The Exclusive Bodyguard of the Top Idol - Chapter 15

The Spring Festival Gala had become increasingly dull over the years, much like tasteless chicken ribs; unappealing yet hard to discard. No one really watched it anymore, but on New Year’s Eve, everyone still needed it as background noise, just for the festive atmosphere.

After the New Year’s Eve dinner, Ji Qingshi and Ren Jiao sat side by side in the lounge, chatting idly. They were staying up together to welcome the New Year, passing the somewhat tedious night in each other’s company.

As midnight approached, the two stood by the window and looked outside. Beyond the quiet night sky and the mountains, there was nothing. Only the occasional chirping of birds in the forest, with no other sounds to be heard.

“It’s so quiet!” Ji Qingshi remarked with a sigh.

Ren Jiao tilted her head to look at her and asked, “Officer Ji, were your past New Year celebrations livelier?”

Ji Qingshi replied, “Not bad. I usually spent them with my team. Many of my comrades had to stay on duty, so we were all together. After the New Year’s Eve dinner, we’d set off fireworks. Our team’s base is huge, with a large open area outside the dormitory. Perfect for fireworks.”

Though she never went home for the New Year, she was always surrounded by comrades and the families of the canteen staff. Celebrating together made it lively.

But this year was different. Due to a special mission, it was just the two of them, secluded in this quiet mountain. A first for her.

Ren Jiao smiled at her and said, “This year must be hard on you, Officer Ji. Stuck here with me, bored, without even fireworks to watch.”

The sanatorium was nestled against the mountains, where fire was strictly prohibited. Fireworks were out of the question.

Though Ji Qingshi wasn’t the quickest thinker, the self-deprecating flicker in Ren Jiao’s eyes was too obvious to ignore.

Suddenly, Ji Qingshi seemed to remember something. She fiddled with her phone for a while, and a long silence settled between them.

Ren Jiao stared blankly at the night sky outside the window, lost in thought or perhaps not thinking at all, her mind completely empty.

After a while, Ji Qingshi finally looked up. Right at midnight, she suddenly held her phone screen in front of Ren Jiao. “Look.”

“What?”

Ren Jiao was momentarily stunned by the sudden gesture. By the time she processed it, she had already seen what was on Ji Qingshi’s screen.

A dazzling firework bloomed across the dark winter sky at that very moment, bursting into brilliant light.

It looked like an ordinary firework video. Who knew where Ji Qingshi had found it. Ren Jiao was about to tease her when she heard voices from the screen.

“Deputy Captain, these fireworks are the ones I bought today. Aren’t they amazing? You’ve gotta praise me! They’re way cooler than the ones we set off in previous years!”

Deputy Captain? Who was speaking?

The speaker’s face didn’t appear on the screen, only their voice. As the firework faded, the screen shifted slightly, revealing someone running past. Wearing the winter training uniform of the SWAT team.

The person in the video lit another firework, and the night sky bloomed anew with radiant colors.

“I just contacted a few of my comrades. They were planning to set off fireworks at midnight too, so we’re watching along with them through video call!”

Ren Jiao’s pupils contracted slightly. She looked up at Ji Qingshi in surprise, only to see the woman smiling back at her; a little goofy, but mostly warm.

“You went through all this trouble just to watch fireworks with them?”

“Yeah, you must have spent last year’s New Year here too, right?” Ji Qingshi said with a smile. “Two years in a row of such quiet celebrations. Last year I wasn’t around, but this year I am, so we should liven things up a bit. Since we can’t set off fireworks ourselves, let’s at least enjoy theirs.”

Ren Jiao froze again. Though Ji Qingshi hadn’t explicitly said it, she vaguely understood the implication. She wanted her to see the fireworks too.

The thought felt a bit presumptuous, but Ren Jiao couldn’t help but cling to the warmth it brought, even if she knew it wouldn’t last and stemmed only from the fact that Ji Qingshi was a kind-hearted person.

Ren Jiao was certain that if it had been “Zhang Jiao,” “Li Jiao,” or “Wang Jiao” standing here instead, Ji Qingshi would still have softened at the loneliness she projected.

She knew this rationally, but in this moment, she still wanted to hold onto that warmth because right now, it was her, and no one else.

“Thank you, Officer Ji.”

“I never expected to have such a happy New Year this year.” Ren Jiao looked up at Ji Qingshi, her eyes brimming with a smile.

Ji Qingshi’s grin widened as she stood beside Ren Jiao, holding up her phone without a hint of fatigue.

Ren Jiao was about to remind her, but before she could speak, a burst of commotion erupted from the phone.

“Wait, Deputy Captain, who are you with? Who’s that gorgeous woman beside you?!”

Both Ji Qingshi and Ren Jiao froze, instinctively turning to the phone screen, only then noticing the small preview window in the upper right corner showing the two of them standing side by side.

Ah, it seemed she’d forgotten to switch to the rear camera.

Realizing belatedly, Ji Qingshi fumbled to correct it, quickly flipping the video feed.

“Hey, hey, hey! We didn’t get a good look!”

“That beauty looks kinda familiar, doesn’t she?”

“Deputy Captain, didn’t you say you were on duty this year? Is your mission to watch us set off fireworks with a gorgeous woman?!”

“Sign me up for missions like that. When’s it my turn?!”

Ji Qingshi’s teammates both men and women chattered over each other, their voices blaring through the phone’s speaker, filling the quiet rest area of the sanatorium with unexpected liveliness.

“That beauty next to the Deputy Captain, doesn’t she look like Ren Jiao?” A young man’s voice piped up.

“Huh?! No way!” A girl in camouflage training gear immediately shoved her way into the frame, looking like she was ready to crawl through the phone.

Since Ji Qingshi had switched the camera, they could no longer see the two of them, but Ren Jiao and Ji Qingshi could still see the others.

Ji Qingshi scratched her cheek, exasperated. “An’an, calm down. You can’t even see us now.”

“I don’t care, Deputy Captain! Tell me, are you with my goddess?! Tiger said he saw her!!”

Ren Jiao blinked in surprise, glancing questioningly at Ji Qingshi.

Ji Qingshi rubbed her temples. She hadn’t known An’an was a fan of Ren Jiao. Before meeting Ren Jiao, she’d never been into celebrities and paid little attention to which stars her teammates followed.

“Don’t get so worked up. Calm down and stop shouting,” Ji Qingshi sighed. “Behave, and I’ll bring you an autographed photo when I get back.”

On the screen, An’an froze for a moment before suddenly widening her eyes. An excited shriek echoed across the sniper team’s training ground and traveled through the phone into Ji Qingshi and Ren Jiao’s ears.

Ren Jiao remained relatively calm, but Ji Qingshi frowned and rubbed his ear in annoyance. “If you keep screaming, I’ll hang up and no autographed photo for you.”

An’an instantly composed herself, standing at attention and saluting Ji Qingshi. “Reporting, Deputy Captain! I’m back to normal now!”

Ji Qingshi gave a hum of acknowledgment before fussing over the team members like a mother hen. After exchanging New Year’s greetings, he finally ended the call.

Putting away his phone, Ji Qingshi smiled sheepishly at Ren Jiao. “Sorry, I might have to trouble you for an autographed photo… That kid in our team really admires you.”

Ren Jiao nodded cheerfully. “It would be my honor.”