Chapter 1071: Disparity in Acting Class
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

The boy said, “How could the Chief abuse people like that?”

He didn’t know Xia Ling’s background and didn’t like that kind of arrogant and despotic girl. Instead, Li Bingman’s quiet disposition was pleasant to him. He thought about it and said, “How about this, you can give me the lunchbox. I’ll cut the queue and help you get food, then you can deliver it to your Chief. After that, how about we eat lunch together?”

Li Bingman’s eyes flashed with a glimmer of joy. “Really? How could I ask that of you?”

“It’s nothing to worry about,” said the boy. “Come, give it to me.” He was a fourth-grade student with good talent. He could probably debut in half a year. In the entertainment industry, he did not have anyone to rely on. If he could claim connections with the Li family’s sisters at this critical juncture, his road to debut would be much smoother.

He was bent on taking care of Li Bingman and took the lunchbox diligently.

Li Bingman instructed him. “The porcelain bowl with a light green pattern is to be filled with rice. The compartment of the same color with the white bottom is to be filled with soup. Xia Ling likes her soup to be thicker and doesn’t like minced meat. You have to remember to say that to the serving lady. The two larger bowls have to be filled with vegetables and meat. You have to arrange them properly or she won’t eat it.”

The boy was stunned for a while. “… she is so particular about her food?”

Li Bingman revealed another bitter smile. “She’s the Chief.”

“The other Chiefs aren’t like her.” The boy fought for Li Bingman’s justice. “Where’s your lunchbox? I’ll help you fill it.”

Li Bingman shook her head. “I didn’t bring it.” Xia Ling’s lunchbox was a whole set and was carried in a beautiful wooden box. Although not scattered, it was very heavy, and she was unable to bring anything else along with this set of tableware.

The boy frowned. “She’s so domineering. Forget it, I’ll bring you out to eat.”

He finished talking and turned to help Li Bingman cut the queue.

Li Bingman stared at his back and her lips curled into a slight smile. That’s right, even if she was under Xia Ling, that was only temporary. In the future, it was still uncertain who would be more powerful. She wanted to quietly pass on Xia Ling’s despotic reputation. On one hand, she could take revenge on the stupid Xia Ling, and on the other, she could set off her own cultivation and temperament. She was killing two birds with one stone, so why shouldn’t she be happy?

The boy carried Xia Ling’s lunchbox and cut the queue to the front.

“Hey, don’t cut the queue!” Behind him, several students waiting in line shouted. “Get out, get out.”

The boy shook the utensils in his hands. “Are you blind, I’m getting food for the first-year Chief.”

Suddenly, the students dare not stop him anymore. The Chief had such a privilege. So what if they bullied people? There was nothing they could do about it. But this first-grade Chief was really arrogant…

Even when the other Chiefs had the privilege to cut queues, they had never used it before. After all, since there were so many people who were willing to get food for them, why should they cut the queue and accumulate public anger? It was only Xia Ling who was thrown into the pit by Li Bingman and the boy. They were the ones who cut the queue, but the hatred fell on Xia Ling instead.

“No wonder other people said the new Chief Xia Ling is overly arrogant,” whispered someone behind the queue.

“You’re right,” someone whispered. “What’s so great about her, who knows if she can still be the Chief next semester.”

“She’ll be miserable if she can’t become the Chief again next year. She’s offended so many people, they’ll definitely want revenge on her.”

“Yes.”

Xia Ling was unaware of all these discussions about her. She was satisfied with having her daily meals sent on time and being waited on and flattered by the people around her. She did not bother to think about complicated things at all. The days passed and the people around her all welcomed her with smiling faces. When she encountered a few untactful people occasionally, she didn’t even need to do anything. Naturally, there were those who wanted to curry favor with her who would help her send them away… she was having a great time.

The only thing that made her uncomfortable was the Acting Class.

Her singing and dancing were very good and she could obtain an A even with her eyes closed. She was the object of the teachers’ praise for a long period of time and was the model example. The singing and dancing teachers would smile at her every time they saw her. But as for acting class? It was directly the opposite. As amazing as her singing and dancing performances were, that was how bad her acting was.

According to the teacher of acting class: “Xia Ling, your acting can’t even compare to an amateur in the film industry! You still have wishful thinking of debuting like this? Don’t tell people I was your teacher in the future!”

Xia Ling hung her head dispiritedly and was depressed.

She didn’t know why her acting skills just couldn’t improve. No matter how much time she practiced she was still unconvincing and couldn’t immerse herself in the role. Xiao Hua comforted her and said that the reason why she couldn’t act well was that her mind was too pure and she was unable to fathom the complicated human nature. However, she did not feel comforted.

That day, she was reprimanded by the teacher again.

“Xia Ling, go stand in the corner and take a good look at how others act. If this goes on, I can only assign you a minor character in the final performance.” The teacher had a face of dislike. “Look at Li Bingman, she entered school the same time as you and had zero basics in acting. But now? The heroine of the final performance is counting on her. Come, Li Bingman—” She turned her head and said in a much warmer tone, “Stand up and act this part for everyone. Act slowly to help Xia Ling understand.”

Li Bingman looked at Xia Ling apprehensively.

The acting teacher frowned. “What are you looking at?! Sure, she’s your Chief, but in this lesson, she’s just a scum! Li Bingman, don’t be afraid, act as you should. With her acting results, she won’t be able to guarantee her Chief position in the next semester.” Imperial Entertainment’s teachers had always been strict and unrelenting.

Xia Ling’s face turned a shade of white. She endured her anger with much difficulty.

Li Bingman still looked at her and said in hesitation, “Miss Xia Ling, I…”

“Go act,” Xia Ling said stiffly.

Li Bingman went over and, in an angle invisible to Xia Ling, her lips curled up into a smug smile. Humph, Xia Ling, so what if you have Pei Ziheng supporting you? Mud on the wall is still worthless. When the owner of the Chief position changes next semester, let’s see how arrogant you can be! She was in a good mood and displayed her acting skills fully and perfectly interpreted the teacher’s instructions. Gasps of exclamation sounded from below the stage.

Xia Ling’s heart was in a complete mess and she was a little angry. She could not absorb Li Bingman’s performance on stage no matter what. But she couldn’t blame Li Bingman, who told her to have acting skills that couldn’t compare? She had won over her upright and had not played any tricks this time. The scolding by the teacher was also well-deserved…

She became even more depressed as she thought of this.

After the class, she could not focus on anything the teacher was saying. The teacher’s words echoed repeatedly in her ear—act slowly to help Xia Ling’s understanding.

Had the gap between her and her classmates been widened to this extent?

Chapter 1072: The First Snow
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

The bell rang.

The students in the classroom quickly scattered. Soon, sounds of laughter sounded in the corridor.

Xiao Hua took Xia Ling’s backpack and walked up to her. She reached out to hold her hand. “Let’s go, Xiao Ling. It’s snowing outside! It’s this year’s first now, it’s really beautiful, come watch with me!”

Xia Ling wasn’t in the mood. She shook her hand off. “You can go by yourself.”

“Huh, aren’t you watching? I…” She said halfway and looked at Xia Ling’s expression. She tactfully changed her words. “Then I’ll go first. If you need anything, just call me. Your bad acting results are only temporary…”

She did not finish her words before Xia Ling glared at her.

Xiao Hua was frightened. Even though they were friends, ever since Xiao Ling had become the new Chief, she seemed to be getting more and more fierce. Forget it, since she was in a bad mood, it was better not to bother her.

Xiao Hua walked away quietly. Sometimes she felt that she was very far away from Xia Ling, and she was unable to say her thoughts… perhaps it was because the level between the two was too different? Xia Ling was so beautiful, was good at singing and dancing, and even had a good family background. Everyone said that she would become a good singer in the future.

On the other hand, what about Xiao Hua?

It was uncertain if she could even debut.

Forget it, I’ll find Qiqi to play with, Xiao Hua thought to herself while walking. Qiqi was similar to her. They were both working hard for debut and had small dreams. They would encourage each other, support and comfort each other, and most importantly, Qiqi wouldn’t glare at her like Xia Ling.

