The Exclusive Bodyguard of the Top Idol - Chapter 14

On New Year’s Eve, Ren Jiao woke up unusually early. When Ji Qingshi returned home from her morning jog, she was startled to see a figure by the floor-to-ceiling window. After her injury, Ji Qingshi had stayed at Ren Jiao’s place for a few days. Since Ren Jiao had no work commitments, she usually slept in until almost noon, making her early rise that day all the more surprising.

Hearing the door open, Ren Jiao turned her head and saw Ji Qingshi stepping inside, still wearing her unzipped down jacket.

“You’re up so early today?” Ji Qingshi voiced her confusion.

“I need to prepare the New Year’s Eve dinner. We have to go to the nursing home by noon to relieve Aunt Liu so she can get home before it’s too late,” Ren Jiao replied, holding a coffee cup as if trying to perk herself up.

Ji Qingshi let out an “Oh,” casually shrugging off her jacket. A week had passed, and the wound on her left arm had gradually healed, allowing her to move without much pain. She had resumed her morning jogs, albeit at a lighter intensity. Just a couple of slow laps around the neighborhood.

Noticing that Ji Qingshi was wearing only a thin short-sleeved shirt underneath her jacket, Ren Jiao frowned and glanced at the gloomy sky outside. “Why are you dressed so lightly? It just snowed last night.”

Bincheng, located in the north and near the sea, was known for its damp, chilly winters with frequent snowfall, especially around the New Year.

Ji Qingshi brushed it off. “It’s fine. I don’t really feel the cold. Even during winter training, we wear very little. I had my down jacket on outside.”

Ren Jiao’s disapproval deepened. “That jacket is too thin.”

“Thin is better for movement,” Ji Qingshi replied nonchalantly. Her team was trained to endure extreme cold and heat, this was nothing. If not for her incomplete recovery restricting her to light jogs, she would’ve worn her usual training gear instead of the thin down jacket.

Ren Jiao didn’t press further. Finishing her coffee, she headed into the kitchen. Ji Qingshi changed clothes, washed her hands, and followed, asking if there was anything she could help with.

With time tight and Ji Qingshi’s injury no longer causing much pain, Ren Jiao assigned her to washing and prepping vegetables.

Working together sped things up considerably, though Ji Qingshi was utterly clueless in the kitchen. She couldn’t even chop properly. Her attempt at peeling a potato nearly reduced it to nothing.

Ren Jiao stifled a laugh at the near-demolished potato.

Embarrassed, Ji Qingshi whose hands were more accustomed to handling guns than knives. Fumbled with the small potato and kitchen blade.

Watching her flush deepen, Ren Jiao chuckled and took over, demonstrating the proper technique.

“Officer Ji, you don’t peel potatoes with a kitchen knife. See? There’s a peeler for that, it works much better.” She had only looked away for a moment before Ji Qingshi started “hacking” at the potato with the knife.

Ji Qingshi huffed, muttering defensively, “How was I supposed to know there’s a special tool for peeling?”

“You could’ve asked me.”

“…” Ji Qingshi watched as Ren Jiao salvaged the potato and deftly sliced it into fine strips. “I just felt… a little embarrassed that I can’t even peel a potato.”

Ren Jiao glanced up at her. “Officer Ji, your hands are meant for holding guns.”

Though meant as comfort, she hadn’t expected Ji Qingshi to be this much of a novice in the kitchen.

“Your hands protect so many people including me. Aren’t you protecting me right now?”

Ren Jiao’s tone was unusually earnest, so much so that even someone as carefree as Ji Qingshi could keenly detect the undertones of admiration and reverence in her voice.

In truth, it was easy to understand. Ren Jiao’s father had been a police officer who sacrificed his life in the line of duty, so her deep respect for the profession was only natural.

Ji Qingshi wiped her hands casually and said, “Everyone has their own strengths. You can sing, dance, and play the piano. I can’t do any of those. You’re skilled in so many things, even cooking. That’s really impressive.”

Ren Jiao smiled faintly at this. She didn’t think she was particularly remarkable. Cooking and doing household chores were just things she had to take on from a young age to help her mother. As for singing and dancing, though she enjoyed them, they had later become stepping stones for her to enter society early, earn money, and get closer to her enemy, Sheng Dingzhe. There were many times when she felt she had long forgotten the original joy of “liking” something.

