Chapter 671: Alliance of the Vertical

As the words “out of the game” slipped out, the two women exchanged glances, neither speaking further, the living room air turning utterly rigid.

Even colder.

When Song Yu met Yu Shuheng, she did not lash out like other women, yet this blunt, direct harm was no less severe.

The hidden maneuvering in her words left nothing unspoken.

They faced off for a while.

This time, Yu Shuheng broke the silence: “Have you met Huang Zhaoyi in person?”

Song Yu nodded: “I specifically went to the theater to watch her performance not long ago. I also saw her today on Wukang Road.”

Yu Shuheng suddenly found it intriguing: “Wukang Road? Then do you know why Huang Zhaoyi appeared there?”

Song Yu said: “Xiao Han was there. Master Ba was there.”

“It’s refreshing to speak with someone intelligent.”

Yu Shuheng cast a second approving glance, curiously asking: “What impressed you most about her?”

Song Yu paused, choosing her words carefully: “Radiant, open-minded, and multi-talented.”

Then she asked: “What about you, Teacher?”

Yu Shuheng gave her opinion: “A wolf in sheep’s clothing. If she were a few years younger, Li Heng would never have rejected her from the start—on the contrary, she likely would have borne him his first child.”

This remark carried considerable weight.

Song Yu fell into thought, only processing it fully after a long while, then asked: “Have you met her yourself?”

Yu Shuheng said: “More than once.”

Song Yu asked: “Not friendly?”

Yu Shuheng said: “Yes, but still restrained within civilized bounds.”

They spoke openly, without concealment, playing their cards face-up—this was both mutual respect and pride.

Wasn’t it also mutual defiance?

At this point, Yu Shuheng glanced at the half-cup of coffee before her: “Too much sugar?”

She left the thought unfinished: too much sugar, can’t drink it?

In other words: is it because of your prejudice against me that you won’t finish it?

This was also a test—testing the limits of Song Yu’s tolerance.

Song Yu smiled faintly: “This coffee is both sweet and bitter, leaving a lingering aroma. Keeping half makes it more memorable.”

Yu Shuheng shook her head, then nodded, then asked: “Do you know why I invited you here?”

Song Yu said: “For me—and also for Zhou Shihe. Correct?”

This remark was layered.

On the first level, Yu Shuheng indeed wanted to gauge Song Yu’s depth.

If Song Yu had been a soft target, she planned to crush her outright.

But after their exchange, Song Yu proved exactly as Yu Shuheng had expected—no weakness at all, even slightly stronger.

Precisely because Song Yu was strong, she earned the right to enter the second level of this meeting.

Having her thoughts exposed so directly, Yu Shuheng offered no rebuttal, remaining remarkably calm, and asked instead: “Do you enjoy reading history?”

Song Yu replied: “When I studied liberal arts, among politics, history, and geography, history was the subject I found most fascinating.”

Yu Shuheng asked: “Which period of Chinese history do you like most?”

Song Yu spoke with deep implication: “The Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods.”

Upon hearing “Spring and Autumn and Warring States,” Yu Shuheng instantly understood, then smiled gracefully: “From today’s perspective, you are Qin. But if you grow complacent, that strength is only temporary—merely Qin on the surface. Do you agree?”

Song Yu answered evasively: “Which state do you see yourself as?”

Yu Shuheng turned her coffee cup slowly, speaking calmly: “I too wish to become a mighty Qin, unifying all under heaven.”

Song Yu picked up: “So you’re pursuing the strategy of distant alliances and nearby attacks?”

Yu Shuheng nodded in silent agreement.

Song Yu asked: “Do you intend to march east from Qin, directly threatening Zhao?”

Yu Shuheng smiled dryly: “I’d rather call her Zhao’s Li Mu.”

Song Yu smiled: “No wonder you’ve adopted the strategies of the Vertical and Horizontal School. But Li Mu’s military genius cannot be underestimated—I believe, under equal conditions, she is no less capable than Bai Qi. Without a superior psychological strategy, success is unlikely. You might even be defeated in a trivial misstep.”

Yu Shuheng admitted: “Harsh words, but true.”

Song Yu did not rush to respond, pausing to reflect: “I always assumed that with your beauty and talent, Teacher, you wouldn’t need to resort to Fan Ju’s tactics.”

Yu Shuheng did not fall into the trap, replying succinctly: “If he had pursued me first, it would have been safer. I might already be pregnant.”

Meaning: If Li Heng had pursued her, she wouldn’t have feared anyone—not Song Yu or Zhou Shihe—and would have already secured his heart.

Meaning: Li Heng did not pursue her—that is her greatest weakness, and the greatest advantage of Song Yu and Zhou Shihe.

But Yu Shuheng clearly still held back half: Song Yu’s advantages—beauty, poise, and being pursued by Li Heng—are all possessed by Zhou Shihe; yet Zhou Shihe’s family background, elite piano skill, and culinary talent are absent in Song Yu—that is Song Yu’s shortcoming.