Chapter 11

Luo Jingyao’s breath caught slightly before she quickly avoided direct contact with Huang Guifen and swiftly returned to the same bathroom she had been in earlier.

The bathroom remained exactly as she had left it—disheveled blankets lay messily on the beauty bed, and the water in the large bathtub was still gently steaming, thanks to the temperature control system.

Eventually, Luo Jingyao’s gaze settled on the transparent glass table next to the bathtub.

The flame atop a high-end scented candle continued to flicker gently. Beneath the enveloping fragrance, a white and gold-trimmed bone china cup—clearly matching the upscale tone of the establishment—sat filled with a nearly untouched serving of red date tonic water.

She stepped forward and gently picked up the cup. The smooth warmth of the porcelain under her fingertips caused her to raise an eyebrow slightly.

Although she hadn’t been able to closely inspect the cup Huang Guifen had been holding earlier, just from its appearance and material alone, it was clear that it was different from the ones typically provided to customers.

Even if the colors didn’t match, the specifications and materials should at least be consistent.

But if neither matched…

Luo Jingyao narrowed her eyes and left the bathroom.

She casually strolled to the women’s central lounge area, selected a few pieces of fruit, and settled into a carefully chosen seat—one from which she could subtly observe Huang Guifen’s busy figure with a simple glance upward.

After sending a quick message to Lin Jiafan and Pang Guangbuyi, Luo Jingyao adjusted herself into a relaxed posture and picked up a fashion magazine, sitting still for over an hour.

Finally, there was movement from the bathroom the previous female customer had used. Luo Jingyao watched as Huang Guifen, wearing a courteous but obviously fake smile, knocked and entered.

Moments later, she reappeared carrying that same black cup, seemingly to refill it using the teapot on a nearby counter.

As water began pouring with a soft gurgle, the scent of red dates gradually spread through the air. Just as the tea was about to overflow, Huang Guifen stopped pouring and returned the teapot to its place, then turned around.

“Oh no!”

“Ah!”

Two startled cries rang out without warning. Huang Guifen had accidentally bumped into a customer who had silently walked up behind her.

The hot tea spilled onto both of them, and the crash of porcelain against the marble floor sent a jolt through everyone nearby.

“I’m so sorry, I apologize—it was my mistake. I’ll clean this up right away,” Huang Guifen exclaimed, inwardly panicked. But despite her words, her actions didn’t quite match her apology.

Not once did she glance at the customer. Instead, she crouched down on her own, trying to quickly scoop up the shattered mess with her hands.

But Luo Jingyao wasn’t about to let her get away with it. Ignoring the sting of the fresh burn on her forearm, she stepped forward and hooked an arm under Huang Guifen’s armpit, lifting her upright before she could squat down completely.

“Auntie? What a coincidence—so you work here?” Luo Jingyao widened her eyes slightly, her tone both surprised and cheerful. “It’s okay, really! The burn didn’t hurt at all.”

Huang Guifen, who had just been unexpectedly pulled upright, was still a bit dazed. It wasn’t until she saw the other person’s face clearly that she slowly came back to her senses, frowning in confusion.

Something about those words sounded overly sweet—almost sarcastic…

Before the woman could fully process what had just happened, Luo Jingyao deliberately raised her voice, saying, “Broken porcelain is the easiest thing to get hurt by, Auntie. You mustn’t pick it up with your hands, or it could cause bleeding and lead to an infection!”

By now, the commotion had drawn quite a bit of attention. Soon, several service staff from other sections rushed over, and the scene quickly turned noisy and chaotic.

Some were bowing repeatedly, apologizing to Luo Jingyao; others turned to fetch brooms to clean up the mess. A few pulled rags from their pockets to wipe the spilled tea off the floor, while one or two reached out to steady the already panicking Huang Guifen.

In the midst of the chaos, the middle-aged woman, who had been pulled backward and staggered a few steps, suddenly snapped back to her senses. Overwhelmed with panic, she let out a sharp scream: “Everyone stop what you’re doing!”

Everyone was startled by the sudden outburst. It was as if someone had pressed a pause button—everything around them froze. All eyes turned toward the visibly distraught Huang Guifen.

Click.

Just then, a faint sound caught everyone’s attention.

Luo Jingyao had bent down, pushing aside a shard of porcelain, and picked up a small matte black sphere. Attached to the back was a thin wire that connected to a similarly colored small square block—its indicator light blinking steadily.

“What’s that?” one of the staff broke the silence, their eyes wide with pure curiosity.

“A pinhole camera. And it’s active,” Luo Jingyao replied, frowning as realization dawned.

“What?!”

“Oh my god! How could there be a pinhole camera in a place like this?”

“Are you saying we’ve all been secretly recorded?! What kind of shady establishment is this?” Some of the customers watching began to panic, their voices laced with alarm and disbelief.

A few steps away, the floor manager—who had just rushed over and grasped the situation—felt her vision blur. Desperately, she tried to calm the crowd: “Please, everyone, stay calm. This must be a misunderstanding. I assure you, we will investigate thoroughly and provide a proper explanation!”

Unfortunately, her sincere words didn’t gain much sympathy from the guests.

Especially not from the female customer who had just been served by Huang Guifen. She stood with her hands on her hips, glaring angrily: “An explanation? You’d better get ready to explain things to the police!”

With that, she picked up her phone and dialed 110.

The manager rushed forward to stop her but failed. When she saw other customers begin filming the scene on their phones, she closed her eyes in despair. This… this was a total disaster.

Just as she sank into hopelessness, a soft female voice rang out:
“That’s strange… this cup doesn’t look like the one I used earlier.”

