Chapter 1121: Poisoned to Death
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

The old grandma felt more relieved now.

She was a lone girl going about on her own, it was always good to have some self-defense skills.

The two of them chatted for a while more before getting busy—doing chores, cleaning the cat tray, washing the clothes and preparing the next meal. Xia Ling wasn’t able to do the difficult chores, so her main job was to play with the cats, change their food and drink and comb their fur. From the way the cats bounced around her, it was evident that they were comfortable with her and liked her presence. Her mood was lifted too and she decided to open the windows for some fresh air. This time, there wasn’t any yelling coming from Liu Cuiyu’s backyard.

Xia Ling thought she’d won.

Who knew that the next day, what followed was revenge.

In the morning when the old grandma was leaving the house, she let out a shrill cry before falling backward onto the floor in shock.

Xia Ling rushed out of the bedroom to take a look, and was taken aback by the scene before her—someone had hung a decapitated cat before their main door; the organs were hanging out of it as a pool of blood puddled beneath. The cat’s eyes were directly facing them.

The old grandma trembled with fear and began sobbing.

Xia Ling was horrified too. She’d never seen such a grotesque scene before and had to hold the wall for support as she puked.

She hadn’t had breakfast, so all that came out of her was some bile. When she was done, she struggled to straighten up before going to help the old grandma. “Grandma, don’t look, don’t look.” Her lips were still quivering when she said this gently and firmly. She then covered the old grandma’s eyes and said, “Go in and rest, I’ll handle this.”

She helped the old lady up and walked her to her bedroom.

She mustered her courage and returned to the scene of the dead cat. Who’d be so immoral and cruel? The cat had died a terrible death, its abdomen was cut open and one of its pupils was missing as well. Xia Ling began tearing up, and she didn’t even know if it was from fright or sadness. She thought about how different things would’ve been if this happened while she was at Pei Ziheng’s place. All she would’ve needed to do was to scream and run away, and a group of people would definitely help her clean up the mess.

But this time, she couldn’t do just that.

There was only her and the old grandma at home now; she had to do it herself.

She found an old rag to hold the cat as she took it down. It was furry and stiff, and Xia Ling felt extremely disturbed by its texture in her hands. She felt like she needed to puke again.

She tossed the cat into a bag and then took a mop and a pail of water to remove the bloodstains at the door. Tears streamed down her cheeks silently as she mopped the floor.

The neighbor’s door opened.

Liu Cuiyu stood at the door and gave her an odd look. “Wow, you’re mopping the floor so early in the morning? It’s so cold and you’re making the area so wet, that’s not good! Ugh, how did I get so unlucky to have neighbors like you?”

Xia Ling’s head swiveled towards her and gave her an angry glare.

The fire in her eyes had Liu Cuiyu frightened for a while. But it didn’t take her long to regain her composure and give a smile. “What’s the glare about? Aren’t you so capable, why are you mopping the floor and crying so pitifully out here? Did something actually die here? It stinks.” She gave a look of disdain and pinched her nose.

Seeing the hint of joy in her eyes, Xia Ling suddenly understood what was going on. “It was you who hung the dead cat at our door.” She threw the mop aside and glared at Liu Cuiyu ferociously. “You’re courting death!”

Liu Cuiyu was so afraid, she went back to hiding in her house. With the door as her shield now, she yelled at Xia Ling, “Don’t accuse me! Whatever cat you’re talking about, I haven’t seen it!” She then started laughing. “What’s the point of rearing cats? You’re ruining their lives and yours!”

It was definitely her.

Xia Ling’s hands and feet went cold. She’d thought that this neighbor was just an unreasonable shrew but never expected her to be this cruel. “The cat didn’t offend you, why did you have to kill it?”

Liu Cuiyu sneered. “Let me tell you, you slut. If you don’t behave appropriately, you’ll continue getting your retribution!” She couldn’t fight it out with Xia Ling, but surely the cats were an easy target? Well, it was on the slut for hitting her in front of so many people! It was so embarrassing! In the past, she’d let the cats off on account of the old grandma giving her fruits and apologizing all the time. But now, with Xia Ling finding trouble with her so often, how could she let them have their way so easily?!

“You’re the one who’ll receive retribution,” Xia Ling said.

Liu Cuiyu laughed hysterically behind the door.

Xia Ling continued mopping the floor and the tears came flowing again. Had she done something wrong? If she’d allowed Liu Cuiyu to have her way screaming about yesterday, would the cat still be alive then? But Liu Cuiyu had gone overboard, she’d only get worse if no one stopped her! The old grandma was already so advanced in age, she couldn’t bear to see her getting bullied by Liu Cuiyu for the rest of time.

At that moment, Xia Ling’s mind was a mess.

She didn’t know how long she’d been mopping the floor for when someone patted her on the shoulder lightly. “Xiao Ling, be a good girl, don’t cry.” It was the old grandma’s voice. After the blow she had had, she was worried about Xia Ling and had to see how she was doing. “I heard everything you and Liu Cuiyu said just now. I didn’t expect her to be this evil. It’s not your fault, don’t take it to heart.”

Xia Ling sniffed hard. Afraid that the old grandma would be worried, she responded, “Mm-hmm.”

They were both in low spirits as they cleaned up the place and looked for a shoebox for the cat. They lined the box with several sheets of cloth and placed the cat into the makeshift coffin. Only after securing it with a ribbon did they place it into the trash bin. “I’m sorry, we couldn’t even find a place to bury you.” Xia Ling looked at the dustbin and choked on her words. “I hope you’ll have a better life.”

COMMENT
The old grandma was wiping tears as well.

They took the whole morning to gather their emotions and compose themselves. In the afternoon, they went about their regular business to feed the cats, but found that there was more to uncover—there were significantly fewer stray cats that had come for food, and among those that came, a number of them sounded weak. What was going on? They didn’t have a good feeling about this.

One of the cats meowed and tugged at the old grandma’s pants, signaling for her to follow it.

Both of them followed the cat and found that there were more dead cats in the green areas. Their bodies were all stiff and straight, and some had puked an unknown liquid. The old grandma’s expression darkened instantly. She went forward to take a look, and then said to Xia Ling with a trembling voice, “It’s rat poison, someone left it here to poison the cats to death!”

Xia Ling’s expression turned cold too. She and the old grandma shared the same sentiment, they knew exactly who did it—

Liu Cuiyu.

That woman was evil!

“I’ll get more rat poison later and kill her with it! She’ll be buried with the cats!” Xia Ling was shaking with anger. She’d been here for so many days and had formed bonds with the stray cats. Now, so many of them had died in such a short time, and it was all because of her. Why was it that everything that she loved and cherished crumbled in her hands?

She turned around and headed for Liu Cuiyu’s house furiously.

The old grandma grabbed her. “Don’t be rash! It’s illegal to kill someone! We can’t do anything even if she killed them!”

Chapter 1122: Re-encountering Li Lei
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

Xia Ling was agitated. “It’s not illegal to kill cats! So only I can avenge them!”

The old grandma pulled her tighter and cried. “Xiao Ling! You must not be impulsive! I’m already sad enough to have so many cats die. If anything happens to you too, what should I do!”

Xia Ling finally calmed down.

She crouched down and hugged her old grandma’s thin and frail body. The grievances that had accumulated these days came to her heart and she cried together with her grandma, tears falling like rivulets.

“The most important thing now,” said the grandma as she cried. “is to gather the cats that are still alive and take them to the pet hospital for examination. What if they have accidentally taken the poison and it comes into effect later?”

Xia Ling wiped her tears and went home with her grandma to take a cage and a backpack. She put a few wild cats that didn’t look very comfortable inside and sat on a car to the pet hospital.

When she arrived at the hospital, she found that the door was closed.

The guard said to them, “The hospital is closed early today. Go to another hospital.”

Xia Ling was too anxious. “How could you close it early? Our cats have been poisoned by rat poison, and they might die if not treated on time! How could we go to another hospital and save them on time?” The kitten she was holding closed its eyes slowly and seemed to be taking shallow breaths and was even twitching a little.

