A Time-Limited Romance with Movie Queen Ex - Chapter 26.2

“I don’t have a problem with her,” Rong Qingyao turned her face away, watching the neon lights flicker past.

“Our engagement is just for show anyway. You never cared about any of this before, and now you’re micromanaging. Unless you can give me a legitimate reason, I’m not budging this time.”

Once Scott’s spoiled young master temper flared up, he became as stubborn as a bull, leaving no room for negotiation.

Rong Qingyao gripped her phone, opening her mouth several times as if to say something, but ultimately held back.

“What, you don’t have a proper reason, do you?” Scott pressed his advantage while playing a conciliatory card. “Qing, trust me, Riddle is absolutely amazing. If you don’t believe me, I’ll take you to one of her performances someday. You’ll definitely be won over by her ‘arrogant’ charm and fall for her.”

That last remark drew an involuntary cold laugh from Rong Qingyao, earning a dissatisfied huff from Scott.

“What’s so funny? Once you see her play the drums, you’ll be completely captivated. You might even want to invite her to perform at your funeral someday.”

“…”

“Besides, I’ve already told you Riddle is in a tough spot right now, can’t pay her bills, and really needs the money. Just show some kindness and stop being picky. It’s not like you’re short on cash.”

“Doesn’t she have a close friend who’s always helping her?” Rong Qingyao blurted out.

“Who are you talking about? Since when does Riddle have a close friend?” Scott clicked his tongue. “Don’t tell me you’ve been secretly investigating her. Wow, you’re full of surprises. What exactly are you up to? Spill it.”

Rong Qingyao completely ignored Scott’s words. “You’ve never seen her being close with someone else?”

“Come on, Director Rong, do I look like some kind of stalker to you? I just appreciate her music, music, you understand? It requires a heart-to-heart connection. What Riddle does in private is none of my business. Then again, I doubt a profit-driven, ambitious businessperson like you would get it.”

Cutting off Scott’s rambling, Rong Qingyao closed her eyes briefly. “Move the engagement date earlier. I want to get this over with quickly.”

Hearing the weariness in Rong Qingyao’s voice, Scott thought for a moment. “An early end might be for the best. How about four months from now?”

“Fine.”

“Then I’ll have the media release the news in a few days. That way, I can get my inheritance sooner, and the stocks might still have room to rise. I’ll take Mike on a world tour then.”

“Mm. That’s settled. I’ll call you if anything comes up.” Rong Qingyao hung up, her unsettled thoughts worsening her mood.

The Bentley glided slowly through the intersection when Rong Qingyao’s heartbeat suddenly quickened. She looked up from her laptop screen, her peripheral vision catching Luo Mijin crouched beside a pedestrian signal.

Every time they crossed paths, her heart always recognized Luo Mijin before she did.

The thinly dressed figure was wrapped in a ginger-colored cartoon scarf, like a lost little animal.

Without hesitation, Rong Qingyao said, “Stop the car.”

“But the bar is just ahead.” The driver was puzzled.

Yan Si also spotted Luo Mijin by the roadside and raised a finger to her lips, signaling the driver to stay quiet.

After giving the order, the woman sat in complete silence, her gaze unfocused, not uttering a word.

In the heavy stillness, the driver and Yan Si occasionally exchanged glances, waiting for Rong Qingyao’s next instruction.

The woman who usually despised wasting time remained motionless for five silent minutes, doing nothing but staring blankly at that person.

The car windows were tinted with dark privacy film, and through them, people flitted past one skyscraper after another, the surrounding lights flickering unrealistically.

After a while, Yan Si grew restless. She could roughly guess her boss’s desire to speak with that Miss Luo and decided to give Rong Qingyao a nudge.

Otherwise, they might be stuck here until nightfall, and she still wanted to go home to catch up on her dramas.

So she deliberately cleared her throat, breaking the silence. “Director Rong, I just remembered I need to go to that phone store to pick out a tablet. Do you want to come along and maybe buy a battery or something?”

“Alright,” Rong Qingyao replied as if snapping out of a dream, taking a deep breath. “I’ll go take a look too.”

Seeing that she had guessed her boss’s thoughts correctly, Yan Si couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride.

Director Rong wasn’t so hard to figure out after all. With careful observation, especially when it came to this Miss Luo, she could surely grasp her boss’s mindset, promotions and raises would be within reach.