Xiao Ling…

Although Xiao Ling was a good person, sometimes she was a little too arrogant.

Those belonging on different levels were probably not destined to become intimate bosom friends.

“Qiqi, wait for me!” In the corridor, Xiao Hua rushed up to Qiqi in a few steps. The two walked off while cracking jokes.

Xia Ling stayed in the classroom for a while and waited for everyone to scatter before returning to the small open space where the teacher had held her lesson just now. She mimicked the action of Li Bingman in her memory and stretched her hand out. “Don’t leave, don’t leave me,” she recited her lines. “If you dare to step out of this door, I’ll detonate the bomb and we’ll die together!”

She was still very stiff.

Even without the guidance of someone next to her, she knew she did not act well at all. No matter how many times she tried, she couldn’t immerse herself and couldn’t find the feeling an actor should possess.

She fought with herself for energy and practiced for a long time.

Her phone rang.

She picked up. “Hello?”

On the other end, Pei Ziheng’s warm voice said, “Xiao Ling, what are you doing, it’s snowing.”

Xia Ling’s nose suddenly soured and for some reason, she wanted to cry so badly after hearing the man’s voice. “Brother Pei…” she called softly, her voice full of grievances.

Pei Ziheng stood in front of the french window in the Imperial Entertainment’s Chairman office. Outside, snowflakes fell endlessly. He listened to the voice of the little girl crying on the phone and frowned unconsciously. “What’s wrong, did someone bully you?” Whoever dared to bully his baby would get it from him!

“No.” Xia Ling sniffed and held back her tears. At the beginning of school when she had been robbed of her dormitory room, the position of Class Monitor, and when nails had been put in her dance shoes, she had complained to Pei Ziheng unscrupulously and had announced angrily that she would retaliate back. But this time? It was her own acting skill that was beneath others, so who could she retaliate against?

At the thought of the teacher’s sneering and mockery every acting class, as well as the strange expression of the students, she simply wanted to cry. Why couldn’t she act well regardless of her efforts?

“No, you’re hiding something from me.” Pei Ziheng strode out and paused at the secretary’s desk, motioning for her to prepare his car. “Tell me what happened.”

Xia Ling shook her head. It was too shameful and she didn’t want to tell him.

“Xiao Ling,” Pei Ziheng said with emphasis.

Xia Ling wanted to cry again. “I, am I stupid? I can’t do anything well.” She couldn’t endure it anymore and finally told him what happened in the recent acting class. “Brother Pei, I’m so scared, what if I can’t learn how to act well forever? Will you be very disappointed?”

This was what she was most afraid of. So, she was afraid he would stop liking her.

Pei Ziheng sighed in relief, however. So it turned out to be such a trivial matter. This silly girl, why was she crying over everything? Hearing that she was not bullied, he felt relieved. He walked to the garage with his secretary. While walking, he comforted her. “Why would I be disappointed? It’s alright even if you can’t learn it well. The teacher must be too harsh on you. I’ll ask the Principal to fire her.”

“Don’t!” Xia Ling said quickly. “The teacher teaches well, it’s just that I’m too stupid.”

She wanted to cry again.

Pei Ziheng felt his heart ache when she cried. He quickly coaxed her. “Okay, I won’t fire her. Don’t cry, it’s nothing big.” He stopped in front of his Rolls-Royce that was parked in the underground garage and gestured to the driver waiting on the side, telling him to go to the Training Camp. While driving there, he calmly comforted the little girl.

Xia Ling stood alone in the classroom. The sky was getting darker and she didn’t turn on the light, but she saw the street lights outside the window reflecting the snow. It was so beautiful it was like a dreamland. She heard Pei Ziheng’s gentle words in her ear, and the familiar slightly low-pitched voice made her feel at peace. Unconsciously, her mood seemed to improve.

“Have you eaten?” Pei Ziheng asked her on the phone.

“Not yet,” Xia Ling said. “I stayed behind in the classroom for a while more. The food is probably cold.”

“Then don’t eat at the cafeteria.” Pei Ziheng’s voice was low and warm. “What do you want to eat?”

Xia Ling was teased by him and laughed. “You can transform whatever I want to eat? Brother Pei, where are you now, what did you eat for dinner?”

“Guess.”

“How could I guess correctly?”

“Turn around.”

“What would happen if I turn around? Can you do magic? You…” Xia Ling’s words were stuck in her throat. She turned around and was stunned for a moment. She saw Pei Ziheng’s tall and broad figure standing at the door of the classroom, holding a mobile phone in one hand against the light and staring deeply at her. Behind him, the dimly lit street lights and snowflakes made him look like a God, so mysterious and powerful.

After a long while, she muttered, “Brother Pei…”

“I haven’t eaten either.” Hanging up, he walked to her side with a few steps. Then, he lowered his head and took her hand. “Let’s go eat barbecue in this cold weather. I heard there’s a nice barbecue club in the north of the city where you can see the beautiful snow scenery in the half-open garden.”

Her nose soured and she couldn’t speak. Instead, she nodded hard.

He took her hand and walked out step by step along the half-lit corridor. From time to time, the snow and ice blew in and fell on their faces and bodies. Along the way, both of them were silent and didn’t say anything. As long as he was by her side, she was not afraid of anything.

Chapter 1073: Barbecue in the Snow
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

The barbeque club wasn’t far from the Training Camp, only a ten-minute drive away.

The driver got off first and opened a big black umbrella before pulling open the rear door. Pei Ziheng got off and helped Xia Ling into the club. The private room they had booked in advance was on the first floor. It was the quietest and most comfortable part of the whole barbecue club. The semi-open environment allowed them to see the beautiful snow falling down and the wooden fences on the left and right preventing the snow from flying in.

The charcoal fire burned bright red in the barbecue grill.

The two ordered a lot of food and Pei Ziheng slowly roasted the meat for her.

He was unfamiliar with the technique and the meat was unevenly cooked. He took a bite first and frowned.

“Is it not good?” Xia Ling looked up at him.

“It’s a bit half-cooked,” he said. “I’ll call the waiter to do it for us.”

“Don’t.” She stopped him. “It’s nice like this, don’t let other people bother us.”

A little surprised, his eyes became even more gentle. “Okay.” He lowered his head and focused on turning the barbecue more carefully. He copied the movements of the waiters in his memory of eating barbecue previously and sprinkled pepper and salt.

She had not roasted meat before and gradually developed an interest to help.

After much difficulty, they finally roasted one stick of meat. This time, it wasn’t half-cooked, and one side was a little burnt.

Xia Ling bit onto it and yelped as it burned her tongue. She said incoherently, “It’s delicious.”

“Really?” He smiled. He wasn’t confident in his cooking. He took the stick of meat from her hand and carefully cut the burnt portion with a knife. “Don’t eat the burnt parts, it’s not good for the body.”

“Everything you roast tastes good.” She grinned.

He was in a good mood and roasted another stick of meat and chicken heart for her. He gradually mastered the heat, the aroma from the oily meat passing through and dispersing onto the snow.

She fed him while eating. Before long, the two of them were full.

He asked for a cup of fruit vinegar for her. She drank with tiny sips and leaned against his shoulder to digest. Her pair of bright eyes brought a bit of tiredness after the meal and she looked at the snow fluttering in the small garden, her long eyelashes moving like a butterfly.

He whispered, “Are you sleepy?”

“A little.” Her voice was light and she rubbed her face against his shoulder.

He reached over her shoulder and held her in his arms. He breathed in the scent of her natural fragrance that was mixed with the barbecue scent. It was simply enchanting. “Go home to sleep tonight, the driver will send you to the Training Camp in the morning.”

She shook her head, her voice a little groggy. “No, it’s easy for others to find out I sneaked out.”

“What’s there to be afraid of with me around?”

“I don’t want others to find out I was adopted by you.”

Pei Ziheng didn’t speak anymore. He reached out to caress her smooth hair and picked away the bits of snowflakes on her head. After a long time, he said, “Apply for exemption of art class.”

“What?” She raised her head to look at him, a little stunned.

“I have never asked you to be perfect at everything. It’s enough for you to sing so well. As for whether or not you have any acting skills, it doesn’t matter if you advance only in the singing field.”

