A Star Reborn: The Queen’s Return

Xia Ling clenched her teeth and continued driving forward.

Wei Shaoyin was still furiously shouting at her. “This car is worth at least ten million dollars! Can you afford to pay for damages if you get into an accident?!”

“It’s just a car… our Boss can afford it.” Chu Chen retorted but snapped at Xia Ling as well. “But Ye Xingling, don’t kill me with you even if you have a death wish.”

She gave him a cold glance through the rear-view mirror.

Wei Shaoyin hated to see anyone bullying his friend and instantly rechannelled his fury at Chu Chen. “If you don’t want to be in the car, then get out! I can let you off right now!”

Chu Chen kept quiet as he looked out of the window at the blur of passing trees and buildings.

Hence, Wei Shaoyin turned his attention back at Xia Ling. “Do you have a death wish?! Who’s the one that said my skills were taught by a primary school language teacher! Yours must have been taught by the kindergarten auntie!”

Xia Ling changed the topic of conversation. “What’s happened to the Ford behind us?”

Wei Shaoyin turned around and looked at the road for a while. “It’s still there, but we’re further away from them now.”

“How many crazies are there willing to squeeze past them lorries so dangerously?!” Chu Chen sneered.

Xia Ling did not say anything but executed a perfect drift at the next turn of the expressway. Chu Chen was thrown from one end of the back seat to the other, and his face turned white. He wanted to say something nasty, but she had already changed gears and was picking up speed. He had just leaned forward in the back seat only to be thrown backward again.

“Slow down, slow down, slow down!” Before Chu Chen had time to say anything, Wei Shaoyin was already rambling on. “You’re past the speed limit, I tell you! Past the speed limit!”

Xia Ling glanced down at the speedometer. She was only going at 150 km/h. What was Wei Shaoyin so nervous about? “Did you buy this sports car just to admire it?” She sniggered at him, feeling that his Ferrari was going to waste.

“The speed limit of the expressway is 120! 120, I tell you! Ahhh… go slower! Slower!” Wei Shaoyin shrieked.

She turned the steering wheel and shot down the side road. She was familiar with this city and knew that there was a deserted race track in the outskirts of the city; she used to come here often to race with the other members of the club in the past.

“Slower, slow, slow! 180, are you crazy?! 200?! 220?! 240??!”

Then, his voice became smaller and smaller. Xia Ling was unsure if he were shocked into silence, or had merely given up on shouting at her. With the peace and quiet, Xia Ling drove without distraction. She was just over 200 km/h — the speed she was comfortable with — and was driving steadily. If not for the fact that she was afraid that Wei Shaoyin would really lose his mind, she wanted to test the limits of this Ferrari. It was such a waste for such an excellent car to be under his care.

She quickly lost the Ford.

In her past life, she was the unbeatable legend of the Race Club. She could easily lose a much better car, let alone the Ford which was many levels below a Ferrari.

She stopped the Ferrari by the roadside in the outskirts as the evening sun was starting to set, coloring the sky red.

Chu Chen pulled open the car door and stumbled to the ditch to throw up. Wei Shaoyin was fine, although his face was white like paper. He merely sat trembling in the car, trying to calm down.

“You’re nuts, you’re nuts, you’re nuts…” He repeated as he pointed at her weakly.

Xia Ling glanced over at him before locking the Ferrari’s doors and closing the windows.

“What are you doing?” Wei Shaoyin was taken aback.

Xia Ling placed her elbows on the steering wheel and rubbed her temples. The sound of Chu Chen anxiously hitting the windows could be heard from outside.

Wei Shaoyin asked, “Are you wary of him?” He then continued gleefully, “Leave him here. We can drive back to the city now.”

She shook her head.

Wei Shaoyin became angry. “Don’t you know what’s good for you?! He’s clearly been placed by your side by Pei Ziheng to monitor your every action. Just looking at his face makes me feel sick. The earlier you get rid of him, the earlier you can be free.”