The snow-laden fir trees lining the sidewalk rustled in the cold wind, their sound mingling with the passing pedestrians who occasionally blocked Luo Mijin from view, making Rong Qingyao feel as though she were trapped in an insomniac’s hallucination.

Perhaps she hadn’t actually reunited with Luo Mijin at all. Maybe everything was just a figment of her sleepless imagination.

Suddenly, she recalled a classic story her mother had told her as a child.

In summary, it was about a human who had fallen into hell. If they wanted to return to the mortal world unscathed, they must never look back, no matter who called their name. One glance backward would doom them forever.

Back then, she couldn’t understand why the person in the story had succumbed to the temptation and turned around.

Now, she finally grasped it, the allure of looking back was far greater than anyone could imagine. Very few in this world could resist the urge to glance behind them.

At least, she couldn’t.

It was as if she was destined to retrace her steps.

Like a bionic being unable to control its own will, she walked toward Luo Mijin slowly, painfully.

Until she noticed Luo Mijin’s hand was bleeding, her head bowed as if she didn’t want anyone to see, like a child with nowhere left to turn.

Rong Qingyao quickened her pace, nearly bumping into other pedestrians.

When it came to Luo Mijin, she found it hard to abide by rational decisions, whether seven years ago or now.

“Wait, Director Rong, at least put on your sunglasses! Don’t get recognized in public.” Yan Si’s voice trailed off weakly as Rong Qingyao’s steps grew faster and more determined.

Looking down at Luo Mijin, who seemed on the verge of collapse, Rong Qingyao thought she would feel satisfaction or the thrill of victory. But she didn’t.

Back then, Luo Mijin had vanished without a trace, as if she had taken everything with her including herself leaving Rong Qingyao to symbiotically experience Luo Mijin’s joys and sorrows, whether she wanted to or not.

Compelled by some inexplicable force, she impulsively asked again, “What exactly are you sorry for?”

The moment the words left her lips, Rong Qingyao regretted them. She wished the world would freeze right then Luo Mijin still hadn’t looked up, and she could still gaze at her openly.

She feared an answer she didn’t want to hear. Something like, “I’m sorry, I never loved you, so I apologize,” or “I’m sorry, it’s all in the past,” or “I’m sorry, it was just child’s play, don’t take it seriously.”

For Luo Mijin, the world flickered like a dying light the moment she lifted her eyes and saw Rong Qingyao. The overwhelming urge to burst into tears was nearly unbearable, she felt both saved and plunged into an abyss.

She lowered her head again, clenched her teeth tightly, and suppressed the surging bitterness. Only after confirming she hadn’t shed any tears did she slowly stand up.

Unable to muster the courage to meet Rong Qingyao’s gaze, Luo Mijin felt utterly humiliated, even tempted to flee in self-abandonment.

But what would come after running away? Would their next meeting be at Rong Qingyao’s engagement ceremony with someone else?

It was hard to say which was worse becoming strangers or witnessing her happiness with another.

How could one practice a congratulatory smile that would still appear dignified?

“Nothing, I thought you were going to. I was in your way,” Luo Mijin realized she was rambling incoherently and took a deep breath, too exhausted to correct herself.

Rong Qingyao regained a trace of composure and asked calmly, “What’s wrong with you?”

“My legs went numb. Just resting for a bit,” Luo Mijin found herself growing increasingly adept at lying, the words came effortlessly now.

This kind of response was exactly what Rong Qingyao had expected. Ever since their reunion, Luo Mijin had been avoiding her as if she were some kind of monster.

“Really? But I saw you crouching here for a long time,” Rong Qingyao didn’t want to expose Luo Mijin’s breakdown, but she also wasn’t willing to let the matter go so easily.

Luo Mijin had no intention of explaining, nor did she feel she had the right to confide in anyone. “It’s really nothing. Thanks for your concern, but it’s unnecessary.”

“Even if we can’t be called friends anymore, at least we’re still schoolmates, aren’t we?”

As the two stood in silent confrontation, passersby frequently turned to look at Rong Qingyao. Many whispered to their companions, and some even pulled out their phones to take pictures.

“Is that Rong Qingyao?”

“I think so. I just watched her new movie this morning, it’s definitely her, no mistake.”

