PFC Chapter 411 Search
Chapter 411 Search
Chapter 411
But now, how could she quietly approach the Third Prince, without alerting him and yet still manage to get into his sight? After all, they had never met face to face before. If she approached rashly, she would surely be considered someone with ulterior motives. But if she simply watched from afar, how could she possibly attract the Third Prince's attention? Her brow furrowed, her mind constantly calculating various possibilities, but she could not find a foolproof plan.
.........
The maid outside finished her meal and happily trotted in to look for Lu Zhaozhao, only to find that the table where her young lady had been seated had been taken by someone else. She frantically looked around, but couldn't find Lu Zhaozhao anywhere. Panic-stricken, she rushed to the shopkeeper's wife, her eyes red as she cried, "Sister, did you see the girl I came in with just now? She's my young lady. How could she have suddenly disappeared?"
The shopkeeper's wife was quite impressed by Lu Zhaozhao. Upon hearing the maid's question, she looked in the direction of the table. Because the shop was so busy, she hadn't noticed when the young lady left. So she said, "The young lady who came with you left a long time ago, and she's already paid. Why didn't you leave with her?"
The maid burst into tears instantly, crying and shaking her head: "No, the lady didn't ask me to come along."
The shopkeeper's wife was slightly startled when she heard this. She glanced around and saw the maid crying anxiously, so she tried to comfort her, "Why don't you go back to your place first? Maybe your mistress didn't see you and thought you had gone home first."
The maid thought this made sense, wiped her tears with her sleeve, turned around, and ran towards the inn where they were staying. But the maid was so anxious that she only cared about running forward and didn't even bother to look around. Otherwise, if she had just glanced inside the teahouse when she passed by, she would have seen her own young lady, whom she was anxiously looking for, sitting inside.
…………
In the teahouse, Lu Zhaozhao had long forgotten the little maid who was waiting for her outside. Various thoughts kept flashing through her mind, but she rejected them one by one.
As he was pondering this, a group of people walked into the teahouse. Their attire was simple and understated, but their expressions were stern and solemn. It was clear that this group of people were no ordinary people. As soon as they entered, they attracted everyone's attention.
After they entered the teahouse, they looked around first, and when they saw the shopkeeper, they walked straight up to him.
The shopkeeper thought someone was looking for trouble, and with a startled look in his heart, he quickly put on a smile and greeted them: "Gentlemen, do you have any instructions?"
The leader, unintentional in his conversation with the shopkeeper, unfurled a portrait. It showed a man, sketched with only a few strokes, yet his handsome features were evident. The leader stared sharply at the shopkeeper and asked in a cold voice, "Have you seen this man recently?"
Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper hurriedly leaned in to examine the portrait carefully. Then he shook his head and said with an apologetic smile, "Sir, look at this man. He's obviously no ordinary person. If I had seen him, I would have been deeply impressed. But I have never seen him, and every word I say is true. There is absolutely no falsehood."
The man stared at the shopkeeper for a long moment, his gaze piercing. He seemed to believe his words and said nothing more. Then, he abruptly turned, raised the portrait high in his hand, and slowly surveyed the crowd in the teahouse lobby. He spoke sternly, "Have any of you seen the man in the portrait? He's a high-ranking criminal. If you encounter him, don't even think of shielding him or concealing his identity. Otherwise, you will be treated as an accomplice!"
When everyone in the hall heard this, they were all shocked and trembled with fear. They hurriedly came closer to take a closer look at the portrait, but after looking for a long time, no one recognized this person.
And in the corner, Lu Zhaozhao's nails were almost digging into the flesh, and her body couldn't help but tremble slightly: Isn't this the third prince?
The leader saw everyone shaking their heads after looking around, and a look of impatience suddenly appeared on his face. He lost the patience to continue questioning. Then, he quickly rolled up the portrait, waved his hand, and gave the order: "Everyone, go up and search carefully. Don't miss a single room. Be careful. Don't let the fugitive hide here!"
"Yes!" The rest of the people seemed to be the leader's subordinates. After hearing the order, they responded neatly, then strode up the stairs quickly and walked upstairs.
At this moment, Lu Zhaozhao's face was hidden by the curtain, her pale complexion invisible to others. She bit her lip subconsciously, her heart pounding in her chest. She silently prayed that these people wouldn't discover anything, yet at the same time, she was gripped by worry. She feared that the Third Prince had some other way to quietly escape. If that were the case, wouldn't everything she had just imagined be in vain?
Soon, the people in the private rooms upstairs seemed startled by the sudden search, and a loud commotion erupted from above. Although the people downstairs feared getting in trouble, curiosity got the better of them and they couldn't help but look up frequently. Some, both displeased at the interruption and worried about getting dragged into the controversy, walked downstairs, frowning and cursing. When they saw the leader still standing downstairs, their faces froze, their eyes shifted, and they quickly descended, leaving the teahouse without a care in the world.
Although the tour leader looked unhappy, he did not seem to intend to embarrass the disturbed guests and let them leave in a hurry.
Lu Zhaozhao stared at the upstairs, not daring to relax his vigilance at all, not even daring to blink.
He waited until the team that went upstairs to search came down, then shook his head at the team leader and said, "I didn't see anyone suspicious."
The team leader then waved his hand and led the team out of the teahouse.
After a while, everyone was sure that the officers would not return. In the quiet teahouse, someone broke the silence first, and suddenly, whispers rose and fell.
"What exactly do these people do?"
"The man in the portrait doesn't look like an ordinary person. I don't know what he has done wrong."
"What does it have to do with us, no matter what he did? We all need to keep our eyes open. If we encounter this person again, we must not only not hide the truth from the officials, but also not shield him. Otherwise, trouble will surely come to us."
"Never mind, never mind. I was just thinking of coming out to relax, but this is what happened. It's really a letdown. I'd better go home."
There was a flurry of discussion, and many people, disillusioned by the unexpected turn of events, shook their heads and sighed, preparing to go home. Seeing this, some hurriedly followed suit, leaving in twos and threes.
The people in the teahouse gradually dispersed, only Lu Zhaozhao was still standing there, looking up at the upstairs, his eyes were heavy, light and shadow flickered in his eyes, and there was a hint of hesitation.
Although she had prepared for the worst, she wasn't the type to give up easily. Unable to determine whether the person had left, she decided to go up and look for them herself. However, she had barely taken two steps when she saw a young man descending the stairs. He was plain-looking and dressed like an ordinary person. However, his straight back and demeanor were completely out of place with his attire and appearance.