Becoming the Comfort Alpha for the Aloof Movie Queen - Chapter 27

Craving the Alpha’s Presence

Ming Tanqing walked up to Liang Ruojing and asked, “Why are you back so early?”

Liang Ruojing caught the scent of lily emanating from her. Lingering on clothes, it wasn’t as vivid or mellow as it was from the source, yet it still tugged at her nerves in wispy threads.

Liang Ruojing didn’t dare look at her again. She lowered her head, though the image of those two lips remained etched in her mind.

“My manager had something to do, so I came back early.”

Liang Ruojing had run all the way back. Her trench coat, worn all day, was hanging open; the heat from her body made the mint fragrance grow stronger. The paper-white fabric of her inner shirt clung to her, revealing the lines of her physique.

Ming Tanqing glanced at her and walked past indifferently. “You can keep that shirt.”

“Huh?”

In front of Ming Tanqing, Liang Ruojing’s brain always seemed to malfunction.

Despite having lived together for three days, Liang Ruojing was still not used to this life. She sat on the bed in her pajamas, the moisture from her skin not yet evaporated. In the adjacent bathroom, the sound of splashing water continued—Ming Tanqing was taking a shower.

The sense of déjà vu was overwhelming.

Half an hour later, the water stopped. Ming Tanqing emerged wrapped in a bathrobe. The scent of shower gel mixed with Omega pheromones filled the room, making Liang Ruojing feel restless.

The whirring of a hair dryer started. Liang Ruojing walked over, her eyes darting around, unsure where to look. Ming Tanqing had her back turned. Her exposed skin was whiter than the bathrobe; stray water droplets slid slowly down, disappearing into the fabric’s embrace.

“Is something the matter?” the Omega asked. Her voice sounded as if it had been soaked in water—soft and lazy.

“The doctor gave me an anti-inflammatory ointment. Let me help you apply it,” Liang Ruojing said, adding a clumsy excuse, “You might not be able to reach everywhere yourself.”

The sound of the hair dryer stopped. Liang Ruojing’s heart was still pounding.

Ming Tanqing turned around; her willow-leaf eyebrows furrowed as if she were slightly angry. “Why didn’t you say so before I showered?”

Liang Ruojing was stunned again. Why?

The Omega glared at her. “My gland…”

The Alpha’s gaze was fervent and sincere. Ming Tanqing was thin-skinned and couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence. Her gland was too sensitive.

Before Ming Tanqing could say more, Liang Ruojing was already regretting her impulsiveness and wanted to apologize. Seeing her like this, Ming Tanqing felt even more guilty. Under the influence of pheromones, her emotions had been volatile lately; she didn’t even feel like herself.

Today was the third day of their temporary marking. Both were at the peak of pheromone concentration, a period when the need for pheromones and physical contact naturally increases. It wouldn’t be considered excessive even if they were more intimate.

The problem was the nature of their relationship. The Alpha couldn’t provide the caresses the Omega instinctively craved, and the Omega was too shy to express the need for dependence that the Alpha sought for security. In this state of mutual deprivation, it was only natural for their emotions to be affected.

Feeling a faint sense of irritability, Liang Ruojing took a step back. “Then… let’s talk about it tomorrow.”

Don’t leave.

Ming Tanqing suddenly stepped forward, placing a hand on the Alpha’s arm. “No need. We’ll do it today.”

With that, she sat on the edge of the bed, exposing the back of her neck to the Alpha. She appeared calm and indifferent, yet her fingertips gripped the quilt tightly in nervousness.

Liang Ruojing noticed and released her own pheromones, trying to soothe the Omega’s tension. Ming Tanqing’s body began to heat up. The cool mint scent smoothed away her day’s exhaustion. Just as she was completely relaxed—

A cotton swab pressed down firmly on her sensitive gland.

Liang Ruojing leaned in close. Intent on making up for her mistake, she meticulously covered the Omega’s entire gland with the ointment. The rough cotton swab rubbed over the pink gland again and again.

