Becoming the Comfort Alpha for the Aloof Movie Queen - Chapter 69

“Sister, sister.”

Tang Yuecen felt that Liang Ruojing had changed.

It wasn’t a fleeting shift in mood, but rather something akin to deep water running still—a profound transformation beginning from within her character.

“Have you looked through the scripts I gave you?” Tang Yuecen asked casually on the way to the hotel. Those were projects she had personally filtered; they were light, lucrative, and capable of maintaining Liang Ruojing’s current popularity.

“I’ve seen them. The female supporting role in Like Water, Like a Dream is very good. I want to play her.”

“Liang Ruojing, are you serious?” Tang Yuecen’s tone carried a hint of surprise. “That’s an art film. At best, it’s the fourth female lead—she hardly has any screen time.”

With so many excellent lead roles in idol dramas available, why would Liang Ruojing bother?

From the corner of her eye, Tang Yuecen saw Liang Ruojing’s serious expression.

“Sister Tang, I want to be an actress. The kind like Ming Tanqing.”

Liang Ruojing had said those words before, but she used to wrap them in a layer of playful banter. They both knew that becoming a truly great actor was incredibly difficult. When facing an arduous goal, pretending not to care seemed like a good way to protect oneself.

But now, Liang Ruojing no longer wanted to run away.

Tang Yuecen said in a low voice, “It will be very hard. A good role like Han Jiahe is a rare find. You will slowly lose your ‘buzz,’ and this industry is full of people who only follow the trend. Liang Ruojing, can you handle sitting on the cold bench?”

Liang Ruojing turned her head, her spirit radiant, reminding Tang Yuecen of the first day they met. “Sister Tang, you have to have faith in me.”

Tang Yuecen laughed and scolded lightly, “Looks like I have to suffer through the hard days with you again.”

By the time they reached the hotel, it was nearly midnight. Tang Yuecen went over tomorrow’s schedule with her and didn’t disturb her rest further. Liang Ruojing went to see her off. At the door, Tang Yuecen asked one more time, “Is Ming Tanqing a factor in this?”

“Yes,” Liang Ruojing admitted without hesitation. “I want to get a little closer to her.”

The variety show was being filmed in an ancient town in the south.

With green mountains and clear waters, the scenery was exquisite. Being deep in the mountains, the town had low commercialization and maintained a primitive, ancient charm.

Liang Ruojing woke up at 4:00 AM and took the shuttle bus sent by the production team. After exiting the highway, they drove toward the lush landscape. It was drizzling that day. Liang Ruojing opened a transparent umbrella, pulled her small suitcase, and walked slowly into the misty rain.

The staff members formed a circle, camera lights flashing; the filming for the variety show had already begun.

The guest house was at the foot of the mountain—a three-story small villa. The exterior was simple and ancient, but the interior was modern, equipped with heating and air conditioning. The only drawback was the poor signal; one could only get online outdoors.

The first floor was for guests and dining, while the second and third floors were for living quarters. As the guests arrived one after another, they gathered on the first floor to chat and break the ice.

There were three permanent guests on In Peach Blossom Spring: an actress, a host, and a local resident.

Yu Feng: Female Alpha, a top-tier star who had been in the industry for years. She had once filled a role in Palace Song after Ming Tanqing withdrew due to illness, subsequently winning a Golden Palm Best Actress award for it. She held the highest status and was responsible for livening up the atmosphere. It was said she was Ming Tanqing’s classmate at the film academy.

Lu Chengwen: Male Beta, a highly respected veteran in the industry whom half of the entertainment circle called “Teacher.” He was gentle and thoughtful, responsible for cooking for the group.

Wen Nan: Female Omega, the only non-celebrity and the actual owner of the guest house. She had a cool personality and was a practical, hard-working person of few words.

Besides Liang Ruojing and Liu Lanshi, the guest stars included a male Alpha named Xiao Yi. He had starred in a hit drama right at his debut and was currently very popular and quite proud.

Liang Ruojing had read the script repeatedly on the way there. Just like filming a drama, variety shows also had “character personas” and planned arrangements. Her script, summarized simply, was one sentence: Interact with Liu Lanshi.

The guest house opened to receive visitors at 8:00 AM, and preparations had to be made beforehand. The six guests were divided into two groups by drawing lots. One group would go out with Yu Feng to buy supplies, and the other would stay with Wen Nan to clean rooms.

