Becoming the Comfort Alpha for the Aloof Movie Queen - Chapter 7

Spring Dreams and Nightmares.

The car sent to pick up Liang Ruojing sat quietly by the greenway.

The moment the two of them stepped out of the main villa’s entrance, Ming Tanqing released her hand.

Her fingertips brushed inadvertently against the Alpha’s palm.

Liang Ruojing’s hand was warm and dry, radiating a gentle heat amidst the bitter winter chill.

“My apologies,” Ming Tanqing said, lifting her eyes. “I hope I didn’t offend you.”

Liang Ruojing stiffly withdrew her hand and shook her head. “It’s nothing.”

Ming Tanqing’s father had spoken cryptically, but his meaning was crystal clear. He had implied that Liang Ruojing had climbed a high ladder and could ask for whatever resources she desired.

A “resource hire.”

Liang Ruojing couldn’t help but smile bitterly. Since her debut, she had lost count of how many times her roles had been snatched away by people with connections. She never expected that one day, she would be seen as one herself.

Ming Tanqing intended to see her off further, but the wind began to pick up. Fearing for the other woman’s health, Liang Ruojing declined.

“It’s cold outside. Teacher Ming, please go back inside.”

As the car started, Liang Ruojing looked through the window and saw Ming Tanqing standing alone in the cold wind for a moment before turning back toward the villa.

As soon as she arrived home, Liang Ruojing received a WeChat message from Fang Zechi. To facilitate future communication, they had exchanged contact information. Fang Zechi had a daughter who had just started primary school; her profile picture was a photo of her and her daughter together.

Dr. Fang: I look forward to working with you. Miss Liang, if you notice any abnormalities in your gland, please report them immediately.

Liang Ruojing thought of the long needle being inserted into Ming Tanqing’s gland, and a chill ran through her. After a brief thank you to Dr. Fang, she exited the interface and clicked on another chat window.

The profile picture was a lily. It was Ming Tanqing.

Teacher Ming: I’ve accepted your friend request. Now we can start chatting.

The blue light of the phone illuminated Liang Ruojing’s conflicted expression. Her finger hovered over the screen, typing and deleting repeatedly. A minute later, she sent a message.

Liang Ruojing: Teacher Ming, goodnight.

So robotic, she thought.

Liang Ruojing sprawled back on her bed, covering her face in frustration. She wasn’t someone who lacked social skills. On the contrary, in normal social interactions, she was considered humorous. Combined with her professionalism and sense of boundaries, actors she had worked with generally had a good impression of her and maintained contact privately.

Her “Moments” feed was filled with photos of her and her colleagues. If a drama promotion required “CP marketing,” she was always willing to cooperate.

In contrast, Ming Tanqing’s Moments were much more concise. She rarely posted anything related to her personal life; the few posts she had were all related to movies, accompanied by official promotional photos.

Of course, there were group photos. Liang Ruojing clicked through them one by one and realized they were all of newcomers who were unknown at the time of the post. For a rookie just starting out, the struggle was immense, and the chance to show one’s face was crucial. Ming Tanqing’s willingness to post photos with them was equivalent to helping them with promotion.

Liang Ruojing’s heart softened.

Then, thinking of everything she had seen at the villa today, that warmth turned into a dull ache.

Why did it have to be Ming Tanqing…

Occupied by heavy thoughts, Liang Ruojing’s eyelids grew heavy, and she soon fell asleep.

She had a dream that was terrifyingly realistic.

It was that same isolation room from the afternoon. Ming Tanqing sat by the bed; her side profile turned toward Liang Ruojing. The time seemed to be dusk; the room was filled with the dim, ambiguous glow of the setting sun. Dr. Fang had gone to get the test strips; they were the only two people in the room.

Liang Ruojing’s palms were sweating. “Are we starting now?”

Ming Tanqing nodded. “Mhm.”

The Alpha pheromones instantly swept through the room, aggressively enveloping the Omega opposite her. It was urging, demanding that another scent appear to fill its restless heart.

The scent of peppermint liquor grew stronger. Ming Tanqing swayed slightly, seemingly unable to bear it. Liang Ruojing wanted to pull back, but her pheromones refused to obey. They were desperate to get close to Ming Tanqing, coaxing the Omega’s pheromones to release.