“Don’t—” Ming Tanqing’s voice trembled. The more careful Liang Ruojing was, the greater the stimulation became. Even the flesh around the edges of the gland was attended to; there was nowhere to hide.

After just the first layer, a mist of tears appeared in Ming Tanqing’s eyes. She propped herself up on the bed, panting heavily, her legs instinctively tightening.

Liang Ruojing, however, was serious and prepared for a second round. The doctor had said it would heal faster with more application.

Ming Tanqing bit her lip, enduring the surging waves of desire within her. Liang Ruojing leaned in and blew on the gland. The hot breath scorched Ming Tanqing’s logic, fueling a desperate craving for someone to fill her emptiness.

When Liang Ruojing tried to apply the second layer, the Omega grabbed her wrist. Ming Tanqing was breathless, her eyes rimmed with red. Unable to speak, she could only shake her head at the Alpha. She rested her face lightly against the Alpha’s shoulder, inhaling the pheromones deeply and unconsciously rubbing her leg against the Alpha.

Liang Ruojing froze, instinctively wrapping her arm around the Omega. “Is it very uncomfortable?”

Ming Tanqing’s voice was hoarse. “It’s cold.”

“I understand.”

In the next second, a hand firmly covered the Omega’s gland, rubbing gently. Liang Ruojing used her hand to warm the ointment and pressed it down.

“Mm!”

Ming Tanqing’s entire body shivered slightly. The contact area had become much larger. She completely melted into a puddle, slumping down. Her bathrobe loosened slightly during the struggle. A fire seemed to have been lit inside her, burning brighter and hotter. Without realizing it, she was sitting on the Alpha’s lap, pressing tightly against her thigh. She moved back and forth instinctively, searching for pleasure.

Liang Ruojing looked down and saw a soft expanse of white. The heat rising from the Omega’s body hit her face, making the air feel thin. Ming Tanqing’s breathing grew faster and faster.

Finally, she buried her face in Liang Ruojing’s chest and let out a soft, seductive cry.

The Alpha’s upper thigh, hidden by the Omega’s bathrobe, felt wet and stifling. In that instant, Liang Ruojing finally realized what had happened.

Ming Tanqing had experienced a pseudo-heat.

After the tremors subsided, the Omega finally spoke. Her voice was still soft, but her tone was as cold as ice. “Go.”

Liang Ruojing was at a loss. “Sister Ming…”

Ming Tanqing pushed back with force, only to tumble back onto the bed herself. The side of her face and her ears were flushed red. Her ebony hair was spread across the bed, and her two slender, white legs were crossed, with a faint, glistening moisture visible.

Liang Ruojing couldn’t control her pheromones from drifting toward the Omega.

“Go, go to the guest room.”

In truth, the fire within Ming Tanqing had not dissipated; it was still torturing her. But she simply couldn’t bring herself to say it—it felt too much like begging for love.

A few seconds later, she heard the sound of the Alpha’s departing footsteps, and a pang of bitterness welled up in her heart. Brief satisfaction was followed by a deeper emptiness.

Unable to bear it, Ming Tanqing reached for her inhibitors, then suddenly remembered Fang Zezhi’s warning. Helpless, she climbed down from the bed with trembling limbs, found the clothes Liang Ruojing had changed out of, and covered herself with them.

Liang Ruojing dialed Fang Zezhi’s number as quickly as she could. The wetness on her thigh had already dried, but that patch of skin no longer felt cool—it was so hot it felt like it was roasting her alive.

When the call connected, Liang Ruojing reported what had just happened in a jumble of words. As Fang Zezhi listened, his expression grew increasingly solemn.

“Tanqing’s psychological burden is too great. I thought you would be enough to channel the pheromones accumulated in her body, so I stopped her medication. It seems the void hasn’t been filled; her condition has relapsed.”

Liang Ruojing began to wonder what kind of illness Ming Tanqing actually had. She had done some research; typical gland diseases were torturous, but they weren’t usually so severe that a person had to be hidden away.

