A Time-Limited Romance with Movie Queen Ex - Chapter 8

The woman who had been as alluring as a fox spirit the night before had turned cold and indifferent in the blink of an eye. Luo Mijin sat frozen on the bed, stubbornly and naively repeating:

“But you promised last night that we could date.”

Silence fell once more. Rong Qingyao deliberated for a long time before speaking, her smile still not reaching her eyes.

“I’m sorry, I went back on my word. Just pretend it never happened.”

Last night had been an accident to begin with, and she had never planned on dating in college.

As someone who meticulously planned every aspect of her life and studies, she had never included love or marriage in her life’s blueprint.

Moreover, that thing called “love” seemed to her nothing more than a man-made trap, one that led only to ruin.

“But you promised,” Luo Mijin murmured from the edge of the bed, mechanically repeating the words like a malfunctioning robot.

Rong Qingyao met Luo Mijin’s unyielding gaze and forced herself to say, “I’m sorry, I should go.”

“Will I see you again?”

“Hopefully not.”

“Do you hate me?”

“No,” Rong Qingyao replied gently, her expression vivid and beautiful. “But we won’t be dating. Thank you for last night.”

Luo Mijin had always struggled to read others’ emotions, but in that moment, she noticed that Rong Qingyao had deep, sorrowful eyes.

“Oh. Okay.” Luo Mijin clenched the mint candy in her palm, she had meant to give Rong Qingyao another one.

Now, it seemed unnecessary.

Words like “one-night stand,” “hookup,” “friends,” or “lovers” had never been part of her life. For someone with autism like her, the keywords of her existence were simply: hospital, cartoons, concealment, abandonment.

She understood people rarely liked those who were “broken.” Disgust and fear were the most common reactions.

Her phone, tucked inside her bag, suddenly rang, its monochrome screen flickering.

“Young Miss, today is the university’s opening day. You should get up and go to school.”

It was the dutiful voice of her bodyguard.

“Mm.”

“The Master has hired a tutor for you. Due to your condition, you won’t need to attend classes for the first two months. He’s already arranged everything with the dean and the president.”

Disgust flared in Luo Mijin’s eyes before fading. Her grandfather wasn’t consulting her, he was simply informing her.

She picked up the scattered clothes on the floor and put them on one by one in order. She couldn’t forget last night as Rong Qingyao had asked. Her mind, like an overcharged projector, kept replaying their encounter.

Over and over.

Today was the university’s freshman orientation, and her school, the School of Economics and Management had a welcome speech. She couldn’t be late.

It was one of her grandfather’s conditions: if she wanted to attend university “like a normal person,” she had to act like one getting along with classmates and teachers, completing school assignments.

But as luck would have it, it was raining today, a steady drizzle.

The bodyguard urged Luo Mijin to get in the car, but she shook her head, adjusted her baseball cap, and ran wordlessly through the rain.

The School of Economics and Management building was located in the middle of the campus. By the time she rushed up to the fifth-floor auditorium, the ceremony was about to begin.

The freshmen fidgeted in their seats, unable to contain their excitement, while a few senior students in charge of the event made final checks on the audio equipment.

The auditorium door opened and closed quietly. A tall girl slipped in with light, somewhat clumsy movements.

Turning her head, the girl’s rain-drenched face glowed with an almost watercolor-like ethereal halo. Her dazzling silver hair was slightly damp from running, her chest rising and falling.

“So beautiful. I saw her during freshman registration, I really like her.”

“That dyed silver hair is so unique.”

Hearing the commotion, the student council members on stage also noticed Luo Mijin walking toward the last row. Some even smirked knowingly.

“Qingyao, do you know her? She’s a super famous freshman from your department,” a student council member beside Rong Qingyao whispered.

A flash of lightning outside illuminated Luo Mijin’s rain-streaked brows and lashes.

Her silver hair shone brilliantly, her black earring glinting against her cool, pale skin stunning, like fireworks in broad daylight. For a moment, Rong Qingyao’s heart faltered, as if seized by something unseen.

“I don’t know her.”

As time passed, the memory of that day grew increasingly hazy, but she would never forget the sight of Luo Mijin walking toward the back row.

In the seven years they were apart, Rong Qingyao reconstructed this moment countless times in her mind. In her imagination, she was painfully honest, answering with three different words.

Settling into the last row, Luo Mijin took out a tissue to wipe the rainwater from her face, indifferent to the murmurs around her.

When she lifted her gaze, she caught sight of the woman standing at the student council president’s podium her presence as pristine and flawless as snow. Though dressed simply, her elegance was unparalleled, an understated radiance surrounding her.

The next second, their eyes met unexpectedly.

The world seemed to slow into a long zoom shot, the pale blue daylight enveloping the woman with her cool, flowing hair. Outside, grass and trees swayed in the wind, the undulating green waves flowing toward an emerald sea.

Rong Qingyao was the first to look away. Luo Mijin tilted her head slightly, her eyes glinting like those of a dazed little animal.

The ceremony began. Rong Qingyao’s hair cascaded softly as she welcomed the new students in a gentle voice, her smile perfectly measured.

Her white button-up was fastened to the top, neat and clean, concealing the faint red marks beneath.

Applause thundered from below.

People around chattered excitedly, this was Rong Qingyao, S University’s campus belle, student council president, and recipient of the top scholarship for three consecutive years.

Rong Qingyao.

