A female employee in hotel uniform, dressed the same as the liaison who had accompanied them that afternoon.
She should have been of similar rank.
Seeing their confusion, she smiled and said,
"Miss Ji Chan, did Vincent message you? He arranged for me to take you to the back mountain of our estate for some photos. This time is perfect for the afterglow of the sunset, it's especially beautiful."
Vincent was their liaison.
Ji Chan checked her phone and indeed, he had.
However, this wasn't in the contract.
Seeing her hesitation, the woman continued,
"Our hotel can pay extra. Specific remuneration will be discussed during dinner tonight. The back mountain is a scenic spot our estate is about to open. The leadership's intention is that since both of you are here, you might as well have some photos taken there."
Su Yue subtly pulled Ji Chan's arm, then said to the woman, "Please wait a moment."
She asked Ji Chan to call Vincent.
But no one answered.
She couldn't help but feel suspicious. After thinking for a moment, she called Chen Ziming.
By this time, the capital's central plaza was gradually becoming crowded. The tall young police officer and his colleagues were moving through the crowds, checking for any suspicious activity.
The phone still hadn't connected.
She didn't have Jin Yan's phone number.
Suddenly, she remembered Liang Mu.
But when she messaged Liang Mu, she didn't get a reply. She tried calling via voice message, but no one answered either.
There was another knock on the door.
"Perhaps we should go take a look?" Ji Chan saw her constantly on the phone and heard the knocking from outside, feeling a bit flustered.
Su Yue put down her phone.
It wasn't about the money; if the hotel needed more photos, it wouldn't be a problem.
It was just that she felt something was a little odd.
She couldn't quite place it.
"Hmm... alright then." Finally, she gave up her uneasy thoughts.
After all, this was Jin Yan's resort, and she could trust it.
The two opened the door again.
The woman at the door chuckled, then walked in and linked their arms, her voice much gentler than before.
"Are you two perhaps afraid I'm a bad person? I'm truly wronged. Here, these are my business card and my work ID." She took out two cards from her blouse pocket to show them.
Deputy Manager of Hotel External Reception, Ying Xue.
Vincent was the manager. It seemed she had been overthinking things.
"Then I'll go change." Su Yue said.
"Yes, there's a forest there. Wearing something a bit more revealing would look better. You could take some fairy-like photos~"
She picked out a few items, grabbed a plaid romper with spaghetti straps, put on a pair of slippers, and headed out.
The car drove towards the north of the estate.
So this place was so large.
Su Yue watched as the car passed the villa where she had stayed earlier, then the zoo. After another five minutes, they reached their destination.
The car stopped at the stone steps leading up the mountain at the foot of the hill.
It felt slightly desolate and secluded.
A sense of fear suddenly crept into her heart.
"Chan Chan, maybe we shouldn't take photos," she whispered to Ji Chan.
The latter agreed.
However, the woman who brought them directly ascended the steps, turned around, and gave them a bright smile.
"Hurry up, the sunset only lasts for a short while. You young ladies are so pretty, it'll only take a few minutes to get the shots~"
Looking at her friendly smiling face, the two of them couldn't refuse and followed her up the mountain.
The stone steps were a bit steep, with small grasses along the way. Su Yue's legs and ankles were exposed, and she was occasionally pricked.
Fortunately, Ji Chan held her hand, reminding her to watch out for the small grasses with every few steps.
After climbing for a while, they finally reached the forest area Ying Xue had mentioned.
It was indeed very beautiful.
"It won't get dark until after seven, we still have time. I'll hold your bags for you two, you can start shooting!" Ying Xue proactively took their belongings and held them.
Since they were already here, they didn't overthink it. Ji Chan opened the camera and started looking for angles.
After taking a few shots.
Ying Xue's phone suddenly rang. She glanced at it and answered.
"Hello? Ah? The signal is a bit weak here, please wait a moment."
As she spoke, she slowly moved away from them.
Until she finally disappeared from their sight.
By the time Su Yue and Ji Chan realized she was gone, the dim twilight mist had already infiltrated the entire forest.