A Star Reborn: The Queen’s Return

The melodious sound of a violin rang out, breaking through the laughter.

The string orchestra started to play softly in the background. The light of the chandeliers in the room shone on the guests’ smiling faces, and the waiters weaved through the crowds with exquisite trays in hand as the party continued on.

Li Lei helped Xia Ling offstage.

Little Shaohui ran over on his stubby legs and complained, “Bad daddy! You only want mummy and not me.” He was following behind them in his little white tuxedo.

Old Master Li bent over wanting to hold onto Shaohui’s hand.

Little Shaohui avoided him. Raising his head, he took a close look at Old Master Li’s face before running away.

Old Master Li frowned.

As the cocktail party continued, Li Lei brought Xia Ling to a quiet room to take a rest, asking for some flower tea and snacks. “Have something to eat.” He said. “Grandfather is going to come over and look for us for sure. That’s not going to be an easy conversation.” He wasn’t going to naively think that the Old Master Li would relent on account of his great-grandson.

As expected, Old Master Li followed Shaohui into the room a while later.

Su Tang was by his side.

Li Lei spoke up first. “Su Tang, I think you shouldn’t be here.”

Old Master Li’s face darkened. “What do you mean she shouldn’t be here? Su Tang is part of the Li Family!”

Li Lei knew that the Old Master Li considered Su Tang to be his granddaughter-in-law. Given that Su Tang had saved his life and was assaulted in the process, he couldn’t bring himself to say that she was an outsider.

Xia Ling piped up nonchalantly. “She can stay. It’s better we all be present to make things clear.”

She wanted to see what other stunts the Old Master would try to pull.

Li Lei kept quiet after Xia Ling spoke up. He was completely compliant to whatever his wife… oh no… future wife said.

He picked little Shaohui up and sat him down on his lap, peeling hazelnuts for Shaohui to munch on.

Su Tang watched the father-son pair, a sad look settling on her face.

Old Master Li asked, “Su Tang, what’s wrong?”

Su Tang snapped back to her senses and forced a smile. “Grandfather, I’m fine.” After saving Li Lei from the forest, she earned the right to call the Old Master “Grandfather.” She said, “Seeing the both of them act so intimately makes me think of Xiao Rui. He never had the chance to…”

She couldn’t bring herself to continue.

Old Master Li recalled that Li Lei had never treated Li Rui the way he was treating Shaohui. Even though Li Rui wasn’t his biological son, he was still the son of Li Lei’s life savior. Li Lei was being too much! The Old Master was just about to chide Li Lei, but when he caught sight of his cute great-grandson, his anger dissipated in an instant.

Little Shaohui was completely focused on eating the hazelnuts, his cheeks puffing out as he chewed. He looked adorable.

Old Master Li’s voice became gentle. “Good boy, if you like eating hazelnuts, great-grandfather will make sure to prepare lots of them for you.”

Little Shaohui lifted his head to look at the Old Master furtively and hugged himself closer to Li Lei.

Li Lei patted him on the head and told the Old Master. “Shaohui has always only been with Xiao Ling. He needs to get used to seeing so many family members. Things will get better after I marry Xiao Ling.”

“What?!” Old Master Li blew up. He was happy to accept this great-grandson, but that didn’t mean he would accept Xia Ling as his granddaughter-in-law!

“What?” Xia Ling also looked up from her cup of tea with a stunned expression.

“I said that we should get married.” Li Lei said smilingly, ignoring her shocked expression. “Xiao Ling, you’re getting older. It’s about time you get married, isn’t it? Grandfather…”

“You’re the old one!” Xia Ling glared angrily at Li Lei. What was he saying?! Was he adding up her years all the way from her past life? In any case, she wasn’t going to admit that she was getting old!

“Fine, fine, I’m getting old.” Li Lei corrected. “I should get married.”

The Old Master’s face was ashen from trying to hold in his temper. He slammed a hand onto the table. “I don’t agree to this marriage! Li Lei, I’ve told you that you can never marry this jinx of a woman!”

“She’s the mother of my child.” Li Lei returned the Old Master Li’s glare, unfazed.

“If you’re going to marry her, she might even jinx the child!” Old Master Li retorted angrily. He turned and said to Xia Ling, “Miss Ye, why do you have to cling onto Li Lei and marry into a family that doesn’t welcome you? The Li Family can accept your son into the family and give him all the benefits that come with it. If you think that we will accept you as well just because you’re his mother, you’re being way too naive!”

Upset by the Old Master’s words, Xia Ling redirected her anger at Li Lei. “Did you hear what the Old Master said?! I’m not marrying you!” Who was the one that was trying to be clingy? She was the Xia Family phoenix! Anybody that married her was the most fortunate person ever!

Li Lei tried to appease her. “But we’ve discussed this…”

“There was no agreement made!” Xia Ling maintained.

Li Lei felt wronged. “You said you’ll marry me in the ward on the ship…”

Xia Ling was taken aback but recalled that she had indeed said those words.

Li Lei carefully added. “Shaohui can be my witness.”

Little Shaohui nodded while eating the hazelnuts that his dad had peeled for him.

Xia Ling was bashing herself for having proactively said that she would marry Li Lei before. Her gaze moved from the Old Master Li over to Su Tang, realizing that they were both looking at her with disdain. Clearly, they both thought that she had been scheming to marry Li Lei all along.

“Drop the act, Miss Ye.” The Old Master said coldly. “The Li Family won’t accept you.”

Xia Ling shouted at Li Lei again. “I’m not marrying you!”

Li Lei said, “You said you will marry me!”

Little Shaohui merely lowered his head and continued to munch at the hazelnuts…

The room was a mess.

Su Tang piped up, feeling that her position was being threatened. “How are we going to come to a conclusion with all this bickering? Old Master, I think the matter of greatest urgency is to bring Shaohui to meet the family. Everything else can wait.”

She said these words in a sweet and elegant voice, causing the bickering to immediately quieten down.

Old Master Li nodded. Yes, the most important thing was to get Shaohui to call him great-grandfather. He looked down gently at the child, saying, “Little Shaohui, were you frightened by our arguing? Come with great-grandfather and daddy back to the Li Family, okay? Great-grandfather will prepare a big, big house for you to live in.”

Little Shaohui finally spoke up. “No, I don’t want to be locked up.”

Old Master Li was stunned. This child was holding a grudge from the incident at Blissful Paradise!

But who was the one that told the child the truth? The Blissful Paradise kidnap was carried out by the Old Master’s subordinates. If no one told the child who the mastermind was, why would the child be able to draw the link?!

As he contemplated this, the Old Master looked towards Xia Ling with hatred. It must have been that woman!

Xia Ling gave a cold laugh. “Someone has a guilty conscience. Do you really think my child is clueless? Stop trying to cajole him!” She refrained from saying nastier things for Li Lei’s sake.

That Old man had kidnapped her child to Blissful Paradise, and now he was trying to tear them apart!