A Star Reborn: The Queen’s Return

At this point, Xia Ling was fairly clear about what had happened.

Her fans were probably unhappy with Xia Yu and found all means and ways to torture her, eventually to her death.

She gasped internally, realizing how Xia Yu had paid her price after setting others up her whole life. “Is no one in prison bothered about this?” Xia Ling asked.

Gu Lin sneered. “Who’d bother? Your fans are among the prison wardens, too. We could count ourselves lucky that they didn’t find trouble with us, but they’d probably be happy to know that we’re being tortured! Let me tell you, your fans are beasts! A whole pack of them! When I’m released from prison after my serving time, I’ll get Dad to take revenge on them!”

She was getting agitated again.

Xia Ling looked at her haggard face and suddenly pitied her—such a rich and pampered missy being tortured so horribly with no one to come to her rescue, it was a miracle she hadn’t gone insane. Xia Ling toned down as she continued asking, “Based on what you’ve said, this isn’t Li Li An’s first time finding trouble with others. But why did she go overboard this time, to actually torture Xia Yu to death? They have the guts to kill someone in prison?”

Gu Lin shook her head and quietly said, “They’ve never killed anyone. At least… not in their records.”

That was strange. Xia Ling simply could not figure out why they’d take such a risk to kill someone who’d be facing the death sentence the following day? Was there…

Some other reason?

She looked at Gu Lin. “Nothing strange happened in the past few days?”

Gu Lin shook her head and remained quiet.

Seeing that she was not getting anything more out of her, Xia Ling sighed. Part of her suspected that this had something to do with Pei Ziheng, but if it really was the case, this man was just too deep and scary.

“Is there anything else you want to ask?” Gu Lin said.

“That’s all for now.” Xia Ling said, “Now, as my form of repayment, you can request something. As long as it’s within my means and not against my principles, I’ll do it for you.”

Gu Lin fiddled with the corner of her top. After a while, she finally swallowed her pride and whispered, “Can you ask Li Li An and the rest not to find trouble with me anymore?” Ever since she entered prison, life had been a living hell. They’d even knocked out some of her teeth, this was unbearable.

But this request was an easy one.

Xia Ling opened her red handbag and took out a pretty little notepad. It held lyrics, musical notes, and little doodles from when she got inspirations while on the go. She tore a piece from it and used an eyebrow pencil to write the words “For Li Li An” before signing under it. It was beautifully written, and that little note seemed like an art piece. She handed it to Gu Lin, saying, “Pass this to Li Li An, tell her it’s from me. Ask her not to make things difficult for you anymore.”

Gu Lin received the note with trembling hands.

She’d suffered beatings and watched Xia Yu die before her eyes. After Xia Yu’s passing, the gang had turned to torturing her for entertainment. What good could this slip of paper do to such a ruthless gang? Gu Lin was uncertain this would not work, and yet, she was full of hope.

Xia Ling did not share her worries. She simply grabbed her handbag and walked out of the interrogation room.

A prison guard was waiting for her outside.

Xia Ling asked, “Is anything the matter?”

The prison guard said, “Miss Ling, we heard that Xia Yu has been chased out of the household and doesn’t have a single kin now. Could you collect her body? Otherwise, we’ll just bury her like she is a nobody.”

It just occurred to Xia Ling about this problem.

She gazed at the long hallway and the dim light at the end of it. “Alright, I’ll collect it.” After all, all the hatred between them would’ve already left when Xia Yu died. Moreover, they were indubitably sisters, what bad could it do to send her on her final journey?

The prison guard heaved a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Miss Ling. This will save us a lot of trouble. Oh right, please follow me for a moment, Xia Yu handed us a letter before she left. She said to hand you this letter if you’re willing to collect her body for her. Otherwise, we are to burn it.”

Xia Ling was curious. What letter could it be?

When she reached home, she kicked her shoes off and settled on the couch cross-legged, all ready to read the letter.

It was a very thin letter, so lightweight it felt almost non-existent. She got the maid to hand her a paper-knife and very cautiously retrieved the slip from the envelope. It was Xia Yu’s handwriting:

[Sister, by the time you receive this letter, I’d have left this world.

[Don’t feel sad for me. Well, maybe you won’t, but I believe that you do feel for me, even just a little. Otherwise, you wouldn’t even have decided to collect my body, right?

[For that, I’ll let you know something—I wasn’t the one who duped you into going to the club to do marijuana, it was Su Tang. Take my word for it, she hates you even more than I do. Since she’s failed to drag your name in the mud the last time, she might find an opportunity to deal with you again in the future—maybe even kill you. A woman can get very scary when she’s dealing with her love rival. You’ve experienced that with me, don’t think that Su Tang would be any kinder.

[That’s all I have to say. It’s up to you to believe it.

[I’m looking forward to your sweet rice. It’s strange how I’ve eaten all sorts of delicacies when I grew up, and yet all I crave before my death is an inferior bowl of rice that tastes like the orphanage.

[Oh, the assets.

[When you passed away in your last life, I inherited all your assets. I guess it’s a cycle, or maybe my karma, but it’s time for me to return them all to you. After managing them wisely all these years, they’ve risen at least two to threefold. You’re so bad at managing your finances, you’d better not lose them all.

[Sister…

[Let me call you Sister one last time, and help me apologize to Little Shaohui on my behalf.]

Xia Yu signed off.

It was a short letter, but Xia Ling read it over and over. She was curled up on the sofa in a daze, letter in hand. Somewhere in the depths of her heart, there was a strange, inexplicable ache. So it was true that people regained their conscience when they were facing death…

She sat on the sofa for a long time.

The maid walked over and looked at her, slightly worried. “Miss, are you alright?”

Only then did she snap out of her daze. “I’m fine.” She got up and went upstairs into the study room. She was just about to keep the letter in a corner of the drawer…

When her eyes rested on the words “it was Su Tang” a moment longer.