The guard was very sympathetic. “The nearest Baoyun Pet Hospital is more than an hour away by car. Even if you get there, they might already be off duty. There’s no other choice, this is life. VIPs came to our hospital today and the whole hospital has to accommodate them, so even the reception is closed and the emergency department was stopped.”

Pet hospitals were not like people’s hospitals. Even if the emergency department stopped for a day, nobody would complain.

The grandma was dizzy with anxiety and couldn’t help but say, “What should we do…”

Xia Ling was also anxious. She felt the kitten in her arms grow weaker and weaker, and her heart felt like it had been set on fire. But now was not the time to vent her emotions, so she clenched her teeth and acted decisively. “I have to go to Baoyun Hospital to try anyway, otherwise there is no chance.”

She turned around and brought her grandma along, planning to stop at Baoyun Hospital.

Suddenly, someone behind them called, “Please wait.”

Xia Ling turned back and saw a tall and broad man standing in front. The muscles under his shirt were bulging out and he gave off a huge sense of oppression. The man said to her very politely, “Lady, my young master has seen that you have met into some kind of trouble and has let me ask you if you need any help?”

Xia Ling took two steps back with vigilance. “Who is your young master?”

Her heart jumped madly inside, could it be that Pei Ziheng had found her?!

The strong man smiled. “My family’s young master is Li Lei, he said you must have heard of him before.”

Li Lei! Xia Ling had heard of him before, and her impression of him was very strong—wasn’t he the man who had driven her home the day she went to find Wang Jingwan to negotiate but was humiliated beyond salvation?

The faint scent of sunlight and leather on his body still lingered on her nose.

She didn’t know why, he was clearly a stranger, but somehow, he made her heart feel settled in a strange way. She said to the man, “My cats are dying soon and need immediate treatment. Please ask your family’s young master to save them.”

The strong man took the two cats from her as well as the cat cage from the grandma. “Follow me.”

After that, he took big steps and led them inside the hospital.

The pet hospital had been closed, but it was a special trip for his young master—Li Lei. The guards and security guards all recognized that he was Li Lei’s bodyguard, so they brought them in without obstructing them. The bodyguard led them into the cat department immediately and several doctors jumped into action to treat the cats.

Xia Ling had not had a breather until now, and she helped the grandma sit down in the corridor outside the clinic and wiped her forehead that was full of sweat. The grandma leaned on her and prattled on. “Today we met a good person. If not for the young master letting us in, we don’t know until when it would be delayed.”

Xia Ling was a little tired and just smiled but didn’t speak.

Unexpectedly, a young man emerged in her mind—he had a lazy smile on his face, and his voice was low and blurry. When he talked, he gave off an unorganized ray of sunshine and a mysterious enticement that was hard to pinpoint.

He was totally different from Pei Ziheng.

Just as she was lost in her thoughts, she saw a young man coming down the corridor. He stopped in front of her and said with a lazy smile on his face, “Hi, we meet again.”

Xia Ling looked up and saw Li Lei.

Today, he was wearing a casual T-shirt, but the seemingly casual shirt was very expensive. He had a hand in his trouser pocket and looked very relaxed.

Xia Ling started admiring the beautiful man unconsciously, and she asked with some vigilance, “Do you know who I am?”

In order to prevent being recognized, she had gone out wearing the old clothes left behind by the grandma’s daughter. Now, she was wearing sunglasses, a scarf, a coat with the collar perched high, and was fully covered. Nobody would think she would mix in as part of the ordinary people’s community, and nobody would even think she would throw the garbage personally and raise cats. So, all these days, even though she was a household name, nobody recognized who she really was.

But how could Li Lei have found out?

Li Lei smiled radiantly at him, then sat down beside her. “I know who you are. When I was bringing Er Mao into the hospital, I already recognized you at first glance. No matter what, I still have a friendship with you from sending you home from the coffee shop.” He didn’t directly expose her identity, perhaps taking note of the grandma beside them.

But once he talked about the coffee shop, Xia Ling knew he had not mistaken her.

Xia Ling was silent for a while before she said, “Thank you.”

“It’s nothing much.” Li Lei was still smiling. He nodded slightly to the grandma beside her as a way of greeting. “Why are you here, didn’t Pei Ziheng say you were resting at home?”

At the mention of this, Xia Ling’s heart was sour and uncomfortable.

She calmed down and whispered, “Could you help me with something?”

“What?”

“Don’t tell anyone I’m here, don’t tell anyone you saw me here, please.”

Li Lei’s eyes showed a hint of surprise, which slowly become understanding. “Your inside story is more complicated than I thought, right? You escaped.”

Xia Ling didn’t deny it.

Li Lei said, “What are your plans in the future? You can’t hide for a lifetime.”

Xia Ling was a little stunned. “I don’t know.” She originally wanted to find a job to support herself, but she was a big star and her face couldn’t be exposed to everyone, so she couldn’t do most of the work in this world. Now, it was already not easy to live with grandma and have a proper meal, so she couldn’t live there forever.

Her eyes showed a hint of sorrow. “I’ll take each step and think.”

Chapter 1123: Limited Edition Sunglasses
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

There was silence in the corridor.

The two were silent for a while, but the grandma sitting on the side broke the silence. “Young master, why don’t you help Xiao Ling? She’s just a girl and it’s not easy, she still has a long future ahead.”

Xia Ling glanced gratefully at the old grandma.

Li Lei said, “I will definitely help her. Xiao Ling, my invitation from last time still stands. Come to Skyart Entertainment, our treatment would be better than Imperial Entertainment.”

Xia Ling hesitated and thought about it, then said softly, “I don’t want to trouble you. Have you heard of Wang Jingwan’s matter? Pei… he’s convinced I was the murderer, and the Wang family is looking for me too.”

Li Lei was a little surprised. “Pei Ziheng came to find me a while ago just to investigate this matter, but I told him it was impossible for you to have done it. Why, he still doubts you?”

Xia Ling was shocked. “He came to find you?”

“Yes.” Li Lei smiled a little ridiculously. “He asked me if I was your accomplice. I thought he would wake up a little after that day, and find the real murderer.”

“When did that happen?”

Li Lei recalled and told her the date.

Xia Ling was shocked senseless for a while, then she said, “I escaped not long after.” Had Pei Ziheng found the real murderer now? Or, was he still convinced she was the murderer and didn’t even bother looking? Her thoughts were chaotic and her heart she thought had died started beating again.

Li Lei surveyed her expression and said, “I can help you inquire about the latest developments in this matter, and also protect you from his infringement. So, what do you think about Skyart? You are safe enough under my wings.”

Indeed, going to Skyart Entertainment was the best choice.

She was a big star and couldn’t change her career, and Skyart Entertainment was not a small entertainment company. It was the only company in the whole entertainment industry that could compete with Imperial Entertainment. Since she had already fallen out with Pei Ziheng, unless she wanted to hide for a lifetime and be unable to eat a proper meal, she could only choose Skyart Entertainment.

“Go.” The grandma also advised her. “Xiao Ling, I know you’re not an ordinary person. Your skin is so well maintained, and the way you talk and walk is so beautiful, you must have been pampered since young. You and this young master belong to the same world. Don’t shortchange yourself, do what you want to do.”

What she wanted to do?

Her crystal world had collapsed and there was nothing she wanted to do. However, she couldn’t rely on grandma and live in her house forever. She pondered over it for a moment and said to Li Lei, “We have many cats that have been poisoned. I’ll help grandma settle this matter, and once the treatment is finished, I’ll contact you.”

Li Lei smiled slightly and his voice was very soft. “Okay, I’ll wait for you.”

The cats were still in the treatment room, so Li Lei didn’t leave and continued to sit with them.

Xia Ling was a bit curious. “How come you are at a pet hospital? Do you have a pet at home?”

