A Star Reborn: The Queen’s Return

The little girl sounded triumphant, a stark contrast from her weeping a while ago.

Above her, she heard a boy’s voice. “Big Sister Xiaoxing is the best, she could even capture Uncle Lei’s girlfriend.”

“Hmph, Uncle Lei’s girlfriend?” Li Xiaoxing was cold and arrogant. “I don’t understand why Uncle Lei would get together with such a girl. He’s so smart, but his girlfriend is someone who’d fall into a kid’s trap.”

The two boys chimed in. “Exactly. Sister Su Tang is way better than this silly woman.”

They went on talking, but Xia Ling could no longer hear them.

In the pitch darkness, her heart began beating rapidly, and the pit now felt like a boundless void. She widened her eyes as much as she could, but still, there was no beam of light. Past memories of being locked in the dark basement by Pei Ziheng came gushing back — the humidity, the darkness, the horror, and the ferocious barks…

“Ah—” she could not help but scream in fear.

The smell of blood was getting more intense, choking her. She reached out, only to realize that the pit was a narrow one. The walls were wet soil, with bugs living in them.

“Let me out!” Her voice was trembling, and the image in her head was getting clearer, threatening to take over all her thoughts. “Is anyone there? Let me out!”

Even so, the children above could not hear her. They were busy discussing. “What do we do now? Get an adult here? She’s Uncle Lei’s girlfriend after all, and it’s so embarrassing that she has fallen into our trap and got dog’s blood poured all over her. Uncle Lei will be angry, right?”

“Angry?” Li Xiaoxing smiled without care. “Why didn’t you think about that when you plotted against her? It’s too late now. This is the reality, every adult we know does their sums before they do anything. All smart ones know how to avoid a trap, only an idiot like her would fall for such a trap. She’s an embarrassment to Uncle Lei.”

“Exactly.” Li Xiaolong said. “What sort of girlfriend would fall for this? She can forget about entering our family.”

Li Lancang hesitated for a while before nodding along.

Children of the Li family were different from most others. They went through special classes since they were young, and real-life application classes were among them. During such classes, they would be brought to an island to plot something against a few targeted adults. But the adults came from such backgrounds as well and hardly fell for their tricks, making it difficult for the children to score well for the class. Yet, with Xia Ling easily falling for the trap, they would be graded with an A- at least. How could they not celebrate?

“This woman is too foolish.” Li Xiaoxing was not satisfied. “If it was a smarter one, we could’ve gotten an A+.”

“Don’t be too greedy.” Li Xiaolong took it positively. “If you could capture Uncle Lei, you could get an SSS+, but could you? Er Mao has an S grade too, but I was almost eaten by him the last time. In any case, we’ve got good enough grades for this semester. I’m fine with an A-.”

Li Xiaoxing thought about it and shrugged.

“So…” Li Lancang asked apprehensively. “I’ll get the teacher here?” The teacher had to be around to assess the situation for every adult caught.

Li Xiaoxing agreed to it, but then thought it through and changed her decision. “Wait… Get a few more people here. This woman is so silly, she has no right to be with Uncle Lei. Let everyone else see her for who she is and realize that she’s not worthy to be in this family. Hmph.”

Li Lei was the idol of many children on the island, not to mention the dream partner of many girls. The majority of them had entertained the thought of marrying their Uncle Lei many times before, and now that he had brought such a weak girlfriend home, the girls were more than unhappy.

Li Lancang and Li Xiaolong agreed with this idea. “He should get someone of Sister Su Tang’s standard at least.” They did not think it was an issue to get Uncle Li Lei and Sister Su Tang to witness the scene. The children on the island liked Su Tang and had always thought of she and Li Lei as a match made in heaven.

“Alright, I’ll get going.” With that, Li Lancang rushed off to get the adults.

Xia Ling could vaguely hear their conversation, but she was too flustered to make out any of it. The fear and trauma had taken over her, and everything else she heard was simply white noise.

“Help me… help me…” She was clawing hysterically at the walls, trying her best to find her way out, causing her slender and delicate fingers to become badly bruised and scratched.

The thick, nauseating smell of dog’s blood took her back to Pei Ziheng’s isolation room.

“Ziheng… let me out…” She sobbed. “It’s my fault…” The vulnerable Xia Ling was back, spouting the words of plea that the devilish man had conditioned her to. “Let me out… I beg of you, let me out…”

Tears were flowing uncontrollably, and she was pale with fright.

She completely broke down a while later, forgetting who she was. She could not feel the wounds on her hands as she continually, repeatedly clawed at the sides of the pit, weeping. “I’m sorry… let me off… please…”

A commotion came from above her. It sounded like a group of people had gathered.

After that, the wooden lid was slowly pushed away and a light flashed in.

She instinctively looked up, only to see a man jump into the pit and hug her instantly. “Xiao Ling? Xiao Ling, are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?”

She continued sobbing and mumbling to herself. “Ziheng… Ziheng, it’s all my fault, let me out. Please just get me out of here.”

Li Lei stiffened. Ziheng? What was she talking about? Pei Ziheng? He held her face urgently. “Xiao Ling, wake up. It’s me, Li Lei!” The panic and distraught written all over her face was a heartwrenching sight for Li Lei.

Her eyes were distant, and she did not seem to realize he was there. “It’s my fault… Please don’t punish me… Get me out of here, Ziheng, I beg of you…” Her pleas sounded like the cries of a cuckoo.

The petite figure in his arms shivered with fear. With the blood all over her, she looked almost like an injured bird.

Li Lei could not be bothered to think about what her murmurs and pleas meant. All he cared about was to warm her ice-cold body with his embrace. “Xiao Ling, don’t be afraid. I’m here, I’ll get you out.”