Chapter 131: Knock It Off Boss
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

She stayed in the mountains for a few days to recuperate. The scars on her hands and feet slowly vanished, and her emotions also stabilized.

She found him in a large field of cotton rose hibiscus flowers and asked, “There was a luggage bag in the white BMW that you arranged for Mr. Zhou to pick me up in. Have you seen it?”

Li Lei put down his gardening shears and thought for a moment. “I recall hearing Mr. Zhou say that there was a large luggage bag. He said that it was yours. I have already asked someone to move it to your room. Do you want it now? I’ll get someone to retrieve it.”

“Yes,” said Xia Ling decisively. “That’s my war trophy.”

“War trophy?” asked Li Lei.

Xia Ling delightedly told him about Fourth Uncle and Fourth Aunt’s failed plan to sabotage her such that they even ended up paying her for their release. Li Lei had already heard the story from Mr. Zhou, but he was equally horrified after hearing it personally from Xia Ling. He wanted to rush out in that instant and kill all of them: Fourth Uncle, Fourth Aunt, and that damned Nan Sheng.

However, Xia Ling laughed like a triumphant general. After the servants brought the luggage bag over, she opened it for Li Lei to see. “Look! One million dollars, no less! There are also gold bars and a Rolex watch!”

She was very proud of her achievement and boasted it to him.

Looking at her in her pile of wealth, Li Lei did not know whether to laugh or cry. A mere million dollars was nothing in his eyes. As long as she wanted it, he could give her more than that. However, until now, she still refused to accept such gifts and would rather work herself to death to earn that small amount of money. Furthermore, she was so delighted after obtaining it.

“Aren’t I impressive?” She proudly raised her chin and asked.

Li Lei hesitated to agree with her although he felt the exact opposite.

As such, Xia Ling was even more delighted and took the Rolex Watch. “Take it. I want you to have this.”

“A gift for me?” Li Lei was stunned.

“Yes!” She said matter-of-factly. “Everyone who helped me has a share. I also gave Mr. Zhou a handful of money.”

Li Lei instantly turned from being touched to jealous. What was it with her? He initially thought that that silly little girl had opened up and knew how to give her boyfriend a gift, but it turned out that… even though he was officially her boyfriend, he was being treated the same as a chauffeur!

Li Lei was entirely saddened by that fact.

Xia Ling grabbed his hand and started to help him put on the brand new silver-white Rolex. Suddenly, after she was halfway done, she stopped and removed the watch. “On second thought, I don’t think I should give this to you,” she said.

“Why?!” He was worried and quickly stopped her from removing the watch. Even though he was given the same treatment as a chauffeur, it was a little better than being treated less important than a chauffeur!

Xia Ling was a bit sullen. “Even Ah Wei is wearing a Patek Philippe watch. You can’t wear just a Rolex.” Patek Philippe was undisputedly the most revered watch brand among the brands of luxury goods. She had even custom-made one for Pei Ziheng before. Compared to Patek Philippe, a Rolex watch was just too common and could be easily seen on the wrist of any nouveau riche on the street.

Li Lei was a Big Boss. How could he wear a watch that was of less value than his staff member?

Li Lei laughed after he realized what the reason was. He happily said, “That’s alright. I like Rolex watches. I like anything that you give me.” He took off the waterproof military watch on his wrist and replaced it with the Rolex at lightning speed.

Xia Ling looked at the watch he replaced. It was neither a Patek Philippe nor a Vacheron Constantin and had no brand prestige. The watch was thick, concise, boorish, and black-coated. It was unremarkable, but it had subtle strength and power. Its strap was metallic, and there was a little wear and tear in parts that were not obvious. Her intuition told her that it was a watch that had been with him for a long time, and perhaps, it was much better than the Rolex…

She gave Li Lei a somewhat perplexed look. A watch signified a man’s status. He did not have to sacrifice so much for her.

Li Lei just laughed and gave her a toothy smile. “Xiao Ling, you’re so considerate. Look at my old watch, the straps are worn out. I have wanted to change it for a long time. You gave me a replacement just in time. A Rolex is not bad. I like its design.”

Half doubtful, Xia Ling asked, “Really?”

Li Lei readily nodded his head.

