A Star Reborn: The Queen’s Return

The most important prize of the Nebula Music Festival was the Best Male and Female Singer awards.

This year’s Best Female Singer was awarded to Xia Ling as expected.

The emcee joked as she regarded Xia Ling, who was dressed in an exquisite silver evening gown and accessorized with expensive jewelry, on stage. “You’ve won the award for four years running now, Xiao Ling. The Best Female Singer award is almost becoming Nebula Music Festival’s most predictable award. As long as you are around, the other female singers don’t stand any chance!”

Xia Ling smiled and modestly responded that everyone was being too kind.

She enjoyed getting into conflicts and would never back down from a fight, rarely showing this humble side of her. Standing on stage, in the middle of the spotlight now, she didn’t come across as arrogant or boastful. This was the aura of a Diva at the apex of her popularity. Any number of awards to her was to be expected.

She was no longer surprised or fazed by these accolades.

The emcee praised her over and over, and the cameramen and reporters kept snapping photos of her. Even though she had won the award for four years running, there was something about her that was able to continually keep everyone’s interest. Any scene with her would have high viewership ratings. Now, the internet was brimming in excitement. “Look, quick, Xiao Ling is getting her award! I was right, she is still the Best Female Singer this year! Our Xiao Ling is the best!”

“Look at that dress she’s wearing… it’s amazing! This is the fourth dress she’s changed into today, isn’t it? It really brings out her elegance.” Many girls discussed her outfit in excitement.

“Of course she looks pretty!” A long-time fan said proudly. “Every time Xiao Ling attends an event she buys her own outfits! Her haute-couture gowns are in the hundreds of thousands to the millions. She doesn’t wear each outfit more than once, and they are all stored in a special showroom in Phoenix Down Corporation for everyone to see. Unlike some artistes… they will always need to borrow or get sponsorships for their haute couture gowns, and would have to return them after the event.”

People responded in agreement. “Yes, you’re right. Xiao Ling is really a wealthy daughter!”

They were excited and proud to be Xia Ling’s fans, and would discuss everything about her… from the things she wore, to her every action, and even the length and color of her hair. They were going to talk through the night today.

The ceremony ended and Xia Ling returned to the backstage makeup room.

Many artistes were packing up and preparing to leave.

Xia Ling changed out of her gown into a little black dress, draping a tasseled scarf over her shoulders, the perfect embodiment of being exquisitely low-key. She was in a good mood. Picking up her Chanel clutch, she said to Lin Yunan, “Let’s go.”

Lin Yunan had his arms crossed in front of his chest and stayed where he was. “Even if you dress as black as ink, don’t think you’ll safely be able to go unnoticed by the reporters. Do you think they’ll just let you go after you’ve revealed something so groundbreaking tonight?”

Before he had finished his sentence, Wei Wei, who had gone to scout an escape route, came back in a fluster. “Miss Xiao Ling, it’s completely packed outside. Other than reporters, there’s a whole bunch of fans with banners showing their support. They are all waiting for you.” Wei Wei reported dutifully, her eyes round in mild panic.

Several of the artistes that had initially left the room came back.

“Madam Ling…” One of them complained. “It’s all your fault… Can you please hurry up and leave already? We all can’t leave until you do…” All the exits were clogged up by the reporters and fans.

Xia Ling went to the window and looked out. The crowd below shocked her as well.

All she did was announce her marriage… what was the big deal? Why were there so many people waiting for her? The entire road downstairs was crowded with people, and it stretched all the way to the crossing a good hundred meters away. There was no way to escape.

“It’s all Li Lei’s fault.” She seethed. “Why would he choose to propose at such a big event like this?”

Lin Yunan joked. “You can take it out on him when you get home. At this rate, the only way to escape is via helicopter.”

Xia Ling took him seriously and asked for the coordinates of the broadcast station, as well as whether a helicopter could land on the roof of the building. The response from the broadcast station was disappointing. “Miss Ling, our rooftop is too small. The helicopter can only put down a rope. It’s too dangerous… we won’t let you take the risk.”

If she were to accidentally fall to her death, the broadcast station could not run the risk of being held liable.

Xia Ling was depressed. “Then what am I going to do? Little Shaohui is waiting for me at home to read him a bedtime story… boohoohoo…”

The other artistes in the room were depressed as well. Miss Diva Xiao Ling, we are all waiting for you to go home as well!

Lin Yunan gave an evil smile. “Who said there’s no way out?”

The eyes of Xia Ling and the other artistes lit up. They asked simultaneously, “How?”

…

Outside the broadcast station, reporters with cameras of all sizes were camping out by the exit, with the army of fans behind them.

“Why is Miss Ling still not coming out?” One of the reporters asked a fellow colleague. “With this crowd outside, the other artistes are probably also stuck in the station. Even if not for herself, shouldn’t she think for the other artistes and come out already? If she doesn’t leave, everyone else can’t, right?”

“Exactly.” His colleague nodded. “I don’t think she’ll be much longer. So many people will be putting pressure on her. Let’s just wait patiently a little while more.”

“Mmhmm… wait patiently…” The reporters encouraged one another, as did the fans waiting out in the street.

Suddenly…

“Look over there! What’s that?!” Someone shouted out.

“Many lifted their heads to look up at the night sky. A helicopter was hovering above the broadcast station, dropping a rope ladder near to the rooftop.

“It’s a helicopter! Is Xiao Ling going to leave on that helicopter?!” One of the fans shouted.

Everyone was close to tears at hearing this postulation. It couldn’t be… they had been waiting for so long… Do you mean Xia Ling was going to just fly away like that? Was she going to be so cruel?

Many were disappointed.

Some were consoling one another. “No, it’s just a coincidence… it can’t be her…”

They then saw a petite girl dressed in a black hoodie climbing up the rope ladder to the helicopter.

“Bye… I’m going to fly home now…” Fans saw Xia Ling update on her official Weibo channel.

“Are you serious?!”

“Oh no!”

“Oh my God, she’s really going to fly away?!”

Everyone was upset from waiting in the cold night for so long. Why? Why was their Diva going to fly away like that? Fly away!

Many of the reporters and fans were close to tears in their disappointment.

“Alright, forget it… we can just take a few more shots of other artistes, then.” They grumbled.

Some of the disappointed fans were already dispersing. They were here to see Xiao Ling. Since Xiao Ling was already gone, why waste time waiting for the other artistes? They were better off going home.