A Star Reborn: The Queen’s Return

Pei Ziheng…

That name ran through her mind a gazillion times. “One last time…” She told herself. “One last time… and after tonight, we’ll never see each other again.” She found the first-aid kit and went back to the living room.

Squatting down again, she took out the alcohol disinfectant and gauze to help Pei Ziheng dress his wounds.

She dabbed at his open wounds with the alcohol, which should have been extremely painful, but he didn’t make a sound. After she had dressed his wounds, he asked in a soft voice, “Why did you admit to it when you didn’t kill anyone?”

“I was dumb…” Xia Ling lowered her gaze and started to pack the items back into the first-aid kit. “It’s not entirely your fault. I shouldn’t have been so wilful just because you spoiled me so much, and I shouldn’t have thought that you really loved me.”

Pei Ziheng’s expression was like he had been struck by lightning. Her words hurt him so much that he felt like dying.

She finished packing up the first-aid kit and stood up. “Let’s go. Take my car back home. Don’t let Nanny Zhou worry about you so… she’s getting on in years.”

Pei Ziheng responded, “I love you.”

Xia Ling smiled cynically. “Love?” She didn’t want to argue with him, so she picked up her car keys and strode out of the house. After walking a few steps, she realized that he wasn’t following her. She turned slightly, like a beautiful elf standing under the moonlight, and said, “Pei Ziheng, are you coming or not? I only came here because Nanny Zhou begged me to find you. Now that I’ve found you and said my piece, you can go home yourself if you don’t follow me right now.”

Pei Ziheng slowly followed her into the car.

Her red Porsche drove steadily back into the city.

Pei Ziheng was quiet in the front passenger seat for a long time, like a beast that was on the brink of death, completely lifeless. When they reached the entrance to his bungalow, he said, “I’ll make Xia Yu pay for this.”

Xia Ling was taken aback. “What are you intending to do?”

That man raised his head and his expression was eerie. “I will make it up to you. I will take revenge for you.”

“The courts will take revenge for me.” Xia Ling said firmly. “Pei Ziheng, don’t do anything dangerous. Xia Yu will get her comeuppance in court. I don’t need you to make things up to me.”

“You’re worried about me?” He asked.

“I’m not worried about you.” Xia Ling turned her head away from him and looked straight out at the quiet street in front of her. “I’ve grown tired of you doing all sorts of crazy things under the excuse of doing it for me. You should live your life for yourself, and not waste any more time on me.”

He was quiet for a moment, before saying, “Those who harm you have to pay.”

Xia Ling looked at him. “The one that hurt me the most was you.”

“I already paid the price.” Pei Ziheng’s voice was hoarse. Look here… didn’t he pay the greatest price possible? The woman that he loved was now with another man, never returning to his side. He stared at her intently. “Xiao Ling… Xia Yu needs to pay the price, too.”

The tone he used was one that Xia Ling was most afraid of—calm and steady, but with a tinge of danger. He only spoke like that when he was furious, and something terrifying and unfathomable would happen shortly after. She grew uneasy and repeated, “Don’t touch Xia Yu!”

He didn’t reply and merely opened the car door and stepped out.

She never could control him—she couldn’t when they were lovers, let alone now. She watched him walk into his bungalow with trepidation. Nanny Zhou welcomed him at the door, looking extremely relieved.

She went back to her own bungalow still in an uneasy state. Lying on the bed, she tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

The next day, she rushed to the police station and told the police that Pei Ziheng’s condition was weird. She told them to be careful of what he might do to Xia Yu, who was being detained in the station. The police assured her. “Miss Ling, I think you’re too tired. Don’t worry so much, we will take care of and protect the suspect. She’s very safe with us.”

Xia Ling reminded them several times to be careful before leaving the police station.

Perhaps due to the vigilance of the police, or perhaps Pei Ziheng had changed his mind, there was a period of peace before the day of Xia Yu’s appearance in court for trial.

The cases that she was being charged for had a huge societal impact.

Firstly, there was the wrong conviction that was being reopened for investigation, and secondly, the identities of the victims of the cases were well-known.

In the first case, the victim Wang Jingwan was a wealthy socialite, whereas the second case was the murder of the Diva Xia Ling. There were several other smaller cases as well, including the death of Bao Renjiu and the blackmailer, where the killings were cruelly done. Furthermore, Xia Yu herself was an artiste. All in all, this made the case highly publicized.

It was an open trial.

Xia Yu admitted to her crimes in front of all the media reporters, cameras, and everyone in the country that was watching the trial.

Following which, the judge read the sentence. “The defendant, Xia Yu, has committed several counts of premeditated murder. She killed the victims cruelly and brutally and caused grave societal harm in consequence. This court decides to sentence Xia Yu to death.”

Xia Ling and Li Lei sat quietly in the courtroom as the judge read out the sentence.

Li Lei gently hugged Xia Ling around her shoulders.

Xia Ling leaned her head on his shoulder, and they watched Xia Yu brought away from the stands in handcuffs. The camera flashlights flickered non-stop, and the reporters were like sharks attracted to fresh blood as they chased down Xia Yu in her prison scrubs.

Xia Ling felt like everything was so ironical.

She couldn’t help thinking: Xia Yu, are you happy now? You tried so hard to fight with me and used all kinds of methods to try to draw everyone’s attention away from your sister to yourself.

And now?

All the reporters were chasing Xia Yu down and no one even cast a glance at Xia Ling who was sitting in the courtroom.

Xia Yu, are you happy?

“We should go.” Li Lei gave Xia Ling a peck on the top of her head.

Xia Ling breathed out a huge sigh, quietly following Li Lei. Today, she felt a little fatigued and told Li Lei when they got on the car, “Don’t go to the office this afternoon. Can you accompany me instead?”

Li Lei kissed her again. “I didn’t make any plans in the afternoon today. I’m all yours for the day.”

He knew that she was downcast in recent days, and had persuaded Lin Yunan to take care of little Shaohui. The two of them could be gallivanting anywhere right now. As they returned to the apartment, he made a delicious fruit pudding for her. It was said that desserts would make one feel more blissful, and his greatest wish was for her to be able to put the trauma of the past behind her as soon as possible. He wanted her to be happy again.

That night, someone from the courtroom appeared at their doorstep.

“Miss Ling.” He informed Xia Ling. “We will be carrying out Xia Yu’s sentence in a few days. When we asked her what she would like for her last meal, she said that she wanted to have a bowl of sweet water rice that was personally made by you.”

Xia Ling was stunned.

The man from the courtroom looked apologetic as he said, “I’m sorry, I know that this is a difficult thing to ask since it might not be true that you are the reincarnated Xia Ling. How would you know how to make a dish her sister made in the orphanage for her? But as this is the final request of a criminal on death row, we are under obligation to bring the request to you. Please tell us if you are or are not able to acquiesce to her request.”