A Star Reborn: The Queen’s Return

The drip bottle fell as well and landed on her, shattering into fragments.

“Xiao Ling!” Madam Xia was shocked to see such a scene when she entered the ward.

Xia Ling couldn’t be bothered with the pain. She glared at her mother. “Mom! You deliberately hid Li Lei’s condition from me, right? I want to see Li Lei! Take me to see him!”

She struggled to stand up, but her bare feet began bleeding as she stepped on the glass shards.

Madam Xia’s heart ached for her and she hurriedly helped her up. Knowing that there was no way she could hide it any longer nor stop Xia Ling from seeing him, she said, “Don’t be impatient, I’ll get a nurse’s aide to wheel you there. Li Shanhe is really too much, what good can you do by being there?! You aren’t even a doctor!”

“I just want to see him!” Xia Ling’s eyes were bloodshot. “If anything happens to him, I can’t live on.”

“What’s this about life and death?” Madam Xia frowned and helped her to the bed. She got a nurse to pick out the glass shards from her feet and found another nurse’s aide to bring her a wheelchair. They then made sure she was comfortable in it and had a blanket over her, before getting Xia Moyan and a bodyguard to tag along as they made their way to the intensive care unit.

There were a number of people from the Li family waiting outside the ward, including Old Master Li, a few subordinates, and bodyguard-cum-life assistant Ah Nuo. Ah Nuo was carrying Shaohui in his arms as the child slept soundly.

Beside Old Master Li was Su Tang, who said gently, “Old Master, even if Ye Xingling is being immature, you shouldn’t be taking it out on your own body. Now that Li Lei is in trouble, the whole family is relying on you.” She was dressed in a lilac cardigan and her hair was put up in a simple bun. With her updo, she appeared like a sensible wife and mother.

Old Master Li sighed heavily. He looked at her and wondered why his grandson didn’t fall for a nice girl like Su Tang. And of all people, he married Ye Xingling the vixen! She landed him in such a state and didn’t even bother to visit him! Old Master said, “That woman hasn’t been around, it’s been hard on you.”

This whole time, Su Tang had been keeping watch outside the ward almost every moment, and Old Master appreciated it.

Su Tang lowered her head slightly, strategically hiding the delight in her eyes. Well, besides being worried about Li Lei, wasn’t she keeping watch just for Old Master’s eyes? Once he compared her to Ye Xingling who hadn’t even made an appearance… wasn’t it clear enough who would make a better granddaughter-in-law?

She gently said to Old Master, “This is Su Tang’s duty, it hasn’t been hard on me.”

“Duty, huh.” Xia Ling had only just arrived outside his ward in a wheelchair and was already feeling disturbed realizing that Su Tang was around. Hearing Su Tang’s words got her even more agitated and her wound was beginning to hurt again. “Su Tang, when did it become your duty to take care of my husband?!”

Her words were so curt that Su Tang’s expression darkened instantly.

Everyone turned around, only to see a gang of Xia family members.

“Madam.” Ah Nuo was the first to break the silence. He said with a pleasant surprise, “You’re here, are you feeling better?” He was Li Lei’s main bodyguard and also his life assistant. He had long been well-acquainted with Xia Ling and was in a position to speak to her like that in front of the rest.

Xia Ling glanced at Little Shaohui in his arms. “I’m fine, how’s Li Lei?” She was very happy with what Ah Nuo was doing. At the very least, he had not handed Little Shaohui to someone else to care for while she was recuperating.

Ah Nuo appeared to be caught in a fix. “Young Master’s condition…”

He could not go on and instead turned to Old Master Li pleadingly.

Old Master Li snorted meanly, but in front of the Xia family, he did not utter harsh words to her. “Since you’re here, go in and take a look at Xiao Lei. His condition is still unstable and he isn’t out of the woods yet! Since you’re so loving with each other, maybe listening to your voice would help him.”

Xia Ling nodded and told a nurse that she wanted to enter the intensive care ward.

The nurse said, “Madam Li, in order to prevent infection, our intensive care wards are quarantined. Please follow me to get dressed in a sterilized gown before going in.” She took a look at the nurse’s aide and added, “You too.”

But Xia Ling said, “I’ll go in alone, I can maneuver the wheelchair on my own.”

Since it was to prevent infection, the fewer the people, the better for Li Lei.

The nurse nodded her head and helped her into a sterilized gown before watching her enter.

Su Tang watched from outside the ward as envy brewed inside her. Preventing infections again! All this while, besides Old Master Li and Little Shaohui who’d gone in to see him only once, everyone else was denied access. Even Su Tang who’d been keeping watch every single night wasn’t granted permission to enter.

But what about Xia Ling? She hadn’t appeared in so many days, and the moment she appeared, she was allowed in!

Su Tang clenched her fists tightly, but she had no choice but to swallow her anger. After all, she did not have an official title, what right had she to be next to him…

On the other side, Xia Ling wheeled herself in effortfully.

The quarantine door closed behind her.

It was exceptionally quiet in the ward, with only the occasional beeping from the machines.

She looked at the man lying in the middle of the bed, eyes closed as tubes were inserted at various points on him. His chest wasn’t rising and falling; if not for the pulse monitor, she wouldn’t even be sure that he was alive. “Li Lei…” she mumbled his name, struggling to get as close to him as possible.

She looked down at the face she yearned day and night.

“Li Lei, wake up…” She was devastated. “Why were you so silly… you knew that Li Feng was a madman, why did you still save me? If you were to die, how am I supposed to live on my own?” Tears streamed down her face as she looked at him for a long, long time. She said a lot to him, but he didn’t seem to hear any of it, nor did he react at all. Her heart sank as fear gripped her. What if he wasn’t going to wake up? What if… he died?!

No… No….

She didn’t want him to die…

“Li Lei, wake up.” Her voice was hoarse from crying. “You promised to live in bliss with me…”

She didn’t know how much time had passed before the nurse spoke to her through the speaker. “Madam Li, your visitation time is up. For the safety of the patient, please leave as soon as possible to prevent infection.”

As much as she hated to go, Xia Ling could only take one last long look at him before wheeling herself out of the ward. In the hallway were the same bunch of people as before.

“How was it?!” The most anxious of all was Old Master Li. “How’s Xiao Lei’s condition? Did he react when you spoke to him?!”