Becoming the Comfort Alpha for the Aloof Movie Queen - Chapter 105

“This is my room number.”

Ren Wanying clearly saw Ming Tanqing’s appearance.

Standing drenched under the cold light, her exposed skin was as white as snow. Yet, the corners of her eyes and her lips were flushed a vivid red from the rising steam. Her smile did not reach her eyes, making one feel a sense of danger for no apparent reason.

Liang Ruojing, however, seemed completely oblivious. She turned her head and explained in a brisk tone, “Sister Tanqing, Sister Ren helped deliver the souvenirs.”

“Is that so?”

Ming Tanqing walked over. The warm yellow light from the entryway fell upon her, adding a great deal of vitality to her beautiful face.

Ren Wanying blinked, beginning to believe her previous perception had been an illusion.

Liang Ruojing handed the small package into Ming Tanqing’s hand.

As she looked down to inspect it, a strand of wet hair fell from Ming Tanqing’s ear. Before it could sway twice, it was naturally and skillfully lifted by the Alpha, who carefully tucked it behind her ear.

Seeing this, the doubt in Ren Wanying’s heart grew even heavier.

She had, of course, smelled the scent of ambiguously entangled pheromones in the room. She had also spent the entire day watching Liang Ruojing’s overt and covert care for Ming Tanqing.

What she didn’t understand was: what was the relationship between the two people in front of her?

When they were selling flowers today, she had asked Liang Ruojing.

Liang Ruojing had said, “Friends,” and then gave a shy laugh.

Looking at them now, they didn’t look like that at all.

Ming Tanqing’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

In just a few moments, the person before her had returned to the cold and noble image from her memory. “Wanying, sorry to trouble you. Thank you.”

Liang Ruojing also said to her, “Sister Ren, thank you.”

Her hand was resting on the doorknob; without needing to say more, it was a gesture of seeing a guest out.

Ren Wanying said, “Rest early.”

Afterward, she watched the mahogany hotel door close in front of her. Ming Tanqing was still inside the room.

Inside the room.

Liang Ruojing felt a belated chill crawl up her spine.

She found it difficult to describe Ming Tanqing’s gaze from that second ago. It was like a snake, coiling around her body. But looking at her now, it was gone.

The Omega sat on her bed, playing with the small ornament given by the program crew. Her legs were crossed, revealing a large expanse of snowy skin.

Perhaps the air conditioning in the room was set too high. Liang Ruojing felt thirsty.

She pretended to be natural as she sat down beside Ming Tanqing. The soft mattress sank under her weight, and Ming Tanqing’s body tilted, bringing her even closer.

She was still thirsty. For every second her gaze lingered on the Omega’s skin, the indescribable fire in her heart grew a few degrees stronger.

When Ming Tanqing looked over, Liang Ruojing instinctively hid her gaze.

Fortunately, the Omega didn’t ask further. She handed her the hairdryer and asked softly, “Ruojing, can you help me blow-dry my hair?”

It was phrased as a request, but it was spoken entirely as a statement, as if she were certain the Alpha would never refuse her.

Liang Ruojing plugged it in and began drying her hair just as she used to.

The smooth, long black hair was blown upward, revealing the Omega’s gland hidden behind it. Whether by coincidence or not, Ming Tanqing lowered her head, a posture that made the gland even more prominent.

Fresh, small, and cute, it stood right before Liang Ruojing. The elegant scent of lilies also kept drifting into her nose.

Luckily, her surging pheromones were suppressed by the inhibitor, so Liang Ruojing didn’t end up in an overly pathetic state and could still maintain a bit of rational thought.

For instance, why did Sister Tanqing come to participate in this variety show?

After finishing the hair, Liang Ruojing put the dryer away. Just as she picked up a comb to help style the hair, Ming Tanqing took the comb from her. “I’ll do it myself.”

In truth, Liang Ruojing didn’t want to let go at all.

“Sister Tanqing,” looking at the Omega’s profile, Liang Ruojing struggled to organize her words, “I remember you still had filming to do.”

Ming Tanqing combed her hair. “Yes, I have to go to the set right after the post-interview tomorrow. It’s very tight.”

She actually admitted it directly.

Liang Ruojing asked, “Then why did you join this variety show? You didn’t have the time in your schedule.”

“Oh,” Ming Tanqing let out a small exclamation, her gray-blue eyes filled with obvious amusement. “You found out.”

Liang Ruojing’s palms sweated. She looked up and asked cautiously, “Is it because of me?”

“Yes.”

Ming Tanqing answered bluntly.

