A Star Reborn: The Queen’s Return

Wei Lingnan hung his head low and hid his expression.

Xia Yingluo lay in his embrace, her petite form completely exhausted. She felt the strange warmth and numbness picking up inside her again, like a thousand ants crawling about in her body. She let out a soft moan in agony.

Instantly, she began blushing and hurriedly bit her lip to stop herself.

Wei Lingnan noticed it and tipped her chin upwards with his slender finger.

Her beautiful face was even sweeter in the natural light, and her eyes were gazing into his directly. She could see the coldness in those eyes, like that of a predator, and she felt a mysterious aura lying beneath it.

She curled up slightly.

“Afraid?” His voice was low and hoarse.

She was a little caught off-guard, like a strange creature was speaking to her from amidst the fog.

She closed her eyes and tried to shake that thought away. “Let me go.” While that was what she said, her entire being was paralyzed and lying like a dead weight in his arms. She had not an ounce of energy left, and he was literally holding her up.

He bent lower and planted a kiss on her lips.

She felt a strange shock reverberating through her body and weakly said, “Wei Lingnan… don’t be like this.”

“Don’t be like this, huh?” He said suggestively, causing her to shiver a little.

“Don’t…” Her eyes were all watery, and she wanted to say this while she still could. “Don’t do… things that… we’d both regret. Send me to the hospital, please…”

He stopped whatever he was doing and looked at her quietly.

Out of the blue, he recalled how she’d once said that “nothing achieved by force will be sweet”. Slowly, he pulled his lips away from hers.

Her heart rate stabilized slightly, but the discomfort was still very much present. Xia Yingluo bit her lip and used all her might to withstand wave after wave of that strange numbing burn.

Wei Lingnan took a small bottle out from his pocket and handed it to her. “Drink it up.”

The bottle held a few drops of a transparent liquid that gleamed menacingly in the sunlight.

“What is this?” She asked.

“Poison for your guts.” He smiled a little devilishly.

Xia Yingluo was speechless.

“I won’t take you to the hospital,” he said. “It’s up to you to drink this.”

… Could this be an antidote? Xia Yingluo used the last bit of rationality in her—if Wei Lingnan was out to harm her, he didn’t need to go to such trouble. He could kill her with a little pinch like she was an ant. So, this might just be an antidote instead?

She opened the bottle and finished it.

Wei Lingnan watched as she finished every last drop of it. It didn’t take long before her abnormally high body temperature went down, and the flush in her face faded. Her breathing was regulated and she was back to the Xia Yingluo she always had been.

Xia Yingluo sensed the difference too and looked up at Wei Lingnan. “Thank you.”

He was very tall, and even with her looking up at him, she was only at his chin. Looking at the abundant sunlight that highlighted the features on her face, his heart softened a little. “Just a thank you?” He pressed.

Xia Yingluo was a little unhappy now, just what more did he want?

She turned away and said, “Well, what more? You’ve done so many insane things to me, I haven’t even held you accountable for that.” She looked adorable when she threw a tantrum, just like a grudging kitten.

Wei Lingnan couldn’t hold himself back from teasing her further. “I welcome you to hold me accountable anytime. I’ve slept with you twice, you can sleep with me twice too, or with unlimited interest as well.”

She went red and glared at him.

He sighed. “In any case, you won’t be disadvantaged.”

Xia Yingluo said coldly, “You and I are impossible, we never could be together from the start. Wei Lingnan, stop fantasizing. We should stop this while we can and go our separate ways.”

Her words “never could be together from the start” had him darken his eyes.

She was a little intimidated, but still mustered the courage to hold her glare.

During their stare-off, two men and a woman approached them—the woman was Pei Yan, who had since changed into a short gown and now had her hair up in an elegant fashion. She had her arm hooked on Zhao Yixuan’s. The other man with them was someone Xia Yingluo did not recognize, but she saw some resemblance between him and Pei Yan. He was dressed in a tailor-made suit and appeared prim.

Pei Yan spoke up first, “Xia Yingluo, what are you doing here?”

She then looked at Wei Lingnan in shock. “I recognize you, aren’t you the one who won Xia Yingluo over at the casino? Why are you here, I don’t remember inviting you to my engagement party!” She had a vivid impression of Wei Lingnan; anyone who had lost everything to a person and was chased out in shame would have such an impression.

Wei Lingnan gazed at her and smiled.

Pei Yan’s hair stood on end when she saw his smile, and she backed away slightly behind Zhao Yixuan. She did not know why, but this man looked just like a predator eyeing his prey whenever he narrowed his eyes.

Zhao Yixuan sensed his fiancee’s discomfort and frowned at them. “Yingluo, I’m so disappointed in you. Even though I don’t want you anymore, you shouldn’t be treating yourself with so little self-respect and self-love. Look at yourself now, how could you?”

At this point, Xia Yingluo’s clothes were in a mess, her hair was untidy, and she was being held in Wei Lingnan’s arms—it was a rather suggestive scene.

She sneered upon hearing his words. He thought too highly of himself! What did he mean by her not respecting herself because he didn’t want her anymore?! This jerk was too narcissistic! “Excuse me, Mr. Zhao. I’m doing very well.” Xia Yingluo’s tone was cold and distant. “Our Lingnan doesn’t have much, but he’s just a little richer than Mr. Zhao, a little more handsome, a little stronger, and a little more thoughtful to ladies.” Of course, the final clause was completely fictional, she had just wanted to rip him up a moment ago. But with her ex standing just before her, it was only necessary to exaggerate a little.

Hearing the words “our Lingnan”, Wei Lingnan smiled.

Zhao Yixuan’s expression darkened. He had not expected Xia Yingluo to be so curt and harsh, sending slaps to his face. In his memory, she was still a naive and romantic young girl from the training camp, one whose smile was sweet and eyes were clear—when had she become like this?