Becoming the Comfort Alpha for the Aloof Movie Queen - Chapter 96

Managing a Home

Liang Ruojing originally hadn’t intended to attend the gathering.

The efficiency was simply too high. Her role had been finalized at 3:00 PM, and by 6:00 PM, she was already meeting with the crew, socializing, and drinking.

The endless greetings, the constant adding of new friends, the rounds of toasts… she could feel the quiet sanctuary of her mind being slowly crowded out until it was almost gone.

However, the moment Wen Qingjia made that phone call, Liang Ruojing’s ears perked up instantly.

The venue was too noisy for her to hear Director Wen’s words clearly, and she didn’t know how to read lips, but she remembered the shape of those two words vividly.

Tan-qing.

Liang Ruojing stood up abruptly.

Wen Qingjia looked up and was startled to see her standing right there. Still holding the phone, she continued the conversation: “…Are you happy? We’re out for dinner, there are a lot of people here. Do you want to come?”

Is Sister Tanqing coming?

Liang Ruojing nervously checked her outfit.

Perhaps because her gaze was too intense, Wen Qingjia glanced at her and kindly said, “Little Liang is right next to me. Do you want to say a word to her?”

Liang Ruojing’s hand moved. She lifted it, palm up, ready to take the phone.

The call ended. Wen Qingjia tucked her phone away and gave her an apologetic smile. “Little Liang, Tanqing still has things to do.”

The raised hand became an awkward gesture.

But at that moment, disappointment outweighed the embarrassment.

“I know,” Liang Ruojing said gloomily. “She doesn’t want to see me.”

The gathering ended after midnight, and Liang Ruojing stayed at the hotel.

She was about to join the film set, so matters big and small were still being handled by Tang Yuecen.

The next afternoon, Liang Ruojing returned to her apartment.

She froze when she saw a suitcase in the middle of the living room.

If she remembered correctly, this was the one she had left at Baiyu.

“Where did this come from?”

Liang Ruojing looked at the two assistants behind her.

Xiao Xing raised her hand sheepishly. “This morning, Sister Tang asked me to go to Sister Ming’s place to pick it up.”

Oh no!

Liang Ruojing’s face turned bright red.

You picked it up! What am I supposed to do now!

This was her “trump card” gone!

Liang Ruojing’s original plan had been beautiful: first, use a policy of gentle persuasion to slowly soften Ming Tanqing’s heart, and then use the excuse of picking up her things to visit.

This back-and-forth would have given her enough time to come up with a strategy.

Otherwise, if she went now, it would just be a repeat of that night.

Liang Ruojing had no choice but to accept reality.

She continued to ask Xiao Xing, “You saw Sister Ming. How was she? Is she okay?”

Xiao Xing shook her head. “Not great. Sister Ming has a fever. There’s an assistant taking care of her.”

Liang Ruojing’s heart was first torn to pieces, then placed over a fire to roast.

It’s over.

She had made her sick with anger.

Ming Tanqing was demanding and meticulous about her lifestyle—could an outsider really take good care of her?

“What time did you go?”

“Ten-thirty.”

That was okay; only three hours had passed.

Liang Ruojing quickly took a small box from her bag and stuffed it into her pocket. Pressing down her baseball cap, she hailed a taxi and rushed toward Baiyu.

She got out of the car and ran straight to the security post, reciting her name and phone number in one breath.

The stern-faced butler, upon hearing her name, shook his head.

“I’m sorry, Miss, but the homeowner refuses to see you.”

“That’s impossible.” Liang Ruojing pursed her lips, and an idea immediately came to mind. “Let me talk to her for a moment.”

With Yan Mei’s previous incident as a warning, the butler remained exceptionally firm.

“Perhaps you can try contacting her first.”

The security level here was simply too high.

Liang Ruojing’s finger hovered over the dial button, hesitating.

If she could call her, she would have done so a long time ago.

Sister Ming’s phone was turned off.

Liang Ruojing paced around the spot twice and noticed a bench across the street.

“At least tell me, is she still home?”

The butler hesitated for two seconds before nodding.

“Fine.” Liang Ruojing wrapped her coat tighter and sat down on the bench behind a tree.

She was truly out of options, so she transferred 5,200 yuan to Ming Tanqing via Alipay.

Sister Tanqing, I’m at Baiyu. I won’t bother you for long, just let me see you once.

On the screen, the little chicken belonging to Ming Tanqing hopped around, solitary and cheerful.

The direction of the shadows on the ground announced the passing of time.

Tang Yuecen called her. She didn’t know if Xiao Xing had snitched, but Tang immediately called her out for sitting in the wind outside Baiyu.

“She doesn’t want to see you!”

Liang Ruojing was “allergic” to the truth; a difficult, stinging pain immediately flared in her chest.

She knew that what Tang Yuecen said was true.

Sister Tanqing didn’t want to see her.

