Chapter 144 Facing the Truth

Facing the requests from me and Uncle Mei, Jiang Yongguang nodded decisively and said, "Don't worry, I came here this time to take you to Chengdu to investigate. According to the intelligence my colleagues gathered, although Ge Xueying is no longer in Kuanzhai Alley, she still has a boyfriend there."

"Boyfriend?"

I couldn't help but be stunned. It wasn't that I had any prejudice against Ge Xueying, but I really found it hard to imagine that the White-Clothed Fairy, who killed without batting an eye, would actually date and have a boyfriend.

Jiang Yongguang saw what I was thinking and said with a smile, "Unexpected, right? The White-Clothed Fairy actually has a boyfriend. I couldn't believe it at the time either. It is said that Ge Xueying's boyfriend is a small singer who performs in a local bar. He has been active in that area recently. Time is of the essence. Pack your things, and we'll go to Chengdu this afternoon."

Uncle Mei and I nodded quickly, "Okay."

Jiang Yongguang added, "Oh, right, I'll call Xiao Liang along. She's been quite concerned about this matter and has been asking about the White-Clothed Fairy."

"Sure," I agreed readily, saying, "More people, more strength. Besides, we also need a top student like Xiao Liang as a consultant."

That afternoon, we set off from the town and took a bus to Chengdu.

Back then, there were no high-speed trains, unlike now, where a high-speed train from Guanghan to Chengdu costs 18 yuan per ticket and takes less than twenty minutes. It's very fast.

Our bus ride took about an hour and a half. I slept twice on the way.

By the time we arrived in Chengdu, it was almost dark. Jiang Yongguang led us to the street where Ge Xueying used to have her shop and found the store she had previously rented according to the street signs. The sign and decorations had been changed, and it had become a snack shop. The shop was bustling with business, and customers were coming and going in a steady stream.

It was dinnertime, and everyone was hungry, so we went inside and ordered some snacks to fill our stomachs.

While eating, Jiang Yongguang pretended to chat with a waitress casually, smiling and saying, "Hey, I remember this shop used to sell handicrafts, didn't it? How did it become a snack shop? Did the proprietress change careers?"

The waitress shook her head and said, "I don't know. I just started working here last month. I haven't heard anything about what happened before."

"Okay." Jiang Yongguang nodded, giving up for the moment. After a while, an older waitress came over, and Jiang Yongguang asked her the same question.

However, this waitress also knew nothing about it. Many of the shop assistants came from other places to work and were not locals. They only had a vague understanding of the shop's situation.

After a quick meal, we discussed the situation in hushed tones.

Jiang Yongguang said, "Ge Xueying ran a shop on this street for several years. It's impossible that no one recognizes her. How about this? Later, everyone should split up and go to the nearby shops to inquire about information and see if we can find out anything."

Xiao Liang nodded and said, "Yes, such a beautiful proprietress, surely someone must recognize her. I see seven or eight small shops nearby. The four of us can each take two shops and ask around."

So, the four of us each took two shops and went inside to inquire about Ge Xueying's whereabouts. I was assigned a shop selling gold and silver jewelry and a shop selling snacks such as spiced beef and spicy rabbit heads. I first walked to the snack shop, and a chubby woman immediately came over and asked, "Young man, what would you like to buy?"

I figured if I wanted to ask her for information, I couldn't just ask empty-handed, so I first ordered two liang (a Chinese unit of weight, approximately 50 grams) of beef.

As the woman weighed the beef for me, I casually asked, "Oh, right, do you know what happened to the handicraft shop next door? The proprietress's surname is Ge. Why did she move away?"

As soon as the chubby woman heard this, she immediately showed a meaningful smile and said to me, "You know Xiao Ge? What's the matter? Do you miss her?"

I quickly shook my head and said, "No, I'm just asking casually. I bought two bronze short swords from her shop last time. Later, I accidentally broke one of the swords, and I wanted to ask her if she could repair it."

The chubby woman seemed to see through everything and said with a chuckle, "No need to explain, I understand. Xiao Ge is so beautiful, with fair skin and long legs, and such a good temperament, she's practically like a flight attendant! From uncles in their fifties and sixties to young lads of sixteen or seventeen, as long as they're men, no one doesn't like her!"

I thought to myself, "I don't have any other thoughts about her. I'm afraid she'll kill me with a flying knife."

Of course, I couldn't say this to the chubby woman, so I could only go along with her guess and say, "Oh, you saw through me. To be honest, ever since I saw her in the shop last time, I've been restless and dreaming about her every night. I just wanted to see her again. I finally got leave from work and wanted to come over and find her, but I didn't expect she had already moved away."

As I said this, I pretended to be lovesick and sighed deliberately, trying to arouse the chubby woman's sympathy.

The chubby woman did indeed comfort me, saying, "Young man, I think you look good too, and you're quite handsome. Why hang yourself from one tree? Xiao Ge is indeed beautiful, but she's not young either. She's at least seven or eight years older than you, right? You two aren't suitable!"

I said, "Age is not a problem, true love transcends age. I just want to marry Xiao Ge as my wife. Madam, do you know where she went? If you know, please tell me!"

The chubby woman shook her head helplessly and said, "Alas, I really don't know. Xiao Ge is a very cold and aloof girl, she doesn't like to talk. I've chatted with her a few times, but she always ignored me. I can't very well be thick-skinned and try to get close to someone who's giving me the cold shoulder, can I? Right? So, I stopped going to her."

I didn't think she was lying, so I took the beef, thanked her, and prepared to go to the small shop selling jewelry next door to inquire.

But before I could leave, the chubby woman suddenly stopped me and said, "Young man, let me give you one more piece of advice. You should give up on this. As far as I know, Xiao Ge already has a boyfriend."

I wasn't surprised by this, because Jiang Yongguang had said before that Ge Xueying had a boyfriend there, and that the man sang in a bar.

I asked the chubby woman, "Really? What's her boyfriend's name?"

The chubby woman looked wary, as if she was afraid that I would go and make trouble for Ge Xueying's boyfriend, and she waved her hands repeatedly, saying, "I don't know, how would I know her boyfriend's name? Young man, you shouldn't ask about it. There are plenty of fish in the sea, why be hung up on one flower?"

I was amused, thinking that this chubby woman had a lot of sayings. I smiled and nodded at her, then turned and left.

Just as I was about to turn the corner and go to the gold and silver jewelry shop next door to inquire for more information, Xiao Liang's voice came from across the street:

"Chen Rongsheng, don't go. I've found a lead."