A Time-Limited Romance with Movie Queen Ex - Chapter 12

The temperature in this city dropped rapidly. The celebration banquet for the child of Grandpa Luo Anbang’s old comrade-in-arms was held at a picturesque mountain villa.

It was said that the snow scenery there was breathtaking pristine white snow dotted with verdant mountain hues, elegant and serene.

The arrangements for the banquet were entirely handled by Grandpa.

It was neither overly extravagant nor wasteful, yet it allowed Grandpa to maintain face and showcase his refined taste in front of his former subordinates.

Thus, early that morning, Luo Mijin had to wake up at dawn to have a stylist come and do her hair, selecting several appropriate outfits.

A list of what to say and what not to say at the banquet was prepared in advance, and Grandpa demanded she memorize it thoroughly.

The housekeeper repeatedly reminded her, “Young Miss, the child of the old master’s friend grew up under his watchful eye. Today, there must be no mistakes. No matter how crowded it gets, you must endure it.”

“Alright, I will. Isn’t my sister coming back?” Luo Mijin sat at the dressing table, letting the stylist fuss over her like a lifeless marionette.

“Miss Zhiwen is busy with her studies. The old master doesn’t want to disturb her.”

To make Luo Mijin appear more presentable, the stylist suggested covering her overly striking silver hair with a black wig.

Luo Mijin remained silent. Her hair was inherited from her mixed-race mother, which was also the reason Grandpa tolerated it.

Finally, after two hours of preparation, she saw Grandpa return, dressed in a traditional Tang suit and leaning on a silver cane.

“Grandpa.”

“Hmm, you’ve started to look a bit more like my granddaughter lately,” Luo Anbang said sternly, his graying hair meticulously combed. “Stop overthinking things. Whether you go into politics or join the central bank in the future, at least you won’t disgrace my name.”

The secretary beside him took the gift Luo Mijin handed over, but Luo Anbang showed no intention of even glancing at it.

“Grandpa, I don’t want to go into politics or study finance.”

“Are you going to play chess your whole life? Or join some band and become a mediocre drummer?” Luo Anbang waved his hand dismissively. “Enough. I won’t let you bring shame to the Luo family.”

The old man snorted coldly and strode out without another word.

Luo Mijin thought her grandfather was indeed a pitiable figure, a man who had spent his whole life striving for excellence, meticulous and strict with his children, treating the Luo family’s reputation as something sacred.

That was why, when the Luo family’s young master and his wife died in a car accident in a remote mountainous area, the media reported it as an inspection trip for a company project.

Not as a tragic accident that occurred after the couple abandoned their autistic child in the mountains and got into a heated argument while driving.

Apparently, abandoning an autistic child was even more disgraceful than raising one.

Her memories of her parents were faint, but she remembered their fierce arguments accusing each other, “You passed this illness to Mijin,” “It’s your faulty genes.”

Then came the day they took her to the mountains with a large bag of colorful candies, gently saying, “When you finish these, Mommy and Daddy will come back for you.”

But she finished the candies, and they never returned.

Deep down, she knew they had gone there to abandon her. She didn’t even like candy.

But she kept thinking, what if it was true?

What if, after finishing the candies, they really came back for her?

Who could have guessed that it would be her younger sister, Luo Zhiwen, three years her junior, who would bring her home?

Her existence was indeed a burden to others and to herself.

She had seen photos of her parents when they were young, before she was born, a handsome young couple with bright, cheerful smiles radiating happiness.

But in later photos, those smiles disappeared, because they had a child with autism.

The young couple could never have imagined that two healthy, outstanding individuals would produce flawed, defective genes when combined.

Standing before the full-length mirror, Luo Mijin studied herself dressed in an exquisite, expensive velvet gown. Mimicking the artificial smiles of adults, she thought she looked just like a doll.

A car arrived to take Luo Mijin to the mountain villa, where the entire estate had been reserved for the banquet.

In the grand hall, an imposing landscape sculpture adorned the round table, with several distinguished guests already seated. Following her grandfather inside, Luo Mijin was immediately surrounded by elders.

“Mijin has grown so much, blossomed into such a beauty, tall and graceful!”

“Mijin must already be at the seventh dan, right? So famous at such a young age, truly limitless potential.”

Standing stiffly, Luo Mijin greeted them shyly, the clamor of voices making her slightly dizzy and nauseous.

Her grandfather shook his head, laughing lightly. “Just children’s games, nothing serious.”

“Don’t worry, Elder Luo. She’s still young, bright, and excels in her studies bound for great things. Maybe even a provincial position someday…”

As the small talk finally subsided, everyone took their seats.

Before the banquet officially began, her grandfather’s subordinates and colleagues chatted animatedly about whose granddaughter had secured a position at one of the Big Four firms, whose grandson had been promoted in military rank.

“I heard Mijin got into S University, and in finance, no less. Elder Luo, you’ll be well taken care of in the future.”

