A Star Reborn: The Queen’s Return

Xia Ling felt a slight sharp pain between her brows.

It felt like something disappeared from between her brows, and she felt a weight lift from her heart. She had a hunch that the memories of “Ye Xingling” had been lifted from her body.

It was an inexplicable and weird feeling.

When she reincarnated, she inherited all of Ye Xingling’s memories, and now all the memories had disappeared. Even though she still remembered some of Ye Xingling’s experiences, what remained were only those memories that she had specifically perused and not because she still had access to all of Ye Xingling’s past memories.

She looked up towards the night sky, filled with countless shining stars, and thought that she saw a small, weak star appear in a corner. She said a silent prayer, “Ye Xingling, thank you. Please rest in peace.”

That little star sparkled for a moment as if responding to her prayer.

The female staff came to bring Father Ye and Auntie Liu away from the altar.

Father Ye was in a downcast state. He had only walked a few steps away from the altar before he fell on his bottom by the mountain path and lowered his head into his hands. “I’ve let down this child…” He murmured. The instant he severed ties with Ye Xingling on the altar, the father-daughter relationship that was buried in the depths of his heart resurfaced. He remembered the innocent, sparkling eyes of his daughter when she was just born, the first time she was complimented by her nursery teachers, the happy smile that she gave as she carried a small bouquet of red flowers in her hands… and many other memories flooded his mind.

When did they start growing apart?

It seemed that after he got to know Auntie Liu, their relationship grew more distant. Then, he would always get into arguments with Ye Xingling’s biological mother and would destroy things in the house to vent his anger. His little girl would curl in a corner of the room, her eyes filled with tears, saying softly, “Stop fighting…” But no one would listen to her.

Later, during the divorce proceedings, both parents had no spare capacity to even make dinner for Ye Xingling.

One night, he heard a loud sound from the kitchen and rushed over to see what had happened. Ye Xingling had accidentally dropped a pot and the hot water splashed onto her feet. Blisters were forming on her feet.

Father Ye was in a bad mood and had shouted angrily at her, “Silly girl, what are you doing?!”

The five or six-year-old girl had tears in her eyes as she mumbled, “I’m hungry…”

“Such a useless thing!” He was young and foul-tempered, taking out his frustrations on her. “Eat, eat, eat… all you know is how to eat! You’ve been more trouble than help! When I divorce your mother just follow her, don’t stay here and be a burden to me!” He had agreed with Auntie Liu to rid himself of Ye Xingling and her mother and marry Auntie Liu.

The little girl had to tolerate the pain of the burn blisters on her feet and the anger from her father. She cried through the night on an empty stomach. The next day, her mother found her with her blistered feet and decided that she had to divorce Father Ye.

He had thought that things were going smoothly, but Ye Xingling’s mother suddenly died in an accident.

The little girl became the burden that he couldn’t get rid of, and he was forced to care for her while trying to marry Auntie Liu. Under the brainwashing of his new wife, he grew more and more irritated with this daughter and slowly stopped giving concern to her, frequently showing her an angry face.

Thinking back, he really owed her too much.

It was destiny that made them father and daughter in this life, and it was only now that he had lost her did her remember to cherish what he had.

A mountain breeze blew over in the night, sending a chill through his body.

Auntie Liu stopped in her tracks beside him, saying, “What’s wrong with you? Why are you looking so forlorn?! You can’t even control that silly girl! She’s rebelled and left home now, and you are acting as if the sky has fallen! Who do you think is going to feel sorry for you? Tsk!” She ranted at him for a long time, largely berating Xia Ling for lacking in her conscience.

Father Ye was feeling frustrated. For the first time in his life, he felt that Auntie Liu’s words were unpleasant to the ears.

On the altar, the Phoenix Comeback Ceremony continued.

Xia Moyan, dressed in his white robe, spread a long scroll onto the jade table. It was the family tree, on which he located Xia Ling’s name beside his own and wrote in small letters below her name: the comeback phoenix.

After adding the words, he raised the scroll high in the air for everyone to see. The village broke out in cheers.

“The comeback phoenix!” Xia Moyan shouted out.

“The comeback phoenix!” The crowd responded.

Standing on the high altar looking down at the many pairs of eyes staring up at her in reverence, she had a sudden feeling of reality sinking in. This was what it felt like to be home. She was no longer afraid or distant. She had family now. She raised her hand along with everyone, a smile forming on her face.

The cheers were deafening.

Xia Moyan said, “Bring the sycamore up.”

Someone led Li Lei onto the altar. He was dressed in a white shirt that had the same pattern as Xia Ling’s attire, with light-colored lines embroidered on the edge of his sleeve. His shirt was unbuttoned at the top to reveal his toned chest.

He was brought before Xia Moyan.

Xia Moyan picked up a new dagger, staring straight into Li Lei’s eyes.

Li Lei calmly returned his stare, though his heart thumped in nervousness. The last time this brother-in-law had drawn blood from him with the dagger, it was excruciating. Was he going to do it again?

If not for Xiao Ling, he would have made a run for it.

Xia Moyan was expressionless as he pierced Li Lei right at where his heart was located. The pain that followed was not as bad as Li Lei imagined. This time, the Preceptor let him off easy and was just looking to extract that drop of blood from his forehead as part of the procedures.

Blood from the forehead was said to be the most effective for rituals, given that was where one’s energy was concentrated.

Xia Moyan extracted that drop of blood and mixed it with some herbs in a bowl. He passed it over to Xia Ling, saying, “Drink up.”

Xia Ling obediently accepted the bowl and downed the concoction.

Xia Moyan placed the bowl back in position and looked at the both of them, saying in a serious voice, “This drop of blood from each of you will be the bind the ties you together for life. Sycamore, even if you die and are reincarnated, you’ll continue to serve the Phoenix with all your heart forever.” This was his punishment from the Xia Family. Originally, the Phoenix and Sycamore had a two-way commitment where the Sycamore would love the Phoenix all the days of his existence, and the Phoenix would reciprocate that love. They would be together forever.

However, the incident this morning changed things.

Madam Xia didn’t react when she left her daughter’s room but went straight in search of her son. “What’s the covenant being exacted during the comeback ceremony?”

Xia Moyan’s expression was cold. “I haven’t decided. The two-way commitment is being too nice to that rascal.”

“Exact an owner-slave covenant, then.” Madam Xia remarked lightly.

Xia Moyan had looked at his mother in surprise. “Didn’t you like that rascal?”

Madam Xia smiled. “He’s not bad, but he has too strong a view and can’t be controlled. I’m worried that your sister will be at the losing end in the future. An owner-slave covenant will put me more at ease. He will love her forever with all his heart, following and protecting her, but your sister can have more choice. She will be free to decide whether or not to reciprocate his love.”