Becoming the Comfort Alpha for the Aloof Movie Queen - Chapter 37

“Wait for me at the hotel.”

Today held significant meaning for Liang Ruojing.

The production of The Pursuit of Vengeance had arranged a collective group visit to the set. With permission from the Under the Green Mountains crew, Liang Ruojing and several other actors could finally pay an official visit to the cast of Under the Green Mountains.

To put it more bluntly: she was going to see Ming Tanqing.

Excluding assistants and stagehands, a total of three actors were selected from The Pursuit of Vengeance.

As the female lead, Liang Ruojing was naturally among them. Beside her was a senior veteran, Yang Jie, and another newcomer in the entertainment industry who happened to have scenes scheduled for today.

The newcomer was named Xia Youqing, a sweet-looking, lively, and cheerful Beta who shared her excitement about the visit throughout the entire journey.

Yang Jie exposed her: “You just like Ming Tanqing, don’t you?”

Xia Youqing laughed candidly: “Who doesn’t like her? She’s my goddess!”

Liang Ruojing listened quietly, appearing somewhat silent amidst the enthusiastic atmosphere.

Turning a corner, they arrived at the set of Under the Green Mountains.

Filming was still in progress, and it happened to be Ming Tanqing’s scene.

The background of Under the Green Mountains was set in the Republican era. Ming Tanqing played the role of the head of a large commercial firm, maneuvering between the opposing factions for the lives of those around her, eventually meeting a tragic end by sinking into the sea—a deeply sentimental and tragic character.

In the scene, the firm was being targeted and forced to suspend operations for restructuring.

Unable to bear the thought of the workers going hungry, Ming Tanqing’s character voluntarily attended a “Hongmen Banquet” a treacherous trap. At the table, she endured a hundred indignities, balancing firmness with grace, and ultimately succeeded in getting the firm reopened.

The scene was currently at the end of the banquet.

Liang Ruojing fell silent, her gaze piercing through the layers of equipment and the crowd, landing directly on Ming Tanqing.

She was wearing a form-fitting, pearl-white qipao, with two round pearls dangling from her earlobes. Her makeup was light and elegant. What should have been a soft, water-like appearance was sharpened by the coldness between her brows, instead revealing the unyielding resilience of a winter plum blossom in the snow.

A great actress can make the audience feel the state she intends to convey with just one look.

A hint of loneliness, a touch of helplessness, and a heart full of determination.

The male Alpha acting opposite her was also of “Film Emperor” caliber. Seeing the negotiations break down, he suddenly pulled a wooden gun from beneath the table, pointing it straight at Ming Tanqing.

“President Bo, you are welcome to try.”

Ming Tanqing lowered her gaze, her mind already having settled her affairs in a few brief moments of thought: “Living in these chaotic times, to survive even one more day is a great fortune. When a whale falls, ten thousand things are born. Do as you please, Commander.”

Having spoken, she did not pause for a moment and took another step forward.

Liang Ruojing did not miss the sweat gathering on her fingertips, condensed there, shimmering under the lights.

The dark muzzle of the gun continued to follow her.

The male Alpha curled his lips slightly and pulled the trigger.

Liang Ruojing even felt the impulse to rush forward and block the bullet for her.

Bang!

The bullet veered slightly off-target, grazing President Bo’s ear.

“President Bo, you win.” The commander departed.

Liang Ruojing was so entrallingly watched that she didn’t notice the director had already shouted “Cut.”

The President Bo in the white qipao walked out of the studio. In just a few steps, she completely detached herself from the high-tension atmosphere of the scene. Her brows relaxed, and her smile was gentle and enchanting.

The same attire, but a completely different aura.

Xia Youqing let out a long breath: “That was simply divine.”

As the scene ended, the surroundings returned to their noisy state. The director of Under the Green Mountains accompanied Ming Tanqing as Yang Jie stepped forward to introduce the two young actors behind her.

Up close, the impact Ming Tanqing had on a person was even greater.

She possessed a natural, undeniable charm; her features were beautiful, but her temperament was even more outstanding.

Xia Youqing, who had been boisterous all the way here, now fell quiet, stiffly shaking Ming Tanqing’s hand: “He… Hello, Sister Ming. I am Xia Youqing.”

Ming Tanqing smiled in response: “Hello.”

Seeing Liang Ruojing still standing there dazed, Yang Jie quickly prompted her: “Ruojing, hurry up and say hello!”

Liang Ruojing snapped out of it as if from a dream and touched Ming Tanqing’s hand.

Unlike the warmth she felt in the hotel, the Omega’s palm was icy from filming outdoors. It made her feel an inexplicable surge of protectiveness, wanting to help warm her up.

“Ruojing, hello there.” Ming Tanqing still wore that same smile.

But in Liang Ruojing’s eyes, she discerned many ambiguous undertones.