“She’s still just a child at heart, lacking discipline. How could she compare to your grandson so humble and driven?” Luo Anbang chuckled.

The curious gazes and subtle appraisals made Luo Mijin feel increasingly sick.

It was as if she were a cut of beef being showcased to buyers, discussing whether the shank or shoulder was more tender, which would fetch a higher price.

Sometimes she wondered, why did these people flatter her? Was it because of her prestigious family, because her grandfather was the illustrious Luo Anbang?

What would happen if she lost all of that?

The thought of wandering the streets, limbs numb from the cold, brought her a perverse sense of satisfaction.

Maybe her grandfather was right maybe she really was abnormal.

Excusing herself, claiming she felt cold, she retreated to an unnoticed corner.

Though it was only late autumn, the mountain fog was thick, snow clinging to the emerald pine branches. Wrapped in a coat that covered every inch of her skin, Luo Mijin felt a sliver of safety return.

Gazing at the snowy mist, she thought of someone who carried the scent of light snow, someone who made her feel important.

For a moment, a wintry illusion filled her mind, as if she stood alone on a vast, untouched snowfield. From an unreachable distance, a whisper drifted to her:

“Next time we meet, treat me to a soda.”

Noticing Luo Mijin by the window, Luo Anbang snapped coldly:

“Luo Mijin, return to your seat. You’re not a child anymore, have some manners.”

The elder beside Luo Anbang smoothed things over with a laugh. “Elder Luo, you’re too strict. Young people should have some individuality. Besides, Mijin is so beautiful, she must have many admirers at school.”

Luo Anbang smiled. “She’s still young and rather introverted.”

“Come, come, this is Elder Yuan’s grandson. He’s a few years older than Mijin and is doing his postgraduate studies at S University, a promising young man. Let’s have them sit together so the youngsters can get to know each other.” Someone pushed forward a tall, handsome young man.

Grandfather Luo Anbang nodded and said to Luo Mijin, “Don’t make random friends at school. If there’s anything you don’t understand, you can learn from this older brother.”

“Indeed, schools these days are chaotic. So many poor students with ulterior motives, and others who throw their lives away for love dropping out or taking leaves of absence is all too common.”

Luo Mijin felt physically nauseated. She walked over to her grandfather and expressed her wish to leave early.

“Utterly improper, no sense of decorum,” Grandfather Luo Anbang thumped his cane.

Luo Mijin abruptly looked up, her eyes filled with an icy, suffocating intensity. No wonder they had dressed her up so elaborately today this was a matchmaking banquet.

Her naturally untamed brows and eyes now carried a trace of hostility. She refused to be a piece of veal, carved up and priced.

The noise here was suffocating.

In the opulent banquet hall, the elders continued their back-and-forth, and the young man surnamed Yuan took a seat beside her.

“Exchange contact information. You can meet up at school later to study and improve together.”

Grandfather Luo Anbang had spoken. Occasionally, Luo Mijin glanced up, convinced she could detect a faint, satisfied smile on his solemn face.

The adults continued their lofty discussions, their intention to pair her with this young man becoming increasingly obvious.

Using the excuse of going to the restroom, Luo Mijin climbed out of a second-floor window onto a slightly lower platform, then jumped to the ground.

The snow was thick, and she twisted her ankle, but it was worth it.

**

In the vast snowfall, Rong Qingyao trudged along a suburban sidewalk. She had just finished tutoring and was heading back to school to study.

Though the snow was heavy, she never took taxis, every penny saved counted, especially with the hefty fees for TOEFL or IELTS exams looming.

Her phone vibrated. Checking the caller ID, she answered.

“You know exactly how much you still owe.”

The creditor’s voice was mocking and cold. Rong Qingyao responded with equal detachment as she walked through the snow.

“I know.”

“Your suicidal mother left you quite a debt. I hear I’m not your only creditor.”

At the word “suicidal,” Rong Qingyao stopped in the swirling snow.

To this day, she couldn’t understand why her mother had abandoned her parents and education for love, only to be discarded by her so-called husband in the end.

Nor could she fathom why that woman had so heartlessly abandoned her own child to seek her own release.

Why refuse to live?

Rong Qingyao couldn’t bear such cold questioning, so the question became: Why live at all?

Light snow drifted through the mountains, and mist tinged the streetlights with a hazy blue glow, dreamlike and surreal.

Rong Qingyao’s face was clouded with confusion. She found no answers not knowing why to die, much less for whom to live.

She only wanted to go somewhere warm.

The fine snow fell steadily, and the occasional flow of cars with blinking turn signals turned the world into a slow-shutter image.

In the gentle snow-filled night, Luo Mijin sat on a cold bench in her lavish, intricate gown, her wild yet melancholic eyes downcast, a black backpack by her side.

Turning around, Luo Mijing saw Rong Qingyao also wandering through the snowy path, aloof yet stubborn.

Only she shared this world equally with the snow’s purity.

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