A Time-Limited Romance with Movie Queen Ex - Chapter 44.1

Stunned by Rong Qingyao’s counter-question for a moment, Luo Mijin couldn’t help but frown. The snow-white skin beneath the woman’s delicate collarbones was too distracting, forcing her to turn away.

“I… how would I know who you should marry?” She clasped her hands behind her back, repeatedly pressing her lips together to ease her nervousness. “At the very least, like I said, you shouldn’t marry someone who doesn’t love or cherish you.”

“Then how am I supposed to tell if someone loves me or cherishes me?”

“Rong Qingyao, after what Scott did, I want to help you,” Luo Mijin clenched her small fists like a puppy ready to charge out and bite a tiger to death. “He has to pay for what he’s done.”

And what about the price you’ll have to pay?

Rong Qingyao nearly blurted out this dangerously uncontrolled question. She knew all too well how desperately she wanted this person before her so desperately that she would resort to any means, even enlisting friends to stage a farce. How absurd.

Once, she had read a line in a book: “The world is a soap bubble, an opera, a merry absurdity.”

Back then, she couldn’t understand it, because her world was filled with the harsh reality of poverty and hardship. Now, though she seemed to possess everything beyond ordinary reach, she felt the world’s absurdity more deeply than ever.

Wasn’t she right at the center of this ridiculous farce?

“Luo Mijin, you still haven’t answered my question.”

The woman pressed closer with relentless persistence. Only when the clean, fresh fragrance enveloped her did Luo Mijin realize Rong Qingyao had backed her into a corner against the ivy-covered wall.

Helplessly, her gaze fell on the expanse of snow-white skin beneath two delicate straps, the curves faintly undulating.

The woman’s red lips parted slightly, her hazy eyes fixed on Luo Mijin with a teary, alluring charm that tempted anyone to lose control.

“Rong Qingyao, maybe you should put on some clothes first?”

“What’s wrong?” Rong Qingyao feigned innocent ignorance, her narrow, bewitching eyes glistening with intoxicating moisture. She deliberately lowered her gaze halfway. “Do you think I look bad like this? Have I grown old and haggard, becoming repulsive?”

Luo Mijin’s heart pounded like a drum. Seeing the woman bite her lower lip as if hurt, as if ashamed the porcelain-like collarbones and neck flushed red from the friction of fabric made her eyes darken.

So she hurriedly amended, “No, it’s not that you look bad.” It was that she was unbearably beautiful.

“Really?” Rong Qingyao forced a smile, her restrained allure tinged with sorrow. “You don’t have to comfort me out of pity.”

“No, no! I just thought you might be cold, so I wanted you to put on something warmer,” Luo Mijin had no idea Rong Qingyao had become this sensitive. It must all be because of that damn Scott, the deceitful deadbeat who tricked her into a sham marriage.

“Rong Qingyao, you’re incredibly, incredibly beautiful. I mean it.”

“You don’t have to say that just to make me feel better,” Rong Qingyao sighed faintly, her demeanor cool and elegant, which only made Luo Mijin ache more for her. She was sure the woman’s forced composure hid immense pain.

“I’m not saying it just to be nice.”

“If you’re cold, we can talk in the room. I’ll have them prepare the juice you like.” With effortless subtlety, Rong Qingyao shifted the topic, her gaze flickering toward Lan Mingyu watching from a distance.

She didn’t want to see anyone else coveting Luo Mijin. Every calculated step was just to bind this person tightly to her side.

“No, that’s alright,” Luo Mijin immediately wanted to refuse the moment she imagined being in an enclosed space with Rong Qingyao dressed like this.

Being alone in a room with an ex she’d never been able to forget was hardly a wise decision.

“But I’m cold,” Rong Qingyao said, seemingly restrained as she lightly hooked Luo Mijin’s pinky finger before quickly letting go just a fleeting touch, gone as soon as it came. “Please?”

How could Luo Mijin refuse when such a beauty made such a request? She had no choice but to obediently follow Rong Qingyao upstairs.

The woman’s porcelain-smooth back was exposed in the fading light, her delicate shoulder blades alluringly slender, the curves at her waist dipping in a graceful arc before swelling again lower down.

“Your friend hasn’t left yet?” Rong Qingyao asked casually.

“What? Oh, you mean Mingyu? She—”

Before Luo Mijin could finish, Lan Mingyu walked over from the living room, smiling brightly at Rong Qingyao.

“Miss Rong, I was just about to leave. Don’t worry, I won’t ruin your plans.”

The last sentence was spoken so softly it was almost a whisper, ensuring only Rong Qingyao could hear.

“What plans? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Miss Rong is quite the actress flawless, meticulous, pulling all the strings. A little honey trap, and Luo Luo is completely wrapped around your finger.”

