A Star Reborn: The Queen’s Return

“It’s nothing!” Xia Ling kept the pot even closer.

“Hmm?” Li Lei did not believe her and took a few steps forward. “It smells like soup, did you cook that for me?” He was not letting her off. “Vegetables… and egg?”

“There’s only so much left in this house.” Xia Ling surrendered and moved aside.

Big Boss Li hence got to see the horrendous pile of… food. Assuming it was food, that was, since the soup hardly looked like what it should be.

Xia Ling looked at him in anticipation.

“Xiao Ling.” Big Boss sighed.

“Uh-huh?”

“You should thank the heavens for Skyart’s salvation.”

“What?”

“This culinary skill of yours,” Big Boss tried to force a smile. “would leave you homeless if you attempted to be a chef.”

Xia Ling did not know how to respond. She did not feel like apologizing to him anymore, given how mean he was being. It was the first time she tried so hard to prepare a meal for somebody, but all she got in return was sarcasm! Even Pei Ziheng never had the honor of such treatment!

“If you don’t want it, I’m pouring it away.” She angrily said.

“Hey, don’t!” Big Boss Li stopped her frantically. “Who says I’m not eating it!” He held the pot tightly in his hands, appearing genuinely terrified that she might throw it all away.

Xia Ling felt a little better.

But she felt it still wasn’t right. She had tasted the soup, and it was simply too salty. Cooking something this embarrassing was no better than having it thrown away, why did he not want to?

Xia Ling looked awful again.

“Did you specially cook this for me?” Li Lei asked for verification.

“Yup.” Xia Ling nodded resignedly.

“I knew my Xiao Ling is the best!” Li Lei was as excited as a child. He moved the soup to the table and prepared two bowls and two spoons before filling the bowls with soup. “Let’s drink it together.”

Xia Ling did not want to have another go at her horrible cooking and rejected instantly. “No, thanks.”

Li Lei did not mind it and went on to take a sip of it. His face stiffened.

Xia Ling’s expression darkened. Could he get food poisoning from this? She cautiously said, “You know, you don’t have to drink it if you don’t like… it.”

Before she could even finish her last word, Li Lei had already taken the next mouthful, and the next, and had finished the entire pot in no time.

… Is it really safe for consumption?

Xia Ling was no longer worried about whether the soup tasted good, she was more concerned about Li Lei’s life.

“You cooked it for me, of course, I’ll finish it.” Li Lei put the bowl down and smiled at her. “It’s fine that you’re not too good at cooking, I can teach you the ropes slowly next time. I like tomato and oxtail soup, pork ribs soup, yam soup…” He listed them one by one.

What, was he giving her orders now?

“Stop!” She looked at him unhappily. “Just this once! Don’t make me enter the kitchen again!” The kitchen was like her nemesis; every time she helped Li Lei prepare a meal, it turned out awful.

She looked toward Li Lei now with concern. “Do you need me to get the doctor?”

Li Lei was stunned before smiling. “Don’t worry, I won’t get food poisoning from this. Back when I was fighting in the war in South Africa, I had to eat live bugs…” Afraid that she would wince at it, he stopped right there. “In any case, it’s fine.”

She could finally heave a sigh of relief.

“So, are you satisfied with this apology?” Xia Ling asked cautiously.

Li Lei was deep in thought. What exactly should he say? It was rare for Xiao Ling to be so subservient to him and to go to so much trouble to prepare him a meal, it was simply too heartwarming. But if he said he was satisfied now, would she go back to her original self? And if he said this was not enough, would she leave?

Li Lei had already been anxious the entire day when he realized Xia Ling had not returned.

If he still insisted he was not satisfied, would he have to suffer the same anxiety tomorrow?

Boss was caught in a fix.

Xia Ling as well. Just what else did Li Lei want? Wasn’t he a Leo? Why did he appear even more nitpicky and petty than the Virgo Ah Wei? If she knew there were these many side effects to the slap she gave him, she would have slapped herself instead, just like she wanted to do now!

Xia Ling lectured herself silently and got Boss a cup of water. “I’ve realized my mistake, won’t you forgive me?” She looked toward him with puppy eyes.

Her acting cute got to him, and he was no longer as calm as before.

“Ahem.” He feigned a cough to signal his authority.

Xia Ling did not know what to expect from him. “Let me off, please?”

“Well, fine then.” Boss tilted his chin up with pride.

“I knew Boss was the most magnanimous!” Xia Ling bootlicked him.

“But, I have a condition.” Boss seemed to be saying something else.

Xia Ling’s expression darkened. “W-What condition?”

“You’re not to cook soup for anyone else.” Although Xiao Ling’s soup was barely edible, it was unique nonetheless, and he wanted to keep it an experience only for himself!

“So this is the condition.” Xia Ling was relieved. “No problem!” She would not cook soup in her right mind, why torture herself further?

Seeing that she agreed so quickly, Big Boss Li was skeptical. “Really?”

“Of course!”

“So…” said Li Lei, trying to sound nonchalant. “No other man has tasted your soup? Not a single one?” He was wondering about Pei Ziheng specifically but did not want to name him lest she got angry.

“Only you would…” She was about to say “torture yourself,” but decided against it and rephrased her words. “Only you have such a unique taste, and can swallow something so awful.” Once she uttered those words, she felt a little warm inside.

Feng Kun was probably right, she should cherish Li Lei and not let her past get in the way of a happy relationship. He treated her well, and even though he sometimes hurt her, it was only because he did not know the pain she had been through. If she were an ordinary girl with an ordinary past, a lot of things that he did were actually nothing out of the norm.

Xia Ling thought for a while and then blurted out before she realized it. “I know you’re good to me, but sometimes you’re too fierce, and I get… scared.”

Li Lei was quiet for a while. He did not expect for her to speak so seriously of a sudden.

But that was a good thing, at least it showed that she was willing to communicate with him, right?