A Time-Limited Romance with Movie Queen Ex - Chapter 51.2

The young woman in a black trench coat sat on the hood of her Porsche, gazing at the sea as the wind tousled her long hair.

Her eyes, red from days without proper rest, contrasted sharply with her pale complexion ghostly, as if she were a seductive spirit who fed on vitality.

The woman’s eyes held a sharpness that saw through everything. The news of the canceled engagement would likely cause an uproar, but that didn’t matter.

Public opinion in the media had always been something to manipulate. To suppress the backlash, all she needed was to release an even bigger, more shocking piece of news.

As expected, before Rong Qingyao had driven half a kilometer, Old Master Cen sent a fleet of cars to “invite” her back to the family estate.

“Miss, please don’t make this difficult for us,” the bodyguard who intercepted her car managed to remain somewhat polite.

Rong Qingyao stepped out of her car with effortless grace and boarded the extended Lincoln the Cen family had sent. In a calm voice, she instructed,

“Drive quickly. I have other engagements after meeting with Father. Not a moment can be wasted.”

The bodyguard paused briefly while closing the car door, instinctively lowering his head in deference. “Yes, Miss. You have my word.”

The Cen family estate remained as opulent and extravagant as ever, adorned with blooming flowers.

The moment Old Master Cen saw Rong Qingyao walk in, he launched into a furious tirade without hesitation.

“Rong Qingyao, you’ve done well, haven’t you? You no longer care about the Cen family or me, is that it?”

“Father exaggerates. Of course, I would never disregard the Cen family.”

“Effective immediately, I am stripping you of all your positions within the conglomerate. If you refuse to marry Scott, then you’ll marry someone else. Did you think you could enjoy all the privileges the Cen family has given you without paying a price? Have you no conscience?”

“Father, the reason I still regard the Cen family is because my mentor taught me never to underestimate my enemies.”

Old Master Cen glared at his illegitimate daughter, who had clawed her way up from poverty, his eyes burning with rage. “You think your wings have hardened?”

“Not entirely. At present, I hold twenty-one percent of Cen Corporation’s shares.” Rong Qingyao maintained her composed, refined tone.

“So what? I’m still the majority shareholder. What waves can you possibly make?” Old Master Cen felt a flicker of unease and instinctively leaned back against the sofa for support.

“Father, if I were to dump all thirty-one percent of these shares on the market tomorrow, what do you think would happen?”

“You wouldn’t dare! You wouldn’t destroy the company.”

“Yes, I would. Cen Corporation’s stock price would plummet below ten dollars within three days. You’d go bankrupt, the company would undergo liquidation, and I would restructure what remains of your empire.” Rong Qingyao spoke like a dutiful commentator. “The choice is yours, but I trust Father knows what’s best.”

She had once been nothing more than a needle, maneuvered by others to exploit every crack. Endurance and patience had been the hallmarks of her early life, all for the sake of delivering a fatal strike at the right moment.

Old Master Cen fell silent, his teacup trembling faintly in his grip.

“Father, I simply believe that too much wealth loses its meaning. What has watching those numbers grow ever brought you?”

“You’re far more ruthless than your mother ever was.”

“In terms of ruthlessness, how could I compare to a man who abandoned his wife and daughter?” Rong Qingyao countered lightly.

“Qingyao, I must be getting old I misjudged you. I truly thought you had let go of your years of resentment.” Old Master Cen scrutinized her closely. “Who would have guessed you could be this cruel, this patient?”

Others might have believed she had turned the page. In truth, she had merely folded the corner in her heart.

“Father, I remember telling you the first time we met that I’m not a magnanimous child, I’m petty. But you were too eager to play the role of a loving parent.”

“Rong Qingyao, don’t think I don’t know about your past with that Luo family member. The scandal of your homosexuality if I were to expose it, just imagine the public opinion you’d face. Do you really think you could keep your seat on the board?”

“Father, do you still believe you can leak any information at this point? Or perhaps you should be more concerned about your precious son drug use, harboring others for drug use. That charge seems far more interesting than me being gay.”

Rong Qingyao’s eyes shimmered, radiant yet chillingly cold.

Old Master Cen laughed in response. “Rong Qingyao, you really should have taken my surname. The blood running through your veins is just as selfish and ruthless as mine. Strike only when necessary, but make it fatal.”

“I have you to thank for that upbringing.”

“You’re so much like me. Do you really think you can be a good lover?” Old Master Cen took a leisurely sip of his now completely cold tea, watching the formidable Rong Qingyao with amusement.