It was so matter-of-fact that she felt a bit puzzled. She leaned in, her face so close that Liang Ruojing instinctively leaned back. Long hair fell, gently resting against Liang Ruojing’s chest.

Seeing this, a casual smile curled on Ming Tanqing’s lips. “Liang Ruojing, besides you, who else is worth me coming to a variety show for?”

I really want to kiss her.

Whether it was the Alpha’s craving for an Omega during the susceptibility period or Liang Ruojing’s own craving for Ming Tanqing, her eyes were essentially glued to the pink lips opening and closing in front of her.

She didn’t really hear much of what Ming Tanqing said. The Omega’s beautiful voice passed through her ears like background music.

“Before I came, I originally wanted to invite you to dinner. But, you went to a gathering with someone else.”

Liang Ruojing captured the information just in time. “When?” she asked quickly, her eyes full of regret.

Ming Tanqing pulled back, bracing her hands on the bed. “The time you had dinner with Ren Wanying.”

How did a gathering of four people become “dinner for two” in her words? Liang Ruojing didn’t understand.

“That was arranged by the program crew.”

“I know,” Ming Tanqing smiled at her. “That’s why I came.”

Liang Ruojing took in the Omega’s exposed, perfect curves and asked again, “And now?”

“The shower in my room really is broken,” Ming Tanqing was telling the truth. “Aren’t we friends? Is it not okay to borrow a shower?”

“Friends?” Liang Ruojing repeated in a daze. Her head felt like it had been struck by a blunt object, buzzing.

Ming Tanqing smiled. “That’s what you said.”

It was what she said. Liang Ruojing gritted her teeth.

She looked at the completely defenseless Omega before her, a surge of resentment rising in her heart.

Just friends, and you can come borrow a bathroom at night? Just friends, and you talk to me wearing only a bathrobe? And smiling… so beautifully.

How could this version of Ming Tanqing be shown to a “friend” like Liang Ruojing?

Liang Ruojing felt sour. She looked up, saw the wall clock in the hotel, and reminded her, “Sister Ming, you should go back to sleep.”

If she stayed any longer, they wouldn’t be able to be friends anymore.

Ming Tanqing looked at her expressionlessly. “Are you driving me away?”

Liang Ruojing felt the Alpha pheromones in the air becoming increasingly dense and grew anxious. “It’s not driving you away. It’s almost twelve o’clock; you need to rest.”

Liar.

With one look at Liang Ruojing’s behavior, Ming Tanqing knew exactly what was going through her mind. Regardless, her goal had been achieved.

Sister Qi was wrong; Liang Ruojing would not change her affections.

“Okay.”

She stood up and walked toward the door without stopping for a moment.

The sound of hurried footsteps echoed behind her. She slowed her pace, and finally, at the third second, Liang Ruojing grabbed her.

“Sister Tanqing, why are you unhappy?”

The Alpha’s skin carried a familiar heat. Starting from her arm, half of Ming Tanqing’s body went numb. She tilted her face up and was surprised to find Liang Ruojing’s eyes filled with a sense of grievance.

Ming Tanqing said slowly, “Liang Ruojing, don’t you know? I hate it when you pretend not to care.”

Liang Ruojing froze.

Ming Tanqing didn’t pull her hand away. She took a step back to stand in front of her. Her pheromones were so rich it was like a walking lily. Her bathrobe had opened slightly, showing soft and curved lines.

Liang Ruojing frantically averted her gaze.

Ming Tanqing softened her tone: “Today, when I went to teach someone pottery, why did you pretend to be indifferent?”

Liang Ruojing instinctively argued, “We are friends now.”

Ming Tanqing said righteously, “Can’t friends care?”

Ming Tanqing continued, “When you were chatting with Ren Wanying, I cared a lot.”

Liang Ruojing blurted out, “We are just colleagues.”

Although she didn’t truly believe the two would have a relationship, Ming Tanqing still curved her eyes happily.

“I will only be good to you,” Ming Tanqing said pointedly. “That’s what you once said.”

But at that time, in Liang Ruojing’s mind, they were lovers. Her heart twisted into a knot. She was jealous of everyone—including even her current self who gained closeness to Ming Tanqing as a “friend.”

Ming Tanqing smelled the overflowing mint scent in the air and suddenly remembered the inhibitor tubes she had seen in the trash. She guessed, “Ruojing, is your gland uncomfortable?”

Liang Ruojing looked alert. No way, she won’t mark me now, will she?

She nodded, feeling both expectant and disappointed.

Ming Tanqing opened her arms to her. “Friends only have this.”

Liang Ruojing stepped forward and securely pulled the Omega into her arms. Along with the pleasant scent of pheromones flooding her lungs, there was a whisper in her ear.

