Yan Changqing nodded.
"A trap can take many forms; it can be tangible or a word game, and it's necessary to guard against both."
"Cai Xiaohong has one chance to order us each day. We can refuse, but probably not more than three times."
"Cleaning the room doesn't sound very dangerous, and I believe no one would waste a precious opportunity over such a trivial matter. The key, however, lies in how we determine whether we've 'accepted' or 'rejected' the order."
Ning Xiaona's eyes lit up, and she quickly understood the logic behind it.
"Are you saying someone will come to inspect our rooms?"
"Most likely." Yan Changqing continued, "The conditions for an order to be fulfilled should have a standard. If, during the inspection, the room is found to still have dirty spots, it might be deemed a failure to comply with the order, thus wasting an opportunity."
"Moreover, there might be clues or other traps hidden in the guest rooms. All in all, I think it's necessary for everyone to take this cleaning seriously."
Yan Changqing had always been extremely calm. Even when everyone else was still reeling from the shadow of death brought by the butler, he maintained his composure, observing and analyzing everything around him.
It must be said that having someone like him step forward at a crucial moment significantly boosted their sense of security and helped them calm their emotions.
"Little brother, you're truly bold and meticulous!" He Xuexing gave him a thumbs-up, but after a moment, he frowned again, "It's just that I still have a nagging feeling. That mission requires us to survive here for seven days, but we can only refuse twice. This means we must obey his order five times."
"What if, during this period, he gives us three consecutive orders to commit suicide? Wouldn't that mean it's a dead end from the start?"
At his words, everyone present also turned pale.
This eerie old castle, the butler was a goat-headed monster who could easily smash their heads with one punch.
The seemingly delicate and cute little girl had also displayed extremely terrifying strength earlier.
They already had a good idea that there was probably no normal human in this old castle; even the little girl was like that, let alone her parents.
Facing such a group of terrifying monsters, could they really survive for seven days?
"It shouldn't be that simple." As if seeing through everyone's thoughts, Yan Changqing shook his head, "If they really wanted to kill us, it wouldn't even take a day."
"But..." Dan Lingting timidly raised her hand, "What if they're just a group of monsters who enjoy killing and prefer to slowly torture us to death?"
"I've also considered what you said." Yan Changqing quickly dispelled her worries, "However, I think that possibility is very low, judging from the red wine they prepared for us."
"I believe everyone present noticed that the red wine has a captivating effect, and drinking it could have serious consequences."
"There are two inferences: one, the red wine is fatal, meaning we die immediately upon drinking it, which doesn't fit your description of monsters who enjoy killing. Two, the red wine causes some kind of change in our bodies, but would monsters who enjoy killing use the same method to deal with so many people?"
Yan Changqing smiled.
"Putting myself in their shoes, if I were a monster who enjoyed killing, I definitely wouldn't do that. With power beyond human strength, it would be effortless to play with your lives until you die. Using only red wine to decide your fate would be too boring."
At this moment, everyone present felt a chill down their spines. The Yan Changqing before them, though clearly smiling gently, seemed somewhat sinister and terrifying.
Yan Changqing ignored them and continued, "So, I believe the monsters in the castle are unable to kill people easily. They are bound by certain rules. As long as we don't violate their rules, they cannot lay a hand on us."
"As for whether the master's order will make us commit suicide, we can also infer that from the red wine incident earlier."
"I once asked Cai Xiaohong if drinking the red wine was his order. He seemed very unwilling at the time, but still answered that it wasn't."
"Combining this with today's order, which is just cleaning, I think the order should also have limitations. Perhaps he can only ask us to do things within a reasonable scope, at least not letting the order directly endanger our lives."
Upon hearing Yan Changqing's explanation, everyone finally relaxed, and their expressions improved significantly.
However, Yan Changqing's next sentence immediately brought their relaxed hearts back to their throats.
"But we can't be careless. The mission requires us to survive for seven days, and it's hard to say what changes might occur during these seven days. The difficulty of the order might also escalate with each passing day."
"Don't just think about surviving. Don't forget, there's also a clause about investigating the secrets of the castle. I think that's our only way out."
"Then what should we do?" Ji Tingting hurriedly asked. She suddenly felt that if it was this person, perhaps he could truly lead everyone out of their predicament.
"It's getting late today. I suggest everyone clean their rooms first today, and then tomorrow, we can divide into several teams to investigate clues in the castle."
"Okay, we'll listen to the little brother." He Xuexing agreed without hesitation. As an experienced person, he knew very well what it meant to have someone clear-headed and decisive at this moment.
Everyone else also nodded, and even Fu Suyun, who had been aggressive earlier, changed her expression several times before finally softening.
"Yan... Yan Changqing, I was wrong just now. You know, as a girl, suddenly coming to such a strange place, I was stimulated and under a lot of pressure, so I spoke without thinking. I hope you won't take it to heart."
Yan Changqing didn't say anything, just stared at her, not knowing what he was thinking.
"Wh-what's wrong?" Fu Suyun felt uneasy under his gaze, a little scared.
"Hmm."
Yan Changqing retracted his gaze, only softly acknowledging her.
The remaining room assignment quickly concluded.
He Xuexing extended an invitation to him:
"Little brother, Ai Haoming is a troublemaker, and I, an old man, don't get along with him. How about we share a room tonight?"
Yan Changqing didn't refuse. He and He Xuexing stayed together in Room 201, across from Ning Xiaona and Ji Tingting, who were in Room 202.
Next, Fu Suyun and Dan Lingting stayed in Room 203, and the remaining Ai Haoming stayed in Room 204.
After entering the room with He Xuexing, Yan Changqing quickly looked around. It was very spacious, with only a bunk bed, a table, a chair, and a wardrobe.
He opened the wardrobe and found a broom, a mop, and a bucket.
The room had an en-suite bathroom, which appeared more modern than the exterior of the castle.
The shower, washbasin, toilet, mirror, and toiletries were all well-stocked.
Yan Changqing searched every corner, not even missing the crevices, but found nothing suspicious.
"Speaking of which, little brother, you have a really good personality." He Xuexing suddenly interjected, "That girl named Fu, she's really got something wrong with her brain. She's probably been spoiled rotten outside. It's only because you, little brother, are so smart and magnanimous that you don't bother with her. I have a daughter, and she's much better than her..."
"I didn't stay to talk so much to help her." Yan Changqing had already started sweeping the floor with the broom. "Dan Lingting didn't offend me, so what needed to be said still had to be said."
"And—" He looked up, his eyes narrowing, "If you really think Fu Suyun is just someone who makes unreasonable demands, then you've fallen for her trick. She's quite shrewd."