Before Luo Jingyao could even finish her sentence, the manager dashed over and practically slid to her knees in front of the broken porcelain.

Ignoring the pain in her legs, the manager frantically picked up one of the shards. With a quick glance, she sighed in visible relief and hurriedly explained to everyone:
“This isn’t one of the cups our shop provides to guests! Please believe me— Da Han Song Gu would never do something so damaging to our reputation!”

“And you expect me to believe that?” the woman who had called the police sneered, pointing directly at Huang Guifen, who was trying to shrink out of sight. “She’s one of your employees, isn’t she? She’s wearing your uniform! And now you’re telling me she has nothing to do with your store?!”

Only now did the manager seem to remember the true source of this chaos. Without another word, she grabbed Huang Guifen and dragged her in front of the angry customer.
“Huang Guifen, you’d better tell the truth—what is going on?!”

Huang Guifen kept her head lowered the entire time, trembling as she shook her head repeatedly. She looked pitiful, but said nothing.

Meanwhile, Luo Jingyao stood calmly on the outer edge of the crowd, coldly watching the woman’s performance.

When Huang Guifen still refused to speak, the manager, furious, shoved her a couple of times.
“Cat got your tongue? I asked you a question!”

“I don’t know anything! I really don’t! Miss, I’m just a low-level service worker. Whatever the store tells me to do, I do!” Huang Guifen waved her hands, giving a deliberately vague response.

If it weren’t for the way her shifty little eyes kept darting around, Luo Jingyao might have found her more believable.

“What’s that supposed to mean, huh?! Huang Guifen! I’m warning you—get your story straight! What exactly did the store tell you to do?!” The manager’s face turned red with rage as she grabbed Huang Guifen’s collar and began shaking her.

The other staff around them were shocked and quickly rushed over to separate the two.

The female customer who called the police became even more convinced the manager was hiding something. In her mind, it was clear: the bigger the fuss, the bigger the cover-up. So she stepped forward and grabbed the manager by her blazer.
“Everyone take a good look at this place! Not only do they spy on their customers, they try to shove the blame on their employees. If your staff are shady, then what does that make you?!”

The atmosphere spiraled into complete chaos—shouting, cursing, crying, and pleading all at once.

No one noticed that everything was going exactly how Huang Guifen had hoped.

She had quietly slipped from the center of the crowd to the edge, and in one swift motion, turned and bolted—running away without hesitation.

Everyone’s attention was focused on the commotion between the female customer and the manager, so not many people noticed the strange behavior of the woman trying to leave.

But Luo Jingyao was one of the few who did. The moment she caught sight of the hurried figure slipping away, she sprang into action and gave chase without hesitation.

Hearing footsteps quickly closing in behind her, Huang Guifen gritted her teeth and pushed herself with every ounce of strength she had. Relying on her familiarity with the store’s layout, she successfully lifted a heavy, luxurious curtain and dashed into the spacious main lobby.

Her sudden appearance naturally drew the attention of both customers and staff. But the employees had only heard vague chatter over the intercom about some dispute in the women’s section—they had no clue what was actually going on. So, they merely looked on in confusion at the panicked Huang Guifen, with no one stepping in to stop her.

Meanwhile, Lin Jiafan and Pang Guangbuyi, who had long since left the men’s area, were sitting on the leather sofa in the customer lounge. Bored, they had been silently waiting for Luo Jingyao to respond to the text they sent earlier.

Hearing the commotion, they looked toward the noise. But before they could figure out what was happening, a second figure burst out from the women’s area, instantly grabbing all their attention.

The newcomer was still wearing the spa’s eye-catching fuchsia bathrobe. In just three long strides, she caught up to Huang Guifen and tackled her to the ground right before the woman could make her escape, pinning her in front of the glass doors.

Bang!

The thud of both bodies hitting the floor made everyone wince involuntarily.

In the next moment, Huang Guifen let out a wail of pain, feeling like her internal organs had all been jumbled. The pain in her bruised limbs was minor in comparison.

“Sss…” Pang Guangbuyi jumped up excitedly, his face twisting in sympathy. “Does Coach Luo not feel pain?!”

Just look at Huang Guifen—she looked like she was about to die, while Luo Jingyao, who was pressing her down, wore the same calm, stone-cold expression.

“But Coach Luo’s look right now… is kinda amazing!” Pang Guangbuyi added in awe.

Her long, smooth hair had fallen forward with the motion, partially covering her delicate face. Her slender limbs weren’t the typical skinny frame of most women—instead, her muscles were well-defined, perfectly shaped, and radiating strength.

Lin Jiafan raised an eyebrow, his reaction subtle, but said nothing.

After restraining Huang Guifen again with practiced force, Luo Jingyao tilted her head slightly to look at the two men now approaching her. A slow smile crept across her face.
“Officer Lin,” she greeted.
“If I just completed a real-life, immersive, live-action detective game, don’t you think I deserve some kind of reward?”

“…” Lin Jiafan was stunned for a moment, his sharp gaze sweeping over her face—which, for some reason, looked a bit guilty. “You want…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Luo Jingyao braced herself and confessed heroically,
“I originally just signed up for the 368 full-body spa package, but that beauty consultant convinced me to try the ‘Queen’s Deluxe Treatment.’ I agreed to get closer to her for the investigation, but later I found out it cost 1688.”

“Whoa!”
Pang Guangbuyi sucked in a cold breath.

She then caught a glimpse of Lin Jiafan’s lips curling into an icy smirk.

Long live the rule of law?!