A Time-Limited Romance with Movie Queen Ex - Chapter 40.2

Just as she was about to get out of bed, she heard the woman’s footsteps.

“Stay down,” Rong Qingyao said, her long hair cascading like clouds as she hurried in, carrying a glass and a porcelain bowl.

Luo Mijin obediently lay back down, hands resting atop the blanket. She tried to speak, but her voice came out raspy again. Not only was her nose blocked, but her joints and muscles ached, especially her fingers and wrists.

“What’s wrong with me? My hands are so sore, and I didn’t even do much yesterday,” Luo Mijin frowned, deep in thought. All she’d done was go a little overboard a few times.

Surely that couldn’t be the reason?

She usually exercised regularly even running 800 meters in P.E. class left her unfazed.

Hearing this, Rong Qingyao’s porcelain neck and cheeks flushed slightly. She bit her lip and shot Luo Mijin a look. “You have a fever. I took your temperature, 37.8°C. Who said you didn’t do anything? You kept going for so long yesterday, and even when I told you to stop, you wouldn’t listen.”

She trailed off, her lips bitten red, the delicate skin at the collar of her pajamas marked with incriminating evidence.

Luo Mijin blinked sheepishly, roughly understanding what Rong Qingyao meant. In a hoarse voice, she said,

“But an hour or two isn’t that long cough.”

She barely got the words out before coughing uncontrollably.

Rong Qingyao set down the water glass and porcelain bowl, sitting by the bedside to gently pat Luo Mijin’s back. She wanted to pinch the other’s cheeks but thought the sick girl looked too pitiful, so she held back.

“Probably from when we went to see the Aurora, you got chilled, then came back and got caught in the rain,” she said, touching Luo Mijin’s forehead. “And you stayed up too late last night without properly taking a hot bath.”

“So that’s why?” Luo Mijin buried half her face under the blanket, leaving only a pair of large, light-colored eyes exposed. “But you’re completely fine, Senior. I’m so weak.”

Rong Qingyao chuckled softly, brushing her fingers against Luo Mijin’s fever-flushed cheeks.

Last night, Luo Mijin had cried several times, exhausted to the point of having no strength left to beg for mercy. Only after being given warm water by Rong Qingyao did she drift into a dazed sleep.

Yet she woke again in the middle of the night and turned to gaze at Luo Mijin sleeping beside her.

By five in the morning, sensing the unnatural heat radiating from the other, she was startled. She found a thermometer to check Luo Mijin’s temperature and, confirming the fever, went out to buy medical alcohol to help cool her down.

Feverish Luo Mijin was unusually docile, letting Rong Qingyao wipe her ears, palms, and forehead to lower her temperature. Fortunately, the fever stabilized and wasn’t too high, so Rong Qingyao could relax.

“Early this morning, I woke you up to wipe you down with alcohol. Do you remember?”

Luo Mijin thought for two seconds before shaking her head decisively. “No, I thought it was a dream.”

Rong Qingyao smiled faintly.

“Senior, I don’t want to go to the hospital,” Luo Mijin said, her burning hand gripping Rong Qingyao’s wrist, her eyes shadowed by a deep-seated fear.

Rong Qingyao stroked her hair gently, her voice tender. “Mm, as long as your fever doesn’t spike, we won’t go to the hospital.”

She then cupped Luo Mijin’s face and added softly, “Even if we do go, I’ll stay with you the whole time.”

“Okay,” Luo Mijing= replied, the long-standing fear of hospitals in her heart easing slightly with Rong Qingyao’s promise.

“Let’s get some food in you,” Rong Qingyao said, lifting the lid of the porcelain bowl. Instantly, a fragrant, savory aroma filled the air.

Sitting up, Luo Mijin saw that the bowl contained perfectly cooked congee her favorite shrimp congee, with just the right balance of mild saltiness and seafood sweetness.

Rong Qingyao stirred the congee lightly with a porcelain spoon, looking slightly nervous. “It should be the right temperature. I know your appetite’s poor with a fever, but try it. If it’s not good or you can’t eat it, we’ll get something else.”

“Senior, where did this shrimp congee come from?” Luo Mijin asked, recalling that the hotel menu didn’t have this dish.

“The company cafeteria’s food today wasn’t suitable for someone sick, so I made it. It might not taste great, but give it a try.”

Luo Mijin’s fever-brightened eyes shimmered faintly, her fear of loss and insecurity momentarily fading away.

She scooped up a spoonful and took a big bite, savoring the congee’s texture soft and glutinous, each grain of rice infused with the shrimp’s sweetness.

