Always Chasing My White Moonlight Omega - Chapter 55

The next day, filming continued. In the morning, Ruan Yang was in charge of Xu Zhiyi’s scenes. As she watched the camera and the image of Xu Zhiyi on the screen, she suddenly found herself lost in thought for a moment.

Just as she zoned out, the lead Alpha actor opposite Xu Zhiyi abruptly wrapped his hand around the back of her neck, pulling her closer with the motion, his thumb gently pressing against her throat.

Even though Ruan Yang knew this was a scene written in the script, seeing that delicate, jade-like neck in someone else’s grasp made her feel as though her own heart had been seized tightly by that same hand.

The Alpha actor opposite Xu Zhiyi had also been personally selected by Ruan Yang. His name was Cheng Jiamu, and he had been in the industry for two years, already gaining some recognition. However, compared to Xu Zhiyi, he still fell far short.

He was clearly a fan of Xu Zhiyi as well. This was his first time being so close to her, and his makeup-covered cheeks flushed red, his eyes betraying a hint of barely concealed excitement.

Ironically, this expression perfectly matched the look of the nobleman in the story realizing he had fallen in love with Cui Yan.

Ruan Yang frowned deeply, her fingertips tapping lightly and intermittently on the armrest of her chair.

The staff nearby, seeing her expression, assumed she was dissatisfied with the shot. Fearing that her temper might affect them, they all stayed silent, even holding their breath as quietly as possible.

The tense atmosphere on the director’s side somewhat affected the actors’ performances.

Xu Zhiyi remained relatively unaffected, but Cheng Jiamu was visibly impacted. From the corner of his eye, he could see the director’s dark, almost predatory expression, and his hand on Xu Zhiyi’s neck trembled slightly.

Still, his professionalism as an actor kicked in. He forced himself to regain his composure and delivered his next lines, quickly getting immersed in the scene under Xu Zhiyi’s guidance.

The filming of this scene went relatively smoothly. When the clapperboard signaled the end, the assistant director glanced at Ruan Yang’s expression and nodded, announcing that the take was approved.

Despite his experience in the industry, Cheng Jiamu felt inexplicably nervous standing before Ruan Yang, being scrutinized by her after the shoot.

He keenly sensed that Ruan Yang seemed somewhat displeased with him and was about to approach her to ask if there was anything wrong with his performance when Xu Zhiyi stopped him.

“Don’t worry,” Xu Zhiyi said with a reassuring smile, “the director isn’t upset with you. Don’t overthink it. Go get some rest and have lunch.”

It was already noon, and this had been the last scene of the morning. Cheng Jiamu felt somewhat relieved by Xu Zhiyi’s words.

It never crossed his mind why Xu Zhiyi understood Ruan Yang so well or why she felt the need to explain on Ruan Yang’s behalf. He simply nodded and quickly left Ruan Yang’s line of sight.

After he left, Ruan Yang dismissed the rest of the staff for lunch. Soon, only a few people remained in the small courtyard where they were filming.

The remaining staff members were busy with their own tasks and paid no attention to the two. Xu Zhiyi walked over to the small room where Ruan Yang was seated and took a chair beside her.

Just then, Jiang Jiang brought over their lunch, a weight-loss meal for Xu Zhiyi and a boxed lunch. Xu Zhiyi took them and handed the boxed lunch to Ruan Yang, who was still intently staring at the camera screen.

“Dinner’s ready,” she called out softly. “I did say I’d make sure you eat.”

Upon hearing this, Ruan Yang remained motionless, repeatedly staring at the screen where she had just captured the image of Xu Zhiyi being held by the neck.

It almost seemed like she was sulking.

Xu Zhiyi furrowed her brows and called out again, “Ruan Yang.”

Sensing Xu Zhiyi’s displeasure, Ruan Yang stubbornly held her gaze for another two seconds before finally turning her head to look at Xu Zhiyi.

Jiang Jiang had already left, and the staff had packed up and disappeared as well. Ruan Yang stood up and brought over a small table, and the two began their meal on it.

