Chapter 106: Her First Death Anniversary
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
At night, Pei Ziheng would caress the wounds on her ankle with his slender fingers. “Xiao Ling, why make yourself suffer? If you had listened to me, I wouldn’t have treated you this way,” he said with a soft sigh.
She trembled in his arms, afraid that he would see through the pain that she was hiding, her hatred and disgust for him, and how desperate she was to escape this nightmare.
If he realized anything, he would torture her agonizingly.
Therefore, she never dared to write down the lyrics for her song.
She could only scream the lyrics repeatedly in her head. However, she had trouble composing the melody. Pei Ziheng once consulted professionals to analyze her manuscripts, yet psychologists and scientists had frowned and said that these were not music scores, but just a result of hallucinations driven by long-term captivity.
Thus, Pei Ziheng was cleared of his doubts.
She finished “The Caged Butterfly” bit by bit. It was the only sanctuary for her soul in the dark times she was imprisoned and humiliated. It was only while working on this song that she was able to be herself and express her feelings instead of being his puppet and pretending that she was a willing party despite being tortured from head to toe.
Xia Ling thought that this song was a major reason why she did not experience the full effects of Stockholm Syndrome under his influence. It represented her soul, which although miserable, was real.
At that last concert, she stood on the stage, while hundreds of thousands of fans below were cheering for an encore.
Impulsively, she chose this song. At that moment, she just wanted to live for herself.
There was no musical accompaniment.
She sang alone, pleasantly surprising the audience and leaving them amazed.
However, the irony was that when she was halfway into the song, the stage had a sudden power outage. In the dark, a sharp pain pierced through her back and she was subsequently pushed down from the stage by someone, leading to her death.
After her death, although her fans were overcome with grief, they were also regretful that she only managed to sing half of “The Caged Butterfly.” This half of the song was purely Xia Ling’s voice, not arranged or remixed beforehand.
Thus, many fans requested Imperial Entertainment to continue producing the song.
However, Imperial Entertainment did not give an official statement.
Or to be more precise, it was Feng Kun that chose to remain silent.
He was Xia Ling’s exclusive producer who she worked with all her life, and it was definitely his duty if “The Caged Butterfly” needed an arrangement. If he did not take a stand, no producer would have the guts or the ability to do so.
Xia Ling’s legacy, these few words weighed on everyone’s hearts.
Now, Feng Kun was back. He organized a press conference, stating—
“In the past, I did not dare to touch ‘The Caged Butterfly’ because it was the last song that Xiao Ling sang. It carries too much significance and despair. I had no confidence in making it a good song didn’t want to ruin it, so I went overseas to collect my thoughts. Now that I’m back, finishing this song for Xiao Ling is a responsibility that I cannot escape. I won’t say that I will perfect the song, but I will put myself in her shoes and restore the song to the best of my ability. The song will be arranged according to her style.”
“Come on, don’t be so pretentious. The fact that he came back at this timing makes it obvious that he’s doing this to shift the publics’ attention from Xia Yu.” Sister Mai Na snorted as she watched the television with Xia Ling.
“He isn’t that kind of person,” Xia Ling said under her breath.
“You’re saying that as if you know him well.” Sister Mai Na sneered.
Xia Ling could only put up a bitter smile. How could she not though? Being music partners for a decade, the chemistry between them was unimaginable. Feng Kun knew her better, even more so than Pei Ziheng.
“I’m guessing that it was Pei Ziheng who called him back,” said Xia Ling sadly. Based on Feng Kun’s personality, since he had declared that Imperial Entertainment was not fit to be his employer, he would not have gone back of his own accord to help those who hurt her. With his status, the only person who could have summoned him back was Pei Ziheng. He must have played dirty to make Feng Kun succumb to him.
Sister Mai Na looked at her in surprise. “Wow, I didn’t expect you to suddenly turn so smart! How did you guess? Boss has been sending people to keep track of their movements, and it was indeed Pei Ziheng who made Feng Kun come back. It was said that Feng Kun was not willing to return, and had already tendered his resignation. I wonder what methods Pei Ziheng used to make him come back obediently.”
Xia Ling laughed bitterly. She knew this would happen.
Pei Ziheng went to such great lengths just for Xia Yu.
Yet…
It was none of her business who Pei Ziheng valued now.
She cared more about her old friend Feng Kun and the making of “The Caged Butterfly.”
Not only her, but countless members of the public also paid close attention to the restoration of the song.
Feng Kun led a small team to analyze the manuscripts she left behind. Reportedly, the manuscripts were in a mess and fragmented. The details were either conflicting or had logic leaps, increasing the difficulty of recovering the manuscripts.