Actually, she did not know that the waterproof military watch that he wore had many functions. Whether he was in the jungle, desert or tundra environment, the watch had many uses and could save his life during crucial moments. In actuality, it had saved his life a few times in the past. Just because of what she said, he replaced his important and useful watch with an ordinary Rolex.

However, he did not mind taking the risk.

Seeing that he really enjoyed wearing and looking at the Rolex, Xia Ling just went with it.

She half-knelt on the floor and counted the money in the luggage bag. Then, she took a breath and pushed all the money and the two gold bars in front of Li Lei.

“You’re giving me these too?” Li Lei was shocked again. “Xiao Ling, you’re so nice to me.”

“In your dreams.” Xia Ling threw him a quick glance. “I’m returning you back the money I owe you. I still owe the company more money.” After she said that, she sighed disappointedly. Then, Fourth Uncle and Fourth Aunt had promised her ten million dollars. Unfortunately, the luggage bag only had a million dollars in cash. If she had tried to blackmail them a bit more, perhaps she could have paid back the debt she owed the company in full.

Li Lei slightly tilted his head. “Xiao Ling,” he said.

Xia Ling supported her chin using her hands. “Honestly, you can earn more money from robbing someone than being in the entertainment industry. Just a couple of million more and I will be rich.”

“Yes.” Li Lei sternly nodded his head. “After you have married into the Li Family, there will be chances for you to rob others. I’ll bring you and a bunch of men with guns and ammunition to the Caribbean, South Africa, and…”

Xia Ling was speechless.

How could she forget that he was part of the underworld?

“Forget it, I don’t want to be wanted by the Interpol.” She replied unenthusiastically.

Li Lei blinked and said, “I just finished a job. We won’t be wanted.”

She became worried. “What?” They were within the boundaries of their country and not in a foreign country like the Caribbean or South Africa. Could it be that he killed someone or committed arson and robbery here? She remembered that he usually abided by the law.

Li Lei laughed and imitated the delighted state she was in. “The Fourth Ye Family couple still owe you nine million dollars, right? I have already gotten the money from them for you.” Mr. Zhou had mentioned this to Li Lei, and since Li Lei did not like being taken advantaged of, he unsurprisingly helped his woman get back her money.

Xia Ling was shocked. He had to be kidding! Thinking about it again, Li Lei was rich and powerful. If he wanted to bully Old Man Ye who was of low status, he could do it as easy as turning his own hand.

She quietly pitied Fourth Uncle in her head but excitedly exclaimed. “Nine million dollars? That’s awesome! That means I have repaid my entire debt to Skyart Entertainment! I can even give you the remaining money as interest!”

“There’s still a lot left after deducting the interest.” Li Lei looked at her slyly. “There’s still around two million dollars remaining. Take the money and spend it.”

“Boss, you’re so impressive!” Xia Ling was thrilled and gave him a big hug. “I want to go shopping, eat, drink, and have fun!” It was too good to be true. She finally had some money. In her previous life, she could be considered a billionaire’s wife. Ever since she was reborn, she had been extremely poor. She could not even buy a single thing she liked. At last, she could now indulge a little.

“What did you call me?” On the other hand, Li Lei was not pleased. They were already boyfriend and girlfriend, but she still did not change the way she addressed him. Sometimes, she called him “Li Lei” and other times she called him “Boss.” He had objected to it many times to no avail.

“Knock it off, Boss.” She stood up and smiled as she stroked his hair like she was stroking a puppy and jumped out in glee. “I’m going to buy everything on my list and see how I can spend this sum of money!”

Chapter 132: Ah Wei the Fire-breathing Dragon
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

Xia Ling was a star now, and it was not all that appropriate for her to be shopping openly in the local stores. Hence, she chose to get what she needed in Paris instead.

As her official boyfriend, Li Lei was more than willing to go along with her, and everything — arranging a private jet, planning the shopping routes, and even carrying the shopping bags — was settled by Li Lei.

Xia Ling purchased a lot of outfits, scarves, and accessories. It was early spring when she first made her debut, and as they moved into the thick of summer, many of her previous outfits were no longer suitable. It was time to get new ones. She got many gifts as well, one for each friend — a pair of beautiful pearl earrings for Sister Mai Na, athletic earphones for Ah Wei, and also individual gifts for those who had recently made their debut, including Lu Tao and Luo Luo.