Li Lei said, “Yes, I have a leopard. I took it for a medical examination today. I was afraid of scaring other people and animals, so I sealed the hospital.” Then, he chuckled. “Er Mao is actually very obedient.”

A leopard?

Xia Ling didn’t know much about these things, but she also knew that it wasn’t easy to raise a beast as a pet. Besides having financial resources, there must also be courage and boldness. The man in front was probably not as gentle and harmless as he looked on the surface. However, these were not the things she should care about.

She was going to Skyart Entertainment to be a good singer and earn money to support herself, so she shouldn’t think about other things.

After chatting, the doors of the treatment room opened and the veterinarian came out holding the cats and said, “Fortunately you brought them here in time, most of their lives have been saved. You should pay more attention to them these days and don’t let them eat anything randomly.” Then, he also explained a lot of precautions.

Xia Ling and her grandma listened carefully. Then, they bid farewell to Li Lei and took the cats home.

They had managed to save seven or eight cats and they were not in life-threatening danger anymore and seemed to have regained some spirits. Xia Ling helped the grandma carry them into the house. She stared at the many cats and sighed. “It’s too crowded.”

“There’s no choice,” the grandma said. “It’ll be cold after a few days and it’ll be even more crowded. I have to hold those sick and weak ones together.” She busied about cleaning up and finally cleaned up, then straightened her back and said to Xia Ling, “Xiao Ling, you should put some effort to dress up the healthy cats. Comb their fur and help me send some small advertisements out and see if there are any good people who want to adopt them and give them a home.”

Xia Ling remembered being in an orphanage when she was young, how she had waited to be adopted like these lonely cats, so she said softly, “Okay.” She carefully combed them, sprayed insecticides and waited for them to find a good master.

Someone really did adopt the cats.

The cats were adopted one by one and grandma was elated. “With a home, they don’t have to be hungry and cold anymore. Xiao Ling, wait till we send a few more, then when I can handle them myself, you can go and find the young master.”

Xia Ling smiled and agreed.

On this day, there was a pair of young man and woman at the door. They wore cheap jackets and had a lot of ear holes in their ears, and their colored hair was particularly eye-catching.

“Can these cats be adopted?” the man asked loudly. “Me and Mei Hui want one each!” His eyes swept over the cats as if examining goods.

Grandma looked at their dressing and was a little uneasy. “Have you raised cats before? Cats are very cute, but they require a lot of patience. Once you raise them you can’t abandon them, can you do that?”

“Stop nagging,” the young man said and reached out to take a cat. The cat meowed in shock and jumped out. “Isn’t it just a tortoiseshell cat, it’s so ugly yet it doesn’t let me touch it, tsk. Grandma, don’t judge me because I’m wearing this, I actually loved cats since young. If you don’t believe, I can tell you—that male one there is a tortoiseshell, and the one beside it with the long hair is a calico cat, and the one at the window is a tabby. And that one, it’s sick, right? It’s so dispirited and even the nose isn’t wet enough and the fur isn’t shiny.”

He talked about each of them.

The old grandma was a little reassured now. She couldn’t judge a book by its cover.

The girl with the same colorful hair smiled and said, “Don’t look at Ah Da and me like that just because we’re dressed like this, we actually really love cats and have raised cats for many years. Our cat just died a month ago and we were very upset, so we wanted to adopt a new cat to replace it.”

“Then, why do you want two this time?” Xia Ling asked.

The young girl looked at Xia Ling. Ever since she had entered, she noticed the sunglasses worn by Xia Ling. If she wasn’t wrong, it should be a very expensive brand. “Sister, this sunglasses is really beautiful,” she said with a smile. “DTS, right, it’s limited edition, isn’t it still not sold in China? Where did you buy it, you’re too rich.”

Chapter 1124: Cat Abuser
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

Xia Ling was shocked. She didn’t expect them to recognize this brand of sunglasses.

After she escaped this time, she could wear the old grandma’s old clothes, but she didn’t have other sunglasses and could only wear the one she had originally. But this pair of sunglasses cost a few months of living expenses for ordinary people, so how could she afford it with her current status? She thought for a second and smiled. “Really? This is very cheap. I bought it from a small store some time ago. I don’t know about it being limited edition, but it is probably an imitation.”

It turned out to be a fake.

The girl was a little disappointed, but she didn’t pursue it anymore. The sunglasses was too expensive, and Xia Ling’s explanation did indeed seem more reasonable. She turned her head and continued to look at the cat, then she took a white long-haired cat and said, “How about giving us this one to adopt? I quite like it. Then we’ll pick another one—one cat is too lonely, two will make a great partner and they will be happier.”

The grandmother smiled and said, “Okay, Xiao Bai is very docile and can get along with everyone.”

But Xia Ling frowned slightly. She couldn’t tell what was wrong, but she always felt like Xiao Bai was shivering in the girl’s arms. “Is it cold?” Xia Ling looked in concern at Xiao Bai. “Is it ill?”

The girl looked down at it and then looked up again with a bright smile. “It’s probably just not used to smelling the perfume on my body? It’s nothing, I’ll bathe when I’m home.”

“You have to treat it well.” The old grandma nagged.

The girl smiled radiantly and agreed, and after the man chose another kitten, they both bade their farewells.

Xia Ling kept feeling ill at ease, it was a very strange instinctual feeling. She paced around in the room and saw a chew toy at the corner of the room, so she said to the grandma, “They didn’t take Xiao Bai and Ah Huang’s toys when they left just now, right? Cats will feel uneasy in unfamiliar surroundings, and having their old things can help them get acquainted with the environment.”

These were what the grandma had told her.

The old grandma slapped her forehead. “Look at my memory, I was so busy I completely forgot. Quickly go catch up with them and see, they probably haven’t gone far.”

Xia Ling immediately ran out.

At the door of the unit building, she heard the rumbling of a small van. The man and the girl were squeezing the two cats into a cage. Xiao Bai and Ah Huang were struggling desperately and meowing loudly. “Stupid cat! What are you meowing for!” The girl suppressed her volume and scolded. She hit Xiao Bai fiercely. “I’ll kill you if you keep meowing!”

Xia Ling was shocked. Didn’t they love cats? Why were they treating the cats like this?

She couldn’t think too much and went up to grab the girl’s hand angrily. “Stop!”

The girl was caught off guard, and the cat and the cage in her hand were knocked over to the ground. Xiao Bai meowed and ran away as if avoiding some beast. Ah Huang didn’t run, but his body arched in the minivan and he hissed anxiously. Soon, more hissing sounds could be heard in the cages, some sounding mournful and some weak.

“Ah Huang, come out!” Xia Ling was also anxious, fearing that the two people who treated the cats poorly would take them away. She pushed the girl and bent over into the carriage to catch Ah Huang. Suddenly, her whole body froze—in the carriage, several cat cages were piled up in a row, and there were at least a dozen cats in them. Each one was scarred and badly injured, some had broken claws, some were blinded, and some even had their tails cut off…

The air was filled with the smell of rancid blood, making people feel sick.

Xia Ling had never seen such a horrible scene before, and her face turned pale in shock. At the side of the car, the girl pulled her back fiercely. “Get out! Who are you to enter my car!”

She regained her senses and reached out to catch Ah Huang, but Ah Huang clung deadly to the cage and refused to let go, looking at her with pleading eyes. She resisted the girl’s pulling and untied the cage with shaking hands. Inside, a cat with a broken tail zoomed out in a craze and disappeared instantly.

There was also a small milk cat whose eyes were poked by something. In the place where her eyes should have been were two bloody holes, rotting and full of pus. It curled up and shivered uncontrollably. Xia Ling reached out and picked her up, only to realize that her hind paws were also broken. The white bones poked out and dark red blood stained her snowy-white fur.

At the same time, the girl and the man worked together to pull Xia Ling out.

“Give me my cat back!” The girl screaming, grabbing the cat from Xia Ling’s arms.

Xia Ling shunned to the side and said with a trembling voice, “You’re abusing the cats!”

