A Star Reborn: The Queen’s Return

The maid hesitated. “Well…”

Second Young Master had only instructed her to take good care of Miss Ye, he never mentioned anything about taking her to see the Old Master.

Xia Ling hurried her. “Quick, take me there. If you’re unwilling, I’ll just get another person.”

The maid thought for a while before saying, “I’ll take you there.” Since Second Young Master had entrusted her with Miss Ye, she had to ensure her safety. Second Young Master had only just taken power, and the system was still not well in place yet. If anything were to happen, it’d be too late for regrets… She had to take good care of Miss Ye.

Xia Ling smiled. “Thank you.”

She followed the maid to a quiet courtyard.

This was actually where she met Old Master Li for the very first time when she first came to the headquarters years back. It was the same as how she remembered it, with dried leaves littering the place in fall. She remembered how she used to be a naive little girl, expecting and hoping that the Old Master would like her, and fantasizing about a life of happy-ever-after with Li Lei. And yet, her dreams had been shattered when she came.

This time, she had no hopes that the Li’s would be friendly to her. She stood at the entrance with a stone cold heart, as she experienced the role reversal. Back then, she had to bow down to him, and now the tables had turned.

What a joke the heavens were playing on them.

She was still in her thoughts when the maid said, “Miss Ye would like to see the Old Master.”

The area was guarded by several armed men, and the atmosphere was somber and cold. Xia Ling looked at them and thought, Li Lei has really turned against Old Master this time. Fancy him sending this many guards to keep him under house arrest.

The door opened.

With the accompaniment of a few guards, she entered.

She walked through the dimly-lit reception pavilion and found the Old Master in the worship hall.

It had only been a short while since they last met, but Old Master seemed to have aged a lot. The wrinkles were more evident on his face now, and his back was slightly hunched. Instead of the energetic old man he used to be, he resembled an abandoned elderly instead.

He looked at her with clouded eyes. “What are you here for?”

Xia Ling did not respond, she simply sized him up quietly.

Old Master said, “Get out.”

Only then did Xia Ling speak. “Li Shanhe, do you still think of yourself as the powerful man you used to be? Don’t lie to yourself, you’re almost like a prisoner now, what right do you have to ask me to leave?”

Old Master closed his eyes.

Xia Ling sat in front of him. “Look at you now, looking like degenerating skin and bones after you lost your power. Is power really all that important?”

Old Master Li looked out the window, away from her.

What does this girl know? What I’ve lost isn’t power. My heart hurts the most when the grandson I’ve raised all his life pointed a gun at me.

Xiao Lei…

Oh, Xiao Lei.

You’re abandoning Grandpa for an outsider?

As tears were beginning to well up in the Old Master’s eyes, he closed his eyes again.

Xia Ling seemed to have read his mind. “Sure, maybe it isn’t about power, but what you know as kinship.”

He looked up and shouted at her, “You have no right to talk about kinship. It was you who turned my grandson against me!”

Xia Ling looked at him, calm as ever. “Li Shanhe, don’t you get it? It isn’t me who has no right to talk about kinship, neither is it Li Lei—it’s you. You feel hurt that your grandson has betrayed you, don’t you? But you know what? He used to respect you and admire you to the skies.

“When he first started telling me about you, his eyes were always full of wonder. He said that Grandpa was the most deserving of respect.

“But, how did you treat him in return? When he brought his beloved woman to see you, hoping to receive your blessing, you shattered his hopes and almost killed me.

“Li Shanhe, did you know that all the pain you’re feeling now, Li Lei has already experienced that years back!”

Old Master kept quiet and maintained a straight face. But even so, it was evident that his grandson’s betrayal was a huge blow to him. He didn’t even look like the man he was before.

“I don’t want Li Lei to be hurt.” Xia Ling said, “He doesn’t feel good taking over your power, you know. The maid told me that a few days back, Li Lei had brought you some medicine for your flu. When you threw them all onto the floor, Li Lei had squatted outside by the doorway for a long time. Li Shanhe, I hate you. You hurt my son, and now you’re hurting the man I love most.”

Old Master Li’s lips quivered. “There’s no point in telling me all these. I will never forgive that ingrate.”

Xia Ling mellowed down. “I’m not here to ask for you to forgive him.”

“So you’re here to display your prowess?” Old Master sneered. “You’re the Miss of the Xia family, and soon you’ll be the Madam of the Li’s. Are you getting smug?”

Xia Ling quietly said, “I’m not here to display anything. Li Shanhe, there are many things in this world that cannot be untangled or resolved. But since there’s Li Lei and Shaohui, we’re bound to be family in this lifetime, whether we like it or not. I’m here today to ask for us to live in harmony.”

“Live in harmony?” Old Master Li eyed her.

Xia Ling said, “Yes, live in harmony. Honestly, I don’t like you, and I know you don’t like me either. I don’t intend to portray a false facade and act like we’re all happy. I’m just hoping that we’ll mind our own business and be civil when we see each other. Let’s not make things difficult for Li Lei, how’s that?”

“Why should I agree to that?” Old Master Li scoffed. “He doesn’t deserve this treatment from me.”

“You love him.” Xia Ling looked straight into his eyes.

“Bullshit!” He had reached his breaking point. “I want to kill him so much!”

“I know you’re feeling upset, but what I’m trying to say is that Li Lei loves you a lot, even now. If you don’t forgive him, he’ll be in pain for the rest of his life.”

Old Master shouted even louder, “Leave! Right now!”

Xia Ling got up from her seat. “Think about it carefully.” And then she left.

Behind her, the heavy doors were shut again. The maid who’d been listening all this time heaved a sigh of relief—thankfully, nothing much happened in there. However, she was beginning to see Miss Ye differently…

Going by what Miss Ye said to Old Master, she was taking the big picture into consideration.

Miss Ye really loved Second Young Master, and had the wisdom to be the Madam of the Li family.

The maid was starting to form a different impression of her now. Initially, Su Tang had made her out to be an innocent and mindless little girl. But now it seemed like, innocent as she might be, she was able to make good and important decisions when needed.

And this was what it took to be a Madam.

When she went back, she had to let the other maids know about this.

The maid beside Xia Ling had been thinking this the whole time.