The woman walked up to the stage.
Elegance and grace exuded from her body as she walked, creating the illusion that she was almost floating. Like she had magical powers, the people separated in the middle to allow her passage.
"I was right. It is you." The woman's voice was sultry and had an underlying calmness about it. "Don't you remember me?"
AnLing squinted her eyes quizzically.
The voice was familiar to AnLing but she couldn't quite put her finger on whose voice it was. However, once the woman reached the foot of the stage and her face came into clear view, AnLing knew.
A small awkward smile appeared on her face.
"Xiao Mian." AnLing's voice came out shy and slightly bubbly. She sounded like a little girl again.
Xiao Mian gave a refined laugh and then made her way up the stairs to give AnLing a light hug, which AnLing reciprocated awkwardly. She wasn't sure if she should hug Xiao Mian or not but seeing that people were watching them, AnLing decided to be polite and quick about it.
"It's been a long time. I didn't know you were back in the country. How have you been?" Xiao Mian said happily.
AnLing felt a rush of emotions.
"I've been fine and yeah… sorry I didn't call you I just came back for, ugh, family reasons."
"I heard about it from Shuya."Xiao Mian said sadly, patting AnLing on the arm.
In the last six years that she'd been away, she had cut ties with everyone with the exception of a few family members. Back then, AnLing was afraid, alone and ashamed. She was unable to so much as look the people she cared about in the eyes anymore.
So she turned her back on them and left without a second thought. But when leaving, Xiao Mian was the only other person she had wanted to keep in contact with. Although, at that point in time Xiao Mian was starting her career in acting so AnLing left without saying anything and allowed Shuya to make an excuse for her.
AnLing didn't trusted Shuya to be nice or do anything good for her, but in the six years she'd been gone, it seemed that Shuya had not talked bad about her.
It was probably due to the fact that, Shuya wouldn't dare ruin her relationship with her Goddess Xiao who seemed to love AnLing much more than any of her other friends did.
Xiao Mian was part of Shuya's socialite circle, but unlike the spoiled and rotten girls AnLing had met, Xiao Mian was different.
Like everyone mentioned, Xiao Mian was a goddess. She was pure, kind and loving. Sure, she could also be a total bitch, and AnLing knew that but what she loved about Xiao Mian was that she always treated her fairly and never lied to her either.
Xiao Mian continued to talk to AnLing but AnLing began to feel more and more awkward by the second.
Those around them just stared at the two with disbelief.
How did their goddess know this nobody? Actually, that was incorrect... How did their goddess know this plain nobody?
They couldn't possibly be friends. They didn't suit each other at all.
AnLing wasn't the type of girl who would be remembered if she passed them by on the streets. it was even worse when she stood side by side with one of the five beauties of the entertainment industry, and yet she knew, their Goddess intimately?
Impossible.
Those were the types of thoughts that danced in everyone's heads, but no one spoke. They just watched as Xiao Mian chatted away happily.
Suddenly, a voice interrupted.
Madame Liu: "Miss Xiao, you're a little bit early… We were in the middle of auditions."
Madame Liu walked up onto the stage and shook hands with Xiao Mian. Her gaze then fell towards AnLing who backed away slightly.
"I'm sorry. I'll come back if you want." Xiao Mian said with a smile.
"No, It's fine. The auditions are pretty much done." Madame Liu waved her hands in the air.
The girls who hadn't gone up yet looked at one another with pale faces, but they didn't say a word. There was nothing they could say. If Madame Liu decided that the auditions were over, who were they to complain.
"Oh really, who did you choose?" Xiao Mian giggled. "Let me tell you, my friend, AnLing, is an amazing singer and she's super hard working."
Madame Liu laughed.
"I can't tell you that, but I'll take what you said into consideration."
'Whatever happened to 'I don't care who you know'?!'
AnLing felt all blood drain from her body. Some of the girls in the crowd looked at AnLing with death stares. Despite it being Xiao Mian who had spoken, all the hate was being directed towards AnLing.
'Xiao Mian please stop.' She wanted to scream.
As much as her heart was in the right place, Xiao Mian was doing AnLing a great disservice.
AnLing began to feel more piercing stares as Madame Liu and Xiao Mian spoke intimately. They were mostly from the ones who didn't get the chance to audition and some who, AnLing could swear, hated Xiao Mian.
Familiarity washed over her. She hadn't experienced this in a long time.
"Just give me a moment. I have certain things to prepare." Madame Liu said holding onto Xiao Mian's hand like a precious treasure.
She then turned to the crowd of girls.