No one present knew of their relationship; they simply assumed it was a standard greeting between a senior and a junior.

Ming Tanqing let go of Liang Ruojing’s hand, but her eyes remained locked with hers.

“I’ve seen your acting. You have a lot of soul. Keep working hard.”

Liang Ruojing’s heart skipped a beat instantly.

From the corner of her eye, she noticed Xia Youqing staring at her with envious eyes.

“Thank you, Sister Ming.”

Ming Tanqing said no more and moved elsewhere, surrounded by the crowd.

Yang Jie nudged Liang Ruojing with her elbow: “Impressive! To get a compliment from Ming Tanqing—you must be over the moon, right?”

Liang Ruojing kept a straight face: “Mm.”

Xia Youqing was somewhat indignant: “Sister Jing is too calm!”

Yang Jie: “She’s what you call a rational fan.”

Liang Ruojing accepted the title with a bit of a guilty conscience.

Because of the visit, filming for the Under the Green Mountains crew paused briefly.

The scene was harmonious. They had brought many refreshments, tea, and fruit, which were placed in the center for everyone to take.

Ming Tanqing held high status but put on no airs; a large group of people gathered around her, seizing the opportunity to chat with her a bit more.

Liang Ruojing didn’t dare to step forward again.

For one, she couldn’t hide the emotions in her eyes at all; secondly, she was still immersed in the shock brought by “President Bo.”

With chaotic emotions weighing on her heart, Liang Ruojing took a cup of warm water and went alone to a quiet corner on the edge of the set to catch the breeze.

What she didn’t know was that just a few minutes after she left, Ming Tanqing looked around and suddenly asked, “Where is Liang Ruojing?”

The people around her showed puzzled expressions.

Ming Tanqing added patiently: “The female lead of The Pursuit of Vengeance. The Alpha with flaxen hair and amber eyes.”

Xia Youqing happened to be nearby, and the shock in her heart was beyond words.

My god, are the perks of being good-looking that obvious? She was remembered by Ming Tanqing at a single glance?!!

A weak voice came from the side: “Sister Ming, it looks like Liang Ruojing went outside.”

Xia Youqing pointed in a direction.

Ming Tanqing nodded: “Alright.”

She didn’t ask further, and the others treated it as a minor interlude, not giving it much thought.

About five minutes later, Ming Tanqing put down the things in her hand and said, “I’m going to the lounge first. You all continue chatting.”

Liang Ruojing sat on a long bench by the street. This area was sparsely populated, and though she was facing away from the set, she could still hear the lively sounds in the distance.

The more clamorous it was, the more it emphasized the chaos in her heart.

Becoming a good actor, for the current Liang Ruojing, meant shouldering the life of another character.

It was heavy, making her silent.

A cold wind blew, and the leaves overhead made a rustling sound.

Suddenly, the evening sunlight was blocked by a figure.

Before she could see who, it was, Liang Ruojing first smelled the pleasant scent of lilies.

“Sister Ming! Why did you come here?”

The corners of Ming Tanqing’s mouth hooked slightly as she sat beside Liang Ruojing: “You ran to such a remote spot—wasn’t it so I would find you?”

“No such thing…”

Liang Ruojing denied it repeatedly, but a surge of sweetness rose in her heart.

It was the peak of winter, and Ming Tanqing, dressed in white, almost blended into the surrounding winter scenery.

She looked like a coldness that was out of reach, but what she gave Liang Ruojing was always warmth.

“I said I didn’t want others to know about our relationship,” Ming Tanqing tilted her head, meeting Liang Ruojing’s eyes, “I didn’t say you should avoid me.”

The fragrant floral scent climbed into Liang Ruojing’s heart, and she finally smiled: “I wasn’t avoiding you. I planned to go find you in a little while. After all, there were so many people around you, Sister Ming.”

That last sentence, no matter how you tasted it, was tinged with jealousy.

Ming Tanqing scanned her up and down: “Miss Liang’s luck with the ladies is also quite flourishing. The scent of roses—which Omega was clinging to you this time?”

Liang Ruojing: “It was You Qian. She wanted to chat.”

“Oh, the ‘Human Pink Lychee.’ She’s very beautiful, isn’t she?”

The Omega’s gaze was burning, staring at Liang Ruojing’s micro-expressions.

Liang Ruojing’s face was forced red: “We didn’t have much contact. I don’t really like her.”

Ming Tanqing gave a soft “Hmph.”

At this moment, she didn’t resemble President Bo at all.

Recalling the world-shaking sound of the gunshot from earlier, Liang Ruojing remained shaken.

Even though she knew it was a prop, she still felt anxious for Ming Tanqing.

Ming Tanqing sensed her abnormality and asked, “What is it? Is there a problem?”

