ng Qianqian looked at the man with a faint smile, "Chen Long has been living in the Governor Mansion for so long, he suspects I already know the answer. Asking deliberately is just putting himself at risk. If he lies, he loses. But suspicion is just suspicion—if I’m bluffing and he tells the truth, he’ll reveal Chen Long’s weakness to ."
Bai Yuwei suddenly understood, "So in this round, he has no choice but to drop out!"
ng Qianqian replied, "Exactly."
The man let out a long breath and said to ng Qianqian, "You’re even smarter than I imagined. Seems I’ll have to take you more seriously."
ng Qianqian responded bluntly, "No need to regain face in such a manner."
The man’s lips twitched, "My turn. Is Lu Yuan the son of King Chu?"
ng Qianqian was secretly startled.
Lu Yuan... the son of King Chu?
Why would he ask such an absurd question?
The rules allow lying, unless he already has definitive proof of Lu Yuan’s lineage.
But the answer to this question is simply "yes or no," leaving a fifty-percent chance of guessing correctly.
If he were a true gambler, he might take the risk—but he clearly isn’t one.
A smart person doesn’t stoop to gambling; they seek to leave no gaps in logic.
That leaves only one possibility: he has doubts and is trying to extract the truth from .
I can say anything, but he’ll discern the truth from my expression and tone.
"Yes."
ng Qianqian’s eyes shifted as she answered.
Go ahead and guess!
Bai Yuwei was completely bewildered by the exchange, unable to distinguish truth from lies.
ng Qianqian called out five chess pieces.
But luck wasn’t on her side; Bai Yuwei pulled out four black pieces and one white.
One against five.
She was left with only one black piece.
The man couldn’t suppress his laughter, "It seems the Yin Hu Guard is short on luck tonight. To soone unaware, it’d look like Miss Bai was my little sister-in-law."
Bai Yuwei froze at his comnt, instantly flustered, and reached toward ng Qianqian, "What do you an? Did I... did I take all your black pieces?"
ng Qianqian glanced at the remaining pieces in the chess box, "No, you did perfectly fine; it’s exactly what I wanted."
The man chuckled, "No need to pretend to be strong."
ng Qianqian looked at the man, "My final question—will you let win?"
The man was stunned.
A sudden realization dawned on him, and his victorious smile froze at the corners of his lips.
If he answered "yes," then to ensure his answer was truthful, he would have to surrender; otherwise, he’d be lying.
Lying was the ultimate loss.
If he answered "no," then he would need to ensure Bai Yuwei pulled out a black piece next.
"You’ve already used your opportunity to abstain. According to the rules, you must answer."
ng Qianqian said as she moved her fingertip, revealing a silver needle, "Little sister, I am a descendant of the Ghost Gate Thirteen Needles."
Bai Yuwei froze for a mont before exclaiming, "I understand now! Needle holes, needle holes..."
She began searching the chess pieces in the box for ones with needle holes.
The man’s face darkened, "You’re cheating!"
ng Qianqian shrugged, "How am I cheating? Did I tell her exactly which piece to pick?"
The man exclaid, "You tampered with the chess pieces!"
ng Qianqian innocently replied, "When I asked you about the rules, you didn’t say anything against tampering."
Bai Yuwei pressed her hands on the chess pieces, excitedly announcing, "I’ve found it! Sir, how many pieces do you want? Just a reminder, you can’t take them all at once, but you also can’t take none!"
The man gritted his teeth, "Does it even matter how many I take? ng Xiaojiu, you’ve won!"
ng Qianqian smiled, "So you’re saying you concede? I’ve beaten you; you wouldn’t go back on your word, right?"
The man replied seriously, "I, Xun Qi, admit defeat!"
"Oh."
ng Qianqian curved her lips into a smile, "Little sister, give him a black piece."
Bai Yuwei handed the man a chess piece, but it wasn’t a black one—it was a white piece.
The man was utterly shocked.
ng Qianqian shrugged, "I didn’t tamper with the pieces earlier; I was bluffing. But since you already conceded, you won’t go back on your word, will you?"
The man almost spat out blood.
No wonder this sly girl asked, "So you concede?" Conceding and admitting defeat—such a small difference in wording—but in monts of extre emotional agitation, one hardly notices.
At most, it’s a miscommunication.
Coupled with her provocative follow-up statent, she completely eliminated any room for reconsideration.
Her seemingly casual, aningless remarks were, in fact, traps in every sentence.
He lost—and it was a loss he willingly admitted.
"Wow! We really won!" Bai Yuwei excitedly tore off the blindfold, "I’m amazing, right? I coordinated seamlessly, right? I figured out your strategy instantly!"
ng Qianqian didn’t hesitate to praise her, "Little sister, you’re incredible. Thanks to you, we could win."
It wasn’t empty flattery—at the critical mont, Bai Yuwei truly understood her intentions.
Bai Yuwei was bursting with pride!
She had been helpful; she had contributed!
This household couldn’t function without her, and the little one’s rescue hinged on her.
By extension, this household would collapse without her!
The man’s expression darkened considerably as he looked at ng Qianqian with a sinister smile, "You’re so cunning—aren’t you afraid I’ll break my promise?"
ng Qianqian candidly admitted, "Afraid. There’s a fifty-percent chance you’ll break your word. I’ve known this from the start. Even if I win against you, I only have a fifty-percent chance of saving my child. But if I don’t give my all to win, I won’t even have that fifty-percent chance."
The man’s hostility gradually dissipated, replaced by a long sigh, "ng Xiaojiu, you’re a worthy opponent. Now I understand why my adoptive father wants you gone. It isn’t just to crush Lu Yuan; it’s because with you by his side, Lu Yuan truly has the confidence to challenge my adoptive father."
Bai Yuwei was utterly surprised and asked, "You’re also Pri Minister Xun’s adopted son? Exactly how many sons does he have?"
Xun Qi smiled faintly, "I’m ranked seventh, the pri minister’s youngest son. Second Brother is Chen Long, Third Brother is Xun Yu, and Lu Yuan is the fourth."
Bai Yuwei asked, "So many sons—what about the eldest, fifth, and sixth?"
Xun Qi didn’t answer her question but turned to ng Qianqian and said, "My adoptive father’s children are all exceptionally talented. He originally didn’t intend for all of us to return to the capital, but who could have predicted that Lu Yuan would turn out to be an unyielding, immovable force?"
These words sounded more like a reminder for her to stay cautious.
ng Qianqian blinked discreetly and said, "I want to see my daughter."
Xun Qi replied, "Alright."
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