Becoming the Comfort Alpha for the Aloof Movie Queen - Chapter 43

Entwined Threads of Affection

The following day, the air between the two of them felt as if it had been frozen solid.

Some things do not need to be stated explicitly. Liang Ruojing did not dare to ask; she had learned a bit of the ambiguity common among adults. She was terrified that by asking too clearly, she might instead lose something precious.

Ming Tanqing did not take the initiative to speak either, which actually made Liang Ruojing heave a sigh of relief. She was afraid that Sister Ming would categorize everything that happened as a “post-drinking transgression,” and subsequently, a mistake.

Liang Ruojing firmly believed that the two piano pieces she played for Sister Ming that night were real, the emotion she saw in Sister Ming’s eyes was real, and the hot, intertwined breaths against her ear were real too.

The filming progress for The Pursuit of Vengeance continued to move forward steadily.

On the third day, Liang Ruojing used the excuse of “leaving something behind at the hotel” to return to the hotel where the wrap party had been held. She specifically booked an afternoon tea at the Rooftop Restaurant.

The true performer of the grand piano took the stage. In the introduction provided by the waiter, this pianist’s resume filled four pages of gold-embossed paper, listing a dizzying array of various awards. Liang Ruojing glanced at it twice before setting it down to focus on listening to the performance.

The pianist struck a single note.

Liang Ruojing’s eyes widened. This had to be destiny.

He was playing Chopin’s Nocturne in E-flat Major.

It was the piece Liang Ruojing had originally wanted to play that night. Though romantic, it also carried a hidden undertone of sadness. Because of that, Liang Ruojing had chosen a different piece.

The pianist was highly skilled, and all the guests at the dozen or so tables in the restaurant listened intently. Liang Ruojing’s mind wandered quietly, her thoughts returning to that snowy night and the woman under the moonlight.

Suddenly, applause erupted all around.

It turned out someone was proposing today, and the Nocturne was a custom-requested piece. Liang Ruojing stood up and offered her sincere blessings to the couple, whom she didn’t know.

By the time she finished her tea and snacks and went downstairs, the sun had already set. Liang Ruojing was about to hail a taxi when a car parked by the roadside flashed its lights at her. The driver’s side window rolled down, revealing Tang Yuecen’s half-smiling face.

Once Liang Ruojing got into the car, Tang Yuecen suddenly asked, “Did you get the thing you left behind?”

Liang Ruojing froze for a moment. “The front desk said the area had already been cleared. It wasn’t important, so I didn’t bother looking for it.”

Tang Yuecen nodded, though it was unclear how much of that she actually believed.

When they reached the hotel, Tang Yuecen suddenly received a call. It seemed like a plea for help from a close friend, asking her to step in and help with something temporarily.

“It will take about two days. Will you be, okay?” Tang Yuecen asked.

Liang Ruojing nodded and considerately watched her manager drive away.

The young assistant was easy to handle. Liang Ruojing walked upstairs with light steps, humming an out-of-tune piano melody. However, when she opened the door, she saw a mess all over the floor.

A suitcase was spread open on the living room floor. Ming Tanqing was on the phone, casually tossing a few pieces of clothing into the luggage.

Since ancient times, dogs and suitcases have been mortal enemies.

Liang Ruojing’s “ears” seemed to droop as she asked, “Sister Ming, are you leaving?”

Ming Tanqing could least withstand the look in her eyes. She lowered her gaze and hung up the phone.

“Filming for Below the Green Mountain is wrapped. I’m going back to Yanjing to handle some business. I won’t be gone for long.”

“How long is ‘not long’?”

“One—”

Before the “w” of “week” could fully escape her lips, Ming Tanqing took a sharp turn: “Four days. I might even come back early.”

Liang Ruojing breathed a sigh of relief. Four days was acceptable. “That’s fine. Your gland shouldn’t be affected.”

Ming Tanqing sat on the edge of the bed. “My gland hasn’t felt uncomfortable in a long time.”

Liang Ruojing took this as a compliment. Despite her reluctance, she still helped Sister Ming pack her suitcase. Having entered the industry at nineteen and attended a boarding school during high school, her housekeeping skills were excellent. Within a few moments, she had folded Ming Tanqing’s clothes neatly.

She even included a “scenting service.” Mint fragrance.

“When are you leaving?”

“The flight is at 10:00 PM tomorrow night.”

Liang Ruojing recalled her schedule. Her latest scene tomorrow happened to wrap exactly at 10:00 PM. “What bad luck. I really wanted to go to the airport to see you off, Sister Ming.”

Ming Tanqing smiled at her. “It’s more important that you focus on your filming.”

Liang Ruojing gave a small retort. “It wouldn’t be a distraction. The number of takes I need has decreased a lot now. It’s all because Sister Ming taught me so well.”

In the month they had spent together, Liang Ruojing could not count how many times Ming Tanqing had looked after her, both overtly and subtly. Every single instance wound around her heart like threads of affection.

