Becoming the Comfort Alpha for the Aloof Movie Queen - Chapter 8

Hidden Concern

Liang Ruojing’s heart beat like a drum.

Tang Yuecen had overheard fragments of the conversation as she entered.

“…illness… difficult to cure… rare…”

A flash of intuition hit her, and her face darkened instantly. “Liang Ruojing, are you hiding something from me?”

This was truly difficult to explain.

Forcing herself to remain calm, Liang Ruojing spoke into her phone to Fang Zezhi, “Dr. Fang, I have something to take care of. I’ll hang up now.”

Doctor?

Tang Yuecen remembered something, and her voice trembled slightly. She stepped forward and suddenly grabbed Liang Ruojing’s hand. “We’ll talk about the birthday party later. Let’s go to the hospital first; we can still get a registration number now.”

Liang Ruojing was completely bewildered. “What hospital?”

Tang Yuecen’s footsteps stopped, looking equally confused. “Hasn’t it… turned malignant?”

Last year, while filming a movie, Liang Ruojing had a sudden bout of gastritis on set that caused unbearable pain. After a hospital examination, the doctor said there was a tumor in her stomach, but it was too small and needed observation.

Liang Ruojing gently pulled her hand away from Tang Yuecen’s grip. “I’m not sick. I had that removed last October during my break. My mom went with me.”

“Didn’t I tell you? I might have been too busy and forgotten.”

Tang Yuecen didn’t know whether to laugh or cry; thankfully, it was just a misunderstanding. “You had surgery and didn’t say a word!”

Liang Ruojing sheepishly endured a couple of scoldings from the angry Manager Tang. It wasn’t an intentional secret; in Liang Ruojing’s mind, a minor surgery didn’t need to be broadcast to the world. She had been like this since she was a child—as long as the sky wasn’t falling, she handled things herself.

Even after getting into the car, Tang Yuecen was still shaken. “Don’t hide things like this from me in the future.”

Tang Yuecen was a veteran at the company. she had managed many top-tier stars who eventually left to start their own agencies; currently, Liang Ruojing was the only artist under her name.

“Don’t hide anything else, either.” Tang Yuecen had said this when she first met Liang Ruojing. “I’m definitely on your side. If you’re honest with me, I can protect you if something happens later.”

But regarding the matter with Ming Tanqing…

Liang Ruojing decided to wait a little longer. She had read case studies showing that the treatment cycle for episodic gland disease would not exceed three months. It was such a short time. Liang Ruojing didn’t think there would be many more intersections between her and Ming Tanqing anyway. Why complicate things?

The two soon arrived at the company.

The receptionist saw Tang Yuecen and relayed a message: “President Qin is in her office waiting for you.”

Qin Wei, 38 years old, a Beta, was the Chairwoman of Photosynthesis Entertainment. She had built the company from scratch. Through twenty years of ups and downs, she had successfully turned Photosynthesis into one of the top agencies in the industry. Although Liang Ruojing was signed because Qin Wei took an interest in her, the two didn’t have much interaction.

Before entering the office, Tang Yuecen pulled Liang Ruojing aside and instructed her, “Ke Qing just won Best Actress at Cannes. Her birthday party won’t be a small affair. Go with President Qin and get to know more people. You can’t let those ‘connected’ types bully you all the time.”

Liang Ruojing took two deep breaths and entered the office.

Qin Wei sat in the main seat. Her appearance was ordinary, but her aura was striking. With single eyelids and thin lips, she dressed simply and sharply, appearing very capable.

Liang Ruojing went in and gave a polite greeting: “Hello, President Qin.”

At that moment, Qin Wei looked up at her. To Liang Ruojing, the gaze felt more like an inspection—as if she were seeing Liang Ruojing for the first time and wanted to see right through her.

“Not bad,” Qin Wei spoke. “The makeup needs to be redone later, and the clothes are a bit plain. But there’s enough time.”

At this moment, Liang Ruojing had many doubts. For example, why her? And what was she supposed to do there? She didn’t even know Ke Qing.

Liang Ruojing didn’t ask, and Qin Wei didn’t intend to explain.

After redoing her makeup and changing clothes, Liang Ruojing looked like a different person compared to when she had first left home. Her brownish-chestnut long hair had been curled into soft waves, left unpinned to drape casually over the Alpha’s shoulders.

Qin Wei had prepared a pure white suit for her. The inner shirt was made of silk with a beautiful drape and a V-neck, revealing a hint of her collarbone.

Qin Wei was waiting outside. Seeing Liang Ruojing walk out, she remarked, “Quite good. These clothes really suit you.”

