Becoming the Comfort Alpha for the Aloof Movie Queen - Chapter 89

Needing Her

Ming Tanqing was very thin. As Liang Ruojing’s palm traced down her spine, she could easily feel the distinct shape of the vertebrae.

Leaning against her, Liang Ruojing brushed her fingers across the surface of the Omega’s skin as if it were fine jade. Suddenly, she felt a strong urge to feed her until she gained some weight.

Ming Tanqing did not respond to her words. However, when Liang Ruojing leaned in to kiss her, Ming Tanqing did not refuse.

In the heat of the moment, Liang Ruojing felt the Omega’s initiative; Ming Tanqing’s fingers, carrying the warmth of her body, hooked onto her gently.

Tanqing-jie needed her.

Following her instincts, Liang Ruojing leaned close to Ming Tanqing’s ear and whispered “I like you” and “I love you” many times.

The film crew’s shooting proceeded at a frantic pace. Perhaps the heavy rain from a few days ago had given Lin Xiuzhu a sense of urgency, as the promotional video, originally scheduled for release before the premiere, was moved up.

Liang Ruojing practically lived on the set, forgetting about the crew of Palace Lyrics 2, who had been slow to give her an answer. In her spare time, she inquired about Liu Lanshi’s current situation. Unfortunately, the WeChat messages she sent were like stones sinking into the ocean—no reply ever came.

Just when Liang Ruojing thought things were at their worst, reality taught her that they could get even grimmer.

“That’s all for today. Thank you, everyone.”

Liang Ruojing said goodbye to her fellow actors and walked toward her van, instinctively taking out her phone to open Weibo. The hashtag at the top of the trending list made her breath hitch.

Liu Lanshi Romance

A few hours ago, a well-known paparazzo had leaked a major scoop on Weibo, claiming that a “three-character Omega artist had been kept by a financial backer for years.” This news was explosive and instantly attracted a massive crowd of onlookers.

While the fans of various three-character Omega artists were busy clarifying, the paparazzo posted three high-definition photos, completely detonating public opinion. In the photos, the faces of both Liu Lanshi and Xie Xing were clearly identifiable as they walked through a shopping mall together. The final photo, showing them kissing in a garage, served as direct evidence of their relationship.

Fearing that the general public might not understand the context, the paparazzo specifically emphasized Xie Xing’s identity: a man from a prestigious family who had inherited the ancestral business—a genuine heir to a wealthy household.

Liu Lanshi had been in the industry for years, and her public image was consistently tied to purity and gentleness. Coupled with the fact that she had just won a Huabiao Award, the volume of discussion was enormous. Within two hours, Weibo crashed.

Before being forced to log out, Liang Ruojing checked Liu Lanshi’s official account. Below the post celebrating her Huabiao win from a week ago, the comment section was now a wasteland. It was only through the fans’ arduous efforts to manage the comments that the page wasn’t completely unbearable.

A few hours later, the official media outlet for Xie Xing’s company issued a response. They claimed that Xie Xing and Liu Lanshi had been in a consensual relationship and had parted ways peacefully. Every word and sentence were calculated to cleanly absolve him of any blame.

Soon after, meddling netizens dug up the date of Xie Xing’s engagement party and discovered it was only half a month after the date the photos were taken. So, was this a case of being “kept” and then discarded?

The public outcry snowballed. However, discussions regarding Xie Xing were frequently reported and blocked, causing public attention to lean entirely against Liu Lanshi. In an instant, things she had done—and things she hadn’t—were all attributed to her name. Her face, her Omega identity, and the roles she had played in the past all became original sins at this moment.

Countless rumors sprouted from the shadows. Clicking on any post related to Liu Lanshi on social media would reveal top comments from various “neighbors,” “relatives,” and “classmates.” Her studio was taking action, but in the face of such a blizzard of malice, their efforts were a mere drop in the bucket.

Liang Ruojing turned off her screen and gripped her phone tightly, unable to speak for a long time. Someone approached her; Ming Tanqing leaned over, attempting to take the phone from Liang Ruojing’s hand.

“Ruojing.”

Only then did Liang Ruojing let go, allowing Ming Tanqing to take the phone. Unfortunately, the content she had seen was deeply etched into her mind.

Liang Ruojing worried for Liu Lanshi, but at the same time, she felt a wave of lingering fear. She had been on the trending list twice before—once when You Xi slandered her for “climbing into Lin Xiuzhu’s bed,” and once when someone tried to create rumors about her and Ming Tanqing. At that time, the discussions targeting Liang Ruojing had not reached this scale. At the very least, she didn’t have “kind-hearted classmates” appearing in the comments to “educate” people about her “indecent conduct” since middle school.

