Chapter 498: Keeping A Secret

Xia Ling was stunned at Nanny Zhou's words. "Pei Ziheng fainted?

Nanny Zhou's expression was pained. "Mister has been busy in this period while trying to manage your feelings as well. After you left, he was distraught. He fainted because of overwork."

Xia Ling felt like someone clenched her heart as it started to throb with pain. How weird... he had been so cruel to her, so why was she so sad when hearing that he was hurt?

Li Lei, who was standing by the side, spoke up, "Since you know that Xiao Ling is no longer your Madam, why are you telling her these things? Also, let me remind you... don't comment so much if you aren't aware of the full situation. Pei Ziheng was the one who chose his family business and gave up on Xiao Ling. Otherwise, Xiao Ling wouldn't come back to my side. Since he's made such a choice, then he shouldn't blame it on Xiao Ling like a hypocrite. Don't make me look down on him."

Nanny Zhou glared at him angrily. "Mister loves Madam so much, why would he give up on her?"

It seemed that this servant had no idea what had transpired.

Li Lei gave a cold laugh. "You don't know? Imperial Entertainment could not withstand my onslaught, so he decided to hand over Xiao Ling in exchange of Imperial Entertainment's safety. Since it was a fair trade, he can't complain."

Nanny Zhou said, "Then, you're just despicable! How could you threaten him and break Mister and Madam up like that?"

Li Lei continued to laugh coldly. "Despicable? Threaten? Break up? Who is the one that was all of that? You're just a servant and know nothing. Don't point your finger at me without the full picture. Xiao Ling never wanted to stay by Pei Ziheng, it was Pei Ziheng who used despicable tactics to force Xiao Ling to leave me. Now, Xiao Ling managed to free herself from him and came back to my side. She's just following her heart's deepest desires."

Nanny Zhou did not expect things to have been this way. She looked at Xia Ling incredulously and asked, "Madam, is what he said true?"

Xia Ling hesitated for a while before nodding her head.

"I've loved Li Lei these two years, and my heart has never changed." Xia Ling told Nanny Zhou. "It's true that Pei Ziheng broke us up. Nanny Zhou, it's pointless discussing these right now. All that has passed. Everyone should just live well. You... you take good care of him."

Her last sentence still betrayed her concern for Pei Ziheng.

Nanny Zhou looked at Xia Ling as if trying to discern the truth in her words. In disappointment, it dawned on her that whatever Xia Ling said was very likely the truth. From the beginning, she was not pregnant with Mister's child and had gone through pain and suffering for that child. That showed how much she loved the child's father.

Looking now at the compatible couple in front of her, Nanny Zhou thought that this Li Lei must be the child's real father. Her gaze darkened a little as she came to that realization.

What possessed Mister to fall in love with a woman that he couldn't have? There were tons of daughters of wealthy families and socialites that would give it their all to marry him.

Such a pity... a pity...

The elevator came to a stop with a ding .

Nanny Zhou did not say anything more as she grabbed her things and left hurriedly.

Xia Ling expression was a little sad. As she thought of Nanny Zhou's words, her heart sank.

Li Lei looked over at her and asked, "Are you worried about him?" He did not say his name, but they both knew who he was referring to.

Xia Ling was slightly stunned, before nodding and then shaking her head. Her heart was in a mess. She did not love Pei Ziheng, but she was still grateful to Pei Ziheng. Pei Ziheng was the one who raised her and saved her, and that was a fact that nothing could change.

Even though she wanted to be away from him, she still wanted him to be well.

Li Lei's mood dropped as well. He did not understand why Xiao Ling would still care for Pei Ziheng. Perhaps, having a child with Pei Ziheng changed matters? Even though the child was already dead, but... it was still different.

Both of them were preoccupied with their thoughts as they walked silently side by side.

It was not until they reached Li Lei's car that Xia Ling opened her mouth to speak. "You said that you will leave Imperial be, right?"

Li Lei nodded his head. "Mmhmm." Imperial was not in good shape now, and Skyart merely needed to move a little finger to could crush them as if killing an ant. However, when Preceptor Xia set up the curse against Imperial, he had told Li Lei, "This is only until Xiao Ling comes back... Once she's back, you have to stop."

Li Lei did not understand why, but his only objective was to save Xiao Ling. He was not interested in beating Imperial through Preceptor Xia's curse. That was despicable, and he did not want Xiao Ling to despise him later on.

He rang his subordinates in front of Xiao Ling. "All of you should stop now."

As he hung up, Xia Ling said, "Thank you."

Li Lei was unhappy. "I don't want you to thank me for another man."

Xia Ling was taken aback before she flashed a huge smile. "Hmm... Okay."

Li Lei smiled as well before he grabbed her hand in his.

"Li Lei," Xia Ling asked softly. "Will you have any regrets?" He was so close to crushing Imperial Entertainment. As long as Imperial was beaten down, Skyart could rule the entertainment circle.

Li Lei knew what she was thinking and replied honestly, "Pei Ziheng is a rival that I respect very much. If I bankrupt him using Preceptor Xia's powers, I'll be disrespecting him and myself." After all, he only wanted his Xiao Ling back.

Xia Ling nodded her head lightly before asking, "Where is The Preceptor now?"

Li Lei said, "He's long disappeared and gone off on his gallivanting. Oh right, he asked me to pass you a message."

"What message?" Hearing that her brother had left her a parting message, Xia Ling's curiosity was piqued.

Li Lei replied, "I didn't quite understand what he meant, but he said for you to keep secret what he had told you when you two met the last time." He paused before asking, "What did The Preceptor tell you?"

"He already said I needed to keep it a secret." Xia Ling burst into a small laugh. She tried to think back to the last time they had met. What was it that she had to keep secret? The last time they met, they had spoken about her "Phoenix" destiny and... that they were siblings.

Was her brother telling her not to reveal their sibling relationship?

He was so mysterious.

Xia Ling did not think too much about it. Since he wanted it to be kept a secret, she would do so.

Li Lei did not get angry at her slight, as he turned the steering wheel and said smilingly, "Sit tight. We're going home."

The SUV flew down the road and, before long, they reached Li Lei's apartment building.

Xia Ling looked around at the familiar flowers and trees, as well as the familiar building and guards. The head of security greeted her gleefully, "Miss Ye, you're finally back."