Liang Ruojing’s confusion grew. There were no labels on the suit; the cut and material were top-tier, likely a private commission from a studio. How did President Qin know her measurements? The outfit was impeccably fitted.

Suppressing her various doubts, Liang Ruojing followed Qin Wei to the venue before the birthday party began.

The party was held at a five-star hotel downtown. The main venue was the hotel ballroom, with a giant champagne tower standing in the center. The banquet hadn’t officially started yet, but buffets were set up on both sides for the guests.

Ke Qing had just brought home a trophy from Cannes and was at the height of her fame. Even if she hadn’t intended to make it a grand affair, the scale was still significant. Liang Ruojing did a quick sweep and saw many familiar faces. Most were influential directors and actors within the industry. In terms of the lineup, it was even more luxurious than the Weibo Gala she had attended recently.

She looked around, but for the moment, she didn’t see Ming Tanqing.

Qin Wei took Liang Ruojing around, introducing her to many people. Liang Ruojing kept a smile on her face throughout, handling conversations with a familiarity that exceeded Qin Wei’s expectations for an Alpha her age. Fearing Liang Ruojing might be stiff, Qin Wei had prepared some backup plans, but it turned out she didn’t need them.

After all, this was someone she had been asked to take good care of, so Qin Wei didn’t dare be perfunctory. She took her to meet several more directors.

Liang Ruojing saw He Jing.

He Jing was delighted. “Why are you here?”

Liang Ruojing’s smile became more genuine. “I came with my company’s President Qin.”

The two hadn’t seen each other for over half a year and had much to talk about. Seeing they were getting along well, and having run into an old friend herself, Qin Wei excused herself first.

He Jing rarely attended industry gatherings. Seeing the weariness on her face and with the audition approaching, Liang Ruojing had many questions on her mind. She invited He Jing to a quieter spot to chat properly.

The female lead Liang Ruojing was auditioning for was an “anti-hero” character, and she couldn’t quite grasp the degree of her transformation. He Jing listened and began to think. She mentioned a movie title and asked Liang Ruojing, “Have you seen it?”

Liang Ruojing nodded. More than just seen it—she had watched it until she knew it by heart. The lead in that movie was Ming Tanqing; she was 22 that year and won three Best Actress awards for that single role.

After discussing the acting for a while, He Jing suddenly sighed, “If you and Ming Tanqing were in the same production, you could ask her to explain the scenes to you.”

Liang Ruojing asked, “Does Ms. Ming often explain scenes to others?”

“Not often,” He Jing laughed. “Most people are afraid of her. She has a cold face but a warm heart; she’ll help whenever she can.”

Recalling the photos of Ming Tanqing with newcomers on her WeChat Moments, Liang Ruojing nodded.

He Jing sighed again. “She got sick a few years ago. Her health hasn’t been good, so she rarely sees anyone. She’s only better this year. I wonder if she’ll act again.”

This was also something Liang Ruojing was curious about. Ming Tanqing had retired because of the gland disease. If Liang Ruojing cooperated with her treatment, once the illness was cured, would she return to the screen?

Just as they were talking about Ming Tanqing, she arrived.

The hall first went silent, followed by a more chaotic murmur of quiet discussion. Ming Tanqing walked in through the entrance, with Lin Xiuzhu still by her side. They were chatting, and a faint smile played on the corners of Ming Tanqing’s lips.

Liang Ruojing heard many comments about the two of them from all sides.

“It’s Lin Xiuzhu again. Are they that close?” “Is Lin Xiuzhu from the Lin family?” “I heard they’ve known each other since they were kids and are a perfect match. Maybe they’re more than just friends.”

Liang Ruojing lowered her eyelashes. She had been silently searching for Ming Tanqing all evening, but now she stopped looking in that direction. To be fair, what those people said was reasonable.

People continuously greeted Ming Tanqing. She responded to each one politely, but her footsteps didn’t stop.

Ming Tanqing walked alone toward the small corner where Liang Ruojing was.

He Jing stood up and greeted her as well. “You look much better. How has your health been lately?”

Ming Tanqing was wearing a qipao. The fitted fabric traced the elegant curves of her figure, making her look as solitary and exquisite as blue-and-white porcelain.

“Much better.” Ming Tanqing’s smile was gentle.

Liang Ruojing felt like Ming Tanqing had glanced at her, as if that “much better” was also meant for her.

He Jing remembered to introduce them. “Tanqing, this is Liang Ruojing. Her acting is quite good. We were just talking about you.” She didn’t know about their relationship and was introducing them out of kindness.

Liang Ruojing felt a heavy weight in her heart. She now understood the gravity of a “secret relationship.” Should she just pretend they were meeting for the first time?

