Becoming the Comfort Alpha for the Aloof Movie Queen - Chapter 45

Tightly intertwined, possessing one another.

Liang Ruojing didn’t know whether to feel fortunate or melancholy. Those who hated her never associated her with Ming Tanqing. Was it at least something that they called her a “pretty boy” little white face?

Liang Ruojing’s brief moment of gloom was interpreted by You Xi as a guilty admission. You Xi had seen the signs long ago. Lin Xiuzhu had always been supercilious; why would she look so highly upon Liang Ruojing?

On the night of the wrap party, You Xi had bribed a waiter to keep watch all night, and Liang Ruojing indeed hadn’t returned. The top floor had few people; aside from Lin Xiuzhu, there were only Ming Tanqing, the internationally renowned director Wan Tingran, and the entertainment company mogul Cheng Yaro. Cheng Yaro had a family, Wan Tingran was in her fifties, and no one dared touch Ming Tanqing.

That left only Lin Xiuzhu.

Rumor had it that Liang Ruojing’s role was also secured through Lin Xiuzhu’s persistent efforts. From that perspective, the sexual transaction between the two must have started long ago. Those who walk cooked paths see others through a skewed lens. In You Xi’s world, a “self-made young actor honing her craft” made far less sense than an “Alpha climbing into bed to sacrifice herself to another Alpha.”

Liang Ruojing didn’t care to argue further. She stood up to prepare for her scene. “Think whatever you like. There is no ‘extra’ relationship between Director Lin and me.”

When she first entered the industry, she believed in the philosophy that “more friends mean more paths,” always being kind and never burning bridges. It wasn’t until she won Best Actress and then hit a year-long low that she realized not everyone was worth having a connection with. In a world of glitz and glamour, internal rot was the norm. A pure, bright moon was a rare treasure.

After walking a few steps, Liang Ruojing remembered something. She pulled out her pheromone eliminator and sprayed herself twice more.

You Xi bit her lip in anger. “Fake purity. Let’s see how much longer you can keep smiling.”

Ming Tanqing’s return to Yanjing this time was for a private VOGUE banquet. The Editor-in-Chief had heard of her comeback and personally called to invite her.

Fang Zezhi had also returned from a business trip. Ming Tanqing’s condition had been the center of her work for the past few years. Having not seen her for over half a month, Fang immediately pulled her into the medical room for a full check-up.

The gland penetration needle was as sharp as ever. During her two years of recovery, Ming Tanqing had undergone countless punctures; her flesh remembered the long, cold thinness of the silver needle. As usual, the medical assistant pressed the sharp needle against the Omega’s gland and pushed.

“Sss—” Ming Tanqing hissed in pain.

The assistant froze in place. Had she made a mistake? Miss Ming had never cried out in pain before; the assistant had always assumed her pain tolerance was higher than others, a rarity among Omegas.

Stepping past the flustered assistant, Fang Zezhi came over. “It’s alright, I’ll do it.” The assistant apologized and left to prepare equipment in another room.

Fang Zezhi held the needle and steadily inserted the 3cm puncture needle into the Omega’s gland. Ming Tanqing was sweating from the pain, but she held back from making a second sound.

“It’s just us here, Tanqing. You are safe.”

Only then did Ming Tanqing begin to gasp. Tears welled up, hidden within her heavy breathing. Fang Zezhi felt pity for her. Ming Tanqing was simply very good at enduring; in reality, she was more sensitive to pain than most. When Fang Zezhi met her, Ming Tanqing was already distant and cold. She didn’t know what Ming Tanqing had experienced as a child to develop such a personality—enduring pain, and suppressing the natural reactions of an Omega.

Fang Zezhi was also surprised she had let out that first cry. The gland throbbed with pain. Having grown accustomed to the Alpha’s gentle treatment, Ming’s threshold for enduring pain was gradually lowering.

“How are things with Xiao Jing?” Fang Zezhi withdrew the needle, chatting to distract her.

A pair of amber eyes flashed through Ming Tanqing’s mind. Down-turned eyes, round pupils, a gaze without impurities. Ming Tanqing smiled slightly. “It’s okay. I don’t dislike it.”

“Xiao Jing has a lively personality; she complements you well. Since she’s helping with your treatment, it wouldn’t be bad to be friends later.”

Ming Tanqing pursed her lips and changed the subject. “Dr. Fang, how is my gland?”

