Becoming the Comfort Alpha for the Aloof Movie Queen - Chapter 40.1

It clearly should have all been hers.

The day of the wrap party.

At 6:00 PM, Liang Ruojing finished filming and hurried back to the hotel to prepare her look for the evening’s banquet. The makeup artist had been waiting for a long time.

Tang Yuecen took out the gown, looking puzzled. “Is this the one you picked?”

It was a strapless black long dress made of pearlescent fabric that shimmered with light. The back was completely backless, held together only by two silk ribbons of the same color. It was indeed low-key yet formal, designed not to steal the spotlight. However, it was a bit sexy—not quite like something Liang Ruojing would usually choose.

Liang Ruojing was glad she was in the middle of having her makeup done; she kept her eyes closed and replied, “Just changing up the style.”

In truth, Ming Tanqing had helped her choose it.

In the mirror, the Alpha stood tall and elegant. Her back was fair and smooth, her shoulder blades slightly arched, and her spine was covered by a layer of thin, resilient muscle, showing lines that were both fluid and powerful. Liang Ruojing reasonably suspected that Sister Ming hadn’t noticed the design of the back. It felt a bit… exposed.

The makeup artist marveled, “It suits you so well, Xiao Jing!” As she spoke, she handed over a selection of jewelry.

Liang Ruojing’s gaze swept over them, and she immediately picked out the third bracelet. “This is an Ackermann bracelet, isn’t it? They are a competitor of YC.”

Tang Yuecen took a look and realized she was right. She quickly put it away. “It’s a good thing you’re observant. The spokesperson will be announced next week.”

When an artist endorses a product, the biggest taboo is using a competitor’s brand. Especially with luxury brands, where the relationships are complex and intertwined; ambassadors must be incredibly careful with their selections. Once caught using a competitor, regardless of the impact, their image in the eyes of the brand would plummet.

Ultimately, Liang Ruojing only wore a classic YC necklace. She put on her coat and hurried to the banquet hotel with Tang Yuecen.

This winter was exceptionally cold. By late January, snow had begun to fall in the southern cities. After registering their names at the welcome desk with their invitations, the hostess handed them two room cards. Considering the party would last until the early morning, the organizers had thoughtfully arranged rooms for guests to rest.

Liang Ruojing’s eyes scanned the lobby. Tang Yuecen asked, “Are you looking for someone?”

Liang Ruojing brought her thoughts back. “No.” She looked once more, confirming that Ming Tanqing was nowhere to be seen, then said, “Sister Tang, let’s go in quickly.”

The scale of this wrap party was even larger than Ke Qing’s previous birthday banquet. It was no exaggeration to say that every star above the second-tier filming at Huafeng was there. Liang Ruojing looked around and even spotted several senior icons who should have been in Beijing.

The banquet hadn’t started yet. Tang Yuecen ran into an old friend and began chatting. Liang Ruojing waited for a few seconds before walking off alone.

“Xiao Jing! What a coincidence.”

A sweet citrus scent drifted into her nose. Liang Ruojing turned around and was surprised to see Ren Wanying waving at her. Chen Feng was there too; he was co-starring with Ren Wanying for the second time, currently filming a modern idol drama at Huafeng.

“Long time no see.” Liang Ruojing politely kept a distance from the Omega.

Ren Wanying said, “It really has been a while. I heard you landed the lead role for Lin Xiuzhu; we haven’t even celebrated yet.”

Chen Feng added, “Xiao Liang can get ready to win her second-Best Actress award.”

Those words invited resentment. Most of the artists present were currently filming and would be rivals for annual awards in the future; no one liked hearing someone else pre-claim the crown.

Liang Ruojing smiled. “I wouldn’t dare. Director Lin’s standards are high. I was just lucky to join the cast. I get NGs every day; I’m happy enough if I can have one less retake.”

Chen Feng didn’t get the reaction he wanted. Just as he was about to speak again, a few gasps of surprise came from behind them.

“Ming Tanqing!”

At this moment, the true protagonist of the wrap party made her entrance. Ming Tanqing entered through the front door, accompanied by three or four people—all figures Liang Ruojing knew by name but never had the chance to meet privately. There was also a middle-aged woman in casual clothes whom she had only seen in the news: the head of the Huafeng Film and Television Base.

