A Star Reborn: The Queen's Return

“Who’s the one being biased?” Li Shaohui said, “But you have to be careful of that Pei Yan. She has been staring at you just now, and the hostility in her eyes is obvious.” He had passed by not just to say hello to Pei Ziheng, but he also watched the people at the table. Several of them were possible heirs of the Pei family and it was necessary to understand their nature.

Xia Yingluo didn’t take it to heart. “How big is she even?”

“Yes, yes, you are the big young lady in our family. The bright pearl in our palms and the moon amongst the stars. That kind of lady simply can’t compare with a big lady like you.” Li Shaohui laughed at her. After a while, he returned to their seats with her.

A few people gathered and all the young ladies from other families came over to say hello.

The Li family was one of the biggest families in the world and was even supported by the mysterious and terrifying Xia family. Even the most prosperous family hoped to have a relationship with them. Everybody planned it very well—it was best to make friends with the Li family. Even if they couldn’t, they must be familiar with each other and not become enemies with them. It was too terrible to be an enemy with such a big family.

Many people thought actively and begun to plan marriage alliances.

Li Rui was surrounded by several young masters and young ladies. He had a little evil smile on his face and handled it very well. He ran the train with his mouth full of bullshit, and made a lot of young ladies happy and joyful, but didn’t disclose any key information about his family. Some people were born socialists, and there was no doubt that Li Rui was such a person.

When Li Shaohui and Yingluo came back, some of the young ladies around Li Rui laughed and said, “Big Master Li, Yingluo, you’re finally back! Your second son is fine, he won’t even answer what you guys like to eat. His lips are sealed so tightly, was he a secret agent before?”

Everyone laughed.

Li Shaohui also laughed. “How is his mouth tight? When did he care about his elder brother? How does he even know what I like to eat! He’s the same as Yingluo! He just lies around at home and it’s good enough that he doesn’t fight for food with Yingluo. Our Yingluo is a very good chef.”

Someone even started to coax. “I have heard that Ms. Xia’s cooking has been passed on by Mr. Li. I don’t know who will have this mouthfeel in the future?”

“Anyway, you don’t even think about it!” The person who spoke this time was Li Rui. He leaned sideways at the person who spoke, laughing and cursing. “Second Brother Liu, our Yingluo is our baby. Even if the world is held in front of her, it may not be worthy of her!”

This time, Xia Yingluo said with her eyebrows raised, “You only know how to arrange things for me.”

She sat down on her seat and immediately someone diligently poured wine for her. “It would be a blessing for anyone to marry Ms. Xia. Hello, Ms. Xia, I am Zhou Shichang from Yongchang Jewelry. I wonder if I have the honor to have a meal with you someday?”

“Go, go, don’t seduce my sister in front of me.” Li Rui pushed him away.

Xia Yingluo smiled again. She grew up in a prestigious family since young and was familiar with this kind of situation. She sat beside her two brothers with all manners and gave them the task of rejecting her many suitors. She only occasionally spoke a few words, and her eyes were slightly staring in boredom on the seat near the nearby canal.

The seat not far away was the Du family.

Du Zheng was also surrounded by a few young masters and ladies talking to him. If they wanted to talk to a golden bachelor, Du Zheng was definitely one. He was much older than the Li siblings and his family was more urgent in his marriage. He had to settle down in the coming two years. Therefore, the group of people around him was more purposeful and foreboding.

Seeing Xia Yingluo coming over, Du Zheng raised his glass in his hand.

Xia Yingluo smiled sweetly and raised a toast to him.

Then Du Zheng excused himself to the people around him, stood up calmly, and walked towards the Li family’s seat. When he reached the Li family seat, he said to Xia Yingluo, “I think the cluster of orchids in front is very pretty. Will you walk with me?”

Under the jealous and hateful gazes of everyone, Xia Yingluo stood up. “Okay.”

The two walked slowly along the secluded path, and Xia Yingluo smiled softly. “Looks like you’re entangled by the ladies?”

Du Zheng said, “I didn’t want to come, but my family urged me to.” He was in his thirties and was a figure with great power in the Du family. It was a miracle they took so long to persist.

Xia Yingluo joked. “I have heard a lot of rumors about you during my return to China. Do you really have any special quirks? Are you homosexual?”

Du Zheng glared at her gently.

This look was not lethal to her, and Xia Yingluo still smiled. “Okay, okay. I was wrong, brother Du Zheng. Don’t always be so serious. Last time Jin Ling’er asked me why you always like to pull a long face, and I didn’t even know how to answer her.”

“She asked you about me?” Du Zheng glanced at her.

“Yes.” Xia Yingluo suddenly found that she hadn’t cared about Jin Ling’er for a long time. “I was too busy during this time and I don’t even know what happened to her. Brother Du Zheng, she’s my best friend. You have to take care of her and not let others bully her.”

Du Zheng was silent and walked forward with her slowly.

Xia Yingluo was dissatisfied and pulled on his sleeve. “Why, is it so difficult for you to make a promise? She is now under your Du company. If you don’t cover for her, what could she do? She’s just a little girl and has no authority. Furthermore, she’s simple and naive, so she’s bound to be bullied relentlessly in the entertainment industry!”

“Let her transfer to Skyart,” After a long time, Du Zheng said.

Xia Yingluo was stunned. “What’s wrong? Something happened to her?”

Du Zheng’s voice was a little dull. “It’s nothing, she... is very intelligent, and deserves to go to a better place.”

Xia Yingluo stood still and looked up at him seriously. “What the hell is going on? Brother Du Zheng, don’t be perfunctory with me. Even if you don’t tell me now, Ling’er will certainly tell me! You don’t know how emotional she is. At that time, I won’t be able to understand the truth and help her! Brother Du Zheng, if you still treat me as a friend, tell me what happened!”

With all that said, Du Zheng remained silent.

Xia Yingluo urged him. “Talk!”

Du Zheng took an item out of his tight pocket and handed it to Xia Yingluo. “Last time I broke her hair clip when I was on set. I bought a new one, help me give it to her. Tell her not to find me in the future.”

The hairpin with shattered diamonds glittered in her palms.

Xia Yingluo’s intuition told her something wasn’t right. Du Zheng didn’t seem to hate Jin Ling’er. It was more like... lovers breaking up?!

She was taken aback by her thoughts and blurted out. “You like Ling’er?”