This was the principle behind pheromone-assisted therapy: relying on the natural attraction between high-compatibility AOs to channel and soothe the pheromones.

The fragrance of lilies arrived late. Liang Ruojing breathed deeply. It was too thick; her hands felt numb, and she could hardly think.

Just then, the door suddenly burst open.

“Liang Ruojing! Have you even been watching the movies I sent you?”

It was actually Tang Yuecen’s voice.

The Omega sitting by the bed also looked up, and the surrounding environment changed instantly. Liang Ruojing found herself backstage at an awards ceremony. Ming Tanqing was looking at her sternly.

“Miss Liang, I am a bit disappointed.”

Liang Ruojing woke up in a cold sweat. Her phone on the bedside table was ringing tirelessly. She sat up, enduring a headache, and answered the call. Her assistant Huahua’s voice came through.

“Sister, Sister Tang and I are on our way. You weren’t answering your phone. We have an advertisement to shoot this afternoon.”

“I just woke up. Come straight in when you arrive.”

Liang Ruojing hung up and took her clothes into the bathroom.

Three days had passed since she returned from Ming Tanqing’s home. During these three days, she had no other work and stayed cooped up at home doing only one thing—studying the script.

Tang Yuecen opened the door with her key. The coffee table in the living room was scattered with annotated script pages. Tang Yuecen tidied them up slightly and placed the light meal she had brought for Liang Ruojing on the table.

A few minutes later, her artist emerged from the shower. Her shirt was partially unbuttoned, revealing a section of her collarbone. Likely due to a lack of sleep, Liang Ruojing’s eyelids drooped lazily, giving her a look of untamed nonchalance.

“Why is your face so red? Do you have a fever?” Tang Yuecen tried to check Liang Ruojing’s temperature, but she dodged it.

“I’m not sick. The heating is just too high.”

Liang Ruojing wouldn’t admit it was because of her “spring dream”—even if the latter half was a nightmare.

After three days, Liang Ruojing’s life hadn’t changed much. If not for the outfit hanging in her closet, she would have thought it was all a dream. She kept the secret well; Tang Yuecen knew nothing about her and Ming Tanqing, and Huahua even less so.

The advertisement they were shooting today was for official promotional images. It was a luxury brand with a long history; for a rising star, such a resource was considered top-tier. Rumors of Liang Ruojing becoming the Asia-Pacific spokesperson had already leaked, and the discussion was at its peak.

Huahua logged into her account to show Liang Ruojing. The public sentiment was mostly positive, with netizens expressing surprise, fans praising their “sister” while thanking the brand, and old customers posting their previous purchases in anticipation of the spring collection.

There were also trolls and haters.

Liang Liang has only been around for how long? To land YC, her “gold master” must be putting in some serious work.

YC, you’re confused. All the “cool fans” have run off; the sales for next quarter are going to look ugly.

Liang Ruojing swiped past them, unbothered. The company had a professional PR team to handle such things. Just as she was about to exit, a notification popped up at the top.

Ming Tanqing had actually updated her Weibo.

She posted a photo of a sea of lilies outside a window—the familiar table, the vase, and the slanted sunlight. If Liang Ruojing hadn’t been to Ming Tanqing’s home, she probably would have mistaken it for a tourist attraction. Ming Tanqing rarely revealed her lifestyle on social media, and her friends rarely discussed her private life. In the eyes of the public, she had always been cold, distant, and aloof. No one could easily get close to her, and she showed no favoritism toward anyone.

Liang Ruojing zoomed in on the photo and saw the familiar path hidden within the flowers. The photo was ordinary, but the thought that she had walked it side-by-side with Ming Tanqing made her heart race.

She scrolled down to look at the comments and accidentally “liked” the post.

Huahua noticed and smiled. “Sister, it’s fine. I was a fan of Sister Ming anyway.” Huahua leaned in, studying the photo. “Such beautiful flowers. It looks like a scenic area; you probably couldn’t grow such a large patch at home.”

Liang Ruojing handed the phone back to Huahua and used her own account to officially “like” the post as well.

