A Star Reborn: The Queen’s Return
chapter-426

Her gaze swept past them and to the last row in the room, before stopping abruptly.

Her heart skipped a beat and tightened, as her fists subconsciously clenched together as well. At the back of the room, in a place near the wall and under the shadows stood a man. He was wearing a nondescript outfit and was wearing shades, silently looking at the stage in her direction. His stature was too familiar; one that she thought of day and night. Even though he was standing so far away, and his face was half-covered by the big sunglasses, she still recognized him at first glance.

Li Lei.

This name brought a burning pain to her heart as it spun in her mind.

The chatter around her faded into the background, and she could no longer hear the blessings and questions from her fans. She merely looked at him for a long time, stunned.

“Xiao Ling, Xiao Ling?” The emcee called out to her. Seeing that she wasn’t responding, the emcee walked up to her and blocked her line of sight. “You haven’t answered the questions from the fans.”

She snapped back to her senses and looked at the emcee with a lost expression.

The emcee was experienced and knew from her expression that she had zoned out for a moment. As such, she smiled and repeated the question from the fan naturally. “Xiao Ling, what stage has your relationship with Boss Pei progressed to? Have you held hands? Kissed? Or… hmm?”

The emcee flashed her a suggestive smile and blinked winningly at her. The audience laughed loudly at her question.

“This question…” Xia Ling forced herself not to look at Li Lei. However, she could feel his gaze piercing through her from the corner. In front of him, she could not bring herself to repeat her well-rehearsed answer.

Suddenly, another fan shouted out. “Xiao Ling, I still think you should be with Skyart Entertainment’s Boss Li! He’s started this war with Pei Ziheng over you! It’s so touching! Why don’t you consider him?!”

There were different camps amongst her fans, and this was clearly someone in the “Li-Ling” camp.

Xia Ling was taken aback. She thought to herself: Yes, Li Lei and Pei Ziheng are still warring. If I don’t make Li Lei give up, what if he really fights to the death with Pei Ziheng? I don’t want to see both of them harm each other.

She straightened out her thoughts, turned toward the corner that Li Lei stood, and mustered up her courage. “I know that Skyart Entertainment’s Boss Li is great, and I’m ever grateful to him for giving me such wonderful memories when we were together. However, we’ve long broken up, and that relationship is in the past. I wish him all the best in finding his own happiness, nothing more.”

Some people booed in the audience.

“Is there really no way of going back to him?” Some of the die-hard “Li-Ling” fans asked.

Xia Ling shook her head.

The man in the shadow merely stood there without moving.

Xia Ling did not know what he was thinking and whether he had heard what she said. She hesitated before continuing, “I’m very happy with Ziheng right now. He treats me very well. I…”

She slowly swept her gaze over the audience and away from Li Lei’s direction.

“I’m pregnant with Pei Ziheng’s child.”

“What?!”

“What?!”

“WHAT?!”

Pandemonium broke out after her last sentence.

“Xiao Ling, is this true? Don’t scare me!”

“Oh my God, oh my God… this is too shocking! You guys have progressed so far?!”

“Xiao Ling, do you have marriage plans with Boss Pei? How far along are you in your pregnancy? Are you having a boy or a girl? Oh my… your child will definitely be so cute! I’m so excited!”

She did not dare to look in Li Lei’s direction, but simply donned a smile and accepted everyone’s blessings. Amidst the cheers and laughter in the room, somehow she felt lost and lonely.

She did not know how she managed to get through the rest of the fan meeting, as it passed by in a blur. She had no recollection whatsoever of the questions that were asked or how she answered them. When the event ended, she was shepherded offstage by her staff members. Just as she was leaving the stage, she plucked up the courage to look in Li Lei’s direction again and realized that he had left without her knowing.

Perhaps, this was for the better.

The bitterness in her heart spread, and she shut her eyes, forcing her tears back.

The news of her pregnancy spread like wildfire, and in a mere 10 minutes, thousands were discussing this news on the internet. Chu Chen’s phone rang non-stop with every big media company requesting for an interview.

Chu Chen rejected all the interview requests.

He frowned as he regarded Xia Ling. “Miss Ye, how can you announce your pregnancy without discussing it with Boss? You’re too rash. It hasn’t been three months yet, and according to custom, you shouldn’t be announcing it at such a wide scale just yet.” There was an old wives’ tale that said that one should not announce a pregnancy within three months or something untoward would happen to the child. While there was no scientific backing of this, it was better to be safe than sorry. What if something untoward really did happen to the child? This was the only child that Boss had in thirty years; the importance of the child was immeasurable.

Xia Ling did not have any energy to argue with him. Her entire mind and heart were on Li Lei’s presence and what he had heard at the fan meeting. He was wearing a large pair of sunglasses, and his face was half-covered. She did not know if his pallor was better now, or if he looked frailer than before. She could not even say a word of greeting to him right now. Was he sad on hearing about her pregnancy? She wanted to tell Li Lei that the child she was carrying was his, but she could not.

Her mood was at rock bottom.

When they reached the bungalow, Pei Ziheng was already at home waiting for her.

He was back unusually early today, but his expression was dark. The moment she entered the house, he asked in an upset voice, “Why did you reveal your pregnancy all of a sudden?”

“I’m exhausted.” She said wearily, trying to walk around him to the bedroom.

Pei Ziheng’s voice was mildly sinister. “Don’t say a word about the child to outsiders without my permission in the future.” Was she even aware of what this child meant to him? All his cousins were eyeing his position, wishing that he did not have a child so that they would have to pick a successor from amongst them who held the family name.

Now that they knew that she was pregnant, many of them would be scheming to hurt the child.

He was not ready for them just yet.

His threatening tone made Xia Ling see red as she stopped in her tracks. She turned and said, “Pei Ziheng, this is my child. I will tell whoever I please. I do not need your permission.”

“This is also my child.”

She gave a cold laugh and wanted to say that the child was not his. However, she caught herself before the words left her mouth. “Didn’t you say you were going to marry me? Since we’re going to be married soon, why can’t I tell everyone about the child I’m expecting? I want to let everyone know that I’m carrying your child. Why? Is that something that would make you unhappy?”

Let everyone know…

Pei Ziheng’s gaze hardened as he understood her intention. She wanted to let Li Lei know. His voice was more sinister as he said, “I told you that you have no right to interfere in business matters.” He knew that she was trying to make Li Lei give up and step away from the war. However, Pei Ziheng did not deign to allow a woman to help him to protect his business.