A Star Reborn: The Queen’s Return

Pei Ziheng also said, “You’re tired.”

He told a subordinate to send Xia Yu back to the hotel and brought Xia Ling to the ice cream shop himself.

The breeze on the banks of the Seine River was cool. The candlelight and the night scene blended into a dreamlike setting.

Xia Ling was extremely excited. She ordered so many flavors of ice cream that they filled up the table. Pei Ziheng was afraid she would get an upset stomach eating like this and only allowed her to eat a little bit. However, when she ate eight or nine different kinds of wine-flavored ice cream, she seemed to be overcome with slight drunkenness and looked at the man in front with a blurred vision.

“Brother Pei…” she called incoherently. “I still want…”

“You’re drunk, you’re not allowed to eat anymore,” he said in a low-pitched tone. He called the waiter to check out and half-carried her to the car. The car drove smoothly to the hotel and he then carried her down effortlessly. He held her hand and walked through the lobby to the elevator, then arriving on the floor they were staying at.

The floor was very quiet and there were only two of them. The branch-shaped wall lamp adorned the sparkling beautiful corridor.

Xia Ling was still a little drunk. He shook off Pei Ziheng’s hand. “I can walk…” She staggered and walked along the patterned carpet. She seemed to have a lot of fun and jumped a few times.

Pei Ziheng wanted to support her. This little girl’s capacity for liquor was really horrible. She was so intoxicated it caught him off guard.

Unexpectedly, his mobile phone rung without any warning. Pei Ziheng stopped in his tracks and picked up. It was Chu Chen calling for business matters. The big project they had been negotiating had new progress and the situation was somewhat complicated. Chu Chen suggested he immediately meet with the leaders and develop a new policy.

He said, “Okay. Prepare the information first, I’ll head over now.”

While talking, his eyes were still focused on the rickety girl not far away.

The girl jumped a few steps along the patterned carpet. Then, she turned back, saw that he was not following, and walked back with swaying steps, grabbing onto his clothes with dissatisfaction. “Brother Pei, let’s play together,” she said childishly.

Pei Ziheng smiled and touched her soft long hair gently. “Brother Pei has to attend a meeting now. Be good and go back to sleep in your room, we’ll play together tomorrow, okay?”

She tilted her head and was dissatisfied. “Let’s play.”

“Be good.” He gently pulled her hand away from his coat.

Xia Ling was unhappy and huffed. “Brother Pei is so annoying.” She turned and walked forward a little angrily. She took a few steps and turned around again. “Room, give me the room card.”

The two people’s room cards were with Pei Ziheng. Before Pei Ziheng even responded, Xia Ling swayed up and fished around in his pocket before pulling out the two cards. “I won’t give it to you.” She grinned astutely. Her delicate jade-like cheeks were still wearing a blush. Drunk, she waved the card in her hand. She turned around proudly and hummed a song while jumping and walking away.

Pei Ziheng couldn’t help but laugh. Forget it, he went in with her. He would get a new card from the help desk at night.

Chu Chen called him several times on the phone. “Boss, Boss? Jason is very anxious and has already sorted out several possible solutions. He’s waiting for you to decide whether plan A or plan C is more appropriate?”

This was a business that involved a huge sum of money. Pei Ziheng removed his gaze from the girl and turned around. He talked to Chu Chen on the phone and pressed the elevator button to go downstairs.

Xia Ling held the two cards and swayed to the room’s door.

She brushed one first and it didn’t work. She then brushed the other and the door opened.

“I’m exhausted…” She swayed into the room and tried to insert the room card into the slot. In her haze, the two cards weren’t inserted and fell to the ground instead. “It’s so dark.” She groaned and pressed the light switch a few times. It didn’t switch on and she could no longer care about it.

The curtain was closed in the room and there was no light at all.

A hazy radiance came only in the direction of the bathroom—this was a five-star luxury hotel. In the twenty-four-story presidential suite, even the bathroom used a French window for the two walls. It was inserted adjacent to the bathtub, and the silver moonlight shone through the one-way glass like a beautiful dream.

Xia Ling walked in unsteadily and realized she was still not sober. She instinctively turned on the water for the bathtub and took off her clothes, climbing into it on all fours. The warm water rushed out and surrounded her slowly. The girl’s white and delicate body stretched gently under the moonlight, her neck raised slightly like a beautiful swan, her small and exquisite hills more beautiful than imagined.

Compared to when she’d first came to the Pei family four years ago, she was now more like a perfect fairy.

She relaxed in this gentle water and gradually closed her eyes and slept.

She didn’t know when she woke up.

She distinctly heard the sound of a door opening outside and then a swishing sound.

So annoying… why is there someone…? She thought in confusion, her eyelids moving gently but too heavy to open. Who… who is coming…?

Her whole body was lazy and she didn’t have any strength.

There was another sound. This time, it was getting closer and it seemed to be the sound of the bathroom door opening. After a few seconds, the light lit up. The soft orange light hit her thin eyelids and made her a little uncomfortable. She moved and muttered softly, “Who… turn it off…”

The lights were still on.

Silence fell again.

Xia Ling started to feel more and more uncomfortable. She shielded her eyes with her hands and stretched out her white limbs like a beautiful mermaid. With her movements came the soft water sounds. She leaned sideways and her consciousness cleared a little. She muttered in annoyance again, “Who is this, turn off the light…”

Her voice fell and she suddenly remembered something—

Wasn’t she taking a shower in the bathroom? Could someone have broken in?!

Xia Ling quivered and was shocked awake. She opened her eyes immediately and sat up halfway from the bathtub.

Turning around, she saw the man standing at the door. He was tall and handsome, with a familiar figure. He stood there looking at her. His gaze was intense and his eyes fell heavily on her, hiding some emotions she couldn’t understand. It was so strong and thick it made her instinctively afraid.

She was shocked and forgot to react. She even forgot the fact that she was standing in front of him naked. She looked at him like that, stiff and motionless.

Pei Ziheng also looked at her.

He knew he shouldn’t be looking at her like this. At this time, he should immediately turn around and close the door for her like a gentleman. But he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t even avert his eyes. When he had entered, he’d been caught off guard with how she looked, like a mermaid half-submerged in the clear water of the bathtub. She looked so mysteriously beautiful, and that was really…

Shocking.

His breathing tightened and he felt a fiery heat rise in him, spreading uncontrollably through his entire body.