Chapter 30: What will my little aunt be like?

Sigh, just accept it.

After leaving Kim Eun-sook’s office, Ming Yan shook his head helplessly. He had heard the saying that what goes around comes around. To put it bluntly, it was just a breakup; would Kim Ji-won really eat him alive? That lady’s appetite wasn’t that big.

"Xiao Yan, this is the first time I've seen you make that expression." Zheng Yuanlong said with a smile. As his manager, he was perhaps the closest comrade Ming Yan had, even having driven the guy to his dates before.

"What expression?" Ming Yan wiped his face. Expression management was a mandatory course for artists, even for actors. Living in the spotlight meant that if one wasn't careful with details, they might end up in the news or on a trending forum post at any moment. Building a good reputation was hard, but collapsing took only an instant.

Zheng Yuanlong pondered for a moment. "It’s hard to describe. Happy, reminiscent, but also... seemingly afraid."

"You’re a writer too, aren't you? Seeing so many adjectives in one expression." Ming Yan paused, then laughed. "Come on, look at my eyes and see if there’s a hint of pity mixed with a touch of mockery."

"Did you wash your face this morning?"

"I did." Ming Yan quickly reached up to rub his eyes, but there was no sleep in them. It seemed he had been teased by Zheng Yuanlong again.

"From a manager's perspective, being able to collaborate with Kim Ji-won again is beneficial for both parties," Zheng Yuanlong shifted the topic. Kim Ji-won was in a similar situation to Ming Yan; she had played various roles in hit dramas but had never taken the lead. She also needed an opportunity.

Ming Yan smiled. "True, though I don't know if I'll still be around after we finish filming."

"Regret it?"

"When have I ever regretted anything? If Sister Ji-won is brave enough to agree, why wouldn't I be?" Ming Yan had always called Kim Ji-won "sister," even when they were dating; it was their private term of endearment.

"That's more like the you I know." Zheng Yuanlong clapped his hands. "So, are you going to pick up Minjeong?"

"Didn't Minjeong say she wanted to take the subway home? I’m going to study the script." After all, this was his first lead role. Even with the buff of Kim Ji-won’s presence, the final result would still depend on the quality of the script. Ming Yan’s success was due in no small part to Kim Eun-sook, but his own hard work was equally indispensable.

As an actor—especially one who hadn't undergone complete professional training—relying solely on past achievements wouldn't suffice.

"Alright, I've already replied to that magazine cover request. The shoot is the day after tomorrow."

"Mm, got it."

...

"Minjeong, is no one coming to pick you up today?" Kim Chaewon asked curiously. In the eyes of many at school, Kim Minjeong was a "country girl" from Liangshan who spoke in a dialect, yet she received treatment that even many local Seoul students couldn't match, with a car picking her up and dropping her off every day.

"No, I specifically didn't ask my uncle to come. We can take the subway together in a bit," Kim Minjeong said excitedly.

Kim Chaewon, a few months younger than her friend, gossiped, "Minjeong, you were dropped off by a van this morning, and everyone behind your back was whispering about it." Fifteen or sixteen-year-old girls loved chatting about these things.

"Whispering about what?"

"About your background, of course. They're just bullies who pick on the weak." Kim Chaewon asked curiously, "Is your uncle really Ming Yan?"

"Of course, I've said it so many times."

"You two are only seven years apart, yet you're a generation apart. Your grandfather is truly impressive." A sixteen-year-old girl understood everything, and they often made such jokes in private.

"Hey!" Kim Minjeong blushed and interrupted her new friend; teasing elders was never a good thing.

Kim Chaewon put her hands together in apology. "Sorry, sorry! When do you start training at S.M.?" Her expression held a hint of envy.

"The company hasn't notified me yet." Kim Minjeong was full of anticipation for trainee life; it was the start of a debut. "Does that mean once I start training, I won't have to come to class anymore?"

"What are you thinking? That's a privilege only for seniors who have already debuted. We can only work hard to become famous alumni." The famous alumni of Hanlim Arts High School were the artists who had debuted.

"I know, just like my uncle."

"Right, just like your uncle." Kim Chaewon nodded heavily. Since coming to Hanlim Arts High School, who didn't have a dream of debuting?

"Chaewon, when are you going for your next audition?" Kim Minjeong knew her new friend wasn't a trainee yet; her situation was similar to when she had first arrived in Seoul.

Harboring a dream of being an artist, she had to face the hurdles one by one. After seeing the experiences of others, Kim Minjeong felt even more grateful for her uncle. If not for Ming Yan, she, a country girl from Liangshan, wouldn't have known how many setbacks she would have suffered. She wouldn't be getting chauffeured to school like she was now. My uncle is the best!

Kim Chaewon sighed. "I don't have a target yet, but I will definitely become a trainee!" There were hundreds of entertainment companies in Seoul, and auditions popped up one after another. However, trainees had to be careful; some small companies were traps, and one might end up with endless debt after debuting. Big companies or well-known mid-sized ones were more reliable—at least companies one had heard of.

"Go for it, I believe in you."

"Minjeong, I wonder if your uncle has a girlfriend?" Kim Chaewon suddenly said with a smile. "If I became his girlfriend, maybe becoming a trainee wouldn't be so hard?"

"Hey, Chaewon, that's my uncle."

"I know, but he's only six years older than me."

Kim Minjeong fell silent. Ming Yan was only twenty-two. If not for her, Kim Chaewon would be calling him "oppa." So, even if her friend teased her, she had no way to retort. Then again, the little one had quite a bit of confidence in her uncle; even if Ming Yan were to find a girlfriend, he probably wouldn't pick someone from her social circle, otherwise, the family hierarchy would be a mess.

*Hiss...* Kim Minjeong shuddered at the thought of calling her friend "little aunt." It was too terrifying.

"Alright, alright, I'm just joking. Although Ming Yan-xi is indeed very handsome, he's not my type." Kim Chaewon, thinking Kim Minjeong was angry, quickly tried to comfort her.

Kim Minjeong decided to fight back: "My uncle wouldn't like a little bean sprout like you anyway."

"Then he likes ones with good figures?"

"Hey!"

Kim Minjeong was indeed curious about Ming Yan’s love life. Kim Jisoo, Im Nayeon, Krystal Jung... and it seemed like her uncle was even a bit afraid of Yoo Jeongyeon. She really didn't know what her future aunt would be like.