At that moment, Ming Tanqing suddenly spoke: “I know. We’ve met.”

Liang Ruojing was startled.

He Jing was also surprised. “You know each other? Since when?”

Seeing Liang Ruojing’s expression, Ming Tanqing withdrew her gaze. “We met backstage at a gala before.”

He Jing understood; so they had met, but weren’t exactly friends.

Liang Ruojing forced herself to continue, “I’m a fan of Ms. Ming.”

As soon as she said it, she felt Ming Tanqing glance at her. Before she could process it, Ming Tanqing walked away again.

In the distance, Ming Tanqing was chatting with Ke Qing. She handed over the gift she had prepared, and Ke Qing laughed heartily, looking very pleased. For the next hour, Ming Tanqing was surrounded by all sorts of people. Liang Ruojing didn’t find another chance to talk to her.

It was winter, and the indoor heating was high. Liang Ruojing ate a little food and went outside to get some air. She pondered over Ming Tanqing’s words. Did Ming Tanqing want her to acknowledge their relationship? Did they count as friends?

Liang Ruojing went to the restroom to touch up her makeup in front of the mirror. A familiar voice came from behind her.

“Liang Ruojing—it really is you. I thought I’d recognized the wrong person.”

Turning around, she saw Bai Zheng looking at her condescendingly. Liang Ruojing instinctively frowned. Previously, every time Bai Zheng came to pick a fight, she would inevitably release a large number of pheromones. This time… Liang Ruojing took a sniff.

It seemed there weren’t any?

Her mood improved considerably. It really worked; Bai Zheng had learned her lesson.

Liang Ruojing’s expression became playful. Bai Zheng noticed the look, and her momentum weakened by several degrees. “I’m asking you, why are you here?”

Liang Ruojing countered, “Why don’t you say why you’re here first?”

Hearing this, Bai Zheng let out two mocking laughs. “You can’t possibly not know that this hotel belongs to my family, right?”

Now Liang Ruojing remembered. Tang Yuecen had complained to her many times. Bai Zheng was foolish, but she had a very shrewd and capable older sister.

Liang Ruojing: “That still doesn’t answer the question.”

Bai Zheng choked on her anger, feeling very indignant. “Naturally, I received an invitation.”

Liang Ruojing finished her makeup and prepared to head back. “I came with my boss.”

Bai Zheng’s expression changed. Deep down, she was a bit afraid. Everyone knew Lin Xiuzhu was also here tonight. So many people were eyeing the lead role in her new drama. Although Bai Zheng had been arrogant in front of Liang Ruojing, she actually lacked confidence. If backgrounds were set aside, Liang Ruojing had a better chance of winning. She had originally thought she could strike first. Who would have thought Liang Ruojing would show up too? And she said she was brought by President Qin?

Impossible!

Bai Zheng raised her voice: “Are you dreaming? President Qin? She never bothers with these things…”

As she reached the last word, someone arrived outside. It was Qin Wei.

Qin Wei quickly located Liang Ruojing and urged her, “I’ve been looking everywhere for you. Why did you come over here?”

Liang Ruojing: “I ran into Bai Zheng and we chatted for a bit.”

Qin Wei acted as if she had only just noticed Bai Zheng, saying lukewarmly, “Oh, Bai Zheng is here too.” With one look from her, Bai Zheng became much more subdued. “Hello, President Qin.”

Qin Wei seemed to have zero interest in the infighting between the artists under her. Having found Liang Ruojing, she wanted to leave immediately. Watching them, Bai Zheng breathed a sigh of relief.

But with one foot out the door, Qin Wei paused. She looked straight ahead but spoke to the person behind her. “Know when to stop. It’s not that some things aren’t being handled.”

Bai Zheng lowered her head even further, not daring to breathe.

The two returned to the corridor.

Qin Wei: “You’ve been wronged. Bai Zheng has been so high-profile that she was going to have a talk anyway.”

That being said, doing it versus not doing it made a world of difference.

Liang Ruojing said sincerely, “Thank you, President Qin.”

Qin Wei had had some wine, and her tone became more casual. “No need to thank me. After all, you were brought here because someone asked me to. I can’t very well let you be bullied.”

Huh? Someone asked her to?

Liang Ruojing had been wondering why she was chosen.

Liang Ruojing: “President Qin, is it convenient to ask who it was?”

“There,” Qin Wei turned to look at her, her eyes signaling her to look ahead. “The person is already here.”

“Hmm?”

Liang Ruojing looked forward. Under the warm yellow lights of the corridor, Ming Tanqing was slowly walking toward the two of them.