She remembered her poor performance in the classroom and blushed slightly. “I…” she said, “Is it really good to stop learning acting now? I’ve inquired about the exemption matter before, and it’s generally only applied for by the second-graders.” The teaching system of Imperial Entertainment was very mature and the first-grade was the time to build the foundation. In principle, Imperial didn’t allow students to apply for exemption and they must attend every class. Once the students were in second-grade and understood their own direction, they could then apply for an exemption.

The conditions for applying for exemption were also very demanding.

For example, the total score of ten courses had to be a thousand points. They could only be promoted to the next grade when the total score reached six hundred. Otherwise, they would have to drop out. After one of the courses was exempted, it would become nine courses. The total score would be nine hundred and the score to pass would still remain as six hundred. Hence, the difficulty was improved invisibly.

Xia Ling’s performance in singing and dancing was excellent, while her physical fitness and other courses were only in the middle. Her cultural class was even more tragic and she even had to cram for it. In this kind of situation, the burden of exempting the acting class was still quite large.

Pei Ziheng also had a general understanding of the status of the Training Camp. “It doesn’t matter, you have the falsetto. You can apply for an exemption and spend more time on singing. The others won’t be able to say anything. As for the total score, I believe you’ll be fine.” Wasn’t it just six hundred points? Even if she couldn’t do it, he could easily do it for her.

Of course, he didn’t tell her this.

Xia Ling hesitated. “Let me think about it.” She was still worried that her privilege would reveal her identity.

Pei Ziheng lowered his head and helped her roast another stick of meat. The two enjoyed the snow while eating. Night fell and the snow stopped. The night sky showed some stars and they got up to leave.

Pei Ziheng sent her back to the Training Camp.

The black Rolls-Royce was parked at the door of the deserted Training Camp as if blending in with the night.

“I’m going in, Brother Pei.” Xia Ling got off the car and turned back to wave at Pei Ziheng.

Pei Ziheng sent her step by step towards the gate with his eyes. Suddenly, he called her, “Xiao Ling.”

“Hmm?” She turned her head back gently.

In the curtain of the night under the stars, the door to the black Rolls-Royce opened and the tall man got out. He held a long scarf in his hand and walked up to her. “I just told the butler to send it over and almost forgot about it.” He wrapped the scarf around her neck. “It’s cold, don’t catch a cold.”

She stood still and let him put it around her.

The two were standing very close. She could smell the faint scent that belonged to males off him. She felt the delicate cashmere scarf rubbing softly on her cheek, like a feather gently sliding across her heart, making her itchy.

Suddenly, she was a little uncomfortable. She didn’t know why, but her face blushed slightly.

She lowered her head and didn’t dare to look at him. When he finished tying the scarf around her, she quickly turned around and ran away.

Pei Ziheng stood in the same place and watched for a long time as her figure disappeared into the depths of the Training Camp.

Snow fell bit by bit.

A black umbrella was silently moved over the top of Pei Ziheng’s head, helping him block the snow for him.

“Is everything done?” Pei Ziheng did not look back and asked.

“It’s all done.” It was Driver Li’s voice. “Chief Chu has already transferred a credible paparazzi over to take pictures of you and Miss secretly. Tomorrow, the news will be covered with news of your relationship with her.”

Pei Ziheng turned around and got in the car.

So what if she wanted to hide her identity? She was his possession and he couldn’t bear seeing other people trample on her like mud. Only when he told the world, there wouldn’t be anyone who would dare reprimand her as they wished.

In the night, the Rolls-Royce was like a silent ghost driving silently into the distance.

Xia Ling had a good night’s sleep in the dormitory room. She was probably too sleepy and missed the alarm clock. When she woke, it was already ten in the morning. “Oh no!” she shouted in shock. Acting class had already begun and she was late!

Chapter 1074: The Paparazzi’s Photo
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

She jumped off her bed, brushed her teeth and changed as quickly as she could. Then, she ran in the direction of the acting class.

The girl’s rushing figure flashed across the campus and her flying hair and skirt was like a rush of wind that faced the sunlight. Along the way, a lot of people turned to look at her with complicated expressions as they made way for her.

A senior riding a bicycle passed by, stopped in front of her and asked, “You’re the first-grade Chief Xia Ling, right? Little junior, where are you rushing to so urgently? Come, let me give you a ride.”

Xia Ling secretly thanked her luck and jumped into the back seat. “The second teaching building’s acting classroom. Thank you, senior.”

The handsome senior got on the bicycle and rode in the direction of the second teaching building. He quickly reached and used his foot to brake the bicycle, then he picked up her backpack with one hand and said, “Come, I’ll send you up.”

The two ran quickly and soon arrived at the door of the acting classroom.

The senior returned the backpack to Xia Ling. “My name is Chen Peng, I’m in the third grade. If you want to thank me, then treat me tonight for dinner,” he said and batted his eyelashes at her handsomely.

Xia Ling smiled. “Okay.” She took the backpack.

She was a little surprised. The Imperial Entertainment’s Training Camp was fiercely competitive and most people were too busy protecting themselves. How could they have time to poke about other people’s business and help them? Even if she was the new Chief and was seen as a revered leader by the same graders, she had never encountered a high-ranking student who she was not familiar with acting as a selfless model citizen.

Was her luck really exploding today?

She hoped that such good luck could continue as she took a deep breath and pushed the door to the acting classroom open. “I’m sorry, I’m late.” The acting class had always been her weakness and the teacher did not like her. She was really worried that the teacher would cut off her flesh as punishment now that she was ten minutes late.

In the acting class, the teacher had originally been explaining the main points of improvisation. The trainees promptly asked questions and the atmosphere was extremely enthusiastic. But as soon as she opened the door, the entire classroom was silent and everyone’s eyes looked at her.

Xia Ling was uncomfortable under everyone’s stare. Why, was there something on her face?

“I’m sorry,” she said again.

The acting teacher was quiet for a moment, then she immediately smiled. “It doesn’t matter. There’s nothing to be sorry about, Xia Ling. It’s good now that you’re here. Just go there and sit, I’ll repeat what I just said.”

Xia Ling was shocked. Why was the acting teacher so polite?

Normally, if such a “poor student” like her was late for so long, she would have to be skinned alive.

She hesitantly walked into the classroom and heard a girl she was not familiar with greet her. “Xiao Ling, come sit over here, there’s the window here and the air is good.”

“Sit here, I’m in the middle, I can see what the teacher is saying most clearly.”

“Sit with me, over here!”

…

All of a sudden, many students were asking her to sit with them.

Xia Ling was even more shocked. What was wrong with them? Finally, she still sat down in the seat that Xiao Hua and the rest had saved for her.

“Xiao Ling, drink tea.” Xiao Hua handed her a cup of warm tea.

Xia Ling whispered, “What’s wrong with everyone?”

Xiao Hua said, “It turns out you’re so powerful, we only found out just now.”

Xia Ling was bewildered and wanted to ask more, but the teacher had already started the lesson. She could only hold back her doubts and listen attentively. Today, the teacher seemed to take extra care of her. She repeated everything she had explained to the other students from beginning to end at a slow speed, for fear that she would not understand.

Originally, she could explain five points in the class, but today, she only managed to explain two points.

The strange thing was that the other trainees had no complaints. After class, many people did not leave and surrounded Xia Ling to talk to her instead, trying to worm their way into being friends with her.

Xia Ling felt as if she had not woken yet?

Finally, she couldn’t stand the strange atmosphere anymore. She dragged Xiao Hua by the hand outside to a secluded corner and asked, “What’s wrong with everyone? Why do I feel like something’s weird?”

“Don’t you know yet?” Xiao Hua’s eyes widened. “Xiao Ling, aren’t you the girl adopted by the Chairman? The news has spread all over and your photos are there! That’s why everyone is treating you like that.”

“What?” Xia Ling was shocked and blurted out. “I asked Brother Pei not to reveal it!”

“It really was you…” Xiao Hua understood now. No wonder this girl was so reluctant to reveal her identity. No wonder she was so arrogant and self-centered and often did not put the feelings of others in her eyes. That’s because she was on a different level from everyone else, she was the real grand rich lady!

