The next day, at eight in the morning.
“Good morning, Boss.”
Seeing his employer arrive, Han Lin immediately opened the backseat door.
“Mm.” Wei Xun responded lightly.
The car started, and Han Lin drove along their usual familiar route.
Wei Xun looked out the window, recalling the message Lin Mi had sent last night.
“Take the Northern Third Ring today.”
Although the Northern Third Ring was a bit farther, it wouldn’t really affect their schedule.
For a moment, he couldn’t even tell what he was feeling.
Perhaps he wanted to test Lin Mi’s “metaphysical” ability.
Or perhaps he was simply intrigued by her unusualness.
It sounded unbelievable, yet somehow, he still wanted to believe her.
He felt that if he didn’t, it might really turn out exactly as she’d said.
“Huh? The Northern Third Ring? That’ll make us detour, it’ll take more than ten extra minutes.”
Han Lin was shocked. They always took the overpass.
Wasn’t their boss the kind of person who valued efficiency above all?
If something could be done fast, he’d never waste even a single extra minute.
Why take the long route today?
“Miss Lin—the one who dragged me out of the hotel yesterday—told me that the overpass is unlucky today. She said I’d lose money if I take it.” Wei Xun said with a faint smile.
Thinking about how he was actually following her advice, he felt amused himself.
Fine, he’d trust her once. It wasn’t like he’d lose anything.
(°ー°〃)!!
Han Lin’s eyes widened. Since when was his boss so easy to fool?
He had followed him for so long yet never knew the boss believed in superstitions.
Had he gone mad?
Of course, he didn’t dare say that aloud. Sneaking a glance through the rearview mirror, he noticed the boss seemed to be in a good mood.
So, he quietly steered the car toward the Northern Third Ring.
They drove along. There was some traffic, but nothing serious—certainly no major delay.
At 8:40 a.m., the car drove smoothly into the company parking garage.
In the elevator, Han Lin habitually checked the morning’s trending news.
As a competent assistant, he had to stay well-prepared and gather all relevant information.
“What? There was an accident on the Second Ring overpass?!”
Seeing the newest real-time news, Han Lin turned to stare at his boss in shock.
The overpass was designed precisely to avoid accidents. Ever since it had been built, accidents on it were extremely rare.
How did one happen today?
Could it be…?
“Boss, is this what Miss Lin was talking about?”
Han Lin looked at his boss with sparkling eyes—excited and curious. But his boss simply extended a hand silently.
Understanding the signal, Han Lin handed over his phone. Seeing how seriously the boss was reading, Han Lin couldn’t help rambling on.
“Boss, who exactly is Miss Lin? This is unreal! She could actually predict that an accident would happen this morning? Is she some kind of fortune-telling master? But she looks so young. I didn’t expect she’d have such ability. Good thing she reminded us—otherwise we’d definitely be stuck on the overpass. Judging from the traffic situation, it’d take at least half an hour to clear. And we still have an important signing ceremony later. If we missed it, our company would suffer a huge loss. In other words, Boss, you really would’ve lost money like she said.”
The elevator doors opened, but Han Lin still couldn’t suppress his gossipy enthusiasm.
“Miss Lin is amazing. Next time I see her, I have to ask her to read my fortune!”
“Too much talking. Go handle the signing arrangements.” Wei Xun returned the phone and walked straight toward his office.
But inwardly he felt far from calm. He hadn’t expected her prediction to come true.
If yesterday’s hotel fire was an accident… then what about today’s traffic incident? Another coincidence?
Coincidence at this level… was practically a skill.
A faint smile lifted his lips. He still hadn’t properly thanked her for yesterday’s rescue, and now he owed her another favor.
He needed to think carefully about how to thank her.
At eight in the morning, Lin Mi strolled through the antique street while munching on an egg crepe.
The street was quiet, barely a few pedestrians. Many shops were still closed, though some diligent owners had already opened and were cleaning up.
She didn’t know the exact time of the “incident.” The news report included a photo of the shop’s entrance, but the store name had been intentionally omitted.
So she could only wander the antique street, comparing the shopfronts on both sides to find the one that matched the photo.
Gradually, more stalls began to open, displaying all kinds of curious items.
Lin Mi grew interested and browsed as she searched—examining small antiques for fun even though she couldn’t tell real from fake.
Suddenly, her gaze stopped on a shop called “Elegant Rhyme Studio.”
The shop wasn’t large, and the sign looked a bit worn. The owner, a middle-aged man, was carefully wiping the antiques inside, treating each item with respect.
This was it!
The storefront’s decorations matched exactly.
She had finally found it. And it seemed the newbie who would break the inkstone hadn’t arrived yet—other than the owner, the shop was empty.
Great, she made it in time!
Lin Mi steadied herself, pretending to be a casual visitor as she stepped inside while scanning the shelves.
“Boss, do you have anything inexpensive? I just started getting interested in antiques and want to buy something beginner-friendly.”
The owner glanced at her. He didn’t look down on her because of her youth, but he wasn’t overly enthusiastic either—probably assuming she wasn’t a big spender.
He pointed toward a corner.
“You’ve come to the right place. We have some clearance items. Their condition isn’t great, but they’re cheap and suitable for beginners.”
“Thank you.”
Lin Mi walked over and indeed found a special discount section.
There were copper coins, porcelain fragments, bits of jade, and some old wood carvings and paintings.
Her heart thumped. She knew the valuable inkstone was very likely here.
She picked items up and put them down, pretending to browse casually.
Finally, her fingers touched something cold and rough.
It was a plain-looking inkstone, dark gray, its surface covered with the marks of time. It looked so ordinary that at a glance one might mistake it for a stone.
Anyone keeping up with the story?
(End of chapter)