Grandma’s face was also pale, and she twitched her finger at the man and woman. “You two are cat abusers! You especially search for stray cats and then abuse them, right! Leave them all! I will take them to heal!”

Now, the man and woman stopped pretending.

The man looked at them arrogantly, his long colorful hair hay-like and messy. “We are cat abusers, but so what, it doesn’t have anything to do with you. You’ve already given us the cats, so we can play with them however we want to. Hahaha, get lost and don’t hinder us from having fun!”

Then, he signaled the girl. “Let’s go!”

Ah Huang was still in the car, and there were still several cat cages in the car. Many cats saw that Xia Ling had opened the cage and were all clawing on their cages and meowing desperately, all anxious and awaiting rescue.

Xia Ling looked at them and couldn’t bear leaving them, so she rushed into the car again. “Leave the cats!”

The man and woman hit her viciously.

Xia Ling’s arms were still holding onto a wounded little milk cat, and she couldn’t avoid the hit, so she instinctively bowed her head. The sunglasses on her face fell down. Her slightly haggard yet gorgeous face was exposed under the sunlight, and the girl suddenly stopped her hand mid-air and looked like she had seen a ghost. “You… you are Xia Ling!”

Xia Ling’s heart jumped. Oh no, she had been recognized.

But now was not the time to think about this. She looked angrily at the man and woman. “Leave the cats!”

The girl turned and got into the car. “Go, go, go, start the car quickly!” She was shocked. Why was the big star Xia Ling here? Didn’t the news report that she was in poor health and was resting at home? She had actually clashed with such an unattainable character and fought with her?

The girl escaped unconditionally.

The man also got on the van with the girl. “Come on!” On the driver’s seat of the minivan, there was a young man dressed very uniquely. He quickly stepped on the gas pedal and the car drove away.

Xia Ling chased after the van in vain. “Let go of those cats!”

The only thing that answered her was the car exhaust.

She was too angry and lowered her head to look at the little milk cat in her arms. Its breathing was already shallow, so she quickly handed it over to the grandma’s arms. Then, she picked up the sunglasses on the floor and put it on again. Together, they sent the little cat to the pet hospital.

Chapter 1125: Sudden Paparazzi
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

The little milk cat was properly treated.

However, the doctor said that its blinded eye and hind leg disability could not be restored for life.

He suggested to them. “Its internal organs are also damaged. This cat will only suffer if it continues to live, why not give it euthanasia?”

Xia Ling was very upset. She stared at the little cat lying on the white cloth and couldn’t bear for it to leave. “Is there no other way?” she asked the doctor unwillingly.

The doctor shook his head regretfully.

The old grandma was also very upset, but she regained her senses and agreed to the doctor’s euthanasia.

Not long after the injection of a tube of medicament, its weak and shallow breathing stopped and its small body stiffened a little. Xia Ling wrapped it in a cloth and made a simple coffin for it. Life was so fragile and it was so easy to die in suffering. She looked at it for a long time and said, “I will avenge you.”

The old grandma was as sad as she was, but when she heard this, she was shocked. “What are you going to do?”

Xia Ling said, “There is always a way to punish them. I’ll try to call the police first.”

“It’s useless.” The old grandma has been raising cats for so many years and had heard many rumors about cat abuse. “The law is only for humans, they don’t care about animal cruelty. I’ve heard of someone reporting to the police before, but they didn’t care.”

Xia Ling was silent. Did she have to let the two people walk free?

“They will abuse and kill more cats,” Xia Ling said. “I can’t sit back and watch.”

She went home with her grandma and didn’t talk for a whole afternoon. The grandma looked at her worriedly, but couldn’t think of anything reassuring to say. Even when eating dinner, Xia Ling was very quiet.

The next day, her eyes finally regained spirit. “Grandma, I’ve thought of it. Tomorrow, I’ll find Li Lei and get him to continue my career. Then, once I have money, I’ll hire a private detective to check the background of those people first, then find a way to punish them!” If she was just a civilian, she might be helpless, but as long as she restored the glory of her superstar days, she would have money to make the Devil turn millstones and could find a way.

Grandma saw that she had finally regained her spirits and was very happy. “Okay, you have to be careful.”

The idea was set, and she busied herself helping the grandma to take care of the cats in the house so that things could be well organized when she left tomorrow and the grandma wouldn’t be too busy.

Suddenly, there was a loud commotion outside the door.

Xia Ling was afraid of the noise and said, “What is going on outside, why is it so noisy?”

The old grandma rubbed her hands. “I’ll go outside and see.”

She opened the door and hadn’t even responded to what was going on when she heard a loud noise and several people rushed to the outside of the security iron door. “Is this where Xia Ling lives? Hello, is Xia Ling home? What do you think about the news of her abusing cats?”

The grandma was frightened and closed the door in a reflexive manner.

Outside, the noise was getting louder, and the people’s voices could be heard faintly. “Miss Xia Ling, we know you are inside, open the door, open the door! Why did you abuse the cats? Do you usually have this hobby? Did you join any cat abuse organization? Miss Xia Ling, Xia Ling!”

Xia Ling was also shocked by these voices and her face turned pale. “What happened?”

The old grandma shook her head and returned to the living room. “I don’t know, Xiao Ling. I think they’re here to find you?”

Xia Ling put down the little white cat on her knees and walked to the door and looked out through the blinds. “There’s so many paparazzi, they’re probably here to find me.” Ever since she had stayed here, she had found the right time to tell the old grandma her true identity, that she was a famous big star. The old grandma was not in the least bit surprised, and was even more doting on her—to fall from such a high place, how many people could endure it?

Now, her face revealed a hint of worry when she heard Xia Ling’s words. “They said you were a cat abuser.”

“How could I be a cat abuser?” Xia Ling was surprised. “Where did they hear this rumor from, and how did they know I lived here?” She said while borrowing the grandma’s phone to search for “Xia Ling, Cat Abuser” keywords. Many news came out as well as a shocking picture.

In the photo, she stood in front of a minivan, holding a small milk cat with its eyes broken and its legs bloody, staining her hands red. She was looking down at it and her expression was so scary. There was a text next to the photo, saying someone had seen someone abusing a cat unintentionally in the neighborhood and it looked like the superstar Xia Ling, so he had taken a picture in shock and uploaded it for people to recognize her.

There were a lot of hot discussions on the Internet. Some people didn’t believe it, and some even said it was photoshopped. However, countless people also scolded Xia Ling madly, saying she was snake-hearted, insidious and cruel.

Xia Ling looked at it in a daze. “I was framed!”

This was the picture of the day she had grabbed the little cat from the cat abusers. How could she be the cat abuser?!

The grandma also came together and said with anger, “It must have been the group of people who came to adopt the cats. You saved a few of their cats and they wanted to take revenge! They’re really mad!”

Xia Ling was furious. “How dare they!”

Her blood was boiling, and she couldn’t think so much. She rushed over and opened the door. “I’m not a cat abuser!” She glared angrily at the paparazzi outside.

In an instant, the shutter sounds and flashes lit up.

“Xia Ling! It’s Xia Ling!”

“Miss Xia Ling, why did you abuse the cats?”

“Miss Xia Ling, why are you living here?”

“Miss Xia Ling, didn’t you say you were sick? What have you been doing?”

A series of questions were shouted and almost engulfed her. The anti-theft iron door gave a slamming sound as people crowded against it. If it wasn’t already locked, the paparazzi would have already rushed into the house.

Xia Ling was a bit stunned. When she had faced so many reporters before, she had always been followed by agents and bodyguards and she had only needed to act cold and arrogant. Chu Chen didn’t even allow the paparazzi to ask such excessive questions to her. But now? The speculations were all negative news.

But she couldn’t back down.

Xia Ling straightened her back and told the paparazzi, “I said I have never abused cats before. That picture was an accident, the person taking the pictures is the real cat abuser!”

“Miss Xia Ling, do you have any evidence?”

“Miss Xia Ling, can you give us more detail about the incident?”