Xiao Hua’s mood was a bit complicated.

“Where’s the news? Let me see,” Xia Ling said anxiously.

Xiao Hua opened her mobile phone and showed her the online news and pictures.

Xia Ling grabbed the mobile phone and the more she saw it, the more shocked she was—in the photo, it was clearly when she was eating barbecue with Pei Ziheng last night. There was also a picture of him standing at the school gate holding her hand. On the return journey, he had wrapped a scarf around her under the starry sky. The man was tall and broad like a respectful God, and the woman’s appearance was gorgeous. They were a harmonious match in the photo, like a pair of heavenly creations. Although it was a sneak shot, both their faces were very clear.

There was even a text next to the photo which roughly introduced her relationship with Pei Ziheng. It claimed that she was Pei Ziheng’s favorite girl and that this man loved and pampered her far more than he did his own cousins.

“Oh my God…” she held the phone and murmured. “The paparazzi are really so annoying.”

Great, now that she was exposed, how was she going to live a peaceful life in the Training Camp? She abandoned Xiao Hua and called Pei Ziheng. “Hello, Brother Pei, a picture of our dinner last night was taken by the paparazzi!”

“I know.” The voice on the phone was steady. “I’ll punish the paparazzi.”

“But what should I do?” She was very anxious. She was more concerned about the exposure of her identity than the punishing of the paparazzi. “I was wondering why everyone suddenly became so good to me. Turns out they all know who I am!”

There was a faint smile in the eyes of Pei Ziheng, but his voice was low and a little heavy. “I was also surprised by this occurrence. However, since so many people already know it, there’s no way to hide it anymore. Xiao Ling, just accept reality. If you really feel troubled, then just attend day school.”

“I don’t want to attend day school…” She was depressed and hung up.

What… she had tried for so long, but in the end, it was all for nothing. The paparazzi were really annoying!

She was very unhappy but also helpless. Just like Brother Pei said, so many people already knew, so what could she do to change their thinking? She could only adapt to this life now.

In the days that followed, she indeed managed to adapt to this life where everyone focused their attention on her.

The identity of “the most favored little girl adopted by Pei Ziheng” was much better than the Chief of the school year. Not only did many people come forward to curry favor with her, but even in the lessons, the teachers’ attitudes toward her had a hundred and eighty degrees turn.

Chapter 1075: Paris, Paris
Her acting teacher, who didn’t look pleasantly at her before, was now very caring towards her.

In class, the teacher would open up the points and explain it fully lest she didn’t understand. When Xia Ling’s acting was too appalling, she never criticized her and would only encourage her, telling her she had “improved” and was “much better than last time”. She was completely like a kind loving mother. However, what followed was the progress of the whole class being dragged down by her alone.

When Xia Ling passed by the locker room, she heard two trainees complaining softly. “Xia Ling? Who is she, she’s just relying on the Chairman to support her. What does it matter if she can’t act well, she’ll still have the Chairman to raise her, but what about us? Our progress has been dragged down by her. If this goes on, when we will be able to debut?”

“Exactly. How are those of us going to the acting industry supposed to live?”

There were many complaints that followed and Xia Ling couldn’t bear listening to them.

She felt very guilty. She had never noticed before that she was dragging down the whole class. The students all showed great generosity and understanding in front of her, and this was the first time she discovered that they had a lot of opinions behind her back.

She didn’t want to go on like this.

On the same day, she went to the Academic Affairs Office and told the school that she was applying for exemption from acting class.

Her performance in acting class was really bad. Although the teacher didn’t dare to directly tell her she wasn’t acting material, she felt it herself—she could never become an actress no matter how hard she worked. Since Pei Ziheng also hoped she would concentrate on being a singer, then she would have to give up acting sooner of later.

Even though she was only in the first grade and was not in the scope of the exemption, her background was well known and the Academic Affairs Office certainly didn’t dare to make things difficult for her. Thus, they quickly completed her exemption procedures. She also became the first person in the history of Imperial Entertainment’s Training Camp to receive an exemption in first grade.

Since then, she put on an enormous amount of energy in singing and dancing.

Her singing talent was amazing, and every song she sang was stunning. She also minored in instrumental classes, creative classes, etc. Soon, she became the most outstanding singer in the entire Training Camp.

She could become famous.

This was the consensus of everyone.

Days went by and years seemed to flow like water.

She changed from a twelve-year-old girl who first entered the Training Camp into a sixteen-year-old. She was amorous and grew up with hundreds of charm. Now, the Training Camp was her world. She was like a fish in water under the praises of the teachers and the admiration of the students. Even the reporters who came to visit the camp also reported repeatedly—once she debuts, it was sure to be a blockbuster.

She also didn’t know when she would debut.

Everything would go along with the arrangements of Pei Ziheng.

In the past few years, Pei Ziheng became more and more busy. Sometimes, she wouldn’t be able to see him for one or two months and would have to hear his news through newspapers and magazines. His authority was heavier and people became more and more revering when hearing his name. Only she continued to regard him as the gentle brother who would give her a scarf on a snowy night, and she got closer and closer to him.

She went home during the summer vacation.

Pei Ziheng was not at home. The butler and Nanny Zhou welcomed her home.

Nanny Zhou helped her carry her luggage to the room and prepared a delicious strawberry ice cream for her. “Sir has gone to Paris to discuss a project. He said he would try to come back next week. Miss, you should take a rest first. Sir has instructed me to change your bedding for you. It’s the white goose down sent by his partner last time, I heard it’s very good.”

Xia Ling smiled and agreed.

She asked, “What about Xiao Yu? How’s her situation?”

“Miss Xia Yu’s surgery was very successful. She’ll return to China after a good rest. She said she misses you a lot and will bring you gifts when she returns to China.” Nanny Zhou thought for a while and told her, “Miss Xia Yu was very stuffy and bored in the hospital. She’s very close to Paris and, since Sir is in Paris now, she’s rushing to see him.”

“What?” Xia Ling’s hand paused midair. “Why didn’t she tell me?”

“She probably didn’t want you to worry, since you’re so busy with work.”

“She’s so willful.” Xia Ling was a little unhappy. She put down her silvery-white spoon. “She just had surgery two months ago and now is in the observation and recuperation stage, how could she run around like this? Nanny Zhou, bring the phone over, I want to tell her to go back to rest in the hospital. Gosh, she could just see Brother Pei another time.”

Nanny Zhou smiled bitterly. She was afraid this was the reason why Miss Xia Yu wasn’t willing to tell her.

All these years, Miss Xia Ling did not notice it, but Nanny Zhou faintly felt that the two ladies were getting alienated. She advised Xia Ling. “Miss, aren’t you exposing me like that? Miss Xia Yu instructed me not to tell you, could you just pretend you don’t know about this?”

Xia Ling was still very unhappy. She waited a long time before she snorted and put down her ice cream.

“I’m not eating anymore, I lost appetite.”

After a while, she asked Nanny Zhou, “Xiao Yu already saw Brother Pei in Paris? What have they been doing these days? Has Brother Pei brought her shopping? She’s in poor health and can’t stand it.”

Nanny Zhou smiled and said, “Why would he? Sir already knows you care for Miss Xia Yu, so why would he take her to run around? He’s usually so busy at work, and most of the time he just lets his servant accompany him. At most, he himself would only eat dinner together with Miss Xia Yu.”

Xia Ling was a little more reassured.

She was unhappy again. “Gosh, this Xiao Yu is really too much. Why can’t she just lie obediently in the hospital?”

Nanny Zhou said, “She’s a young girl, I’m afraid she’s bored of lying in the hospital for so many years.”

Xia Ling gently glared at Nanny Zhou. “Wouldn’t she be bored to death in Paris since nobody is playing with her either?” She pondered over it for a while, then got up from her sofa. “I’ll give Brother Pei a call and go to Paris to find him. Anyways, I’m on vacation, and I can accompany Xiao Yu too. Nanny Zhou, help me pack my bags.”

The next evening, she appeared at the hotel in Paris where Pei Ziheng and his colleagues were staying.

Xia Yu saw her and said with a hint of sickness in her smile, “Sister, why are you here? I haven’t seen you for a long time, I’m so happy.”

