A Star Reborn: The Queen’s Return

He took her to the garden of a quiet and serene mansion, located at the outskirts of the town.

The spring night, the flowers and the trees gently reflected the moon’s silver shimmer as the chirping crickets burst into song. She caught sight of an exquisite sign above the festooned door reading: The Gu Garden. The calligraphy was filled with antiquity and vigor, reflecting the calligrapher’s exceptionalism and superior skills.

“Where are we?” She blinked and asked.

A figure wearing a black traditional chinese-style jacket emerged from the flagstone pavement in the depths of the Gu Garden holding a simple and unsophisticated lantern before Li Lei could reply. As he walked closer, Xia Ling got a clearer view and realized he was a refined white-haired middle-aged man. He wore a pair of half-frame horn rimmed glasses with the other half lined with metallic silver.

“Oh, it’s Second Young Master Li, what a rare sight.” He greeted Li Lei, beaming.

“It’s been a while since I last saw you, Uncle Zhou.” Li Lei greeted him in return. “Is Grandfather Gu here? I specially bought some fresh truffles for him from my overseas trip.”

Uncle Zhou was the butler of the Gu Garden and was clear about Old Master Gu’s favoritism for Li Lei. “Yes, he is. You came at the right time. He just had his dinner and is playing chinese chess in the tea house.” Old Master Gu was an eccentric old man. Many big shots have attempted to make appointments to meet him but were rejected, yet he took a strange liking to Li Lei and allowed him to visit whenever he wanted.

Li Lei entered with Xia Ling.

In the tea house, there was an old man, aged around seventy, playing chinese chess alone. He was covered in cotton traditional Chinese clothing and had a cup of tea next to him. Li Lei observed him for a while before picking a suitable moment to call out to him. “Grandfather Gu.” He called out affectionately.

A kind and loving face was revealed as Grandfather Gu looked up and saw Li Lei.

As he caught sight of Xia Ling, he appeared to be rather surprised. “Who is this young lady…?” Li Lei, coming from a well-established family with “old money” for many generations, was different from the typical nouveau riche descendants — he knew how to conduct himself properly. No matter how many girlfriends he had or how crazy the relationship was, he would never bring random girls to meet his elders. One must have high status to have been brought to meet his elders.

“My future girlfriend.” He grinned.

“No, I’m not.” Xia Ling was quick to explain.

Old Master Gu scrutinized the both of them and giggled. “You sneaky young lad, you have not succeeded in wooing her, yet you brought her to see me. Spill it, what do you need from me?” The reason for this young brat’s visit was now clear as day, it was most likely to ask for a favor. Old Master Gu was the sworn brother of Li Lei’s grandfather and was familiar with Li Lei’s character due to watching him grow up.

Despite being exposed, he wasn’t embarrassed at all and immediately seized the opportunity to ask for a favor. “Grandfather Gu, you know me best. I brought some truffles for you from my overseas trip, could you do me a favor?”

He was always skilled at acting cute in front of his elders. At that moment, he carefully presented Old Master Gu with a transparent box as though it was a treasure. It contained a small piece of truffle wrapped in tinfoil, still covered in mud.

The box immediately sparked Old Master’s attention and he took the box, starting to scrutinize it carefully. “It’s the Italy White truffle, to think it can be so well-preserved in this season.” The Italy White truffle was rare among truffles and was Old Master Gu’s favorite. It was extremely difficult to get it as it was seasonal. Now that Li Lei had come this far to deliver this precious piece of truffle, how was it possible to contain his joy?

Shrewd as he was, Old Master Gu asked, “Why did your grandfather say you went to Manhattan instead?”

Li Lei smiled coyly and innocently. “I recalled that White Truffle is your favorite, so after settling my business in Manhattan, I flew to Italy personally as I was afraid to entrust the purchase of this precious thing to others. It was on the way, anyway.”

“On the way?” Xia Ling was rendered speechless by the nonsense coming out from his mouth. Manhattan was located in America, and Italy in Europe. “On the way” indeed…

Old Master Gu was at a loss whether to cry or laugh. “You… Spill it, what is the favor you came for. Just to clarify, I will not agree if the favor is out of line.” Old Master Gu attempted to let him take a hint before he could speak. Seeing that he specially flew to Italy for his instrument of bribery despite his busy schedule, Old Master Gu knew that it would not be a small favor.

Li Lei began to pout, feeling wronged. “Grandfather Gu, I know better than that. It’s really a teeny weeny favor. Don’t you have a perfume named ‘Meteor Wings’? I found a spokesperson for you.”

“This is a tiny favor?” He exclaimed as he nearly fainted. The Gu Financial Magnate was in the Perfume Industry and they invented a perfume two years ago, named “Meteor Wings”. It was perfection. Anyone who had smelled it would know that it was a miraculous invention. Once released into the market, it would be recorded as a transcendental classic in the History of Perfumes.

The reason for the delay in its release was the lack of a suitable spokesperson.

Seeing that the Gus combed through countless celebrities in the world, yet had failed to find someone with the qualities to represent the aura of “Meteor Wings,” it can be deduced that they had extremely high expectation and that it was an almost impossible mission.

But now, Li Lei had the cheek to request for this?

Old Master Gu was amused and slightly displeased. “I knew you had something bad up your sleeve. The Winged Meteor is the treasure of the Gu Family, your Brother Gu Xiao and Sister Gu Yan’s future wealth depends on it. Tell me, who did you approach to be the spokesperson? I will not agree to it if she is unreliable.”

“My future girlfriend, the future Diva of Skyart Entertainment, Xiao Ling. Look, she has status and popularity, she is absolutely suitable to be Meteor Wings’ spokesperson,” he said with a smile, fawning over her.

It then dawned on Xia Ling that he had another motive for bringing her there.

She was almost moved to tears. He racked his brains in an attempt to help her get the most important shoot when everyone else only wanted to terminate her. She had already guessed which Gu Family they were referring to through their conversation. It was the renowned family who owned the Gu Financial Magnate, the colossal Perfume Empire. The Old Master Gu in front of her was no doubt the founder of the company, Gu Lingzhi.

Old Master Gu grew more serious as he sized Xia Ling up.

“What are this young lady’s capabilities that could make me put her in charge of such an important endorsement? I’m not interested in any more nonsense, I would like a legitimate reason from you, young lad,” said Old Master Gu sternly. He gave Li Lei a chance to win him over, as he was clear that Li Lei was nothing like those good-for-nothing from wealthy families — Li Lei had strong capabilities as well as foresight and was meant for great things. Things would have been different if it was his two commonplace grandchildren recommending that ordinary-looking young lady for such an important endorsement. He would have flared up from the start.

Instead of answering Old Master Gu immediately, he asked Xia Ling a question, “Are you confident enough to do it, Xiao Ling?”