A Star Reborn: The Queen’s Return

Li Lei glanced at him. “Now you’re asking for mercy?”

When he was bullying Shaohui earlier, why hadn’t he bothered about Shaohui’s cries for mercy? The child’s request was simple, he only wanted them to save that little foal. However, General Manager Zhou had refused him. A light smile played at the edge of Li Lei’s lips, which looked somehow menacing under the sunlight. “If you want me to let you off I can do that. But first, you and your son have to kneel and knock your heads three times on the ground loudly in front of Shaohui as an apology.”

“I won’t kneel!” General Manager Zhou’s son, the boy called Ah Qiang, shouted out angrily. Clearly, he had been spoiled by his family and was still unable to put aside his pride at this point. “Why do I have to kneel down to that bastard?! He’s only been adopted by a mere singer! Daddy, didn’t you say that singers are all lowly, and are just meant to be toyed with? I don’t have to give them any face! Why are we so scared of them?!”

Du Yunfeng and Du Zheng breathed in deeply hearing his cries. This child was really spouting anything that came to mind.

They glanced over at Li Lei and saw that his expression had darkened as expected.

Li Lei wanted to make things more difficult for this father-son pair, but suddenly, two chilly, slender fingers held onto his hand. It was Xia Ling pulling him back as she sported a light smile. She said to the Zhou family’s father-son pair, “Singers are all to be toyed with, you say?”

Cold sweat broke out on General Manager Zhou’s forehead. “Miss Ye, Ah Qiang didn’t mean that.”

“Then what did he mean?” Xia Ling’s tone was emotionless. In fact, she was furious. Even though there were many in the entertainment circle that had indeed found backers as a road to fame, many of her colleagues were still toiling away at their trade properly. The words Ah Qiang spouted undermined all their efforts and was utterly disrespectful.

General Manager Zhou carefully tried to explain. “He’s young and doesn’t know what he is saying.”

Initially, he hadn’t been afraid of Xia Ling since she wasn’t a business person, even though she was fairly loaded. The Phoenix Down Corporation that she ran for many years now merely broke even. However, seeing how casual she was with Young Master Li, any idiot could see that their relationship was not that simple.

She was Young Master Li’s woman and couldn’t be offended.

General Manager Zhou tried to explain again. “This child is clueless and spouted a bunch of nonsense. I’ll definitely lecture him later on.” He turned and chided his son. “Kneel down right now! Apologize to Miss Ye and Young Master Shaohui right this instance!”

Zhou Qiang was still uncooperative. “I won’t!”

General Manager Zhou couldn’t afford to think too much as he aimed a kick at his own son, forcing him into a kneeling position. “Apologize right now!” Even though his heart ached for his son, but this was nothing compared to the trouble he would face with the Zhou family’s downfall. If the Zhou family was bankrupted, how would they be able to maintain their wealthy lifestyle?

Zhou Qiang burst into tears. “Daddy is a bad person! Daddy is a big bully! All of you are big bullies!”

His cries were screeching, forcing Xia Ling to take a few steps back and cover her ears.

Seeing this, Li Lei pulled Xia Ling into his arms and covered her ears with his hands. Du Yunfeng shook his head. Did these two have to be so lovey-dovey right now?

His bro seemed to be completely smitten by this woman.

As a swinging bachelor, he could only reach over and cover Du Zheng’s ears, while chiding General Manager Zhou. “Are you guys here to apologize or to mourn? Get lost right now. Any more of this screaming and it won’t be so simple as mere bankruptcy!”

General Manager Zhou shuddered. Du Yunfeng’s words insinuated that they were prepared to force the Zhou family to their graves! He turned to look at Li Lei and Xia Ling and, seeing that they did not refute Du Yunfeng’s statement, but instead were glaring at them in disdain, he knew that they were in deep trouble. Hurriedly, he turned to beg Shaohui. “Young Master Shaohui, can you bear to see us bankrupted and sleeping in the streets? Please help us and ask Miss Ye and Master Li to let us off!”

Shaohui might be innocent and adorable, but he wasn’t to be messed with. He responded, “You guys almost killed my little foal, so why didn’t you think that he was a living creature as well? Uncle Li was just asking you guys to apologize to me and you refused, so why should I let you off?”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” General Manager Zhou cried out in desperation. “I was wrong, I really was wrong!”

Shaohui didn’t move. “You haven’t knelt and bowed down to me yet.”

General Manager Zhou was stunned. He hadn’t expected this little child to be so difficult and was momentarily embarrassed. It was one thing to get his son to kneel down to this child, but for him to get down on his knees too? That was a humiliation for him.

He tried to worm his way out of the situation. “Young Master, you’re so young right now… I shouldn’t be kneeling down to you, that’s bad karma for you. I’ll get my son to bow down a few more times to you, okay?”

Shaohui could not resist but don an expression of disdain.

What kind of father was this General Manager Zhou? He would sacrifice his own son just so he didn’t have to kneel down himself?

Shaohui glanced over at Zhou Qiang, who was still kicking up a fuss, and felt a sense of pity for him.

The righteous little Shaohui resolved to help Zhou Qiang. “A man should take responsibility for his own actions.” Shaohui’s adorable voice piped up again. “You won’t make me incur that much karma, just hurry up and kneel already.” Uncle said that he had the blood of the Xia Family Phoenix, and hence, he was extremely regal. Other than his own blood relatives, he was in a position to receive the respects of anyone.

General Manager Zhou was pushed into a corner. He was about to beg to be let off again but saw Shaohui’s expression becoming impatient. “Don’t disturb my sister any longer. I’m going to count to three. If you’re still not going to kneel, then don’t bother anymore.”

The Du family uncle-nephew pair watched this scene unfold and could only marvel at the threat that this little child was issuing. They had thought that little Shaohui was just a cute, clueless child. However, now they could see that he was much more than that. They now could understand a bit better why Li Lei doted on him so much. This little Shaohui was many times more powerful than Li Rui.

General Manager Zhou looked around at the cold faces of the group standing around, knowing that he was defeated.

Little Shaohui had already started his count. “Three… two….”

With a loud “thump”, General Manager Zhou fell down to his knees. “I’m an idiot and didn’t know any better! Young Master Shaohui, I apologize to you right now. Please show us mercy and let the Zhou Family go just this once!” As he spoke, he knocked his head hard on the ground. When he looked up again, there was a huge abrasion on his forehead.

Shaohui’s expression changed to one of satisfaction.

Li Lei was also satisfied. This child had his own views and methods even at such a young age. Even though getting General Manager Zhou to come here was from the pressure Li Lei was putting on his business, Shaohui was able to make him physically apologize using his own abilities