Liang Ruojing hung up the phone. The sunset was just right, and the nearby Beihai sparkled. When the evening bell rang, a large flock of snow-white pigeons flew out of the green forest, looking exactly like the night they spent New Year’s Eve together.

Now would be the perfect time for a kiss.

Liang Ruojing went to a convenience store to buy a sandwich and sat by the street-facing window counting the passing cars.

Suddenly, she saw a familiar silhouette.

A black Bentley. The passenger window was rolled down halfway, and Qi Lin was holding a phone, in the middle of a call.

Qi Lin was in the passenger seat.

The only person who could be in the back seat was Ming Tanqing.

Liang Ruojing realized that this time, Ming Tanqing was truly leaving.

The next time they met, who knew how long it would be.

She immediately rushed to the roadside and raised her hand to stop the car.

The Alpha’s height and posture were quite striking. Her flaxen long hair fluttered in the wind, catching the setting sun like liquid gold.

Qi Lin glanced at the rearview mirror.

“I must have misjudged; she didn’t leave at all.”

Ming Tanqing withdrew her gaze, her face pale from her recent illness.

“Ignore her. She won’t be able to follow once we reach the airport. Let’s go.”

Qi Lin gave up on bickering with Ming Tanqing and thoughtfully rolled up the window on her side.

In the rearview mirror, Liang Ruojing successfully stopped a car, got into the passenger seat, and held her phone, looking down as she typed something.

Ming Tanqing’s tablet chimed all the way.

The Omega had a cold expression. After getting out of the car, she went straight into the VIP lounge with the staff, letting nothing slow her pace even slightly.

Not the sound of hurried footsteps, not the scent of mint-like fragrance, not the similarly tall silhouette… nor the “Sister Tanqing” she repeatedly hallucinated and was repeatedly disappointed by.

Stepping into the lounge and confirming that the Alpha could no longer follow, Ming Tanqing finally breathed a sigh of relief. Her perfectly exquisite expression showed signs of fatigue.

This was enough.

Next, she only had to wait for boarding.

Time would take everything away.

One year, two years, five years, ten years.

She would eventually forget that person.

Ming Tanqing curled up on the sofa and tiredly closed her eyes. Her fever had just broken, and her brain was still a bit sluggish.

The hallucinations that troubled her appeared again.

First, it was the scent of the Alpha.

Then, the sound of footsteps.

Then, a body temperature higher than normal.

And finally—

“Sister Tanqing!”

A breathless call.

Ming Tanqing thought: Which memory of Liang Ruojing did I fish this up from?

The next second, a pair of firms, strong hands supported her shoulders. The Alpha’s scent was closer now, and hot breath mixed with pheromones sprayed onto her face—a vividness and vitality that a hallucination could not simulate.

Ming Tanqing opened her eyes.

Liang Ruojing appeared before her, right by her side, half an arm’s length away, leaning over her in a posture that resembled a hug.

Liang Ruojing felt a sense of immense relief and smiled foolishly. “I finally… found you.”

“How did you get in?”

The Alpha triumphantly waved the ticket in her hand. “I bought a business class ticket.”

Fool.

Ming Tanqing met her bright, fervent gaze; her nose felt a bit stingy, and moisture gathered under her long lashes.

Liang Ruojing panicked and clumsily pulled tissues from her pocket. “This is exactly why I didn’t dare come to see you. I didn’t want to make you sad again.”

Ming Tanqing asked in a muffled voice, “Then why did you come now?”

Liang Ruojing was stumped by the question. Her round eyes darted around, but she remained honest. “I missed you, and I was worried about you. Xiao Xing said you had a fever.”

“You had her come spy on me?” Ming Tanqing narrowed her eyes, her gaze showing signs of turning cold.

“No,” Liang Ruojing widened her eyes. To admit her little scheme was genuinely embarrassing. “I originally wanted to go pick it up later… Sister Tang told Xiao Xing to go.”

Ming Tanqing sighed softly and tilted her face to look Liang Ruojing in the eye. “My illness is already better. No need to trouble yourself.”

Language is the best carrier of emotional distance.

Liang Ruojing fell into a state of helplessness. What had she done wrong again?

Was it because she came to see her?

Or because she didn’t go to see her?

The announcement for boarding began to play in the lounge. Liang Ruojing suddenly realized her time was short and she couldn’t waste a single second.

She then pulled the box she had been carrying all day from her coat pocket and stuffed it into Ming Tanqing’s hand.

She stubbornly forced the Omega’s fingers to close around it, pretending Sister Tanqing had taken it voluntarily.

“What is this?” Ming Tanqing opened the box, her lips trembling when she saw its contents.

Liang Ruojing had brought a box of suppression patches for Omegas.

The moment the box opened; a rich Alpha pheromone filled the air. The scent of mint liqueur drifted out, instinctively enveloping the Omega in front of her.

