A Star Reborn: The Queen’s Return

Li Lei and Pei Ziheng discussed for a little longer.

Both of them were leaders who wielded much power. Together, they came up with a plan pretty quickly.

Pei Ziheng smoothed out his outfit—despite the fact that it was now torn and tattered—and rose to leave.

Li Lei did not walk him out.

Once the door closed behind him, Li Lei felt his aches and pains act up. The area around his eye was pounding as if someone had hit him in that spot with a hammer. He touched it and winced. “That beast wasn’t kind at all.” Li Lei picked up a glass fragment on the floor and looked at his reflection in it. In the blurriness, he could see the bruise around his eye, a deep shade of green-purple.

He called for Ah Nuo to bring some ointment over.

Ah Nuo came with the ointment in no time, and his first words upon seeing him were: “Young Master, you’re still alive!”

He looked delighted.

Li Lei stared at him. “Are you wishing I was dead?”

“No.” Ah Nuo shook his head hard. “I saw Mr. Pei covered in blood when he left and was worried something happened to you.”

Li Lei wanted to knock him on the head. “Do you think I can’t beat Pei Ziheng? Why would I be dead if he isn’t?”

Ah Nuo eyed him cautiously. “Miss Ling wanted me to protect you. She told me that when you taught her defense techniques, she could put a few moves to good use while sparring against you after picking them up in just a couple of hours. But she never could do well against Mr. Pei.” What Ah Nuo was trying to say was that Young Master wasn’t even as good as Mr. Pei.

Li Lei was speechless.

He swore never to pretend to lose to her ever again when they sparred in the future.

“Bring it here.” He said unpleasantly to Ah Nuo.

Ah Nuo politely handed it to him and asked, “Do you need me to apply it for you?”

“No need.” Li Lei took a lump of the medicated lotion and tried to locate his bruises. “Don’t let Xiao Ling know I met Pei Ziheng today, just tell her that my bruises were inflicted by a robber in the alley.”

Ah Nuo said matter-of-factly, “Which robber would dare rob you?”

Li Lei retorted. “… Whose bodyguard are you?!” Why was he always exposing him?!

Ah Nuo quietly hung his head low.

Li Lei applied the medication and changed into fresh clothing before returning to the apartment.

He opened the door and felt the cool air-conditioning in the living room. It was all quiet as Xiao Ling lay curled up on the couch. She had fallen asleep with the wedding gown catalog in her hand, beautiful variations of it printed all over the pages.

A few other catalogs were sprawled on the carpet beside the couch.

A leopard was laying beside, asleep as well. Its paw was resting on a catalog.

Li Lei couldn’t help but smile at this scene. However much obstacles they had to face, his beloved woman was now safe and blissful, and nothing more could hurt her in this lifetime.

He walked towards her and kissed her on the forehead.

She was awoken by even that tender gesture. “Li Lei?” She rubbed her eyes.

“It’s me.” He said gently and took a seat at the edge of the couch. “Why are you sleeping here, what if you catch a cold?”

“What happened to your eye?” She was in a daze while she looked at the bruise around his eye.

Although he had applied some medication, the bruise had not discolored yet. He said, “I bumped into a gangster on the way.”

Xia Ling was awake now. She sat up and asked, “Gangster? Are you alright?” She reached out and touched his wound, causing him to wince.

“Are you trying to kill your husband?” He grabbed her smooth, fair hand.

She blinked her eyes. “Just a little jab.” She jabbed it some more.

Li Lei was in agony; this was his dear wife, indeed. To think he had bothered to keep the truth from her, afraid that she’d get too worried. But look at her, not even hesitating to hurt him!

“Don’t cry.” She looked at his pitiful expression, sat up, held his head in her hands, and gently kissed his bruise. “No more pain.”

Li Lei blinked at her and stopped pouting.

Dear wife! Her kiss was so effective!

He wrapped her in an embrace and kissed her repeatedly. “I knew you’re the best!” He was smiling so blissfully he’d completely forgotten about how she had jabbed him.

Lying in his embrace, Xia Ling felt like going back to sleep again. She thought, This is really effective. I’m going to coax Little Shaohui this way if he gets injured next time. She then got into a comfortable position, wrapped an arm around his waist, and was all ready to go back to sleep.

Li Lei gave an “ouch” as Xia Ling accidentally touched another wound of his.

Xia Ling was startled awake this time.

“You said you were injured?” She asked.

Li Lei nodded. Didn’t she already see it a while ago? Was all that kissing and hugging just in her sleep?

He guessed right…

She wasn’t even awake this whole time.

She began to work around his clothes. “How badly injured are you? Take it off and let me see. And…” Something seemed to have hit her. She asked firmly, “Was it really a gangster? Isn’t this city your territory, which silly gangster would choose to attack you?”

Li Lei blinked his eyes in silence. Wasn’t she always so easy to appease? Why was it that she suddenly seemed to have achieved enlightenment, and at such a wrong time? He did not resist as she lifted his clothes here and there. “Well, these young boys are new to this and don’t know who’s the boss. Don’t worry, I’ve scared them away.”

“Where’s Ah Nuo?” Xia Ling was angry. She jabbed him on the wound again. “He’s your bodyguard, wasn’t he with you? I don’t believe that the both of you, so skilled in combat, can’t chase away ten-odd gangsters!”

“He was looking for a carpark lot, so I got off first.” Li Lei continued lying. “Don’t jab anymore, it hurts.”

Xia Ling looked at him skeptically. “Really?”

“It really hurts… Ouch!”

“I’m not asking if it hurts! I’m asking if what you said is true!” Xia Ling was upset.

“It’s all true! I swear!” Li Lei said.

Xia Ling eyed him for a while more before letting him off. He was bruised, but they were evidently minor injuries. If he was more severely injured, there was no way she would let him off this easily.