Rumor had it that when the legendary Diva Xia Ling was composing this song, her mental health was in a bad condition.
It was not long before Feng Kun stopped his team from disclosing their progress to the public and declined all media interviews, focusing on the task on hand. No matter how hard the entertainment reporters tried to dig, they could not obtain any information about the progress of the song. The only legitimate piece of information was accidentally revealed by one of the team members.
“It has been taxing on Mr. Feng to produce this song, he would get so emotional that he could not form words during meetings.”
All of Xia Ling’s fans related to him and left their good wishes on the official website one by one.
On this sad note, Diva Xia Ling’s first death anniversary was around the corner.
Lotus lanterns, as well as white candles, and small daisies could be seen everywhere.
The radio station replayed her songs over and over again.
Even Sister Mai Na personally made seven lotus lanterns and dragged Xia Ling along to a suburban riverside. She was a fan, an especially dedicated one at that. When she released the lotus lantern into the water, she said her prayers while being on the verge of crying.
Xia Ling stood under a big willow tree, not knowing how to comfort her.
A blood crescent moon hung in the sky as the dim moonlight cast a shadow over the earth, making it seem hazy and gloomy.
Sister Mai Na stood at the upper part of the river course and watched quietly as her lotus lanterns floated further down the river into the sea of lotus lanterns. Thousands of white petals carried candles, as light from the candles lit up the river.
“I have admired her since her debut,” said Sister Mai Na suddenly.
Xia Ling stiffened, before realizing that she was referring to her past life.
Sister Mai Na did not wait for her reaction and continued speaking, “At that point in time, I was still a small assistant with an insignificant salary, doing useless and trivial things. There were a few times when I thought I couldn’t carry on anymore until I heard her singing playing from a record player in the streets.”
Chapter 107: Who is He More Partial Towards
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
“I still remember that song, ‘The Nameless Traveller’ till today —
I am a nameless traveler
Going to that place where the fires are burning
Following the stars
The ice-covered sea cannot stop me
The mountainous terrains cannot stop me
The storms and floods cannot stop me
The end of the world cannot stop me… ”
Sister Mai Na sang in a low voice and then laughed. “It’s such a nice song, probably the nicest song I have heard in my life. Her voice got louder and higher as the song progressed… as if she did not bat an eyelid at any of her problems, and the world was under her feet.”
“I bought Xia Ling’s album and, every time I wanted to give up, I would take it out to listen to this song. It would give me the strength and courage to keep fighting on. Xiao Ling, you have no idea but, her voice was what helped me through some of the most difficult times in my life.”
“In this life, I will be the manager for many but I will only be the fan of one, and that is her.”
Sister Mai Na was quiet for a while before she said, “I did not expect that she would leave the world so soon. She gave me the courage to face the world and the people in it, but the person that couldn’t withstand it all first was… her.”
Sister Mai Na’s sad tone was contagious and Xia Ling also felt her mood becoming sad. She did not know that this intelligent and powerful businesswoman in front of her had a weaker side to her, to the point that she seemed so helpless and like a child that had lost her way.
Xia Ling did not interrupt Sister Mai Na as she understood that at this moment any form of consolation was useless.
Sister Mai Na silently stared into the tens of thousands of lotus lights in the distance, lost in her thoughts and emotions. It was completely quiet for a while. The summer night’s breeze blew over and it was slightly chilly. They kept standing there for a long time until Sister Mai Na’s phone started to ring.
Sister Mai Na picked it up. “Hello, Ken… Mmhmm, I’m further upstream about 150 meters from the willow forest… Okay, please hurry.”
When she hung up, her voice returned to its usual clear and curt tone. “Xiao Ling, Ken is coming over in a while to take some photos of you and make it seem like it has been taken candidly. Come to light these last two lotus lights.”
It was only now that Xia Ling noticed that there were two more lotus lights remaining in the little blue basket by the river. Clearly, Sister Mai Na had kept them especially for her.
In the entertainment circle, most of the “candid” shots that were taken had actually been posed for. Xia Ling was not surprised at hearing Sister Mai Na say that Ken was going to make it seem candid, what surprised her was that Sister Mai Na had not brought her out to the temple to pray but instead had planned something else as well.
Sister Mai Na seemed to see through her and mildly sighed. “While I’m a big fan of the Diva Xia Ling, I’m still Skyart Entertainment’s manager and not a pure fan… Even though what I’m about to do might hurt her, it still has to be done. However…” She was quiet for a while before continuing, “Someone like her might actually want this to be out in the open.”
Xia Ling felt more shocked as she heard this. What was she going to do that was going to hurt her, that being Xia Ling in her previous life?
She found out very soon after.
