Chapter 105: Will They Make Things Difficult for Us?

Jing Xi followed Wang Zhen to Wang Xiu’s younger brother and sister-in-law’s home.

They lived in the coal mine’s residential area, a neighborhood of uniform, single-story houses.

The two of them wandered in the dark for a while before finally finding Wang Qi’s house.

After confirming the address, Wang Zhen knocked anxiously, but after several attempts, there was no response.

Before long, the neighbor from the house to the east opened her door—a woman who immediately recognized Wang Zhen.

“Are you related to Wang Qi?”

Wang Zhen quickly nodded. “I’m his brother-in-law. We heard about the accident and came to check on them. Do you know if the kids are home?”

The woman, a middle-aged lady, replied, “I thought you looked familiar. Come on in—the child is at my house.”

Through their conversation, they learned that this woman and her husband also worked at the mine. Her husband was a coal miner, while she worked as a driver above ground. Her surname was Li.

Fortunately, her husband had been on the night shift the day before, so he was home safe. The accident had occurred during today’s day shift.

Without wasting time, Wang Zhen and Jing Xi followed her into the courtyard. Inside, Wang Qi’s son was sitting with Li’s child, doing homework together.

Lowering her voice, Li explained, “Both Wang Qi and Xu Zhen were at the mine. Their child was alone at home, so when I heard the news, I was worried and brought him to my house. My husband went to the mine to get information—he just left not long ago and hasn’t come back yet.”

“Come in and stay for a while,” she offered.

Wang Zhen nodded gratefully. “I feel much better now that I know the kid is safe. Thank you so much! I really appreciate it. Would you mind keeping an eye on him a little longer? I need to head to the mine and check on things myself. My wife is beside herself with worry, and we haven’t been able to reach Wang Qi or Xu Zhen at all. Sitting here waiting is unbearable!”

Aunt Li nodded in understanding. “The situation over there is a mess right now. I’m afraid you won’t even be able to get inside. Maybe it’s better to wait here for news?”

Wang Zhen shook his head firmly. “I have to go, no matter what! My wife only has this one younger brother!”

Seeing his determination, Aunt Li didn’t try to dissuade him further. “Alright, don’t worry about the child. He’s safe here.”

Inside the house, Wang Qi’s young son looked up and, recognizing his uncle, immediately ran over and threw himself into his arms.

Holding the boy close, Wang Zhen reassured him, “Chengcheng, stay here and wait for me. When I come back, I’ll take you to play with your sister.”

The little boy nodded but pouted. “Uncle, why haven’t my mom and dad come home from work yet? I’ve been waiting for so long!”

Jing Xi stood quietly to the side, her heart aching at the child’s innocent confusion.

Wang Zhen gently pinched the boy’s chubby cheek. “They’re just really busy at work, but they’ll be home soon. Be good—take a nap, and when you wake up, they’ll be back.”

“Okay! I’ll be good! I miss my sister. I want to go to Uncle’s house and play with her!”

“No problem. I’ll take you there when I come back!”

With that, Wang Zhen and Jing Xi left Aunt Li’s house and headed straight for the mine.

By now, it was late at night, but the streets were still brightly lit, filled with cars and people, all headed in the same direction—the coal mine.

As they passed by the small hotel where Jing Xi had previously stayed, she hesitated for a moment before deciding to check if Liang Chen was there. If he was, he might have a way to help.

Wang Zhen was in a hurry and continued to the mine alone. They agreed to meet later at Aunt Li’s house.

Jing Xi entered the hotel, and to her relief, the receptionist on duty was the same woman she had met before.

As soon as the receptionist saw her, she stood up. “Young lady, you left without checking out that day. I was wondering if something happened to you. Are you here on business again?”

Jing Xi smiled apologetically. “Sorry, I really had an emergency that day. I actually came to ask—do you know if the person staying in the room next to mine is still here?”

The receptionist checked her records. “Yes, a young man. He arrived the same day as you and has been staying here for several days. Are you looking for him?”

Before she could finish her sentence, Jing Xi had already placed a five-mao coin on the counter and rushed upstairs.