The printer whirred, spitting out the test report. Fang Zezhi scanned the key data, her brow furrowing slightly.

“What is it?”

“Nothing, the overall situation has improved,” Fang Zezhi smiled at Ming Tanqing. “Have you been feeling much more comfortable lately?”

Ming Tanqing nodded.

Fang Zezhi scrutinized the data on the report. “It’s just that the development speed of your gland has slowed down. This is common in clinical practice. At the start of treatment, more pheromones are eliminated, so the effect is significant. Later, it enters a plateau phase where the speed slows.”

“To put it simply,” Fang Zezhi looked at Ming Tanqing, “you and Xiao Jing might need to be together for a bit longer.”

“Is that okay?”

Ming Tanqing lowered her long lashes. “It’s fine.”

Fang Zezhi couldn’t read Ming Tanqing’s thoughts and continued, “Your gland issue is serious; it can’t be rushed.”

If development were measured by an index, Ming Tanqing’s gland development was only at 51%, stuck at the critical threshold of normal differentiation. A little less, and she would have become a Beta. Any less than that, and she wouldn’t have survived the differentiation period.

Most teenagers differentiate successfully between ages 12 and 14. Before that, no one knows what they will become. Some extreme families secretly extract pheromones to test secondary genders. However, unformed glands are fragile; blind extraction can lead to permanent gland disability or even death. The state has enacted strict laws: extracting pheromones from undifferentiated minors for non-medical purposes is a serious crime, punishable by life imprisonment or a minimum of ten years.

When she first encountered Ming Tanqing, Fang Zezhi had wondered about the cause. Mr. Ming had said, “Her gland has been like this since differentiation, don’t overthink it.” Only then did Fang Zezhi shift her research focus to complications caused by hereditary gland dysplasia.

During her musing, there was a knock on the medical room door. Entering was not the assistant, but a male Beta in a suit—Mr. Ming’s assistant.

“Miss, Madam is looking for you.”

Ming Tanqing stood up. “I won’t see her.”

“But Madam has been waiting at the door for a long time.”

Ming Tanqing remained expressionless and walked right past the assistant. “Tell her I am already resting.”

The VOGUE Editor-in-Chief’s private banquet was held at her villa in Yanjing. As it was an unofficial occasion, there was no red carpet. Ming Tanqing dressed simply and headed to the destination. No one knew that beneath her wool coat, she wore an ill-fitting white shirt.

Upon arrival, the Editor-in-Chief, Judy, came out with a smile. “Long time no see. I’m so happy to see you back.”

Ming Tanqing returned the hug. As she raised her hand, the coat sleeve shifted slightly, revealing a cold white wrist and a top-tier diamond watch. The diamonds sparkled, complementing the Omega’s snowy skin.

Judy noticed. “Truly, nothing can be hidden from you.”

VOGUE had intended to collaborate with Baoqin and was hesitating when Ming Tanqing arrived. The watch she was wearing was a custom private piece given by the brand when she was announced as their spokesperson; there was only one in the world. When she fell ill and gradually terminated contracts with many luxury brands, only Baoqin remained steadfast, believing she wouldn’t end her career so early. Two years later, the spokesperson was still Ming Tanqing.

Ming Tanqing lowered her hand, the watch disappearing back under the coat. “Then I’ll leave it to you, Editor-in-Chief.”

“The exclusive interview and the cover are both yours,” Judy laughed happily. “You have no idea how much less interesting the entertainment industry has been without you.”

Just as the Editor-in-Chief left, Cheng Yaro approached with a wine glass. “Many people won’t be able to sleep tonight.”

When Ming Tanqing went into hiatus years ago, the whole internet wailed, but many in the industry couldn’t sleep—from joy. No matter how big the industry was, top resources and awards were limited; Ming Tanqing alone had monopolized more than half. After she left, the resources she left behind nurtured several super-A-list stars.

After a round of socializing, it was near midnight. Judy was enthusiastic and insisted on Ming Tanqing and a few friends staying overnight, saying there were enough rooms and hinting at an overnight nostalgia session.

The nostalgia session had an equal number of Alphas and Omegas, and the mix of pheromones was chaotic. Ming Tanqing felt a headache coming on. She unconsciously leaned back into the sofa, lowering her head toward the oversized inner shirt. The Alpha’s pheromones seemed to sense the Omega’s mood, shedding their aggression and gently soothing Ming Tanqing’s tightened nerves.