The very next day after Ken had helped take her photos, a crazy rumor started spreading online: Xia Yu was not as evil as everyone had thought. That day she had gotten someone to slap Zhang Suxin while filming for another reason. It was because the shameless bitch, Zhang Suxin, had schemed to get close to Pei Ziheng and wanted to use him to become famous in the industry!
After this news came out, the reaction from the netizens was overwhelming.
So it was because Zhang Suxin was too shameless and did not listen to Xia Yu’s numerous words of advice, such that Xia Yu had no choice but to be harsh with her.
And Ye Xingling had stepped forward in the name of righteousness for Zhang Suxin, but she did not know this backstory. The rumor online claimed that after Ye Xingling had interfered, Xia Yu had attempted to explain the situation to Ye Xingling. However, Ye Xingling felt that if she did not do anything after stepping forward it was a loss of face for her, and hence, slapped Xia Yu in her fluster.
She not only slapped Xia Yu but also insinuated that it was Xia Ling that was shameless. As a result, the conflict escalated out of control.
Xia Ling was shocked after seeing this piece of news. Was the incident not over yet?
She asked Sister Mai Na, “How long is this going to last? Is Xia Yu still not repentant from all that she’s done?”
Sister Mai Na laughed and said, “Xia Yu is not the only one that is keeping this going.”
Seeing Xia Ling’s look of confusion, Sister Mai Na explained, “It’s true that Xia Yu is trying hard to clear her name, and thus she revealed this information about Zhang Suxin trying to get close to Pei Ziheng with the silent blessing from Pei Ziheng himself. Xia Yu has a strong standing in Pei Ziheng’s heart and, sacrificing a plaything that had betrayed them to help clear Xia Yu’s name, this is something that Pei Ziheng is able to accept.”
“However, there is something that has crossed the line for Pei Ziheng.”
Xia Ling asked, “What?”
Sister Mai Na said, “Did you notice that in this piece of news, it said that you insinuated that Diva Xia Ling was the one who had used Pei Ziheng and slept with him to gain fame? This information — what you had insulted Diva Xia Ling with — was not revealed no matter how hard the netizens tried to pry it out the last time when your conflict with Xia Yu was at its peak.”
Xia Ling lowered her head to think and started to gain more clarity. “When the photos were taken that day, there was only three of us present — me, Xia Yu, and Zhang Suxin. I did not insult anyone so Zhang Suxin and I both did not know what exactly I had ‘insulted’ Xia Ling about. Only Xia Yu knows as she was the one that created all of this to frame me.”
“Saying that Xia Ling had slept with Pei Ziheng for fame, or anything else, that is all fabricated by Xia Yu.”
As Xia Ling spoke, she thought of that incident where she was kidnapped by Pei Ziheng and he had burst out in fury saying that she was the prostitute sleeping around… She felt a sharp pain in her heart but forced herself to suppress the pain that felt like a knife was cutting through her heart.
Xia Yu had already told Pei Ziheng what she “insulted” Xia Ling with then.
However, Pei Ziheng was the only one that knew what the “insult” was, whereas the media and public were not able to pry it out.
Xia Ling did not understand. Why did Pei Ziheng not make this information public? Was it to preserve the dignity of Xia Ling who had passed on? Or was it so that Imperial Entertainment would not lose face? Regardless, Pei Ziheng clearly did not want the netizens to know about this if he had not disclosed it then.
However, the rumor now revealed it all.
This would clearly be stepping on Pei Ziheng’s toes.
“Xia Yu was too careless this time. Perhaps she was pushed to the corner and was like a dog jumping over a high wall, daring to step on Pei Ziheng’s toes.” Xia Ling lamented. She then self-reproachingly said, “But who knows, perhaps Pei Ziheng is especially forgiving to her.”
Xia Yu seemed to have gotten away with bullying many of Pei Ziheng’s female bed partners.
Pei Ziheng’s level of tolerance for every person was different.
Sister Mai Na laughed again. “Take a guess. Do you think Pei Ziheng is more partial to Xia Ling or more partial to Xia Yu?
“Hmm?” Xia Ling was confused again. Why was Sister Mai Na asking about this? She did not dare guess what the answer might be.
“My guess is that he’s more partial to Xia Ling.” Sister Mai Na continued in her own stride. “Otherwise, why would Xia Yu’s face turn so white after she found out that the details of what the insult was had gotten out?”
“Huh?!” Xia Ling gave a jump. “You mean these details weren’t revealed by Xia Yu?!”
“Xia Yu isn’t as stupid as you think.” Sister Mai Na looked at her slightly amused. “She is either unable to gauge her place in Pei Ziheng’s heart, or she knows for sure that she can’t match up to her sister. Hence, she did not reveal these details at the start. Since she didn’t reveal it then, there is no reason for her to do it now. Why would she want to anger Pei Ziheng while not gaining anything?”
