Free Web NovelChapter 1980: Chapter 1977: Xianlin Villa
The woman was dressed in the hotel’s magenta uniform, tall and quite attractive, though her hair was somewhat disheveled.
With Lin Tian’s reaction, he could have avoided the woman, but there was a pool right next to them, and if he dodged, she might very well fall into the water. The woman was walking in a hurry, her expression flustered, barely looking at her surroundings, just keeping her head down.
The moment she bumped into Lin Tian, the uniformed woman didn’t even lift her head and kept nodding, "I’m sorry, I’m sorry..."
She repeated her apology several times, and before Lin Tian could say anything, she hurried off again, as if something was chasing her.
"I’m sorry the gentleman was bumped, I will certainly reprimand her later," the guiding waitress said awkwardly, quickly apologizing to Lin Tian.
Lin Tian smiled nonchalantly and said, "What? Are there wolves in the villa?"
"No... no, although the villa is in the mountains, there won’t be any wild beasts nearby, so the guests’ safety won’t be an issue." The waitress was too embarrassed to joke around and could only assure him firmly.
But Lin Tian noticed that the waitress’s eyes were flickering, as if there was something she hadn’t said, something on the tip of her tongue.
The waitress led the group to a two-story villa, handed the room card to Lin Tian, and then left.
"You two guys will stay on the first floor, and Xuanxuan and I will stay on the second floor." As soon as they entered the villa, Zhang Lingyu had already made the arrangements, clearly guarding against any ’wolves’ with those little eyes of hers.
Lin Tian shrugged his shoulders, indicating he had no objections; Xu Feibai was even more indifferent.
"Lin Tian, did you notice that the waitress who bumped into you just now was acting suspiciously?" Xiao Manxuan asked curiously after putting down her luggage.
"Hmm, her hair was messy, two buttons on her chest were missing, and there were scratch marks on her neck. Either she had a conflict with someone, or a man harassed her," Lin Tian responded seriously.
Just then, Zhang Lingyu was coming downstairs with her luggage and couldn’t help but scoff at Lin Tian’s words, "Lin Tian, you’re really observant, even noticing the missing buttons, still true to your nature, hmph."
Lin Tian shook his head, indifferent, "I’m just speaking objectively. If Lord Heavenly Master has any objections, feel free to voice your thoughts."
"Lingyu, I think Lin Tian is right; after the waitress realized she bumped into someone, she clearly had a strong guard against Lin Tian and Xu Feibai, those two men," analyzed Xiao Manxuan, the little girl having always been keen at observing others.
Zhang Lingyu furrowed her brows, "Did a guest harass the waitress?"
"It’s nothing strange, these days, those with power and influence can do whatever they like, and waitresses are just ordinary workers. To avoid losing their jobs, they can only swallow their grievances," Lin Tian said indifferently.
He had worked as a security guard and a bar waiter, had seen such things too many times.
"You guys are really bored; are we here to look for the Yin Jade, or to seek justice?" Xu Feibai couldn’t help but interject.
The two girls were both strong advocates of justice, especially when seeing a fellow female being bullied. Upon hearing Xu Feibai’s comment, they both glared at him with anger.
"Ahem, don’t bother arguing with him. This guy has lived for hundreds of years, such things are insignificant to him. Let’s just order food," Lin Tian changed the topic, then made an internal call to place an order.
The food cart soon came in, pushed by none other than the waitress from earlier. Her eyes were slightly red, clearly having just cried.
Seeing the four of them, she paused, then apologized with great embarrassment, "It’s... it’s you, I’m really sorry about earlier, I sincerely apologize."
Waitressing staff are mostly trained, the upper management would have surely instructed them not to offend guests. In case of any conflict, regardless of right or wrong, they must apologize.
Especially in upscale places, the patrons might be wealthy and influential people whom even the bosses wouldn’t dare to offend, making it particularly tough for lower-level waitressing staff who suffer many grievances.
Especially when encountering some uncivilized patrons, those who think spending money makes them superior, akin to gods, and would cause an uproar at the slightest dissatisfaction.
"It’s alright, were you being bullied earlier?" Xiao Manxuan asked in a gentle tone.
The waitress’s eyes flashed with fear, but she continuously shook her head, "N... no..." Then she quickly set the dishes and was about to push the cart away.
Zhang Lingyu rose and held her back, "Don’t be afraid, tell me, is a guest bullying you, I’ll go teach him a lesson."
The waitress shook her head bitterly, "It’s not a guest, it’s the young master of the villa. I can’t afford to provoke him, I don’t want to get you involved. You are good people; it’s best not to encounter him, otherwise..."
Otherwise what, she didn’t say, but she gave Zhang Lingyu and Xiao Manxuan a look, which Lin Tian understood. That young master clearly had a thing for women, like Xiao Manxuan and Zhang Lingyu, he’d definitely get entangled with them if he encountered them.
The waitress left, but Xiao Manxuan and Zhang Lingyu were still indignant, unable to savor their meal. Since that woman refused to say anything, there was nothing they could do.
The four of them parted ways to rest in their rooms. Early the next day, Lin Tian woke up, went to the living room, and saw Zhang Lingyu and Xiao Manxuan standing before the table, staring intently at it.
To be precise, they were looking at the Compass on the table. Puzzled, Lin Tian walked over and noticed that the needle on the Compass was moving erratically, while the rune at the center was flickering.
"What does this mean?" Lin Tian asked curiously.
"I don’t know either. When we got up this morning, the Compass was like this. Maybe... we’re very close to the Yin Jade?" Zhang Lingyu said uncertainly.
Xiao Manxuan pondered, "But we arrived at the villa last night, and there was no reaction from the Compass then. Why is it reacting now? Could the Yin Jade be moving, and is it coming to us on its own?"
Moving? Lin Tian and Zhang Lingyu were momentarily stunned, then almost simultaneously thought of something and said, "The Yin Jade is probably on someone."
"And this person appeared at Xianlin Villa this morning," Zhang Lingyu added excitedly.
"It’s breakfast time; most people will gather at the restaurant." Xu Feibai, who appeared out of nowhere, reminded them.
The meaning of his words was clear: the person carrying the Yin Jade might be in the restaurant. Lin Tian and the two girls exchanged a glance, almost standing up at the same time, abandoning their meal plan.
Following the roadside signs, the four of them reached the restaurant. It was a five-story building, surrounded by many peach trees. The trees bore large peaches; they were late-season peaches, already ripe. From a distance, they were a sea of brilliant red.
Few restaurants have orchards around them, making this place seem a bit unique. However, the rosy peaches, resembling the Queen Mother of the West’s Pan Peach Forest from the Journey to the West, exuded an immortal aura. Presumably, the name "Xianlin Villa" originated from this impression.
Lin Tian and his group found a table near the door and sat down, placing the Compass on the table. Zhang Lingyu kept a close watch on the Compass, observing any reactions as people entered or exited the restaurant.
While the four of them were scanning the crowd, Lin Tian faintly heard a commotion coming from somewhere.