“Ruojing, you have to hurry. I can’t wait that long.”

Ming Tanqing went back to her room to sleep.

Liang Ruojing lay in bed, suffering from insomnia because she kept pondering the meaning of that last sentence.

The next day, she woke up with dark circles under her eyes. Except for Ming Tanqing, the variety show recording for everyone else had ended. She was a temporary replacement and had to stay an extra morning for the post-interview.

When Liang Ruojing got up, Ming Tanqing had already gone out to work. The hotel room hadn’t been checked out yet, so she should be coming back.

Originally, Liang Ruojing had booked a morning flight. After last night, she was suddenly in no hurry to leave.

Just like that, she waited in the hotel for another four hours.

At 11:00 AM, a sound came from the hallway again. She hurried to open the door and, as expected, saw Ming Tanqing, who had just returned.

Seeing her, Ming Tanqing was surprised. “Ruojing, you haven’t left?”

Under the curious gazes of several assistants outside the door, Liang Ruojing felt a bit uncomfortable and nodded. “Yeah.”

Just as she was thinking about how to speak in front of everyone, Ming Tanqing seemed to see through her. “What a coincidence. Let’s go to the airport together then.”

This was exactly what Liang Ruojing wanted. She readily agreed.

The hotel they stayed in was far from the airport; it would take two hours to drive if there was no traffic. Ming Tanqing had a tight schedule and had to return to the Huafeng Film Base to shoot a movie after this. Liang Ruojing had work in Yanjing tomorrow for an endorsement.

Simply put, they only had these two hours to spend together.

Tang Yuecen found out about her “feat” and teased her on WeChat: “You’re really something. A hopeless ‘love-brain’ beyond saving.”

This sentence was full of things to nitpick. She and Sister Tanqing weren’t in a relationship, so Liang Ruojing felt she didn’t count as a “love-brain.” And if she was beyond saving, to what extent was Sister Tanqing?

Liang Ruojing typed back with no small amount of pride: “This is nothing. Sister Tanqing joined a variety show episode specifically for me!”

The manager on the other side remained silent for a long time. Finally, she sent: “Thumbs up Thumbs up”

Both of them were beyond saving.

Liang Ruojing laughed out loud at the screen.

Ming Tanqing looked at her and asked, “Do you still have many notices to run?”

She followed Liang Ruojing’s Super Topic. Looking at the schedule maps posted by fans, the person in front of her was even busier than she was.

Liang Ruojing: “It’s okay. Only one endorsement and two magazines left. I can finish them before this weekend.”

She was about to enter her susceptibility period. Speaking of which, her current high volume of work was thanks to her role in Palace Lyrics 2. Combined with the fact that Grievance was also a hit, her market value had skyrocketed.

Liang Ruojing asked, “Sister Ming, what about you?”

Ming Tanqing: “My scenes will finish filming in a week.”

Liang Ruojing suddenly had an idea. “I’ll come visit the set.”

Ming Tanqing was surprised. “You’re so busy, how can you come?”

“But I want to see you,” Liang Ruojing said. “There is always time.”

The Alpha repeated it once more: “I want to see you.”

Ming Tanqing froze, a warm current surging through her heart. She gave a sincere smile, tilted her body slightly, and leaned gently on Liang Ruojing’s shoulder. “Then I’ll wait for you.”

Liang Ruojing smelled the elegant lily fragrance at the tip of her nose, and her mood lightened. Actually, Sister Tang had a point—she really was beyond saving.

During the two-hour drive to the airport, they didn’t talk the entire time. Most of the time, they just leaned against each other, breathing in each other’s pheromones, simply feeling peaceful and serene because of the other’s presence.

Liang Ruojing had shouted too hard while selling yesterday, and her voice was a bit raspy this morning. Ming Tanqing noticed and specifically fed her a throat lozenge.

Yes. The same brand the Alpha used to feed her.

After lingering in the waiting lounge for a while, when the broadcast announced Ming Tanqing’s flight, it was truly time for them to part.

Liang Ruojing stood up, just about to see the Omega out, when her hand was suddenly seized by Ming Tanqing. It wasn’t a “hold” of holding hands, but a grip, as Ming Tanqing used another finger to trace something in her palm.

It was a three-digit number.

Liang Ruojing looked up and met Ming Tanqing’s smiling eyes.

“I know you stayed behind to wait for me. This is my room number at Huafeng.”

Ming Tanqing walked to her side and let go of her hand. Her fingers brushed across the fingertips almost imperceptibly, itchy like a small feather.

The Omega looked directly at her, using a slightly commanding tone:

“Ruojing, come find me.”