A Star Reborn: The Queen’s Return

“Wow, there’s perfume too?” Her eyes shone brightly and she looked at him expectantly.

Pei Ziheng lost his smile. “What are you thinking? You’re only twelve, it’s too early to use perfume.” He liked the fresh, natural scent of her body, with the shower gel fragrance of flowers and fruit. It was a unique, sweet scent.

Xia Ling was unhappy. “But Pei Jingshan is also twelve and she uses perfume.”

Pei Ziheng tapped on her little nose. “Not allowed.”

“Hmph, Brother Pei is a bad guy.” She blinked her teary eyes in grievance.

He laughed again. “It’s useless to cry.”

“Fine…” Seeing as he was refusing to back down, she reluctantly got rid of her desire for the perfume. She turned and looked over the silk scarf in her hands. “It’s so beautiful,” she said while running to the mirror and posing in front of it. He turned to ask him, “Does it look good?”

The child’s mood changed so fast. She had been close to crying just a second ago, and now she was smiling like the entire world’s sunlight was in her possession. Pei Ziheng looked at her warmly and said in a gentle tone, “You look good no matter what.”

She was even happier and turned back to pose a few more times.

She continued posing and was suddenly unhappy. “Brother Pei…” she said. “I want to go to the hospital to see Xiao Yu and tell her the good news of me winning the title of Midsummer Lady. I want to bring her a gift, but there’s only one of this beautiful scarf…” She looked down reluctantly at the silk scarf for a long time.

Pei Ziheng’s gaze deepened. “You want to give her my gift to you?”

“No!” Hearing the dissatisfaction in his words, she quickly said, “If you don’t like it, then I won’t give the silk scarf to Xiao Yu. But, but… Xiao Yu is staying in the hospital alone and is so pitiful. Wouldn’t she be elated to receive a present?”

Pei Ziheng’s gaze softened.

He looked at the girl who was in a dilemma and said, “Take the bottle of perfume.”

“What?”

“That bottle of perfume was produced by a handicraft workshop in Paris. It is a pure natural plant extract that contains no chemical additives and has a special smell. Girls will like it.”

“But,” Xia Ling looked up and asked. “Didn’t you say that I was too young to use perfume? Xiao Yu is younger than me.”

Pei Ziheng said, “She is she, you are you.” What did it matter to him if other people used perfume? Only his baby couldn’t use it. He liked the sweet and natural scent of her body. It was good enough already and did not need any perfume to add to it.

Xia Ling was speechless. She couldn’t understand Brother Pei’s logic with her little head. However, since Brother Pei had said that Xiao Yu could use it, then she’d give it to her. Xiao Yu would surely be very happy to receive a bottle of perfume from Paris. The second day, she happily tied on the scarf to her neck and brought along the perfume to see Xia Yu.

Xia Yu’s condition had improved and she was enjoying the sun in the garden.

She was surrounded by two patients with the same heart disease as well as their parents.

When Xia Ling walked over, she could hear one of the parents complimenting Xia Yu. “Miss Xia is really lucky. You can go abroad for surgery soon. That Chairman Pei is so good to you, letting you receive the best treatment. Sigh, unlike our family’s Shao Hong. He leads a pitiful life and our family doesn’t have the money to cure him. This disease is just dragging day by day.”

“You’re right,” another parent said. “Miss Xia’s nutrition is good too. She eats all the specially provided food. She even has nannies changing shifts to take care of her 24 hours a day. Unlike our family, my child’s father has to work and we can barely take care of our child even when taking turns to take leave.”

Xia Yu smiled quietly amidst the envy and praise. “Brother Pei is very good to me. He even sent someone to come see me a few days ago. He told me to tell him if I lack anything.”

Gasps of admiration sounded all around.

Xia Ling walked over and greeted her with a smile. “Xiao Yu, I’m here to see you.” She was followed by a driver and a bodyguard who was helping her hold the perfume. They looked tall and muscular and seemed to be more powerful than the nannies that took care of Xia Yu in the hospital.

Xia Yu’s expression changed subtlely, but she managed to conceal it quickly. She smiled softly and weakly and said, “You’re here, sister.” However, her tone was not passionate.

Xia Ling had long been accustomed to her way of speaking. She thought it was only because she was weak and did not put it to heart. She walked over to Xia Yu and looked carefully at her before nodding in ease. “Yes, you look much better.”

“This is Miss Xia Ling? You really care for your Sister.” A parent smiled.

Another parent said, “Isn’t this Miss Xia Ling? Miss Xia Ling, do you remember me? We met the last time when you were here to see Miss Xia Yu. I even asked whose beautiful daughter it was. I didn’t expect that you’ll be even more beautiful than that day under the sunlight now.”

“This is the most beautiful sister I’ve ever seen!” Xia Yu’s friend, a seven-year-old girl said.

Several other people nodded.

There was no choice, Xia Ling was just too naturally beautiful that anyone would be impressed.

However, Xia Ling herself had long been accustomed to such praise. With the etiquette that Ms. Sofia had taught her, she smiled politely and looked very elegant.

“This is the real Missy, she’s different from us ordinary people,” a parent said enviously as she looked at Xia Ling. She could not pinpoint which part of Xia Ling was different from them, but just from her natural disposition, she could tell that she was honorable.

It was a kind of honorable temperament that was not seen in Xia Yu.

It was no wonder since Xia Yu had been in the hospital and had not attended any etiquette class.

Under the praise of everyone, Xia Ling’s eyebrows bent and she exchanged conventional greetings for a while before she said to Xia Yu, “Xiao Yu, I’m sorry, I was busy preparing for the Midsummer Lady’s flower banquet a few days ago and did not have time to see you. But now that the banquet is over, I’ve rushed over.”

Xia Yu felt very uncomfortable. Originally she had been the center of everyone’s attention, but now that Xia Ling was here, why had all her friends and their parents’ attention turned to revolve around her?! Listening to them praise that Xia Ling was beautiful, Xia Yu wanted desperately to tear off her face. What did they mean? They had never praised her for being beautiful before, did they think she was ugly!

Moreover, they even asked what the Midsummer Lady flower banquet was. She didn’t want to hear Xia Ling boast and show off at all!

Xia Ling was already explaining to everyone with a smile. “Actually, it’s nothing much. It’s just a banquet among the upper class to choose the most popular lady, called the Midsummer Lady. Oh, this year’s Midsummer Lady is me. I was fortunate, really fortunate…”

Her laughter was like silver bells tinkling.

However, in Xia Yu’s ears, it was ear-piercing. What, this stupid and naive sister was so lucky to be chosen as the Midsummer Lady? It was… ridiculous!

Xia Yu frowned and deliberately covered her mouth with her hands and said weakly, “Sister… sister… push me to my room quickly. I, I’m so miserable…”