Chapter 77: Understanding Without Words

After returning from the teahouse, Silver Yao was noticeably quieter. Li Su observed this but refrained from asking questions; if he showed such distrust, how would Silver Yao feel? He dared not imagine it.

As though sensing his unspoken curiosity, Silver Yao forced a smile and said softly to him, “Afraid to ask? Gu Xinyu and I just discussed some personal matters—nothing important.”

Li Su gave an awkward smile. Remembering what happened earlier, he spoke to Silver Yao, “The letter has been sent, and Chu Zuoyi said he has no objections. Everything will proceed as you’ve planned! If there’s anything else you need help with, just say the word!”

Silver Yao nodded, saying no more.

“Yao’er, about leading the Bronze Shadow Guards—have you decided whom to choose?” Li Su knew Silver Yao had made some small changes to the plan: the one to lead the guards would no longer be the original commander but someone else assigned to direct them.

She glanced at Li Su, thinking for a moment before answering, “I’d planned to lead them myself, but now I want you to do it. What do you think?”

“Me?” Li Su was a bit confused.

“I don’t believe Ji Muyu would rely on a single plan to search for Shang Lian, so I want you in charge of that! As for his other, unknown actions—I’ll handle those!” Silver Yao revealed her long-considered theory.

“A two-pronged plan! That’s very likely. All right, I’ll set out tomorrow to meet the Bronze Shadow Guards.” Li Su completely agreed with her deduction—knowing how important Shang Lian was to Ji Muyu, he’d never rely on just one approach.

“Thank you,” Silver Yao said with a smile.

“It’s nothing!” Li Su smiled in return.

…

Watching Gu Xinyu, who had just returned looking a bit disheveled, Chu Zuoyi couldn’t help but find it amusing. “Xinyu, you’ve finally come back!”

“Huh? What is it?” Gu Xinyu was puzzled by Chu Zuoyi’s tone. Was something supposed to have happened while he was out?

“Silver Yao’s new plan has arrived—let’s discuss it together!” Chu Zuoyi didn’t tease him further and got straight to the point.

Gu Xinyu thought something serious had happened… nearly scared him. Then he realized why Silver Yao, when she saw him seeking her, had said, “Speak of the devil.” She’d been about to tell him the new plan.

“Go on.”

“Ji Muyu’s actions are becoming more frequent, and his search for Shang Lian now has a clear direction. Silver Yao said she wants Ji Muyu to see plainly that she and I are working together, so we’re to merge the people we’ve sent out with those from the Liyin Sect acting in the open. As for those in the shadows, she’ll handle them herself.”

“I’ll lead the team, how about that?” Gu Xinyu volunteered.

Chu Zuoyi burst out laughing. “That’s perfect! I’ll leave it to you, Brother Xinyu! Ha!”

Seeing Chu Zuoyi’s triumphant smile, Gu Xinyu thought to himself: If not for the fear that you’d get curious about things you’re not supposed to know, I wouldn’t have volunteered. This way, I can keep my distance from you—of course I’ll choose to lead an expedition.

“Xinyu, if both you and I are out, who do you trust to hold down Lingyu Pavilion?” Chu Zuoyi frowned, considering suitable candidates.

“You’re leaving too? Why?” Gu Xinyu was more concerned about why Chu Zuoyi was leaving again so soon after just returning.

“If you were Ji Muyu, and you knew your opponent was fully prepared for your actions, would you only make one plan?” Chu Zuoyi didn’t answer directly, but posed a scenario, trusting Gu Xinyu would understand.

Sure enough, Gu Xinyu exclaimed, “Of course not! If it were me, I’d secretly arrange another group, and maybe that second group would be my real force! That way, while you’re distracted, the real search for Shang Lian could proceed, using the others as decoys to confuse you and quickly seize Shang Lian.”

“Exactly! If we can think of this, Ji Muyu surely can too. So we must thoroughly investigate those he’s sent to operate in the dark!” Chu Zuoyi applauded Gu Xinyu’s insight.

“Understood! I’ll keep a close eye out. You do the same. By the way, is this why you want someone else at Lingyu Pavilion?” Gu Xinyu now understood.

Chu Zuoyi nodded, turning over the candidates in his mind. Gu Xinyu did the same, recalling the performance of everyone in the pavilion.

Whose figure flashed through their minds?

“How about Nameless?”

They spoke in perfect unison—a rare moment of complete accord.

Chu Zuoyi and Gu Xinyu both nodded. At present, Nameless seemed the most suitable. She had steadily earned everyone’s trust and entered the inner council through her strength; her exceptional performance had left a deep impression on many. She must be the idol of the newer members by now.

“Zuoyi, are you sure about Nameless?” Gu Xinyu needed confirmation before issuing the command.

Chu Zuoyi pondered further, wanting to consider every angle. Handing over everything he’d built wasn’t something he could take lightly—not even “just in case” was acceptable.

