金蟬脫殼 jīn chán tuō qiào

DEFINITIONS

  1. lit. the cicada sheds its carapace (idiom); fig. to vanish leaving an empty shell
  2. a crafty escape plan

CHARACTERS

金 jīn
HSK 4
gold; metals in general; money
蟬 chán cicada; continuous
脫 tuō take off, peel off, strip
殼 qiào casing, shell, husk, hull, skin