Thinking back, it was partly because Liang Ruojing wasn’t as famous, and partly because the rumors about her were clarified quickly. The person who helped her was—

“Drink some water first.”

A cup of lukewarm water was pushed into her palm. Liang Ruojing looked up and saw Ming Tanqing’s face; her fine eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and her eyes were full of concern. The honey water entered her mouth, and the sweet taste slightly dispelled the unease in Liang Ruojing’s heart.

Ming Tanqing was holding the phone, scrolling through the news that Liang Ruojing had just been reading. “A scale like this is usually driven by someone behind the scenes.”

Liang Ruojing suddenly looked at Ming Tanqing. “Could it be Xie Xing?” Though it was a question, she already had the answer in her heart.

Ming Tanqing withdrew her gaze, loosened her grip, and returned the phone to Liang Ruojing. Then she turned around and took two hangers from the wardrobe, presenting them to the Alpha. “Which set do you think is better?”

Liang Ruojing sensed that Tanqing-jie was trying to help redirect her attention. After a few seconds of deliberation, she chose the white silk long dress on the right.

A movie in which Ming Tanqing had a cameo at the beginning of the year was about to be released, and the creative team had specially invited her to attend an offline screening. There would be a three-hour live-streamed dialogue, and the location was at Liang Ruojing’s alma mater—Peking University.

This event had been scheduled a few days ago. Liang Ruojing had originally wanted to go along, but she was hit with a dense shooting schedule and had no choice but to stay obediently on set. Now that this incident had occurred, Liang Ruojing wanted to be with Ming Tanqing even more.

She judged others by herself. At a time like this, would Tanqing-jie also want a hug?

By the wardrobe, Ming Tanqing was still checking her luggage for the trip in a few days. Liang Ruojing walked over and firmly hugged the Omega from behind. Their hearts pressed against each other’s backs as they drew warmth from one another.

“I really wish I could go with you.”

It was Liang Ruojing’s alma mater, after all. When it came to PKU, she had too many things she wanted to share with Ming Tanqing. “Below my dormitory, there’s a riverside path. From morning to night, there are couples walking down there. I saw them every day and swore that I’d bring someone there for a walk in the future. After I debuted, I rarely went back.”

Inhaling the fragrance near the other woman’s ear, Liang Ruojing shared even more in a rush: her favorite cafeteria, the classrooms she attended, the squares where activities were held… “If you still have time after the event, you must go for a walk. It’s spring now, and the campus is very beautiful.”

Liang Ruojing’s voice was as low as a whisper. Ming Tanqing couldn’t help but listen intently, as if she were entering the Alpha’s youth, walking along the road and seeing a panicked Alpha rushing past her on a bicycle, worried about being late for an 8:00 AM class.

Their embrace lasted until just before they went to sleep. When the lights went out, Liang Ruojing felt a fear of falling into a void. Her arms tightened around the Omega’s waist; if one were to lift the clothes to look, there would surely be red marks. It was heavy, but Ming Tanqing didn’t dislike it.

The trembling fingertips on her lower abdomen conveyed the Alpha’s unease. Ming Tanqing suddenly grabbed Liang Ruojing’s fingertips and turned her body slightly to face her. “If there is something you want to do, just do it.”

Liang Ruojing blinked hesitantly, as if wondering when Ming Tanqing had acquired the superpower of mind-reading. “Is it okay? It’s a bit stupid.”

Ming Tanqing: “Then I want to see how stupid it is.”

Liang Ruojing took out her phone and logged into her main Weibo account. There was only one sentence in her drafts, but it had stayed in her phone for eight hours. After the Liu Lanshi incident broke out, many people had come to her homepage to demand she cut ties, or used foul language to make groundless speculations. They didn’t necessarily mean well for her; it was just human nature to prefer seeing Liu Lanshi isolated and helpless.

LiangRuojing: Reprinting Weibo. Hang in there, Sister Liu. The truth will reveal itself.

She actually sent it. Sister Tang was definitely going to scold her to death.

Liang Ruojing looked up and met another pair of eyes. Ming Tanqing was propping herself up with one hand to look at her. The neckline of her camisole dress swayed loosely over her chest, her collarbones were distinct, holding a pool of moonlight.

To hell with it! Liang Ruojing simply turned off her phone, choosing to escape into her lover’s embrace for the night.

As the first artist to publicly support Liu Lanshi after the incident, Liang Ruojing didn’t fall into a state of being blacklisted by the entire internet as she had feared. Opinions were split; some praised her for being genuine, while others accused her of clout-chasing. Though, she still received the scolding she deserved.

