The players at the table, each with their own thoughts, remained silent.
Lin Zhiqing first looked at the gentle woman sitting beside her: "My lady, I believe you are a clear-sighted person."
"The key to this game is logical thinking. If you can judge good from bad based on unsubstantiated claims like the rustling of clothes, then what's the point of this game?"
The gentle woman kept twisting her handkerchief, her brows furrowed, her eyes fixed on the teacup in front of her, clearly deep in thought.
Thinking, that's right.
Lin Zhiqing was about to speak when the handsome young man, seeing the situation was unfavorable, immediately interrupted her: "What right do you, someone who got two points by sheer luck, have to say such things?"
"Your parents weren't good people, and they gave birth to a good-for-nothing like you. It seems anyone can sit at the Imperial Academy's table now."
He was getting anxious, and when anxious, he tended to speak without restraint.
"The people of the Imperial Academy haven't even said anything, yet you can speak for the Imperial Academy now." Lin Zhiqing calmly countered:
"From the moment I got my card, you've been targeting me. You're just afraid I'd figure out you're a wolf."
"The others were led astray by you, and that's why they rushed to step on me."
Lin Zhiqing spoke each word clearly and forcefully: "Firstly, if I were a wolf, and so many people say they want to vote me out, then where are my wolf teammates?"
"Even if they wanted to protect themselves, they wouldn't vote me out so quickly."
"So, among those who have been targeting me, there must be two wolves. The rest were probably led astray by the former."
Lin Zhiqing knew perfectly well that these people were acting under Princess Pingning's instruction to eliminate her.
But she still used the mindset of playing a game to deal with these people, aiming to keep her emotions in check and to let the onlookers understand the situation.
And... she looked at the two players whose guilt was written all over their faces and directly called them out:
"You, and you, should be good people, just used by some ill-intentioned person. But what good does it do to throw me out?"
Lin Zhiqing's words were pointed.
Everyone else thought she was talking about the game, but only a few of those who were swayed understood that she was mocking Princess Pingning.
The handsome young man, seeing the situation was turning unfavorable, still wanted to speak, but with the commotion from the crowd, everyone's attention immediately shifted to the few people who had just finished a game.
Lin Zhiqing's sharp eyes immediately spotted Lin Shi'an, who was at the very end of the group.
His posture was upright, but his lips were tightly pressed, one hand placed in front of him, while the other was hidden in his sleeve, his eyebrows drooping, looking like an abandoned puppy, utterly dejected.
Just from his expression, Lin Zhiqing confirmed that her cousin had lost!
Today's Spring Banquet, Lin Zhiqing was undoubtedly the center of attention, especially with that bet with the old lady.
Although most people thought Lin Zhiqing wouldn't make it to the second round, she still had a highly skilled martial arts cousin.
As long as Lin Shi'an won first place in a certain event, both of them could enter the second round.
Now, the situation on Lin Zhiqing's side was dire. Everyone thought she would definitely be eliminated early.
As a result, their only chance to enter the second round was through Lin Shi'an.
But now it seemed...
"Oh, Lin Shi'an is also out. The Lin family truly has no one left."
"Still wants the dignified old lady of the Imperial Academy to apologize? Why don't you look in a puddle first?"
"Lin Shi'an is out too. Who else can help Lin Zhiqing now? Hahahaha, just wait to be disgraced!"
The mocking and cursing continued to fill her ears. Lin Zhiqing withdrew her gaze, not paying much attention.
She had never placed all her hopes on her cousin from the start.
Rely on mountains and mountains collapse, rely on people and people run.
And this matter wasn't her cousin's fault.
Lin Zhiqing knew very well that Princess Pingning, having pushed her to such a state, would definitely not let her cousin off.
Taking a deep breath, Lin Zhiqing cast her gaze upon her identity card: "To win the game, you need to find the wolves. I'm not the only one with two points right now."
She looked at an ordinary-looking man at the table.
This man had been inconspicuous since the game began, but he had coincidentally drawn the same role card as her twice, thus earning two points.
In the last round, he had sided with the handsome man, putting him against her.
Princess Pingning must have spoken to him.
"You currently have two points. If you vote me out, our sheep faction loses, and if you get two points like everyone else, this game has no winner."
"If you help them charge now, once the game ends, not entering the second round means you gain nothing."
Lin Zhiqing spoke while observing the man's expression.
His eyebrows were furrowed together, his breathing slowed, and he remained motionless, clearly deep in thought.
More specifically, he was weighing the pros and cons.
The handsome young man clearly saw the problem too, and he became anxious: "Idiot, she's trying to trick you, she's a wolf!"
"You can't win if she's not voted out. Don't you remember what that person told us..."
As soon as he said this, the people around him immediately froze, then a flood of discussion erupted.
The handsome young man then realized what he had said and clamped his hand over his mouth.
But it was too late now.
Lin Zhiqing's lips curved. Her provocative tactic had worked: "Did everyone hear that? What did he just say?"
The ordinary-looking man, who had initially been hesitating, now swallowed and was the first to jump in: "I don't know what he's talking about."
Compared to losing a game, his reputation certainly couldn't be insulted.
The Spring Banquet only happened once a year. If something went wrong at this crucial moment, not only would it offend the Imperial Academy, but her reputation would also suffer greatly.
Lin Zhiqing had calculated this point precisely, which was why she tried to anger the handsome man and lure him into her trap.
The maid hosting the game, seeing the situation escalating out of control, no longer remained a mere observer. She directly interrupted everyone's speeches and entered the voting phase.
No one dared to voice their dissatisfaction. Even if they had their own opinions, no one dared to defy the Imperial Academy.
Lin Zhiqing said no more, and was the first to cast her vote for the handsome young man.
Through her direct or indirect provocations, the handsome man's words and actions had long lost all credibility.
Soon, he was eliminated with an extremely high number of votes.
With this "precedent," those who had been wavering no longer hesitated. They directly voted out everyone who had just refuted Lin Zhiqing.
In other words, they all thought Lin Zhiqing was indeed a sheep.
But in fact, she wasn't.
If she were a sheep, Lin Zhiqing believed the handsome man would have eliminated her first.
Then she wouldn't have had the opportunity for the subsequent series of maneuvers.
It wasn't until she eliminated the last sheep herself that Lin Zhiqing breathed a sigh of relief.
"Game over. Lin Zhiqing gets three points and enters the second round," the maid's voice rang out.
In an instant, silence.
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