Seeing that Ruan Yang remained silent, Xu Zhiyi sighed, put down her lunchbox, and reached out to grasp Ruan Yang’s wrist.

Ruan Yang’s wrist was almost devoid of flesh, so thin it felt bony to the touch. Holding onto that slender wrist, Xu Zhiyi guided Ruan Yang’s hand step by step toward her own neck.

In the next moment, she pried open Ruan Yang’s hand and pressed her neck snugly into Ruan Yang’s palm.

The skin beneath her palm was cool and smooth, like a soothing balm that instantly calmed Ruan Yang.

Finally, Ruan Yang turned her gaze to look at Xu Zhiyi.

“I really don’t understand why you’re sulking,” Xu Zhiyi said, though a faint smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

She pressed down on the back of Ruan Yang’s hand, then her fingers, almost as if using Ruan Yang’s hand to gradually increase the pressure, until she was unapologetically squeezing her own neck.

As her entire hand made contact with Xu Zhiyi’s neck and she felt the pulse of the carotid artery throbbing rhythmically, Ruan Yang felt a certain emptiness inside her being filled.

Her expression finally softened, and just as a faint flush began to spread across Xu Zhiyi’s face from the lack of air, Ruan Yang pulled her hand back from Xu Zhiyi’s grasp.

“I’m not sulking,” Ruan Yang said, then lowered her head and opened Xu Zhiyi’s lunchbox for her.

“Fine, you’re not,” Xu Zhiyi replied, not bothering to argue further. She couldn’t help but rub the back of her neck, where her glands had started to itch from Ruan Yang’s grip.

Masking the gesture by smoothing her hair, she also lowered her head and watched as Ruan Yang placed the opened lunchbox in front of her.

The two ate in silence. The diet meal consisted of bland, boiled vegetables, and Xu Zhiyi picked at it half-heartedly.

Ruan Yang noticed Xu Zhiyi’s lack of appetite. She glanced at the lunchbox, it did look like the kind of meal that would make anyone question the point of living if they had to eat it every day.

She wondered how Xu Zhiyi had managed to survive all these years.

It wasn’t that she hadn’t tried to get Xu Zhiyi to eat normal meals, but Xu Zhiyi held herself to high standards. Over time, Ruan Yang had come to respect her choices.

After all, she herself often forgot to eat, so she had no right to criticize Xu Zhiyi.

Following Xu Zhiyi’s gaze, Ruan Yang noticed her staring longingly at the chicken drumstick in her own lunchbox.

Realizing she had been caught staring at the drumstick, Xu Zhiyi didn’t look away. Instead, she pouted and blinked her shimmering eyes.

The next moment, the drumstick was placed in Xu Zhiyi’s lunchbox.

“I don’t want this. You have it, don’t let it go to waste,” Ruan Yang said thoughtfully, offering Xu Zhiyi an excuse.

Xu Zhiyi’s eyes lit up as she reached out to stroke Ruan Yang’s head, then picked up her fork to poke at the chicken leg.

The head pat seemed like a reward, and the natural fluidity of the gesture left Ruan Yang frozen in place.

Just then, a late autumn wind swept through the yard and into the small room, lifting their long hair and tangling the ends together.

It also made the atmosphere incredibly cozy and serene.

For a moment, Ruan Yang even wished time would freeze right there her sitting by the door, watching Xu Zhiyi nibble on the chicken leg.

The two of them finished their lunch in silence, neither saying another word.

After eating, Xu Zhiyi set down her fork and turned her head, meeting Ruan Yang’s gaze.

They locked eyes for a few seconds, and just as Ruan Yang parted her lips to speak, her phone, lying nearby, suddenly rang.

Glancing down, she saw it was Ruan Qingyu calling.

Frowning instinctively, Ruan Yang covered the caller ID, stood up, and stepped out into the yard to answer the call.

“Yangyang?” As soon as the call connected, Ruan Qingyu on the other end eagerly poured out her woes. “Are you busy right now, Yangyang? Can you come back and see Mom? Please come back and stay with me Mom feels like she can’t go on living anymore.”