Seeing Chu Zuoyi’s hesitation, Gu Xinyu wasn’t impatient; he knew this was no trivial matter.

“Xinyu, have you thoroughly investigated Nameless’s background?”

“Of course! Otherwise why would we keep her at Lingyu Pavilion?” Gu Xinyu replied confidently, then suddenly recalled something. “There is one thing! If you hadn’t asked, I might not have thought much of it. Nameless’s identity is real, and to earn our trust she even accepted the order to assassinate the Prime Minister. But thinking back, things seemed almost too smooth.”

“Mm.” Chu Zuoyi concurred.

“So, do we still choose her?” This time, Gu Xinyu couldn’t be so decisive.

“Xinyu, let’s give Nameless one final test. If she passes, we’ll truly accept her into our ranks. She’s a rare talent, after all,” Chu Zuoyi said, showing his appreciation for talent.

Gu Xinyu nodded. “So, we won’t change the decision—we’re still choosing Nameless?”

“Yes, but we’ll make some small changes to the written details of Silver Yao’s plan. Then we’ll see if Nameless is truly worthy of our trust,” Chu Zuoyi replied with a sly smile.

“I’ll take care of it!” With that, Gu Xinyu vanished from Chu Zuoyi’s sight.

But—

But Chu Zuoyi sensed another presence nearby, one all too familiar. Without betraying his awareness, he heightened his vigilance—he was determined to see who dared eavesdrop.

“Don’t be nervous, it’s me. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop—it was just a coincidence.” Silver Yao’s voice came from behind him, her light footsteps following.

Chu Zuoyi turned abruptly, startling Silver Yao so that the distance between them suddenly shrank to something ‘remarkable.’ They could almost count each other’s eyelashes, feel each other’s breath…

“Ahem…” Chu Zuoyi cleared his throat and quickly turned away. A faint blush crept up Silver Yao’s cheeks as she hurried to stand opposite him.

“Sorry, I happened to hear some of Lingyu Pavilion’s most confidential matters.” Though Silver Yao said this, there was not a hint of guilt on her face.

Catching her meaning, Chu Zuoyi simply smiled. “It’s fine. In any case, you’ll know about it as soon as the time comes.”

“Heh.” Silver Yao smiled, too, admitting he was right.

They sat there awkwardly, facing each other in silence, sipping tea.

“By the way, I just heard you say you also believe Ji Muyu will have a backup plan, and that you’ve decided to take charge of it?” Silver Yao finally remembered the main purpose of her visit.

Chu Zuoyi nodded, then suddenly looked at Silver Yao as if struck by realization. “You thought of it too?”

“Yes, and I’ve decided to take responsibility for it,” Silver Yao replied directly, hiding nothing.

“Then… shall we do it together?” Chu Zuoyi’s response was instinctive and sincere.

Silver Yao saw pure goodwill in his eyes. After a long moment, she nodded her agreement.

“To a smooth partnership!”

“To success!”

The two exchanged a firm handshake.

Then, as if recalling something, Silver Yao looked at Chu Zuoyi with a half-smile. “If I’m not mistaken, Pavilion Master Chu is planning to hand Lingyu Pavilion to someone else for a while?”

Chu Zuoyi smiled and shook his head. “Hardly ‘handing over’—it’s just that with Xinyu also leaving, we need someone trustworthy to oversee things for a time.”

“Oh? Is that so?” Silver Yao’s smile was slightly enigmatic.

“Of course!” Chu Zuoyi felt as if Silver Yao’s words held a hidden meaning, but he had no choice but to answer.

“Heh, Nameless…” Silver Yao spoke the name as if by accident. For now, Chu Zuoyi and Gu Xinyu remained in the dark. Still, it was a relief they hadn’t put their full trust in Nameless yet—better to let them discover her true identity on their own.

…

“Yao’er, you’re saying you’ll be working with Chu Zuoyi to handle Ji Muyu’s second, hidden plan?!” Silver Yao had just returned to the Liyin Sect and recounted what she’d accomplished, and as expected, Li Su was agitated and unsettled.

“Yes! He thought of it just as I did, so it was only natural we work together. By the way, Gu Xinyu is in charge of the open operations, while you’re handling the covert side. You need to cooperate closely with Gu Xinyu—no mistakes!” Silver Yao reminded him firmly; she would not allow any flaws in her plan.

“Yao’er, can we switch roles in the operation?” Li Su began to plead.

“No.” Silver Yao was resolute, not giving it a second thought. Only Chu Zuoyi, who’d instantly realized the possibility of Ji Muyu’s second plan, was thorough enough for such a task.

“Yao’er—”

“No.”

“Yao’er, let’s trade!”

“This is not up for discussion.”

…

—End Note—

Mili has entered summer job mode, so there won’t be much time to write during the day. Updates will only be guaranteed between 10 and 11 p.m. from now on.

Sorry! ⊙﹏⊙