“The people that revealed the details of the ‘insult’ were actually us at Skyart Entertainment.”
Chapter 108: The White Rose for the Death Commemoration
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
“This was done by Skyart Entertainment?” Xia Ling felt a queasiness build up in her.
“Yup.” Sister Mai Na smiled brightly. “Xia Yu only tried to destroy Zhang Suxin’s reputation to clear her name, singling you out as someone that was helping a shameless woman without getting the story straight first. She would not dare to bring her sister into the picture. It was Boss that asked me to add some flavor to the story, and to add the details about Diva Xia Ling being insulted as well.”
“How does Boss know the details of what was said?” asked Xia Ling. However, she figured out the answer immediately as the words left her mouth. When she was kidnapped by Pei Ziheng, Pei Ziheng had told her, and she had, in turn, told Li Lei when she was feeling really down.
She did not think that Li Lei would remember it and take it to heart.
“What about you doesn’t Boss take to heart?” Sister Mai Na gave Xia Ling a meaningful look. Was this little lady really dumb or just acting dumb? How could she not be able to tell that Boss liked her? It was so obvious to all of them, but she was still dazed and in the dark.
Xia Ling was trying to organize her thoughts. “So you’re saying that Boss is the one that is disseminating this information… However, Pei Ziheng doesn’t know that. Pei Ziheng will think that Skyart Entertainment would not spread such information on our own accord because its damaging to us. Zhang Suxin is on our side now, so it also cannot be her. That leaves Xia Yu…”
She lifted her head and concluded. “Pei Ziheng will suspect that Xia Yu is the one who revealed the details of the ‘insult.'”
Sister Mai Na snapped her fingers as she smiled. “Bingo. Now, take a guess, do you think Pei Ziheng will let her off this time?”
Xia Ling shook her head and gave a bitter smile. “This is why you asked me who Pei Ziheng is more partial to, Xia Ling or Xia Yu? Perhaps… they are both not important to him? In his heart…” The expression in her eyes darkened. “perhaps there’s only himself.”
“If there’s only himself, that is even better.” Sister Mai Na said happily. “Xia Yu revealed something that he had said was not to be revealed. This is a clear challenge to his authority. Xia Yu is definitely not in a good place.”
Xia Ling thought about it and knew that Sister Mai Na was right. Didn’t that man hate people going against his will the most?
This was the pet peeve that she had crossed in her previous life that resulted in her dismal predicament…
Forget it, stop thinking about it. Xia Ling shook her head to clear her mind. “Okay, let them fight it out. How about us? What are we going to do now?” After this rumor was released, the momentum had shifted toward Xia Yu again, and many were criticizing “Ye Xingling” for interfering without understanding the backstory first.
Sister Mai Na confidently said, “This is why I brought you to light the lotus lights to pay your respects to Xia Ling.”
As such, that evening, the headline news of the most popular tabloid released the pictures of “Ye Xingling” lighting lotus lamps in commemoration of the late Diva Xia Ling along a riverbank outside the city. Under the moonlight, her expression was full of sadness and grief.
Ken’s photography skills were on point, and he was able to capture the exact emotions that were required. This photo looked exactly like it was taken by coincidence, completely candid, but at the same time the lighting and angles were perfect and anyone looking at the photo would be able to feel the grieving emotions.
“What is going on? Why is Ye Xingling paying her respects to Xia Ling?” Many started to question when they saw this photo online.
“There’s something that you don’t know,” someone replied. “Ye Xingling has been Xia Ling’s fan for a long time. She had liked Xia Ling since she was a trainee and had sung many covers of Xia Ling’s songs before.”
“Are you talking about ‘Sea Demon’?” Another person that knew Ye Xingling from before continued, “I heard Ye Xingling’s version of that song and it was so good, almost as good as the original. She was just a newbie, and for her to be able to sing such a challenging song like ‘Sea Demon’ that well, she had to be a big fan of Xia Ling.”
“Where can we find her cover of ‘Sea Demon’? I want to hear it too.”
It was not long after that the video recording of Xia Ling singing “Sea Demon” in the training camp was revealed to the netizens. The video was taken by a member of the audience with his or her mobile phone. The framing was not perfect and the camera lens shook from time to time, but it made it seem even more real and like you were there listening to it live. On stage, Xia Ling was dressed completely in white, singing and dancing in the dark alone. Her song and dance were perfect complements to each other and pulled everyone into the imaginary world that she was singing about, falling deep into her emotions.