She even got the mighty Er Mao a Cartier collar pendant.

“Why isn’t there one for me?” Boss coquettishly grumbled as he watched her count her gifts against her checklist.

Xia Ling just realized that she had forgotten about him and was feeling a little guilty. “Well, I got you a Rolex already.”

“That’s not the same, you even gave Mr. Zhou some money!” Big Boss did not let her off so easily.

Xia Ling sighed. Why did she not realize he was this difficult to handle before? He was acting more like a son than a boyfriend…

She thought about it for a while before resigning herself to it. “Shoot, what do you want?”

Li Lei smiled and took her to a jewelry shop the next day. He pointed at a pair of titanium rings and said, “I want this.” It was a simple design, the smaller ring for the female sitting quietly beside the male’s, sparkling in the glass cabinet under the white light.

Xia Ling looked at it, stunned.

“You see, you’ll give me one, and I’ll give you the other. Fair and square,” Li Lei said.

Xia Ling responded in shock, “We’re not married yet, we aren’t even engaged.”

“Why does that matter?” A cheeky expression lay in his eyes. “You can just take it as a necklace pendant. When we get engaged, I can get you something else then.”

“I…”

She was about to say something when the sales staff approached them. “This is our newest design. It seems simple, but it symbolizes eternal love, and as long as a couple puts them on, the Heavens will bless their love.”

Li Lei looked at her, eyes widened with delight.

Blessings…

Unexpectedly, Xia Ling nodded her head. There were too many painful experiences in her previous life, and she hoped that this could bring her some comfort and hope for a simpler and more smooth-sailing experience this time.

The sales staff was overjoyed to have closed a deal and enthusiastically asked if they would like any carvings on the rings.

Li Lei decided to have L and Y, both their surname initials, to be carved.

“Hold on…” Xia Ling hesitated.

“What’s wrong?” Li Lei asked her.

Xia Ling was silent for a while… Should she carve Y? Y was the initial for Ye in Ye Xingling. This surname was too distant for her, it was nothing more than a fictitious label for the person she was in this lifetime. Her real name was still Xia Ling.

Should she carve X? But she had no reasonable explanation for that.

How about the L in Ling? That sounded way too intimate.

She had indeed accepted him as her boyfriend, but she still was not ready to hand her entire self to him, be it her soul or her body. She had too many secrets, too many experiences too close to her heart, and there was too much buried deep in her heart that he still had not accessed…

“Xiao Ling?” He called her softly. “Are you alright?”

Xia Ling snapped out of her thoughts. “I- I’m fine. Let’s go with Y.”

Li Lei did not overthink about it and confirmed the carvings to be “LY.” The sales staff got them done in no time and got them a corresponding titanium necklace chains. Li Lei personally put the necklace and pendant on for her.

The flawless ring against her fair, delicate skin — it looked perfect.

“They really should get you to endorse their products.” Li Lei smiled.

Xia Ling fiddled with the ring she now wore as a necklace and felt the little Y engraved in the ring. She smiled distractedly. “Actually, I don’t really enjoy being an endorser.” She was a singer purely because she enjoyed singing, all the other tasks that came with it were just taken on as part of her work ethics and publicity.

Li Lei nodded and consciously took note: he would get Sister Mai Na to take on fewer endorsement tasks for her.

They filled the private jet with all the gifts they had gotten in Paris and flew back to distribute them.

When they got to Wei Shaoyin, they were greeted with reprimands. “Ye Xingling, you’re finally back! Do you know how long you’ve delayed the recording for?! Shopping! If we can’t get the next song released, I’ll see what you can shop with!”

Xia Ling kept quiet.

Wei Shaoyin bombarded her with song sheets and other documents. “Take them! These are all accumulated. I want you to finish going through them in three days!”

“Okay.” She was buried in the pile of papers and mild as a lamb.

The producer was king, and this Virgo producer happened to be a fire-breathing dragon when he acted up.

In the next few days, she spent the bulk of her time in the recording studio, working from dawn till dusk. According to Wei Shaoyin, this new song was critical as it was the last song that could be released before the Best New Artiste Award ceremony. This was the final chance to amass some popularity and could make or break the artiste’s success in receiving the award. Hence, they had to make sure this was a job well done.