Rong Qingyao pretended to shake Lan Mingyu’s hand in farewell, her smile elegant and composed. “You flatter me, Miss Lan. A honey trap only works if the other person is willing. Otherwise, no amount of beauty would matter.”

“Miss Rong is far too modest.”

“Mingyu, what are you two talking about?”

“Nothing much. I was just praising Miss Rong’s acting so vivid, so lifelike. And her beauty is simply breathtaking.”

Luo Mijin was even more confused, not understanding why Lan Mingyu was suddenly complimenting Rong Qingyao. “Why are we talking about acting all of a sudden?”

“We were discussing Miss Rong’s new film,” Lan Mingyu said, raising an eyebrow at Rong Qingyao. “I’m in awe of her performance. Truly unmatched.”

“You’re too kind,” Rong Qingyao replied with polite grace.

“Well, I’ll take my leave now,” Lan Mingyu said, deciding to stir the pot one last time. She winked at Luo Mijin. “Luo Luo, let’s meet up again soon.”

“Mm, sure. Drive safely.”

Just as expected, Lan Mingyu caught the flicker of displeasure in Rong Qingyao’s eyes before happily striding out the door.

Seeing Luo Mijin still lost in thought, Rong Qingyao felt a pang of jealousy. “Don’t want to part with your friend?”

“N-no, it’s nothing. You should go put on something warmer,” Luo Mijin stammered, avoiding Rong Qingyao’s gaze.

The two went upstairs one after the other, arriving at the lounge usually reserved for tea and relaxation. Rong Qingyao lounged lazily in a deep-red cigar chair, her expression languid yet undeniably alluring.

The servants had already been informed, and soon a glass of freshly squeezed strawberry juice was brought in. Rong Qingyao, however, only asked for green tea, which she didn’t drink, instead peeling fresh lychees with delicate fingers.

The white flesh of the fruit rolled between her fair fingertips, juice dripping sensually, its rich fragrance hanging in the air like an intoxicating, seductive hint.

“Aren’t you going to put on more clothes? Didn’t you say you were cold earlier?”

Rong Qingyao’s eyes held a trace of triumph, though her expression remained neutral. “It’s warm enough in here now. No need for extra layers.”

“Ah,” Luo Mijin stiffened instantly, like a Lego figurine stuck together awkwardly, unsure whether to smile or not. “You make a very good point.”

“How do I tell if someone loves me or not?”

Back to this question again. Luo Mijin felt a bitter mix of emotions and forced a wry smile.

“I don’t know either. I can only tell you how to rule out those who don’t.”

“How?”

“Someone like Scott, who fools around, is definitely out. Anyone who’d abandon you is out. Someone who doesn’t care about you is out. Anyone unwilling to spend time with you is out. Anyone who doesn’t give you their whole heart is out…”

As Luo Mijin continued listing all the “outs,” she heard the woman’s soft, warm laughter.

“So many disqualifications?” Rong Qingyao’s long lashes fluttered like butterfly wings. “Then who do you think does qualify?”

Luo Mijin lifted her head and met Rong Qingyao’s gaze earnestly. “I don’t know.”

Rong Qingyao sighed inwardly, exasperated.

“Before anything else, I want to ask, why do you want to help me?”

The woman observed Luo Mijin’s expression and demeanor meticulously, not missing a single detail.

From their reunion until now, Rong Qingyao had overcome countless obstacles. By her nature, after a breakup, she would have cut ties completely once broken, things could never be whole again.

But after meeting Luo Mijin again, all her principles vanished. She was like a gambler who had already lost everything, yet still threw everything she had at the next bet she wanted.

All her efforts were just to prove she still had the right to gamble.

As for the stakes, she had a lifetime to spend.

She thought reigniting old flames might be a complex equation. She had already proven Luo Mijin didn’t like Lan Mingyu and had drawn her back into her orbit.

If she could prove Luo Mijin still held even a shred of lingering affection or nostalgia for the past.

She would have the courage to solve that equation.

Luo Mijin hesitated, unsure how to answer. Obviously, claiming she was just being chivalrous wouldn’t hold up.

Because I still love you, so I want you to be happy, to not marry the wrong person.

Saying that would only humiliate herself and shatter the delicate balance between them.

Living under the same roof as strangers was already a stroke of incredible luck.

She couldn’t risk breaking that balance.

“Don’t say it’s because we went to the same school. There are so many alumni, why aren’t you helping them?” Rong Qingyao’s seemingly offhand remark was actually relentless.

The tension hung thick in the air, broken only by the faint ticking of the metal wall clock in the study.

Just then, the study door blew open with a gust of wind, and in walked Mint Candy, the odd-eyed lion cat with a fondness for yogurt.

It glanced at Luo Mijin, then gracefully leaped onto Rong Qingyao’s lap without a care, settling down comfortably and lazily watching Luo Mijin.