This song had Xia Ling’s flavor through and through. They were so uncannily similar.
Many that watched this video converted to become Ye Xingling’s fans.
Many more commented that there was no way that Xia Ling’s fan would insult her out of nowhere. Where did this random rumor come from? It was tough for Ye Xingling as a new singer to the industry, why were people making it so tough for her?
Hence, the rumor about “Ye Xingling” insulting the Diva Xia Ling that had just started to gain traction was quashed again.
Netizens did not believe that she had insulted Xia Ling, but at the same time, were highly interested in what was said, that “Xia Ling had slept with someone to gain fame.”
What was Xia Ling’s status? She was the glamorous Diva of the industry and passed away at the peak of her popularity. She was almost akin to a Goddess.
Why would someone like her have to sleep with someone for fame? Even if she was willing to, who would deserve her?
The passion for gossip burned on amongst the netizens, and they worked together to piece all the clues together for the full story. With their imagination, it was not long before they found the most likely suspect — Pei Ziheng, Imperial Entertainment’s Big Boss and the Pei family’s seventh generation successor.
He was the one that had adopted Xia Ling and had sheltered Xia Ling from the harshness of the entertainment industry since she debuted. Without Pei Ziheng, Xia Ling would not have such a smooth-sailing road to stardom. If Xia Ling were to choose to sleep with anyone, it had to be Pei Ziheng.
The rumors spread like wildfire. Even the big and small tabloids were fighting to publish this piece of news.
Sister Mai Na woefully said to Xia Ling, “The news still got so out of hand. When Diva Xia Ling was still alive, this news had never been revealed even though there were rumors in the industry saying that she was Pei Ziheng’s lover. Then, she had covered it up so well that no one was able to validate if the rumors were true. This time, Boss sent someone to specially investigate Pei Ziheng because of you, and found out that many things were indeed true.”
She handed a copy of a newspaper to Xia Ling. There was a large photo under the headlines.
It was a dark, rainy day and there were several black, expensive cars parked in front of a cemetery. The most eye-catching car was a limousine Rolls-Royce. The car door was partially open, and Pei Ziheng was stepping out of the car dressed in a suit. A staff member was holding an umbrella over him, whereas another was carrying a large bouquet of white roses. There was also another five or six bodyguards taking care of security.
“He went to see Xia Ling,” said Sister Mai Na. “The Pei family graveyard. That is where Xia Ling is buried.”
Xia Ling never found out where she had been buried. Now that she found out all of a sudden, she felt a pain in her heart again.
“Why is she… buried there?” she asked with difficulty.
Sister Mai Na sighed. “To be buried in the Pei family graveyard is indeed not something that can be easily achieved. We’ve investigated this and found out that since Xia Ling died, Pei Ziheng has been fighting with his family about where she would be buried. He said that Xia Ling is the girl that he had adopted, and there were legal papers on the adoption, so she was part of the Pei family and should rightfully be buried in the family graveyard. However, do you think that these traditional, wealthy families would allow any star to be buried in the family graveyard?”
Xia Ling nodded. She was well aware of the airs of the Pei family and could imagine the difficulty of the situation.
But, why did Pei Ziheng have to fight with them over this?
If he did not treat her well while she was alive, why try so hard for her after she passed on?
Chapter 109: Visiting Her Grave
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Sister Mai Na said, “He fought against his entire family alone for half a year and managed to convince them, and last winter, he buried Xia Ling in the Pei family graveyard. While there weren’t many people present for the burial ceremony, the ceremony was still very grand, and he made sure to give her the full works, not saving on any bit of spending or class. Many important figures in the Pei family also attended the ceremony.”
As she spoke, Sister Mai Na smoothed her finger across the picture on the newspaper. “This was done very secretively and not announced to the public. If I had not sent someone to investigate and take this photo and publish it, the fans would not know until now where Xia Ling was buried.”
Xia Ling was stunned and looked at Sister Mai Na with a confused expression on her face. “Why did he keep it a secret?”
Sister Mai Na gave a bitter smile. “The Pei family wants to keep the fact that someone with a different surname was buried in the Pei family graveyard quiet, even if they had agreed to it under Pei Ziheng’s insistence. Also, Pei Ziheng…”
The bitterness in her smile intensified. “You’ve seen how Xia Ling’s fans have amazing imaginations. Once it was mentioned that Xia Ling had slept with someone, Pei Ziheng was immediately brought under the spotlight. However, Pei Ziheng might not be willing to come clean about this relationship. Otherwise, Xia Ling would not have had to hide it while she was still alive, and he would definitely not have gotten engaged. If people were to find out that he buried Xia Ling in his family graveyard, many speculations would arise. For someone like Pei Ziheng who prefers being low-key, he would likely not want to incur these problems.”
