The Exclusive Bodyguard of the Top Idol - Chapter 31

On the second day of rehearsals for the Hangzhou concert, Ren Jiao felt an uncomfortable twinge in her abdomen while on stage, a dull, throbbing pain that came in waves. A sense of foreboding crept over her, though she kept her composure and continued to perform alongside her teammates as usual.

Once the dance routine was finished, Ren Jiao hurried over to inform Cen Shu before frowning and heading off to find Qianqian.

Before she could even speak, Ji Qingshi gently took hold of her wrist and said in a low voice, “I’ve got something prepared for you. Come with me.”

Before Ren Jiao could react, she was being led away. The two of them made a beeline for the restroom, where Ji Qingshi rummaged through her bag and handed her a sanitary pad. “I figured you might come early, so I bought these yesterday. There’s also painkillers, you always suffer during the first two days.”

Suddenly recalling Ji Qingshi’s solo shopping trip the day before, Ren Jiao finally understood what she had gone out to buy…

“Jiejie, how did you know?”

“We’ve been living together for a while now. Of course, I’d notice these things.”

“But how did you guess I’d come early?”

Ren Jiao wasn’t careless about tracking her cycle, but this time it had arrived ahead of schedule. Several days early, in fact. She had assumed it wouldn’t come until after the concert.

“Well, I just thought it might happen. These things are unpredictable, so I wanted to be prepared just in case.”

Ren Jiao didn’t know what to say. She stared blankly at Ji Qingshi, her heart rippling with waves that soon churned into a storm.

“Alright, don’t just stand there. Go on.” Ji Qingshi grew flustered under her gaze, turning away to scratch her cheek. “I’ve got the painkillers on me too. After you’re done, drink some warm water and take them.”

“Okay.”

Ren Jiao forced down the turbulence in her chest and went to take care of herself.

By the time the two of them stepped out of the restroom, Qianqian had already prepared warm water. “Miss Ji asked me to get this ready earlier.”

Ren Jiao’s heart skipped another beat as she silently accepted the cup from Qianqian, then took the painkillers Ji Qingshi handed her from her bag.

“The medicine might taste bitter, so I brought you some candy.” Ji Qingshi smiled and, like a magician, produced a soft gummy.

She had truly thought of everything, down to the smallest detail.

Qianqian pressed her lips together, fighting hard to suppress the grin threatening to spread across her face. She couldn’t let herself look too gleeful. The more she observed Officer Ji and Jiaojiao, the more she found them utterly irresistible as a pair!

Just look at this! Officer Ji was even more considerate than her own personal assistant. Was this something an ordinary person would do?

Qianqian felt that if she were in Jiao Jiao’s shoes, she’d fire herself on the spot under such stark comparison!

Not that she minded the thought of self-sacrifice. After all, fangirls were like this. If her ship was thriving, even tossing herself overboard was worth it!

Ren Jiao took the medicine, then the candy Ji Qingshi offered, without saying a word the entire time. Outwardly, she showed no reaction, but inside, the little deer in her heart had already knocked over an entire forest, dizzying itself in the process.

She was happy overwhelmingly so because of Ji Qingshi’s thoughtfulness. And yet, she couldn’t help but wonder, to overthink: Was this attentiveness born of favoritism? Did it stem from feelings she didn’t dare hope for?

Her mind raced with possibilities, but she didn’t voice a single one. She didn’t dare to probe, didn’t dare to pursue.

“How is it? Sweet?” Ji Qingshi asked softly, seeing her lost in thought with the candy in her mouth.

Ren Jiao snapped back to reality at the sound of her voice.

Watching her little head nod up and down, the smile in Ji Qingshi’s eyes deepened. She found her particularly adorable at that moment and couldn’t resist reaching out to tousle her hair.

“The medicine will take a while to kick in, but this way it won’t hurt as much. It won’t interfere with the rehearsal later.” Her voice grew gentler with each word, paired with a slightly lower tone that sounded incredibly sensual to Ren Jiao.

Ren Jiao gave a quiet “Mm” in response and obediently sat beside Ji Qingshi to rest.

The two sat side by side in silence, neither speaking nor even exchanging glances. The atmosphere should have felt awkward, but to outsiders, it carried an inexplicable hint of ambiguity.

Qianqian secretly fangirled over them from the sidelines, while Cen Shu caught glimpses of the pair from the corner of her eye. A suspicion silently rose in her heart, and her mood grew heavier as the thought took shape.

After three consecutive days of rehearsals, Ren Jiao’s early period passed smoothly thanks to Ji Qingshi’s meticulous care. By the day of the actual performance, she no longer felt any discomfort.

The concert in Hangzhou concluded successfully, and with its outstanding live effects, it quickly trended on multiple hot searches overnight, gaining a wave of organic buzz. Cen Shu was delighted and gave them a day off, allowing them to explore Hangzhou together on the condition that they avoid causing any public commotion.

If all seven members went out together, they would undoubtedly attract attention, so they had to split into smaller groups of two or three.

This time, with Ji Qingshi around, Ren Jiao didn’t join her other teammates and instead went out alone with Ji Qingshi.

Hangzhou’s scenery is world-famous, and even a casual stroll through the city offers breathtaking views. The two walked until they grew tired, then rented a tandem bicycle to ride along the lake. Ren Jiao steered from the front while Ji Qingshi pedaled along behind her.