“But Miss Xia Ling, the person who uploaded the photo said it’s not the first time you abused a cat…”

The questions were overwhelming and Xia Ling’s head was about to explode. She forced herself to calm down and organize her thoughts to answer them. At this moment, a middle-aged woman carrying a plastic bag squeezed forcefully through the corridor. “Move aside, move aside, who are you people, can’t you let me go home?”

Chapter 1126: Finally Found You
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

Xia Ling looked at her. It was the shrewd woman Liu Cuiyu from next door.

She probably just returned from the vegetable market, and her plastic bag was full of loofah cauliflower.

Some reporters’ eyes lit up and grabbed her. They asked, “Big sister, are you living next to Xia Ling? As her neighbor, what do you think of her cat abuse, did you know that she abuses cats?”

“Xia Ling? Who is Xia Ling?” Liu Cuiyu asked strangely.

“You didn’t know she’s Xia Ling?” The paparazzi gestured to the girl at the security door in shock.

Liu Cuiyu turned her head and suddenly widened her eyes. She was so shocked she dropped the vegetable onto the ground. “You, you…” She pointed at Xia Ling and stuttered. “You are Xia Ling? That big star Xia Ling?!”

Usually, when Xia Ling left the house, she always wore her sunglasses, so this was the first time she had seen Xia Ling’s true face. The girl behind the anti-theft iron gate had a fair complexion and looked as beautiful as a drawing. She was exactly like the unforgettably beautiful girl she had often seen on television. No way, this kind of character that could only be seen on TV was actually living next door? Liu Cuiyu was shocked senseless and stood in the same place in a daze.

The paparazzi reacted first. “Big sister, didn’t you know Xia Ling lived next door to you? How many days has she lived here for, and what did she usually do? Has she been living here?”

Liu Cuiyu regained her senses under their incessant questioning. She had never seen such a big commotion before and her usual arrogance had long disappeared. She stammered and replied, “I, I didn’t know she was a big star, I thought she was here to rely on someone dying… Pah, no, a distant relative relying on the old grandma. How could she be a big star, why is a big star living here, and fighting with me over the cats?”

“She fought with you over the cats?” A group of paparazzi was excited. “Can you elaborate?”

Liu Cuiyu swallowed and said, “I, I don’t mean to scold her for not having social morality, but her house really has too many cats. I really want to vomit after smelling them. I, I told them and they simply didn’t listen, so…” She smiled awkwardly at Xia Ling and said, “Big, big star, I’m sorry.”

Some people were just like her, a sheep in wolf’s clothing. Once she saw someone more powerful than herself, she softened up.

However, Xia Ling wanted to vomit blood at this Liu Cuiyu. How was she answering the paparazzi’s questions? Was she deliberately finding trouble for her? Sure enough, the paparazzi excitedly asked, “There’s a strange smell in the house? What kind of smell, is it the smell of animal rot? I heard injured animals have a heavy smell, were there cats injured?”

They still wanted to continue the cat.

Xia Ling was angry and anxious, she immediately shouted, “No!”

Liu Cuiyu was scared by her and was so anxious she didn’t know where to put her hands and legs.

A paparazzi said, “Miss Xia Ling, don’t scare her. Big sister, you can tell us honestly, it’s alright.”

Li Cuiyu stammered and said, “I, I don’t know.” She picked up the vegetables on the ground. She didn’t want to be involved in this storm, what if Xia Ling came looking for her for revenge later? She didn’t want to offend the big star!

The paparazzi misunderstood her meaning. “You don’t know? Do you really not know or is there a hidden message?”

“You live so close to her, how could you not know?”

“Could this be the secret base for Xia Ling to abuse cats?”

Xia Ling said furiously, “No, no!”

Unfortunately, nobody paid attention to her. This group of paparazzi was hyenas in the press world, and wherever there was a bloody smell, they would flock there and turn the world chaotic. “Xia Ling’s abusement of cats” was such big news, and could attract countless of views all over the world, so they had to report it.

As for the truth? The truth wasn’t important at all.

Xia Ling was so anxious she didn’t know what to do. She wearing cotton pajamas that belonged to the grandma’s daughter’s old clothes. She didn’t have makeup on and didn’t have anything to hide her face. The paparazzi were desperately shotting her, capturing Xia Ling’s rare bare face! So many media would be willing to pay a high price for it!

And she was so furious her chest heaved up and down and she wanted to slam the door down fiercely.

At this moment, there was a commotion at the end of the aisle.

“Make way, make way.” Several tall and broad men squeezed in without any effort and cleared a passage amongst the paparazzi.

The paparazzi complained. “What are you squeezing for, who are you?!”

They wanted to get rid of this group of men but were pushed to the side instead. Liu Cuiyu was also crushed in the crowd and was dazed. She had never seen such a squad before. These men were all wearing uniformed black suits, and they looked on with indifference, seemingly very well trained. Liu Cuiyu looked at them and forgot to close her mouth.

A Rolls-Royce stopped in front of the residential building.

Xia Ling’s expression was no better than Liu Cuiyu’s. She looked at the man coming down from the car through the anti-theft iron gate—he wore a fine iron-gray suit, and every line was meticulously sewed on. Even though he was surrounded by a group of murderous bodyguards, he still looked majestic and formidable. His eyebrows were cold and made people look on with respect.

Pei Ziheng.

Why did he come?

Xia Ling’s legs turned to jelly and she looked at him approach step by step. She instinctively wanted to escape.

She hadn’t seen him for many days, and his expression held many things she couldn’t understand, feeling familiar yet strange.

He looked down at her through the iron gate. “Have you played enough? Come home with me.”

Xia Ling woke up from her daze and slammed the door close. The huge closing sound shook her eardrums, and even her hands were trembling. The old grandma behind her asked with concern, “Xiao Ling, what’s wrong? Who is he?”

Xia Ling took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down, but her face was still pale as a sheet of paper.

She remembered her tragic fate of fleeing the villa, the humiliation of being tied to the bedroom bed, the beatings, the abuses, and the many cruel things that trampled her heart to the soles of her feet…

The old grandma called, “Xiao Ling, Xiao Ling?”

“I’m fine.” Xia Ling used all her strength and exhaled. “He… he is the one who hit me.”

The old grandma’s expression changed. She remembered the wounds on Xia Ling when she first came and was filled with indignation. “So he’s that beast! He still dares to come to find you?! Xiao Ling, you can’t go back with him. Don’t be afraid, I’ll protect you!”

Xia Ling shook her head weakly. She knew that with Pei Ziheng here, grandma wouldn’t be able to protect her at all. She rushed to the window and wanted to see if she could escape through it, but found she had been surrounded by bodyguards. Even Chu Chen was standing outside the window of the bedroom, looking at her through the security window.

Chapter 1127: Returning to Pei Ziheng
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

Chu Chen looked at her. “Go back. He’s already here personally, you can’t escape.”

Xia Ling trembled and backed away from the window. She could hear Pei Ziheng’s serious voice from behind the door. “Open the door, come out.”

But she dared not.

The old grandma’s heart ached, for her as she saw how afraid Xia Ling was. She couldn’t help but yell at Pei Ziheng, “I don’t care who you are, domestic abuse is never right! Leave! Xiao Ling won’t return with you!”

There was a commotion outside the door as the paparazzi began discussions. “Chairman Pei, you abused Miss Xia Ling?”

It didn’t take long for everyone to quiet down again.

Xia Ling tugged at the old grandma and shook her head sadly. She quietly said, “Grandma, don’t go on anymore.” There were so many paparazzi outside, who knew what they’d spread?

But the old grandma was angered. “He hit you, this should be made known!”

“It’s not so simple,” Xia Ling said.

Outside, Pei Ziheng’s voice was calm and devoid of expression. “You can’t hide in there forever. Xiao Ling, you know what to do. Don’t drag others down with you.”

Xia Ling shivered in fear for a bit.