“Officer Ji, do you really love being a SWAT officer?”

“Hmm?” Ji Qingshi was taken aback for a moment before nodding. “Yeah… of course I do. I think it’s really cool.”

Ren Jiao chuckled. “It really is cool!”

“What about you?”

“Me?”

“You became an idol because you liked singing and dancing, right?”

“Me? Well, sort of.” Ren Jiao continued chopping vegetables as she spoke. “At first, becoming an idol was more about helping my mother. Singing and dancing were the only things I knew how to do. Plus, I wanted to get close to Sheng Dingzhe, so I ended up choosing this path. When you think about it, in my choices, ‘liking’ something didn’t really carry much weight. ”

Ji Qingshi tilted her head to look at her, sensing a trace of confusion in her words and feeling that she wasn’t entirely happy. But Ji Qingshi had never been particularly perceptive. Even if she had some intuition, she couldn’t decipher the thoughts of someone as sharp as Ren Jiao.

Still, she felt that Ren Jiao must still love singing and dancing deep down. She wanted to share this thought with her but didn’t know how to bring it up. She couldn’t pinpoint where this feeling came from; it was just intuition, lacking any convincing reasoning.

While Ji Qingshi was still hesitating over how to phrase it, Ren Jiao had already moved on from the topic. The ingredients were prepped, the seasonings were ready. All that was left was to cook.

“Alright, Officer Ji, you can go ahead and step out now.”

Before Ji Qingshi could even organize her thoughts, the words she wanted to say were stifled, and she was politely ushered out of the kitchen by Ren Jiao.

Ren Jiao worked quickly, finishing all the New Year’s Eve dishes before lunchtime, then packing them neatly into meal boxes and placing them in the thermal container.

After that, she swiftly prepared two bowls of scallion oil noodles for them to eat first, so they wouldn’t be too hungry. Once they finished, they would head to the nursing home.

“How are we getting there? It’s the New Year! Qianqian and Sister Cen must have already gone back to their hometowns, right?”

Ren Jiao nodded and asked, “Officer Ji, can you drive?”

“Huh? Yeah, I can.”

“Then I’ll have to trouble you to be our driver.”

Ji Qingshi blinked. “You have a car?”

“Of course. I bought it after my mom got sick, so I could visit her even when the company couldn’t arrange transportation. You know how it was with our old company providing us with assistants and managers was already the most reliable thing they ever did.”

“Right.” Thinking about that bastard Sheng Dingzhe, it was a miracle he ever did anything halfway decent.

After finishing the scallion oil noodles at home, the two changed clothes and headed out. Ren Jiao’s car was parked in the underground garage. A white electric sedan from a domestic brand, understated and niche.

Before getting into the car, Ji Qingshi glanced at the emblem; unfamiliar. Once inside, she fiddled with the controls for a while before getting accustomed to the driving mode of the new energy vehicle.

Electric cars differ somewhat from gasoline-powered ones, especially with their advanced automation. Though the brand was niche, its performance was impressive, offering excellent value for money.

“I thought you’d buy a luxury car.”

After adjusting to the driving mode, Ji Qingshi successfully hit the road.

“Luxury cars are too flashy. I don’t want to draw attention.”

“Then why go for a new energy car?”

“Gas stations are too crowded, it’s inconvenient.” Ren Jiao explained, “With an electric car, you just need a fixed parking spot to install a charging station. No need to go out.”

“Ah, being a celebrity really is troublesome. You’re always worried about being recognized in crowds.” Ji Qingshi couldn’t help but sigh.

Ren Jiao laughed. “Actually, idols are still relatively niche in our country not as mainstream as actors or singers who everyone recognizes.”

Ji Qingshi thought of the young fan they’d encountered at the supermarket and said, “But a lot of people still know you.”

“It’s not too bad.”

S-Group was indeed one of the most well-known girl groups domestically, with fans spanning all age groups; not just young people but also many working professionals.

On New Year’s Eve, the roads were nearly empty. Ji Qingshi drove at a leisurely pace, but they still arrived at the sanatorium quickly.

When they entered the ward, Aunt Liu was waiting for them. Delighted to see them, she greeted, “Miss Ren, Miss Ji, happy New Year.”