The advertisement shoot took place in a studio at the luxury brand’s headquarters. The heritage jewelry brand had its own fixed photographers and team. This was Liang Ruojing’s first time working with them, and the experience was surprisingly good. The photographer was a foreigner who was full of praise for Liang Ruojing throughout the session.

During a break, Liang Ruojing took out her phone to study the pile of movies Tang Yuecen had sent her. The audition was next week; time was running out, and she had to hurry.

The photographer was selecting shots with a solemn expression. The spring collection was YC’s highlight of the year; since the products were excellent, the endorsement couldn’t afford to fall short. They needed two sets of looks for the promotional images to match different themes of the new collection. On the way there, Tang Yuecen had mentioned that today would be a heavy workload, likely lasting until evening.

The break ended. Liang Ruojing changed her outfit, had her makeup redone, and continued shooting. This time, the photographer was much quieter, but the process remained smooth. The studio was filled with the constant click-click of the shutter.

When the shoot finished, Liang Ruojing removed her makeup and prepared to go home. They hadn’t gone far when hurried footsteps echoed behind them.

The golden-brown haired photographer ran out. The moment she saw Liang Ruojing’s bare face, a flash of genuine admiration crossed her eyes.

Tang Yuecen asked, “Evelyn, do we need some reshoots?”

“No, no, the photos are great…” Evelyn panted. She pulled a business card from her jacket and handed it to Liang Ruojing. “This is my card. I wonder if I could invite you to dinner?”

Liang Ruojing could sense that the person before her was a fellow Alpha. Regardless of secondary gender, she currently had no room for romance. Her mind was full of the upcoming audition. Even when she wasn’t thinking about the audition, all her thoughts belonged to Ming Tanqing; she had no energy to spare for anyone else.

Liang Ruojing began, “I’m sorry, I don’t currently have…”

The photographer paused, realizing she had been misunderstood. “It’s not like that. I just really admire you and hope we can continue to collaborate.”

In that case, Liang Ruojing accepted the card. Dinner was still left unpromised.

Huahua and Tang Yuecen had long grown accustomed to such scenes. On the way back to the apartment, Tang Yuecen was in the mood to tease her.

“You really were born for this. I knew the moment I met you that you’d be a star.”

Liang Ruojing was being driven mad by Lin Xiuzhu’s movie, so she could only manage a bitter smile.

With the advertisement finished, Liang Ruojing continued her seclusion. Aside from Huahua delivering lunch every day, Liang Ruojing only communicated with Fang Zechi. In addition to reading scripts, she had spent this time researching information on gland diseases online. Unfortunately, information was limited; if she wanted to know more, she had to ask an expert.

Fang Zechi was happy to answer her questions. Sometimes, when she got excited, she would even call. Of course, Tang Yuecen and Huahua were completely in the dark about this.

Two more days passed.

At 1:00 PM, Liang Ruojing organized the documents on her desk and opened her laptop. Fang Zechi had provided an answer to the question she asked the night before. The situation was complicated and couldn’t be explained in a few words.

Liang Ruojing had asked about hereditary gland diseases. According to her, she had happened upon it while browsing other cases.

The phone rang; it was Fang Zechi. She was worried Liang Ruojing had discovered some truths.

“Xiao Liang, the causes of gland diseases are complex. Hereditary gland diseases are even rarer…”

Halfway through the sentence, Liang Ruojing heard the sound of the door being unlocked. Tang Yuecen rushed in like a whirlwind.

“Get ready quickly. President Qin is looking for you.”

President Qin was the boss of the agency Liang Ruojing was signed to. He wasn’t particularly close to the artists and was usually quite elusive. Heaven knows how surprised Tang Yuecen was when she received the notice.

President Qin! He was going to take Liang Ruojing to Ke Qing’s birthday banquet!

Lin Xiuzhu would definitely be there. Tang Yuecen had seen Ming Tanqing interacting with Ke Qing on Weibo.

Ming Tanqing would be there too!

Tang Yuecen was excited the whole way, only calming down slightly once she entered the room. She saw Liang Ruojing holding her phone and looked puzzled.

“Liang Ruojing, who are you talking to?”