A Star Reborn: The Queen’s Return

A smile formed on his usually cold and stern face.

When he was having breakfast the second day, he told Nanny Zhou, “Clean up my bedroom, put up a screen as a partition then bring in a small bed and move all of Miss’ stuff over.”

Nanny Zhou was taken aback. “Sir?”

Xia Ling was also surprised. “Brother Pei?”

Pei Ziheng followed his routine of using the small knife to cut off chunks of the smoked chicken breast meat for her. His voice was warm as he said, “If you’re scared of the dark, then just move over to sleep with me. Do you think that’s good?”

She could hardly believe her ears. She would be able to live by his side? The sudden surprise made her extremely excited and she did not know what to do. She took a deep breath and nodded hard. “Yes!”

“Sir!” Nanny Zhou was anxious. She had never understood why Pei Ziheng adopted such a small girl. Ever since Xia Ling had moved into the house, she had carried a vague concern in her heart—ever since he had been young, he had never taken any interest in any woman before. Even his most exciting teenage years had been spent without any incidents. Could it be that he was oriented towards ordinary people?!

Pei Ziheng ignored Nanny Zhou and placed the cut chicken breast onto Xia Ling’s plate. “Eat more, it’s your growing period. What kind of screen do you like? A sandalwood one? Or tulle? The crystal pearl kind?”

Xia Ling racked her brains over it and thought carefully. Then she smiled cheerfully. “Everything Brother Pei picks is good.”

“Sir!” Seeing that both of them were ignoring her, Nanny Zhou had to say with thick skin, “It’s not appropriate for Miss to live in the same room as you! Miss is already so big, men and women should not be so close…”

Pei Ziheng raised an eyebrow and glanced at Xia Ling.

Xia Ling also stared at him with blinking eyes. As a 12-year-old girl, she had grown up in a simple environment like the orphanage and was ignorant about the things between men and women. Thus, her expression was one of innocence at the moment.

Pei Ziheng asked her gently, “Do you think it’s inappropriate?”

She bit her fork and said, “I’m still young.” She did not know why, but she had an inexplicable trust in the man in front of her. Staying by his side made her feel very safe. She was also very happy to be able to live in the same bedroom as him because she was more worried about being chased out of the house as compared to the danger that simply did not exist in her intuition. He was willing to share his bedroom with her. This proved that he liked her very much… right?

Pei Ziheng told Nanny Zhou, “Aren’t you going to prepare the room?”

Nanny Zhou was extremely anxious. It was okay for the little girl to be insensible, but even Sir was being insensible? What could be done about this? She had taken care of Sir for so many years and had watched him grow up. She could not just stand there and watch as he went down the wrong path! She stared at him sternly and said, “Sir, I want to talk to you alone.”

Finally, he gave face to the woman who had watched him grow up. He let the driver send Xia Ling to class, then took a white paper towel to wipe the corners of his mouth gracefully before indicating that Nanny Zhou could now speak.

Nanny Zhou said seriously, “Sir, you’re not young anymore. It’s time for you to get a girlfriend. Imagine what a scandal it would be if your girlfriend comes into your bedroom to see another girl living inside? Miss Xia is only twelve and doesn’t understand a lot of things, but you of all people should!”

Pei Ziheng’s expression turned somewhat sullen. “Why is it scandalous?”

Nanny Zhou gathered up her courage and said, “Sir, Madam has passed early and there are some things that she could not instruct you on. So I can only be the one to nag on you now. You’re at an age where you’re young and vigorous. It’s fine to have a lot of girlfriends outside, but by putting a small girl beside you, it’s not good for either you or her!”

Pei Ziheng frowned. He had not considered all these when he had adopted Xia Ling. Back at the orphanage, when he had seen her for the first time under the bright sunshine, a hidden voice had whispered to him in his heart—this is her, Pei Ziheng. You have to bring her home.

And as for what would happen once he’d brought her home?

How would they get along?

There were too many unknowns.

He had never intended on making her his girlfriend. It was good as long as she belonged to him.

Such possession was like possessing a flower, a cat, exquisite fragile porcelain… He wanted it, he could afford it, so he’d bring it home and play with it, nothing more.

“Nanny Zhou, you’re overthinking it.” He decided to end this topic. “My orientation is normal. There is no problem. I will marry a prestigious lady from a family well-matched to our social status and give birth to kids. As for Xiao Ling?” The corners of his lips curled up without him even realizing it. “She will forever belong to me, it’s that simple.”

He got up, put on his coat and walked outside.

Nanny Zhou was shaken to the core by his words—forever. What a dangerous word.

But she was just a servant and could not change anything. That night, she still hanged the screen in the bedroom according to Pei Ziheng’s instructions and placed Xia Ling’s cot beside his bed.

Xia Ling cuddled in the soft comfortable bed and did not have any more nightmares.

Even in the deepest darkness, she knew that the man she trusted and depended on was just within reach. If she was to be in any danger, he would protect her immediately.

She thought that she would probably not be abandoned.

Her spirits lifted and her mood was better. In these few days, she was radiant and more beautiful than ever.

Many of the girls in the etiquette class were full of jealousy. However, they would not think of anything. The only consolation was that this wild girl still couldn’t remember the cumbersome rules and etiquette of the upper class and made countless mistakes. Thus, she was often reprimanded fiercely by Teacher Gao.

Teacher Gao was ruthless when she hit people, even more so towards beautiful girls. “The more beautiful you are, the more attention you will attract,” she said sternly to Xia Ling. “The more noticeable you are, the more magnified your shortcomings will be. If you don’t want to shame yourself and throw the Pei family’s face, you’ll have to double your efforts!”

Xia Ling gritted her teeth and endured it.

She endured through the class with much difficulty but still had to brew tea for Pei Jingmei.

Ever since she had broken Pei Jingmei’s teacup, she had kept to her words and had taken on the task of brewing tea for Pei Jingmei for the semester. Among the group of the ladies’ servants, she started brewing tea clumsily in the narrow damp tea room. Pei Jingmei’s servant pointed at her and instructed. “Miss Jingmei thinks that the first cup of tea tastes too strong and is also dirty, so she never drinks the first cup. You have to throw it away and then pour a second cup. You have to be careful when you’re serving it, the water can never exceed the line along the cup. Otherwise, it will shake too much and affect the taste of the tea…”

She memorized all the details in her heart and her attention on it was no less than on etiquette class.

The other servants could not stand it. A senior maid said to Xia Ling in the corridor, “Miss, I’ll help you serve it. You’re already so tired from the class, yet you still have to put such great care in serving tea. Once you’re done serving tea, the class will be starting immediately but you haven’t even taken a break.”