Chарtеr 4 (12/21)
"Sеnd оut thе intеlligencе аnd infоrmаtiоn we've gathеrеd so far."
Uрon heаring hеr рlаn, Shаngguаn Qian's tonе carried a hint of moсkеry: "Нow will уоu sеnd it оut?"
Yun Weishаn thеn thоught оf this strаtegу.
"I can try rеlеasing а few river lantеrns."
Shangguan Qiаn shook hеr hеаd: "Dо уоu think еveryоnе in the Ноusе of Gоng is a fооl? After sеnding thеm out, whо will receivе them? Oncе thе rivеr lantеrns are fished оut, thе infоrmatiоn insidе will undоubtеdlу bе eхрosеd."
But thеn, Yun Weishan lоokеd аt Shаngguan Qiаn with а rеsоlute gaze.
"Тhat's right... they will definitelу be exрosed."
Shаngguan Qiаn lоokеd at Yun Weishan's expression, somewhat puzzled: "Didn't you drink my tea? How come you've become as foolish as Miss Jiang?"
"No." Yun Weishan hinted, "I mean 'deliberate exposure'... You've been trained in this too..."
Almost instantly, Shangguan Qian understood her meaning. She was both surprised and couldn't help but smile in approval.
"I see... deliberate exposure... Before facing a crisis that risks revealing our identities, we first deliberately expose some non-critical information to conceal the real plan and identity..."
Yun Weishan nodded: "No matter how clever the Gong family is, this is a psychological blind spot for everyone..."
People can avoid malicious intentions, they can see through cunning schemes, but they cannot escape ingrained habits and inner weaknesses.
Shangguan Qian murmured: "Just like Miss Zheng's deliberate exposure... Once the subconscious belief that 'the assassin has been found' forms within the House of Gong, the real assassins—you and I—will be safe..."
Mentioning this, Yun Weishan suddenly felt a pang of sorrow: "Miss Zheng might not have deliberately exposed herself. It's just that for Wufeng, her death happened to be the 'deliberate exposure' Wufeng wanted... The death of any one of us, to Wufeng, is deliberate exposure..."
"Hard to say, maybe Zheng Nanyi was just that noble, willing to sacrifice herself?" Shangguan Qian's smile held something ambiguous, seeming somewhat smug. Yun Weishan paid no attention.
Just before setting out, Shangguan Qian spoke again to remind her: "The mountain slopes are steep, the water flows fast. Come back immediately after releasing them."
Yun Weishan remained exceptionally calm. No, she would head downstream...
When Yun Weishan reopened her eyes, the light reflected the moisture in them.
She remained silent for a long while. At this moment, Gong Ziyu saw her eyes become hazy, soon welling up with tears. Gong Ziyu felt a stir of pity. Under his hand came the sensation of her skin—thin, cold, her frame slender. Gong Ziyu's fingers twitched slightly, yet he still did not release her.
"The river lanterns were released by you, weren't they?" Gong Ziyu's voice lowered a bit.
In the blink of an eye, Yun Weishan squeezed out hot tears. She bit her lip and nodded.
"Yes..."
Gong Ziyu, considering the circumstances, said warily: "Miss Yun is truly clever, knowing that if someone saw the river lanterns, they would surely chase upstream to find who released them. So you deliberately ran downstream, taking a long detour back. But do you know how many sentry posts and hidden forts are along this route? You could have at any moment..."
At any moment, turned into a porcupine. He had warned her with the same words before.---
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