A few fans rushed over, exclaiming loudly:

“Ahhh! It really is Rong Qingyao! I’m a huge fan could you sign my movie ticket?”

“Me too, me too!” More and more people surged toward Rong Qingyao’s location, including not just onlookers but also a flood of fans.

The street quickly became packed with people. Only then did Rong Qingyao remember she had forgotten to wear sunglasses and a mask, she had never been this careless before.

The surging crowd and the clamor of voices made Luo Mijin instinctively uncomfortable. Her eyes glazed over as she let herself be pushed into a corner, like a fruit rolling into a muddy pit.

Through the bustling crowd, Luo Mijin could barely make out Rong Qingyao’s face anymore, let alone muster any response.

A familiar scene replayed in her mind that day, too, a crowd like this had swept them apart, cutting off all contact between them ever since.

Was separation their inevitable fate?

Luo Mijin covered her ears with a bitter smile, lost in confusion over whether she should accept this destiny.

Retreating from the crowd, she pressed her hands tightly over her ears, ready to leave but then someone grabbed her wrist.

“Come with me this way.”

The woman’s palm was soft and warm. Before Luo Mijin could process it, Rong Qingyao was pulling her toward a black Bentley parked at the intersection.

Yan Si opened the car door and rushed over to shield them, ushering them inside before the crowd could close in again.

The driver, unfazed, smoothly stepped on the gas and drove off.

“Phew, that was too close. President Rong, next time you have to remember to glue those sunglasses and mask to your face. If a stampede had broken out, it would’ve been a disaster. This is definitely going to trend.”

Yan Si panted, patting her chest in relief, then immediately pulled out her phone to contact their manager.

In the back seat, Rong Qingyao still hadn’t let go of Luo Mijin’s wrist. “Yes, that was my oversight. It won’t happen again.”

Listening to Rong Qingyao’s calm tone, Yan Si thought, There’s going to be a next time? Looks like she, as the assistant, would have to prepare in advance.

As the car moved steadily forward, the partition between the front and back seats rose again. Luo Mijin suddenly snapped back to reality and quickly pulled her hand free from Rong Qingyao’s tight grip.

The small, enclosed space was utterly silent. She felt enveloped by the familiar scent of snow, clean and crisp.

Breaking the silence first, Luo Mijin spoke slowly, “Actually, you didn’t have to intervene. They weren’t after me. This might just cause you trouble and inconvenience.”

The media might fabricate baseless rumors, like alleging some improper relationship between her and Rong Qingyao, which could negatively affect Rong Qingyao’s. engagement, for all she knew.

A wicked thought sprouted in Luo Mijin’s mind. A voice whispered that the best outcome would be the cancellation of the engagement wouldn’t it be great if Rong Qingyao couldn’t go through with it?

She quickly reined in her wandering thoughts and added politely in a soft voice, “But thank you anyway.”

Rong Qingyao withdrew her left hand, which Luo Mijin had pulled away from. Behind the silver-rimmed glasses, her narrow eyes appeared exceptionally cold.

“As I said earlier, at the very least, we’re still alumni.”

Rong Qingyao lowered her eyelids, the faint bluish tint of sleeplessness stark against her translucent skin. In the confined, moving car, she exuded a fragile, almost tempting allure.

“Let me see your hand.”

“It’s fine, no need. I can handle it myself.” Before Luo Mijin could finish, her injured hand was already grasped by Rong Qingyao.

“There’s a first-aid kit in my car. Close your eyes, it’ll be over soon.”

Obediently shutting her eyes, the scent of snow grew closer. Luo Mijin could almost feel the woman’s soft, fragrant hair brushing against the bridge of her nose. The skin beneath her fingertips was smooth as silk, sending a languid warmth through her body. The pain of the wound strangely morphed into a peculiar kind of pleasure.

Remembering Luo Mijin’s low pain tolerance and clumsiness, Rong Qingyao’s movements grew even slower and gentler. She used tweezers to remove the glass shards, then disinfected and bandaged the wound with iodine and hydrogen peroxide.

Even after seven years, the routine felt as familiar as if she had tended to Luo Mijin just yesterday.

“It might sting a little. Be more careful next time, don’t keep hurting yourself.”

“It’s not like I hurt myself all the time.”

The familiar exchange left both of them momentarily stunned, followed by a prolonged silence.

They both knew that no matter how similar the words or actions, the past could never be reclaimed.