As they cycled along the lake, Ren Jiao though not her first time in Hangzhou had never enjoyed such a carefree outing before. They stopped at various scenic spots along the way, taking plenty of photos.

Whenever they encountered crowds of tourists, they didn’t linger long. Even with her mask on, Ren Jiao couldn’t entirely avoid being recognized by young fans.

By the afternoon, they grew tired and found a bench by the lake to rest, leaving their rented tandem bike nearby.

Ji Qingshi idly tossed pebbles into the water. With her sharp aim, she was excellent at skipping stones, sending ripples dancing across the surface with each throw.

Ren Jiao watched with fascination and tried to imitate her, only to send up a huge splash before the stone sank immediately.

“Ha ha ha, let me teach you!” Ji Qingshi offered, seeing her pout in disappointment.

“How?”

“Like this…”

Ji Qingshi stood up and moved behind her, wrapping her arms around Ren Jiao from behind to guide her hand, adjusting the angle and force as she held the pebble.

The sudden closeness caught Ren Jiao off guard. She instinctively tensed up, her back stiffening. Though Ji Qingshi might not always be quick-witted, her senses were sharp. She immediately noticed the change in Ren Jiao’s posture.

She’s nervous.

That was Ji Qingshi’s conclusion.

She observed Ren Jiao’s expression and could tell that her stiffness wasn’t due to resistance. Coupled with her instantly reddened earlobes, it wasn’t hard to conclude that she was nervous.

And it wasn’t just nervousness, there was shyness too.

Ji Qingshi lightly curled her lips into a pleased smile. If just this kind of close-but-not-too-close contact made her nervous and shy, then perhaps she wasn’t entirely indifferent to her either.

Once this thought emerged, it spread like wildfire, setting her entire heart ablaze. Ji Qingshi’s heartbeat grew faster and faster, galloping wildly like an unbridled horse.

“Find the right angle, use a clever flick of the wrist.”

Fortunately, no matter how distracted she was, she still remembered that she was supposed to be teaching her how to skip stones. On the surface, she maintained a serious and proper demeanor.

Ji Qingshi appeared calm, but she had no idea that Ren Jiao was completely dazed. She hadn’t heard a single word or remembered any of the movements.

Even after skipping a few stones together, Ren Jiao still hadn’t snapped out of it. Only then did Ji Qingshi notice her unusual state. Licking her lips, a hint of selfishness crept in. She didn’t let go but deliberately picked up a few more stones to continue guiding her hand.

Ji Qingshi subtly adjusted her stance, bringing the two of them even closer while still maintaining a proper distance, careful not to seem too forward.

The person in her arms gradually relaxed, no longer as tense as before. But she clearly had no intention of reminding Ji Qingshi to let go. Smiling to herself, Ji Qingshi indulged in the warmth of the moment without guilt.

Until a familiar voice sounded beside them.

“Jiaojiao!” The voice wasn’t loud. It was hushed but because the person was close, it was still clearly heard.

Startled by the call of her name, Ren Jiao immediately took a step forward, breaking free from Ji Qingshi’s embrace.

“…Jiajia…?”

Ji Qingshi pressed her lips together, standing to the side with an unhappy expression.

Tan Jiajia didn’t notice Ji Qingshi’s mood. She jogged up to Ren Jiao and asked in a low voice, “Are you two skipping stones?”

Suppressing the guilt in her heart, Ren Jiao nodded calmly. “Yeah, sister is teaching me.”

“That explains it! You two were just hugging!”

Tan Jiajia had been keeping her voice low from the start, careful not to draw attention.

After chatting for a while, they decided to part ways. Their planned routes were in opposite directions, so they couldn’t walk together afterward.

“There’s an ice cream shop up ahead, their ice cream is amazing!”

Before leaving, Tan Jiajia winked at Ren Jiao, hinting at the delicious treat ahead.

Ji Qingshi observed Ren Jiao’s expression and could tell she really wanted some. But on one hand, her period wasn’t completely over yet, and on the other, Hangzhou in early April was still a bit chilly. If she ate too much ice cream now, she’d suffer next month.

Ji Qingshi stayed silent, not bringing it up. But when they passed the ice cream shop, she directly pulled Ren Jiao inside.

“Sister?”

Ren Jiao widened her eyes, staring at the person holding her hand. Even with a mask on, her beautiful, lively eyes couldn’t hide her confusion.

Ji Qingshi loved seeing her display the kind of youthful energy a girl her age should have. Smiling, she said, “I want to try that ice cream Miss Tan mentioned. I’ll buy one, and you can have a taste.”

Ren Jiao instantly understood. She knew what Ren Jiao wanted to eat, but given her current condition, she couldn’t indulge in a whole serving. So, she came up with this solution: claiming she wanted it herself, allowing Ren Jiao just a taste.

The girl’s tender heart was steeped in warmth. Lowering her gaze to their somehow intertwined hands, she subtly tightened her grip. In that moment, she felt a sudden urge to hold onto this person and never let go.

What she didn’t notice was that when she squeezed the other’s hand, the other responded with equal pressure.

Ji Qingshi’s senses had always been sharp; no detail ever escaped her.

As she handed the ice cream to Ren Jiao, she suddenly made a decision. She wanted to confess her feelings to this girl, to let her know how much she adored her, to be with her; to always stay by her side like this.

Not just as a protector, nor something that would end when the mission did.