Tang Yuecen really had gone away to help.

Having not taken her manager’s car for a few days, Liang Ruojing returned to the production-arranged van. As the Lunar New Year approached, the progress of the film crew began to show a trend of extreme polarization.

You Xi’s side was moving too slowly.

After the wrap party, Lin Xiuzhu’s requirements had become strict again. You Xi’s scenes often took an entire day to grind through a single shot. The others didn’t know the reason.

Liang Ruojing had heard Ming Tanqing mention that Lin Xiuzhu had a long, deep conversation with a senior director that night and had likely been inspired. To accommodate the actors’ schedules, The Pursuit of Vengeance was temporarily split into A and B units.

Lin Xiuzhu focused on grinding through You Xi’s parts and the important emotional scenes, while some relatively minor transitional scenes and extra work were handed over to the assistant director.

Liang Ruojing hadn’t heard this much praise during filming in eight hundred years. Conversely, she felt that the way You Xi looked at her was becoming increasingly complex.

Because transitional and daily scenes required less acting prowess, Liang Ruojing managed to finish work early for once. She checked her phone. It was only 8:40 PM. Considering the nighttime traffic and the time needed for airport security, if she left now, she should be able to make it in time to see Sister Ming.

Ming Tanqing turned on her phone and subconsciously opened the chat window with a certain someone. It was empty. Liang Ruojing hadn’t sent a message. She must still be filming.

Cheng Yaru couldn’t stand her expression and teased, “You check your phone twice a minute. Is that event over there really that important? Didn’t the organizers say they could accept you attending online?”

Ming Tanqing sat up straight and quietly withdrew her gaze. “I’ve recovered from my illness after all. Before, I couldn’t go out, but now that I can, it’s better for me to go in person.”

Cheng Yaru shrugged and refused to speak further.

Fifteen minutes later, the WeChat notification sounded. Cheng Yaru’s eyes were full of mockery. Ming Tanqing ignored her and pulled out her phone anyway.

Liang Ruojing: Sister Ming, I’m at the airport! I finished early!

Ming Tanqing lowered her eyes and sent her location to Liang Ruojing. Then, she looked at Cheng Yaru. “I need to ask a favor of you.”

They met at the entrance of the boarding gate. There were few people in the business class area; most were waiting in the lounge. Fools who specifically ran out to chat and catch the breeze were exceptionally rare.

Except for Ming Tanqing.

From a distance, she saw a tall figure running toward her. Even wearing a baseball cap and a mask, her physique was so prominent she was recognizable at a glance. The Alpha ran up to her in a few strides and pulled off her mask, her fair face flushed with a healthy glow.

“Sister Ming, I’ve come to see you off.”

Ming Tanqing was amused. “If you hadn’t come to see me off, I could have stayed in the lounge.”

Liang Ruojing’s face heated up. “I’ll miss you.”

“It’s only four days,” Ming Tanqing said calmly.

Suddenly, a small piece of paper was tucked into Liang Ruojing’s arms. She caught it with both hands. It was actually Cheng Yaru’s signed photo. The signature in the bottom right corner wasn’t even dry yet, gleaming gold under the lights.

“Didn’t you want this?”

Liang Ruojing stammered for a few seconds, unable to find her words.

Ming Tanqing glanced at her. “As for a group photo, you won’t get one.”

“This is enough, no—” Liang Ruojing suddenly remembered. “Sister Ming, I still don’t have your signature.”

Their meeting had been so sudden that they had long since skipped the usual process of a fan meeting an idol. This resulted in them spending so much time together without Liang Ruojing having a single formal signature from Ming Tanqing.

“Give me your hand.”

Ming Tanqing spoke as she pulled out the gold pen she had just used to sign for Cheng Yaru. Liang Ruojing obediently spread her palm. The Alpha’s palm was warm, something Ming Tanqing had felt long ago. She held Liang Ruojing’s hand and signed the three characters “Ming Tanqing” very neatly. She finished the stroke with a dot, like a seal.

Just then, the boarding announcement began to play overhead. The surroundings became noisy. Ming Tanqing decided it was time to leave.

Liang Ruojing stared at her palm, cherishing it, and finally murmured, “What if I can’t preserve it?”

Ming Tanqing stopped in her tracks, turned back to Liang Ruojing, and said:

“It’s fine. I’ll sign it for you again.”

Liang Ruojing put her mask back on.

The radiant, new-generation top-tier star walked the entire way staring dazed at the three characters in her palm. She kept her head down all the way out of the airport. The cold wind blew, and the ink slightly solidified on her palm.

Liang Ruojing couldn’t resist taking a photo as a souvenir. She switched to her ride-hailing app, intending to return to the hotel.

A familiar flash of headlights hit her face. Within the bright light, Tang Yuecen walked toward her and stopped in front of Liang Ruojing.

“Huahua told me everything.”