The Exclusive Bodyguard of the Top Idol - Chapter 1

“Ahhhh! Jiaojiao, Jiaojiao, we love you!”

“Jiaojiao, look this way! Jiaojiao, have you been resting well lately?”

“Jiaojiao, take care of yourself! Wishing you all the best!”

“Don’t worry, Jiaojiao, we’ll always be here for you!”

Accompanied by her assistant Qianqian, Ren Jiao stepped out of Bincheng TV Station. Outside the barriers, a crowd of fans eagerly waited, clamoring to speak to her, their words brimming with concern and affection, repeatedly offering comfort and encouragement.

Ren Jiao glanced in the direction of the gathered fans, her gaze softening slightly as she gave them a small, gentle wave.

Her response sent a surge of excitement through the crowd, and the voices expressing their love for her grew even louder.

Seeing the crowd growing restless, Qianqian quickened her pace. Walking beside Ren Jiao was another tall woman dressed in simple athletic wear and a baseball cap, her assistant-like appearance quickly guiding Ren Jiao into the waiting business van. The door slid shut, muffling the noise from outside.

Qianqian and Ren Jiao settled into the back seats, while the tall woman took the front passenger seat without a word.

As the car started moving, Ren Jiao removed her mask, revealing a face of striking beauty. One that could topple cities and kingdoms, yet still carried a hint of youthful innocence. She had only come to the studio today for a soundcheck and hadn’t expected fans to show up, so she hadn’t bothered with makeup, appearing bare-faced.

But even without a trace of cosmetics, her beauty was breathtaking. Her features were like a painting; delicate brows, a refined nose, skin like flawless jade. Every detail exquisitely crafted, as if she were the Creator’s most perfect masterpiece.

Even after two years as her assistant, Qianqian still found herself frequently stunned by Ren Jiao’s beauty.

In the car, their manager, Cen Shu, flipped through her notes and said, “Aside from tomorrow’s gala performance at the satellite TV event, there are no other scheduled activities. Focus on preparing for the concert. The backlash from the company’s scandal will start to fade after your appearance at the gala, but that’s not enough. The most important thing is the concert before Spring Festival.”

“I’ve already secured a new company, Huaying Media. The contract is still being negotiated, but at the earliest, I’ll take you to sign in three days.”

Ren Jiao paused while scrolling through her phone and looked up. “Huaying? Isn’t that a bit of a stretch?”

It wasn’t just a stretch. It was practically a leap across industries. Huaying Media was one of the top film and television production companies in the country, primarily investing in and producing movies and TV shows. All of its signed artists were well-known actors, household names among audiences.

Meanwhile, Ren Jiao was an idol. The leader and main vocalist of Silver, the hottest girl group in the country right now.

Not long ago, their group had run into trouble or more accurately, it wasn’t the group itself but their company that had imploded. S-Group had been the cash cow of Zenith Entertainment, but the company had been shut down after its CEO, Sheng Dingzhe, was not only caught for tax evasion but also implicated in a homicide case.

Overnight, the nation’s most popular girl group found themselves without a company, and their ongoing concert tour had to be postponed.

During this time, their manager, Cen Shu, had been working tirelessly to resolve the situation. Using her connections, she had raced against the clock to secure a new company before Spring Festival and arrange the next concert as soon as possible to quell public speculation and ease fans’ worries.

Cen Shu was a woman of skill and capability but even Ren Jiao hadn’t expected her to be capable enough to land a deal with Huaying.

Cen Shu smiled faintly and said, “Don’t underestimate yourself. You think there’s an insurmountable gap between idols and actors, and so do the audience, but many entertainment and film companies don’t see it that way.”

“In today’s industry, popularity is king. You were among the first batch of idols to rise to fame in the country, and the most popular at that. You probably don’t realize how many companies have been eyeing you. But before, you were shackled by a ten-year contract with Zenith, and even if other companies coveted you, they couldn’t justify paying the sky-high breach fees. Now, things are different. Zenith Entertainment is finished, they’re embroiled in criminal cases, and your contracts are effectively worthless. There are far more companies eager to snatch you up than you imagine.”

“Huaying is indeed an industry leader, but they also want more traffic. They’re looking to acquire talents like you to compensate for their weakness in the fan economy.”

Listening to Cen Shu’s words, Ren Jiao fell silent. To her, it didn’t matter much which company she ended up with. The downfall of Zenith Entertainment was the real cause for celebration.

Cen Shu glanced at the front seat and raised her hand to lower the car’s partition, isolating the back from the front.

Ren Jiao looked up at her, puzzled.

“Ahem, I’ve been meaning to ask how’s it been with your new neighbor these past couple of days?” Cen Shu pointed toward the front passenger seat.

“Hmm, it’s fine. Nothing out of the ordinary.”

Cen Shu hesitated, studying her for a moment before speaking carefully, “You’ll need to give her a public ‘identity.’ Otherwise, if she’s seen with you so often, the media will catch on sooner or later. We should prepare an explanation in advance.”

Ren Jiao understood what she meant and nodded in acknowledgment.

The true identity of the new “neighbor” in the front passenger seat wasn’t something they could publicize. Ren Jiao decided to label her as a “distant relative,” someone who was there to help out perhaps as an assistant.

At the thought, Ren Jiao curved her lips slightly. That woman was quite amusing. A little silly, easy to tease. She believed everything Ren Jiao said and did whatever she was told, grumbling but never hesitating in her actions.