“Auntie, I have an urgent matter. I need to see him—thank you for your help!”

The receptionist shook her head, pocketing the coin before sitting back down.

“Kids these days, always in such a hurry,” she muttered.

Jing Xi raced up the stairs and headed straight to her destination. As she neared the room, she heard voices inside and felt relieved.

She knocked firmly.

A familiar voice called out, “Who is it?”

“It’s me, Liang Chen—Jing Xi!”

There was a brief pause before Liang Chen opened the door, looking a little surprised.

Inside, she immediately spotted Xiao Jie, along with four unfamiliar men.

This room was much larger than the one she had previously stayed in—it even had a small living area.

Jing Xi was too anxious for formalities. “Liang Chen, do you have a way to get into the mine? Wang Zhen’s family—his wife’s younger brother and sister-in-law—are both trapped down there!”

Liang Chen glanced down the hallway before saying, “Come inside and talk.”

As soon as Jing Xi stepped in, the four men in the room all turned their attention to her.

They remained seated, while Liang Chen and Xiao Jie stood.

An older man, who bore a slight resemblance to Xiao Jie, stared at her for a moment before standing up. “Jie, who is this young lady?”

Xiao Jie introduced her. “Big Brother, this is Jing Xi.”

The man’s expression instantly relaxed. “Miss, I’ve heard a lot about you. I’m Xiao Jie’s older brother, Xiao Ling.”

Jing Xi greeted him politely. “Hello, hello. You know me?”

Xiao Ling chuckled. “Everyone in this room knows who you are. After all, you’re the first person to ever scold Miss Xu from the Xu family in Fourth Master’s courtyard.”

Jing Xi’s face flushed red.

Well, her reputation had really spread.

“Brother, stop teasing her,” Xiao Jie said. “But Xiao Jing, did you come here for the mining accident? You’re not going to the bun shop?”

Jing Xi shook her head. “Aunt Wang has helped me a lot, so I came with Uncle to see if I could be of any help. Besides, I genuinely want to help if I can. Are outsiders even allowed into the mine site right now?”

Xiao Ling shook his head. “The authorities have taken full control of the area and are trying to carry out the rescue operation. We’re here because we have people trapped inside the mine, and we’re trying to figure out a way to help.”

So that was the situation.

“Do you know what really happened over there? How did such a major safety incident occur?”

Xiao Ling walked over to the window. “We have our suspicions, but I can’t share them with you. This is a matter between us and the Xu family. It’s best if you don’t wander around—you’ve already offended Xu Jin. Be careful, or the Xu family might make you their scapegoat.”

Jing Xi was confused. “A scapegoat? What do you mean? What exactly is going on?”

Could it be that this mining accident was somehow connected to the Xu family or the Quan family?

Xiao Jie grabbed her arm. “It’s complicated, and even if I explained, you wouldn’t fully understand. Just listen to my brother and stay put. There’s nothing you can do here anyway. Tomorrow morning, I’ll arrange for someone to take you back to the village.”

Jing Xi shook her head. “No, I promised Aunt Wang before I left.”

Liang Chen also tried to persuade her. “You should head back for now. Things are too chaotic here, and we can’t even get into the mine ourselves—let alone you. Go back and stay with Aunt Wang, or return to the bun shop and keep earning money.”

Xiao Ling agreed. “That’s right, Miss Jing Xi. There’s nothing you can do here, and if something happens to you, we—Fourth Master—he would also… be put in a difficult position.”

Long Yue Zhi?

“Why would he be troubled because of me?” Jing Xi was puzzled. What did her affairs have to do with such an important figure?

Xiao Ling didn’t respond.

Jing Xi felt like she had hit a dead end.

If even Xiao Jie and the others were powerless, then she had no choice but to figure out a way to use her space ability to enter the mine.

The entire journey here, she had been thinking about whether she could use her space ability to rescue people.

“Alright, I’ll book a room nearby to rest for the night. Tomorrow morning, I’ll head back to the village.”

The others nodded, looking relieved. “Alright!”

Jing Xi went downstairs and asked the lady at the counter to get her a room. Once inside, she wasted no time—she immediately entered her space.