Sister Mai Na was quiet for a while, before saying in a low voice, “However, I’ve always felt that Xia Ling wanted their relationship to be out in the open.”
Xia Ling was also silent. That’s right. She had wanted it to be a public relationship. Who did not want to be able to date openly?
Unfortunately, this relationship was destroyed before it could come out in the open.
Flashing back to several days before — in the Pei family graveyard.
A light rain was falling onto the grave tablet of a relatively new-looking grave. The grave tablet was made of high-quality stone, and engraved on it in a formal and impactful font were four words, “Xia Ling’s Resting Ground.”
Pei Ziheng was standing in front of the grave tablet, dressed in a black suit.
Accompanying him was Chu Chen, who bore a somber expression. He took the big bouquet of white roses from the bodyguard and handed it to Pei Ziheng with reverence.
Pei Ziheng received the flowers and commanded in a deep voice. “All of you can take your leave.”
Hence, Chu Chen beckoned for all the bodyguards to follow him and they quietly left the premises so that Pei Ziheng could be alone.
Pei Ziheng bent over and placed the bouquet of white roses before the grave tablet. There were 44 roses in total, which represented an undying love. The petals of the roses swayed under the drizzle, and the raindrops that fell on the petals looked like teardrops that were on the verge of falling.
“Xiao Ling… ” Pei Ziheng smoothed the grave tablet and said in a husky voice, “I have come to see you.”
In the vast graveyard, it was silent, and only the sound of the wind blowing could be heard.
Pei Ziheng’s expression was full of grief as he continued, “It was all my fault, I didn’t protect you well. I regret not giving you your rightful status when you were alive. If I had made our relationship public, you wouldn’t have poisoned Wang Jingwan and the Wang family would not have taken revenge on you and pushed you offstage…”
“Xiao Ling, I made the Wang family pay for this. The murderer has been caught and punished by the law, and the Wang family business has suffered badly; they are unlikely to be able to revive themselves for at least three generations.”
“But Xiao Ling, all this has no meaning… because you are not here with me. I’m willing to trade the entire Pei family for you to come back to live, for you… to smile and look at me one last time.”
His voice choked up a little and he stopped talking.
The bone-chilling coldness of the grave tablet traveled up through his hand slowly, extending from his skin down to his bones and then to his heart.
After a long while, he softly said to the grave tablet, “You must think of me as a joke.” He had tried his best to get her back and keep her by his side, only to get this sad outcome. He still remembered the shock, anger, pain, and terror in her eyes when he had locked her up.
He thought that if he had been hard on her, and to tame her like a “pet”, or to take it one step further like some of his teachers had advised, to make it such that she developed Stockholm syndrome, then no matter what he did to her, she would willingly stay at his side.
However, he was wrong, very wrong.
She had been living in torture for a whole year, before leaving him in such a tragic way.
“I had thought before that if I couldn’t have you, I would… ” His voice became even more hoarse. “… destroy you.”
“Yet,” He laughed self-reproachingly. “it was only when you left me that I realized… Xiao Ling, you are part of my life, a big part of my life…”
Tears formed at the corners of his eyes as he lowered his head gently against the grave tablet. “During your commemoration ceremony, fans from around the world were waiting for me to speak, but I only said one sentence and could not continue… It is not that I did not want to say anything, but instead I was scared that if I had said another word, I would be unable to control myself. I was afraid that I would lose it and break down in front of everyone. I was afraid that I would be overwhelmed with emotions…
“Xiao Ling, I am not as strong as you might think.”
“I was always so scared… of losing you…”
The rain started to become heavier as it beat upon his body, drenching his intricately-made black suit.
Under the little pavilion of the graveyard caretaker, the few bodyguards were watching this scene from afar. “Mr. Chu,” One of the bodyguards asked in concern. “is Boss okay? The rain is getting heavier…”
Chu Chen looked over with a complicated expression on his face and said, “Don’t go over. We will wait here.” If there was anyone in this world that could affect Pei Ziheng’s emotions, that person would be Xia Ling, even if she was now dead.
Watching Pei Ziheng in his grief, Chu Chen was more certain than ever of one thing: Xia Ling was Boss’ only weakness and pet peeve.
“You must be new here.” Chu Chen lit a cigarette, ignoring the rain that was blowing in from outside the window, and turned to speak to the bodyguard.
The bodyguard gave a start before replying. “Yes.”
“Then, let me give you a tip.” Chu Chen said, “Next time if there is anything regarding that person in the grave, do whatever Boss says without question. Listen more, speak less. Or else, you will not have a very long life…”
He took a deep puff after he finished his sentence and turned to look at the scenery outside the window, ignoring the solemn expression of the bodyguard at his side.