“Senior, you’re way too modest. It’s amazing,” Luo Mijin said, her long lashes fluttering as she lavished praise. “I’m not just flattering you it’s seriously delicious.”

Listening to Luo Mijin’s hoarse voice, Rong Qingyao smiled. “Got it. Your throat’s sore, so talk less.”

“It’s almost eight. I’ll help you ask for leave from your professor and the company supervisor so they don’t mark us as absent.”

Luo Mijin swallowed a mouthful of porridge and lowered her head, mumbling a vague agreement. She thought back to her childhood when she’d thrown a tantrum about only wanting to eat shrimp and refusing scallops her father had smashed her rice bowl in response, shouting that no one would tolerate such a troublesome child.

From the moment she was born, she’d been someone else’s burden. Her mother worried she wouldn’t adapt to school, her grandfather feared she’d disgrace the Luo family, and her father called her a cold-blooded creature.

But Rong Qingyao seemed to be an exception. The woman always listened patiently to her ramblings, never found her picky eating annoying, and certainly never treated her like a mistake.

When Rong Qingyao returned from the balcony after calling their teacher to explain the situation, Luo Mijin suddenly hugged her.

“Does the fever feel that awful?” Rong Qingyao hugged her back, gently stroking her fluffy long hair. “Should I massage you a little?”

Burying herself in Rong Qingyao’s hair, Luo Mijin inhaled the cool, soothing fragrance and nodded slowly, not voicing the things that made her feel ashamed.

Besides, Rong Qingyao was so gentle and sincere with her. After clarifying her feelings, she had given Luo Mijin enough security and love it was Luo Mijin who was the coward, too afraid to be honest.

They returned to bed together. Rong Qingyao brought her warm water and medicine, watched her take it, then tidied up before joining her.

“Sleep a little after taking the medicine. You’ll feel better soon,” Rong Qingyao said, tucking her in and gently massaging her sore knuckles.

Luo Mijin closed her eyes, then quickly opened them again. Lowering her lashes, she asked softly,

“Qingyao,  should I tell you everything about myself?”

Rong Qingyao quietly traced the small dimple at the corner of Luo Mijin’s lips, thinking before answering, “Only if you want to. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

“Unless it’s about not wanting to be with me anymore.”

There was a focused seriousness in the woman’s gaze. Luo Mijin didn’t even need to think before replying,

“That won’t happen. I want to be with you forever.”

“Good,” Rong Qingyao murmured, leaning down to embrace her loosely, her voice soft and steady. “Are you feeling a little unhappy?”

“Mm, but just a little,” Luo Mijin mumbled hoarsely. “Maybe it’s because I’m sick.”

“I’ll always be by your side.” As if reading her thoughts, Rong Qingyao added, “I’ll stay with you even after you recover.”

The woman’s tender acceptance only deepened Luo Mijin’s sorrow. She felt she didn’t deserve someone as wonderful as Rong Qingyao.

Seeing the sick girl still looking downcast, Rong Qingyao mischievously poked at the baby fat on Luo Mijin’s cheeks, thoroughly enjoying herself.

“If you can’t sleep, do you want me to tell you a story?”

“Okay, I want to hear one,” Luo Mijin grumbled, catching the woman’s mischievous hand. “Stop poking me.”

Rong Qingyao relented, lingering only on Luo Mijin’s dimple. “How about a retelling of The Boy Who Cried Wolf?”

Luo Mijin nodded eagerly, putting on her most attentive expression.

**

For the rest of the trip, though Luo Mijin no longer had a fever, she remained weak, coughing intermittently.

Still, she insisted on working despite her illness, unwilling to let Rong Qingyao stay in their dorm room to care for her and miss out on opportunities and sights she deserved to experience.

On the last rest day before departure, Luo Mijin woke up early in the morning, pondering how to convince Rong Qingyao to take her out.

“Senior, but we agreed to go to the amusement park today,” Luo Mijin whined hoarsely, tossing and turning in bed.

“Who was it that exhausted herself working at the company yesterday and came back with a low-grade fever in the evening?”

Luo Mijin absolutely hated this illness but still pleaded, “But I’m already better today, no more fever. Let’s go together, it’s the last day.”

“Be good when you’re sick,” Rong Qingyao tapped Luo Mijin’s nose with a smile. “Luo Mijin, we can always come back another time.”

“Come back?” Luo Mijin asked blankly. “You mean intern here again next summer vacation?”

Rong Qingyao shook her head, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear with casual softness. “No, I meant next time just the two of us visiting Yuncheng. Of course, we could go somewhere else too.”