They did the audio-testing and editing for days on end, ingesting so much caffeine that even walking gave them a light, floaty sensation. When it finally came to an end, Xia Ling let out a long moan and rested her head on the desk, unwilling to get up.

Wei Shaoyin was still in glowing spirits, tying up the final loose ends while talking to her. “Xiao Ling, you’re going to be staying here for a while, I still have quite a bit to discuss with you… There’s a bed in a section of my office, we’ll continue after you’re up from your nap.”

Xia Ling nodded weakly, her head groggy. She bumped into the door frame twice on her way out, and finally stumbled into the bed in the office. She closed her eyes and entered dreamland almost immediately.

She woke up in the back of a car. It was quiet in the car, and the seat under her was a soft genuine leather texture, while a thick blanket covered her; put together, it felt warm and cozy. She was dazed for a few moments before she propped herself up and saw the person in the driver’s seat… just the back view of him.

It looked so familiar.

“You’re up?” It was Li Lei’s voice. He looked up and glanced at her in the rearview mirror. “Sleep in for a bit, we’ll be home soon… Oh right, you’d better not go to Wei Shaoyin’s so often in future; that workaholic has practically lost all his humanity. If he doesn’t let you go, just give me a call and I’ll rescue you.”

Xia Ling was still hung up about that song. “Ah Wei said he still had quite a bit to discuss…”

Li Lei turned around to look at her, his expression unreadable.

Xia Ling felt somehow a little guilty and her voice trailed off.

“Having one workaholic in Skyart is enough.” Li Lei turned back around and continued driving, his tone gentle but with a trace of inexplicable threat. “I don’t want there to be a second one. Xiao Ling, if you sleep in his office again, I’ll immediately send him to South Africa and make him work with aboriginal music instead!”

… Well, why was it that he would take it out on Ah Wei if she made him unhappy?

Chapter 133: Imperial Entertainment’s Cocktail Reception
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

Ah Wei’s misfortune was not just about Boss taking it out on him.

Just as he finished working tirelessly on her new song “Eyes Beneath the Mask,” some sad news came along — the Diva Xia Ling’s tribute song “The Caged Butterfly” was about to be launched.

Why was this considered sad news?

Any new release that clashed with the launch of “Caged Butterfly” was definitely at a losing end. The press and media would be focussing on news coverage of this tribute song that the public had been longing to hear about, and as for the other new songs? Nobody would be interested in them.

Ah Wei was grumpy. There was only this period left for the release and publicity before the Best New Artiste award reveal. He cursed and swore at Feng Kun in the recording studio. “This workaholic bastard! Are you pitting yourself against me on purpose! You could be enjoying your holidays abroad, but you choose to come back at such an untimely period, what for! Does Imperial owe you your wages!”

Xia Ling could not listen to it any longer. Hey, Ah Wei, you actually think of the “workaholic” word as a negative too?

She took a look at the black card with rose-gold embossment. “Three days from now at Imperial Entertainment Building. Ah Wei, if you’re not going, I’ll just throw this away.” In her previous life, she held a cocktail reception every time she released a new song and invited some socialites as well as the big shots in the industry. She always made it an event unique to her to distinguish herself from the rest of the celebrities.

It sure was unique, with so many distinguished guests getting together every once in a while. If not for Pei Ziheng’s status, there was no way a celebrity in the entertainment industry could manage to invite them.

Hence, her status in the entertainment circle was impossible to be challenged, no one else but she had such an honor.

But, she remembered Ah Wei never attended the receptions.

Just as she took an aim and was about to throw it in the bin, Ah Wei snatched it over.

“Hey, don’t! Who says I’m not going?” Ah Wei was flustered.

“Huh? You want to go?”

“Imperial Entertainment’s reception, hmph, pretentious and snobbish.”

That’s right . Xia Ling agreed with him silently. That’s precisely why Ah Wei doesn’t like Imperial, then why is he attending this time?

Ah Wei clenched his teeth. “I want to know what Feng Kun’s “Caged Butterfly” is all about. If it’s a lousy work, I’ll shove “Eyes Beneath the Mask” in his face!”

