Being Courted

Down the hall, near the bathrooms, AnLing saw a scene all too familiar to her. So much so she couldn't help but facepalm.

It was Ning Jie was talking to a man with good looking blond haired man. The two stood a little too close for comfort and slightly leaned towards each other as if they were whispering to one another but their voices were clear as day.

"How come I haven't seen you around before?" The man asked Ning Jie.

She crossed her arms over her chest and began to giggle but she didn't answer him. She was acting perfectly coquettish.

"Whoa. Did the sun just come out or did you just smile at me?"

Hearing this, Ning Jie giggled even more.

AnLing practically snorted.

This man's pick up lines were so cheesy that AnLing had the intense urge to share this moment with someone so they could laugh about it together. Though there were a limited amount of people who she could share it with and there were a limited amount of people who would answer quickly enough for the situation to still be fresh and funny in her mind.

Her mind drifted to Kang Jun, but she eliminated the thought.

Kang Jun wouldn't laugh.

And they weren't close anyway...

"Who's that?" AnLing slightly whispered. She didn't care who answered her as long as someone did.

Lin Li looked at her from the side. She didn't want to turn away from the scene but at the same time, she believed it was rude to not look at someone when speaking to them.

"He's a really popular singer right now."

"Okay… then why are you guys both looking at him like he killed your mothers?" AnLing was confused. If he was just a popular singer, wouldn't this be a good thing? Ning Jie was a songwriter as well as a singer. If the two got along then they could collaborate.

The way Ning Jie was twirling her hair, it did seem like she was interested in him either way.

Sure, AnLing didn't find it right that Ning Jie was flirting with the guy but that wasn't something she had a say in.

Manager Hong spoke this time. She didn't face AnLing she just continued to stare at the strange scene.

"You might not know about this, but two years ago, when Ning Jie was not 'Ning Jie', she won a songwriting competition. It gave her the opportunity to debut but first, she had to write a certain number of songs for a boys group. The song she won the competition with was really good. It was actually one of the reasons the boy group rose to fame so quickly, so she was able to write more and more popular songs for them, but as she continued writing songs they began to really accentuated the voice of one member in particular. Him..." Manager Hong pointed to the blonde man who gave Ning Jie his most radiant smile.

" Which caused them to disband. Ning Jie might not remember it but it caused a huge scandal and the fans of the other members complained saying that he had seduced the songwriter to make sure that her songs would suit him the most but after that, Ning Jie stopped writing music for boy bands, started wearing makeup and changed her name in order to properly debut. "

AnLing listened intently but she still wasn't sure what they were getting at. As she understood, Ning Jie wouldn't be recognized as the girl who wrote the songs so everything should be fine right?

Even if the style of the songs were similar to the ones she sang now, they wouldn't be able to determine it was Ning Jie since she also wrote songs for various different artists.

Seeing AnLing's expression, Lin Li sighed.

"I know it doesn't seem like a big problem from an outsiders perspective but it is."

AnLing felt a slight tug at her heart because of the words 'outsiders perspective'.

AnLing: "How so?"

Lin Li: "Back then, Ning Jie did a couple of interviews revealing her face. By herself, people wouldn't be able to connect her to that incident due to her makeup and the way she carries herself but with him, the possibility of being recognized increases exponentially."

AnLing began to understand slightly.

When a powerful person is by the side of someone less powerful the less powerful person ends up getting dragged into their mess. The popularity of one person can attack the other and drown them in trouble.

AnLing: "The shouldn't we stop her?"

Manager Hong sighed. She was way too tired to do so.

They looked at Ning Jie and the man who continued to chat as if the world around them didn't exist.

"Would you like to go to lunch with me?" The man said.

Ning Jie: "I won't be having lunch. I have too much to do."

AnLing looked down the corridor she had come from to see if anyone was heading their way. Thankfully the majority of the reporters ended up staying in the lounge and in the lobby since they knew most of the stars frequented there.

"Then how about dinner?" The man flashed her a smile that would cause any girl to melt.

Ning Jie smiled bashfully, "I'm busy today."

"You know, I'm probably going to keep asking you until you say yes." A smirk appeared on the man's face as he said that.

Ning Jie began to giggle. "How about we exchange numbers then I'll let you know when I'm free?"

The man's smile grew bigger.

"Of course" He replied with a smirk.

The way the boy spoke to Ning Jie was familiar to AnLing. It was not him himself that was familiar but his manner. It bore a strong resemblance to the way Kang Jun treated her.

Thinking of him, AnLing felt her heart beat quicker.

Lin Li: "What an annoyance, he isn't even a new star, why is he even here?"