In the rain, Pei Ziheng was still half-kneeling in front of the grave tablet.
“Xiao Ling, I have several things that I want to tell you.” His voice was low and hoarse, but he spoke with clarity. “Do you remember Valiant Song? The horse that you loved so much a few years back. After you died, I abided by your wishes and left her at the Nan Shan riding club for safekeeping and did not touch her at all. However, that animal allowed someone other than you to ride her.”
“I was furious. How can she betray you? Even if you are no longer here, it is still unacceptable.”
“I broke her legs.”
“Actually, I wanted to kill her. An animal that betrayed you does not deserve to live. However, you are no longer here, and she is something that you left behind. Killing her would mean there would be one less thing of yours left behind…”
“So, I allowed her to live. Don’t worry, even though she can’t run anymore, I will make sure to take care of her until she dies of old age.”
“Why are there always idiots that betray you? There is one more…”
Chapter 110: Luo Luo’s Debut
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Pei Ziheng’s hand ran lightly over the cold grave tablet as he continued, “It’s Xia Yu. She has recently met with a troubling issue and is anxious to wash clean of the situation. In doing so, she pulled you down with her and told everyone that someone had said you ‘slept your way to the top’…”
“I was very shocked. She’s the younger sister that you adored and cared so much for, how could she do something like that to you? How can she allow you to become everyone’s dinner topic, and for everyone to judge you? Xiao Ling… perhaps I was wrong about her, and she does not love you the way you love her. What should I do with her? Should I punish her harshly for this? Will you feel heartbroken if I do that?”
“Xiao Ling…”
“Do you still remember that year when Xia Yu lost her temper at you for a small issue, and I told someone to lock her up in isolation? You fought so strongly against me that time and swore that if I dared touch your sister again, you would never speak to me again.”
“Xiao Ling…”
“If I don’t do anything to her this time can you come back.”
“Come back from heaven, back to my side…”
The rain became heavier and heavier, and the man in front of the grave tablet was drenched from head to toe.
Chu Chen finished smoking his cigarette and looked up to the sky. He took a black umbrella from the hands of one of the bodyguards, opened it, and walked into the rain. He came to the side of the grave tablet and silently stood behind Pei Ziheng, quietly sheltering Pei Ziheng from the rain.
“Boss, you have to take care of your health. Miss Xia will be sad to see you in this state from up in the heavens,” said Chu Chen.
Pei Ziheng remained half-kneeling in front of the grave tablet, not moving at all. As such, Chu Chen stood silently behind and accompanied him.
“Will she be sad?” Pei Ziheng asked softly after a long while. “She just wanted me dead.” In the last year when she was being imprisoned, she had cursed him countless times in the height of her despair.
Chu Chen sincerely said, “Miss Xia was just venting her frustrations like a child. She would say anything when angry. In actual fact, she loved you more than anybody else. If she didn’t care for you, she would not care to throw her temper at you.”
Pei Ziheng stood up slowly and said, “You’re right.”
He stared at the greenish stone grave tablet. “Xiao Ling, I’ll take my leave now. But I’ll come back to see you again. There are many things I need to do… I need to make all the old fogeys in the Pei family that are against me disappear so that there will not be any voices in the family criticizing me for not getting married. Then, I will pick a successor from the next generation in the Pei family to take over my position as the head of the household.”
“Xiao Ling, I regret agreeing to the Wang family engagement so much.”
“For you, I will never marry anyone in this life.”
Pei Ziheng finished saying all these in a low voice, before turning to leave.
Chu Chen followed closely behind, sheltering him from the rain with the umbrella. However, his heart was palpitating with excitement — oh my God, did he just hear some top secret information? Did he just hear about the shift in power in the Pei family for the next generation?
Chu Chen looked at the tall silhouette of the man in front of him, feeling utterly honored — Boss did not hide this top secret information from him; he was indeed a trusted aide. He swore to become doubly loyal and careful in his work in the future to repay the trust that Boss had put in him.
Everyone else said that Chu Chen was Pei Ziheng’s dog.
So what if he was a dog? He was the most impressive and useful dog.
The news about Pei Ziheng going to visit Xia Ling’s grave was like adding a drop of water to a pot full of oil — it was like pandemonium breaking out.
Countless people talked about this piece of news, discussing the meaning behind the white roses. Even those that had believed that Pei Ziheng and Xia Ling were innocent started to draw up suspicions about their real relationship.
Pei Ziheng did not respond to any of this.
He maintained his usual low-key manner and declined to comment on any of the suspicions and questions from the public.