Xia Ling was very happy to see her but still reprimanded her. “I should be the one asking you, why are you here? If your body is still weak you shouldn’t be running around. What if something happens to you?”

Xia Yu’s expression darkened. “I’m sorry.”

She lowered her head and appeared to be weak and pitiful as if she had endured a huge amount of grievances.

At the side, Chu Chen waited for them to finish speaking. “Xiao Yu was bored to death, Xiao Ling, then she heard you were coming yesterday and became very happy. She watched the weather forecast several times and was afraid it would rain. When the driver went to pick you up just now, she even told the driver to bring another coat because she was afraid you would be cold.

Xia Ling’s expression improved.

Chu Chen smiled again. “Come with me, Boss has arranged a room for you beside him. It has a big bathtub and a French glass window.” That room was originally Xia Yu’s room, but once he had heard she was coming, Pei Ziheng had arranged for Xia Yu to stay somewhere else and had given the room closest to him to Xia Ling.

Chapter 1076: The Perfect Color
The room was indeed big. The quiet space was filled with faint incense and her feet stepped on the soft carpet and seemed to sink into it comfortably. Xia Ling moved aside a string of beads on the curtains and placed her luggage on the side before changing into a clean shirt. The season’s latest edition white shirt with dark patterns looked even more exquisite on her body. Her jade-like fair neck and slim waistline were breathtaking under the blurred crystal light.

The door was pushed open silently.

Xia Yu looked jealously at her sister for a long time. She had become even more beautiful and had lost the youth of a little girl. Instead, it was replaced with a bloomed charm that had been sculpted over the years. It was a sort of magnificence that made countless people admire greatly.

How could it be like this?!

A hundred ants seemed to bite Xia Yu’s heart, causing her to be in so much pain with every breath she took. Ever since infancy, because she was tormented by her illness, her face had always been swollen and ugly. Every time the people around complimented her Sister for being beautiful, they would look at her pitifully. She wanted desperately to cover her ears, dig out their eyes and tear off her Sister’s face! She had been working so hard to cope with the treatment and had finally ben cured. The edema on her face had finally subsided and her appearance had bloomed. However, compared to her Sister, she was still like mud beside a cloud!

She… could not accept it!

Looking at the figure under the crystal lamp, Xia Yu’s eyes got more and more gloomy.

Xia Ling hummed a song lightly and went to the dressing table to pick up a comb to comb her long hair. Suddenly, she saw someone standing behind her in the reflection of the mirror. “Oh!” She was shocked and turned around.

“Xiao Yu, you scared me to death!” She saw the person behind her and couldn’t help but exclaim.

In just a short moment, Xia Yu had already wiped away the vicious look on her face and had replaced it with an apologetic smile. “Sorry, Sister. I forgot to knock on the door and I didn’t expect to scare you. Did your trip from home go smoothly?”

She said while walking naturally towards Xia Ling.

Xia Ling relaxed and laughed. “It went smoothly. Brother Pei heard I was coming and specially asked the butler to send me off. He’s just like that, he wants to control everything. I originally told him I was already so big, I could just sit on the plane and fly by myself, but he simply refused to listen. He even said he wouldn’t allow me to come if I didn’t listen to him, so annoying.”

Although she was complaining, her eyes revealed a hint of sweetness that couldn’t be hidden.

Xia Yu took it to heart and the ants in her heart seemed to bite even harder. She whispered, “He always does this, he’s good to everyone. When I came, he also sent someone special to escort me. He even arranged a doctor and a dietitian for me.”

She intentionally pointed out that there were more people arranged for her than her Sister. She wanted to make her Sister jealous, but unexpectedly, Xia Ling didn’t even catch the meaning behind her words. She smiled simple-mindedly. “Right? I’m relieved that he takes such good care of you, Xiao Yu. You just had an operation and your body is most important, so remember to rest well, okay?”

Xia Yu slightly drooped her eyes and said, “Okay.”

The two sisters talked in the room for most of the day. At seven or eight o’clock, Chu Chen came to knock on the door. “Xiao Ling, Xiao Yu, Boss is here in the lobby. He asked the two of you to change clothes and go out to eat together.”

“Okay, coming!” Xia Ling was happy that there was food and dragged Xia Yu downstairs.Read more chapter on vipnovel.com

In the lobby, Pei Ziheng was waiting for them on the sofa in the rest area. He was calling someone while waiting and bits of his conversation could be heard. “Activation time limit… no… arrange another meeting…”

Xia Ling shouted happily, “Brother Pei!”

Pei Ziheng hung up the phone and looked up at her. His frown stretched out and he revealed a very gentle expression. “Xiao Ling, you’re here. Was the journey good?”

“Yes.” She went over to sit next to him naturally. “It would have been better if you hadn’t sent someone to manage me.”

Pei Ziheng smiled lightly. “The butler said you finished a whole jar of sugar. Your teeth will rot if you do this.”

“I knew he would tell on me.” Xia Ling wrinkled her little nose in dissatisfaction. Even though it was such an action, she still looked so cute doing it.

“Brother Ziheng.” Xia Yu interrupted and called weakly and softly. All these years, unconsciously, she no longer followed her sister to call him “Brother Pei”, but had changed to a more intimate “Brother Ziheng”. However, Xia Ling did not notice such a subtle change.

Pei Ziheng looked up at her. “How’s your body today?”

“It’s fine,, Thank you, Brother Ziheng, for your concern,” Xia Yu said shyly.

Pei Ziheng nodded. His concern for Xia Yu was more like a routine business sort of thing. After receiving the expected reply, he turned to Xia Ling again. “Let’s go and eat, what do you want to eat for dinner?”

Xia Ling said, “Anything is fine. Xiao Yu, what do you want to eat?”

Xia Yu still said softly and weakly, “I want to eat truffles and foie gras.” She knew there was a French restaurant nearby with a good atmosphere. It was very suitable for tasting wine and delicious good while laughing and chatting. She had planned to go with Pei Ziheng before her Sister came. However, the appearance of her Sister obstructed her.

“Then, let’s go eat truffles and foie gras,” Xia Ling said with a smile.

“Let’s change.” This time, Pei Ziheng said.

“What?” Xia Ling looked at him in confusion. “Why?”

Xia Yu was also puzzled.

Pei Ziheng lowered his head and looked at Xia Ling affectionately. “Did you forget how you said foie gras was the most unpalatable food in the whole world the last time you ate it?”

Xia Ling did remember she hadn’t liked the taste of foie gras, but she said, “Xia Yu wants to eat it.”

“Let’s eat Chinese food.” Pei Ziheng made a decision. “You just got off the plane, let’s eat Chinese food since you’re not acclimatized.”

“I…” Xia Ling blinked. “But Xiao Yu…”

Pei Ziheng looked at Xia Yu.

Xia Yu felt uncomfortable and smiled forcefully on the surface. “It’s okay with me, I’ve never eaten Chinese food in France before, it’ll be good to try it. Sister, let’s go eat Chinese food.”

Xia Ling was no longer entangled. The group of three went to a nearby Chinese restaurant.

The business of the Chinese restaurant was very good. When they walked in, there were many guests already sitting there. Many of them were Chinese and they were all laughing. The atmosphere was extremely lively. “Look, that little girl is so beautiful.” In the diner, someone noticed Pei Ziheng and his companions and said to his friend beside him.

“Yes, she’s quite pretty, but you don’t have to be this excited,” another diner said.

“Tsk, who asked you to look at the short one? Look at the tall one, the one facing us with her back, quick! She just turned her head! Isn’t she very beautiful? She’s probably not an adult yet, but she’ll definitely be a stunning beauty in the future!”

“You’re right… a stunning beauty…”

Chapter 1077: Different Treatment of the Two Sisters
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

Continuous exclaims of admiration faintly sounded.

Xia Ling had long been accustomed to such admiration. She smiled and sat down with Pei Ziheng and pulled Xia Yu to sit beside her. “We three rarely eat together, I’m really happy.”

Pei Ziheng spread the dining cloth for her affectionately.