Liang Ruojing’s face reddened. “Dr. Fang said that because we exchanged pheromones… so many times, there would be a period of withdrawal. Having this will make it easier.”

Ahhh.

Is this really annoying?

But Liang Ruojing always felt that Sister Ming liked her pheromones.

And with the suppression patches… she wouldn’t forget her too quickly.

Ming Tanqing opened her mouth, then closed it, accepting the box. “Thank you.”

At least she accepted it.

Liang Ruojing’s heart, which had been shattered into dust, started to piece itself back together.

At least she didn’t hate everything about her.

Ming Tanqing was about to board. She had taken two steps when her sleeve was caught by the Alpha. Liang Ruojing looked at her with her usual pitiful gaze, like an abandoned pet coming back to beg for peace. “Don’t ignore me, okay? For the sake of the patches.”

Liang Ruojing regretted it as soon as she said it.

What if Sister Tanqing gives them back?

She wasn’t being pampered anymore; she shouldn’t be acting spoiled.

“Actually, go ahead and ignore me. Just keep the patches.” Liang Ruojing turned her face away, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Ming Tanqing didn’t say “okay” or “not okay.” In Liang Ruojing’s peripheral vision, she gradually walked away until she disappeared from sight.

Liang Ruojing walked out of the airport clutching the expired ticket. She couldn’t bring herself to throw it away, so she folded it several times and carefully tucked it inside her phone case.

It happened to be dinner time, and since she was near Beihai, Liang Ruojing took a taxi straight home.

Her timing was unlucky; the two elders at home were currently having dinner.

Liang Ruojing finished all the leftovers in one go, significantly cleaning out the fridge.

Liang Can brought over a small express delivery box. Liang Ruojing washed her hands and opened it solemnly.

Seeing it was a signed photo of Ming Tanqing, Su Jing was speechless. “Can’t you just ask Xiao Qing to sign one for you? Ten years have passed, why haven’t you made any progress at all?”

Liang Ruojing’s face fell. She wiped the photo and carefully put it in her pocket.

In an exceptionally tragic tone, she announced, “I’ve had a breakup.”

Liang Can nudged his wife with his elbow. “I told you it was impossible for them to get married this year.”

“Mom!” Liang Ruojing shouted. The two of them glared at her, so she didn’t dare shout again. She lowered her head and said, “It was my fault. I made her angry.”

Su Jing only cared about one thing: “Did you give her the bracelet?”

Seeing her daughter nod, Su Jing didn’t ask further and went to clear the table with Liang Can.

Liang Ruojing went to help and asked curiously, “Why aren’t you asking me what happened?”

“If you don’t take the initiative to speak, what’s the point of us asking?”

Alas, such an obvious truth, and Liang Ruojing only just understood it.

Seeing her daughter’s expression was too sorrowful, Su Jing couldn’t bear it and came over to give her some guidance. “You were rejected by Xiao Qing? That’s perfectly normal. People might not necessarily be interested in you.”

Liang Ruojing felt broken and argued stubbornly, “I’m not that bad, am I…”

She became less confident as she spoke and silently started washing the dishes.

She was unwilling to speak about Sister Ming’s past experiences to others.

Liang Ruojing hoped that whenever anyone talked about Ming Tanqing, it would be with respect and admiration.

She could somewhat understand Sister Ming’s feelings now.

Su Jing analyzed: “It’s not that you’re bad, it’s that your qualities don’t match Ming Tanqing. Someone like you is fine for dating.”

“I just want to date her,” Liang Ruojing said.

Liang Can was wearing the watch Ming Tanqing had given him on his wrist. “Just dating? And breaking up a few months later?”

Liang Ruojing finally admitted: “I want to be with her.”

Su Jing: “Understood. Marriage.”

Liang Ruojing’s ears turned red, and she didn’t refute it.

“Different goals require different actions. If you want to get married, you have to give the other person a sense of security and prove that you can manage a home,” Su Jing said. “When the two of you are together, it’s definitely Xiao Qing who takes care of you more. That bracelet was a thank-you gift.”

Liang Ruojing was lost. “What should I do?”

“Time will prove everything,” Su Jing shrugged. “You can only take it slowly.”

Take it slowly again.

Liang Ruojing didn’t know if she still had a chance.

That night, Liang Ruojing held her phone, staring at the screen full of green message bubbles.

What was certain was that she hadn’t been blocked.

She could still see Sister Ming’s Moments normally.

So—the Omega just didn’t want to talk to her.

Sending messages all the time is probably annoying, right?

Liang Ruojing made up her mind to send one last message so she wouldn’t be a nuisance.

Sister Tanqing, if you’ve arrived, could you send me a message? I’m joining the film set the day after tomorrow. I’ll be filming for four months and won’t bother you again. Please don’t cut ties with me.

Just as Liang Ruojing was drifting off to sleep, her phone vibrated.

Mm.