“Really? Just you and me? No one else?” Luo Mijin’s heart brightened, filled with longing for the future.

“Really. There’ll be plenty of opportunities, we can dine at restaurants, even take a transoceanic flight to L City to visit your sister, go to art exhibitions.”

“Okay! Next time when I’m not sick, we’ll go back to that amusement park with the water park and ride roller coasters too.” Luo Mijin’s eyes shone bright, clear, and utterly captivating.

Though she wouldn’t let Luo Mijin go to the amusement park, Rong Qingyao couldn’t refuse her entirely and finally agreed to watch a movie together at 4 PM.

With tickets bought in advance, Luo Mijin wore a mask as they walked down the twilight streets, sunset glow falling on their tightly clasped hands.

After entering the theater, they chose empty seats in the back row. The screening was sparsely attended, with only the two of them in the rear section.

When the movie’s leads shared a passionate kiss by the ocean, Luo Mijin instinctively turned toward Rong Qingyao. The older woman met her gaze in the flickering theater light.

Then their masked noses touched, a kiss conveyed through locked eyes.

On their way back to the dorm, they ran into some of Rong Qingyao’s classmates. The group of girls seemed surprised to see them together and came over to say hello.

“Qingyao, is this the junior you’re mentoring for the professor?” One girl turned to Luo Mijin. “Little junior, isn’t your senior just amazing?”

Given Rong Qingyao’s popularity, gentle personality and beauty, nearly everyone thought this way.

“Mmm,” Luo Mijin’s gaze lingered on Rong Qingyao’s face. “Senior is the best.”

“Qingyao, seems you’re not just popular with seniors but irresistible to juniors too.”

Rong Qingyao smiled faintly, her coolness well concealed. “Alright, you should hurry to dinner. The company cafeteria and nearby restaurants are all packed.”

“Oh no! We’ll chat later then.”

Hearing this, the others immediately rushed off.

Walking shoulder-to-shoulder with Luo Mijin, Rong Qingyao whispered:

“Luo Mijin, it’s not that I don’t want people to know about us, nor am I afraid of them finding out. I just want to avoid unnecessary trouble.”

“Senior, is this what they call ‘a wise man keeps away from danger’?”

“You could say that.”

“I don’t want others knowing either, Senior. Secret dating is perfect.”

“You really prefer keeping it secret?” Rong Qingyao was slightly surprised, she’d assumed someone Luo Mijin’s age would want a passionate, public romance.

Like relationship announcements on social media, kissing at the top of ferris wheels, embracing in aquariums.

But her Luo Mijin was always different from the rest.

“Yeah, why should we let others know about us? It’s not like we’re only happy if others see us happy.” Luo Mijin chuckled softly. “Besides, sneaking around seems kind of fun.”

Rong Qingyao couldn’t help but laugh, admitting that sneaking around was indeed fun.

Back in the dorm, before Rong Qingyao could even set down the things in her hands, Luo Mijin pinned her against the wall, gripping her slender wrist tightly.

Her breath instantly softened as she looked up at the silver-haired girl. “It’s not even dark yet. What are you doing?”

“Senior, we’re going back tomorrow.”

“Mhm,” Rong Qingyao replied with just a breathy syllable.

“There’s still a month until school starts. Summer break is too long.”

Fully aware of what Luo Mijin was complaining about, Rong Qingyao pretended not to understand. “Isn’t a long break a good thing?”

“Of course not,” Luo Mijin said seriously. “Senior, do you not miss me?”

“Let me think about whether I miss you or not.” Before Rong Qingyao could finish, Luo Mijin swept her up in her arms and carried her inside.

The Electronic Sheep that had been shy just yesterday had now, without any guidance, surpassed her teacher, pressing the woman down onto the bed.

“Senior, remember to miss me, okay?” Luo Mijin’s large eyes shimmered with clear, childlike light.

The woman’s fair skin glowed, her eyes sparkling like stars as she gazed at Luo Mijin with a smile.

She didn’t know what she had done to deserve someone so wonderful, someone who loved her so fervently.

And so, she wanted to possess her even more fiercely.

“Kiss me.”

Luo Mijin didn’t remove her mask, her face flushing as she said, “But I have a cold.”

“It’s fine. I want you to infect me.”

Perhaps because life had always been too rigid, Rong Qingyao found herself drawn to things that were wild and unrestrained.

Even in moments like this, she craved something more chaotic, more intense.

“Luo Mijin, could you choke me while we do it?”

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