Sister Mai Na said to Xia Ling, “Do you think he’s just letting all this go into his right ear and out from the left? Not possible. He would not be the domineering and overbearing Pei Ziheng if he did that.”
As Sister Mai Na deliberated, it was not long before the talk died down and there was no sign of this piece of news on any of the media channels and platforms.
Sister Mai Na was not surprised at all. She explained as she gulped down, instead of savoring, a cup of tea made from the excellent tea leaves in Xia Ling’s cupboard. “Pei Ziheng is someone that doesn’t like scandals. With such a big piece of news going out, it was to be expected that Imperial Entertainment would kill it. Don’t underestimate their power in the entertainment circle. No media agency would dare to offend them. What’s more, the Pei family would see it as a loss of face too. Even if Pei Ziheng didn’t do anything, the Pei family would intervene.”
The Pei family would lose face…
Xia Ling was a little taken aback at this statement. Even a bystander like Sister Mai Na thought that it was embarrassing for her to be together with Pei Ziheng?
Sister Mai Na petted Xia Ling on her head. “Are you dumb? The Pei family is a traditional and conservative wealthy family. How can such a family accept that the head of the family was going to marry an orphan? What’s more, Xia Ling was an actress from a poor background… Oh no, let me say that again… an actress that he had adopted. Wasn’t this akin to incest?”
As Sister Mai Na spoke, she lamented out loud. “What kind of messy relationship is this?”
Xia Ling did not know how to respond, feeling sheepish. Sister Mai Na thought about this for a moment before suddenly slapping her thigh and pulling out her mobile to make a call. “Hello? Is that Fusheng? I suddenly realized… Pei Ziheng and Xia Ling are like a Lolita story.”
Xia Ling was speechless. A gossipy female fan was a scary creature.
Xia Ling continued about her daily work in this queer and awkward atmosphere.
That day, Sister Mai Na accompanied her to the recording studio.
It was a pleasant and sunny day, and many people were walking by the entrance of the building where the recording studio was located.
The driver stopped the car to drop them off.
Xia Ling was wearing a pair of sunglasses as she followed Sister Mai Na up the marble steps. She turned to look behind her unintentionally and saw that the huge electronic billboard on the opposite building had changed — this time, the face that was shown was Luo Luo’s.
She was slightly stunned and stopped in her tracks.
“What’s wrong?” Sister Mai Na also turned back and looked in the same direction that Xia Ling was looking at.
“The newbie from Imperial Entertainment?” Sister Mai Na laughed. “Oh let me see… her debut song is being produced by Ling Ling. Not bad… that is the second best producer in Imperial Entertainment behind Feng Kun. Looks like a girl with good potential.”
She did not know that Luo Luo had transferred over to Imperial Entertainment from the Skyart Entertainment training camp. For someone of her level, it was reasonable not to know.
Xia Ling nodded. Luo Luo had always been a girl with great potential. When they were training together in the past, Luo Luo’s improvement had been extremely fast, and she had a great ability to understand what was being taught. Even if Imperial Entertainment was a harsh place, it was only a matter of time before Luo Luo debuted. However, it was unexpected that Luo Luo would make her debut at this time… The newbie that Imperial Entertainment was supposed to be pushing this year was Xia Yu, and they would be pushing for Xia Yu to win the Best Newcomer of the Year award. To debut Luo Luo as another new singer now would mean that they would have to split their attention and give her less support. This would be disadvantageous to Luo Luo.
Sister Mai Na looked over at Xia Ling’s expression. “Are you worried about her?” She laughed again. “You should be happy. This is Imperial Entertainment’s way of punishing Xia Yu. Otherwise, going by Imperial Entertainment’s usual style, they would not debut another new singer in at least a year after Xia Yu to avoid a clash of resources and unnecessary internal competition.”
“There’s still a long way before Xia Yu reaches the one year mark.”
“When Xia Ling had debuted before, the debut of the likes of Liu Jingyun and Hefeng was delayed for a full two years. Hefeng threatened to transfer, but Imperial Entertainment refused to allow him to, and instead paid him handsomely to compensate for the delay. It was only after two years when Xia Ling’s unwavering position in the industry had been established did Imperial Entertainment start to debut the other hidden talents in their training camp…”
The Hefeng and Liu Jingyun that she spoke about were A-listers in the industry now. Few would remember what they had to go through in the early stages of their careers.
Sister Mai Na said, “Imperial Entertainment has always been tolerant. Their objective of debuting a new singer now is not so simple, I think Xia Yu is in for a rough ride.”
The sound of clapping rang up from behind.
Xia Ling turned her head and saw a man dressed in a suit standing under the sun with a crocodile skin work bag in his hands. It was Chu Chen.