Perfect Match, Secret Marriage

"Junior Sister Ning Jie…" Kang Liang started but he didn"t continue. He wasn"t sure how to explain the situation. The girl was missing but he was not at fault. He was supposed to be, but he wasn"t… And now he was getting a bit worried but he didn"t know what to do!

Seeing the boys strange expression and Lu AnLing"s confusion, Kang Jun glared at Kang Liang.

"Kang Liang, what have you done?"

Kang Liang: "Bro! I didn"t do anything! I mean, I was going to. I had this whole plan but I swear I wasn"t able to do it."

At first, Kang Jun was going to ask about the plan but he really didn"t want to spend all night listening to the boy explain himself so instead he sighed.

"Your point?"

Kang Liang: "I need her to sing with me."

Kang Liang looked at Lu AnLing pleadingly. "Please sister-in-law?"

Lu AnLing"s face turned dark and it flushed, all at the same time. "What did he just say? Who"s your sister in law?!"

Hearing the words escape Kang Liang"s mouth and Lu AnLing"s face, Kang Jun pinched the s.p.a.ce between his eyebrows

"Stop."

"But I really really need her help!" Kang Liang whined.

Around everyone else, Kang Liang was bubbly and flirty but when faced with his elder brother he quickly turned into a whiny child. Watching, Lu AnLing couldn"t help but raise her eyebrows. The Kang Liang of before was nowhere to be found.

Lu AnLing crossed her arm over her chest. Feeling the fabric of the jacket that wrapped around her arms, Lu AnLing sighed.

"Fine…"

Hearing this Kang Liang"s mouth turned into a bright smile. He felt happiness bloom within him. This was what he wanted to begin with so he didn"t ask any questions. He just slowly ran up to her.

Looking at Kang Liang move close to Lu AnLing, Kang Jun blocked the boys path with his arm.

Seeing his brothers protective stance, Kang Liang backed away with his hands in the air. Kang Jun then turned to look Lu AnLing in the eyes. He put his hands on her shoulders and asked intently,

"Are you sure?"

Feeling Kang Jun"s warmth seep through the jacket, Lu AnLing"s expression softened.

Lu AnLing gave him a kind smile and then said, "Yes. I"ll help, but… I don"t want to show my face."

Kang Liang: "Uh… how will that work out? That"s just not possible!"

Lu AnLing and Kang Jun turned towards Kang Liang and gave him the same annoyed look.

Kang Jun: "Make it possible."

With that nothing else could be said. Kang Liang had to follow orders.

Turning to look each other in the eyes, Kang Jun and Lu AnLing spoke to each other; the two were inside their own world.

Outside of it, Kang Liang gave a confused look and then he frowned. He had actually wanted to smile seeing how close his ice-sculpture-like brother was to a girl, but he was sure that he would be killed.

Since he was young Kang Liang had known his brother as someone completely indifferent and robot-like. No matter what happened to those around him, Kang Jun never cared. At least that"s what he had told himself.

Though now, he wasn"t so sure. All because of Lu AnLing; his brother"s girl.

***

There was a second entrance at the other side of the ballroom near the stage. To get there, a person had to go to the back end of the venue and then enter a door only accessible by staff.

Leading the way, Kang Liang, Kang Jun, and Lu AnLing headed down a long hallway.

At first, Lu AnLing had wondered where Ning Jie was but they b.u.mped into Manager Hong and Lin Li along the way and told them to keep looking for her.

Little did anyone know that Ning Jie was trapped in a janitors closet due to w.a.n.g Tingting.

As they walked, Kang Liang looked at Lu AnLing but he didn"t speak much. He wasn"t sure what to say or ask but he was super curious about how she had gotten to know his big brother so intimately.

He looked at her for a while and began to feel strange. Lu AnLing wasn"t special. He had to admit she was pretty and that her voice was beautiful but there were many people in the world that were much more beautiful and talented than she.

Though no one had ever had an effect on Kang Jun the way that she did and it was strange.

When Kang Liang had seen Kang Jun"s usually frigid aura melt, a feeling of shock washed through him but he also felt something different…

Finally arriving at the end of the hall, Kang Liang, Kang Jun, and Lu AnLing stood at the foot of stairs that lead straight to the stage. When it was time to prep, Kang Liang headed up to the stage, leaving Kang Jun and Lu AnLing alone together.

There was no one else around and the surrounding area was completely devoid of sound.

Gazing towards Lu AnLing, Kang Jun began to frown.

The girl was completely quiet and she wore a blank expression as she gazed down to the floor. The expression was one that Kang Jun couldn"t decipher.

The man reached for her face and moved her fringe away before tucking it behind her ear. Feeling his caring touch, Lu AnLing turned to Kang Jun with clouded eyes.

"Are you okay?" the man asked with a whisper.

Was she okay?… She wondered.

When she had decided to sing with Kang Liang, the two had first gone ti find Lin Li and Manager Hong. They both had different motivations to do so but both revolved around Ning Jie. Once they found the two women, they had found out that Ning Jie was still nowhere to be found so when Kang Liang had told them his idea about Lu AnLing singing with him, both Lin Li and Manager Hong agreed.

They knew how big of an opportunity it was for Ning Jie to sing on this stage but if she couldn"t be found, the best case scenario is to fake her presence. So together, they made a plan.

What would happen was that, on stage, Lu AnLing would not be facing the crowd and since she was wearing Ning Jie"s dress, the crowd shouldn"t be able to tell the difference.

Thinking about that, Lu AnLing felt pressure on her shoulders.

A part of her really hoped that Lin Li and Manager Hong would find Ning Jie quickly, but time ticked away and in less than five minutes Lu AnLing would have to step onto the stage and practice her singing with Kang Liang.

Lu AnLing met Kang Jun"s gaze. As soon as she did, her eyes glazed over and she began to feel small.

Nervousness filled every inch of her body as her heart beat made her body pulsate. It was the only thing felt.

"No."

Her reply caused Kang Jun"s heart to ache. She was fine just a moment ago but now he could see the girl recede into her sh.e.l.l.

Kang Jun: "Are you afraid?"

Lu AnLing shook her head. "No… I mean, yes… but no."

Lu AnLing was unsure about it. She wasn"t afraid per se. She was actually excited to go on stage and sing but at the same time, she was nervous that she would mess up.

Kang Jun rubbed the girl"s cheek lovingly. "You can do it. I believe in you."

Those words made Lu AnLing"s heart warm, but she didn"t get a chance to reply. As soon as she opened her mouth, Kang Liang walked down the stairs and held his hand out.

"Come on!"

Looking back at Kang Jun, Lu AnLing handed Kang Jun the jacket over her shoulders and then took Kang Liang"s hand.