Xia Ling was silent. So he was there to spy on his rival.

Feng Kun always had very high standards and took great care of even the smallest of details. In a song as important as “The Caged Butterfly,” there was no way he would make a mistake. Xia Ling wanted to advise Ah Wei not to waste his time but decided to forget about it considering how stubborn Ah Wei was.

She lazily said, “You have fun there, I’ll be at home sleeping.” He had been working her out for the past many days, and even though Li Lei was there to rescue her occasionally, to stop her from overworking, she was still exhausted from all the work. She had planned to catch up on her beauty sleep over the next few days, do some yoga, and get some massages…

Her daydream had only lasted a mere few seconds when she heard Ah Wei—

“You’re coming with me.”

“Huh?” Xia Ling looked up in shock.

“You’re a singer, can’t you be a little more diligent? You’ll go and learn more about your rival song, no skiving.” Ah Wei flipped to the back of the invitation in slight frustration. “Those at Imperial Entertainment are very contentious… remember to wear a formal gown on that day.”

Xia Ling walked out of the recording studio in disappointment.

She had no interest in going for the event at all. In fact, she wanted to stay away from anything that had to do with Pei Ziheng. What reason should she give Ah Wei to escape attending the reception? Flu, fever, stomachache?

Before she decided, Li Lei had appeared again.

“Xiao Ling,” During dinner, Li Lei held her intimately. “can you take me along to the cocktail reception for the launch of ‘Caged Butterfly’?”

More coquettishness.

Xia Ling could not bear with it and released herself from his grasp. “Why?”

“This reception is exceptionally large-scale, and Pei Ziheng invited every big shot possible. I want to see how close he is to each of them.”

Xia Ling nodded in understanding. He had the same motive as Ah Wei — checking out on his competitor. But that meant she had to make some sacrifices. She had no intention of going, to begin with, but both Ah Wei and Li Lei insist on going… One of them got provoked the moment he saw Feng Kun, while the other had attacked Pei Ziheng before. She was afraid that something might happen if nobody was there to watch them.

She hesitated for a bit before finally saying, “We’ll go together.”

Li Lei cheered and edged towards her again. “I knew it, my Xiao Ling is the best.” The truth was, he was not going there to analyze his competitor whatsoever, he only wanted to go because he heard that she was going, and he was worried about her sharing the same space with Pei Ziheng.

Pei Ziheng’s relationship with her was a mystery, the less she talked about it, the more Li Lei worried. He felt as if she could be taken away by somebody else anytime.

Li Lei was not going to let his woman meet somebody that could well be his love rival.

As such, two people who had no intention of attending the “The Caged Butterfly” launch reception initially ended up showing up together.

Oh right, and Ah Wei as well.

When they got off the black Lincoln limousine and walked along the red carpet, all the guests were silent for a moment — it was no secret that both Li Lei and Wei Shaoyin were outstanding men. One was a wonderful balance of beautiful looks and brawns, just like a handsome beast, while the other was cold and elegant like the peak of an iceberg. The two striking figures appearing side by side took everyone’s breath away.

Between the two of them was a petite girl.

She wore a rose-colored mermaid-bottom maxi dress, had beautiful fair skin, and clear eyes that reflected a hint of arrogance. The way she walked on the red carpet appeared as if two knights were escorting a princess.

“It’s Ye Xingling.” Most people around recognized this celebrity.

“Skyart’s Big Boss and their chief music producer accompanied her?” People were whispering and discussing. “She’s a minor celebrity who just made her debut, how did she have such an honor? What’s her background?”

“Not much of a background, she came from a humble home.”

Everybody was confused and speculating now.

In the corner of the reception ballroom, Feng Kun was discussing with an official in hushed voices. Noticing a change in the atmosphere, he looked up and saw her instantly — the girl standing before the grand entrance, escorted by two extremely gorgeous men, her eyes scanning the surroundings like a goddess who just arrived. She resembled somebody so much…

He instinctively took a step forward and bumped into a waiter, spilling some champagne onto his own custom-made black suit. The waiter profusely apologized in all sincerity.

Feng Kun simply waved him away.

As he snapped out of his daze, Feng Kun smiled sadly. How could that be Xiao Ling? I must be missing her too much to mistake another girl for her.