“How do I get rid of him?” She gave a bitter smile and replied weakly. “Kill him? Burn him? Abandon his body in the outskirts of the city? If I died, everything would still run as per normal. If Chu Chen were to die, Pei…” She stopped herself mid-sentence. She did not know the business well, but she knew that Chu Chen was an important person in Imperial Entertainment. There was word saying that if Chu Chen had the family name Pei, he would undoubtedly be the next in line to head the family after Pei Ziheng.

In comparison, what was she?

A puppet, a substitute, a pretty doll.

“You feel like you’re making trouble for Pei Ziheng?” Wei Shaoyin asked more calmly. “That was something that I was waiting to ask you about. Xiao Ling, what’s up with you and Pei Ziheng? I thought you were forced to go to Imperial Entertainment against your will. But why didn’t you leave with Li Lei when he went to find you?”

There were too many complications, and Xia Ling did not know where to start. She merely kept quiet.

Wei Shaoyin said, “I feel upset for Li Lei.”

Xia Ling felt tears spring into her eyes, and she breathed in a deep breath.

Wei Shaoyin observed her expression and asked, “Xiao Ling, who exactly do you like?”

“Li Lei and I cannot be together.”

“Why?” Wei Shaoyin angrily asked. “What did Pei Ziheng do to make you like that? Why can’t you and Li Lei be together?! What problem have you met with? Tell us, we can help you find a solution. It’s better than you acting all weird right now. Ye Xingling, have you seen how you look recently? You’ve lost weight, your pallor is terrible. Have you seen yourself in the mirror?! When you were with Li Lei, you never looked so terrible!”

He glared at her after his rant.

She turned her head away and said in a low voice, “It’s impossible.” She was upset, and her voice was hoarse.

As such, Wei Shaoyin just kept quiet.

After a while, he said, “For you, Li Lei has bet his entire family fortune on this war.”

“Ah Wei, tell him to stop. Even if he wins, even if Pei Ziheng is bankrupted, I can’t go back.”

Wei Shaoyin gave a cold laugh and bitterly replied, “And what makes you think he will listen?”

Yes, she knew Li Lei well. While he looked like someone easy to influence, in actual fact, he was the most stubborn sort. Once he had made a decision, no one would be able to change his mind. Yet, she persisted. “The Pei family has hundreds of years of foundation. He can’t win.”

“Why? Because Pei Ziheng has never lost before?”

She lifted her head to look at Wei Shaoyin. “You think Li Lei can win?”

“He’s all in.” Wei Shaoyin said. “What’s more, Li Lei has never lost before as well.”

Xia Ling did not know what to do.

Wei Shaoyin opened his mouth. “Perhaps, you can persuade him yourself.”

He handed her his mobile.

Xia Ling took the mobile from him and hesitated. She grew more fearful the closer she got to him.

Seeing her hesitation, Wei Shaoyin grabbed the mobile from her and dialed Li Lei’s number. The ringback tone rang out, and not long after, the line connected.

“Hello, Ah Wei?” Li Lei’s voice rang out on the other end of the line.

Xia Ling listened to his voice in a daze, not daring to open her mouth, fearing that her voice would break this peace.

“Why aren’t you speaking?” Li Lei paused before his tone changed to one that was unusually stern. “If you don’t have anything to say, I’m hanging up now. Don’t forget the meeting in the office later at night. There are many obstacles in the market right now, and I need to hear your opinion.”

He rarely used such a tone when speaking. She could tell that, just like Pei Ziheng, he was not having a good time.

The pain in her heart started to spread. She finally could not hold it in any longer and blurted out. “Stop fighting with Imperial Entertainment.”

Li Lei was quiet for a moment before asking, “Xiao… Ling?”

“Yes, it’s me.” Xia Ling responded in a soft voice, not knowing what else to say.

Wei Shaoyin quietly got off the car and closed the door behind him.