A Star Reborn: The Queen’s Return

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Xia Ling stumbled as she was dragged into Li Feng’s Snake Temple.

In the dim light of the Snake Temple, the slate walls emitted a moist and rotten stench. There were many torches, twisted sculptures, and colorful oil paintings of different sizes. Their sleek and beautiful style was the same as the one she received after she left the Nebula Music Festival.

“These sculptures, as well as these paintings, were all done by me.” Li Feng pointed at them with his slender white finger. “Do you like them?”

He was like a happy child grabbing her wrist and showing her his paintings. “Look, this painting is of a casino in a slum after I pulled the doorman’s intestines out… This painting was done after I received horrible service from the staff. In anger, I sent for someone to get me a bucket of sulfuric acid and watched as she took a bath in it…”

He explained his pictures one by one.

It turns out that they were all based on true events.

Xia Ling listened with disgust. The twisted sculptures and oil paintings were scenes of people in purgatory. She only felt that her breathing became more rushed. Unable to control her breathing anymore, she supported herself using the black and sticky walls to vomit.

“What’s wrong? Feeling unwell?” Li Feng laughed warmly. “I’m not treating my guest well. Servant!”

He screamed loudly.

Very soon, two beautiful women wearing translucent and revealing clothes appeared in front of them trembling in fear as they bowed their heads. “Young… Young Master Feng, please tell us your orders.” Their teeth quivered as they spoke.

There were not many maids who could survive in the Snake Temple. Usually, they would have to be replaced every ten days or half a month.

Every day in the Snake Temple, they were treading on thin ice as they were afraid that Young Master Feng would skin them alive if his mood became bad.

“Bring Miss Ye down and clean her up.” Li Feng said in a tongue-in-cheek manner. “Oh yes. Change into some beautiful clothes and bring her to the Collection Room.”

The two maids trembled and docilely acknowledged his orders. Then, they reached out to support Xia Ling.

Xia Ling shook them off and lifted her head to look at Li Feng. “What are you trying to do?”

“What colors do you like?” Li Feng asked cheerfully. “How about a red tube dress? Your waist is very thin, so you will look like a bunch of roses. Or how about a white lace dress? You will look like a big white lily.” Walking up to her and lifting her pale face for a closer look, he instructed the maids. “Change her into the red dress, the most expensive one from the new autumn and winter collection that I just bought.”

“Today is your big day.” Li Feng was still smirking. “Of course, you have to look your best.”

With a wave of his hand, the two maids ignored her struggles and dragged her out.

In the spacious hall, they helped her bathe, change her clothes, and applied makeup on her. Their movements were skilled and meticulous. Very soon, she was dressed in a gorgeous and enchanting gown. Xia Ling was shocked and angry. “What exactly are you trying to do?!”

The two maids bowed their heads and did not have the heart to look at her.

Xia Ling took a deep breath. “Tell me.”

They only focused on their work: combing her hair, tying her hair with a delicate and expensive hair band, putting a crystal necklace on her and did not speak.

Xia Ling’s heart sank. She remembered that Su Xue was dressed to the nines before she died. She softened her voice and softly asked, “Am I going to die? Li Feng didn’t have any good intentions when he rescued me. He just wanted to kill me himself.”

The maids were silent as they adjusted her skirt.

Xia Ling looked out of the window. During the deep winter, the window was covered in frost. Even the flowers of the plum blossoms were tightly closed, and the branches were twisted. She softly whispered. “If I’m dead… Can you tell Li Lei…”

She paused for a long time.

Plum blossoms drifted down in front of her eyes.

“Forget it.”

What else was left to say? Their relationship was too complicated, and even in her last moment in life, there was nothing good to say to him.

A maid helped her to stand up. After she heard what she said, her initially firm hand shook slightly. She lifted her head to look at Xia Ling and could not help but whisper with a mournful look in her eyes. “Miss Ye, since the young master instructed us to take you to the collection room, he must plan on making you a collectible. You…”

The maid originally wanted to tell her that she should quickly say her last words. However, so what if she told her anything? She could not help her pass on her message to anyone. Otherwise, the next person Li Feng killed would be her.

The secret in the Snake Pit would never be leaked.

Xia Ling was quiet. Her heart strangely longed for Li Lei’s handsome face. It was bizarre. After he had violently violated her and disrespected her, why could she not forget him?

He said, Xiao Ling, be my girlfriend.

He said, Xiao Ling, don’t be afraid. I’m here.

He said, Xiao Ling, I will be responsible for you…

However, no one could save her now. When she was in danger, he was not there. She could only save herself, ditch the unrealistic in her heart, and think about how she could escape from the Snake Temple.

The two maids held her up and guided her out. In the dim light of the silent Snake Temple, even the torches did not make a sound. They walked past the long, damp, and narrow bluestone pavement and down the stone steps to a space filled with all kinds of items.

Li Feng was gorgeously dressed in a dazzling brocade robe and was standing in the middle of the room looking at her with open arms. “Beautiful lady, welcome to the Snake Temple’s Collection Room. You’re the first visitor to come here alive. No, not a visitor… Very soon, you will become one of these precious collectibles. Now, let’s admire your neighbors, ok?”

The last drop of hope was sapped from Xia Ling’s heart.

Her survival instincts made her brain think faster. Even if the possibility of surviving was very slim, she had to try something at least! Thus, she decided to stall for some time by talking to Li Feng. “I’m a living person, not a collectible.”

“A living person? Hahahaha!” Li Feng reacted as if he heard the funniest joke on earth and burst out laughing. “Who says that living people can’t be collectibles? Little girl, you’re too naïve! Let me tell you, as long as it is something that Xiao Lei likes, it doesn’t matter if it is a person or not… In the end, it will be a collectible of mine!”

His last sentence made Xia Ling’s heart skip a beat. She felt that she had underestimated how much of a psychopath he was. “What did you say?” She tried to suppress the trembling in her voice and incredulously asked, “You mean that this collection room is filled entirely with things that Li Lei likes?!” In her field of view, she could see children’s slingshots, firearms, broken maps, books, and antique pieces. She also saw the bodies of rabbits soaked in Formalin, birds, and corpses of many animals that still retained the horror in their eyes in the last moment before their deaths. Their terrifying expressions really made people shudder!

“Yes, these are all things that Xiao Lei likes.” Li Lei smiled, walked up to her and lifted her chin. “Including you, my little beauty.” He lowered his head and sniffed her body. “They sprayed perfume on you? It’s also the rose scent that I like… Little beauty, you’re mine. Come with me and let’s admire the collection for a while. Tell me, how would you like to die and also how you would like your dead body to be stored…”