Chapter 11
Luo Jingyao’s breath caught.
Avoiding any direct contact with Wang Guifen, she quickly retreated to the treatment room she’d been using earlier.
Everything inside remained exactly as she’d left it. The blanket on the massage bed was still tangled in a messy heap, and steam continued to drift lazily from the large bathtub, kept warm by the constant-temperature system.
Her gaze eventually settled on the transparent glass tea table beside the tub.
The flame atop the luxury scented candle continued to dance gently. Amid the rich fragrance, a white-and-gold bone china cup—perfectly suited to the spa’s upscale image—sat nearby, still nearly full of red date tea.
Luo Jingyao stepped forward and carefully picked up the cup. The smooth warmth against her fingertips made her arch a brow.
Although she hadn’t gotten a close look at the cup Wang Guifen had been carrying earlier, the difference in both appearance and material had been obvious enough.
Even if the colors weren’t identical, the size or material should have matched the establishment’s standard tableware.
If neither did…
Her eyes narrowed.
Then she turned and left the room.
She wandered over to the central lounge area of the women’s section, casually selected a few pieces of fruit, and sat down in a carefully chosen seat. From there, she only had to lift her head slightly to catch glimpses of Wang Guifen moving about at work.
After sending a quick message to Lin Jiafan and Pang Guang, Luo Jingyao adjusted herself into the most relaxed position possible, opened a fashion magazine, and sat there for more than an hour.
Finally, movement came from the bathroom occupied by the female customer from earlier.
Wang Guifen knocked politely before entering with a practiced smile plastered across her face.
A few seconds later, she emerged carrying the same black cup. It looked as though she intended to refill it from the teapot on the service counter.
Water splashed softly as tea poured.
The sweet aroma of red dates gradually spread through the air. Just before the tea reached the brim, Wang Guifen stopped pouring, set the teapot down, and turned around.
“Ah!”
“Aah!”
Two startled cries rang out simultaneously.
Wang Guifen had collided head-on with a customer who had somehow appeared directly behind her.
The slightly hot tea splashed over both of them.
At the same time, the porcelain cup crashed onto the marble floor, the sharp crack making everyone’s hearts jump.
“I’m so sorry! I’m sorry! My mistake! I’ll clean it up right away!”
Wang Guifen inwardly cursed her bad luck as she apologized profusely.
But despite her words, her actions told a different story.
She didn’t spare the customer so much as a glance. Instead, she immediately crouched down, reaching for the mess scattered across the floor.
Naturally, Luo Jingyao wasn’t about to let her succeed.
Ignoring the stinging pain from the scalded skin on her forearm, she reached out and grabbed Wang Guifen under the arms, hauling her upright before she could crouch fully.
“Auntie? What a coincidence! So you work here?”
Her eyes widened slightly, her tone filled with surprise and delight.
“It’s okay, really. The tea barely hurt at all.”
Still dazed from being yanked upright, Wang Guifen took a moment to recognize her.
The instant she did, a frown formed between her brows.
For some reason, every word sounded strangely sarcastic.
Before she could fully process what was happening, Luo Jingyao deliberately raised her voice.
“Porcelain shards are the easiest way to get hurt! Auntie, you absolutely shouldn’t pick them up with your bare hands. If you cut yourself and start bleeding, there’s a risk of infection!”
By now, the commotion had attracted plenty of attention.
Several employees from other sections hurried over and immediately began talking all at once.
Some repeatedly bowed and apologized to Luo Jingyao.
Some rushed off to find a broom.
Others pulled out cleaning cloths to wipe up the spilled tea.
A few tried to grab the increasingly flustered Wang Guifen.
In the midst of the chaos, Wang Guifen stumbled backward several steps from being tugged around.
Suddenly, she seemed to snap back to reality.
“Nobody move!”
The shrill scream burst from her throat.
Everyone froze.
The lounge fell silent as if someone had pressed a pause button.
All eyes turned toward Wang Guifen.
Click.
A tiny sound broke the stillness.
Luo Jingyao had bent down and pushed aside one of the porcelain fragments.
From beneath it, she picked up a tiny black sphere.
A thin wire extended from the back of it, leading to a matching black box with a blinking light.
“What is that?”
One of the employees finally broke the silence, curiosity written all over their face.
“A hidden camera,” Luo Jingyao replied grimly. “And it’s currently recording.”
“What?!”
“Oh my God!”
“Why would there be a hidden camera in a place like this?!”
“Have we all been secretly filmed? What kind of shady business is this?!”
Several customers who had gathered to watch immediately cried out in alarm.
Fear and panic spread visibly through the crowd.
A few steps away, the manager finally arrived.
After learning what had happened, she nearly blacked out on the spot.
“Please remain calm, everyone!” she hurriedly said. “There must be some misunderstanding. I promise the spa will investigate thoroughly and provide a satisfactory explanation!”
Unfortunately, her heartfelt assurances earned no sympathy.
Especially not from the female customer Wang Guifen had been serving earlier.
The woman stood nearby with her hands on her hips, fury blazing across her face.
“An explanation? Save it for the police!”
She immediately pulled out her phone and dialed 110.
The manager tried to stop her but failed.
When she noticed other customers already taking videos with their phones, she closed her eyes in despair.
We’re finished.
Just as hopelessness completely engulfed her, a soft female voice suddenly spoke up.
“That’s strange. This cup doesn’t look anything like the ones I’ve been using.”
Before Luo Jingyao could finish speaking, the manager practically launched herself forward.
She dropped to her knees beside the debris in one dramatic slide.
