It rained lightly the next day but that did not dampen the excitement of the audiences who had gathered in thousands by the great lake, a testament to the success of the first segment. The second segment, was once again, aptly named “Seeking the Pearl” and this time round, it was a pair effort. It seemed strange that Seulgi and Jongin was paired together again and the former began to suspect if this was some kind of arrangement her family has made for her but Seulgi decided that there was no point finding out. This was to their advantage and if this was truly an arrangement then they had better keep a low profile about it.

This second segment, which would take place in the largest lake of Qi’An itself was about collecting artificial luminescent balls or “pearls” which resembled the legendary Night Bright Pearl in folklores from the lake itself. Each pair was given a boat and a basket to collect these Pearls which had been scattered throughout the lake bed. This, Seulgi knew, was undoubtedly a test of water skills but it did not end there.

The rules only stated that the winners would be decided by the top ten pairs with the most number of pearls in their basket at the end of two hours and the collectors must surface from the water each time they collect a pearl to be placed in the basket. But when asked what was prohibited during the competition, the announcer of the rules only gave a shrug, followed by a suggestive smile in which Seulgi returned with a knowing one. Seulgi crooked a finger to Jongin who has had his arms on his hips, looking irritable all the time, beckoning him to her before whispering into his ears.

“This will not be a righteous match.” Seulgi whispered and Jongin nodded in agreement, there was a furious glint in his eyes and his nostrils flared as if he was picturing something in his mind.

Good. Her partner was truly no oaf and Seulgi has known that for quite some time. There would be two, or rather, three ways to collect these pearls. One, the honest method to collect them from the lake’s bed. Two, to steal it from the hands of the others. Three, to steal it from the baskets of others. Fights, both in the water and on the boats, would surely ensue as people would most definitely resort to these unscrupulous means.

Seulgi studied the lake, her competitors whom she had worked with during the first segment, and strategized their winning strategy. Boat placement, effects of underwater currents, and above all, her partner’s and other’s capabilities. Fortunately for them, both were extremely powerful swimmers but to keep up the stamina for two hours was an entirely different matter. Seulgi shut her eyes as she recalled the proverb from a most exclusive book that her family had gotten their hands on only through mercenary ties.

“Know thy self, know the enemy. A thousand battles rages, a thousand victories.” – Sun Tzu

“I swear! This competition will be the death of me! I am so bad in the water and my partner cannot swim!” Jongin complained loudly, earning sniggers from the other competitors. Seulgi smirked to herself at Jongin’s simple method to deflect competition from himself and making himself the less likely target.

“Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.” – Sun Tzu

Jongin proceeded to take off his robes, revealing his bare top, once again, sparing no thought for modesty and prepared to go into the emerald water peppered by the rain. It has been decided that Seulgi would stay on the boat to protect the pearls, but unlike Jongin, she had kept her inner white robe on.

Despite the physician’s advice, the Strategist ultimately could not bear to miss this second segment. One which she had taken great pains to convince the Crown and her father to execute. It was thanks to the support of the Fourth Prince, Sehun, and the Princess, Seungwan, that this proposal was passed through. In return, the Fourth Prince and the Princess also got recognition from his people for such thoughtful planning. Bearing in mind the state of her body, the Strategist made sure to dress warmly. She arrived to excited cheers from thousands of watchers and with an umbrella in her hand, the Strategist edged her way to the watching platform, accompanied by her bodyguards.

Not particularly fond of the water, the Strategist wore a perpetual frown as she scanned the lake in search of a particular participant and a smile finally found its way into her face when she spotted him, near the very edge of the lake. Seulgi appeared to be peering haughtily into the water and seemed to be ignored by the other participants. Was his basket near empty? The Strategist in a deep breath. Perhaps, Seulgi would not win after all. The Strategist sighed and decided to place her mind elsewhere. The fight was the thickest in the middle of the lake and that was exactly what the Strategist had expected to see. The Strategist closed her eyes and she imagined how all these would pan out, a small smile gracing her face. This was her work and she should relish in it instead of getting herself distracted by a mere enlistee. She bit her lips, perhaps not a mere enlistee but this segment was not in his favour.

“Joohyun.” A familiar voice called for her and the Strategist whipped her head around.

“Eager to see your work of art, aren’t you?” The Fourth Prince, Sehun, teased.

The Strategist, whose name was revealed to be Joohyun, bowed perfunctorily and gave a light smile. “Eager to see our work of art. The Princess and yourself helped push the proposal through, remember? This is all on the expenses of the Crown.” Joohyun corrected.

Sehun gave a