My Ex’s White Moonlight Omega Has a Crush on Me - Chapter 15

Chao Wan’s eyes were tinged with a faint pink at the corners as she stared blankly at the woman’s outstretched hand.

Tears slid silently down her cheeks. Embarrassed, she wiped them away, hesitating slightly.

“Hengdian is crowded,” Ji Tanyue spoke.

Was that meant to imply disbelief? That I wouldn’t do anything to you?

Chao Wan kept her gaze fixed on the ground, not daring to leave Ji Tanyue waiting too long. After an internal struggle, she cautiously placed her hand in the woman’s palm.

In the next moment, her hand was gently but firmly grasped.

The touch remained cool, like polished jade.

Ji Tanyue’s voice was gentle, betraying no other emotion. “Come on.”

Their fingers loosely intertwined. For some reason, the scene from that night at the Golden Qiong Television Awards flashed before Chao Wan’s eyes once more.

Amid the clamor of the marketplace of fame and fortune, the woman in the striking red fishtail gown, the center of everyone’s attention, had halted her steps right in front of her, nodding gracefully and shaking her hand.

Would a rival help her again and again in moments of distress?

Perhaps Ji Tanyue hadn’t attended the Golden Qiong Awards that year to compete with her for the trophy after all.

How foolish she had been.

Chao Wan’s nose still felt warm, but more than that, she was filled with self-reproach for her own obtuseness.

She followed the woman into the room.

Chao Wan glanced around and slowly realized that the place she had stumbled upon aimlessly was actually a single-occupancy actor’s dressing room.

She had been crying for so long, no wonder she had drawn Ji Tanyue’s attention.

Her cheeks flushed with heat as she pressed her lips together in embarrassment.

“Don’t worry,” Ji Tanyue said, as if reading her thoughts. “It’s just me and my assistant here.”

Chao Wan stole a glance at her and murmured an acknowledgment.

The assistant brought over a small cake dessert and a pot of floral tea steaming with warmth.

Under the woman’s gaze, Chao Wan settled into a corner of the small sofa, holding a porcelain cup as she watched rosebuds absorb the water and slowly unfurl in the tea.

As if waking from a dream, she finally remembered to express her gratitude. “Thank you, Teacher Ji.”

A slight smile touched Ji Tanyue’s lips as she nodded. “It’s no trouble.”

“So, can you tell me now which production crew you’re with?”

Chao Wan thought for a moment but couldn’t recall the name of the period drama she had been working on. Biting her lip in frustration, she tentatively mentioned the name of the young actress playing the female lead.

“Web drama,” Ji Tanyue acknowledged with understanding. “And your role?”

Chao Wan’s expression dimmed. “I… I don’t have a role right now.”

She had always been little more than a pretty face; losing roles was only to be expected.

Though she had long resolved to cut ties with Qin Siyu, being misunderstood still stung.

Ji Tanyue watched her quietly for a while without speaking.

The tea in the cup gradually cooled.

Chao Wan’s lashes lowered, the warmth around her eyes not yet faded. The steam from the floral tea misted her vision slightly.

“You enjoy acting, don’t you?” the woman asked softly.

Chao Wan nodded, her eyes still red as she met Ji Tanyue’s gaze.

Though her entry into the entertainment industry had been largely at Jing Shuran’s behest, she genuinely loved filming and empathized deeply with the stories of the seemingly insignificant characters in the scripts.

If she had to start from the bottom as an extra in this lifetime, she was willing.

Ji Tanyue nodded in response.

At her signal, the assistant handed Chao Wan a business card.

“You can try contacting the person on this card,” Ji Tanyue said.

“Director Cheng doesn’t judge by appearances or get caught up in interests entanglement.” He only cares about how well an actor fits the role.”

Chao Wan accepted the card in a daze.

The sharp edges of the gilded cardstock pressed into her palm, inexplicably tugging at a hidden corner of her heart.

Ji Tanyue was helping her again.

From failing that audition to now scraping by as an extra, the ties between her and this woman seemed to grow ever more entangled.

The ambiguous conditions of their exchange silently ensnared her.

The more she accepted, the faster she fell into Ji Tanyue’s cage.

But Chao Wan had no choice.

The director from earlier was well-connected in the industry. If he spread the word, aside from Director Cheng, whom Ji Tanyue had recommended, no other crew would take her.

“Thank you,” Chao Wan replied softly, not daring to look at the woman’s expression.

Ever since she entered this lounge, she had been saying thank you, always passively accepting Ji Tanyue’s kindness.

Would such help demand repayment?

“Alright, then contact them as soon as possible,” Ji Tanyue nodded, standing up.

“Remember to try the cake and tea. I have some matters to attend to, so I won’t stay.”

