A Star Reborn: The Queen’s Return

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The Rolls Royce sped along the road in the snowy night.

Xia Yu sat on the comfortable backseat beside Pei Ziheng, overwhelmed by his unexpected favor. “Brother Ziheng, thank you for coming to pick me.”

Ever since she had quarreled with “Ye Xingling” and her plan to frame Ye Xingling for insulting her sister was exposed, Pei Ziheng had given her the cold shoulder and had not bothered to pick her from the music festival. However, she did not know why there was a car waiting for her today.

Xia Yu thought that he was not angry with her anymore. Besides, she was Xia Ling’s only younger sister, and with this trump card, no matter what outrageous trouble she caused, he would never denounce her strongly. She silently cursed how Pei Ziheng put her sister on a pedestal, but also used her position in Pei Ziheng’s heart to become closer to him. “Today is really cold, Brother Ziheng. How about we go to ‘Winter Story’ for supper? My sister used to love the desserts there…”

Pei Ziheng turned around and shot her a look.

It was an ordinary look, but it seemed to contain endless overbearance, causing Xia Yu’s heart to shudder and shut up.

Pei Ziheng turned around and continued to look out from the car window. Outside, there was an unlimited number of drifting snowflakes, and the street lights were emitting faint streams of light in the darkness. He thought about this time last year which was also a snowy night. He saw that girl under a street lamp at another TV station…

Ye Xingling.

At that time, she was wearing a very cheap coat as she raised her hand to catch the snowflakes in midair, her appearance so mesmerizing and beautiful like the Xiao Ling in his memory. Later, the way she scolded him when he kidnapped her and the way she stood on stage singing “The Caged Butterfly” with tears in her eyes…

If his Xiao Ling had died and reincarnated, he was afraid that she would be exactly like her.

She was too similar.

He thought about how he could not help but specially hire a chauffeur to visit her during this very snowy night and use picking up Xia Yu as an excuse to wait for her. Pei Ziheng did not know what he should do if she came out. Perhaps, he only wanted to look at the girl who resembled Xiao Ling from a distance. Catching a glimpse of her was the only way he could slightly reduce the raging and tormenting longing he had for her.

However, he waited for a very long time, but she did not come out.

Pei Ziheng’s initial unfathomable expression became darker.

Xia Yu looked at him and subconsciously bit her lip. Using her reasoning and cleverness, she easily guessed that Brother Ziheng’s main intention was not to pick her up but use her as an excuse to see someone else!

Who did he want to see…?

As he looked at the small road outside the window, he had the same gentle and sad look as when he was looking at her sister’s photo.

Ye Xingling. It could only be Ye Xingling. Those three words were like maggots biting Xia Yu, making her feel very uncomfortable. No, she was unwilling. She had a hard time ensuring that her sister and Wang Jingwan died. She was not willing to have a third rival.

She would not let that happen. She must think of a way to eliminate her.

Xia Yu became deep in thought.

***

Xia Ling did not leave by the front door.

Due to the black Rolls Royce that had stopped in front of the door, she deliberately changed her route and avoided Pei Ziheng from the side door.

Today, Li Lei had come to pick her, and he had also noticed the Rolls Royce at the front door. However, he did not dare to do anything about it as he was afraid he would trigger something Xiao Ling was sensitive about and cause her to suggest that they break up again.

Li Lei parked his SUV far away, his inner conundrum no less than Pei Ziheng’s.

After receiving a message from her to pick her up, Li Lei could not be more delighted. Haha, Pei Ziheng . He thought. You can wait in front of the main door like an idiot. My Xiao Ling doesn’t care about you. Xiao Ling belongs to me!

Li Lei hummed a tune as he picked her up.

Both of them ate supper and returned to the apartment together.

The security officer of the apartment carried an object covered in satin over. “Young Master and Miss Ye, this is a gift for Miss Ye. There is no signature.”

“The fans are really adept at getting information… they even know where I stay now. Move it to my apartment and I will take a look.” After being accompanied by Li Lei for supper, she was very relaxed. Thinking about how the media representatives had been exposing their relationship these past few days, her lips curled into a smile. It actually felt good to date someone openly.

Li Lei entered her house as well and said, “I want to see it too.”

The security officer moved the object into the apartment and left.

Li Lei and Xia Ling removed the ribbon together, and soon, the object was revealed.

It was actually an oil painting.

The strokes were robust, and it was very colorful.

The painting was of a silent snowy night. The ghostly Rolls Royce was parked under the dim light, and not far from the car, in front of the second-floor glass window, a pale girl was quietly looking at the car and holding a butterfly card in her hand with a sorrowful expression.

Around the painting, there were broken red roses scattered around.

Xia Ling screamed. Her hand loosened, causing the painting to fall to the ground and the wooden frame to split open.

Tonight… It was the scene from tonight!

When she was looking at the Rolls Royce, someone was looking at her!

Xia Ling was drenched in cold sweat, and a sense of terror filled her heart.

Li Lei was visibly upset as he knelt down to observe the oil painting more closely. As his fingers grazed the wooden picture frame, the broken corner exposed the mezzanine. He violently tore it and retrieved an inconspicuous piece of paper from the inside.

How rude, you tore this so easily, Xiao Lei.

I can help you deal with an unfaithful woman.

Those two short sentences made Li Lei’s heart develop a stronger sense of fear than Xia Ling. He shuddered as he turned the broken oil painting back to the front and carefully looked at the girl in the painting wearing a performance dress and a shawl. Her face greatly resembled Xiao Ling, and in between her eyebrows, there was a faint reddish spot.

Li Lei’s gaze tightened as he followed the red spot and realized that in the opposite building, an inconspicuous window was half open. He immediately took out his mobile phone and dialed a number.

The phone rang for a while before someone answered the call. Li Feng’s bewitching and lazy voice could be heard from the other end. “Hey Xiao Lei, have you found out the truth so quickly? Your reaction time is not bad!”

“What exactly are you trying to do?!” Li Lei’s heart sank. It was Li Feng who had been observing Xiao Ling. The faint red spot on the girl’s forehead in the painting was the mark of a sniper’s aim! And that sniper position… a bodyguard was originally supposed to be positioned there. He had just dialed the phone of the bodyguard, but the person who answered it was Li Feng.

At the other end, Li Feng was laughing. “Don’t be nervous, my good brother. Your little girlfriend is so lovely and charming, I only wanted to find a better position to draw a portrait of her. Oh, by the way, I also wanted to practice my aim. The person who aimed at her was me. What do you think? My skills have not regressed, right? 875m. If I fired, bang—”

Li Lei was visibly upset as he hung up the phone.