A Star Reborn: The Queen’s Return

They were both intelligent people. Wei Lingnan knew exactly what he meant.

No family or clan would want to go against Wei Lingnan—a strange and mysterious creature. Even Pei Ziheng would give an inch when faced with a threat like him. Rather than ending this in a bitter defeat, he might as well take the chance to help Xia Ling out while angering Li Lei. This was a good opportunity, so why not?

 Wei Lingnan looked at him and asked, “Loving someone for so long, do you find it painful?”

 This question surprised Pei Ziheng, but his expression did not change. “Your curiosity seems a little over the top.”

 Wei Lingnan chuckled in a self-deprecating manner. “You’re right, I shouldn’t be asking you.” He’d loved Ah Luo for so long, millions of years longer than Pei Ziheng had loved Xia Ling. It was such a long period of utter loneliness, he could’ve gone crazy from it. Just what did it take for her to return to him willingly? This question didn’t seem too appropriate for Pei Ziheng, a lone man. If he had to ask anyone, it should be his father-in-law, the ultimate winner in life.

He turned around and left.

Pei Ziheng lit a cigarette, the smoke rising in clouds. The frown on his face was so deep it resembled a scar.

“Star Wars Era 2” was screening in most theatres during the summer break. It was rumored that Mr. and Mrs. Li had personally begged Pei Ziheng—the big boss of Imperial Entertainment—to leave this most popular slot in the theatres for his ex-lover, even if it meant making losses.

Many of them were touched by his gesture and praised Pei Ziheng for his devotion.

The fans who’d shipped him and Xia Ling many years back came back to life and called for them to get together once again.

Li Lei was extremely upset and argued with Xia Ling about this. Xia Ling was angry too and threw a pillow at him while yelling, “Li Lei, you jerk! I’m a celebrity! A superstar! Why are you so sensitive about some rumors going around?! It’s normal for any celebrity to be shipped with many other people!”

“Anyone’s fine, just not Pei Ziheng!” Big Boss Li was raking up old scores. “That man has been harboring ill intentions since decades ago! This time regarding Yingluo’s matter, I told you not to look for him, but did you listen? If you hadn’t gone, I could’ve settled it well too, and there wouldn’t be such gossip flying around!”

 “You could’ve settled it? My foot!” Xia Ling was enraged and threw another pillow at him. “Didn’t you just order Wei Lingnan about?! Don’t you know what kind of person Wei Lingnan is? You’d just sell Yingluo to him like that?!”

 Li Lei shielded the incoming pillow and said righteously, “Selling my daughter is better than selling my wife!”

 “Y-you’re sleeping on the couch tonight!”

 She pushed him and the pillow out the door as she yelled, slamming the beautiful wooden door in his face.

“Xiao Ling! Xiao Ling, open the door!” He didn’t give up just yet. He knocked on the door several times—and received no response—before resigning to his fate. He picked up the pillow and walked along the hallway on his own.

He’d only taken a few steps when he saw two figures acting weirdly in a corner.

“Xiao…”

 “Dad, we didn’t see anything! Really! We’ll get going!” Li Rui did not wait for his response as he grabbed his sister and left.

Li Lei was speechless.

He regretted it now. Besides selling his daughter, he should sell this annoying son too.

Li Rui and Xia Yingluo ran a great distance at a go, and only stopped when they were sure nobody was chasing them. Xia Yingluo had her hand against a tree for support. She told her brother off while panting, “I-I already told you not to poke your nose into it, but you dragged me there anyway! Look what we got ourselves into now, Dad saw us! What if… what if he really gets upset and decides to sell me to Wei Lingnan!”

 “Wake up, you’ve already been sold.” Li Rui was panting too, but smiling widely at the same time. “Bro is just trying to help you see the truth as it is. But honestly, Mom is really brutal. Dad is a boss outside, after all, calling the shots and all that. But Mom scolds him like he’s her grandson, and he actually tolerates it.”

“Of course he does, that’s true love,” Xia Ling casually said. She was still trying to catch her breath from that escape.

Her heart was still pounding rapidly when Li Rui added, “That’s right, true love. Wei Lingnan is just like a grandson in front of you too.”

Xia Yingluo almost choked. She glared at him. “Would it kill you to talk a little less?!”

 In the moonlight, Li Rui flashed her another grin. “I’m helping you figure out your relationship with him. After all, Dad already intends to hand you to Wei Lingnan. If you love him, then live well with him. If you don’t, Bro will help you get rid of him.”

 “Get rid of him? More likely that he gets rid of you.”

 “In that case, you’d just have to live with him then.”

“Go away.”

 The siblings sat side by side under the tree, looking up at the night sky. A long while later, Xia Yingluo kicked Li Rui. “What’s true love?”

“True love is what you and Wei Lingnan have, crazy. Don’t kick my new pants.”

 “You’re the crazy one.” Xia Yingluo kicked him again. “Stop fooling me, how is this true love? True love is what Mom and Dad have.”

 Li Rui stifled a laugh. “That’s why I say you’re silly. It’s very simple, just name an opposite example—that’s me, having countless girls outside, cutting ties with them when I need to, never having to bother about complicated emotions and relationships. If what you have with him isn’t true love, you wouldn’t be all bothered about his matters right now. Do you think Dad doesn’t love you? If it wasn’t that he noticed your feelings for Wei Lingnan, would he have promised Wei Lingnan anything?”

 Xia Yingluo kept quiet. Back on the Skatana Planet, there was no concept of love. All she knew was that it was dangerous and wrong to be attracted to that man. Now that she was on Earth, she’d initially thought that her infatuation with Zhao Yixuan was true love. But it wasn’t the case; when Zhao Yixuan abandoned her and betrayed her, she was able to toss him to the back of her mind, and even hate him for it. But it was completely different with Wei Lingnan. Regardless of what he’d done, whether it was betraying her or committing a sin, she’d always leave a place for him in her heart.

Was this love?

 Or was this predestination?

She looked up at the night sky again, feeling heavy with emotions.

“Star Wars Era 2” was screening and raving with good reviews. Xia Yingluo’s popularity as the female lead soared as well, and she’d gathered more energy than expected. As such, her condition had improved significantly and she was glowing with radiance now.

Wei Lingnan brought a bouquet of flowers and went to look for her. “Ah Luo, come to the movies with me.”