Chapter 101: Tracking

Xiao Jie and Liang Chen left the Liu family’s house right after finishing their meal, saying they had something to do.

They left in quite a hurry.

Zhang Rui was still worried about whether the two young men had eaten well or if something had spoiled their mood.

However, Jing Xi had a different thought—she suspected they were going to trouble Wang Xiaoli and Kong Yu’s family.

The Kong family’s affairs weren’t entirely unrelated to her. In fact, she was quite curious about them. So, not long after the two men left, she followed the address that Xiao Jie had previously given her and made her way there.

The Kong family lived in South Town, not too far from the hotel where she had previously stayed.

By the time Jing Xi arrived in South Town, it was already nighttime, so she checked into the same small hotel again.

To her surprise, the same receptionist was still there, and the woman even recognized her.

After some small talk, Jing Xi suddenly thought of something. This woman had likely heard all kinds of stories—maybe she would know something useful.

“Sis, I want to ask you about someone!”

The woman grinned and cracked a sunflower seed between her teeth. “Go ahead! There are very few people in this town that I don’t know!”

Jing Xi asked, “Do you know Kong Yi? I heard he’s a miner who got injured at work and retired due to his injuries. His wife’s name is Wang Xiaoli.”

The receptionist suddenly smacked the table and stood up so quickly that she startled Jing Xi.

“Of course, I know them! How could I not? No, no, wait! I wouldn’t say I know them personally, but I’ve definitely heard of them! Why? You know them too? Are they your relatives?”

Jing Xi shook her head. “No, no relatives! Honestly, it’s kind of embarrassing. I’m looking into their family because their son, Kong Yu, bullied a girl from my neighbor’s family…”

Before Jing Xi could even finish, the receptionist smacked the table again, looking anxious.

“Kong Yu, that brat! I know him! He’s a little thug! He looks all innocent—thin, quiet—but he’s actually a total creep! Was it last year or the year before? I remember my elementary school friend telling me that Kong Yu was caught spying on girls in the middle school restroom!”

Jing Xi was shocked. “What?! That actually happened!?”

“Of course! Think about it—his family is from South Town, so why did he go to high school in North Town? That’s exactly why! He had to transfer! I heard that after he got caught peeping in the girls’ bathroom, the student’s parents—who were some big officials—made sure he couldn’t stay in South Town High School anymore!”

Jing Xi hadn’t known that. She had assumed Kong Yu went to North Town High School because Kong Zhigang was there.

The receptionist, now in full gossip mode, continued sharing more inside information.

“And it’s not just him! His whole family is shady! Little sister, let me tell you something, but just listen and don’t spread it around—Kong Yu’s mom isn’t innocent either!”

Jing Xi leaned in. “Sis, what do you mean?”

The receptionist set down her sunflower seeds, pulled Jing Xi to the sofa in the lobby, and whispered, “Listen to me—Kong Yu’s mom was a homewrecker!”

“What? Seriously?”

“Absolutely! Kong Yi originally had a wife, though they never officially registered their marriage. But they lived together, so it was basically a real marriage. In the countryside, plenty of couples don’t get marriage certificates, but they’re still husband and wife. But then, Kong Yu’s mom set her sights on Kong Yi’s working-class family. No one knows how she did it, but she managed to push the original wife out and take her place. And get this—the original wife was from North Town!”

Jing Xi feigned ignorance. “Really? She was from North Town?”

“Yes, from North Town! And let me tell you, Kong Yu’s mom is something else. Even after getting what she wanted, she still wasn’t satisfied! People say she even had an affair with one of the mine’s supervisors. Of course, I don’t know if that’s true or not. But there are even rumors that Kong Yu might not be her husband’s son!”

Jing Xi was intrigued. “What do you mean, sis? I think Kong Yu actually looks a lot like her.”

The receptionist glanced around, lowered her voice, and said, “Don’t you think he looks more like his uncle? I mean Kong Yi’s younger brother—Kong Zhigang. Oh, and by the way, Kong Zhigang wasn’t always his name. He used to be called Kong Li, but for some reason, he changed it later.”

The moment the receptionist finished speaking, Jing Xi suddenly recalled what Xiao Jie had told her last time about Wang Xiaoli’s affair.

Could it be that the person Wang Xiaoli had an affair with was actually Kong Zhigang?

Oh my god, that would really stack up all the buffs!

Jing Xi was at a loss for words.

Seeing the curious expression on her face, the older sister dropped another bombshell: “Her bad reputation is well-known. Otherwise, how would I even know about her? The gossip about the mining company may be seventy percent true and thirty percent false, but there’s no smoke without fire! People are even saying that Kong Yi’s workplace injury might not be as simple as it seems—there could be other reasons behind it.”

Jing Xi was genuinely shocked.

The older sister’s words were somewhat exaggerated, but when compared to the information Xiao Jie had given her, and with some speculation, they did seem to align.

“I really didn’t expect this…”

“Sigh, who would’ve thought? But I have to admit, that woman does have some tricks up her sleeve. Don’t be fooled by the fact that she works at the mine—her job is an easy one, and she makes quite a bit of money. Otherwise, why would people gossip about her all the time?”

Jing Xi made up her mind—tomorrow, she would go check out the Kong family’s place.

Seeing how serious Jing Xi looked, the older sister grew even more curious and started prying again. “Hey, little sister, why are you looking into their family? Did something happen? Come on, tell me! I’ve told you so much already. What’s going on with that neighbor’s daughter of yours…?”

Jing Xi nearly burst out laughing at the older sister’s eager expression. She knew that gossiping was second nature to middle-aged women—if she told her, within a few days, half the town would know.

“Alright, I’ll tell you. Here’s what happened!”

Jing Xi recounted everything in detail, adding plenty of dramatic embellishments along the way. The older sister listened intently, nodding along and even throwing in a few curses at Kong Yu.

When Jing Xi got to the part about Kong Yu getting disciplined, then falling and knocking out one of his front teeth, the older sister laughed so hard she couldn’t stop.

“Serves him right! I’ve always said that Kong Yu is no good! If his parents won’t discipline him, someone else will!”

“Exactly! And he still had the audacity to come knocking on my door!”

The older sister scoffed, “His mother had it coming too!”

Jing Xi nodded. Seeing that it was getting late and that she had to be back at the bun shop by noon tomorrow, she quickly wrapped up the conversation, said her goodbyes, and returned to her room.

As soon as she stepped inside, she went straight into her personal space.

She recalled her last encounter with Meng Fanxin in the Taihang Mountains and silently wished that her space could take her to the outside of the Kong family’s house.

She focused on her wish for a long time, but nothing happened. The space remained inside the hotel room.

Jing Xi hesitated. How exactly could she get the space to move?

She paced back and forth, deep in thought. Suddenly, she noticed a row of faint, hidden text on the wall.

It turned out to be a tutorial on how to move the space!