Chapter 134: The Cocktail Reception Encounter
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

Xia Ling walked into the reception ballroom and scanned her surroundings.

The spacious room was brightly lit, and a violin ensemble had a live performance on the black marble stage. The melodious tunes danced around in the room as waiters formally dressed in white shirts and bowties served wine to the ladies and gentlemen around. The male guests were in their tuxedos while the female guests arrived in their gorgeous gowns, all exuding a faint fragrance from their perfume.

They spoke gently and civilly, portraying a classic scene of the high society.

Xia Ling had no idea why she used to like such a pretentious event and even hosted it year after year. She recalled the time when Pei Ziheng had kept her imprisoned, and when Xia Yu secretly filmed the predicament she was in. It was these people here who had attended her reception parties who gloated over it. “Such a pampered woman, she should’ve been kept out long ago. I told you, Director Pei would get sick and tired of playing with her one day, but you didn’t believe me.”

“Who didn’t believe you? Boss Liu and I had a bet about how long it’d take for Director Pei to kick that woman aside, haha. It’s been less than two years, I win.”

All these bits and pieces ate at her slowly.

The only consolation was that Pei Ziheng was not around, there was no sight of him in the entire ballroom.

“This is so boring.” That was Wei Shaoyin’s voice, he had been uncomfortable since he stepped into the place. “I don’t like crowded places.”

Li Lei shrugged. “You can go wherever you like.” He did not like having Wei Shaoyin around, playing gooseberry on a perfect couple’s date.

Ah Wei was delighted to hear that and decisively broke away from his Boss, looking for a corner to relax in.

Xia Ling was not all that excited about the event either; seeing so many familiar faces disgusted her.

Li Lei read her expression. “Are you bored?”

She nodded.

Li Lei was happy to know that she was not enjoying herself at Pei Ziheng’s cocktail reception. He thoughtfully asked, “I’ll get you something to eat, what would you like?”

“Hazelnut cake.”

Hazelnut cake was her favorite. Li Lei ate with her very frequently in the recent weeks and had figured out her likes and dislikes. He told her to stay where she was until he got back and went on his own to the food table to get her cake.

Xia Ling waited by the side, when suddenly, she felt a pain in her shoulder — someone had knocked into her pretty hard. She subconsciously reached out for the windowsill beside her to avoid falling flat to the ground.

“Why are you in the way, are you blind!” The other party started berating her before she even had the time to look up. It was a young lady’s voice. “Who’s this over here.”

Her condescending tone got Xia Ling fuming.

Xia Ling looked up to see a fancifully dressed lady in a classy custom-made gown. She had an intricately designed chest brooch in the shape of a peacock studded with precious stones.

“What’re you staring at? You have something against me?” That lady disliked the way Xia Ling looked at her with her clear eyes and piercing glare. There was no trace of fear or inferiority in those eyes, and with a “Hmph,” that lady turned and walked away from Xia Ling.

Xia Ling wanted to act up, but took a deep breath and suppressed her anger. This was Imperial Entertainment’s event in Pei Ziheng’s territory. She did not want to draw any unnecessary attention to her or to create a commotion.

She furrowed her brows and tried standing upright, holding onto the windowsill for support.

Her ankle gave way, and she almost fell again.

A steady hand appeared before her — the nails were cleanly cut, the rest of the arm was covered in a white sleeve under a black suit, and the titanium cuff glimmered in under the light from the chandelier.

She looked up and saw the person’s face clearly — Feng Kun.

It had been too long.

He was just as she remembered him to be, not incredibly handsome, but polite, pleasant and quiet. He looked at her with gentle eyes and asked, “Are you alright?”

That was when she realized she had been staring at him for too long. She snapped out of it and nodded her head.

He still had his hand outstretched before her.

She felt better and reached out to hold onto him.

Feng Kun exerted some force to help her steady herself.

“Thank you,” she said. She had thought about the possibility of bumping into him at this reception even before she came. This old friend of hers was one she missed truly, and now that they met once again, there was so much she wanted to say to him, but none of which she had the chance to.

Feng Kun looked down at her. “You’re welcome.”

