A Star Reborn: The Queen’s Return

Gu Lin was outraged. “What else could this sum of money have been used for?! Didn’t Brother Xiao Lei use it to groom that wretched woman? Charity? What a joke!”

Father Gu said, “The money belongs to the Nangong family.”

“The Nangong family?” Gu Lin was shocked but managed a cold laugh. “Father, are you referring to the family of the bankrupt Nangong Qingya? I treated her as a friend, but it looks like it was all in vain. She’s about to be married to Du Yunfeng, but here she is seducing my Brother Lei!”

After the Nangong family went bankrupt, Nangong Qingya came to Gu Lin for help. Gu Lin sneered at her and made her leave, but Nangong Qingya knelt down and begged her. She said she was willing to even work for the Gu family, as long as Gu Lin was willing to take her in. Her face had not fully healed even though Li Lei had given her some medication. She needed to take extremely good care of it and apply pearl powder on her face every day.

Given her situation, how could Nangong Qingya possibly afford pearl powder? She valued her appearance like her life and pleaded with Gu Lin — as long as she could get the pearl powder, she was willing to work her heart out for her. Gu Lin agreed eventually and gave Nangong Qingya the position of a toilet attendant at the Gu Magnate.

She was truly vile.

Father Gu said, “You can ask her where the money has gone after they went bankrupt—it should come up to tens of billions of yuan. Rumors have it that Li Lei and the Du family siphoned that sum of money. The Du family did it for revenge after the Nangong family broke the engagement off, and Li Lei did it to set a precedent and warn everybody else never to disturb him and Ye Xingling.”

“Set a precedent?” Gu Lin shrieked. “I don’t believe this! What’s so good about that wretched woman, why is Brother Xiao Lei willing to do so much for her? The Du family must’ve begged Brother Xiao Lei for help to deal with the Nangong’s. Otherwise, Brother Xiao Lei wouldn’t have acted!”

Father Gu wished his daughter was right, but everything that had happened seemed to suggest otherwise. If it wasn’t for Li Lei’s permission, nobody would be saying this was “setting a precedent.” The fact that it was spreading like wildfire with nobody standing out and denying it meant that it was likely true.

“Gu Lin,” Father Gu sounded concerned. “Listen to Father, don’t find trouble with Ye Xingling.” He was afraid now, afraid that she would end up like Nangong Qingya. Nangong Qingya was a wealthy and powerful Missy herself, but she still ended up in hell overnight, disfigured and bankrupt.

But Gu Lin didn’t want to listen. “Brother Xiao Lei wouldn’t do this to me! We’re old family friends, how could we compare ourselves to the Nangong family? Even if Brother Xiao Lei wanted to do anything to the Gu family, Grandpa Li wouldn’t allow it!”

This was actually true.

Father Gu was quiet for a while before saying, “Just be careful.”

“Don’t worry, Father.” Gu Lin smiled and rested her hand on his arm. “I know my limits.” She already had a plan. She was going to make sure her presence was known to Grandpa Li and get her rightful position as the Young Missus of the Li family based on their familial connections.

“I heard that Grandpa Li likes to eat fish…” She began plotting in detail.

Back at the orphanage in City S.

Xia Ling was in a pastel green dress and had a titanium bracelet with a clover design on her wrist. With Li Lei’s help, she got off the SUV.

Following behind the SUV were several vehicles of different models.

In these vehicles were managers and assistants of charity organizations, bodyguards, photographers, and so on. They followed Xia Ling and Li Lei in a pack as they approached the orphanage.

At the entrance, the Head and a few teachers of the orphanage welcomed them warmly.

Xia Ling removed her sunglasses and slowly raised her head. She looked at the old, spotted door and the familiar tree growing beside it. It had been long… back then, she had grown up in this small space, where even candy was a luxury. Every day, she had waited for a kind soul to adopt her…

Who knew she was lucky enough to see the day.

The Head of the orphanage was older than she remembered him to be. His hair was all white, and he needed a walking stick to move about. In his eyes, one could see his polite hospitality as he spoke to Xia Ling and Li Lei who were decades younger than him. “Welcome in, welcome in…”

Xia Ling’s heart ached for him, and she moved forward to help him. “Head, it’s sunny outside, and it’s not easy for you to move about. Please, let’s go back in.” She understood his hospitality and friendliness towards the visitors. The orphanage always needed more funds for the children’s education, healthcare, new clothes, and facilities… they depended on these donors and charity organizations that were here today for these.

She was more than familiar with the look in his eyes.

Back then, the Head had always been very conscientious whenever he was speaking to adopters and charitable groups.

All the heartfelt feelings surged inside her.

Her nose scrunched up a little as she held back tears. Gently, with her arms still on his, she told the Head, “Watch your step.”

The Head was not used to the care he was getting. “Please don’t… Miss Ye, please… how could I trouble somebody like you? I’ll walk on my own. I’m fine…”

The teachers were shocked. Almost all of the donors and representatives from charitable organizations that had visited the orphanage were high and mighty, all too arrogant about the help they were offering. But this Miss Ye standing before them? Not only was she humble, she even treated the Head with the utmost respect.

The photographers at the back began snapping shots of this scene.

Hence, the teachers came to a realization — this Miss Ye here was just better at pretending and showing off.

But Li Lei did not think that way. He knew that Xiao Ling was the previous Diva Xia Ling and that she grew up in this old, tattered orphanage. She must have felt a very strong connection to this place.

Li Lei moved forward and helped the Head as well. He thought, Is this old grandpa Xiao Ling’s caregiver when she was a child? It’s all thanks to him that Xiao Ling did not have to roam about homeless and alone…

He had even more respect and appreciation towards the Head.

The Head was overwhelmed by the care they were giving him. He kept saying, “How could I trouble the both of you, you’re respectable people… I don’t deserve this…”

Xia Ling smiled. “How could you not deserve this? You’re more than deserving. Look, your orphanage has raised respectable people too.”

“Respectable people… you mean, the Diva Xia Ling?”

“Yup.” Xia Ling said.

The Head felt a lot more at ease now that he was distracted by this thought. Relieved of the tension, he said, “You’re right… Xiao Ling is our pride. Thanks to her, our orphanage has received a lot of help and funding. Many of her fans would come here to take a look and donate some money. Some of the well-to-do ones would even adopt the children. Xiao Ling really did a lot for us.”

Was that so? Xia Ling herself didn’t even know of such happenings.

Ever since she left the orphanage 20 years back, she had never returned. Although she’d make donations regularly, she had no idea how the orphanage was doing and what had changed. Hearing the Head’s words comforted her greatly.

The two of them helped the Head into the guest room.

And the teachers followed closely behind.