The old grandma grabbed her hand. “He’s just scaring you! Remember the Young Master we saw a few days ago at the hospital? He said he could protect you. Xiao Ling, give him a call, get him to help you! I’m not afraid of being dragged into this!”

Xia Ling gave a sad smile. Get Li Lei to help her?

She wouldn’t know if Li Lei really could rescue her, but even if he could, what was going to happen to the old grandma? It wasn’t as if she hadn’t seen Pei Ziheng’s cruel ways. If she escaped on her own, the old grandma would definitely be tortured by him.

She closed her eyes for a moment, and when she reopened them, it was with clarity. “Grandma, I’ll get going. Take care of yourself.”

“Xiao Ling!” The old grandma was extremely flustered. “What if he hits you again when you return!”

Xia Ling forced a smile. “It won’t happen. He’s been nice to be for so many years, this time was just… an accident.” That accident changed everything. So what if she was going to be tortured when she went back? She didn’t have a better alternative. She only had her carelessness to blame, for allowing him to find her.

She opened the door and looked up at him. “Let’s go.”

In the dim light, he grabbed her hand and left.

She struggled for a while but wasn’t successful—he held her hand even tighter now. His hand seemed to be a set of iron handcuffs securing her wrist. Behind her, she could hear the old grandma call out, “Xiao Ling!”

It was filled with worry and pain.

But there was no turning back. She’d chosen this path, and she had to walk it with him.

Amidst the paparazzi’s camera flashes, she followed him to the Rolls Royce and boarded it. The car started and drove out of the old estate. None of them spoke a word during the journey.

At the red-brick villa, Nanny Zhou had come out to welcome her with joy. “Miss, you’re back!”

But Xia Ling was expressionless. She looked at Pei Ziheng and asked, “What do you want now, are you locking me up again? Pei Ziheng, don’t let me find a way to escape. The next time I do, I’m going to the police station to turn myself in.”

Pei Ziheng suppressed the urge to hit her.

He enunciated every word clearly. “Are you courting death?”

“Do I still have a chance at living?” She looked up at him. Her voice was calm and quiet but lined with mockery.

Nanny Zhou was getting worried and hurriedly came forward. “In any case, it’s good that you’re back, it’s all good. Miss, you don’t know how worried Mister has been all these while, and how hard he’s been trying to find you. He could barely eat, just look at how much weight he’s lost.”

She looked at him. Yes, he had lost weight, his eye bags were more prominent than ever before and his mustache wasn’t shaved. But so what? She was the one who’d been tortured and insulted, what right had he to be hypocritical here? On that thought, she sneered. “You could barely eat? I guess you must be worried about Imperial Entertainment losing a cash cow, or that you wouldn’t be able to produce a murderer to answer to the Wang family?”

The moment she said that Pei Ziheng grabbed her throat and pushed her to the wall. “Xia Ling, I really wish to strangle you to death now, you know that?” He tightened his grip and she went pale.

But she continued glaring at him and struggling to scoff. “Just… kill me… you think… I really wanted to… come back?”

His eyes darkened and he began dragging her upstairs.

Nanny Zhou worriedly screamed, “Mister! Mister!” But he wouldn’t give a hoot.

Xia Ling was dragged by the collar and was choking. She struggled and coughed but he wouldn’t show any mercy. When they reached the room, he tossed her onto the bed and ripped her clothing apart. “Xia Ling,” He looked at her coldly. “you asked for this.” With that, he straightened up and entered her.

She wasn’t prepared for the pain that followed.

She let out a cry and tried to push him away, but to no avail.

He went on ferociously and she felt like she might die from the pain. But that pain fuelled her aggression as well—she was not going to cry or beg for mercy, all she’d do was hurl every mean word she could think of at him.

Until she was completely fatigued.

He held her exhausted body in his arms and traced her outline. A long time later, he quietly said, “Do you know when you’re the most honest?”

She turned her head away, swearing not to speak to him.

But Pei Ziheng didn’t need an answer from her as he continued stroking her fair skin. As he looked at the red marks he left on her, he finally said, “I’m sorry.”

She had a shock and momentarily forgot what she’d sworn to herself. She turned around and looked at him incredulously. “What did you say?”

In the moonlight, his eyes were deep and soulful. “They’ve found the murderer, you’re innocent. The Wang family will stop hounding you, and I won’t continue locking you up.”

She thought she heard him wrongly. “What?” She mumbled to herself. She’d suffered so much and felt so wronged, only for him to tell her that they’d found the real murderer?! At that moment, a flurry of emotions surged inside her and her tears began coming.

Pei Ziheng held her tight and let her cry quietly. They were silent for a long time.

“I hate you.” She choked on those words after she was finally done crying.

Pei Ziheng said again, softly and seriously, “I’m sorry.” This was the second time he’d apologized that day. In the 10-odd years that she’d spent with him, this was the first time she’d seen him apologize so sincerely.

But so what?

The hurt had been caused, and it wasn’t something that could simply be written off with an “I’m sorry”.

“I hate you.” She repeated between sniffles. “I don’t want to see you ever again.”

He leaned over and kissed her forehead despite her struggles. It was a long, sustained one as if he was kissing his greatest treasure. As if… the violence that he’d committed a while ago hadn’t happened.

Chapter 1128: Broken
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

She gradually went quiet, probably from all the crying, or from feeling utterly hopeless.

Pei Ziheng combed her hair with his fingers as he said in a tender voice, “It’s all in the past now. From now on, we’ll live together blissfully.”

Live together blissfully? Things had turned so sour and so much had fallen apart…

There was no going back.

She asked very quietly, “Who’s the murderer?”

Pei Ziheng appeared to have expected this question from her. He said, “They haven’t found out yet. Don’t worry, when they get to the bottom of it, I’ll let you know immediately.” The murderer was Xia Yu; there was no doubt about it. He had already broken her limbs and tortured her in the basement for countless days and nights, before sending her to the Wang family who hated her to the core. He did not care about what Xia Yu would be going through over at the Wang’s. In any case, she wasn’t coming back alive.

But he wouldn’t let Xia Ling know this.

She already bore so much hatred towards him, he couldn’t let it get any worse.

Thankfully, she was so simple and naive. A lie was all it took to get past her question.

As he guessed, Xia Ling did not get suspicious or probe further. She pushed him away and got off the bed as she walked towards the door bare-bodied.

Pei Ziheng grabbed her arm swiftly. “Where are you going?”

She smiled ironically. “Where else? To shower.”

He pulled her back into his arms. She glared into his eyes, “What are you doing?!”

He lifted her chin without much force. “I don’t like the way you smiled at me.”

Xia Ling could not suppress the anger inside her. “Pei Ziheng, what right have you to control me?! Do you really think you’re a god?! Just a word of apology and I’m expected to return to you? You really think I’m that foolish? I’ll tell you, I hate you! I’ll never, ever forgive you!”

He looked at her calmly. “So what do you want me to do?”

She was silent.

What did she want him to do? To break up with her and let her off.

But she knew him too well. She knew that he’d never let her go.

Seeing that she wasn’t speaking, Pei Ziheng added, “I’ll make it up to you. I’ll pamper you and care for you more than I did before. Xiao Ling, don’t throw a tantrum over this anymore. Haven’t you always wanted a red Ferrari? I’ll give you one tomorrow, how about that?” She loved speeding, and her favorite was a Ferrari. She had owned one many years back, but he’d gotten angry when he found out that she was racing with someone else on a cliff. He had it scrapped and never allowed her to engage in such activities again.

Back then, she threw a tantrum over it for a long time. She had ignored him for almost a half month, and even changed the car logo of his Rolls Royce to a Hello Kitty. As those memories came to mind, Pei Ziheng’s lips curled into a soft smile. “This time, I’ll have no objection even if you want to turn the whole Imperial Entertainment building into a Hello Kitty themed one.”

She recalled those good times too and almost burst into tears.

But she kept it all in. “I’m no longer a child.”

“With me, you can always be a child.”

