Chapter 1273: Guest or staff (2)
"So this means..." Yang Qing murmured under his breath, eyes narrowing as he scanned his surroundings. The person worked here up until Bai Chen arrived and then left... or the staff members helped him, he thought. Of course, there’s also the chance they were just a customer who frequented the teahouse day and night, waiting for Bai Chen’s arrival. Maybe asking him to hand over the orchid was just a random detail added to deepen the subterfuge, he added, his gaze turning more contemplative.
If he was being honest, a part of him couldn’t shake the feeling that the Velvet Orchid was involved in some way—whether directly or indirectly—given how safe the kidnapper felt conducting their business here.
But then again, the kidnapper had shown themselves to be both highly cautious and meticulous. If Yang Qing were in their position, while he would have preferred to use a proxy to handle the ransom negotiations for safety’s sake, if the matter at hand were extremely important, then caution would only go so far. He’d have no choice but to handle it personally—because that would be the only way to maintain control of the situation and ensure he got the results he wanted.
The evidence he’d gathered so far made one thing clear—the kidnapper really needed Bai Chen. They wouldn’t have gone through the trouble of setting up such an intricate trap if they didn’t. They had even gone so far as to use nebulous yin qi in their efforts.
Given how much they wanted Bai Chen, there was a very real possibility they had stayed here, waiting for him—either as a staff member or a patron.
If they were staff, that would make things easier for Yang Qing. He could investigate and find out which employee hadn’t been seen for the past two weeks.
But if they were a patron... that would take more effort.
"A patron, huh," murmured Yang Qing thoughtfully as he rubbed his chin with his free hand. They’d have to be a regular to pick this place. And if that’s the case...
His gaze dropped to the moonlit orchid in his right palm, whose silver-blue petals reflected in his eyes as he twirled its stalk between his fingers.
A second later, the orchid vanished.
Yang Qing’s pensive expression gave way to a carefree smile, a flicker of excitement lighting up his eyes as they shifted to his far left—just in time to see Sun Biya arriving with a tray of kettles and clay pots.
"Thank you for waiting. Please enjoy," Sun Biya sweetly said as she began unloading the dishes onto the table one by one, until no space was left. "Do call when you finish so I can bring the next set," she added, then courteously cupped her fist in farewell.