Xia Yu spread her own dining cloth and looked at them in jealousy. Her misty eyes swept towards the empty seat beside Pei Ziheng on the other side and her pale lips moved a little, but she still dared not propose a change of seating. Sitting next to Xia Ling, she could feel the various eyes around her fixated on her Sister. She herself was like an invisible person next to her Sister, and she had no sense of existence at all.

She was fed up with this kind of life.

Xia Ling smiled and told her to order, pushing a thick delicate menu to her.

She absent-mindedly scanned the pictures on the menu but could not read half of the words. She kept thinking about what had happened these days—when her heart disease was finally cured and the edema on her face had faded, she restored her health and beautiful appearance. No matter where she went she could hear people complimenting—”That little girl is so beautiful.”

However, once her sister was with her, the nightmare of the past was back.

Nobody paid attention to her anymore, as if the beauty that she was so proud of was just a firefly that collapsed at the first blow. It was just not enough to compete for splendor with the sun and the moon. She… was full of hatred! Why did Xia Ling come to Paris?

She just couldn’t bear to see her live a peaceful life, could she!

She reached out and ordered a few dishes randomly, her heart in a mess.

Xia Ling saw that she was in low spirits and thought she was just sick and her spirits low. She didn’t think too much about it and said to Pei Ziheng, “Brother Pei, let’s eat quickly, Xiao Yu is a little tired already. Let’s eat quickly and hurry back to rest.”

Pei Ziheng said gently, “Okay.”

Xia Yu’s heart thumped loudly as she listened to this—had Xia Ling come here specifically to disrupt things? She finally had the opportunity to eat with Pei Ziheng, but Xia Ling disturbed it with just a few words! It wasn’t enough that she was a lightbulb here, but she was even speeding up the meal! “I…” Xia Yu wanted to say something, but stopped herself and smiled softly. “Sister really cares for me.” What’s the point of protesting now? Brother Ziheng is so obedient to Sister and won’t listen to me at all. I should look for another opportunity to spend time alone with him.

Xia Yu calculated and ate obediently.

Xia Ling smiled and caressed her head. “Eat more and grow taller.”

She herself was sitting on the chair, swaying her calves and happily peeling the lobster.

Pei Ziheng reached out to take it and carefully helped her peel it. “Talk about yourself, you’re so short.”

“I’m still growing!” She refused to admit it and protested quietly.

Pei Ziheng’s eyes were filled with a smile. He put the stripped lobster meat into her bowl. “You’re sixteen, next year you’ll be seventeen. How could you still be growing? Last time I went to the Training Camp to see you and saw that all the other students in your class were taller than you. If this carries on, you won’t even be able to find a perfect partner with little height difference.”

“Humph.” She refused to accept it and bit into the lobster angrily. After a while, she said, “They’re all rushing to partner up with me and are willing to be misplaced. This is my charm, it’s a charm.”

Pei Ziheng smiled warmly and continued to peel her lobster.

“I’ll still grow.” She bit her lobster meat. “I will.”

“You want to grow taller that badly?”

“Because…” She suddenly turned her head and looked up with shiny eyes at him. “Because Brother Pei, you’re very, very tall. If I can match your height and be a perfect match with you on stage, attention will definitely be on us when we go out.”

Tink! Xia Yu’s spoon accidentally touched the edge of the cup.

Pei Ziheng’s eyes darkened. He looked at the girl beside him and did not speak for a while. Did she know what she was talking about? She wanted to be a perfect match with him with a perfect stage height difference, was it just out of a whim, or…

“Sister is joking again,” said Xia Yu. Her expression was a little pale and she said with a forced smile, “The height difference on stage is for the audience to see when on stage. Brother Pei’s not an artiste, he’s a businessman. Sister, how could you use an artiste’s criteria to shape your expectations of Brother Pei? Furthermore, your growth is more or less finalized at sixteen, you won’t be able to become that tall.” Her voice faintly floated in the air.

Xia Ling was a little depressed, but she was more insistent. “I will grow that tall!”

She clenched her fists and looked at Pei Ziheng. “Brother Pei, am I right?”

“Why?” Pei Ziheng asked.

“What?” She blinked.

“Why do you want to have a perfect height difference with me?”

“I like being with you.” Xia Ling smiled from ear to ear without a hint of embarrassment. “Since we have to walk together, then we must use the best look and coordinate our height, don’t you agree?”

Was that all?

Pei Ziheng’s heart was a little empty and steadfast. An emotion even he didn’t understand rose up in him, gently scratching his heart like a feather. Over the years, this kind of feather-like emotions had appeared numerous times. He did not know what it was, which made him a little frustrated.

He lowered his head and continued to peel the lobster for her. He was absent-minded and accidentally cut his hand on the lobster shell.

Xia Ling made a big fuss and called the waiter to get a band-aid and wanted to paste it on him. He silently watched as she clumsily wrapped the band-aid on his finger. The tiny “patch” looked very funny.

“Done.” She was full of accomplishment and clapped her hands. “This way, the wound will get better soon. Brother Pei, don’t peel the lobster for me anymore, I’m full. Let’s eat fruits.”

Her clear voice echoed in the restaurant.

Pei Ziheng looked at her smile under the light and his heartbeat started thumping irregularly.

Xia Yu looked at Pei Ziheng. Her expression became even paler and she became very unhappy.

“What’s so delicious about fruits,” he said, holding Xia Ling’s hand. “Xiao Yu is tired, I’ll let the driver send her back to the hotel, then I’ll take you to an ice cream shop next to the Seine River. The ice cream there is delicious.”

“Wow, really?” Xia Ling loved ice cream the most. Hearing that, her eyes lit up.

Pei Ziheng smiled. “Of course.” After hearing that she was coming, he had long called Chu Chen earlier on to inquire about what was delicious and fun in Paris, especially her favorite playground and ice cream shop, he knew it like the back of his hand.

Xia Yu felt as though a knife was twisting itself in her heart. She remembered that when she had first arrived in Paris, although Pei Ziheng had arranged for his subordinates to take thorough care of her, he hadn’t asked her what she liked to eat, and didn’t take her anywhere either.

This was differential treatment.

“I’m not tired yet…” she said pitifully, hoping to go with them to eat ice cream. At the thought of her Sister being alone with Pei Ziheng, the jealousy in her heart burned so fiercely it could burn people into ashes.

Chapter 1078: Mermaid Under the Moonlight
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

Pei Ziheng also said, “You’re tired.”

He told a subordinate to send Xia Yu back to the hotel and brought Xia Ling to the ice cream shop himself.

The breeze on the banks of the Seine River was cool. The candlelight and the night scene blended into a dreamlike setting.

Xia Ling was extremely excited. She ordered so many flavors of ice cream that they filled up the table. Pei Ziheng was afraid she would get an upset stomach eating like this and only allowed her to eat a little bit. However, when she ate eight or nine different kinds of wine-flavored ice cream, she seemed to be overcome with slight drunkenness and looked at the man in front with a blurred vision.

“Brother Pei…” she called incoherently. “I still want…”

“You’re drunk, you’re not allowed to eat anymore,” he said in a low-pitched tone. He called the waiter to check out and half-carried her to the car. The car drove smoothly to the hotel and he then carried her down effortlessly. He held her hand and walked through the lobby to the elevator, then arriving on the floor they were staying at.

The floor was very quiet and there were only two of them. The branch-shaped wall lamp adorned the sparkling beautiful corridor.

Xia Ling was still a little drunk. He shook off Pei Ziheng’s hand. “I can walk…” She staggered and walked along the patterned carpet. She seemed to have a lot of fun and jumped a few times.

Pei Ziheng wanted to support her. This little girl’s capacity for liquor was really horrible. She was so intoxicated it caught him off guard.

Unexpectedly, his mobile phone rung without any warning. Pei Ziheng stopped in his tracks and picked up. It was Chu Chen calling for business matters. The big project they had been negotiating had new progress and the situation was somewhat complicated. Chu Chen suggested he immediately meet with the leaders and develop a new policy.

He said, “Okay. Prepare the information first, I’ll head over now.”

While talking, his eyes were still focused on the rickety girl not far away.

The girl jumped a few steps along the patterned carpet. Then, she turned back, saw that he was not following, and walked back with swaying steps, grabbing onto his clothes with dissatisfaction. “Brother Pei, let’s play together,” she said childishly.