This morning, when Liang Ruojing woke up, Ming Tanqing was choosing a gown. Amidst the morning mist, Ming Tanqing had held up two dresses and asked Liang Ruojing which one looked better. Liang Ruojing had chosen a white-to-blue gradient mermaid skirt. The main body of the dress was white, and from the knees down, it gradually faded from light blue to deep blue, the hem undulating like surging waves. The fabric was embroidered with wave patterns in silver thread, shimmering with every step. With the addition of small pearls scattered around, she looked exactly like a cold and ethereal mermaid.

Ming Tanqing indeed wore it. It was more breathtaking than Liang Ruojing had imagined this morning. The discussions around them were endless.

Chen Feng spoke up, his voice dripping with jealousy. “Ming Tanqing is Ming Tanqing, such a grand entrance.”

Liang Ruojing blurted out, “Because she deserves the best.”

Ren Wanying looked at her in surprise. Chen Feng felt slighted and stopped talking.

On the other side, Ming Tanqing’s group was getting closer. She responded to greetings along the way, her smile always gentle and polite. Liang Ruojing grew nervous. She couldn’t explain the feeling, but she simply didn’t want Ming Tanqing to use that smile on her. Clearly, she was different from the others.

Liang Ruojing turned around, wanting to hide in the back during the chaos. Unexpectedly, Ming Tanqing called out her name.

“Liang Ruojing.”

Liang Ruojing turned back in shock. At that second, at least thirty people’s gazes converged on her.

Ming Tanqing leaned down, picked up a thin card, and handed it to Liang Ruojing. “You dropped your room card.”

Liang Ruojing took it blankly. “Thank you, Sister Ming.”

The Omega used a voice only they could hear: “The dress suits you very well.”

Tang Yuecen arrived a few steps late. She didn’t know what was wrong with Liang Ruojing, but her face was so red just because Ming Tanqing had helped her pick up a room card.

The banquet officially began. Liang Ruojing ran into many actors she had worked with before, and friends excitedly introduced her to others. As they were chatting, Tang Yuecen came over, holding two glasses of champagne.

“Pardon me, superstars, let me borrow Xiao Jing for a moment; she’ll be back soon.”

Liang Ruojing took the glass. “What are we doing?”

Tang Yuecen tilted her chin. “Ming Tanqing has helped you so much; aren’t you going to offer her a toast?”

At the end of her line of sight, Ming Tanqing sat at the front-most dining table. Under the overhead lights, the Omega’s skin appeared even more pale and cool. She was like a Siren on a rock under the moonlight, something that only existed in myths, luring people to follow one after another.

Liang Ruojing took the champagne and walked to Ming Tanqing’s side. Just as two people finished their toast and left, Liang Ruojing filled the gap.

“Sister Ming, thank you for your help. I’d like to toast you.”

Ming Tanqing smiled and clinked glasses with Liang Ruojing. The glass touched her pink lips, and she took a solid sip. Seeing this, Cheng Yaru’s eyes flashed. She shifted her gaze to the young actor who had just arrived. She was good-looking, an Alpha, and her popularity seemed very high recently.

Cheng Yaru thought for a few seconds and suddenly caught a familiar scent of pheromones. It was cool and intense—a very unique peppermint liquor. She had smelled this scent on Ming Tanqing when she ran into her at the TV station a month ago.

In that case…

Cheng Yaru: “Xiao Tan, aren’t you going to introduce your new friend?”

Ming Tanqing ignored her mischievous friend and said to Liang Ruojing, “This is Cheng Yaru. You should know her; she used to be an actress.”

Cheng Yaru smiled. “I haven’t acted in a long time.”

Liang Ruojing nodded hurriedly. Cheng Yaru—of course she knew her. Forty years old, an Omega, she was once a legendary Best Actress in the entertainment industry. At the peak of her career at thirty, she announced her retirement to move behind the scenes, opening a talent agency that was even more famous in the industry than Qin Wei’s Light Harmony Entertainment.

Liang Ruojing had seen many of her films and was incredibly excited. “I especially like your work.”