Liang Ruojing had no expectations. Just like sitting next to Liu Lanshi during the ice-breaker, the results of the draw were surely pre-arranged. She and Liu Lanshi would be picked by Wen Nan to clean rooms together, creating a “home-oriented Alpha” persona for the cameras.

Wen Nan had already drawn Liu Lanshi.

Yu Feng pulled her hand out of the draw box and read the name on the slip: “Liang Ruojing.”

What?

Liang Ruojing snapped to attention instantly. Looking around, everyone had varying degrees of surprise on their faces, especially Xiao Yi. Going out for supplies meant more screen time and a chance to perform in front of seniors like Yu Feng and Lu Chengwen. His gaze toward Liang Ruojing held a hint of hostility; he assumed she must have gone to the production team to change the script.

Lu Chengwen stepped forward and saw the name in Yu Feng’s hand. His expression became somewhat intriguing. After exchanging a look with Yu Feng, he looked back at Liang Ruojing.

“Ruojing, let’s go. Come and do some hard labor with us.”

Liang Ruojing didn’t have time to think about the deeper meaning behind it and followed the two of them out. No matter how unwilling Xiao Yi was, there was nothing he could do. After Wen Nan coldly urged him three times, he sluggishly headed upstairs.

The place to buy supplies was the town market. It was a bit far from the guest house and had a larger flow of people, including many tourists who came because of the show’s promotion.

As soon as Liang Ruojing got out of the car, she was surrounded by fans who recognized her. The staff stepped in to explain, finally rescuing her.

Lu Chengwen teased, “Ruojing, you’re very popular.”

Liang Ruojing blushed. In terms of national recognition, Yu Feng and Lu Chengwen were far beyond her. It was just that they were low-key and had been in the industry for so long that their fans were mature; most would watch from a distance and not rashly disturb them.

Yu Feng glanced at Liang Ruojing and said, “Let’s split up for the tasks. Brother Lu, distribute the money.”

The production team had confiscated their phones and money. Liang Ruojing received 30 yuan to buy a few ingredients on the list. Having often visited supermarkets with her family as a child, she had plenty of life experience and completed the task quickly.

Seeing that it was still early for the gathering time, she went to wander around the nearby market, looking left and right.

The cameraman asked, “Is Teacher Liang looking for something?”

Liang Ruojing’s eyes suddenly lit up. She walked to a shop along the street and smiled at the camera. “I’ve already found it.”

While buying vegetables, she noticed many people wearing the same kind of soft floral hairpins—crescent-shaped, looking like fresh flowers blooming in the hair. She hadn’t seen them elsewhere and guessed it was a local traditional decoration. Sure enough, she found them at the market.

She took a fancy to a filigree blue flower design. The petals were a gradient blue, with a pearl in the center—elegant and refined. The moment she saw it, Liang Ruojing thought of Ming Tanqing. Sister Ming often wore her hair in a bun; it would definitely look beautiful on her.

The stall owner pointed to that one and said, “Hand-wrapped, 100 yuan.”

Liang Ruojing looked at the 3.50 yuan left in her hand and fell into deep thought. This was great footage, so the cameraman focused closely on her.

At that moment, a fan squeezed in and offered Liang Ruojing a hundred-yuan bill. “Sister! I have money!”

Liang Ruojing refused. Because of this little episode, more and more tourists gathered nearby. Liang Ruojing saw an acoustic guitar displayed at the neighboring stall and suddenly had an idea. She went over, borrowed the guitar from the owner, and without a cardboard sign, she just called out: “Song requests and singing, 25 yuan a song.”

The cameraman asked, “Why not set the price higher?” With so many fans around, people would scramble to pay even 100 yuan.

Liang Ruojing shook her head. “It’s enough.” When she was in college, she had seen people busking for 25 yuan a song during her walks.

The first person to request was the fan who had offered money earlier. “Sister, I want to hear Fleet of Time (Cong Cong Na Nian).”

Luckily, she knew it! Liang Ruojing plucked the strings. The tone of the acoustic guitar was mellow and warm, and combined with her clear Alpha voice, it was like a poem, stirring the eardrums. The cameraman found the best angle, filming Liang Ruojing’s calm profile.

Another fan stepped up and requested a sweet love song. Liang Ruojing hesitated for a few seconds, then looked up and said, “I’m sorry, I don’t know this one.”

The cameraman felt a bit regretful. A popular young starlet busking with a love song—just thinking about it, he knew it would attract fans like crazy.

Afterward, some passers-by joined in. Liang Ruojing sang three more songs and finally saved enough money to buy the hairpin. The stall owner was beaming; in just those few minutes, her stock had nearly sold out. She gave Liang Ruojing a discount, charging her only 90 yuan.