“Foolish and ignorant, and under your control? Pei Ziheng, I won’t be so silly anymore.”

“What exactly do you want?”

“Marriage, can you give me that?” Xia Ling looked at him, almost as if she was a soft rose with sharp thorns to protect her fragility. “Marry me, or let me go.”

Pei Ziheng suppressed himself. “Marriage is impossible, and I will not let you go.”

She knew he was going to give such an answer. She turned away, closed her eyes, and shut him out. He kissed her on the back of her neck and went lower, exploring her skin again. She was infuriated by his actions and attempted to push him away. But he grabbed hold of her and tossed her onto the bed once again, pressing her down and entering her, slowly but decisively. None of them made a sound throughout the process. They plunged into darkness and this seemed like a battle to the death—no one gave an inch.

The sky crumbled.

She thought, Nothing in this world can get worse than this.

She no longer talked to him or smiled at him. She even refused to share a table with him during mealtimes, unless and until he carried her to the table with a straight face, held her still and forced food through her clenched teeth.

Nanny Zhou was worried about this situation.

“Miss, you can’t go on like this.” When Pei Ziheng wasn’t home, she would advise Xia Ling. “Mister has your interests at heart, and he has his difficulties as well. You’ve had your arguments and unhappiness, but the road from here on is still long. You can’t be angry with Mister for life.”

“You’re his housemaid, of course you’re speaking up for him.” Xia Ling was unmoved.

Nanny Zhou kept quiet immediately and appeared slightly hurt.

Xia Ling suddenly smiled at her. “You know what’s my greatest wish now? I wish that he’d quickly marry a rich girl and that the rich girl would throw an air ticket in my face. I’ll take my leave instantly and go to a place that he’ll never be able to find me.”

“Miss!” Nanny Zhou was getting anxious.

Xia Ling smiled again. “Just kidding. You actually took it for real?”

Ever since she returned, she’d have a few bodyguards with her each time she went out. She had to remain in their field of vision, so there was no way to escape. Given how controlling he was of her, it was unlikely that he’d allow his new wife—if any—to interact with her alone.

She was in a daze for a while before looking up at Nanny Zhou. “I’m hungry, is there any food?”

Nanny Zhou was slightly stunned. “Didn’t you just eat with Mister?”

“The sight of him makes me lose my appetite.”

Nanny Zhou sighed and went to the kitchen to prepare some food.

Xia Ling did not have much of an appetite but still forced herself to eat. She couldn’t just sit around and wait for her death. What she needed to do was to conserve enough energy for her next chance at escape.

But it had been more than 10 days and not a single opportunity had emerged yet.

She had thought about going to Li Lei for help, but there was too much of a risk that Pei Ziheng would find out and ruin all her future plans for it.

She thought for a while and someone finally came to mind—Xia Yu. So much had happened recently that she’d actually forgotten to contact her sister. How was she doing now? She gave Xia Yu a call but it didn’t get through. Hence, she changed up and went straight to the chauffeur. “I want to go to Xiao Yu’s villa.”

Chapter 1129: Looking for Xia Ling
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

Xia Ling’s villa was not far from another high-end residential area nearby.

Xia Ling went to ring the doorbell, but nobody answered. The whole villa was so vacant and silent it felt a bit strange. Her premonition was not good, so she asked the driver, “Do you know where Xiao Yu went? Why isn’t anyone at home and nobody is answering the phone?”

The driver said respectfully, “I’m not sure. Why don’t I help you ask Miss Xia Yu’s driver?”

Xia Ling nodded in agreement, but the result of asking was still the same. It was said that Xia Yu had not used the car for several days. Xia Ling panicked and made another round of phone calls to Feng Kun, Chu Chen, Xiao Hua, etc…

But none of them had seen Xia Yu recently.

Imperial Entertainment’s headquarters.

Chu Chen hung up the phone and knocked on the door of the chairman’s office. “Boss, Xiao Ling just called me to ask for Xia Yu.” This was where he was meticulous; he knew the importance of a little phone call. This was the reason why he could stay more than ten years working under the savvy and discerning Pei Ziheng and still keep his status.

Pei Ziheng said, “Okay.”

Just as he said this, he also received a call from Xia Ling. “Xiao Ling? You said Xia Yu is missing? Don’t worry, I’ll send people to search for her. You just wait at home and wait for my new.”

He hung up the phone and glanced at Chu Chen, who was waiting for him respectfully. “Go get a few people to search around and bring together a large group of people with great fanfare. Also, remind the Wang family to lock her up securely.”

Chu Chen bowed silently and retired.

They all knew, what was the point in having so many people search? Xia Yu was in the Wang family’s hands, and this time, even if she was not tortured half to death, the Wang family would still never let her go.

Xia Ling came home and waited for Pei Ziheng’s return in worry. Once he was home, she asked, “Have they found her?”

Pei Ziheng handed his coat to Nanny Zhou and said, “I’ve already sent people to inform the police, and also sent people to find out in the major media business. I also hired private detectives and I’m trying my best to search for her. You can rest assured.”

Xia Ling was still very worried. “She’s not in good health, so how could she just disappear without saying anything? Could it be that something has happened to her… she has been missing for a few days, why didn’t you realize she was missing?”

Pei Ziheng looked down at her. “In the time when you were missing, I spent all my energy and time looking for you.”

Xia Ling glared at him and was suddenly silent.

Pei Ziheng said softly, “Do you know how worried I was at that time? Just like how worried you are about her now, so how could I have noticed other things?”

She turned her head in silence, her heart feeling sour and uncomfortable.

Pei Ziheng looked at her and smiled silently. He had been anticipating this effect, for her to be moved and guilty, to think that the disappearance of Xia Yu was her own fault… only then would she stop trying to find out the truth behind the incident. Also, she would be hell-bent on him again.

He helped her onto the sofa in the living room and poured a glass of water for her.

She held the cup absent-mindedly and heard him ask, “Are you still angry with me?”

She was a little surprised and remembered how much she hated him, but because of the disappearance of Xia Yu, she had lost her senses and had to ask him for help, so she had forgotten about hating him. She bit her lip and said, “If you help me find Xiao Yu, I’ll… I’ll…”

“Just stay with me, okay?”

“I don’t want to be a mistress.”

“I’ve already said that I’ve never regarded you as a mistress.” He leaned over and kissed her gently, his voice husky. “Xiao Ling, you are the only woman I love. In the past, now, and in the future.”

“I…”

“Don’t reject me.” He interrupted her softly. “Xia Yu is still missing.”

“You!” She was shocked and angry and suddenly glared at him. “You are threatening me!”

Pei Ziheng’s expression was still gentle, and his words were still clear and calm. “From the beginning, I only wanted you and you alone. Xiao Ling, you already knew that. When you were in the orphanage, if it was not for you, why would I have adopted Xia Yu?”

She indeed knew about it for a long time, but at this junction, she couldn’t help but feel cold. “You have had Xiao Yu for so many years, even if it was a cat or a dog you would have feelings too. She admires you so much, how could you be so cruel? Pei Ziheng, don’t blame her for whatever is between us!”

“Ha.” Pei Ziheng chuckled and looked at her. “Xiao Ling, who brought her between us from the beginning? When I wanted to adopt you at that time, what did you say? You wouldn’t leave with me unless I treated Xia Yu’s illness. Now, you’re telling me not to involve her? If it wasn’t for you… she is nothing in my eyes.”

Xiao Ling still didn’t know why Xia Yu wanted to harm her.

A few days ago, he had sent someone to catch Xia Yu and ask her about her motives for the crime.

He hadn’t expected Xia Yu to say that she loved him, so she hated Wang Jingwan and her sister and had thought of this plan to poison her to death and frame Xia Ling since it was killing two birds with one stone. She was such a vicious woman, how could she be worthy of Xiao Ling’s love? He would tell Xiao Ling the truth and have her keep all the love she had for Xia Yu and love only him.

However, it was not now.

Pei Ziheng stepped forward forcefully. “Promise to stay with me and I’ll continue looking for her.”