That fleeting pleasure vanished quickly. Luo Mijin’s eyes burned with heat and unshed tears. No matter how familiar the conversation, it couldn’t erase the seven years that had passed.

Between her and Rong Qingyao lay an insurmountable chasm.

Their breaths mingled with the slight sway of the car. She quietly opened her eyes.

In the flickering light, the woman’s cool, composed face seemed tinged with an ambiguous mist, her stunning eyes and pupils glistening with unspoken emotion.

Just as Luo Mijin couldn’t resist the urge to delve deeper, Rong Qingyao slowly released her hand.

“Remember not to get the wound wet. Change the dressing twice a day. If you can’t bandage it yourself,” Rong Qingyao said, her tone shifting as if snapping back to reality, her gaze calm and detached, “you can ask a friend or. your partner to help.”

Unblinking, Luo Mijin nodded slowly. “Mm, I will.”

Her efforts met with no response, leaving Rong Qingyao with a sense of futility, as though every ball she threw disappeared into a black hole. Her probing, her boldness, none of it elicited any meaningful reaction.

The Luo Mijin before her now was like a dried-up well. No matter how many stones she cast, not a single ripple would surface.

This realization only deepened Rong Qingyao’s frustration.

“Where are you headed? I can drop you off.”

Luo Mijin gave Rong Qingyao an address, she had arranged to meet Lan Mingyu at that intersection before going to watch a movie together.

“Thank you for the ride. Goodbye.” Luo Mijin smiled faintly as the car stopped, avoiding eye contact with Rong Qingyao.

“Luoluo, I bought some Chinese food sweet and sour ribs and scrambled eggs with tomatoes. Let’s eat first before the movie,” Lan Mingyu began, about to comment on how thin Luo Mijin had gotten, when she noticed the beauty stepping out of the black Bentley.

The woman wore her dark hair elegantly pinned up, her delicate features carrying a touch of weariness that only enhanced her allure.

“Luoluo, did she bring you here?”

“Yeah, we just happened to run into each other,” Luo Mijin replied, fidgeting with her injured finger, an uneasy feeling creeping over her.

“Miss Lan, what a coincidence seeing you again.” Rong Qingyao greeted her with polite detachment.

Seeing Rong Qingyao here, especially with Luo Mijin emerging from her car, left Lan Mingyu utterly stunned. Yet, her impeccable upbringing kept her composure intact.

“Miss Rong, hello. How did you end up troubling her again?”

“Perhaps it’s fate. Otherwise, we wouldn’t keep crossing paths like this.”

Lan Mingyu’s smile didn’t reach her eyes, her gaze heavy with scrutiny. “Miss Rong is quite right. Fate is a strange thing indeed.”

“And what brings you two here today?”

That same adoring look again Rong Qingyao recognized it instantly. The irritation flared within her, spreading until even her head throbbed with discomfort, making it hard to maintain her usual poise.

Lan Mingyu’s unease grew. She wanted nothing more than to whisk Luo Mijin away, but Rong Qingyao’s commanding presence, calm yet oppressive left no room for escape.

It was suffocating.

“We made plans to watch your new movie. It’s starting soon, I’m sure Miss Rong wouldn’t want us to be late, would she?”

For a moment, Rong Qingyao was at a loss. Luo Mijin had been so distant with her, yet here she was, watching Rong Qingyao’s film with perhaps her new lover. Was this some kind of game? Or had Luo Mijin truly moved on?

The thought sent a chill through her, awakening something dark obsession, possessiveness, destruction.

“In that case, allow me to treat you,” she said, turning to Yan Si. “Find a better theater, book a VIP screening somewhere quiet. My driver can take you.”

“No need for the trouble. Mingyu already bought tickets. Thank you,” Luo Mijin declined gently. More interaction between them was the last thing she wanted.

Just the thought of Rong Qingyao’s engagement ceremony was enough to drain her.

Lan Mingyu offered Rong Qingyao an apologetic yet pointed smile, linking arms with Luo Mijin as they headed toward the cinema across the street.

“Miss Rong, we appreciate the offer, but Luoluo doesn’t need your kindness right now.”

Rong Qingyao watched them go, her composed expression turning icy. Her words came out sharper than before.

“Luo Mijin, even though we broke up, there’s no need to shut me out completely. We can still be friends, can’t we?”

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