AUBTN -Chapter 194 Set Up

He calmly lifted his teacup, his long lashes lowering to conceal the sharp insight in his eyes.

He had already figured out most of it.

Yu Qing’s description, though seemingly clever, had instead exposed the subtle discrepancy between her and the other three.

“Alright, the first round of descriptions is done. Do you all have an idea now?” Yu Qing urged.

“Now we begin the second round—let’s raise the difficulty a bit!”

Lu Yan still went first. After a moment’s thought, he added, “It supports the neck.”

This description was even more specific, practically narrowing it down completely.

Su Hewan followed right after: “It has stuffing inside.”

Both descriptions made the image of a pillow almost unmistakable.

Then it was Shen Jue’s turn.

He gave Su Hewan a meaningful look, then glanced at Lu Yan.

That look seemed to convey some silent message.

Only then did he leisurely speak, a trace of amusement in his voice: “This object… has no words.”

No words!

Those two words struck like a thunderbolt, instantly clarifying the situation.

Su Hewan, quick-witted as ever, immediately understood Shen Jue’s intent.

A pillow, of course, has no words!

And something that could accompany people into dreams, while resembling a pillow in form or function… was a book! And books, naturally, have words!

She glanced at Yu Qing again, her eyes now carrying a hint of understanding and amusement.

Though Lu Yan wasn’t as perceptive as Shen Jue, as the Commander of the Northern Guard, he was highly skilled at reading people.

That one look from Shen Jue, combined with the phrase “no words,” made everything clear—Shen Jue was signaling that the undercover player was Yu Qing, and proposing they work together to vote her out.

A simple dinner table game had, in the hands of these two, taken on the flavor of political maneuvering in court.

A barely noticeable smile curved at Lu Yan’s lips. He lowered his head in cooperation, hiding the amusement in his eyes.

Now, only Yu Qing remained to give the final description.

Still unaware that she had already fallen into the carefully laid trap of the other three.

When she heard Shen Jue’s “no words,” her heart skipped—something felt wrong.

Her word was “book.”

But Yu Qing was not one to admit defeat easily.

Her mind raced, and she forced herself to say, “Mine… can tell stories.”

She tried to use “telling stories” to justify her earlier clue about accompanying people into dreams.

“Alright, two rounds of descriptions are over! Time to vote!” Yu Qing announced, feigning composure. Deep down, she still clung to a sliver of hope—she wanted to muddy the waters and redirect suspicion toward Shen Jue, who always spoke in such cryptic ways.

“I vote for Yu Qing,” Shen Jue spoke first, his tone calm, as if merely stating a fact.

“Huh?” Yu Qing froze.

“Why vote for me? Shen Jue, you’re the most suspicious! ‘Bedroom object,’ ‘no words’—who even knows what nonsense you’re talking about!”

Su Hewan held back a laugh, raised her hand, and gave Yu Qing a helpless look. “Qingqing, I vote for you too.”

“Wanw—! You…” Yu Qing was in disbelief.

Finally, she turned her hopeful gaze to Lu Yan.

Lu Yan lifted his head and met her accusatory stare. After a brief silence, he slowly uttered two words:

“Qingqing.”

Three votes. Unanimous.

Yu Qing was completely stunned. She pointed at the three of them, so angry she could barely speak: “Y-you… you three planned this together!”

“What do you mean ‘planned’?” Shen Jue took a sip of tea and said leisurely, “We simply judged according to the rules and voted based on the facts. Miss Yu, please reveal your word.”

Yu Qing angrily slapped her slip of paper onto the table—“Book.”

Su Hewan and Lu Yan also revealed theirs—“Pillow.”

The truth came to light.

“Well, well, you two!” Yu Qing finally snapped, pointing at Shen Jue and Lu Yan.

“You were exchanging glances just now—you were definitely plotting against me! And you, Wanwan, you traitor!”

Su Hewan laughed so hard she collapsed onto the table, waving her hands repeatedly. “I had nothing to do with it—it’s just that Lord Governor is too clever.”

“Clever? More like too cunning!” Yu Qing huffed indignantly, then grabbed the wine cup in front of Lu Yan and shoved it into his hands.

“No way! You two teamed up to bully me—you drink this as punishment!”

Looking at her flustered and furious expression, Lu Yan’s eyes were filled with indulgent affection. Without a word, he tilted his head back and drained the cup in one go.

Only then did Yu Qing feel a bit relieved.

Seeing the two of them—one willing to punish, the other willing to accept—the laughter in the waterside pavilion grew even louder.

As night deepened, the warmth of the hot pot intertwined with cheerful laughter, filling this small corner of the world with a cozy glow.

Under the table, Su Hewan quietly reached out and held Shen Jue’s hand.

Feeling the softness in his palm, Shen Jue clasped her hand in return. Tilting his head, his phoenix eyes shimmered under the lamplight, so gentle they seemed capable of melting into water.

He said nothing, but Su Hewan understood the message in his gaze.

Don’t be afraid. I’m here.

And in this world, there was no sweeter declaration of love than that.

The warmth of that night’s hot pot gathering seemed to linger among the pavilions and waters of Yu Garden.

But peaceful days never lasted long.

A few days later, one afternoon, Su Hewan was going over the patterns of Shu brocade the chamber of commerce was about to procure with Yu Qing when the steward hurried in with a calling card.

The card was made of fine Chengxintang paper, with elegant handwriting.

It was sent by Madam Lin.

The letter was earnest in tone, stating that she had caught a chill a few days ago and had been bedridden ever since, her illness still lingering.

Having heard that Su Hewan was not only a gifted businesswoman but also somewhat knowledgeable in medicine, she boldly invited her to visit her countryside residence outside the capital to take her pulse. If she could be cured, there would be a generous reward.

Yu Qing leaned over to take a look and immediately grew wary. “Wanwan, this is obviously a trap! What ‘caught a chill’? This is like a weasel paying New Year’s greetings to a chicken—no good intentions at all!”

Su Hewan’s fingers lightly brushed over the letter. Her expression remained calm, but deep in her clear eyes lay a quiet heaviness.

Of course she knew it was a trap.

The first attempt at probing had failed. This second invitation was the moment the dagger would finally be revealed.

“I know.” She folded the letter.

“But I have to go.”

“Why?” Yu Qing grew anxious. “You know there’s a tiger on the mountain, and you still want to walk straight toward it? We can just ignore her!”

“Qingqing, we can’t avoid this.” Su Hewan shook her head. Her voice was soft, yet firm.

“If they found me once, they’ll find me a second and third time. Rather than passively waiting, it’s better to go and see what they’re really up to.”

Putting the letter away, she said nothing more and headed straight for Shen Jue’s study.

Yu Garden, Study.

The atmosphere was heavy.

Shen Jue sat at the head seat, while Lu Yan stood with arms crossed, his expression serious.

Yu Qing paced anxiously beside Su Hewan.

“No! I don’t agree!” After hearing Shen Jue explain the matter of the Fuyuan Society and Madam Lin’s second invitation, Yu Qing was the first to jump up.

“This is too dangerous! Who knows how many people are lying in ambush in that estate? Letting Wanwan go alone is no different from sending a lamb into a tiger’s den!”

Lu Yan also spoke in a low voice, “This matter is indeed suspicious. Since they know Miss Su has a close relationship with you and still dare to invite her so openly, they must have something to rely on. We must be cautious.”

Shen Jue lifted his gaze, sweeping it across the room before finally resting on Su Hewan’s calm face.

He knew she had already made her decision.

“I know it’s dangerous,” he finally said, his voice low and steady.

“So I don’t intend to let her go alone.”