Pei Ziheng smiled and touched her soft long hair gently. “Brother Pei has to attend a meeting now. Be good and go back to sleep in your room, we’ll play together tomorrow, okay?”

She tilted her head and was dissatisfied. “Let’s play.”

“Be good.” He gently pulled her hand away from his coat.

Xia Ling was unhappy and huffed. “Brother Pei is so annoying.” She turned and walked forward a little angrily. She took a few steps and turned around again. “Room, give me the room card.”

The two people’s room cards were with Pei Ziheng. Before Pei Ziheng even responded, Xia Ling swayed up and fished around in his pocket before pulling out the two cards. “I won’t give it to you.” She grinned astutely. Her delicate jade-like cheeks were still wearing a blush. Drunk, she waved the card in her hand. She turned around proudly and hummed a song while jumping and walking away.

Pei Ziheng couldn’t help but laugh. Forget it, he went in with her. He would get a new card from the help desk at night.

Chu Chen called him several times on the phone. “Boss, Boss? Jason is very anxious and has already sorted out several possible solutions. He’s waiting for you to decide whether plan A or plan C is more appropriate?”

This was a business that involved a huge sum of money. Pei Ziheng removed his gaze from the girl and turned around. He talked to Chu Chen on the phone and pressed the elevator button to go downstairs.

Xia Ling held the two cards and swayed to the room’s door.

She brushed one first and it didn’t work. She then brushed the other and the door opened.

“I’m exhausted…” She swayed into the room and tried to insert the room card into the slot. In her haze, the two cards weren’t inserted and fell to the ground instead. “It’s so dark.” She groaned and pressed the light switch a few times. It didn’t switch on and she could no longer care about it.

The curtain was closed in the room and there was no light at all.

A hazy radiance came only in the direction of the bathroom—this was a five-star luxury hotel. In the twenty-four-story presidential suite, even the bathroom used a French window for the two walls. It was inserted adjacent to the bathtub, and the silver moonlight shone through the one-way glass like a beautiful dream.

Xia Ling walked in unsteadily and realized she was still not sober. She instinctively turned on the water for the bathtub and took off her clothes, climbing into it on all fours. The warm water rushed out and surrounded her slowly. The girl’s white and delicate body stretched gently under the moonlight, her neck raised slightly like a beautiful swan, her small and exquisite hills more beautiful than imagined.

Compared to when she’d first came to the Pei family four years ago, she was now more like a perfect fairy.

She relaxed in this gentle water and gradually closed her eyes and slept.

She didn’t know when she woke up.

She distinctly heard the sound of a door opening outside and then a swishing sound.

So annoying… why is there someone…? She thought in confusion, her eyelids moving gently but too heavy to open. Who… who is coming…?

Her whole body was lazy and she didn’t have any strength.

There was another sound. This time, it was getting closer and it seemed to be the sound of the bathroom door opening. After a few seconds, the light lit up. The soft orange light hit her thin eyelids and made her a little uncomfortable. She moved and muttered softly, “Who… turn it off…”

The lights were still on.

Silence fell again.

Xia Ling started to feel more and more uncomfortable. She shielded her eyes with her hands and stretched out her white limbs like a beautiful mermaid. With her movements came the soft water sounds. She leaned sideways and her consciousness cleared a little. She muttered in annoyance again, “Who is this, turn off the light…”

Her voice fell and she suddenly remembered something—

Wasn’t she taking a shower in the bathroom? Could someone have broken in?!

Xia Ling quivered and was shocked awake. She opened her eyes immediately and sat up halfway from the bathtub.

Turning around, she saw the man standing at the door. He was tall and handsome, with a familiar figure. He stood there looking at her. His gaze was intense and his eyes fell heavily on her, hiding some emotions she couldn’t understand. It was so strong and thick it made her instinctively afraid.

She was shocked and forgot to react. She even forgot the fact that she was standing in front of him naked. She looked at him like that, stiff and motionless.

Pei Ziheng also looked at her.

He knew he shouldn’t be looking at her like this. At this time, he should immediately turn around and close the door for her like a gentleman. But he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t even avert his eyes. When he had entered, he’d been caught off guard with how she looked, like a mermaid half-submerged in the clear water of the bathtub. She looked so mysteriously beautiful, and that was really…

Shocking.

His breathing tightened and he felt a fiery heat rise in him, spreading uncontrollably through his entire body.

Chapter 1079: Fairy
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

Silence.

The two of them looked quietly at each other. It seemed as if only a short period of time had passed, yet it also seemed as if a long time had passed.

Pei Ziheng walked towards her step by step as if he was shackled down. He bent over and reached out to touch her cheek gently.

His slightly coarse fingertips touched her smooth skin and she twitched slightly, her heart in her throat. She did not dare to move. The soft bathroom lighting reflected her delicate face and her butterfly-like eyelashes fluttered slightly, somewhat frail and somewhat afraid.

He could see his own shadow reflected inside her sparkling pupils.

His finger traced the side of her cheek and, as if enchanted, he lifted her chin and lowered his head to cover her two petal-like soft lips. She widened her eyes at once and her mind was a complete blank. All the sounds and light and shadow seemed to distance from her. Only the touch on her lips was so realistic, so real…

It overwhelmed her.

She was sixteen this year and it was the age of the first awakening of love. She had seen the couples in the Training Camp and there were also many who wanted to chase her. Hence, she knew what was going on. But she had never been touched like this by anyone before. All her knowledge was only in theory. When he had attacked her mouth with an invasive attitude, that strange and thrilling feeling had almost stopped her heart.

She didn’t know when it was over, but when they separated, he pressed his forehead against hers. It took her a long time to find she was panting. Her whole body was soft in the bathtub and, if not for his solid arm supporting the back of her head, she was afraid she would have slipped into the pool of clear water already.

She continued to look at him with wide eyes and found her reflection in his pupils. It was a pale and flustered girl with slightly swollen rose-like tender lips. There was a burning flame behind his eyes, reminding her of the beasts hunting in the jungle she had seen on television before.

She felt something was wrong and instinctively shrank back.

His big hand grabbed the hair behind her head and, as if punishing her, dragged her forward so she could not shrink back into the pool.

She screamed out softly in pain and extended a hand to push him.

Unexpectedly, this move seemed to agitate him. He pushed her body deep into the bathtub and with a splash, he squeezed himself into the narrow bathtub as well, pressing his heavy body onto hers.

“Go away!” She couldn’t help but scream. This was the most primitive fear of the male invaders inscribed in her female gene. She felt his strong and powerful legs clinging to her waist. She felt something hard beneath his clothes pressing against the most private part of her body, scaring her so much she wanted to scream.

He didn’t move away. Instead, he grabbed her struggling hands and placed it above her head with heavy pressure. His other hand stroked down her neck unceasingly. He grabbed her leg and pulled it in his direction, tightening the gap between their bodies.

She was so beautiful, just like a mermaid in a dream. It made one feel the urge to continue.

At this moment, Pei Ziheng had long forgotten where he was. He could only see her beautiful, smooth, jade-like skin, and his nose lingered around her seductive fragrance. Even her thin pleading sound was like a distant chanting that made him fascinated and enchanted.

He wanted her.

This was the only thing his body and brain could determine.

He pressed her against the wall. The bathtub was too small and she had nowhere to escape.

Her eyes were full of boundless fear. She was at a loss and overwhelmed. She couldn’t understand why her gentle brother had become so crazy all of a sudden. She was in pain, his strong solid legs were suppressing her legs, her lower body was pressing hard against the bathtub wall, and his invincible body was pressing on her. She cried, her delicate skin rubbing against the cold metal buckle of his suit and drawing blood.

She struggled weakly with her long wet hair stuck to her face like a dying fish, desperate and sad. The splashing water in the bathtub drenched his finely crafted suit.

He was annoyed that the suit was in the way, so he violently pulled it down and the metal buttons fell, scattering onto the cold and smooth tiles. She finally found a chance to push him aside and not even caring that she wasn’t wearing anything, climbed out of the bathtub in a frenzy and staggered towards the door.

