A Star Reborn: The Queen’s Return

Xia Ling was used to these situations. “Can you wait after I’ve seen Xia Yu?”

The female warden realized that she was acting out of place and hurriedly said, “Sorry, sorry. Of course. Please follow me, I’ll take you to see the prisoner.”

She led Xia Ling into the visiting area in the prison.

The long corridor was quiet, the deep grey-brick walls creating a solemn atmosphere. Limited skylight shone through the narrow and tall metal-grilled windows, making the place feel even more oppressing. Somewhere deep in the prison, there seemed to be the sound of screams and the knocking of metal. The sound echoed through the empty corridor, sending a chill down one’s spine.

Their footsteps echoed through the empty expanse as well.

After walking for quite a distance, the female warden stopped and opened a door with a metal key that she was carrying. She told Xia Ling, “Miss Ling, we’re here. Please wait in here for a moment… Xia Yu will be here in a minute.”

Xia Ling nodded and walked into the room carrying the thermos containers with the food.

She saw that she was in an empty room with a safety glass separating it down the middle, the only opening being one that was just enough to pass the food containers through, and a telephone hanging on the glass separator. Xia Ling waited for a while, and seeing that no one was coming, she turned and asked the warden, “She’s still not coming over?”

The female warden felt that it was weird as well. Typically, it didn’t take so long to bring a prisoner over.

She replied, “Let me go take a look.”

She had just walked to the doorway when another female warden came rushing in. “Something’s wrong.” Her expression was grave, and she glanced over at Xia Ling, before pulling her colleague out of the room.

Xia Ling sensed that something was off and waited in trepidation for a while longer before the female warden that had brought her in came back. She told Xia Ling with a solemn expression, “Miss Ling, I’m sorry… Xia Yu won’t be able to have her last meal. She’s found to have died in her prison cell.”

“Died?” Xia Ling exclaimed in shock, and the containers she was holding fell to the floor.

The female warden replied, “Yes, died. We’re still trying to find out the cause of her death. My initial hypothesis is that she had a heart attack from her congenital heart disease.”

“Not… not possible…” Xia Ling shook her head in disbelief.

Even though Xia Yu was going to be put to death the next day, it was the proper legal procedure that way. Now, she had just suddenly been declared dead? She hadn’t even had the chance to eat the sweet water rice…

Xia Ling’s mind was in a whirl and she felt a little dizzy.

Seeing Xia Ling’s pale expression, the female warden asked in concern, “Miss Ling, are you alright?”

“I’m alright.” Xia Ling pulled herself together and said, “Where’s she? Take me to see her.” Xia Yu had been exiled from the family and didn’t have any other close ones or friends. Now that she had died such a pitiful death, Xia Ling felt like she was the only one that could see her for the last time.

The female warden looked uneasy. “Miss Ling, this is against protocol.”

“I need to see her.” Xia Ling insisted.

The female warden shook her head. “Although I’m your fan, there are rules in this prison. I can’t let you do that.”

Xia Ling felt upset that she couldn’t even take a final look at the sister that she had brought up. She should be the one sending Xia Yu off and saying her final goodbyes. She called Li Lei and told him what happened. Li Lei pulled some strings and called her back in no time. “It’s settled. Go ahead and see her.”

Xia Ling hung up and glanced at the female warden.

Someone walked into the room at this moment and said to Xia Ling unwillingly, “Miss Ling, we’ve been informed that you have special permission from above to see the deceased in the prison cell.”

She followed the two wardens to Xia Yu’s prison cell.

The eight-person prison cell was now empty with no sight of the other prisoners. Xia Yu’s body was lying on her bed, completely lifeless. She was wearing the grey prison uniform, her messy short hair looking grimy, and her face was bruised all over. Her limbs were also bent in unnatural directions.

Xia Ling was furious. “Why is she in such a state? Was she abused?”

“We didn’t abuse her.” The warden that had appeared later replied. “This is an accident.”

“She was in the prison cell… what kind of accident could render her in such a state?! She was going to be put to death tomorrow! Were you guys unable to just wait a day?! You wouldn’t even let her have her last meal in peace?!” Xia Ling became more agitated as she spoke. She glared at the wardens. “What rubbish about a heart attack? I think you are hiding something here!”

The female warden that had first brought Xia Ling in sighed silently. This was why she didn’t want to let Xia Ling see the body. In this place, even if the wardens didn’t abuse the prisoners, there were bound to be spats and conflicts between the prisoners. Clearly, Xia Yu had been at the losing end of one of those fights.

Xia Ling looked at Xia Yu’s distorted body on the drabby metal bed and couldn’t resist reaching out, wanting to help straighten out her limbs so that they’d look more natural.

However, one of the wardens pulled her back. “Don’t touch her, Miss Ling. Her body is fragile now. Earlier, the doctor merely touched her and her elbow almost fell out.”

Xia Ling said, “This is abuse.”

The warden replied, “We didn’t abuse her.”

Xia Ling said angrily, “I want a post-mortum to be done on her. The prison will have to take responsibility for this.”

The warden said, “We really didn’t abuse her. Please don’t make life difficult for us.”

He was speaking very politely to Xia Ling but was feeling a headache coming on. If it were any other person, he wouldn’t be wasting his time speaking to her about this issue. However, Xia Ling was someone that could be granted special permission within minutes, and the future wife of the Big Boss of the underworld. He couldn’t afford to offend her.

Xia Ling sneered. “You don’t want me to make life difficult for you? Fine, tell me the truth.”

The wardens glanced at each other before one of them piped up. “Miss Ling, Xia Yu died because of her health condition. That’s the truth.” Even the girl that had proclaimed to be Xia Ling’s fan nodded in support of this explanation.

“Very good.” Xia Ling’s anger turned into a smile. “Do you guys think I can’t get to the bottom of this? Well… wait and see!”

With that, she strode out of the prison.

Li Lei was waiting for her at the doorway, leaning casually against his jeep with a hand tucked in his pocket. Seeing her emerge in such an angry state, he asked, “Xiao Ling, what’s wrong?”

Xia Ling furiously relayed. “Xia Yu died such an inexplicable death! I want to know what happened!”

Li Lei said, “She’s tried time and again to harm you. Why do you even bother to help her?”

Xia Ling said, “Because she asked to have sweet water rice as her last meal!” In actual fact, she had a hidden worry that she didn’t reveal. Pei Ziheng had threatened to seek revenge on Xia Yu. Was he behind this?

Li Lei didn’t say anymore and helped her to begin investigations into the matter.

After a few days, he told her, “The security in the prison is stringent, we’re having trouble finding a way in. But I’ve received some information that might be helpful—Gu Lin is also in that prison. Before the incident happened, she was in contact with Xia Yu. Perhaps she knows something.”

Gu Lin?

If Li Lei didn’t remind her, Xia Ling would have almost forgotten about her existence.