A Star Reborn: The Queen’s Return

Xia Ling followed her brother to the main hall.

The bonfire party was still ongoing in the open-air field, but there were many people gathered in the main hall—Family Head Xia, Madam Xia, the family elders, Xia Yu’s biological parents, as well as the villagers who were going to mete out the punishment. All of them had serious expressions as they looked toward the girl who was kneeling in the middle of the hall.

That girl was Xia Yu.

She was wearing a thin t-shirt, and her long hair was in a messy state. She looked extremely pitiful with her forlorn expression. She was speaking to Family Head Xia, “Family Head Xia, I was momentarily taken by my own jealousy and committed the grave mistake of trying to harm the Phoenix’s son. I’m willing to accept any punishment for my folly, but can you give me a chance to redeem myself on account that I had no idea that Shaohui was the Phoenix’s son. Don’t exile me from the family…”

Her face was covered in tears.

Family Head Xia didn’t reply. He looked up at Xia Ling, who had just entered the room. “Xiao Ling, what do you think?”

Everyone turned to look at her. After all, her son was the victim of the attempted murder. She should have the most say in whether the punishment should be severe or lenient.

Xia Ling’s expression was cold. “Xia Yu, you still dare come back here?”

Xia Yu cried even harder. “Sister, even though you don’t recognize me as your sister anymore, please allow me to call you that one more time. I know I was wrong! I really regret my actions… I shouldn’t have done all those things to you. I deserve to die!” As she spoke, she slapped herself several times. Her face started to swell up very quickly.

She was afraid that if she wasn’t harsh on herself, and didn’t look pitiful enough, there would be graver punishment awaiting her.

However, Xia Ling was not moved. Her gaze was still cold as she asked, “Then, tell me. What shouldn’t you have done?”

“I shouldn’t have tried to kill the little young master!” Xia Yu choked.

“And?”

“I shouldn’t have tried to push you down the stairs when you were pregnant.”

“And?”

“I shouldn’t have pretended to have a heart attack to frame you when you just debuted.”

“And?”

“I shouldn’t have lip-synched… bringing shame to the music scene, which you are so passionate about…”

“And?”

“I…” Xia Yu didn’t know how to continue. What else was there? She had mentioned everything that she had done that was harmful to “Ye Xingling.” All the other things she had done was in Xia Ling’s first life—when she framed Xia Ling in the orphanage; when she tried to snatch away Pei Ziheng; when she fanned the flames when Xia Ling was imprisoned by Pei Ziheng…

But how could she admit to all these now?

Other than the real Xia Ling and her, nobody else knew about these wrongdoings. If she were to admit to all of them now, wouldn’t she just be courting death? The Xia Family would definitely give her harsher punishment!

“There’s… nothing else…” Xia Yu replied.

“Hur…” Xia Ling laughed coldly. “… think again.”

Xia Ling stared at her pensively, unsure of what she meant.

Xia Yu wasn’t fully convinced that “Ye Xingling” was truly the reincarnated Xia Ling and that she had inherited all of her past memories. Or was she just someone that the Xia Family had chosen as a representation of the Phoenix, a figment of their imagination?

If it were the latter, then “Ye Xingling” would have no idea about the wrongdoings in her past life.

Xia Yu couldn’t be the one to proactively admit to all of that.

But… what if it were the former? If “Ye Xingling” had Xia Ling’s past memories? Her insistence on keeping mum about all her wrongdoings would anger her sister even more.

No….

How was that possible?

“Ye Xingling” couldn’t be her reincarnated sister… her age was all wrong!

And… how could something so out of the world be real?

Xia Yu forced herself to remain calm and decided that the likelihood of “Ye Xingling” not knowing about Xia Ling’s past was higher. Yes, “Ye Xingling” must be bluffing right now, wanting to test if she would readily admit to other wrongdoings. She couldn’t fall for her trap! She must not admit to anything else!

She gritted her teeth and maintained her story. “Nothing else. Other than these, I’ve not done anything else to harm you. Sister…”

Pa!

A loud slap rang out.

Xia Ling had used all her strength to give Xia Yu a tight slap, causing her to fall over on her side. Xia Yu’s head knocked on the cold, hard cement floor and a gash appeared on her forehead. Blood started to flow from the open gaping wound.

She looked up at Xia Ling with a confused expression.

Many of the villagers also stared at Xia Ling, confused.

Xia Ling shook her smarting hand. She had really put all her strength into that; her hand was really painful. “Xia Yu…” She looked into Xia Yu’s eyes menacingly, as if looking at a dead dog. “… don’t you dare call me Sister. You don’t deserve to! You don’t know what else you did wrong? Okay, let me tell you then!”

“In the orphanage, you lied to me saying that you loved to eat pork buns, when in fact you merely wanted to watch me getting hit by the big kids when I went to snatch the pork buns for you. Later, Pei Ziheng adopted us and you tried to seduce him behind my back. I also gave you all my finances to manage, and all you did was to intentionally lose all my money. Later on, Pei Ziheng imprisoned me… you came to jeer at me, ridicule me, and you even asked me why I didn’t choose to kill myself…

“Xia Yu, did you forget all of these?”

She knows…

She really knows!

Xia Yu stared at Xia Ling incredulously. How could she possibly know?! She…

She’s really Xia Ling!

She wasn’t a replacement, or in an imaginary position. She was the true reincarnated Phoenix, and she had all of Xia Ling’s original memories!

At that moment, Xia Yu was so shocked that she forgot to breathe.

“No…” She shook her head and murmured. “You’re my sister? How can you be my sister?” Tears started to fall from the corner of her eyes without warning. “My sister is dead… Xia Ling… she… she died a long time ago…”

“You’re extremely shocked, aren’t you?” Xia Ling walked up to her and squatted down, lifting Xia Yu’s chin up so that she was looking at her. “Look at me closely. Think about it… think about how you sweet-talked me, calling me Sister oh so dearly, before stabbing me in the back… I’m very thankful for the period of time that Pei Ziheng imprisoned me… It allowed me to see the true colors of many people, and understand many things. Including you, my dearest little sister.”

She released Xia Yu, who slid down to the floor weakly.

Everyone watched this scene between the two sisters pan out. Many of the villagers had thought that the legend of the Phoenix was just something made up for the villagers to hold onto. However, after seeing Xia Yu’s expression today, they were also in shock.

So Xia Ling had really reincarnated?!

Madam Xia rushed forward and hugged Xia Ling, already in tears.

Even though she had always believed that Xia Ling had truly reincarnated, there was still that sliver of doubt in that ancient legend of the Xia Family on the Phoenix. Now, the evidence was clear and she was overcome with tears in an instant.

“Xiao Ling… my darling daughter…” She hugged Xia Ling tightly, almost as if she was trying to meld their bodies together.

Xia Ling’s eyes filled with tears as well, and she leaned lightly against her mother’s shoulder.