Cheng Yaro gave her a light nudge. “Tanqing? Maybe you should go up and rest first?”

Ming Tanqing opened her eyes, her cold, beautiful face tinted with a faint flush. Cheng Yaro helped her up and accompanied her upstairs. As they reached the room door, her phone suddenly rang.

Qin Wei’s voice was urgent. “What’s going on? Someone is spreading rumors about Liang Ruojing being ‘unspoken’ casting couch, and the target is… Lin Xiuzhu?”

Liang Ruojing’s sleep was restless. Having grown used to two people sharing a bed, it felt empty alone. There was no one to burrow into her arms anymore.

Liang Ruojing clutched Ming Tanqing’s clothes. She had done “bad things” for several days in a row; now the mint scent on the clothes had overpowered the lily, testifying to the Alpha’s “crimes.” It was harder to endure than a rut. Like an addict, Liang Ruojing sought out the faint lily scent in the fabric.

Recalling the thrill of the temporary marking, they were tightly intertwined, possessing each other. The Omega’s body was soft; Liang Ruojing held her, injecting Alpha pheromones until the Omega was entirely covered in her scent, even her saliva tasting of mint wine…

Liang Ruojing jolted awake, sitting dazed for several seconds before realizing her phone was ringing. It was 1:50 AM. Why was Sister Tang calling her in the middle of the night?

“Hello? Sister Tang…”

Liang Ruojing didn’t get to finish her greeting before being drowned out by the rushed dialogue.

“Liang Ruojing! Have you seen Weibo? Someone posted a leak at 1:00 AM, spreading a scandal about you and Lin Xiuzhu.”

“What?”

The lingering romance vanished instantly. Liang Ruojing quickly opened Weibo; her notifications had exploded. The original post was highly provocative:

The entertainment industry really refreshes its lower limits again and again. A certain L-named Alpha actually climbed into the bed of a fellow Alpha director for a role. The two have constant interactions on set, and recently spent the night together at a hotel; the L-named actress didn’t leave the hotel room all night.

As if afraid people wouldn’t guess who it was, the post included a picture of a Cannes trophy. Two hashtags were trending:

LinXiuzhuUnspokenRules #LiangRuojingActuallyLikesAlphas

Liang Ruojing suppressed her nerves and told Tang Yuecen about her conversation with You Xi yesterday. Tang Yuecen’s tone was okay—not furious, but certainly not relaxed.

“I know you have nothing to do with Lin Xiuzhu. It’s my fault too for not noticing sooner; we couldn’t even suppress it. Tomorrow morning, the company and Lin Xiuzhu’s side will issue a statement.”

Tang Yuecen asked, “Were you with the Eldest Miss that night?”

Liang Ruojing: “Yes.”

“That makes it even more tricky,” Tang Yuecen analyzed. “This kind of thing can’t just be ‘innocence proves itself.’ It’s best to have a statement with substantial evidence. I’ll ask around.”

Sensing Liang Ruojing’s unusual silence, Tang Yuecen comforted her at the end: “It’s not that serious. His leak is ridiculous, saying you like Alphas. If worst comes to worst, we can find some high school classmates to talk about your early dating history to brush it off.”

However, in high school, Liang Ruojing only liked Ming Tanqing—an Omega. She was a fanatic fan, and all her friends knew it.

Not wanting to cause more trouble, Liang Ruojing replied, “Sister Tang, thank you for your hard work.”

Liang Ruojing opened the post and looked at the comments. Fortunately, the tide hadn’t completely turned.

The top star in Liang Liang’s dreams was actually ‘slept’ out?

Been meaning to say this, lrj’s face just looks wrong.

YC is truly pitiful.

LOL, people actually believe this? There aren’t even pictures. Then I’ll say lrj is dating, and I’m her non-celebrity girlfriend.

Looking at the face, she’s a great beauty.

To Liang Ruojing’s surprise, Ren Wanying was actually awake. She shared the paparazzo’s post with only one emoji: Speechless

Liang Ruojing sent her a private WeChat message to thank her and replied to a few other inquiries.

It’s fine, it’s fine. Just nonsense.

After replying, Liang Ruojing lay gloomily on the large hotel bed. Her chat box with Ming Tanqing was silent. Liang Ruojing had sent a message, but Ming hadn’t replied.

What was Sister Ming doing?

2:00 AM, Yanjing.

A roar sounded at the airport as a plane took off, streaking across the heavy night sky.