back to the first floor. So much time has already passed — if they wanted to hide a key, they’ve already had more than enough time to do it. Watching them now won’t do any good. I’d rather go rest in my room.”

Hua Jiang began to sense that something was off, and hesitated. “Are you certain you want to go to the first floor?”

“What — you’d rather not?” Bai Youwei raised an eyebrow at him. “Didn’t you just say it was your honor to serve me? Since you’re an NPC, please do your job properly. All right?”

Hua Jiang: “……”

Nothing to say. He crouched down before her again — for the third time.

He carried Bai Youwei back at a brisk pace, descended to the first floor, and set her down.

Bai Youwei said, “Go up to the third floor again.”

At last Hua Jiang snapped. “What for this time?! The sun is about to set — I need to be back in the torture chamber before the Duke returns!”

“Why such a dramatic reaction?” Bai Youwei looked at him with irritation. “My wheelchair is still on the third floor. Were you planning to leave it there?”

Hua Jiang blinked — and then his expression turned darkly stony. He looked at her. “…Of course. I’ll retrieve it for you.”

He climbed the long spiral staircase once more and brought the wheelchair back down for Bai Youwei.

Bai Youwei said, “All right. You can go up to the third floor now.”

Hua Jiang said furiously, “I came to you in complete sincerity, and you have been toying with me this entire time!”

“Hmm?” Bai Youwei tilted her head and looked up at him. “Which fool was it who said he needed to be back in the torture chamber before the Duke returned? If you’re not going up to the third floor — are you planning to stay down here for dinner?”

Hua Jiang: “……”

Rage was building inside him. His hands clenched into fists. And beneath the rage, a deeper confusion: why would a player behave like this?

Had she seen through him?

But he hadn’t shown a single crack in his performance!

At that moment, the sound of faint, scattered sobbing drifted down from upstairs.

Cheng Qian was stumbling through the hallway above, crying without direction, murmuring to herself over and over: “What do I do… I can’t find it… I can’t find it… he’s coming, he’s coming to kill me… can’t find the key…”

Hua Jiang reset his expression — composing it once again into something soft and full of concern — and walked toward the staircase, letting the tenderness surface naturally on his face. “Excuse me… do you need any help?”