A Star Reborn: The Queen’s Return
chapter-199

She laid on the soft sofa seat for a long while before she felt better. The amount she ate felt like it could cover lunch and dinner as well. Her voice fraught with caution, she asked, “Are there any other restaurants that you own?”

Li Lei gave a laugh. “Sure! But we won’t be able to visit all of them today. I’ll take you to them another day.”

Xia Ling breathed a sigh of relief.

She slowly got up and dragged her feet as she followed Li Lei to the gym. She was really just too full. His gym was as high-classed as Gastronomy in the Clouds and had a similar membership system. Everyone that was walking in and out of the gym looked like they were people with wealth and status, and knew how to enjoy life. Many smiled and greeted Li Lei as they walked by. “Oh! Hi, Second Young Master Li, you’re looking good! Finally found your perfect other half and leaving all the flowers behind, yeah? Washing your hands of your playboy days?”

Before he met Xia Ling, Li Lei was known to be a Casanova. There were always women around him.

Xia Ling was not unfamiliar with his past tendencies, but she still shot Li Lei a look on hearing the playful banter. Li Lei hurriedly said, “Xiao Ling, I’m fully devoted to you now!” He turned and glared at the other man, and said half-jokingly, “Fourth Young Master Kang, don’t you want your premium membership card anymore? What are you saying!”

Everyone listening on laughed at his statement.

“It’s Xiao Ling, right? I’ve heard you sing. That song ‘Little Duck’ is really cute!”

“‘Glass Fingertips’ is the true stunner. It’s stylish and full of emotions.”

They all started to throw compliments at Xia Ling and engaged her in conversation. Used to handling such small talk situations, she beamed, showing the shallow dimples on both sides of her face, looking pretty and comfortable in her element.

Many of those present were wealthy gentlemen who were initially impassive to the news about Li Lei dating a small celebrity, thinking that the difference in their status was just too wide. However, having had a chat with Xia Ling face-to-face, they changed their view about her — this girl looked weak and small but had a natural glow to her. She did not shy away from them and seemed to fit into their wealthy circle naturally. For the wealthy, class and manner was of utmost importance.

After chatting for a while, Li Lei took her around the gym’s interior and pointed out all the newest equipment to her, as well as showed her the revenue numbers and charts for the season.

She could not understand the complex numbers he was showing her and simply followed him as he dragged her around by hand in a daze…

Ooh, the people at the gym were all in pretty good shape and had handsome faces. With just their physique, many of them would do well in the entertainment circle…

“What are you looking at?” Li Lei’s expression darkened when he saw her line of vision fall on a muscular man in a tight-fitting singlet.

Xia Ling innocently said, “I’m looking at all the handsome men… See his V line abs? He probably had to train really hard and long to get those…”

“I have them too!” The little child Li snapped back.

Xia Ling was quiet for a moment, before scanning Li Lei up and down with suspicion.

Little child Li felt his pride hurt seeing her suspicion. “Xiao Ling, you don’t believe me? I’ll show them to you now!” He raised his hands, prepared to take his shirt off. Earlier he had already removed his long khaki jacket due to the warmth of the indoor heating. Now, he only had on the ash-grey round-necked sweater and the handwoven shirt. It would be easy to take these off in one swift motion.

Xia Ling felt her face burn up and looked away.

Weird, she did not feel embarrassed looking at the abs of the other handsome men in the room. Why was her heart beating so fast from Li Lei’s simple act of taking his shirt off?

“You’re not going to look?” Seeing that she turned her head away, Li Lei felt even more hurt.

“I… ” Xia Ling took a deep breath, and then another, trying to make the blush on her face disappear. “Just put on your shirt, I know you have… a good body.” The last three words were said so quietly it was like a mosquito buzzing.

Even though she had not scrutinized his body closely, he had hugged her close when they were in bed that day, and she had somewhat felt his physique through his clothes…

As she thought back on this, little child Xia felt her face turn red again. His muscles were well-proportioned and toned like an elegant and powerful beast, and his level of perfection was probably equal, if not better, than that man with the V line abs earlier.

Stop, she had to stop thinking about it.

Red-faced Xia Ling forced herself to cut her line of thought and quietly sneaked away.

She ran off to the balcony that was not too far off and felt herself calm down with the fresh air blowing on her. Under the balcony was a swimming pool with many young men and women swimming. Many had good physiques as well, but Xia Ling could not find one that could hold a candle to Li Lei. Why did she feel that Li Lei’s body was so perfect? She had not even taken a close look at him yet.

Li Lei followed her out into the balcony and caught her in a daze again.

“You’re looking at other men behind my back again?!” He unhappily reached forward to turn her around to face him, so that she could not look in the direction of the swimming pool. He was regretting bringing her to the gym. This place was just too dangerous, brimming with testosterone. He was never going to bring her to somewhere like that for a date ever again.

Xia Ling was forced to look at him.

At this moment, Li Lei had already removed the round-necked sweater and only had on the white shirt. This simple white shirt looked nice on him, and the top two buttons were unbuttoned, revealing his toned chest beneath it.

Xia Ling forced herself to move her line of vision upwards to his face.

“I… I… It’s just a look!” She said. Seeing Li Lei’s expression darken again, she hurriedly added before he started to threaten to take his shirt off again. “Then… Then let’s go! There’s nothing… nothing much to see anyway!”

“Really?” Li Lei stared at her full of suspicion.

“Huh?”

“You said there was nothing much to see of that man’s body earlier?”

“Yeah…” Xia Ling’s face turned red again as she silently thought to herself. He’s nowhere close to you.

Li Lei nodded his head, satisfied. He did not want to stay any longer as well. What if Xiao Ling fell for another man? He would be left in the lurch to cry by himself. He pulled her out of the gym and headed towards the next place of his many businesses.

Li Lei brought her around to see all of his main businesses that day.

All the staff and regular customers knew that she was his girlfriend and the Lady Boss of all his businesses. Her status was immovable. They gave her all kinds of looks — some envious, some jealous — but no one questioned the status that Li Lei had declared: that they belonged to each other. They were one body, and nobody could separate them.

When they had finished the tour of his businesses, Xia Ling thought of something. “Oh, by the way…”

“What’s up?” Li Lei asked.

“I…” Xia Ling said softly and hesitantly. “I have a bungalow under my name that I want to get rid of.” That was the gift that Pei Ziheng had given to her a few months back as a form of apology for poisoning her mute. She had forgotten all about it until the tour of Li Lei’s real estate companies triggered her memory.