A Star Reborn: The Queen’s Return

After a long time, someone finally came to rescue them.

When the show team saw Li Lei, they were shocked. However, it was not the time to be curious. A large group of people got them into a car and sent them to a hospital for treatment.

Xia Ling’s condition was more serious — Hypoxia and pulmonary influx that led to a series of other complications. As such, she needed to be hospitalized.

Li Lei accompanied her as she did a complete check-up and only went to do his own after she had settled into her ward. The check-up results showed that there was no big problem. After he took a shower and changed into clean and warm clothes, he was alive and energetic again.

Xia Ling was put on a drip; she was very weak. She looked at how energetic he was and became jealous. “We climbed out of the lake together, so why are you unhurt?”

“That’s because I’m awesome.” Li Lei laughed shamelessly.

Xia Ling was quiet for a while before saying, “It was very dangerous, right?”

“Hm?”

“Although the pool was not big, the power of the waves is not a joke when the machine is turned on. Why did you jump in to save me in such rapid waters? What if something bad happened?”

“I didn’t think too much.” Li Lei said. After seeing her guilty expression, he added, “I have even swum in the ocean in a storm before. These small rapids were nothing compared to that.” He smiled. “Look, aren’t both of us fine? Cheer up. Don’t look so distressed.”

She forced a smile.

Li Lei thought that she was tired and let her rest.

Before he left, he sort of remembered something, so he turned around and said, “Oh yes, there was someone who was drowning too, and he is resting in the bed next to you.” This hospital was small, and the individual intensive care units were very close to one another.

Xia Ling heard what he said and raised her head. “Who?” Once she said that she realized that besides Pei Ziheng, who else could it be? She remembered that in the cold and rushing rapids, he forcefully let go of her hand and left her behind to die without looking back…

She had told herself thousands of times before that she could not love him.

She had done everything possible to escape being his hunting target.

She even urged him to get married and only treated him as a friend who was a little special.

However… now, it looked like they could not even be friends. Even a stranger would not be so cruel. In Pei Ziheng’s eyes, her life was as insignificant as an inanimate object.

She lightly closed her eyelids and suppressed her emotions.

Sure enough, Li Lei replied, “Pei Ziheng.”

He stared at her nervously. The show team said that when the accident occurred, Pei Ziheng was the first one who jumped down the waterfall to save her. Did she know about that?

“Why is he hospitalized?” She muttered. When she was in the water, his swimming ability was strong, and he seemed to be able to move easily in the water. Unless…

Xia Ling remembered that something fell off his wrist. Did he risk his life for that thing?

However, Li Lei thought that she did not know that Pei Ziheng jumped into the water. He hesitated for some time before saying, “He also went to rescue you. However, it seemed that my luck was better because I found you first.” Their hospital wards were too close, and sooner or later, she would meet Pei Ziheng. It was better if he told her now than letting her hear something from that man’s mouth.

At least he would not exaggerate the story.

Li Lei was very nervous about her response, but unexpectedly, Xia Ling only faintly sighed.

“You look like… you are not surprised at all.” Li Lei was somewhat unconvinced.

“There’s nothing to be surprised about.” Xia Ling’s expression was very dull. “I don’t believe that he would jump into the water for me. Perhaps it was because he dropped something into the water. Before the accident happened, I think I heard that he was looking for something.” There were some lies mixed with truth in her words, but it kept Li Lei guessing. Maybe Pei Ziheng really did not jump down to save her?

With that thought in mind, he was relieved.

“It is possible that he was looking for something,” Li Lei said. “When the rescue team found him, he was unconscious on the river bank clutching a watch and refusing to let go. I heard that the dial was broken. I don’t know why it is so precious to him.”

“Watch?” Suddenly, her heart skipped a beat.

She knew how many watches Pei Ziheng had, and among them were many world-famous products. However, with that man’s character, even it was a valuable object, he would not treasure it that much. Unless…

She remembered that many years ago, she had a watch custom-made for him.

It was a Patek Philippe set for two with the names of a man and a woman engraved on them. Unfortunately, the customization duration was too long, and it took three years to order and obtain the watches. She did not even have the chance to see them personally before she was imprisoned, tortured, and eventually murdered. Was it possible that that was the watch he was wearing now?

With her understanding of Pei Ziheng, this was probably the only item with a sentimental value that was worthy of him keeping.

Yet….

She laughed at herself. Did she really understand him? If she really understood him, why did so many tragic events in the past happen? In reality, he was an enigma, and to her, he was forever a mystery.

She turned her head and looked out of the window.

Li Lei instructed her to rest and left.

Xia Ling was recuperating in the hospital and lived in deep seclusion. Sometimes, she would take a walk outside and meet Pei Ziheng in the small garden.

He sat alone on a bench under the maple tree and was looking down at something in his hands. The coat around his shoulders was trailing on the ground and stained with dirt, but he was completely unaware.

Xia Ling did not want to meet him and decided to take a detour, but just at this time, he lifted his head.

“Ye Xingling.” His voice was very flat, and he was no longer as calm as usual. Even his appearance looked terrible. He did not shave his beard cleanly, his grey cheeks were sullen, he was very thin, and his eyes were bloodshot. He looked extremely haggard and in a worse condition than the girl who fell into the water first.

Xia Ling was sad, but she did not know if she was feeling sad for herself or for him.

Pei Ziheng looked at her deeply with a complicated expression. It was as if he were trying to see through her heart.

Xia Ling felt uneasy after he looked at her like that. When she spoke, she was a little sarcastic. “Why are you looking at me like that? Go look for your watch! Thanks to you, I almost died in the river.”

He slowly said, “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” Xia Ling laughed in anger. “You almost killed me. Sorry is truly an understatement. Pei Ziheng, Big Boss Pei, Chairman Pei! If you don’t want to help me, don’t give me hope from the start. Don’t throw me into hell after making me think that I could be rescued! Don’t you think that you are too cruel?”

In her past life, she also thought of him as her savior, but in the end, she always put him on a pedestal and was greatly disappointed.

“Pei Ziheng, do I owe you anything?” She demanded. “Even if I do, how much do I owe you? 5 billion? 10 billion? Just tell me a number and I will return it to you. Why do you always have to haunt me like a ghost? Why do you always have to disturb my calm emotions?!”

The man in front of her did not respond and tightly held the item in his hands.