Fang Zezhi hesitated. “It’s better if she tells you that herself. The symptom is being easily induced into pseudo-heat, which requires self-isolation.”

Liang Ruojing recalled the hospital room she had seen before. Filled with medical instruments and enclosed by a large glass pane, it looked like an exquisite cage.

A sudden realization hit her. “The room we went to before was…?”

Fang Zezhi replied, “Tanqing lay in there for a year and a half. She only started getting better this year.”

Any lingering lust in Liang Ruojing’s heart vanished instantly, replaced by a bone-chilling cold, as if she had been doused in icy water.

On the other side, Ming Tanqing was holding Liang Ruojing’s clothes, beads of sweat continuously forming on her forehead. The heat brought by the pseudo-heat had dissipated, but the Omega’s gland was still craving the Alpha’s pheromones. The more she couldn’t have them, the emptier she felt.

In just three days, Ming Tanqing had become accustomed to falling asleep wrapped in the scent of mint wine. With Liang Ruojing gone, she could only rest her head on the pillow the Alpha had used, drawing in the remaining pheromones.

She was the one who had driven the Alpha away. Now, she craved Liang Ruojing’s presence so desperately. Ming Tanqing’s internal world, usually as calm as still water, had for the first time met someone who could stir it into a storm.

The Alpha pheromones on the fabric gradually faded. The Omega bit her lip and reached for the inhibitor on the nightstand. Her hand shook, and the syringe fell under the bed. Just as Ming Tanqing was about to get out of bed to retrieve it, a faint scent of pheromones wafted in from outside.

It was gentle yet assertive, sweet as it burrowed into her. Her tight nerves relaxed, and the Alpha’s pheromones once again lifted her to the soft clouds.

It felt so good.

Without the energy to wonder where the pheromones were coming from, Ming Tanqing nuzzled against Liang Ruojing’s pillow and slowly fell into a deep sleep.

When she woke up again, the world was silent. Cold moonlight illuminated a corner of the room. Ming Tanqing got up and still smelled the rich scent of mint wine. It filled the entire room, leaving her body and mind satisfied.

The pheromones were leaking in through the crack of the door. The closer she got, the stronger the scent became. Ming Tanqing pushed the door open, but felt a strong resistance.

She poked her head out—

A human figure was curled up in front of her door, face buried in a quilt, a mess of flaxen curls on her head. With the addition of a cardboard box nearby, she looked exactly like a stray Golden Retriever guarding the front door.

Ming Tanqing couldn’t believe it. Liang Ruojing had slept in front of her room with only a thin quilt. It was 2:00 AM; Liang Ruojing had been out there for three hours. Even in her sleep, the Alpha was still releasing pheromones, staying close to her Omega.

A complex swirl of emotions rose in Ming Tanqing’s heart. She honestly didn’t know what to say. The light from the living room shone directly onto Liang Ruojing’s face.

She woke up. She saw a pair of prized, pale blue eyes, no longer calm, staring at her.

“Liang Ruojing, get up.”

Ming Tanqing couldn’t suppress her emotions. In her life, there were very few moments when she spoke to someone with such agitation. “What were you thinking! Sleeping in the hallway?”

Liang Ruojing scrambled up and looked down into Ming Tanqing’s eyes. They were misted over, looking like they held tears. Liang Ruojing panicked instantly and explained, “It was my own idea. I thought maybe the pheromone concentration wasn’t enough… it was my lack of consideration, it’s all my fault. It’s not cold out here, the heating is plenty.”

Ming Tanqing let out a cold laugh. She stepped forward and grabbed the Alpha’s collar, forcing her to bend down and look her in the eye.

“Aren’t you an Alpha? What’s the big deal about just coming in to sleep? I kicked you out, but can’t you use your pheromones? You know perfectly well I can’t resist your pheromones—”

She stopped abruptly. Liang Ruojing’s mind went blank. I could do that?