“Happy New Year, Auntie,” Ren Jiao and Ji Qingshi said in unison, sounding surprisingly in sync.

Perhaps buoyed by the holiday spirit, Aunt Liu radiated cheerfulness. After giving Ren Jiao a few reminders, she left.

The colleague assigned by the provincial department to protect Ren Xiuxian had left half an hour earlier. Since Ji Qingshi was arriving, she could take leave to celebrate the New Year at home and return to relieve Ji Qingshi before she left.

Suddenly, the room held only the two of them and Ren Xiuxian lying on the bed. The ward was eerily quiet, save for the rhythmic beeping of the machines.

The heating in the room was strong, so they took off their coats and hung them up. Ren Jiao checked on her mother first, sitting by the bed to chat for a while. Ji Qingshi carried the insulated food container into the lounge, leaving the ward to the mother and daughter. It had been three weeks since their last visit. Ren Jiao surely had much to say.

The sanatorium’s conditions were excellent. With sufficient funding, every aspect was well taken care of. Ji Qingshi turned on the lounge TV, flipping to a random channel for background noise. On New Year’s Eve, every station was airing Spring Festival Gala previews and preparations nothing particularly fresh.

The sanatorium was peaceful, with only patients and their families around. On such a major holiday, few people remained. Most doctors and nurses had gone home, leaving only those on duty.

At dinnertime, they reheated the pre-prepared New Year’s Eve dishes and dumplings, setting them out on the lounge table while eating in front of the TV.

This New Year was unusually quiet not just in terms of people but also the surroundings. There was none of the liveliness of the city, where firecrackers and fireworks would at least fill the air.

“Actually, the area around here is quite nice, with some great scenic spots. If Aunt Liu hadn’t left, I’d have taken you for a stroll. It’s more interesting than staying cooped up here.” Ren Jiao was worried Ji Qingshi might be bored but too polite to say so.

Ji Qingshi shook her head and said, “It’s fine. I don’t feel bored. There’s still the TV to watch, isn’t there? Besides, when I’m usually with the team, most of my time is spent training. You don’t have to worry about me getting bored; my tolerance for boredom is exceptionally high.”

Ren Jiao didn’t detect any reluctance in her expression and finally relaxed. Ji Qingshi was here to protect her, and following her around every day was already tough enough. A decorated SWAT deputy captain, lowering herself to act as her bodyguard. Ren Jiao couldn’t help but feel guilty every time she thought about it.

“What about the Spring Festival Gala? Why didn’t you all go?” Ji Qingshi glanced at the sea of red on the TV screen as the gala was about to begin.

Ren Jiao smiled. “We just switched companies, and the tour is the top priority. Sister Cen also wanted everyone to rest and recharge during the New Year. Next year, we probably won’t have it this easy.”

The Spring Festival Gala held extraordinary significance for the Chinese people. In the entertainment industry, no celebrity would pass up the chance to appear on it. It was an implicit reflection of status and capability in the field.

“Alright, I don’t really understand these things. Has the schedule for the post-holiday tour been set?”

“Yes, there’s one on the Lantern Festival. It’s already been announced, and we’ll start training on the fifth day of the New Year. After that, the tour will be one performance after another. We’ll be busy for quite a while.”

“That sounds exhausting,” Ji Qingshi couldn’t help but remark.

Ren Jiao propped her chin on her hand, narrowing her eyes at her. “Officer Ji, are you feeling sorry for me?”

“Well, I just think you all have it pretty tough.” Ji Qingshi had personally witnessed how grueling their training sessions were before the last concert.

“It’s alright. Ever since Officer Ji came along, I’ve had more motivation during training~”

“Huh?” The sudden remark left Ji Qingshi momentarily stunned.

Ren Jiao lifted her gaze to meet hers, reaching out to smooth the wrinkles on her collar. “After all, just knowing that the gentle and reliable Officer Ji is here makes me want to dance even more beautifully and sing even more perfectly. So, Officer Ji, do you think my dancing is good? Is my singing nice?”

Her jade-like fingertips brushed against Ji Qingshi’s jaw whether intentionally or not, eliciting a subtle shiver from her.

“Y-yeah… it’s really good! And your singing is great too!”

Ren Jiao’s lips curled in delight as she watched the dazed woman before her. Another successful tease of the SWAT officer today.