Xia Ling was trembling with anger. “You are despicable and selfish!”

Pei Ziheng did not move. “Despicable and selfish? Were you not selfish when you used my money to treat Xia Yu’s illness? There’s no such free thing in the world, did you really think I was king enough to just help any random cat and dog?”

Xia Ling stared at him and saw resoluteness and cruelty in his eyes. She shook and whispered, “I beg you to help me continue to find Xiao Yu, I… I’ll give you all my money. I have a few billions, they should be enough to compensate for the medical expenses you spent on Xiao Yu.”

Pei Ziheng chuckled, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Is it really enough?”

The money he had spent at the beginning was to buy the life of Xia Yu, so what if Xia Ling had billions now? These billions would not be able to save Xia Yu’s life! Furthermore, it was money earned under his cultivation.

Xia Ling knew it wasn’t enough. She understood logic too, but she really didn’t want to devote her life to him because of this. She was his mistress, no matter how he tweaked it to sound pleasant, it was an indisputable fact.

Was her life going to be destroyed like this?

“Why…” she muttered to him. “Why must you force me? Why can’t you start kind and finish kind, and let me have a good memory in my heart? Why do you have to make me hate you.”

His expression changed slightly and he quickly said, “It’s only considered a kind finish if you are by my side.”

“If not?”

“Then both of us can’t coexist.”

The air around them seemed to solidify, and her whole body started shaking even more.

She listened to Pei Ziheng say, “My patience is limited. Xia Yu has been missing for so long, maybe something happened to her. She has limited time waiting for rescue. Once time passes, there will be no more hope.”

Chapter 1130: Tearing Xia Yu’s Mask
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

Xia Ling’s heart sank. It hurt so terribly that it felt numb instead.

She heard herself whispered, “Okay.” So what if she wasn’t okay with it? She couldn’t escape nor hide, and could only be imprisoned in this side of the world to serve him. What was the difference between this and being a mistress? Yes, she wasn’t reconciled. If her sister had been fine, she would fight till the end and would rather be a shard of jade than a whole tile. But now, her sister was missing, and her life and death were still uncertain, so she couldn’t continue to be willful.

Pei Ziheng looked warmly and gently at her. “Have you thought it through?”

“I have.”

“You won’t regret?”

“I won’t regret.”

A hint of a smile appeared in the depth of his eyes, and he leaned back on the sofa and said to her, “If that’s the case, then show some sincerity. Take off your clothes.”

Her body trembled and her face turned pale.

Pei Ziheng said, “Why, are you unwilling?”

Her eyes clearly said she was unwilling, but under his oppressive gaze, she could only say dryly, “Not… not here.” This was the villa’s living room on the first floor, and outside the floor-to-ceiling window was the red wild rose garden that was hidden from view. The winter sunshine just happened to shine and render the world limpid and clear.

What if Nanny Zhou or the butler or the driver bumped into them?

He didn’t move. “Do it here.” He had spoiled her too much, so she didn’t know her limits and even ran away and wanted to marry him? She made such a whimsical request. From today, he would teach her what the rules were, and let him stay with him in peace. This would be good for both of them.

1Xia Ling lowered her head, and her white jade-like fingers grabbed onto the mother-of-pearl buttons on her placket, shivering slightly. She stole a glance at him, but he was still unmoving, his cold and majestic face like a demon. In the silent confrontation, she couldn’t stand it anymore and took her clothes off bit by bit, exposing her beautiful collarbone and her curvy chest and abdomen to the cold winter air. It was like a white offering presenting itself to him.

She grabbed onto a thin silk coat with her hands and barely covered her back with it. She begged him. “Let me keep at least this.” She was really afraid that someone would suddenly break-in. If that happened, this thin silk coat was the only thing that could maintain her last, poor dignity.

Pei Ziheng declined to comment and gestured for her to undress him.

She squatted and carefully draped in her silk coat, leaned into his arms and took off his excellent material wool vest and shirt. His sturdy chest was brace and there was not a trace of flesh. Her hands trembled slightly as she moved downwards and unbuckled his custom belt at his waist while shivering. The cold belt buckle touched her finger, and the chill shook the bottom of her heart. She didn’t unbuckle it for a long time. His expression turned dark and suddenly impatiently, so he turned over and pressed her under his body.

She struggled instinctively, but he immediately restrained her. The violent storm-like attack made her feel like a small boat in a storm, carrying a heavy load and involuntarily being touched.

Her eyes gradually darkened and she fell asleep in his arms.

After touching her, Pei Ziheng wrapped her in his shirt and kissed her forehead gently.

She was so beautiful, and it wasn’t enough no matter how many times he demanded it. Only she could make him unable to restrain his emotions and use unscrupulous means to make her stay by his side. Was it cruel? He didn’t think so, because there was no one else in this world that loved her more than he did. Following him was her best home.

1He helped her tidy up the mess on her.

His gaze suddenly fell on her wrist—a silver bracelet on the jade-like wrist, seemingly very old, was emitting a faint light in the clear winter sunlight.

That was the gift he had given her when she was twelve.

He still remembered that the inner circle of the silver bracelet was engraved with their abbreviation, and there were four words: Never Leave Each Other.

Thinking of this, he smiled a little and lifted her hand to plant a kiss there. When she had left home a few days ago, he had sent Chu Chen to handle the aftermath—seal the paparazzi’s mouth, and warn the old grandma that had taken her in on what to say and what not to say. The old grandma had taken out a pair of diamond earrings to Chu Chen and said, “This is Xiao Ling’s. She insisted on giving me this as her accommodation fee, but how could I keep it? Give it back to her.”

The pair of earrings was brought by herself.

He remembered that she liked it very much and wore it on many occasions.

However, in a dire state, she would rather take them out and give them away than to give the silver bracelet that was not worth a few dollars. In fact, she still had him in her heart, right?

After what happened in the living room, she was even more silent. Only when she was asking for the progress of Xia Yu did she regain her former spirit. Pei Ziheng helped her “find” for a while, and after a while, he thought it was time and told her, “The results from the private detective and the police are out. The real murderer of Wang Jingwan is Xia Yu. She escaped for fear of punishment, so it would probably be hard to find her.”

Xia Ling found it unbelievable. “What did you say? Xiao Yu is the real murderer?” How could it be? She was her sister, her only blood-related relative in the world, why would she murder Wang Jingwan?

Xia Ling’s expression turned pale and she took a few steps back.

Pei Ziheng lowered his head at her. “The police found the diary left by Xia Yu. In fact, she has always been jealous of you. She was jealous that you were more beautiful and doted on than her, so she wanted you to die. She framed you after killing Wang Jingwan.”

His words were like a heavy hammer hitting her heart.

She groaned in pain. “Impossible… impossible! Xiao Yu is so good to me, how could she be jealous of me? It must be wrong. She doesn’t even dare to kill a cockroach, how could she kill someone?!”

Pei Ziheng said, “Nothing is impossible. Remember the poison I found in your bag in the practice room? That was sneaked in by Xia Yu, but she didn’t expect me to realize the murderer wasn’t you, and to ask the police to investigate deeper. She was afraid, so she ran away.”

Xia Ling was still in doubt. How could their sisterhood of more than a decade die out because of these few words? She still remembered her sister looking at her weakly, calling her sister softly.

“Where’s the evidence?” she asked, her voice trembling. “I want to see the evidence.”

Pei Ziheng said, “The evidence is in the hands of the police and kept secret.” In fact, there was no diary at all. He only said that to make Xia Ling give up.

But Xia Ling was still looking for reasons to convince herself. “Impossible… there must be some mistake. I don’t believe she was jealous and resentful of me! Ziheng, she must have suffered some accident, that’s why she’s missing!”

Pei Ziheng looked at her with pity and didn’t speak.

Xia Ling’s lips were white, and she suddenly looked up and said, “I want to go find her. There must be some hidden meaning, I must find her and ask for the truth!”