Chao Wan widened her eyes, feeling somewhat bewildered.

The rose tea in her hand had cooled to the perfect drinking temperature. Obediently, she took a small sip, her expression hesitant, as if she wanted to say something.

Why had the refined scoundrel… stopped being a scoundrel?

Ji Tanyue noticed her expression and asked, “Does it not suit your taste?”

Chao Wan shook her head in a panic, afraid her thoughts would be seen through. “N-No.”

The tea and cake were both excellent, especially the cake, it was her favorite chocolate flavor.

“Then fill your stomach before the audition,” Ji Tanyue gave her a slight smile, picked up her handbag, and signaled to her assistant.

Soon, the door closed softly, and the two of them left.

Chao Wan drank the warm rose tea until the cup was empty. Her stomach felt warm, masking the unease deep inside.

Suddenly, her phone in her bag vibrated with two new messages from Y.

[After you’re done, you can come find me.]

[If you’d like, we can have dinner together.]

Her ears flushed pink silently, and her heart raced for a moment.

Chao Wan thought in a daze.

The business card, as expected, wasn’t free.

After calling Director Cheng, Chao Wan went through several rounds of auditions and successfully joined the crew.

That day, she filmed three scenes, two as an extra and one as a minor featured role with lines and a clear face.

Director Cheng, named Cheng Lou, was a cold and strict female Alpha. Chao Wan stumbled over her line in the featured role three times, and although she barely passed, the director still seemed unsatisfied.

Pursing her lips, Chao Wan felt a bit dejected.

“Wanwan, you acted really well, don’t be upset,” Xiao Sui, nestled among the extras, gave her a comforting hug.

Xiao Sui was a girl Chao Wan had just met among the extras, understanding and optimistic. By coincidence, they had been together for all three extra scenes that day.

Chao Wan curved her lips into a slight smile and hugged her back. “Mm.”

Xiao Sui patted her back soothingly.

“Oh!” she suddenly remembered something, slapping her forehead. “We should go get the boxed meals. Want to come with me?”

Chao Wan froze for a moment.

Remembering the message Ji Tanyue had sent that morning, she replied softly, “No, thank you.”

As an exchange for Director Cheng’s business card, she couldn’t stand her up.

Xiao Sui let out an “oh.”

“Are you going to eat with your family? Alright then.”

She still had a night scene to film and was already starving. After saying goodbye to Chao Wan, she hurried off to get her meal.

Family?

Chao Wan’s eyelashes trembled slightly as she thought of Ji Tanyue. For some reason, her face grew warm.

How could that be? It was just an exchange.

After packing her things alone, she left the set.

Not far away, another crew was still filming a night scene.

Chao Wan’s gaze inadvertently swept over there, and she suddenly stiffened.

The familiar set, the familiar costumes and props, it was the crew of Pillow Galaxy.

Surrounded by the crowd, the female lead had a delicate and charming appearance, she happened to be the Omega girl Chao Wan had seen earlier, accompanying Qin Siyu at the cinema.

Standing beside the girl was a familiar figure: Qin Siyu.

Qin Siyu also noticed Chao Wan, but her gaze merely paused for a moment before shifting away, as if she were looking at a stranger.

She even considerately reached out to tidy the Omega girl’s hair, a mocking curve playing at the corner of her lips.

It seemed deliberately done for Chao Wan to see.

Chao Wan lowered her head, her heart growing cold.

It suddenly occurred to her that today was the premiere ceremony of Pillow Galaxy.

So, the show had proceeded as scheduled even without her, only the cast had been simply replaced.

Swapping one of Qin Siyu’s “canaries” for another.

Chao Wan pressed her lips tightly together, her eyes stinging slightly. Yet, when she met the woman’s indifferent gaze, she felt no lingering attachment or resentment.

The firewood had already burned out, leaving no room for reconciliation. It was difficult to stir any emotional turmoil now.

The murmurs of the passersby around her gradually faded, replaced by a chilling silence.

Suddenly, as if noticing something, Qin Siyu’s expression shifted slightly. She blankly withdrew her hand from the girl’s hair.

Chao Wan paid no attention and prepared to leave.

“Is it over?” A gentle voice sounded from behind. “Why didn’t you message me?”

Her heart skipped a beat.

Biting her lip lightly, Chao Wan cautiously turned around.

Ji Tanyue stood there, clad in a light gray trench coat, her tall and slender figure accentuated by soft, flowing curls cascading over her shoulders. She seemed to radiate light.

Wearing a white mask, her beautiful phoenix eyes, visible above it, shimmered with a gentle glow, reflecting Chao Wan’s stunned expression.

Not far away, a car quietly blended into the deep ink of the night.

“Let’s go,” the woman said. “Time for dinner.”