A Star Reborn: The Queen's Return

Why would Xia Yu listen to him?

She carefully observed Pei Ziheng before saying in a small voice, “Brother Ziheng, it’s difficult for me to go home at this time of the night. Can I stay here tonight, please?”

Pei Ziheng put down the scroll and looked at Xia Yu.

Xia Yu hurriedly added, “I don’t have any other intentions. You know that Sister refuses to acknowledge me now, and I’m very sad about that. I just miss her so much, and really want to stay in the guest room that she decorated just for me. That room is still as it was, right?” This bungalow was built when Xia Ling was still treating her like her most precious gem and had prepared a guest room just for her. Everything in that room was purchased personally by Xia Ling.

Pei Ziheng hadn’t changed a thing since Xia Ling died.

Pei Ziheng said, “Go ahead.” He pitied her because they both missed the same girl.

Xia Yu thanked him profusely before backing out of the room quickly.

She went to the guest room and saw that it had been kept the same. It was decorated in different shades of pink for a little girl, in a style that Xia Ling liked very much. However, this was a style that Xia Yu hated. She never liked anything that her sister prepared for her in the past. Xia Ling, on the other hand, wanted to be involved in Xia Yu’s life. This caused a build-up of Xia Yu’s hatred for her sister.

Xia Yu casually threw her bag on to the bed and went into the bathroom to take a shower. She changed into a low-cut, bare-back spaghetti-strap nightgown, which was meant to be extremely sexy and revealing, so short that her panties were almost visible. She meaningfully sprayed perfume onto her neck and looked at the alluring woman in the mirror.

She smiled in satisfaction after seeing her reflection.

Her plan was working perfectly. Now, all she had to do was to seduce Pei Ziheng and sleep with him. She didn’t want to waste any more time trying to make him fall for her. She had purchased a secret concoction from the Wei Family at a high price, which she had put in the watercolor painting. The drug would enter a person’s bloodstream as long as he or she touched the painting and cause a hallucination. That person would imagine any woman as his beloved.

Once they had slept together, everything would be easy.

She had tracked her ovulation cycle and knew that these few days were when she was most fertile. She was confident that she would be pregnant with his child, and then, even if Pei Ziheng didn’t love her, he would still have to allow her to be his wife. When she gained that title, they would live together and she was sure that there would come a day that she could soften his heart to accept her.

Xia Yu walked out of her room according to her plan.

Nanny Zhou was cooking porridge in the kitchen.

“What porridge are you cooking?” Xia Yu asked from the doorway of the kitchen.

“Miss Xia Yu?” Nanny Zhou turned and jumped in shock at the sight of Xia Yu. “Why aren’t you asleep at this time of the night?” She knew that Xia Yu was staying the night in the bungalow and had cleaned out the guest room for her. She knew that Xia Yu was weak and in the many years that she had stayed in the bungalow, there was rarely a night that she would be up this late.

Xia Yu smiled weakly and said, “I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to come out and take a walk. Is this porridge for Brother Ziheng?”

Nanny Zhou scooped out a bowl of porridge as she replied, “Yes. Mister’s stomach hasn’t been good in recent years, so porridge is easier for him to digest for his supper. This is sea cucumber porridge. It’s very nutritious.”

Xia Yu said, “Let me bring it up to him.”

Nanny Zhou glanced at her in surprise before realizing that she was in a revealing and seductive nightgown. She saw through Xia Yu’s plan in an instant.

“Then, I thank you for your trouble.” She passed the bowl of porridge to Xia Yu.

In the past, Nanny Zhou despised woman like Xia Yu that openly tried to seduce men. However, the situation was different now. Extreme steps had to be taken to become Pei Ziheng’s woman. That man had closed himself off to everyone, and it was highly likely that he would die alone at this rate.

Nanny Zhou preferred for him to be with any woman rather than to be alone.

Xia Yu smiled. “Thank you, Nanny Zhou.” She took the bowl and walked slowly up the stairs.

The warm yellow light was still on in the study, and the heavy wooden door was ajar. Xia Yu pushed the door open and stepped into the room. “Brother Ziheng...”

“Get out.” Before she had finished her sentence, Pei Ziheng’s cold voice rang out.

Xia Yu lifted her eyes and saw that his expression was off. His breathing was heavy as he held onto the scroll, staring at Xia Ling in the painting. He looked somewhat eerie.

Xia Yu knew that the drug was taking effect. She smiled seductively and locked the door behind her. “Ziheng, what’s wrong? Let me take a look.” This time, she didn’t call him “Brother Ziheng” but used “Ziheng” as she knew that this was what Xia Ling usually called him.

Pei Ziheng’s eyes narrowed. He turned and saw a woman in an alluring nightgown walking towards him. “You’re ill. Let me feed you some porridge. Ziheng, do you remember? When you were ill before, I cooked you some porridge. It was horrendous but you still finished it all... Ziheng, have a taste of this porridge that I made. This time it’s delicious...”

“Xiao Ling...” He called out hoarsely.

That woman laughed and placed the porridge bowl on the table by her side, before reaching out to encircle his neck. “Look at the new nightgown that I bought... do you like it? The silk is really soft... you can touch it...”

She pulled his hand over and made to place it on her body.

Pei Ziheng started to feel hot all over. The face of the woman in front of him started to overlap with his memories of Xia Ling as if that innocent girl had returned. “Is this a dream?” He murmured as he caressed her face. “Xiao Ling... when did you return? Do you know that I really miss you...”

He hugged her tightly as if trying to meld her body with his own.

Xia Yu was overcome with emotions. This was the first time in so many years that Brother Ziheng hugged her! His rough, chapped hands encircled her waist, his heavy breath against her cheek. Xia Yu returned his embrace and choked. “Ziheng... my Ziheng...”

Pei Ziheng lowered his head and was about to kiss her.

However, a cold wind blew through the open window. Pei Ziheng was momentarily awoken from his hallucination. He looked closely at the woman in his arms and pushed her away instantly. Xia Yu was taken by surprise and fell hard onto the wooden floor. Her eyes filled with tears at the pain.

“Ziheng... what are you doing?!” She looked up, shocked.

“Get out.” Pei Ziheng said hoarsely. He was struggling to control his urge to release himself under the drug’s influence. He groaned and his breath was heavy.

However, his rationality told him that he could not lose control.

This woman was not Xiao Ling, but Xiao Ling’s sister. Even if he slept with all the women in the world, he could not sleep with her! He couldn’t make Xiao Ling sad.

“Get out!” He shouted while clenching his fists. His eyes were red from the effort he exerted to control himself, and he shook from the effects of the drug.