Chapter 1005: Wrong Guess?

“Hiss…”

Chen Junnan pondered for a long time before glancing at the group behind Wen Qiaoyun.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that his “psychological warfare” hadn’t affected her at all.

With that in mind, he slowly turned around, pulled a chain from his pocket, and gripped its top end in his palm before facing her again.

“In that case, don’t say I bullied you,” he said.

Though his words were bold, Chen Junnan still felt uneasy. Pure strategy and mind games weren’t exactly his forte.

If he had to choose, he’d rather engage in verbal sparring.

“Bully me? Hardly.” Wen Qiaoyun smiled. “For fairness, could you hold your hand out so I can examine it?”

Chen Junnan extended the hand holding the chain. Their fists hovered in midair, the metal links peeking through their fingers.

Wen Qiaoyun studied his fist for a moment before speaking softly. “Alright, one round to decide. Who guesses first?”

Chen Junnan steadied himself and focused on her slender fingers.

Though clenched into a fist, her index and ring fingers appeared slightly raised.

This likely meant the character in her hand was wider in the middle and narrower at the ends—something like “Chariot,” “Pawn,” or “Guard.”

But would Wen Qiaoyun really choose something so ordinary?

A gamble with such an obvious flaw would boost his odds from one in seven to one in three.

If he didn’t strike first now, he’d fall into her rhythm.

“I’ll guess first,” he declared.

“No problem,” she replied. “If you guess right, I’ll give you what’s in my hand—no takebacks.”

“Same here.”

Chen Junnan frowned. Trying to read her eyes, expression, and hand movements was far more exhausting than trading insults on the street.

“Wait…”

A sinking feeling hit him.

Had he already fallen into her trap? If even he could think of this, wouldn’t Wen Qiaoyun have anticipated it?

Why was she so confident in challenging him to this bet?

No matter what “character” she held, losing it now would put immense pressure on her team.

Worse, Wen Qiaoyun was the “strategist” representing Chu Tianqiu’s side. If a “strategist” lost in a battle of wits, morale would crumble instantly.

For her to make this gamble, she must have ensured she couldn’t lose.

And in this bizarre contest, there was only one way to guarantee that.

Meaning, her hand held…

“I guess there’s nothing in your hand,” Chen Junnan said gravely.

“Oh?” Wen Qiaoyun raised a brow, expression unchanged. “Are you sure?”

That simple question made him hesitate again.

What had seemed certain moments ago now felt shaky. Only one thought echoed in his mind:

*I really wish I could borrow Old Qi’s brain right now…*

Wen Qiaoyun chuckled. “I warned you. Want to change your answer? Five ‘opponents’ are watching—guess wrong, and you’ll look like a fool.”

“A fool?” Chen Junnan laughed. “As long as I don’t lose the ‘character,’ it’s fine. I fear many things, but embarrassment isn’t one of them.”

“You’re a strange person,” she remarked.

“Flattered,” he said. “Pride’s overrated anyway.”

Wen Qiaoyun nodded. “One last chance. Is ‘nothing’ really the best answer? Will you change it?”

“No,” he replied. “Because this is the only way you can’t lose. Whether I’m right or wrong, I’ll never take a ‘character’ from you. So your hand only has a chain—no ‘character.'”

With a smile, Wen Qiaoyun turned her fist sideways and opened her palm. Sure enough, only a bare chain lay there—the “character” had been removed, likely still tucked in her pocket.

“You guessed right,” she said. “The chain’s yours.”

“Damn it…”

Chen Junnan exhaled sharply as he took the chain, silently cursing—and marveling that his half-baked thinking had actually worked.

But now came the real problem: his own hand held nothing but a bare chain. Even if both guessed correctly, they’d just be swapping chains.

The bet itself was a wash, but his momentum had been stifled. This round of “psychological warfare” hadn’t achieved its intended effect.

From her perspective, though, Wen Qiaoyun’s gamble was flawless. Risking nothing, she’d disrupted his rhythm and reinforced her team’s morale.

“So this wasn’t just a bet… You also used it to steady your side’s resolve?”

Countless thoughts raced through Chen Junnan’s mind.

With Wen Qiaoyun, Yan Zhichun, and Chu Tianqiu on the opposing side, could Qi Xia really handle them alone?

Just then, Jin Yuanxun—who’d gone to deliver a message—returned. He opened the door and stood behind Wen Qiaoyun, unsure of the situation. Noticing the tense silence, he quietly took his place among the others, watching the standoff.

Chen Junnan sighed and raised his hand toward Wen Qiaoyun. “Your turn to guess. No point dragging this out. A draw means we’ve traded evenly.”

Wen Qiaoyun studied his fist, still smiling. She lowered her gaze slightly, as if deep in thought.

Her hesitation puzzled him. The answer was obvious—he’d even said “traded evenly”—yet she kept deliberating.

*What is she thinking?*

After a few seconds, she reached out and lightly tapped his fist.

“I guess you’re the ‘Cannon,'” she murmured.

“Huh?”

Chen Junnan blinked, wondering if he’d misheard.

“What did you say?”

“I said you’re the ‘Cannon.'”

“I’m the ‘Cannon’?”

For a fleeting moment, he almost believed her—after all, this was Wen Qiaoyun.

A woman who’d once stood at the pinnacle of “participants” through sheer intellect.

After a brief daze, he clenched his fist tighter, reaffirming its emptiness.

“How the hell am I the ‘Cannon’? You serious?” he asked.

Wen Qiaoyun’s face fell slightly. “Oh? I guessed wrong? Not the ‘Cannon’?”