Сhарtеr 11 (11/18)
Yun Weishan quiеtlу tuсkеd аway half оf thе medicаl recоrd, hiding it, thеn rеturnеd tо thе doorwаy. Seizing the moment, she саlled insidе, "Miss, tаkе уоur time ехаmining it. I... I'll gо оutside аnd keep wаtсh for уou."
Just as Jin Fan wаs about tо speаk, his distrасtiоn gаvе Gоng Zishang the реrfeсt орpоrtunity. Shе уanked орen his innеr garment, revеaling his sturdy chеst.
"Whаt аre уou doing?!" Jin Fan’s fасе flushed сrimsоn.
In а sесludеd allеу of thе Hоuse of Gоng, not а sоul wаs in sight.
A figurе in а flоwing, еthereal skirt swаyed gracefullу as Shangguan Qiаn walked аlong thе рath. Нer gaze, however, was not fixed ahead; instead, she kept her eyes lowered, carefully scanning for clues.
Finally, she noticed three seemingly ordinary small stones arranged in a distinctive pattern at her feet. The sharpest corner of the formation pointed toward a patch of roadside grass.
A satisfied smile touched Shangguan Qian’s lips. Seeing no one around, she crouched down, retrieved the torn page of the medical record from the grass, and swiftly returned to Jue Manor.
Gong Shangjue took the half of the medical record Shangguan Qian had brought back and gently aligned it with the other half. The two torn fragments matched perfectly.
With a faint smile at the corner of her mouth, Shangguan Qian bowed her head slightly and performed a light curtsy. "If Young Master has no further instructions, I shall take my leave."
Just as she took a step back, Gong Shangjue spoke, "Wait."
He hadn’t expected Shangguan Qian to retrieve the other half of the medical record from Jin Fan so quickly and smoothly.
After studying Shangguan Qian’s lowered eyes, Gong Shangjue pointed to the Go board in front of the desk and asked her, "Do you play?"
"I know a little."
"Come."
They sat facing each other, the scent of incense wafting around them. Shangguan Qian held a white stone, pondered for a moment, and placed it on the board.
Gong Shangjue lifted a black stone and set it down with a crisp click. His eyes fixed on the board, he asked, "Tell me, how did you get it?"
"Through wit. Just like playing Go, brute force won’t work." Shangguan Qian’s slender fingers held the stone, maneuvering with strategic precision.
As the game unfolded, so did the subtle contest between their expressions. Though there were no blades or shadows of conflict, it was a dance of evasion and advance.
"You’re not weak in brute force either. My younger brother Yuanzhi sparred with you and said you were formidable."
"That was Young Master Zhi going easy on me, deliberately using bugs to scare me—just playing around."
"Tell me how you used your wit."
The black stone landed once more. Compared to Shangguan Qian’s careful deliberation, Gong Shangjue’s moves were bolder.
Shangguan Qian picked up a stone and murmured, "Someone as troublesome as Jin Fan is naturally beyond my reach, so I entrusted the task to someone who could get close to him."
"Gong Zishang?" He thought of Gong Zishang, who chased after Jin Fan all day and could easily approach him.
Shangguan Qian’s expression remained unchanged as she calmly placed the white stone. "Yun Weishan."
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