“What do you mean?”

“Your mother and I were once madly in love, weathering hardships together. One winter, when freezing rain fell, your mother caught pneumonia. We lived in such a remote area, with no car. I carried her through the icy water to a hospital ten miles away. Back then, I didn’t feel the cold at all, I just wanted to get her to the hospital. To this day, I still suffer from the aftereffects; my legs ache unbearably when it’s cold.”

“I did so much for your mother. Look how even such deep, unwavering love can erode. What makes you think yours won’t?”

At first, Rong Qingyao frowned slightly, but by the end, her lips curled into a faint, disdainful smile.

“You’ve spent your entire life calculating.”

Old Master Cen didn’t understand her words, but as he watched this daughter he both loved and hated walk away, he called out sharply:

“Then what are you doing?”

Rong Qingyao didn’t answer, striding straight for the door.

“Qingyao, let your father give you one last piece of advice: don’t let emotions cloud your judgment. Throughout history, no one who achieved greatness was ever shackled by love.”

“That’s just the fig leaf for your failures.” Rong Qingyao cast one final, weary glance at her father.

She had studied history extensively, how many had used “succumbing to love” as an excuse for their failures or ambitions? Or perhaps it was simply cowardice, an unwillingness to believe any emotion was worth a lifetime of conviction.

**

As Rong Qingyao left the old estate, she finally let out a sigh. In the distance, the sky was bathed in light, as if marking the end of mountains and rivers or the prelude to new green shoots breaking through.

At four in the morning, the moonlight in the southeast remained bright and pure, faintly tracing the horizon where dawn barely touched the sky.

Before boarding her flight, she returned to her apartment and changed into a crisp black suit austere and cold, yet exuding an irresistible allure.

Luo Mijin was in the suburbs of the city. After landing, Rong Qingyao immediately took a cab there.

By then, night had fallen, and the city’s neon lights had come alive, the skyline along the shore dissolving into the glow.

From afar, the cross-sea bridge looked like a long strip of candy woven from light, dazzling and multicolored.

Beneath the bridge, waves surged incessantly, crashing against the reefs and splashing pure white foam. Along the seaside stood several azure-blue villas, with a film studio set up on the shore bustling with people.

When Rong Qingyao approached, everyone in Wei Xiashuang’s studio froze on the spot, feeling as though they were dreaming.

The woman’s curves were voluptuous, her waist slender, exuding an unrestrained allure. Her snowy skin and jade bones burned with a rosy flush, while trembling raven feathers glistened with droplets of moisture.

“Is that… is that Rong Qingyao?”

“Yes, yes! She’s so beautiful. How can someone look this stunning without makeup? Absolutely unreal.”

“Why would she come here? Does she have business with our boss? How come no one got any notice?”

“Ahhh, I’m her fan! Can I go ask for an autograph now? She doesn’t seem to have any assistants with her either.”

Wei Xiashuang had been in the recording studio, listening to Luo Mijin’s test recording, when the commotion outside drew her out.

Though the night was dark, under the glow of the streetlights, the tall woman stood with a stern expression, her demeanor icy and aloof. Despite her exhausted appearance, her beauty remained breathtaking.

“What a rare guest! To what do I owe the pleasure of the great CEO Rong gracing my humble studio with her presence?”

At this moment, Wei Xiashuang was almost certain that Rong Qingyao, like herself, had feelings for Luo Mijin.

So, she decided to drop the pretense and engage in a battle of wits, one where both sides knew exactly what was at stake.

“CEO Rong, you’re already engaged. Why keep chasing after someone else? Honestly, someone as gorgeous and accomplished as you has plenty of options. Why compete with me?”

“The engagement is off.”

“CEO Rong, actually, I think you’re quite the catch. Why not pick me instead…” Wei Xiashuang had always been drawn to looks. Before, Rong Qingyao had been too distant, so she’d only admired from afar, never daring to voice her thoughts.

But after spending more time around Rong Qingyao recently, those old feelings had resurfaced. After all, this kind of thing was nothing new for her.

“Wait, CEO Rong… the engagement’s off?”

“Mhm.”

Wei Xiashuang was convinced Rong Qingyao was joking, so she grew even bolder. After all, she knew full well the tangled web of interests behind Rong Qingyao and Scott’s engagement.

“Then why not consider me? I’m single now beautiful, wealthy, and utterly devoted in a relationship. And when it ends, no messy attachments.”