Liang Ruojing took a deep breath and asked, “Sister Ming, do you ever get too deep into a character?”

As expected, Ming Tanqing shook her head.

“To me, the play is a play, and life is life. You can project yourself into a character, but the character is ultimately not you.”

Liang Ruojing was somewhat confused: “But you said before that you wanted me to become the character.”

Ming Tanqing smiled: “The situation is different. Fully entering a role is indeed taxing on the body. But if you don’t enter the role, you won’t even be able to finish filming this movie.”

This was the truth.

As an actor, Liang Ruojing still had a lot of room for improvement.

Liang Ruojing couldn’t help but feel dejected, her ears drooping.

Ming Tanqing watched her and suddenly realized: “You couldn’t still be stuck in that scene just now, could you? The one where President Bo took the bullet.”

Liang Ruojing lowered her eyes and spoke candidly: “Sister Ming, you acted so well, I actually wanted to rush up and block it for you.”

Ming Tanqing was stunned.

Liang Ruojing’s emotions were moved by her—this realization made Ming Tanqing feel involuntarily happy.

“Having strong empathy is a good thing.” Ming Tanqing changed the subject, “But you must also learn how to step out of character.”

The Alpha’s eyes were full of confusion.

“How do I do that?”

Ming Tanqing suddenly leaned in, her hand grasping Liang Ruojing’s wrist: “Feel.”

She held Liang Ruojing’s fingers, guiding her to touch the texture of the bench beneath them—smooth, cold, with cracks in the wooden planks from wind and rain.

She then stood up and pressed Liang Ruojing’s hand against a nearby tree trunk—rough, slightly damp, with fine bits of dirt and dust clinging to it.

“The bench, the tree trunk—they all have different textures. Sense the world around you; return to the real world.”

“Shh—” Ming Tanqing lowered her voice, speaking into Liang Ruojing’s ear: “Do you hear the sounds around you? The rustling of leaves, the distant car horns, and the voices from the set.”

Liang Ruojing listened in a daze, feeling the Omega’s warm breath puffing against her earlobe.

Her vision gradually drifted.

Detaching from the world Ming Tanqing wanted her to feel, her focus converged entirely on Ming Tanqing.

Perhaps, for the current her, Ming Tanqing was that world.

Ming Tanqing noticed the gaze. “What? Still haven’t understood?”

Liang Ruojing shook her head, looking down to hide the heat in her cheeks.

At that moment, people on the set began asking about Ming Tanqing’s whereabouts.

Ming Tanqing stood up: “Someone is calling me. I’m leaving first.”

“Wait! Sister Ming!”

Liang Ruojing suddenly remembered something. She was wearing a long trench coat today with deep pockets; having kept it hidden for so long, she had almost forgotten.

“Sister Ming, I have something… I want to give you.”

Ming Tanqing turned around, not expecting to be met with a small, beautifully wrapped bouquet of fresh flowers.

With Casablanca lilies as the main body, supplemented by light purple pansies—the lilies were elegant, and the pansies were mysterious, perfectly matching the Ming Tanqing in Liang Ruojing’s heart.

Liang Ruojing had specially ordered this small bouquet, fearing it would be overbearing if it were too large.

Because the flowers had been tucked in her pocket for a long time, a few petals inevitably fell out when she took them out.

Liang Ruojing clumsily picked up the petals, her face flushed.

“It’s my first visit, and I wanted to be official about it, but none of the others ordered any, so I hid them…”

Liang Ruojing was extremely nervous. Suddenly, her hands felt empty as Ming Tanqing took the flowers.

“They’ve been crushed by me… next time I’ll order a bigger one…”

Ming Tanqing lowered her eyes, her finger gently touching a lily petal.

The pure white petal trembled slightly; it felt warm to the touch—that was the Alpha’s body temperature.

“Next time is next time. I’ll accept this one for now.”

Liang Ruojing was speechless, her eyes reflecting Ming Tanqing’s figure.

The Omega’s gaze was tender. Looking at the flowers lying in Ming Tanqing’s arms, Liang Ruojing felt a bit jealous.

A second call came from the set.

“See you at the hotel,” Ming Tanqing said. “You don’t have to film tonight, right?”

Liang Ruojing couldn’t control her racing heart: “Okay.”

According to calculations, it was time for them to top up the temporary mark.

The Omega took a few steps away, then suddenly turned back, pulling a spray bottle from her bag.

She pressed the button toward the Alpha.

Sssst—

Ming Tanqing smiled mischievously: “Pheromone-eliminating spray. It’s yours, as a return gift.”

Liang Ruojing caught the thrown spray with both hands, watching as Ming Tanqing returned to the crowd.

The pheromone spray could only eliminate the smell of pheromones; it couldn’t remove the natural scent of the flowers.

Liang Ruojing sniffed her palm.

The scent of lilies lingered faintly.