Madame Liu: "Auditions are over. I'll contact the one who got the job. Please leave the room, and be careful not to touch anything."
There were a few groans in the audience but everyone followed Madame Liu's orders. Xiao Mian then grabbed AnLing's hand lovingly and walked out into the lobby.
As they walked out, a few girls gave them side-eye.
If there was something AnLing didn't miss from being around Xiao Mian it was the sheer amount of haters she brought with her. But of course, being a Goddess would bring a few haters, or two, or a hundred…
"Don't you think this would look good on you?" Xiao Mian said out of the blue pointing to her diamond necklace.
AnLing waved her hands in front of her face. "No way. I don't wear expensive things."
"Come on! It's a gift from me. We haven't seen each other in so long. I want to pamper you." Xiao Mian almost shoved the necklace in AnLing's face before she said, "I have something to do in the afternoon but, we should go out for drinks tonight and catch up"
AnLing took the necklace and held it in her hand, her fingers pressing up against the diamonds painfully. "Thanks but how about another day?"
Xiao Mian: "You're busy? If you're going to the hospital then wait for me and I can come along then. I haven't visited Granny Lu for a long time. I think Shuya said she's getting discharged today."
"I'm not going to the hospital, either."
"Then what are you doing tonight?" Xiao Mian tilted her head innocently.
AnLing: "I'm meeting someone."
A glint appeared in Xiao Mian's eyes.
"A date?"
'Yes, I'm going on a date, okay? Did I mention it's with a good looking rich man? No. Well he's super good looking and he seems really nice but the date is not really a date because the cutest little boy is coming with us. Is it his son? No, it's his nephew. How did we meet? Actually, it's a funny story. I saved the boy and then the man saved me and now he seems to have a thing for me. Do I have a thing for him also? Well… '
AnLing could just imagine the whole conversation in her mind. It would be endless and suicidal of her to mention any of that. Xiao Mian was a good girl but at the same time, she was close to too many people AnLing knew. So there was no way she would tell the full truth. All she could think of was a white lie, instead.
"No. I helped someone out and they want to repay me."
"Oh, that's nice." Xiao Mian smiled sweetly but her voice contained a hint of disappointment.
Seeing the two completely opposite women conversing, a couple of people in the lobby turned to look at them. Including the general manager who averted his eyes, with a slight blush as he passed them.
Xiao Mian looked nervously at her watch. "I have to go soon. I have some things to finish today."
"That's right. I heard you're getting married. Congratulations." AnLing said sincerely.
Suddenly, Xiao Mian's reaction changed.
"How did you know?"
AnLing: "WeChat ground. You know the one from high school? Fei Fei mentioned it."
Xiao Mian: "Geez... Fei Fei sure has a big mouth."
AnLing found the group chat and then passed the phone to Xiao Mian. The woman browsed through the conversation with her eyebrows raised.
Xiao Mian: "At the beginning of my career, my phone number was leaked so I changed phones, so I never ended up rejoining the group, but I see people are still talking about me"
Xiao Mian smiled and gave AnLing her phone back but before she did, she added her own phone number in AnLing's contacts.
It read 'Goddess Xiao'
Reading that, AnLing laughed stalely, "Haha, yeah… some things never change."
Xiao Mian: "So I guess you know about the reunion then? Shuya invited me. Are you going?"
AnLing: "…"
AnLing didn't want to but she was forced to go anyways.
"You should go. Wouldn't it be fun?" Xiao Mian then grabbed her arm.
"Fun." AnLing knew she might have sounded a bit fake or disinterested but she couldn't bother to fake her tone. Maybe if Xiao Mian sensed her tone she would forget about it?
"Great! I'll tell Shuya to inform everyone that we'll both be coming together. Just like old times." Little did Xiao Mian know that Shuya had already done just that.
Same old Xiao Mian.
When Shuya had told her to go, AnLing didn't worry much about it. She could just show her face and then leave, but now that Xiao Mian was inviting her, she knew she had to stay for much much longer.
A feeling of dread set in.
Xiao Mian: "Anyways, I have to go. Next time I'd like to introduce you to my fiancé."
AnLing: "Sure."
AnLing forced a smile. Then she turned toward the elevator. Realizing what she was doing, AnLing snapped herself back to reality. Despite the fact that she was staying at the hotel she couldn't just go into the elevator.
What would Xiao Mian think? And worse, what if she told someone about it?
So instead, AnLing exited the building.
Once she was gone, Xiao Mian hugged herself. She caressed her neck where her diamond necklace had been and sighed.
"Lu AnLing… You haven't changed a bit."