The tearful voice stirred a deep weariness in Ruan Yang’s heart. Pressing her other hand to her forehead, she knew Ruan Qingyu’s call was inevitably about Xu Rongjiang.

Sure enough, the next moment, Ruan Qingyu continued, “Your Uncle Xu, for some reason, had clearly agreed to get engaged to me at the end of the month, to hold the engagement ceremony and introduce me to all his friends and business partners.”

She sobbed twice. “But why is he suddenly telling me now that he wants to postpone it? When I asked him until when, all he said was ‘we’ll see.’ What does he mean by that, Yangyang? Is he trying to back out? I’ll die, Yangyang, I’ll die.”

Ruan Yang listened expressionlessly, not uttering a single word.

In truth, whenever Ruan Qingyu called, it was only to vent she didn’t actually expect Ruan Yang to respond.

But this time was different. After pouring out her sorrows, Ruan Qingyu pleaded again, “Yangyang, help Mom out. I know you’ve been getting along well with your Uncle Xu lately. Please go and beg him for me ask him not to delay, okay? Mom really wants to marry him!”

Sometimes, Ruan Yang genuinely wondered how many such weak-willed thoughts could possibly fill her mother’s head.

She sighed but remained silent.

Ruan Qingyu probably sensed Ruan Yang’s attitude and, after a few more sobs, hung up.

Staring at the darkened phone screen, Ruan Yang was no less puzzled than her mother. She hadn’t even spoken to Xu Rongjiang, why would he suddenly postpone the engagement ceremony with her mother?

She returned to sit beside Xu Zhiyi, who was scrolling through her phone watching short videos. Noticing Ruan Yang’s return, Xu Zhiyi casually asked, as if by chance, “Who was that?”

“No one important,” Ruan Yang replied, putting away her phone and tucking her confusion away as well.

No matter what, Xu Rongjiang delaying the engagement ceremony with Ruan Qingyu was, for now, a good thing for her.

Xu Zhiyi gave a soft acknowledgment and didn’t press further.

She appeared engrossed in the short videos on her phone, but her thoughts had drifted far away.

Xu Zhiyi had actually seen the call come in earlier, it was from Ruan Qingyu.

At this moment, receiving a call from Ruan Qingyu, Xu Zhiyi effortlessly connected it to the news she had just learned: her dear father had postponed the engagement ceremony with Ruan Qingyu.

Originally, Xu Zhiyi had planned to wait until mid-month to have her grandfather’s contacts at the group headquarters stir up some trouble for Xu Rongjiang, keeping him too busy to focus on the engagement with Ruan Qingyu. But before she could even act, Xu Rongjiang had already delayed the engagement.

It was hard not to wonder what had made Xu Rongjiang change his mind.

Lost in thought, Xu Zhiyi remained silent, and Ruan Yang’s mind was elsewhere as well. The two sat quietly for a long while, until the staff who had finished their meal came over to pack up the props. Only then did Ruan Yang accompany Xu Zhiyi back to the dressing room to touch up her makeup.

As soon as they entered the dressing room, Shi Fangxuan rushed over excitedly and grabbed Xu Zhiyi’s hand. “You’re finally back, Zhiyi! I just picked out a few dresses. Come help me decide which one looks best. We can wear matching outfits when we go shopping abroad!”

Seeing Shi Fangxuan, Xu Zhiyi’s smile widened. “Really? With your great taste, Fangxuan, I’m sure they’re all lovely. Let me see what you’ve chosen.”

Hand in hand, the two sat down in front of the vanity. It was clear that Xu Zhiyi genuinely liked Shi Fangxuan. Seeing the smile on Xu Zhiyi’s face, Ruan Yang also curved her lips slightly before walking over to sit down elsewhere.

But no sooner had she sat down than a message from Xu Rongjiang arrived, asking if she was free tomorrow, he would come to see her then.

Xu Rongjiang seemed even more impatient than Ruan Yang had anticipated. She glanced at Xu Zhiyi and Shi Fangxuan, who were still looking at dresses, thought for a moment, and replied:

[I’m free. You can come anytime.]

She was determined to find out what that old fox Xu Rongjiang was up to.

Support