He grabbed her wrist and restrained her strongly, dragging her back and pressing her against the bathtub again.

Her waist was pressed against the edge of the bathtub, and it hurt so bad she felt it was going to break. With one hand in the water and another pushing him frantically, she screamed, “Let me go!” She cried tearfully, “Brother Pei, let me go…”

He turned a deaf ear to her pleas, or rather, the moment he opened the bathroom door, he could no longer hear anything she said. In his eyes, there was only a fairy that belonged to him.

Fairy.

He had been bewitched.

He dragged her back with no effort at all and kissed her again. The smell of blood drifted faintly between their lips and teeth, and it was unsure who had bitten the other.

Her mind was in a mess and she had screamed a thousand “No” and “You can’t”. She didn’t want to surrender like this. She took advantage of the moment when their lips were separated and slapped him fiercely.

A crisp sound sounded.

For a moment, both of them were stunned.

His expression restored a moment of clarity as if he only now realized who he was pressing himself against and what he was doing. Through the thin layer of clothes, he could feel her shaking all over. The fairy-like girl looked palely at him, her face tear-stricken. Her petal-like tender lips were mottled with blood.

She trembled and stared at him for a short while before jumping up like a frightened rabbit and running out of the bathroom.

Gosh…

What had he done?

Pei Ziheng slowly sat up from the edge of the bathtub. He stretched his hands out and covered his face.

A loud noise came from outside the bathroom door.

Pei Ziheng suddenly stood up and slammed the bathroom door open, not caring that he was in a mess. He saw Xia Ling’s naked body crumpled near the entrance. She looked to be in great pain and couldn’t get up for a long time.

She was still so beautiful. Her body carried traces left by him, making his pupils dilate again.

He forced himself not to think about what he should not think of. He took two steps forward and reached out to help her up.

“Don’t come near me!” She was so frightened her voice had changed. She suddenly shrank back and slammed into the door of the entrance with a loud bang.

He looked down at her and stopped moving.

She was terrified and didn’t dare to move. She curled up her body and covered her private area with her soft limbs. The light of the bathroom flooded over softly, and the hazy lighting fell on her curled up figure at the corner of the entrance. She looked like a fragile little beast, helpless and confused.

Chapter 1080: Still in Shock
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

Pei Zheng felt a surge of heat down his body again.

He turned away from her but walked back to the bathroom to hand her a towel.

The white and slightly coarse towel landed on her, shocking her. She looked up, only to see his back view as he strode and disappeared into the darkness of the suite.

She was stunned for two full seconds before hurriedly wrapping herself in the towel and tiptoeing out of the room like a fugitive.

It was late at night and the hallway was empty and silent.

Only then did Xia Ling realize that it was she who walked into the wrong room. Her room was the adjacent one, but she had taken Pei Ziheng’s room card after having had a drop too much. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she went ahead to push her room door open—only to recall then that her room card was left with Pei Ziheng.

Now what?

Return to get it?

Pei Ziheng’s lust-filled face flashed in her mind, sending a chill down her spine. She dared not even entertain the thought of going back.

How about going to the reception for help?

She looked down at herself—towel around her body and still dripping wet. There was no way she could brace herself for the long walk to the elevator and the trip down, and then having to explain herself.

Xiao Yu…

In her lonely desperation, she suddenly thought of her sister. Xiao Yu’s room was in the same hallway, maybe she could just stay the night and borrow some clothes for the time being. She hurriedly went over to Xia Yu’s room and knocked on her door for a long time before Xia Yu answered the door while rubbing her eyes sleepily.

She got a shock seeing Xia Ling in that state. “Sister? How did you end up like this?”

Xia Ling had no idea how to explain herself. She entered the room and curled up on the couch. Xia Yu scanned her and saw that there were bruises on her fair and bare skin, and also… Xia Yu narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

She poured a glass of warm water for Xia Ling. “Have some water.”

Xia Ling took a sip and felt the warmth of the water go down her throat, slowly reaching her extremities. Now that she was more relaxed, she stopped hugging her knees tightly as before. “Do you have clean clothes?” She asked.

Xia Yu handed her a suspender dress. The sisters were 16 and 13 years of age, but because it was her period of growth spurt, Xia Ling was significantly taller and would not fit into any other of her clothes. She watched as her sister removed the towel, revealing her fair skin filled with terrifying bruises.

A thought flashed in Xia Yu’s mind.

Xia Ling changed into the suspender dress and found it a bit short, but there was no better option.

She said to her sister, “Xiao Yu, can I sleep in your room tonight?”

Xia Yu smiled. “Sister, since when did we become so civil with each other? What’s the difference between sleeping in my room and your own? You can sleep here for ten nights and it wouldn’t be an issue, much less just for tonight.”

Hence, Xia Ling said, “Thankfully, I have you.”

Xia Yu took an extra pillow and blanket from the wardrobe and placed them on one side of the huge bed. She asked, “What exactly happened? Tell me, Sister. Otherwise, I’ll be worried.”

“I…” Xia Ling stopped mid-sentence. She couldn’t help but tremble a little as she thought about it.

“Is it very scary?” Xia Yu was now sitting by her side and asking gently.

Xia Ling lowered her head for a long while before saying, “I don’t know, either.” It was pretty terrifying when it happened, and even though she was safe now, her mind was still in a mess. The way Pei Ziheng looked at her was still fresh in her head, and the feeling of his lips on hers, and his hands all over her skin…

She did not know what was going on with herself. Her face was heating up—no, her whole body, in fact.

“Sister, you’re ill?” Xia Yu reached out and touched her forehead.

“I-I’m not.” Xia Ling’s turned away a little too frantically.

“What is it, then?” Xia Yu looked at her patiently and concernedly. “Sister, you’ve never been like this before, you’re making me really worried. We’ve always depended on each other since we were kids. If anything were to happen to you, what am I to do?”

“I’ll be fine.” Xia Ling forced a smile to reassure her sister.

“You’re lying.” Xia Yu looked as if she was about to tear up. “How can I be at ease, looking at the state you’re in now? Sister, you used to tell me everything and anything. Do you find me a nuisance now? Is that why you’re not sharing things with me anymore?”

“It’s not like this.” Xia Ling felt bad. “Xiao Yu, don’t let your thoughts run wild, it’s not what you think.”

“Then what is it?” Xia Yu pressed on.

Xia Ling bit her lip and stayed silent again.

Xia Yu grabbed her hand and said very seriously, “Sister, you’ve taken care of me all these years, I don’t want to just be receiving from you all the time. I want to share your burden too. Tell me about your problems, it’ll be good if we can discuss them together. I could come up with some ideas for you.”

Her tender words touched Xia Ling enough. Xia Ling heaved a long sigh and hesitated for a while, before stammering about what had happened in Pei Ziheng’s room.

Her face got increasingly red as she spoke. “S-So, I ran out here.”

Her voice was soft as a whisper.

Xia Yu was completely shocked by the story. As good as her imagination might be, it was very unlikely for a 13-year-old to think of something like this. However, girls in this day and age weren’t all that ignorant about such concepts either.

A strange feeling rose inside her. It pricked her and made her uncomfortable.

So, Brother Ziheng was attracted by Sister?Read more chapter on vipnovel.com

In the future, would they…

No, impossible, she could never let such a thing happen!

Brother Ziheng couldn’t like Sister more than he liked her. He just couldn’t do this!

Xia Yu’s expression darkened a few shades as she processed it, but when she looked up again, she had recovered her look of an innocent and kind sister. She sighed. “Who knew that Brother Ziheng was such a person. Sister, you’d better keep a distance from him. Now that you’re older, it’s better to take note of the opposite sex.”

Xia Ling nodded. “I was too foolish to walk into the wrong room…”

She blushed again. How would Brother Pei see her now? Would he think she did it on purpose? On that thought, she felt embarrassed and ashamed all at once.

Xia Yu said, “Are you still living with Brother Pei in the villa? You should take this opportunity to move out once you are back. Otherwise, things might happen again.” She had always been envious of her sister for being so close to Pei Ziheng and had been planning on tearing them apart for a while now. This was simply an opportunity presented to her on a platter.