Ignoring the pain, she snatched up a shard and examined it.
A moment later, she released a long breath of relief.
“This isn’t one of the cups provided by the spa!” she announced eagerly. “Please trust Da Hansong Bone Therapy Center! Doing something that damages our reputation would benefit us in absolutely no way!”
“You think I’d believe that?”
The customer who had called the police pointed directly at Wang Guifen.
“She’s your employee, isn’t she? She’s wearing your uniform! And now you’re telling me this has nothing to do with your establishment?”
Only then did the manager remember the true source of the disaster.
Without hesitation, she dragged Wang Guifen forward and shoved her in front of the customer.
“Wang Guifen! Explain yourself right now! What exactly is going on?”
“…”
Head lowered, Wang Guifen merely shook her head over and over.
Her trembling appearance almost looked pitiful.
Standing at the very edge of the crowd, Luo Jingyao watched the performance with cold eyes.
Seeing Wang Guifen remain silent, the manager angrily shoved her twice.
“Cat got your tongue? I’m talking to you!”
“I don’t know! I don’t know anything!” Wang Guifen waved her hands frantically. “I’m just a lowly employee. Whatever the spa tells me to do, I do!”
The statement was intentionally vague.
If her beady little eyes hadn’t been darting around so suspiciously, Luo Jingyao might have found it more convincing.
“What do you mean by that, Wang Guifen?!” the manager exploded. “I’m warning you—speak clearly! What exactly did the spa tell you to do?!”
Her face turned deathly pale.
She grabbed Wang Guifen by the collar and began shaking her violently.
The surrounding employees gasped and rushed forward to separate them.
Watching from nearby, the customer who had called the police became even more convinced that the manager had something to hide.
In her eyes, the employee and manager were clearly in it together.
She immediately stepped forward and grabbed hold of the manager’s suit jacket.
“Everyone, take a good look at this place! They secretly film customers and then try to dump all the blame on an employee! She’s no good, but you’re even worse!”
Soon accusations, curses, cries of pain, and desperate pleas all blended together.
The situation spiraled completely out of control once again.
What no one realized was that this chaos was exactly what Wang Guifen had been hoping for.
Sneaking about like a rat, she gradually worked her way from the center of the crowd to the outer edge.
Then she turned around—
—and bolted.
Everyone’s attention was focused on the confrontation between the customer and the manager.
Very few people noticed her escape.
Luo Jingyao did.
The moment she spotted the fleeing figure, she gave chase without hesitation.
Hearing footsteps behind her, Wang Guifen clenched her teeth.
With every ounce of strength she possessed—and aided by her familiarity with the spa’s layout—she managed to yank aside a heavy luxurious curtain and burst into the enormous main lobby.
Her sudden appearance naturally drew the attention of customers and staff alike.
Unfortunately, the employees there had only heard over the intercom that some kind of dispute had broken out in the women’s section.
They had no idea what had actually happened.
So they simply watched Wang Guifen’s panicked sprint in confusion, making no move to stop her.
Meanwhile, Lin Jiafan and Pang Guang had already finished in the men’s section and were sitting on one of the leather sofas reserved for guests.
The two had been idly waiting for Luo Jingyao, who had sent a single text message before disappearing.
Hearing the commotion, they looked over.
Before they could figure out what was happening, another figure burst out from the women’s section and stole everyone’s attention.
The newcomer was still dressed in the spa’s eye-catching rose-pink bathrobe.
Three long strides.
That was all it took.
Luo Jingyao caught up to Wang Guifen and slammed her to the ground in front of the glass entrance doors just as the woman was about to escape.
Bang!
The impact made everyone nearby wince.
The next second, Wang Guifen let out a miserable howl.
It felt as though all her internal organs had shifted out of place.
The pain in her bruised joints was practically insignificant by comparison.
“Hiss…”
Not far away, Pang Guang jumped to his feet.
“Does Coach Luo not feel pain or something?”
Wang Guifen looked moments away from death.
Meanwhile, Luo Jingyao remained pinning her down with a calm, expressionless face.
“Still,” Pang Guang remarked admiringly, “Coach Luo looks pretty amazing like this.”
Her long, silky hair had come loose during the chase and spilled down her back, partially veiling her delicate features.
The slender limbs exposed beneath the bathrobe weren’t the frail kind often seen on ordinary women.
Lean muscles stood out clearly beneath smooth skin—beautifully shaped and brimming with explosive strength.
Lin Jiafan’s eyebrow lifted almost imperceptibly.
He said nothing.
After firmly suppressing another attempt by Wang Guifen to struggle free, Luo Jingyao tilted her head up and looked at the two men who had finally approached.
A slow smile spread across her lips.
“Officer Lin.”
“If I clear this large-scale, real-life detective mystery scenario…”
She paused.
“…asking for a reward wouldn’t be too much, right?”
“…”
Lin Jiafan froze.
His sharp gaze swept over her face.
For some reason, she looked a little guilty.
“What exactly do you—”
Before he could finish, Luo Jingyao blurted everything out with the determination of someone marching to her execution.
“I originally only booked the 368-yuan full-body treatment. But the beauty consultant recommended some Queen’s Premium Package. I agreed because I wanted to get closer to everyone…”
Her voice grew weaker.
“Then I found out it costs 1,688 yuan.”
“Gasp!”
Pang Guang sucked in a sharp breath.
Out of the corner of her eye, Luo Jingyao caught the chilly curve forming at the corner of Lin Jiafan’s mouth.
Long live… the rule of law?