Though they’d only spent two days together, Ren Jiao found her endlessly entertaining.

The business car pulled into the underground parking lot of a high-end apartment. The tall woman in the passenger seat stepped out first, her sharp, eagle-like eyes scanning the surroundings to confirm the lot was empty before the rear door slowly opened.

Ren Jiao got out alone, waving goodbye to Cen Shu and Qianqian. “You two go home and rest. No need to come up with me.”

Qianqian, as her assistant, wanted to protest. Her job was to escort her artist safely home.

But Ren Jiao stopped her with a hand, gesturing to the woman beside her. “She’s here. You go back, no need to trouble yourself.”

“But—”

“Come on, go home and rest.”

Pouting, Qianqian sat back in the car, looking aggrieved.

As the car drove off, Ren Jiao led the tall woman upstairs. Inside the elevator, just the two of them, she glanced sideways at the silent figure beside her and asked, “Officer Ji, heading home or coming to my place?”

Ji Qingshi didn’t hesitate. “Your place first. I’ll make sure it’s safe before going down.”

Ren Jiao gave a soft “Mm” but didn’t say anything more. She wanted to say that nothing dangerous could happen in such a short time, but ultimately kept it to herself. She didn’t want to trouble Ji Qingshi too much, but she knew it was the other woman’s duty and that she wouldn’t listen anyway. There was no point in arguing.

Ji Qingshi was a police officer, a special police officer, to be precise. Ren Jiao wasn’t entirely clear on her exact rank or responsibilities, as they had only known each other for two days. Their current relationship was rather peculiar: Ji Qingshi had been assigned by the Provincial Public Security Department to protect Ren Jiao personally.

This was part of the department’s witness protection program, and Ren Jiao was the witness in question. The reason? Her former boss, Sheng Dingzhe, who was now behind bars. As a former employee, Ren Jiao had played a significant role in putting him there. She had managed to obtain evidence of his tax evasion.

Her former company was involved in a major drug-related case, and Sheng Dingzhe was just a small fish in the scheme. The police were still working to apprehend the bigger sharks behind him. As one of the key witnesses, Ren Jiao had accepted the police’s offer of protection.

Ren Jiao lived on the top floor, which offered excellent privacy. She led Ji Qingshi back to her apartment and let the officer thoroughly inspect every corner.

Watching Ji Qingshi’s serious and meticulous demeanor, Ren Jiao took off her coat and headed to the kitchen, returning shortly with a plate of fruit.

After finishing her inspection, Ji Qingshi relaxed slightly and nodded at Ren Jiao. “Everything’s clear here. I’ll head downstairs now.”

To facilitate her protection duties, the Provincial Department had rented the apartment below Ren Jiao’s as Ji Qingshi’s temporary residence for the next six months.

Ren Jiao, still holding the plate of fruit, blinked and said, “Stay a little longer. I just cut some fruit.”

Ji Qingshi shook her head and moved to the door to put on her shoes. “No need. You should rest. If anything comes up, call me anytime my phone will be on 24/7.”

Standing behind her, Ren Jiao took a bite of a sweet strawberry, tilting her head as she blurted out, “Is that for me?”

“Hm?” Ji Qingshi straightened and looked at her. “What?”

“The 24/7 thing.”

“Oh, that. It’s standard in our line of work. I just wanted you to know you can reach me anytime.”

“Ah, I see.” Ren Jiao put on a disappointed expression. “I thought you were doing it just for me. Guess I was overthinking it.”

Ji Qingshi faltered, unsure how to respond. She was someone who always told the truth and wasn’t good at lying nor did she know what Ren Jiao wanted to hear. To her, Ren Jiao was her protectee, the mission itself. If she thought about it that way then yes, for the next six months, keeping her phone on 24/7 was indeed for Ren Jiao… -_-!

Realizing this, Ji Qingshi scratched her cheek and suddenly adopted a solemn expression. “Actually, you’re right. For the next six months, my phone being on 24/7 is for you.”

“Oh? Really?” Ren Jiao blinked at her, looking utterly innocent.

Ji Qingshi nodded earnestly, standing as straight as a pine tree. One might have mistaken her for attending some solemn oath-taking ceremony. “Absolutely! Miss Ren, you are currently under my protection. My duty is to ensure your safety, so keeping my phone on at all times is naturally for you.”

Ren Jiao: “…”

She hadn’t expected that a casual joke from her would elicit such a blunt response from this blockhead.

However, Ji Qingshi’s words made the clever Ren Jiao realize one thing in the eyes of this thick-headed policewoman, her entire face probably just screamed “mission.”

Ren Jiao suddenly found the policewoman quite amusing.

“Officer Ji, does ‘protecting me at all times’ mean you’ll come whenever I call?”

“Whenever you call?” Ji Qingshi felt there was something off about that phrasing.

Ren Jiao’s misty eyes gazed at her like a stray cat that had just been picked up off the streets. One that needed constant care and affection, an indescribably beautiful Ragdoll at that.

Ji Qingshi couldn’t handle that look. Her already slow-processing brain short-circuited completely, and she nodded instinctively, promising, “Yes, whenever you call!”

Ren Jiao blinked her kitten-like eyes, while the little figure in her heart quietly raised a flag of victory.

This blockhead was just too fun to mess with.