The words were polite but estranged, nothing more than the usual formal exchange between acquaintances. Yet he did not leave after the short exchange. He could not pinpoint why, but he felt that the girl standing before him gave him a very familiar feeling, she really seemed like Xiao Ling… It was too strange, they did not resemble each other at all.

“Is there anything else?” asked Xia Ling. She felt conflicted, on the one hand, she really did not wish to have anything to do with Feng Kun and wanted him to distance himself as soon as possible, but on the other hand, she could not bear to watch him go so quickly. Old friend, it has really been long.

“I’ve heard you sing ‘Sea Demon,'” Feng Kun said.

His voice was gentle as the waves, calming her fluster that arose from her excessive focus on not revealing her identity. “It wasn’t well sung,” she said.

“No, it was great.” Feng Kun smiled. “You’re the first person I know who can sing Xiao Ling’s song well and suitably.”

That was too good a compliment, and she expressed how flattered she felt. “You’re too kind.”

“If she were still here, she’d definitely like you.”

Feng Kun’s voice sounded a little strained now, making Xia Ling ache a little inside. Before she realized, she asked, “How… have you been abroad?”

“What?” Feng Kun was stunned.

Xia Ling realized she had said something wrong. Given that it was their first interaction, how could she have asked something so personal? She tried to salvage her mistake. “No-nothing much. I just felt that after Xia Ling passed on, you’d be very sad.”

Was he sad?

Of course.

Feng Kun looked up, gazing at the screen where Xia Ling’s videos were playing as he smiled sadly. “She was my best friend,” he said, gently and painfully.

Her heart ached even more. Afraid that he would sense her change in emotions, she turned away.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “someone’s waiting for me over there. I should get going.”

She fled from him. She could face all her enemies from her previous life and the hatred and insults that came with it. Yet she did not have the strength to face Feng Kun and his longing.

She was afraid she would lose control.

She walked towards the food table quickly. Why was Li Lei not back yet from getting her the cake? She looked past rows and rows of delicacies before finally spotting him.

In front of him stood a girl who had her hands on his elbow, as if they were very close. She had beautifully styled hair and was in a beautiful gown, and on her front was a shimmering peacock brooch.

It was the girl who bumped into her and hurled rude words at her previously.

Chapter 135: Impulsiveness is the Devil
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

Xia Ling stopped in her tracks.

So that girl knew Li Lei? She did not know how they were related, but they seemed close.

Xia Ling’s gaze fell to her hand that was grabbing onto Li Lei’s forearm. She squinted her eyes slightly. Very well, now that she was present as his official girlfriend, what was she going to do?

She casually took a glass of wine from a passing waiter and strode towards them elegantly.

“… Brother Lei, when will you come over to my house? The lilacs you gave me have bloomed, and I got somebody to get a pavilion done up in my garden. When you come over, we can have tea together there.” That girl looked up towards Li Lei in sheer admiration and was leaning so close to him that even her bosom was pressing against him.

Even a fool could tell that she was interested in Li Lei, and yet Li Lei made no move to distance himself.

Xia Ling’s rage rose inside her, and she almost splashed the wine in her face, but the little bit of rationality she had stopped her from doing so. This was Pei Ziheng’s territory, and she did not want more enemies or trouble than she had… She chanted in her head “impulsiveness is the devil” and calmed herself down.

She went to stand beside Li Lei as if nothing was happening.

“Xiao Ling,” Li Lei turned to look at her and smiled. “you came just in time. Let me introduce her to you, this is Gu Lin, the eldest daughter of the Gu Financial Magnate. She’s the granddaughter of the Grandfather Gu that you met before.”

So she was the eldest daughter of the Gu Financial Magnate, what a pity… Xia Ling thought Old Mr. Gu was an intelligent and wise man, how did he end up raising such a shameless and rude granddaughter?

Li Lei then introduced her to Gu Lin. “This is Ye Xingling.”

Gu Lin’s expression changed after hearing the introduction. In a situation like this, the default rule was to introduce the party of lower status to the party of higher status first. The less important figure was introduced before the more important figure; such a concept was definitely not new to Li Lei. But he chose to introduce her to Ye Xingling first…

She, Gu Lin, was obviously of higher status!

Did it mean, then, that in Brother Lei’s heart, that “Ye Xingling” was a more important figure?

