The Exclusive Bodyguard of the Top Idol - Chapter 3

The soft touch that had just been cradled in her palm vanished in an instant, leaving Ji Qingshi momentarily stunned.

Ren Jiao’s reaction to withdrawing her hand was rather pronounced, as if resistant to overly intimate contact. Realizing this, Ji Qingshi regretted her impulsiveness and quietly explained, “Your hands were too cold. Wearing so little in the middle of winter, I just wanted to warm them for you.”

From her tone, it was clear she might have misunderstood something. Ren Jiao opened her mouth but no sound came out, eventually just shaking her head. The words she wanted to say in explanation never made it out. She wasn’t the type to dislike physical contact, as Ji Qingshi seemed to think but some things only got messier the more you explained. There was no need to say so much.

At the entrance of the red carpet, the seven members of Group S followed the staff’s instructions, lining up as they waited to make their entrance.

Ji Qingshi instinctively moved to stand beside Ren Jiao but was stopped by a staff member. “Assistants can only go this far. Go around to the venue entrance and wait there.”

Ji Qingshi glanced at Ren Jiao, then toward the venue entrance at the end of the red carpet. The distance wasn’t long, and with countless media reporters around, there shouldn’t be any danger.

Ren Jiao stood in her designated spot, turning her head slightly to look at Ji Qingshi, her gaze reassuring. Today, she wore 7-centimeter stilettos to match her gown, elevating her 170 cm frame to 177 cm—putting her at eye level with Ji Qingshi, whose bare height was 177 cm.

Paired with the ethereal, flowing long dress she wore today, Ji Qingshi felt her aura was particularly commanding, like a princess standing proudly under the spotlight, making people unconsciously want to obey her.

Cen Shu tugged at Ji Qingshi’s sleeve, signaling with her eyes for her to follow.

Ji Qingshi trailed behind Cen Shu, but her mind still lingered on the regal presence Ren Jiao had exuded the moment she stepped onto the red carpet. In that instant, her impression of the person she was meant to protect underwent another shift. Perhaps because, over the past few days at home, Ren Jiao had dressed like an ordinary girl, coupled with their eight-year age gap and the visible 7-centimeter height difference, Ji Qingshi had seen her as “a little sister who, though a bit intimidating and not very talkative, was still fairly easy to get along with.”

But now, things felt different. Dressed in an elegant gown, her makeup flawless, Ren Jiao had shed the lazy, casual demeanor she had at home. On the red carpet, she was a proud princess who looked down on everything. Only the youthful innocence brought by her age remained, while her every movement exuded the poise of a perfect celebrity.

Unconsciously, Ji Qingshi quickened her pace. She really wanted to see how Ren Jiao would look walking down the red carpet it was bound to be breathtaking.

By the time they circled around to the venue entrance, Group S was already making their way down the red carpet. As the leader, Ren Jiao walked in the center of the seven. Their styling had been designed as a cohesive unit, with no one outshining another to outsiders, they appeared as a single entity. But to Ji Qingshi, it wasn’t like that at all. In her eyes, Ren Jiao, standing in the middle, became the focal point, the moon surrounded by stars. The entire bustling venue seemed to fade away, leaving only her.

After the red carpet came another round of interviews. Today marked Group S’s first public appearance since the incident with their former company, and the media bombarded them with questions. Many centered around the former company, to which they all pleaded ignorance.

Having earlier snatched Qianqian’s task, Ji Qingshi now stood with the other six personal assistants, holding Ren Jiao’s down jacket in her arms as she waited.

Qianqian stood helplessly behind her, wanting to reclaim her duties, only to be dragged away by Cen Shu to serve as the manager’s laborer.

After the interview, the seven of them walked into the venue. Ren Jiao, seeing Ji Qingshi waiting there instead, asked in surprise, “Where’s Qianqian?”

Ji Qingshi handed her the down jacket and only then remembered that she might have inadvertently taken over the assistant’s job. She quickly turned to look for Qianqian.

“She was just here not sure where she went now.”

Cen Shu was also missing. Ren Jiao guessed that Qianqian had likely been commandeered by Sister Cen for some task and said, “I need to change before entering the venue. Officer Ji, would you mind accompanying me?”

Ji Qingshi scratched her head. “Not at all. Since Qianqian isn’t here, I’ll act as your assistant.”

“Act as?” Ren Jiao wrapped herself in the down jacket and led her to the dressing room to change. She wouldn’t be wearing this gown for the ceremony later.

“Officer Ji, have you forgotten? To outsiders, you are my assistant.”

Ji Qingshi hummed in thought, hesitating. “I thought I was your relative?”

“You are. But you’re also my assistant, helping out during winter break.” Ren Jiao tilted her head to look at the woman beside her. Thanks to her high heels, she could finally meet the special police officer’s gaze at eye level today. “In front of others, Officer Ji, you’ll have to play the part well. And honestly, you seem pretty skilled. You even managed to edge Qianqian out earlier before the red carpet.”

Meeting Ren Jiao’s teasing gaze, Ji Qingshi cleared her throat. “That was an accident. There were just too many people. I’m not used to these kinds of events, and I was worried about your safety in the crowd.”

“Officer Ji, you’ll need to get used to it quickly. There’ll be even bigger crowds later.”

After all, this ceremony was filled with celebrities and industry moguls, and the attendance was strictly limited compared to their concerts, the crowd here was practically sparse.

Ren Jiao went into the dressing room to change while Ji Qingshi waited outside, taking the opportunity to report her progress as a bodyguard to her superiors at the provincial bureau. The case in which Ren Jiao was being protected as a witness had far-reaching implications, and Ji Qingshi’s direct contact was Qi Xuesong, captain of the Special Cases Investigation Team under the provincial Criminal Investigation Division. A few days ago, Qi Xuesong had personally accompanied Ji Qingshi to Ren Jiao’s home to discuss the witness protection plan.