Luo Mijin gazed at Mint Candy, her thoughts drifting.

She remembered feeding stray cats and dogs with Rong Qingyao in abandoned bars, saving up to get them neutered, buying discounted chicken breast at the supermarket to treat them.

They had planned to wait until Rong Qingyao’s salary for that month and the prize money from her small-scale Go tournament came in, then move to a slightly larger house with sealed windows so they could bring their cats and dogs home.

Unfortunately, they never got the chance.

But perhaps it was for the best those pets wouldn’t have to experience the pain of gaining a home only to lose it soon after.

Seeing the two of them silent, Mint Candy stretched lazily on Rong Qingyao’s lap, swishing its tail back and forth in Luo Mijin’s face.

The sensation of cat fur brushing against her skin snapped Luo Mijin out of her thoughts. She frowned deeply, took a steadying breath, and said:

“You… agreed to help Zhiwen find a suitable heart donor. Of course, I should repay kindness with kindness. A drop of kindness deserves a flood in return.”

It was an impeccable answer. Rong Qingyao sighed inwardly seven years had transformed Luo Mijin into someone she could no longer read, unable to tell whether her words were sincere or not.

Truthfully, Rong Qingyao felt she should have given up long ago, should have severed all lingering hopes the moment Luo Mijin broke her oath.

Yet she couldn’t stop clinging to that sliver of hope that this person had truly loved her once.

As long as there had been real love, even just a little, it was enough.

She was like someone freezing to death, not greedy just a little light and warmth could keep her alive for a long time.

“Mm, that’s a good answer,” Rong Qingyao said, masking her disappointment and forcing a faint smile.

Luo Mijin managed a strained smile in return. “Then how can I help you?”

After a long silence, Rong Qingyao picked up the documents beside her desk and abruptly changed the subject, her tone deceptively calm:

“We could sign a time-limited dating agreement.”

The crystal chandelier in the villa was dazzlingly bright, its light seemingly exposing Luo Mijin’s thoughts without mercy. She understood the meaning of the word “date” all too well.

No commitment, no emotions, just fleeting feelings, just living in the moment.

She didn’t understand what Rong Qingyao was trying to do. How could something like “dating” ever suit the two of them?

In truth, during those seven years apart, Luo Mijin had replayed their past countless times in solitude, just as she analyzed every Go match.

Trying to find the key to breaking the stalemate.

After endless days and nights of deliberation, she realized the only deadlock was herself.

She was the one who pursued Rong Qingyao, and she was the one who ended things.

She was also the one who once promised they would be together for a long, long time, never to part.

She still remembered their oath under the Sunlight Bridge, though they had only sworn it without stipulating the consequences for breaking it.

But Luo Mijin imagined that for someone like Rong Qingyao, who loved with absolute devotion, hatred would be just as absolute, and forgetting just as thorough.

Those who broke their oaths should swallow a thousand needles.

She didn’t know if it was her autism that made her as cowardly as a snail or if it was simply her nature.

If she wanted Rong Qingyao to be happy, the best way was never to have entangled with her in the first place.

That was already impossible all she could do was take it as a lifelong lesson.

“I don’t understand what you mean,” Luo Mijin said, her brow furrowed slightly as she waited for Rong Qingyao’s explanation.

The coldly intelligent woman in silver-rimmed glasses set down the documents, hiding her slightly trembling hands in the shadows beneath the desk.

“The limited-time dating agreement means that whenever either of us needs the other’s support, we must unconditionally rush to each other’s side, emergencies excluded.” Rong Qingyao casually stroked Mint Candy’s fluffy chin as she spoke. “On call at any time, usually going in and out together, attending some important occasions together.”

The cat purred contentedly several times, then swished its tail against Luo Mijin twice, as if scolding her for not taking the initiative.

“Why rush to each other’s side?” Luo Mijin felt this sounded like a bond even closer than a romantic relationship, but seeing Rong Qingyao’s serious expression, she wondered if she was overthinking it.

“An eye for an eye, you should understand that.”

Luo Mijin suddenly had an epiphany. “You mean we pretend to be a couple to get back at Scott?”

“You could put it that way.” Rong Qingyao affirmed with academic precision. “An eye for an eye is the best approach.”

“Isn’t that too childish?” Luo Mijin asked skeptically, probing Rong Qingyao’s thoughts. “I feel like only kindergarteners would do this pretending to be close to someone else to make the person they… like jealous.”

Remembering how Rong Qingyao had once said she was never rational in love, only contradictory and impulsive.

A bitter feeling filled Luo Mijin’s heart. Rong Qingyao hadn’t changed at all still stubborn, resolute, even a little extreme when it came to love.

Only now, the person she was resolute about had changed.

She wanted to ask Rong Qingyao just how much she loved this person, that even in such a situation, her first thought wasn’t to break up but to go through the trouble of revenge.

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