A Star Reborn: The Queen’s Return

Xun An suggested. “Just stick with singing. All the ladies here who do classical dance and ballet have started learning since they were three or four. They are world-renowned, you won’t be able to beat them.”

Xia Ling was a little unconvinced. “What if I could beat them?”

He found her adorable and couldn’t help but reach out to ruffle her hair.

Xia Ling glared at him. “Don’t you belittle me!”

“Alright, alright, I won’t belittle you.” Xun An stifled his laughter. “But I want to hear you sing. Your voice is beautiful even when you talk, I believe your singing would sound wonderful.”

“But of course.” She grinned and tipped her chin a little higher with pride. “I can sing lots of songs. Back when I was in the orphanage, everyone used to come around to listen whenever I sang.”

Xun An smiled. “What songs can you sing?”

She named a few before adding, “I even compose my own tunes.”

He asked, “Really? Let me listen to one.”

Ever since Pei Ziheng adopted her, her living environment had changed drastically and she had had fewer opportunities to sing. Seeing that Xun An was interested in it now, she excitedly thought about composing a good one for him. What should she sing? Seeing the lily pads afloat on the lake before her, and the fragrance from the flowers, an idea came to mind.

“The Southern River and its water lilies, the lily pads in Hotan…”

She sang this classical folk song easily. The teachers in the orphanage had taught them this poem, but she had turned it into a song with a melody on the spot.

Xun An’s jaw dropped as he listened to her.

He had known that she sang well, but he never knew she was this good at it. The girl before him was sitting with her arms wrapped around her knees as she kept her eyes on the lake of water lilies. The breeze carried her melodious voice with it, and she looked like a sweet country girl despite and all the more because of the dirt that got onto her little gown as she sat on the floor. Xun An had never met another girl who could pull off such an elegant look so casually and so uniquely.

Before he knew it, his focus had drifted as he looked dazedly at her.

When she was done singing, she turned around and asked smilingly, “Did I sing well?”

“Huh? Yes!” Only then did he snap back to his senses and nodded his head. She didn’t just sing well, she sang better than anyone he had known before! This scenic landscape, coupled with this gift of a voice, was simply perfect.

Xun An said to Xia Ling, “You were wonderful! If you go for the talent contest with that piece, you’d definitely be the most outstanding girl around!” So what if the other rich girls could dance and play their instruments well? Was any of them as natural and moving as she was? Moreover, these girls had been taking part in the talent contest year after year, and the judges were more or less tired of similar performances. It would be different for her, though, if she could awe them on her first appearance.

But Xia Ling said, “Really? But, this isn’t the only criterion for being the Summer Belle.” Xun An had gone through the rules and regulations with her earlier, and she realized just how embarrassing her words to Pei Jingyu and the rest were. Given her background, it wouldn’t be a surprise if she came in last!

Xun An shrugged. “They’re out to embarrass you. Even if you decide not to take part anymore, they’d still find a way to get you on stage. Xiao Ling, show them what you’re made of and let them know who’s the better one! Even if you don’t end up as the Summer Belle, don’t do too badly. You need to shove it in their faces!”

Xia Ling giggled. “Why are you getting even more agitated than me?”

Xun An threw some air punches as his eyes lit up, “Of course I am! I’ve decided to help you as much as I can! As long as I do my best to help you out, Chairman Pei would definitely see me in a different light! Then, my status in this household would be raised!”

Xia Ling laughed again. She did not know whether he was genuinely innocent or too shrewd a person, to actually have spelled things out to her so clearly. But, compared to all the hypocritical and scheming rich misses, she’d very much rather hang out with this person. Whatever his agenda, he was, at least, being nice to her.

“How do you intend to help me?” She was curious.

“Come, come, I’ll speak into your ear…”

They whispered for a long while and Xia Ling was getting amused by the things he said. In the breeze by the lake, the young man and the little girl’s laughter went a long way.

Pei Ziheng and Pei Zhenyuan were sitting in the pavilion.

Pei Zhenyuan was chiding him. “It was bad enough that you adopted a feral child, but you could’ve just dumped her after playing with her for a few days. Why did you bring her to the banquet? Do you know what a banquet is about!”

Pei Ziheng was distracted as his eyes were locked on the two of them in the distance. Xiao Ling was happily talking to a young and pleasant young man, and he actually dared ruffle her hair! Pei Ziheng was busy thinking of how to deal with this young man!

“Are you listening!” Pei Zhenyuan snapped in anger.

“I am.” Pei Ziheng’s voice was low and calm as usual. He looked away from the lake and said, “Granduncle, it’s my business to adopt Xiao Ling, and also my choice to bring whoever I want to attend events. You just have to manage the matters of the organization. As for my personal matters, you don’t have to worry about it.”

With that, he got up. “I’m busy, I’ll take my leave first.”

“You!” Pei Zhenyuan was fuming mad. This child was getting out of hand!

Seeing Pei Ziheng’s back view as he left, Pei Zhenyuan once again felt that this grandnephew was getting increasingly hard to handle… was this a good or a bad thing? He remembered how his nephew had grabbed his hand and said to him on his deathbed, “Second Uncle… Ziheng is a driven man, and he’s very capable. But sometimes he’s just too headstrong, and simply too young… please help him along the way and guide him towards managing Imperial, and…”

Before he finished what he had to say, his eyes had shut for good.

But Pei Zhenyuan knew what he had wanted to say—to watch over him and make sure he did not go astray.

What was considered astray? Anything besides managing the family business, getting a good wife and starting a family would be going astray!

Pei Zhenyuan gave a long sigh. He thought about the times when Pei Ziheng had just taken over the family business. Back then, he still took his opinions and advice into consideration, but as Imperial got more powerful over the past few years, some things began to change. It was good for a young man like him to have his own point of view, but it wasn’t good to be too obstinate!

Pei Zhenyuan decided to use this incident regarding Xia Ling to knock Pei Ziheng to his senses. He needed to know what the Pei family tradition was and what it meant to put family first!

While the old man was still shaking his head in anger, Pei Ziheng had already walked to the lily lake.