Honestly, the first time Ji Qingshi met Ren Jiao, she had been stunned by her beauty.

She spent her days at the special police training base, where her teammates rolled around in the dirt all day, each of them disheveled and grimy. Even she, the so-called “face” of the team, never had a clean face. When she first met Qi Xuesong at the Special Cases Division, she had marveled at how such a stunning woman could exist there but then she met Ren Jiao and finally understood what it meant to be breathtakingly beautiful, the kind of beauty that eclipsed everyone else.

No wonder she was a celebrity. She was just too gorgeous.

Ji Qingshi didn’t know many celebrities, otherwise she would have realized that even among stars, few could match Ren Jiao’s level of beauty.

That day, Ji Qingshi couldn’t help but stare at Ren Jiao, thinking that whether she was sitting, standing, or walking, everything about her exuded grace and elegance. They were both human, how could everything she did look so beautiful? Ji Qingshi subtly adjusted her own posture, trying to mimic Ren Jiao’s, but her legs ached before she could even cross them properly. In the end, she gave up sheepishly.

Completely oblivious to the sidelong glances Ren Jiao had cast her way, Ji Qingshi remained clueless. Though Ren Jiao was younger, she had a keen intuition. From their very first meeting, she had been observing Ji Qingshi’s every move, finding the dazed special police officer utterly amusing.

For instance, right now, as Ren Jiao stepped out of the lounge, she saw Ji Qingshi leaning against the wall, lost in thought, still holding her down jacket in his arms.

“What’s on your mind, Officer Ji?”

Ji Qingshi snapped out of his daze and looked over, shaking his head. “Nothing, just spacing out.” He turned his head and noticed Ren Jiao had changed into a fitted black suit with a white shirt underneath, the collar slightly undone and a tie hanging loosely around her neck. The high heels she’d worn on the red carpet earlier were gone, replaced by black leather boots, making her noticeably shorter than before.

“Not wearing the gown anymore?” Ji Qingshi blinked and asked.

Ren Jiao adjusted her cuffs casually. “Nope, I’ve got a performance later. This is my stage outfit.”

Ji Qingshi didn’t understand these things, so he just gave an “Oh” and handed her the down jacket, then quietly followed her into the awards venue.

Ren Jiao waited at the entrance for the rest of her teammates before going in together. Qianqian, who had been pulled away by Cen Shu, finally returned, jogging a couple of steps to position herself next to Ren Jiao, as if afraid Ji Qingshi might actually steal her job.

The venue was packed, and Group S’s seats were in the third row of the central section. The first row was reserved for entertainment industry investors, the second for long-established actors and singers with iconic works under their belts. Being placed in the third row was already a significant acknowledgment of their status.

In such a setting, it was impossible for Ji Qingshi to stick to Ren Jiao like glue, so Cen Shu took him to the seats reserved for managers. Once he was settled, Cen Shu went off to socialize. Group S had switched to a new company, and this was a golden opportunity for them to rise. As their manager, she had to put in extra effort.

For industry insiders, this awards ceremony was an annual grand gathering, a prime chance to network and build connections. But for Ji Qingshi, a complete outsider, it was pure boredom. Besides, in such a setting, it was highly unlikely anyone would pose a threat to Ren Jiao. Left alone at Cen Shu’s seat, he grew drowsy.

The event lasted from evening until past 10 p.m. before finally winding down. Relieved it was over, Ji Qingshi accompanied Ren Jiao home in Group S’s minibus.

On the way, Cen Shu stood at the front with a microphone, outlining their upcoming schedule. Ji Qingshi only half-understood. Something about signing contracts with the new company the day after tomorrow and preparing for a pre-Spring Festival concert.

The team’s minibus dropped each member off at their respective residences, and Cen Shu said she’d pick them up on the day of the contract signing.

Back at Ren Jiao’s apartment, Ji Qingshi followed his usual routine of checking upstairs first. Once he confirmed everything was safe, he returned to his own place downstairs.

At home, Ren Jiao was very different from her public persona. She changed back into her light pink fleece loungewear and padded around barefoot on the floor.

Ji Qingshi glanced down at her curled toes and finally couldn’t hold back what he’d wanted to say for the past two days: “Walking barefoot on the floor will make you catch a cold.”

Ren Jiao flopped onto the sofa, tilting her head up to look at him. “But the underfloor heating is on full blast. The floor isn’t cold at all.”

“…”

Ren Jiao rolled halfway across the spacious, plush sofa, shifting onto her stomach. Propping her chin on one hand, she raised an eyebrow at Ji Qingshi. “If you don’t believe me, Officer Ji, why don’t you kick off your slippers and try it yourself?”

The tone was unusually languid, the voice carrying a hint of nighttime allure that sent an inexplicable tingle through Ji Qingshi’s ears. She raised a hand to rub her earlobe and instinctively took half a step back. The instincts of a SWAT officer, sharp as a leopard’s, told her that this space held an uncertain element of danger at this very moment an intuition urging her to leave immediately.

Danger? But she had already checked earlier. Ren Jiao’s home was perfectly safe, with no signs of any intruder.

She trusted her judgment, yet she couldn’t quite grasp the nature of the warning her instincts were signaling. It almost felt like they were telling her that the real danger lay closer. Right beside the young girl lounging on the sofa, more “dangerous” than any of the ruthless criminals she had ever encountered.

So, though she couldn’t pinpoint the source of the unease, driven by instinct, Ji Qingshi still bid goodnight and made a swift “escape.”

Ren Jiao lay on the sofa, laughing uncontrollably.