Ming Tanqing let go and tilted her face up, returning to her usual cold and aloof demeanor. She glanced at the Alpha, who was obediently holding her quilt, and said coldly:

“Go inside and sleep. Take some cold medicine tomorrow.”

Liang Ruojing returned to the soft, large bed. As soon as she lay down, she smelled the faint lily fragrance from her pillow. She quietly turned over and buried her face in it. It smelled so good.

In the darkness, a pair of eyes watched the Alpha coldly.

The next day, Liang Ruojing didn’t get to take any cold medicine. She was woken up by a phone call at 8:00 AM from Tang Yuecen, who said she was downstairs at the apartment and asked where Liang Ruojing was.

“The flight is at 10:00. We’re joining the crew today, did you forget?”

Liang Ruojing woke up instantly. “Wasn’t it tomorrow?”

Tang Yuecen replied, “Tomorrow is the opening ceremony!”

Ming Tanqing was awakened by the noise beside her. By the time she opened her eyes, Liang Ruojing was already dressed. Fortunately, she had prepared well; all her luggage was with Sister Tang, she just needed to show up.

Hearing the conversation, Ming Tanqing propped herself up and looked at the flustered Alpha. “Are you going to the apartment or the airport?”

Only then did Liang Ruojing realize Ming Tanqing was awake. The memory of the previous night still lingered in her heart. Unsure if Ming Tanqing was still angry, Liang Ruojing replied seriously, “To the apartment, my manager is there.”

“I’ll tell the driver. You go. After last night, I don’t need high-concentration pheromones for the time being. You can go about your business.”

With that, Ming Tanqing lay back down. Liang Ruojing’s heart sank. So, is she still angry?

Time was tight. No matter how much Liang Ruojing wanted to say, she didn’t have time and had to leave. The Ming family’s car was already waiting on the green path. Liang Ruojing climbed in, watching the lily fields gradually disappear. It might have been an illusion, but she thought she saw someone standing on the balcony, watching her go.

Finally, thanks to the driver’s effort—at the risk of his license—Liang Ruojing made it to the apartment and caught the plane with her grumbling manager.

Once the plane took off, a flight attendant came to the business class cabin. Liang Ruojing asked for a blanket and warm water. Tang Yuecen stared at her with wide eyes. “Do you have a cold?”

Liang Ruojing shook her head. “Just a precaution.”

After speaking, she pulled a box of unopened cold medicine from her trench coat pocket, brewed it herself, and sipped it from the cup. The driver had given her the medicine just before she got out of the car. It wasn’t hard to guess that Ming Tanqing had ordered it.

As Liang Ruojing held the cup, even the sugar-free cold medicine felt sweet in her heart. She found it harder and harder to stay angry with Ming Tanqing. The more she learned about her, the more her affection grew. It defied logic, but it occupied her heart.

I wonder if Sister Ming has stopped being angry.

The plane was now flying away from the capital. The scenery was beautiful, and Liang Ruojing took out her phone to snap a few photos for future social media posts. Then she switched to WeChat and pasted the message she had carefully drafted the night before.

Sister Ming, I am willing to help you and do anything for you of my own free will. You don’t need to feel any guilt. Since I marked you, I have an obligation to provide pheromones; there’s no need to be formal with me. Until you are better, I am willing to do anything you ask. You can make any request.

Liang Ruojing hesitated but eventually sent the message. she didn’t expect a reply. She curled up in her blanket. As the physical distance between her and the Omega grew, a sense of loneliness slowly crept into her heart.

Ever since their chance encounter when she was thirteen, Liang Ruojing knew she would never be able to forget Ming Tanqing. It was true when she was just a fan, and it was true now in this… therapeutic relationship.

Liang Ruojing let out a deep breath, not expecting her phone to buzz.

Sister Ming: Anything at all?

Liang Ruojing: Yes. Is there something Sister Ming wants me to do right now?

The “Typing…” indicator appeared.

Sister Ming: Give me your hotel room number.

Sister Ming: I’m coming tonight.