Folding the damp tissue, Luo Mijin mulled over the name, finding it as fitting as snow.

Pure and untouchable, yet capable of vanishing without a trace.

But the way Rong Qingyao stood on stage radiant, confident, exuding an unstoppable leadership charm made people instinctively want to follow her.

Her voice was soft, matching her delicate appearance. Though her modest background was evident, she still evoked a tender longing.

A stark contrast to her cold demeanor at dawn.

Luo Mijin felt an inexplicable joy at discovering Rong Qingyao’s dual nature, yet a pang of frustration at being unable to get closer.

Never had she imagined wanting to approach another person like this.

After the ceremony, Rong Qingyao ate lunch alone before returning to her dorm. She took out an old notebook, recording the day’s expenses and calculating the gap between her part-time earnings and her debts, her mood heavy.

As her roommates trickled back in, she checked the time and decided to rest for half an hour before heading to the library to study.

Another dull day except for one small difference.

“Qingyao, are you coming to the murder mystery game tonight? There’s also a movie deal for the weekend,” a roommate asked while washing her face and applying skincare.

“No, I have tutoring in the evening.”

Rong Qingyao put on her sleep mask and answered her roommate softly in the darkness. The slight discomfort between her legs kept bringing back memories of last night’s intimate encounter and Luo Mijin’s ethereally beautiful, almost unreal face.

Soon, she forced herself to calm down. She didn’t have time for melancholy.

In truth, Rong Qingyao rarely participated in leisure activities like movies or other entertainment. Since childhood, nearly all her time had been devoted to studying for grades, rankings, and academic achievements. She joined activities to assist teachers with speeches, earned extra credits, and even built connections, tirelessly striving without pause.

She didn’t actually want to be the student council president, nor did she enjoy leading her peers, but she needed the position. Anything that could bolster her uncertain future, she pursued relentlessly.

Everything else was irrelevant.

Used to Rong Qingyao’s refusals, the inviting roommate wasn’t surprised and quickly shifted to another topic.

“Did you guys see that silver-haired girl who got picked up by a luxury car today?”

“Luo Mijin, right? Such a weird name. Wasn’t she already on the anonymous confession wall before even entering school? People of all genders were confessing to her she’s crazy popular online.”

In the sweltering afternoon air, Rong Qingyao quietly removed her sleep mask, inadvertently recalling Luo Mijin’s appearance.

She had to admit, that girl had a face that was hard to forget.

“Luo Mijin dominated half the discussion threads on our school forum before even stepping foot on campus. The other half was about our campus belle, Rong Qingyao.”

“She’s a genius chess player, won countless championships at a young age, I think she’s a 7-dan in Go. Comes from a powerful, wealthy family. Her starting line is the finish line we’ll never reach in our lifetimes. Probably got into our university through connections.”

“A genius chess player?” Rong Qingyao rarely turned to join the conversation, her voice soft.

She simply thought that someone who could win Go championships was unlikely to rely on family influence for university admission.

That reality contradicted her roommate’s assumptions.

“She started playing chess really young. Not just her name, she’s weird too. Heard she dropped out of high school halfway and finished with private tutors at home.”

Another roommate, watching a drama, dropped an even juicier piece of gossip.

“You guys are boring. I heard she was like a social butterfly in high school used money to coax girls into bed with her. Must’ve slept with at least ten or so. With that face and that aloof attitude, she’s weirdly popular with girls.”

“Really? That’s disgusting. How terrifying.”

“Glad we’re older and didn’t get assigned to the same dorm as her.”

“Please, a rich heiress like her wouldn’t even live in the dorms.”

The topic of scandalous gossip made everyone’s tone a little more eager.

“What’s the big deal? Sleeping with a rich girl like that, you might even make bank. Besides, she’s not bad-looking, no loss there.”

“Qingyao actually showing interest in someone? Don’t tell me it was love at first sight after catching a glimpse of her today?”

“Oh please, Rong Qingyao has tons of admirers. I trust her taste isn’t that bad.”

Conversations like this happened often in the dorm. Young people loved to gossip.

In the past, Rong Qingyao would have chuckled lightly to feign camaraderie, but today, for some reason, she couldn’t even bring herself to pretend. Coldly staring at the ceiling, she declared she was going to sleep, forcing her roommates to fall silent.

That evening, after being forcibly brought home, Luo Mijin didn’t see her grandfather. According to the housekeeper, he had gone fishing with some old war buddies.

Luo Mijin let out a sigh of relief, followed by an overwhelming surge of joy. She took out the full-frame mirrorless camera she had saved up to buy and captured the serene moonlight and the dazzling hues of intertwined grass blades in the small garden.

After quickly developing the photos, she carefully folded the clothes she was wearing and stored them, along with the photos, in a vacuum-sealed bag.

This was the best method she could think of to preserve the scent of “snow.”

“Young Miss, your tutor has arrived,” the housekeeper called from upstairs.

It was the private tutor her grandfather had arranged for her, signaling the end of her freedom.

In the misty rainy night, she reluctantly went downstairs, chewing on a blade of fresh grass, and vaguely made out the slender figure standing at the door.

A strong gust of wind carried the woman’s distant, cool aura straight to Luo Mijin’s heart. Rong Qingyao’s face, dampened by the spring rain, looked even paler, and her sorrowful eyes resembled an untouchable mist.

“Hello, I’m the tutor here.”

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