"I don't know but I'm a bit conflicted. A part of me wants to go there and scold them for being so open on such an important day but another part of me wants to tell him that he doesn't need to try so hard to make Ning Ning like him but I don't want to make her sound easy…"

Lin Li: "Should you just really let her enjoy being courted? This would be really bad if anyone found out"

"Yeah, and what about her boyfriend?" AnLing asked. She wasn't fully concerned since Ning Jie changed boyfriends like she changed clothes but still… Wasn't this considered cheating?

Manager Hong looked at her two assistants and sighed.

"Give her two days and they'll have broken up anyways, but that's not the point." After saying this, Manager Hong walked over to Ning Jie who continued to shamelessly flirt with the male singer. She took Ning Jie by the arm and dragged her away.

As she was being dragged away the man continued to look at her, his eyes full of amusement.

"Text me or call me, whenever you want!" He screamed loudly.

Quickly, Manager Hong's face turned pale and she dragged Ning Jie away much quicker.

In another room, the four women gathered. Ning Jie and the two assistants were on the couch and Manager Hong stood towering above Ning Jie, scolding her.

"I don't see what I did wrong." She said innocently.

"Of course you don't, when you see a good looking man is attracted to you, you lose the few brain cells you have." Manager Hong tried to keep her voice civil but it was hard while talking to Ning Jie.

"Usually you're so good at, at least, waiting for when you're not at work but today, what happened to you?" The question was a rhetorical one but Ning Jie opened her mouth like she was about to answer, triggering the volcanic anger Manager Hong was holding back.

"If you're not serious about your job then go home and forget a career in entertainment. You're not suited for it!"

Ning Jie glared at her manager.

Who was she to tell her she wasn't suited?

The two of them began exchanging verbal blows as Lin Li and AnLing watched.

Thank god the door was closed and soundproof because if it wasn't, AnLing could only imagine the scene they would cause.

Since both Lin Li and AnLing were long since used to the banalities of artiste and manager they began to do their own thing. Lin Li began searching entertainment news while AnLing went to play on her phone.

At first, AnLing was going to brainstorm ideas for a song she wanted to write and do some research on how the music industry was doing both domestically and abroad but then she saw she had an unanswered message from Kang Jun.

She pressed on Kang Jun's name.

That morning he had sent her a message but she was way too busy to check, but now that she had a break she took her time to read over the message.

A small smile tried to creep its way onto her lips but she held it back.

King Kang: [Want to go out tonight?]

AnLing crossed her legs.

AnLing: [I can't tonight.] Not giving too much explanation.

Truly, AnLing had nothing to do that night, unless her manager and artiste wanted to go drinking again, but with their momentary strained relationship, she doubted that would be happening. However, remembering that she was usually always drained from work. AnLing knew it was best to decline.

Quickly, another message came in.

King Kang: [ What about tomorrow night?]

If it was anyone else asking her AnLing would think they were desperate but she didn't see how a man like Kang Jun would be desperate for a girl like her when he could get any other girl he wanted with the snap of his fingers.

AnLing: [Aren't you supposed to be working?]

Kang Jun: [Aren't you?]

Reading his message AnLing almost puked blood.

Kang Jun's message held a secret meaning. If she wanted to deflect the question, she could but he would find a way to get her to answer him even if he had to be snarky about it.

AnLing: [This week will be busy.]

King Kang: [Fine. How about the weekend? Mingyu will love to see you again.]

AnLing's eyes widened when she saw his message and a smile began to bloom on her lips softening her features.

'Wow…Using a kid as a bargaining chip. That's so not fair.'

AnLing: [How about Saturday?]

King Kang: [After the audition?]

AnLing: [Yes.]

AnLing put her phone down but as soon as she did, it vibrated again. Knowing that it was a message from Kang Jun, she looked at it without a second thought. Seeing the contents of the message made her head go fuzzy.

King Kang: [I'll pick you up. It's a date.]

It's a date...

The words repeated in her head. She was unsure whether she was happy or not, at this point, her feelings wavered slightly in the middle.

She had just met Kang Jun so she barely had any feelings for him but she couldn't lie, she was attracted and he seemed like an amazing man.

Though that didn't mean she would actually date him.

She wasn't looking for romance of any sort.

Right then, she remembered what the male singer had said to Ning Jie.

He was going to keep asking until she said yes…

Kang Jun had said the same thing and now he was acting on it. Did this mean that she would never be able to reject his advances? Would he pursue her until she actually agreed to date him?

She needed him to be clear so she took out her phone and texted him without thinking.

AnLing: [Mister Kang, forgive me if I'm wrong, but are you courting me?]