Inside the room, Grace Carter stood up and let out a long sigh.

What kind of sin had he committed in his previous life for fate to play such a huge joke on him?

He had only taken a nap on the bus, and somehow ended up here. He thought that maybe one morning he’d wake up and inexplicably return.

But reality proved he was overthinking it.

After half a month, even the last shred of hope in his heart had almost been worn away.

He wasn’t someone who gave up easily, but faced with something as bizarre and fantastical as transmigration, he couldn’t help but feel despair and helplessness.

Since he was here, he might as well make the best of it. Maybe there would be a way out in the future, but for now, all he could do was choose to live well.

But then another problem arose.

He didn’t know how to take the imperial exams, nor did he have capital for business. Thinking carefully, it seemed he didn’t have any skills he could rely on. Once he walked out the gates of The Walker Residence, even his next meal would be a problem. It seemed that only by muddling along here and living off others could he barely maintain the appearance of a life...

As for the memories from his previous life, apart from occasionally recalling a few movies to kill time, they didn’t seem to be of much use.

He pushed open the door and walked out. There was still some time before lunch. After leaving The Walker Residence, he wandered the streets for a while, spending nearly half an hour before returning to The Walker Residence.

Every day, he would go to the alley where he woke up that day—not to look for information about his identity, but to find that little beggar.

If it hadn’t been for that little beggar, for that handful of water and that cabbage bun, he might have already transmigrated a second time by now.

However, since that day, he hadn’t seen him again.

He had asked the beggars in that alley and learned that the boy didn’t come every day. Lingzhou was big, and beggars were very territorial, but not every beggar had their own turf. Those without a territory would wander all over Lingzhou. That day was also the first time they’d seen that little beggar.

Grace Carter sighed. Although the boy had only given him a handful of water and a bun, to him, it was a life-saving favor...

Sophie walked to the door and shouted, “Young master, it’s time to eat!”

The girl’s crisp and pleasant voice made Grace Carter a bit allergic; just hearing it gave him goosebumps.

The young master of The Walker Residence was a bookworm, and couldn’t get it up in the morning—every time he thought of the way the servants of The Walker Residence looked at him, Grace Carter wanted to pin Sophie to the bed and spank her until her butt was swollen.

Although he and Emily Walker were husband and wife in name, it was only in name. Grace Carter had his own small courtyard, and Emily Walker had her own room. They always slept separately—this only confirmed the second suspicion.

Grace Carter knew very well that he was just a shield. They hadn’t held a wedding, but there was a marriage certificate. His father-in-law was the county magistrate, and getting an ID for Grace Carter and registering the marriage at the yamen was just a matter of a few words.

He had nothing to complain about; it was just a matter of mutual need. The The Walker Family needed him as a son-in-law to shut up the prefect, and since he had just arrived in this world, he needed some time to adapt. If it weren’t for this convenient father-in-law helping him settle things like his identity, he probably wouldn’t have survived even three days.

From Emily Walker, it was clear that the The Walker Family had good family discipline. During meals, they usually ate in silence, and Grace Carter would eat quietly, wait for Emily Walker to finish, then leave the table with her, and each return to their own rooms...

At today’s meal, his father-in-law seemed distracted, several times raising his chopsticks to his mouth only to stop, not even noticing when the food fell off.

The woman sitting across from him finally couldn’t help but ask, “Master, is Prefect Dong giving you trouble again?”

Charles Walker neither admitted nor denied it, saying, “There’s a rather tricky case these days. If it’s not handled well, I’m afraid Prefect Dong will seize the opportunity to make things difficult again...”

As if suddenly remembering something, he put down his chopsticks, looked at Grace Carter, and said, “The clerk at the yamen is ill and can’t come tomorrow. If you’re free, come and take notes for a case in his place.”

Half a month after arriving at The Walker Residence, Grace Carter was drafted for the first time.

A clerk at the yamen was sick, and Grace Carter’s job was to temporarily fill in for him during tomorrow’s court session.

After dinner, Emily Walker brought over some case files, placed them on his desk, and said softly, “These are some previous case files. Take a look first, and just write in the same style tomorrow.”

Grace Carter opened a file and glanced through it, finding that what he needed to do wasn’t anything technical—just record some key testimonies and case developments. As long as he could write, there wouldn’t be much of a problem.

Fortunately, although he hadn’t inherited this body’s memories, when it came to reading and writing, it felt as natural as breathing. He could only attribute it to some kind of muscle memory of this body.

After putting down the files, Emily Walker didn’t leave. She hesitated for a moment, looked at him again, and said, “Thank you.”

Grace Carter turned his head to look at her. “Hm?”