A Star Reborn: The Queen’s Return

Su Tang caught onto the meaning behind her words with astuteness. “Send me off?”

Xia Ling looked at her. “Yes. On the account of you being Xiao Rui’s mother and having saved Li Lei’s life before, he does not intend to kill you. He has decided to send you to X Prison. You’ve been beside him for so many years, you must have heard of that place? Anyways, I’m not familiar with it, so I can only wish you luck.”

Su Tang was trembling slightly.

She had indeed heard of that place before. Rumor had it that that place was the world’s most miserable prison. Criminals who entered would never be able to come out alive… That place was independent of the three regions of the world. The depths of the jail hid numerous vicious and cruel criminals that even the jailers did not dare step foot inside!

Li Lei was going to send her there?

She smiled sorrowfully. “This is the outcome of me saving his life?”

Xia Ling frowned. “Su Tang, even the biggest goodwill can be exhausted. You have been challenging his limits time and time again. You plotted to kill his wife, and not only that, you were even planning to kill his son! Li family’s future heir! Even if one life is offset, you still owe him one life. Him giving you mercy is already your biggest fortune, yet you still have the face to blame him?”

Su Tang glared at her fiercely. “How could the life of you and that wretched child offset his?!”

“Whether it is worth it or not is not up to you to decide.” Xia Ling’s expression was cold. “Also, didn’t anybody tell you not to scold people casually? Congratulations, from today until you go to X Prison, you will not be given any food.”

Su Tang’s heart leaped to her throat. It was one thing to not have any food outside, but going to X Prison in hunger was a different matter! Rumor had it that the people there were even cannibals from the lack of food. Who was to know if she could have enough food and would be able to eat a full meal! She was not familiar with the surroundings at all, and to go into the prison in a state of hunger and weakness was not a wise move at all! Su Tang’s mind was complex with numerous thoughts, and she stared at Xia Ling, her expression unpredictable.

Xia Ling was deliberately trying to frighten her. “Didn’t you say that you were very beautiful? I’ve heard that in this prison, it’s impossible to separate the male criminals from the female criminals. With such a ‘beautiful’ woman like you going in… He, how many days would you be tortured for? I’m looking forward to it.” Don’t blame her for being cruel, the fact that Su Tang had plotted murder against her had agitated her. If they had been careless, it would have been three people’s lives at stake, even her child Shaohui would have been a part of the tragedy!

In comparison, scaring Su Tang with these few words were simply going easy on her!

However, Su Tang’s face had already turned pale. She was by nature unafraid of anything, and would not show even a hint of fear in the face of the most vicious war or a rain of bullets. However, being raped was different. She had already experienced such a blow when she had been in the primitive jungle. It had given her nightmares every night. She did not want to experience such a tragedy for the second time.

“I… I’ve done wrong.” Her expression was weak, and she finally conceded to Xia Ling. “I shouldn’t have scolded you. Nor should I have scolded Young Master Shaohui. Please forgive me and give me food.” She would only be able to think of ways to deal with the criminals once she was full and energized! She did not wish to enter the prison in a terrible starving state. She did not wish so at all.

Xia Ling said, “What did you say? I couldn’t hear you.”

Su Tang clenched her teeth and said louder, “I was wrong! Please forgive me!”

Staring at the woman’s face, Xia Ling lamented. She had been such an elegant and prideful woman when they had met for the first time, with her head held high. However, she was actually being forced to plead guilty with her for forgiveness now. It must feel terrible.

If not for the obsessions deep in her heart, how would things have come to this?

Compassion had already risen in Xia Ling’s heart subconsciously. However, this compassion was quickly suppressed by her. Someone had once told her that compassion towards an enemy was cruelty to oneself! She looked at Su Tang and her smile turned colder. “You admit your mistakes?”

“Yes.” Su Tang swallowed her pride.

“You want me to give you food?”

“Please give me food.” Su Tang clenched her teeth so hard they almost broke. Her whole body was shaking. The unprecedented humiliation shrouded her, and anger was biting fiercely at her. But what other choice did she have?

Xia Ling narrowed her eyes at her and pondered over it in her heart. What else could she use against her? Make her swear to cut off all thoughts of Li Lei? Don’t be silly, this kind of wishful thinking was not so easily cut off. Make her promise to never harm Shaohui and the rest? That was useless too. Other than the fact that her promise could not be trusted, once she was in X Prison, she would not be able to get out anyways, and making such a promise would not make any difference.

What else could she exploit from her…?

Xia Ling looked at Su Tang, who was completely abjected. She looked at her as if looking at a piece of meat on the chopping board.

Su Tang was restless under her stare and seemed to understand her intentions. She attempted. “Madam? Is there anything else I can do for you? As long as you say it, I will do it! I, I’ll give you all my assets! I’ll tell you all the secrets of the Li family’s business!”

Xia Ling said with amusement, “The little assets you have? Why would I want that? And what kind of Li family secrets. Since Li Lei has already decided to exile you, it must be because the ‘secrets’ you have on your hands are no longer worthy. You haven’t been his assistant for so many years, how could you have gotten ahold of critical matters? Don’t think so highly of yourself.”

Regarding matters of the Li family’s business, although she did not have much judgment, she believed in Li Lei’s judgment.

Su Tang’s expression was pale. All the things she had possessed that she had been proud of—beauty, intelligence, fortune, and information… all these things were being trampled on by Xia Ling. Yet Xia Ling was looking at her as if she was looking at a piece of worthless garbage. When had she been treated as such? At that moment, she was humiliated and angry. Combined with the terror of the unprecedented future in X Prison, her whole body was trembling uncontrollably.

Xia Ling was also feeling sullen. Was there really nothing worthy she could exploit from her?

“Okay, don’t look so afraid,” she said to Su Tang impatiently. “Didn’t you think that you were so intelligent? Then think of what you can do to help me. If you think of something, I’ll give you food, but if you don’t… Hehe, then you’ll just go to prison in starvation.”

Don’t say that she had not given Su Tang a chance. She regarded Su Tang’s intelligence highly.

With that said, she motioned for the bodyguard to push her out of the room.

“Wait!” Su Tang gathered her wits in a hurry and thought of an idea. “Madam, there is something! Bring Li Rui here, I’ll tell him the truth about how I wanted to kill him! He will surely hate me and will be devoted to you for life. He will treat you as his real mother!”

“Oh?” Xia Ling lifted her hand, indicating the bodyguard to stop. “You’re that kind-hearted?”