A Star Reborn: The Queen’s Return

Old Master Li said in a deep voice, “Miss Ye, you should give others a way out.”

Xia Ling lightly sneered. “Give her a way out? When Su Tang was hung up over something she shouldn’t be caring about, has she ever thought about giving me a way out?” To women, the only things they could not tolerate were situations involving their lover and child.

Since they couldn’t get along, Xia Ling got up first.

After walking a few steps, she looked back and saw the old man sitting beside the tea set silently and looking at the scenery in the distance. The autumn wind blew his white hair and his back was a little hunched. He actually looked a little desolate.

There was a sour feeling in Xia Ling’s heart. At one point in his life, he was also young and full of energy.

“Do you all look so miserable when you’re old?” She couldn’t help but ask.

Old Master did not look back. “My outcome is not bad. I don’t even know if that bastard can live to my age.” In the triad, everyone’s lives were in danger every day. He was not exactly lying.

Xia Ling was furious. “Hey, you can’t curse your own grandson like that!”

“My grandson…” Old Master Li smiled coldly. “In the past, I always felt that he was not harsh enough. In the end, he was the cruelest one.” He clenched the cup of tea with his old and dry fingers. What happened more than 20 years ago replayed in his mind. The small boy in front of him lost his mother and was bullied by his brother. After he decided to raise the child, he watched as the boy grew up day by day and learned how to ride a horse and shoot a gun… Every time that child smiled and called him grandpa, he felt that he was content with life.

However, everything was ruined now.

Old Master coughed in the wind.

Looking at his back, Xia Ling hesitated for a long time before finally saying, “If Su Tang knows her boundaries and stops trying to seduce Li Lei, I won’t make things difficult for her or her child.”

However, could Su Tang do it?

Nearly impossible.

After Xia Ling finished her sentence, she turned around and really left.

She walked out of Calming Heart Garden. Lifting her head up in the autumn wind, she took a deep breath. The bodyguard who was guarding the doorway walked towards her and escorted her to Thunderous Yard.

On the way, the bamboo leaves rustled. The lush green scenery was really beautiful.

Her initially dampened mood after seeing Old Master improved a little. She commended. “This route is not bad.”

The bodyguard replied, “This is one of the most beautiful routes in the Li Family headquarters. Old Master Li lived in Calming Heart Garden for many decades and built Second Young Master Li’s Thunderous Yard nearby. The two of them have always been close.”

As he spoke, he realized that he might have said something wrong and stopped talking.

Xia Ling did not mind and smiled bitterly. “What about now? It’s probably too awkward for them to live so close to each other, right?”

The bodyguard did not know how to answer her, so he bowed his head in silence.

The two of them walked for a while before Xia Ling asked again, “Is it true that only Second Young Master and Old Master live in this area?”

The bodyguard replied, “Yes. Old Master likes his close family members to be near him. Besides his most beloved grandson, other people do not live here. Only Miss Su’s residence is next to Thunderous Yard because she recently needs to take care of Second Young Master.”

It was days since she arrived at the headquarters but Xia Ling never really cared about where Su Tang lived. After hearing the bodyguard say that, she became interested and asked, “Which one is it? Take me there.”

The bodyguard took her down a winding road. After they walked along the bamboo forest for a while, they came to an open and delicate courtyard. On the plaque in front of the door, the calligraphy words “Tang Hua Yuan” were written elegantly with a woman’s soft touch.

One could tell that the owner of the courtyard had taste.

Xia Ling realized that it was really not far from Thunderous Yard. If she looked east, she could see the western wall of Thunderous Yard. The bodyguard said, “There is a small road connecting the two yards. Usually, when Miss Su visits Second Young Master Li with Young Master Rui, she will take that road.”

It was so intimate.

This realization made Xia Ling very uncomfortable.

A small boy was kneeling in front of the courtyard. Li Rui was playing.

When he saw Xia Ling, he picked up a stone from the ground and threw it at her. “Bad woman! Get out of my home!”

Xia Ling did not evade it and coldly watched as the stone fell a few steps away from her feet and rolled towards her.

The door of the courtyard opened.

Su Tang was wearing a light blue embroidered blouse. She stood on the steps and looked at her.

The two women did not speak. After a while, Xia Ling turned around and left.

The first thing she did when she returned to Thunderous Yard was to call a servant over. “Is there any unused house in the headquarters?”

The servant replied, “There are a few houses that are empty. May I know why you are asking?”

Xia Ling said, “Living in Thunderous Yard is too boring. I plan to move somewhere else.”

The servant’s heart skipped a beat. “Do you want to live separately from Young Master? He won’t be happy about it.”

Xia Ling smiled. “Who said I was going to live separately from him. I want to move out with him.”

The servant was even more frightened. “Miss Ye, the position of Thunderous Yard was determined by Old Master. Second Young Master lived here since young. Don’t you think asking him to move isn’t very appropriate…”

“Whether it’s appropriate is not up to you to judge.” Xia Ling said rather coldly. Nowadays, she had more of the characteristics of the upper class. She revealed her arrogance in her bones without hesitation. Whatever she wanted to do was not to be decided by the subordinates.

The servant had no choice but to lower her head in silence.

Xia Ling instructed her to bring a map over. She laid it on the table and studied it for the entire afternoon.

When Li Lei came back, he saw that her small body could almost be sucked in by the table. He couldn’t help but laugh. “What are you looking at?” He took off his coat and went over to her side to take a look.

Xia Ling pointed at a place on the map with her white and slender finger. “What do you think of this empty house?”

“This vacant house?” Li Lei glanced at it. “In the past, my third aunt’s second uncle’s godbrother’s wife lived there. After that, she died and this house became vacant.”

“She died in the house?”

“Yes, she died of an illness.”

Xia Ling slightly knitted her brows.

Li Lei asked her, “What exactly are you doing?”

“I want to move out.” Xia Ling said unhappily. “This place is too near Tang Hua Yuan.”

Li Lei was slightly startled but then smiled. “Are you jealous?”

“She lives so nearby. Don’t you think that makes enough sense?!” When he mentioned this, Xia Ling became angry and glared at him viciously. Her eyes were watery and her cheeks were puffy. She looked really cute.

Li Lei smiled again and kissed her cheek. “Ok. Whatever you say.”

“Wait, you’re so easily convinced?” This time, Xia Ling was startled. According to what the subordinates said, Li Lei had sentimental feelings for this place, and a suggestion of moving out would most likely lead to rejection.

However, Li Lei said, “You’re willing to move out with me instead of chasing Su Tang out. That’s giving her face. Since you’re willing to show her some respect on my behalf, how can I not be willing to move out with you?”