Quick Wear: Cousin, Come to the Bowl Quickly

Shen Jingyuan's fingers unconsciously tapped on the slightly shaking handrail of the rickshaw, his thoughts racing.

Lin Xi fled in such a hurry that she completely forgot that her luggage was still in her hands, so she only had some small change and a few pieces of jewelry on her.

She was a young lady who had been used to a comfortable life and had no experience of living alone. Although Jinling City was big, there were only a few places she could go.

The fastest way to find her now is undoubtedly to go to the Lin Mansion on Jing'an Street to seek help immediately. Although the grandfather of the Lin family has long since stopped caring about worldly affairs, he has been doing business in Jinling for many years and has a deep foundation. As long as he gives the order and mobilizes people to search for her throughout the city, the efficiency will surely be extremely high.

However, Shen Jingyuan's frown did not relax at all.

It would be good if the Lin Mansion sent people, but it is impossible for such a large-scale search to be completely concealed from the eyes and ears of those who are interested.

If the news reaches the ears of those enemies who have been secretly stalking the Lin family before the Lin family finds Lin Xi... it would be tantamount to pushing her into greater danger.

What's more, the Lin family's grandparents are old, especially the Lin family's grandmother, who has always been in poor health.

If they suddenly found out that their only granddaughter not only broke off the engagement and ran away from home, but was now missing and her life or death was uncertain, they would be filled with fear and worry. What if something happened to her... Shen Jingyuan could not afford the consequences.

Furthermore...

Although Shen Jingyuan was also troubled by her willful behavior, his mind suddenly flashed before his eyes: Lin Xi's pale face, red and swollen eyes, and the sobbing and mumbling that sounded from time to time in her sleep when they first met last night.

Over the years, he had seen Lin Xi's love and infatuation with Xu Yucheng. Such a deep love naturally could not disappear overnight. Although she acted as if nothing had happened in front of him, she must have felt very uncomfortable and aggrieved in her heart.

Although the Lin family's grandfather loves his granddaughter, he is a serious person with old-fashioned ideas. If he knew that Lin Xi had done such a "shocking" and "ruining family reputation" thing, he would definitely be furious and give her a severe reprimand after finding her.

By then, with the combined pressures from both inside and outside, with Lin Xi's strong and sensitive personality...

Thinking of this, Shen Jingyuan felt inexplicably depressed, and almost immediately blocked the most direct and effective method of "seeking help from the Lin Mansion" from his mind.

We cannot rely on the Lin family, and we cannot mobilize a large army.

Then, there is only one way left...

"Young master, we've arrived at Heshun Lane!" The coachman's enthusiastic greeting sounded at this moment, interrupting Shen Jingyuan's thoughts.

Shen Jingyuan paid the fare and turned into Heshun Lane. His eyes swept across this seemingly ordinary alley. On both sides of the alley were slightly old shops, with peddlers and hawkers shuttling between them, full of the atmosphere of life.

Without hesitation, he walked into the alley with steady steps and a clear goal in mind, walking towards a small two-story building in the alley with a sign that read "Qingyuan Teahouse".

It was afternoon, and the teahouse was relatively quiet with only a few customers. Upon seeing a customer coming in, a smart waiter immediately came forward with a smile on his face. "Young Master, please come in! Would you like to have some tea or rest?"

Shen Jingyuan glanced across the hall, his tone calm and composed, "I want a pot of 'Lion Peak before the Rain', with stir-fried green tea from before the Qingming Festival, and the water needs to be boiled three times."

Upon hearing this, the waiter kept smiling, but his eyes froze for a moment, almost imperceptibly. Then he became more respectful, bowed slightly, and lowered his voice.

"Sir, you are an expert. This tea is precious and requires careful preparation. The shopkeeper has instructed that such a distinguished guest should be invited to the elegant seats upstairs to taste it carefully. Please go upstairs..."

The waiter calmly led Shen Jingyuan up the wooden stairs to a private room on the second floor called "Listening to the Rain". "Sir, please come in first. Tea and water will be ready soon."

Shen Jingyuan nodded and walked in.

The private room was elegantly decorated, and the street view of the alley could be seen outside the window. He did not sit down, but stood by the window with his hands behind his back. He seemed to be looking at the view, but his ears moved slightly, paying attention to the movements outside the door.

But after a moment, there was a gentle knock on the door.

"Enter."

The door was pushed open, and the person who came in was not the waiter, but a middle-aged man in his forties, wearing a navy blue gown, with an elegant face. He did not hold a cup of tea in his hand, but gently closed the door.

"Boss." The man stepped forward and addressed him in a low voice, his tone respectful but not humble.

Shen Jingyuan didn't say much, but went straight to the point, "Find someone for me."

"You say."

"A girl, about seventeen or eighteen years old, alone." Shen Jingyuan spoke a little quickly, but his words were clear. "She was wearing a honey-colored dress and black trousers. Her characteristics were..."

Having said this, Shen Jingyuan paused before speaking again, "She has an extremely outstanding appearance and a stubborn temperament..."

Shen Jingyuan quickly described Lin Xi's appearance and emphasized the place where she might appear. He did not reveal Lin Xi's identity, but the key words "extremely outstanding appearance" and "cannot alert other forces" were enough to make the shopkeeper understand the seriousness of the matter.

Shopkeeper Song's expression remained unchanged. He did not ask why they were looking for someone, nor did he ask who the woman was. He just nodded slightly and said, "I understand. I'll do it right away and report back as soon as I have any news." After that, he left the private room neatly.

The door closed again, isolating the inside and the outside.

The room became quiet, and Shen Jingyuan sat down at the tea table in the private room, reaching out and rubbing his eyebrows.

This "Qingyuan Teahouse" appears to be a business of welcoming and seeing off guests, but in reality it is a branch of his intelligence hub in Shanghai.

Although its penetration range is not as deep and wide as that of the Shanghai Stock Exchange, it also has a lot of information about all kinds of people in Jinling. It usually collects rumors about business, the market, and officialdom, and can also perform some special tasks when necessary.

Now, using this hidden clue to find Lin Xi is the safest way, and hopefully, the fastest way...

The sun gradually set in the west, and the orange halo of light filtered through the carved wooden windows of the elegant room, casting long slanted shadows on the table.

The tea in front of Shen Jingyuan had been refilled again and again. The originally light brown and translucent tea soup was diluted again and again, gradually becoming almost transparent and tasteless.

Until the waiter came in quietly and asked cautiously, "Sir, can I get you a new pot of tea?"

Shen Jingyuan seemed to wake up from a dream and suddenly raised his head from the documents and maps covering the desk.

His brows were furrowed, with a barely perceptible fatigue in his eyes. He subconsciously raised his hand and rubbed his throbbing temples.

"No need." His voice was a little hoarse from not speaking for a long time.

The waiter bowed and left.

Shen Jingyuan leaned back in his chair, trying to concentrate on the documents concerning the northbound route, arms trade nodes, and potential risk areas. These were the key points that he had to carefully plan for this trip.

However, at this moment, he felt a rare sense of helplessness.