A Star Reborn: The Queen’s Return

Xia Ling was surprised. “He isn’t that old… who would have thought that he’s so weak.”

Lin Yunan rolled his eyes. “You’re the weak one… can’t you tell that it’s just a ploy? What stroke? If he really had a stroke they would be busy trying to save him rather than spending time issuing this press release.”

Xia Ling stared at Lin Yunan, stunned. “You mean to say that they are trying to put me in a compromising position?” She realized that it was likely that this was the last resort plan that Father Gu had thought up to save his daughter. He was trying to use the sympathy of the general public to destroy Xia Ling’s reputation. By doing so, the public would stand by the Gu family and affect the investigative outcome of the police and verdict of the judges.

Lin Yunan said, “You got it.”

Xia Ling gritted her teeth in irritation. “I said that Gu Lin would have to pay with her life for killing children. Even if they come up with these ploys, I won’t let her off so easily.” She paused and thought for a while. “It isn’t good for this matter to drag out for too long. I think we should resolve it as quickly as possible.”

Lin Yunan agreed. “I support your thought of resolving it as quickly as possible.”

Xia Ling’s eyes lit up. “Do you have any bright ideas?”

Lin Yunan shook his head.

Xia Ling was speechless.

She couldn’t be bothered to argue with Lin Yunan as she fell into a deep contemplation on how to proceed. The driver drove the van up the expressway that circled around the city, passing the central business district where her billboard advertisement for a luxury bag brand was hanging on a tall skyscraper. Several fans were taking photos by her billboard.

Lin Yunan remarked offhandedly. “Tsk tsk, a Diva is truly a Diva. Even after being wrongly accused by the Gu family, there are still so many die-hard fans putting you on a pedestal.”

Xia Ling suddenly thought of something.

“Get someone to find out where Gu Lin is right now.” She instructed Lin Yunan.

An hour later.

The van stopped in the business district near to the Gu family enterprises building.

Xia Ling was dressed in an elegant and ostentatious red dress, donning dark sunglasses and accessorized with stilettos and a shining diamond necklace and bracelet set. Her Diva aura was in full force, and she was dressed to attract attention.

She had just stepped off the van when someone noticed her and shouted out excitedly, “Ye Xingling!”

As the fan was too excited, her voice was loud and many people shopping nearby started to crowd around as well.

Everyone liked to see stars, especially top stars like Ye Xingling, who were almost like legends and rarely appeared among the general public. Before long, the crowds had grown and she was completely surrounded.

Several bodyguards were following her, making sure to create a wall around her to prevent people from pushing into her.

Within the bodyguard wall, Lin Yunan was shouting, “Let us through! Everyone, please let us through! Miss Ye is here on formal business matters, please don’t delay her from her appointment!”

Many fans of the fans shoving through the crowds in an attempt to get close enough to ask for an autograph or a photo started to ask, “Ye Xingling! What business matters are you here to handle?!”

Xia Ling merely smiled, her sunglass acting like a mask, increasing her mysteriousness.

It was different interacting directly with the Diva that they usually saw on television. Many people remarked that she looked better in person and was more attractive than through the TV screen. They were all highly taken with her friendly smile and persona.

“Yes, yes, what are you going to do? Let us help!” Some started to offer.

Lin Yunan continued to shout out. “Let us through! Please, everyone, let us through!” Seeing that no one in the crowd appeared to be moving away, he started to get impatient and sighed before saying, “All of you saw the rumor that was released today, right? Saying that our Xiao Ling caused the CEO of the Gu family enterprises to have a stroke? We were really shocked by the news. As such, Xiao Ling is trying to verify the information with Miss Gu Lin.”

A rustle of chatter emerged from the crowd. Yes, they had indeed read the news about this, and many media channels had reported that Ye Xingling had an unrequited love for Big Boss Li Lei, thus was jealous of Gu Lin, who was his childhood flame. As such, she decided to rock the boat on the old case and pin the blame on Gu Lin, hoping to remove her through this false accusation.

Was this real?

“Ye Xingling, do you really have an unrequited love for Li Lei?”

“Ye Xingling, what really happened in the deworming medication incident at the orphanage a few years back?”

“Ye Xingling, are you here to make trouble for Miss Gu?”

The clamoring of the crowd became louder and louder. Given that this was the CBD with many people passing by, more started to join in as they tried to figure out what the commotion was. Lin Yunan, who was standing just inside the bodyguard wall, as well as the fans nearest to them, were being overwhelmed by the noise and covered their ears with their hands.

Xia Ling lightly raised her hand.

Under the sunlight, her arm was straight and elegant, the diamonds on her wrist shining brightly.

The crowd didn’t know what she meant with her hand signal but almost immediately started to quieten down. Was Diva Ye about to make a statement? Even though the people in the rows behind were unable to see her hand signal, they too followed the crowd and became quiet.

The power of a Diva.

Xia Ling had brought her onstage aura and authority to the CBD now, emitting a dominance that made everyone feel compelled to follow her every word. As long as she wanted it to be so, she always had a way to make herself the center of attention.

Xia Ling was satisfied with the effect she had on the crowd. She said, “Is everyone interested to find out the truth?”

Her voice wasn’t particularly loud, but it still ignited a flame within everyone listening. “Yes! We want to know!” Oh my God, was the Diva Ye Xingling going to reveal the hidden truth to them? How exciting!

Xia Ling voice was still calm and collected. “You want to? Very good, I want to know the truth as well. Come, follow me. Let’s go look for Gu Lin to ask her what’s going on.”

Lin Yunan took the opportunity to chime in. “Miss Gu Lin is right here in the CBD! Let’s go look for her!”

The crowd was excited again. Everyone thought they were going to witness a historic moment where Ye Xingling was going to have a direct face-off with Gu Lin. Was the issue about CEO Gu’s stroke true? And what was the hidden story behind the deworming medication incident? The answers to all these looked like they were going to be revealed.

The crowd pushed and shoved each other as they created a path for Xia Ling, Lin Yunan, and the bodyguards to come through, before following them closely behind.

As they followed them, someone asked loudly, “Is Gu Lin really in the CBD now? Where is she? How are we going to find her?”

Lin Yunan wrily smiled. “We heard that Miss Gu is right here on the fourth-floor female department buying some clothes.”

“Oh, oh!” The crowd followed Xia Ling as she headed up to the fourth floor.

On the fourth-floor female department, Gu Lin was unaware of the commotion outside and was trying on clothes. She was in a bad mood in recent days and had been critical of all the clothes in the department store, taking out her emotion on the sales ladies. She felt better seeing them close to tears.

When she was done with criticizing all the clothes, she picked up a dress that she had her eye on, trying it time and time again. “Do I look good?” She asked her personal assistant standing to the side.

This personal assistant was someone that Father Gu had hired to pander to all of Gu Lin’s needs and wants. Of course, he didn’t dare say anything to the contrary and complimented Gu Lin on her beauty.

At this moment, the commotion from the crowd outside drifted into the store.