Gu Lin’s intuition made her tense up. She sized Xia Ling up and realized that it was the person she had knocked into earlier, and that made her even more annoyed with Xia Ling. “Ye Xingling?” She used an arrogant and fussy tone. “I think I might’ve heard of you, you’re a minor celebrity in Brother Lei’s company?”

She intentionally emphasized the word “minor.”

“I’ve never heard of you, though,” Xia Ling replied calmly and even more arrogantly than she did.

She could not splash red wine in her face, but that did not mean she could not find another way to put her down. She had no intention of swallowing her anger if she could find a way around it in a contained manner. Regarding putting someone down sarcastically, could anyone beat her? She was one who had used her words to fight her way up ever since she was in the orphanage, and after she entered the Pei family, she continued at it with those high and mighty figures. It was even more frequently employed in the entertainment circle where fights and bickerings were almost staples. She did not have many talents, but this was one that she was too good at for anyone to deny.

Sure enough, Gu Lin was enraged, “You… you!” She stomped her foot and shook Li Lei’s elbow, “Brother Lei, she’s bullying me!” She and Li Lei could be considered childhood friends, and she had been his secret admirer since they were children. She knew he liked innocent girls and hence had perfected her acting in front of him.

The Li family and the Gu family were old family friends.

On account of Old Mr. Gu, Li Lei could not do much about Gu Lin.

He acted as a big brother giving in to his little sister. “You’re not young anymore, what’s with all the bullying stuff? You and Xiao Ling aren’t in the same industry, it’s no surprise she doesn’t know you.”

Not in the same industry?

Gu Lin side-eyed her, satisfied. “Oh, right. A minor celebrity like you has it tough at it is, besides your main job, you have to curry favor with all the people around you and attend all sorts of receptions to widen your connections. How could you know a big missy like me? Haha, I won’t stoop to your level.”

Oh, for goodness sake, Li Lei did not mean it that way.

But, his words were indeed misleading.

As they spoke, Gu Lin had rested her hand on his elbow. He thought of moving his arm away when he saw Xia Ling walk towards him in the corner of his eye. Under the chandelier, Xia Ling walked elegantly with a glass of wine in her hand, her demeanor calm. She must have seen her holding onto him but pretended not to.

Was she not bothered by it at all?

Li Lei was heavy-hearted, and at that moment decided to sound her out.

He deliberately let Gu Lin have her way, and left her hand on her arm. He even allowed her to be condescending to Xia Ling.

As for Xia Ling, her only problem was concerning Gu Lin insulting her. She had no response nor reaction to the way Gu Lin had her hand on him or how she acted intimate with him.

Xiao Ling, do I not matter to you?

He asked in his heart. In order to get his answer, he looked at her without any change in expression.

Xia Ling clenched her fingers, she was so close to splashing that red wine — not at Gu Lin alone this time, but at her and Li Lei both. This adulterous pair acted like she did not exist? No… She could not care less about Gu Lin who did not know about her relationship with Li Lei. She had no reason to fight with her love rival, but what about Li Lei?

He was the one who initiated the relationship, why was he getting so close to someone else now?

As she looked at them, her reluctance to create a scene and her arrogance led her to maintain her calm expression. Even so, her heart was aching with the surge of past memories — at that time, it was also because Pei Ziheng had another woman that she kicked a huge fuss and eventually became a pathetic laughing stock. Now she understood this — once a man had a change of heart, there was no point even if she got rid of her love rival.

She did not want to fight such a meaningless battle anymore.

Gu Lin was still provoking her. “What, have you gone mute? You’ve got no words? Is there anything else? Otherwise, stay away from us. Can’t you see I’m talking to Brother Lei here?”

Xia Ling’s clear eyes were still undisturbed. She shot a nonchalant glance at Li Lei and walked away.

In the crowd, her posture was gracious and elegant and her back straight as she walked off without care or longing… At that moment, Li Lei was extremely fearful, as if he would never be able to get to her again once she integrated into the crowd.

“Xiao Ling!” He called out to her, removed his arm from Gu Lin’s resting hand, and chased behind her.

Xia Ling heard his call but did not stop, she carried on straight ahead. All of a sudden, she felt a warm, coarse hand grab her elbow. She turned around and glared at him. “Let go!”