Liang Ruojing happily carried the packaged hairpin to the gathering. The cameraman asked, “Teacher Liang seems very happy. Is it a gift for Liu Lanshi?”

The smile on Liang Ruojing’s face vanished instantly. She felt this person was being quite bizarre and said firmly, “No.”

On the drive back, Yu Feng also noticed the hairpin and complimented its beauty. When the group returned to the guest house, Liang Ruojing noticed that the atmosphere among the three members of Group B was very strange.

Wen Nan and Liu Lanshi had become much closer and were chatting. In contrast, Xiao Yi had a dark face and no interaction with the two of them. Seeing Liang Ruojing and the others return, he moved closer to Lu and Yu, ignoring Liang Ruojing.

Liang Ruojing raised an eyebrow. She didn’t care at all.

It wasn’t until after dinner that afternoon that Liang Ruojing heard the story from a production assistant. It turned out Xiao Yi had been slacking off. Wen Nan had assigned him to wipe the cabinets, but he just carelessly swiped at them with a rag. When Wen Nan pointed it out, he directly lost his temper and quit. In the end, Wen Nan had to wipe them all herself.

Liang Ruojing watched like she was at a theater. It was all too common. Someone who becomes a hit right at their debut is used to being coddled; Wen Nan was a non-celebrity, so there was no cost to offending her. During lunch prep, because Lu Chengwen was in the kitchen, Xiao Yi had been working very diligently. Considering the artist’s image, the production team would surely edit out the earlier parts for the broadcast, and then Xiao Yi could market himself as “down-to-earth” and a “simple boy.”

Including the final day’s interview, Liang Ruojing would be staying here for three days and two nights. There were three rooms on the south side of the second floor for the guests. Wen Nan and Liu Lanshi, both being female Omegas, shared one room. Yu Feng and Liang Ruojing, two female Alphas, shared another. Xiao Yi got his wish and shared a room with the most senior member, Lu Chengwen.

Liang Ruojing wasn’t familiar with Yu Feng; after a day together, she just felt Yu Feng was very capable. Perhaps because they were both internationally acclaimed film queens, Liang Ruojing felt Yu Feng had the same aura of a superior as Ming Tanqing—always calm and composed no matter what she did. Although she didn’t understand why Yu Feng had gone out to shop, Liang Ruojing didn’t ask much since she had managed to buy the gift for Sister Tanqing. She maintained a surface-level harmony with Yu Feng.

There was only one bathroom for the guests in the guest house, and several people were lining up to wash. Liang Ruojing wasn’t in a hurry, so she packed her things in the room. Suddenly thinking of something, she took out her phone and dialed Ming Tanqing’s number.

Ming Tanqing’s voice, processed through the electronic current, fell on her ears full of the gentleness of everyday life. “What is it?”

Liang Ruojing paced by the window, feeling like a fool in a secret high school romance. “Sister Tanqing, it’s me. Did Xiao Xing go to get the luggage?”

“No,” Ming Tanqing’s voice became a bit cold. “Are you in a hurry?”

Liang Ruojing quickly denied it. “I’m just afraid of causing you trouble.”

There was a pause for a few seconds on the other side. Then Ming Tanqing said, “I have things to do lately and I’m not in Baiyu. It’s too much trouble to keep contacting people. Give me your new home address, and I’ll mail it over another day.”

Liang Ruojing didn’t have the slightest suspicion and gave the new address directly to the Omega.

“Got it. If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up.”

“Wait!” Liang Ruojing struggled in her heart for a while before finally speaking out. “I miss you so much…”

Her words were only half-finished when Yu Feng suddenly returned. Liang Ruojing quickly swallowed the “Sister Tanqing” back into her throat and blurted out:

“Sister.”

Yu Feng heard it too and smiled. “Calling family?”

Liang Ruojing hurriedly agreed, trying to cover it up. “Calling my sister.”

After saying that, she held the phone and walked out, saying into the receiver, “Sister, don’t hang up yet. The signal in the room isn’t good. I’ll go out to talk.”

As if she was truly afraid Ming Tanqing would hang up, Liang Ruojing ran out. There was a one-minute interval in between. Ming Tanqing didn’t say a word.

It wasn’t until she ran out of the room that Liang Ruojing said in a low voice, “Sister Ming, it’s okay now.”

Ming Tanqing’s voice rose slightly. “Liang Ruojing, what did you just call me?”