A Star Reborn: The Queen’s Return

On seeing him, Xia Ling felt some warmth fill her heart.

However, she knew that he had no power to go against the Old Master’s wishes as well. She told him, “Help me to pass a message to Li Lei. Tell him that once I’ve found a new place to settle down, I’ll contact him.” The hidden meaning behind this message was: If he received a call from her, it meant that she was fine. But if he did not hear from her, something untoward might have happened to her.

The head of security understood her words and nodded.

The men under Old Master Li had also understood the hidden message in her words, but remained emotionless and did not stop them from communicating. Xia Ling and the head of security saw this as a good sign and heaved sighs of relief. It looked like the Old Master had no intention to be so cruel as to threaten her life.

They sent her all the way into the car.

The car traveled across the city and into a high-classed bungalow region.

There was greenery all around, and flowers lined the one-way street along the black barricades and red walls. Xia Ling felt like this place was very familiar. Wait… wasn’t this the bungalow area where Pei Ziheng lived?!

The car stopped at the bungalow beside Pei Ziheng’s.

The Li Family helpers started to carry her stuff out of the car — her suitcases and knitted handbag, etc.

Xia Ling was feeling uneasy. “You guys are making me stay here?”

The head of the helpers replied in a deadpan manner. “This bungalow was bought specially for you by the Old Master. He asked me to pass you a message: You should be satisfied with getting a bungalow in exchange for the Young Master. Don’t even think about other things that you do not deserve. You are in no position to even think about becoming the Li Family missus.”

Xia Ling laughed in her anger. So… this was the breakup compensation?

She looked around and saw that the entire bungalow premises were fairly empty, except for a few wild marigolds and roses in a far corner of the garden. She remembered that when she was staying at the Pei Family house back in March, this bungalow was still occupied by a kindly couple. She had met them occasionally and would exchange friendly greetings.

“What happened to the original owners?” Xia Ling asked.

“They’ve moved.” The helper replied. The original owners of the bungalow were normal business people. The Old Master had offered them three times the valuation of the bungalow, as well as issued a mild threat. It wasn’t difficult for him to make them move.

“He bought this place especially for me to stay?” Xia Ling asked again.

The Li Family helper said, “Yes.”

Xia Ling’s clenched her fists subconsciously. The Old Master had probably investigated her ambiguous relationship with Pei Ziheng and had made her move in here on purpose. Wasn’t he just trying to make Pei Ziheng and her rekindle their relationship so that there would be no more possibilities between Li Lei and her?

“I’m not staying here.” Xia Ling resolved.

She recalled the day that they had buried her child. Li Lei held onto her hand and placed it on his heart, saying honestly, “When I see you with him, it hurts right over here.”

She did not ever want to make his heart ache again.

Yet, the helper responded, “You have to stay here.”

“And if I don’t?” Xia Ling gave a cold laugh.

The Li Family helper continued, “Then, the Old Master will be furious and hate you even more. Your relationship with Young Master Li will be jeopardized further. Miss Ye, Young Master Li was brought up personally by the Old Master and is the favored grandson. Do you want him to become enemies with his grandfather because of you?”

Her returning to Pei Ziheng’s side was a more likely trigger that would make the two of them become enemies.

Xia Ling stood her ground. “I’m not staying here.”

She bent over to pick up her suitcases. The small leather cases were heavy, and she was unable to lift them. She suddenly heard the helper speak up again. “Three years.”

What?

She lifted her head up with a confused expression.

“The Old Master said three years.” The helper continued in his deadpan voice. “If you stay here for a full three years and still want to be together with Young Master Li, the Old Master will consider your marriage.”

Her hands paused in mid-motion. Now, should she stay or not stay?

She could obtain the Old Master’s approval just by staying here for three years. That would be the most peaceful resolution. However, there were too many uncertainties in three years. Just Pei Ziheng staying next door, waiting for an opportunity to pounce, was enough for her to lose sleep over.

“He only said that he would consider?” Xia Ling’s eyes narrowed as she started to negotiate. “I’m going to need more certainty than that.”

The Li Family helper responded, “No one in this world has been able to negotiate with the Old Master.”

“I can be the first.”

“If you don’t stay, he won’t even consider it.”

“Saying that he will ‘consider’ is just a strategy to drag things out. There’s no sincerity at all. Does the Old Master think I’m stupid?”

The helper did not know what to say. Miss Ye, it does seem like you are stupid. With all the information you had previously, isn’t it obvious that the Old Master is against you being together with the Young Master? What if the child you have in the future is as dumb as you?!

The helper was unsure of what to do given Xia Ling’s determination to get her way.

He stepped aside and made a call to Old Master Li. “Yes, yes… Okay, I understand.”

He hung up and returned to where Xia Ling was. “The Old Master has agreed that if you stay for a full three years, he will allow you into the Li Family.” This was still an ambiguous statement. With what status would she be allowed into the Li Family? As Li Lei’s wife? Or as his mistress? Or was he thinking of marrying her off to one of his random underlings?

However, Xia Ling did not think of such detail and was satisfied with the negotiation result. As such, she nodded.

“The Old Master will not go back on his word, will he?” She asked.

“The Old Master has never gone back on his word.” The helper said in a cold but proud tone.

Xia Ling did not doubt his words. In all the time that she had spent with Pei Ziheng in her past life, as well as with Li Lei and Wei Shaoyin in this life, she found that they had something in common. They were all about presentation and principles. The Old Master Li had no reason to ruin his reputation and principles because of a small character like her.

She bent down to pick up her suitcases again. Alright then, she would just stay here.

The Li family helpers came forward to carry all her suitcases into the house and help her to settle in before they disappeared, going about their other work.

Xia Ling looked at the empty living room filled with her suitcases in a daze. She recalled that she should give Li Lei a call. His line was busy, so she left him a voice message, broadly explaining that she had been chased out by the Old Master and informed him of her current address.

After hanging up, she couldn’t bring herself to organize her things.

Her head was still heavy and spinning from her cold, and after all the commotion, it seemed that her cold had gotten worse. She started to feel a chill run through her body.

She dug around in her suitcases for a mug and filled it with warm water in the kitchen. She still felt terrible after drinking it up. The Old Master Li had packed all her expensive jewelry and items but did not pack cold medication into the bags.

Xia Ling sniffled and felt like crying.

The doorbell rang.

She struggled towards the front door and saw a tall man standing outside the black gate against the sunlight. His cold expression was mysteriously oppressing.