Rong Qingyao’s brow furrowed slightly, unsurprised that a pleasure-seeker like Wei Xiashuang would shift her attention toward her.

She shook her head. “I’m here for Luo Mijin, Riddle.”

“Riddle’s still recording. Later, he’ll be shooting the album cover. He’s swamped,” Wei Xiashuang said, her fingers itching as she subtly appraised Rong Qingyao her refined elegance, luminous skin, that icy yet stubborn aura. Absolutely top-tier. “CEO Rong, you look exhausted. Why not rest in my Alpha nanny car for a bit?”

“Who are those people?” Rong Qingyao narrowed her eyes slightly, watching the female models posing arm-in-arm with Luo Mijin.

“Models the photographer brought in to help shoot Riddle’s single cover. Trying out different vibes so we can pick the best one later.”

“Is that so?” Rong Qingyao crossed her arms, her long hair fluttering in the sea breeze as she coldly observed the scene.

“Yep. Xiao Luo has great presence in front of the camera, and his looks have that striking, aggressive beauty, perfect for a rock vibe,” Wei Xiashuang pressed on, still unwilling to give up. “CEO Rong, any chance you’d be free for dinner in a couple of days?”

“No time. And no time in the future either.”

Beneath the seemingly gentle, polite smile lay a glacial chill. Wei Xiashuang shivered, the cold seeping into her bones, forcing her to step aside and nurse her wounded pride.

Finally, the first half of the album cover shoot came to a temporary end, and Luo Mijin caught sight of Rong Qingyao standing among the crowd once more.

A long, thin black trench coat draped over a high-necked black base layer, accentuating the woman’s slender and graceful figure, her hair tied up in a high bun.

She wore silver-rimmed glasses, her eyes moist and flushed red, yet her complexion was unnaturally pale, almost sickly.

“Rong Qingyao, why are you here?” Luo Mijin’s heart was filled with shame and discomfort. She and Rong Qingyao had just been intimate, and yet she had tried to run away.

Now, she had been caught again, proving her cowardice once more.

“Do you have something to say? I only have three minutes right now. Could we talk after I finish shooting?” Her hair was tousled by the sea breeze, and her deer-like clear eyes flickered with restless unease.

“I want to talk to you now. That way, you’ll have enough time to think.”

A few people from the studio passed by, deliberately trying to draw attention as they chimed in, “Riddle, let’s grab some late-night snacks later. I’ll treat you to drinks.”

“Yeah, yeah, come hang out with us.”

Instinctively, Luo Mijin led Rong Qingyao to a quieter corner, where a few coconut trees provided meager shelter. Under the night sky, the tide was rising, waves crashing against the Tidal wall in flickering light and shadow, as if pounding against her heart.

“Luo Mijin, you seem to be having fun with them?”

“They’re alright. They’re nice people.”

Rong Qingyao’s heartbeat fluctuated between fast and slow. When they had reunited, she had told a Tremendous lie, denying that she knew Luo Mijin, denying that she still loved her.

It had been an utterly terrible decision.

“Luo Mijin, I still love you.”

“Luo Mijin, do you still love me?”

In the past, she had been naive, believing that love was unstoppable as long as her heart yearned for the light until she witnessed the world’s true colors and realized how cold and cruel it could be.

She had reached a dead end, lost everything.

Now, she had no choice but to rally her strength.

Perhaps a direct, heart-piercing approach would grant her release when the blood spilled.

“Like before, tell me honestly, do you love me or not?”

“Tell me you don’t love me anymore. Help me break free, help me stop.”

“If I can’t love you, it won’t change anything for me.”

“Give me an answer, and I’ll be happy.”

Happiness comes in many forms—and giving up is one of them.

Rong Qingyao’s gaze wandered as she thought of all those days and nights when Luo Mijin’s sincerity had burned like a blade, cutting through the desolate, moldy recesses of her heart.

Back then, she had never imagined that the very sword that had torn through her darkness would one day circle back to strike her own chest.

But she loved Luo Mijin, resolutely, irreversibly.

As she waited, she thought of all the people by Luo Mijin’s side now, wondering how much love Luo Mijin still had left for her, how much lingering affection remained.

“Even if you love me just a little, that’s enough.” The woman’s sigh sounded like surrender after a long, exhausting wait.

As long as Luo Mijin still held onto even a sliver of attachment.

Because she already had a hundredfold in her heart.

My heart is all in, yours can do as it pleases.

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