When Tang Yuecen called to lecture her, Liang Ruojing was still at the hotel. She had acted first and reported later; her manager was right to be angry. But with Tanqing-jie by her side, Liang Ruojing felt like she was shrinking with every word she heard. By the time the call ended, she felt small enough to vanish, and her face was too red to look at.

Ming Tanqing’s eyes were curved with laughter. It was rare for her to witness such a scene.

“Jie, stop mocking me…” Liang Ruojing leaned over weakly, her face pressed against the Omega’s abdomen for comfort.

Ming Tanqing pushed the Alpha, who was lying shamelessly on her lap. “Your manager is right. You are in a rising phase; many things don’t need to be discussed publicly. You could have just given her a phone call. One public statement is enough; don’t get involved in the discussion again.”

“Ruojing,” Ming Tanqing reached out, forcing Liang Ruojing’s face to meet her own. “Protect yourself.”

Liang Ruojing sat up. “I know.”

Ming Tanqing withdrew her gaze. “Do I seem very cold?”

Liang Ruojing felt a pang of heartache at the self-loathing Ming Tanqing revealed in that moment. “No.” She hoped her words carried more weight. “I know you’re worried about me.”

As soon as she sat up, she pounced again. Ming Tanqing showed a very faint smile. “Alright, I have to go to the airport.”

Sensing the Alpha’s intent to follow, Ming Tanqing stopped her immediately. “You’re not allowed. You have scenes this morning; go to the set first.”

Not being allowed to go to PKU was one thing, but not even being allowed to see her off to the hotel was another. Liang Ruojing used her ultimate weapon: a soulful gaze. Ming Tanqing simply avoided eye contact and quickly finished packing her luggage. The assistant arrived at the door.

Ming Tanqing took two steps out, then suddenly turned back and gave the dazed Liang Ruojing a kiss on the forehead. “I’ll be back as soon as possible.”

The plane flew from south to north. When it landed, it was 9:00 AM in Yanjing; the sky was as clear as if it had been washed, with not a cloud in sight. Ming Tanqing stepped out of the airport and received an unexpected phone call.

“Sister Qin, what made you think of contacting me?”

Qin Wei asked, “My people said Liang Ruojing is looking for ways to remove a trending topic. Is it hers?”

Ming Tanqing felt a wave of helplessness. Liang Ruojing had truly listened, and she was quite proactive. “No, it’s Liu Lanshi’s.”

Qin Wei sighed. “I talked to the people at Weibo. the heat is too great; even if it’s removed, it will just come back up.”

Ming Tanqing pondered for a moment, her eyes suddenly flashing. “Sister Qin, tell me the situation in detail.”

The live stream of the At the Foot of the Green Mountain creative team began at 7:00 PM and lasted for three hours. In the past, whenever there was a live stream featuring Ming Tanqing, Liang Ruojing would prepare early: the TV would be set for screen mirroring, her phone would be fully charged, and she would be ready to take screenshots at any moment.

But the damn promotional video shoot got in the way. Liang Ruojing was so busy she only managed a couple of bites for dinner. By the time she had a large block of rest time, it was already 8:00 PM.

But that was fine. She had missed the boring conversation between the director and the teacher at the beginning. Facing the teacher who had once taught her elective course, Liang Ruojing felt no nostalgia at all; she was busy looking at Ming Tanqing.

Choosing clothes for someone and then seeing them wear them in public was a strange and wonderful feeling. It was restrained, yet extremely intimate. The fabric wrapping her body carried your gaze and your participation in her life. The simple white dress looked exceptionally elegant on Ming Tanqing.

During the Q&A session, many university students raised their hands. The host picked one. A girl stood up, her face turning bright red. “I want to ask Ms. Ming Tanqing, how do you view the character, Bo Nianwei?”

Heh. Liang Ruojing sent her disdain through the screen. Actually, you don’t want to ask a question. You just want to talk to Ming Tanqing.

She felt more and more envious. Why had Ming Tanqing never gone to PKU when she was a student there? Otherwise, she would have skipped class just to be at the scene.

In the end, the live stream had to be extended by half an hour because the audience was too enthusiastic. It was 9:30 PM when it finished. Tanqing-jie wouldn’t catch a flight unless absolutely necessary. After Liang Ruojing came out of the bathroom following a shower, she seriously typed “Goodnight” in the chat box.

A text message popped up in the notification bar. These days, who uses text messages to contact people? Liang Ruojing clicked it curiously, and the blood in her body seemed to flow backward.

Ruojing, I am Yan Mei. Dr. Fang said Tanqing’s illness is cured. I am very grateful to you. Do you have time to meet? I mean no harm.

Liang Ruojing blocked the number decisively.