The Exclusive Bodyguard of the Top Idol - Chapter 33

Ji Qingshi sat frozen in the car, staring blankly at Ren Jiao’s retreating figure as if she were fleeing. Instinctively, she wondered if she had said something too harsh, but upon reflection, she was certain she hadn’t. Could her tone have been too severe?

Unsure but unable to linger in the car any longer, she quickly locked it and hurried into the elevator lobby.

To her surprise, Ren Jiao wasn’t waiting there. She had already gone up alone. Ji Qingshi’s brows slowly furrowed. She had never imagined this happening. Ren Jiao always waited for her, no matter where they were. That had been the case ever since they became close.

But today was different. Ren Jiao hadn’t waited. She had left her behind.

Though it might sound overly dramatic, an uneasy feeling spread through Ji Qingshi’s chest. She couldn’t quite define it yet, but she had always trusted her instincts.

Riding the elevator alone, Ji Qingshi seemed distracted. Her hands even trembled slightly as she keyed in the passcode to unlock the door.

Yet the unease she anticipated didn’t materialize. Ren Jiao, who had arrived first, had already prepared fresh juice and greeted her with a sweet smile. “Sister, come try this! I made it with the oranges you mentioned yesterday, it tastes even better than before.”

Seeing Ren Jiao act as if nothing had happened only deepened Ji Qingshi’s confusion. She quietly changed her shoes, took the juice, and sipped it without a word, unable to shake the strange feeling in her chest.

She kept turning over in her mind what could have unsettled Ren Jiao. What had she inadvertently said in the car that made her practically flee?

But no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t figure it out. She hadn’t said anything out of the ordinary. Just advised her to lower her guard and seize the opportunity, to stop calling herself a burden.

That was all.

In the end, Ji Qingshi could only conclude that her tone might have been too harsh.

With a soft sigh, she gripped the glass and looked up at Ren Jiao. “Earlier in the car, my tone wasn’t great. I’m sorry I didn’t mean to. I was just a little anxious.”

Ren Jiao’s expression remained flawless, showing none of the panic from earlier. She simply smiled and said, “No need to apologize, Sister. It’s really not a big deal.”

Ji Qingshi studied her face but found no cracks in the facade. Everything seemed normal, yet it didn’t feel right. The image of Ren Jiao fleeing without a backward glance in the garage was seared into her mind. She was certain her unease wasn’t just her imagination.

Ren Jiao had left her behind in the garage for some reason, returning home alone; almost as if she were running away.

Why would she want to run? Ji Qingshi couldn’t figure it out for now.

Neither of them brought up the incident again. Ren Jiao only said, “I’ll listen to you, Sister, and think carefully about whether to take the role, just like President Lian suggested.”

With that, she effectively closed the chapter on what had happened in the garage. Ji Qingshi sensed her reluctance to discuss it further and swallowed the words she wanted to say.

Several more days passed, and Ren Jiao remained holed up at home writing songs. Not only had she failed to properly consider the acting opportunity, but she even started reneging on her promise to go jogging with Ji Qingshi.

For three consecutive days, Ji Qingshi had tried to coax her out for a run, only to be met with a litany of excuses. Realizing no amount of persuasion would work, Ren Jiao was determined to stand her up. Ji Qingshi stopped asking.

Shut away in her room creating, Ren Jiao seemed to have withdrawn entirely into her shell, sealing herself off and refusing to step outside. It was as if she had reverted to the person she was before meeting Ji Qingshi, back to those days at Zenith Entertainment when she endured humiliation while gathering evidence. Back then, whenever she had no work and was alone, she would hole up in her bedroom playing piano and composing songs.

Her change had been abrupt, triggered solely by catching a glimmer of affection in Ji Qingshi’s eyes, something she couldn’t bear to face, let alone accept. In her heart, Ji Qingshi shone too brightly, an existence she could never hope to match.

As a star, an idol with millions of fans and internet fame, none of it could counterbalance the deep-seated inferiority hidden within Ren Jiao.

In her own eyes, she appeared dazzling on the surface but was in truth mired in filth, having crawled through the mud to gather evidence, tangling with demons in the darkness. Though her new team’s PR efforts had suppressed the online backlash after her agency switch, she would never forget how much dirt had been flung at her.

So tainted, covered in grime, even dragging her mother down with her. How could she possibly deserve someone as pure and radiant as Ji Qingshi?

The policewoman was immaculate from head to toe. Ren Jiao wasn’t worthy.

Ren Jiao was too perceptive. She could read Ji Qingshi’s gaze, could discern the unspoken affection the officer hadn’t yet voiced. For a fleeting moment, it had sent her into raptures, but what followed was an overwhelming tide of self-loathing.

To Ji Qingshi, this shift seemed sudden, but the truth was Ren Jiao had never truly moved on from her past. Ji Qingshi had appeared shortly after Sheng Dingzhe’s imprisonment, the poetic justice of her enemy’s downfall and the sudden brilliance of that light briefly illuminating Ren Jiao’s life, pulling her from her hardened shell.

Yet she had never really emerged.

Looking back now, Ruan Lixuan truly was cut from the same cloth. He understood her, which was why he’d said those things during her visit. Telling her to leave the past behind and look forward, but how could the past ever truly be forgotten? Her mother still lay in the sanatorium, wounded by the filth that clung to Ren Jiao. Being associated with her was no blessing at all.

Eaten alive by these corrosive emotions, with no outlet for the raging storm inside, Ren Jiao channeled it all into a song written at breakneck speed. A melody steeped in oppressive sorrow, yet threaded with a nearly imperceptible strand of joy.

She couldn’t forget that look in Ji Qingshi’s eyes. That single glance had made it clear her feelings weren’t unrequited. That one look was enough, it could sustain her.

This was far enough. She couldn’t let herself get any closer.

Ren Jiao locked herself away, rebuilding her cage brick by brick.

For four straight days, she barely left her room except for absolute necessities like eating and drinking.

Ji Qingshi grew increasingly anxious inside. She knew something was very wrong, but couldn’t pinpoint what. She couldn’t understand why Ren Jiao was behaving this way, only guessing it might be related to Lian Na mentioning filming the other day. Seeing Ren Jiao so upset, she felt she should do something to cheer her up.

Just as Ji Qingshi was growing frantic, on the fifth day, Ren Jiao finally emerged from her room.

She appeared no different from before, still smiling and chatting warmly with Ji Qingshi. She mentioned having spent the past few days writing a song and being quite satisfied with it.

Ji Qingshi couldn’t detect anything amiss from her expression, and her constant worry eased slightly, though a vague unease lingered. She couldn’t explain the source of this unease. Ren Jiao showed no outward signs of distress, yet something about her unsettled Ji Qingshi deeply.

This unease clamored and swelled within her, eventually morphing into an urge to confess her feelings.

Ji Qingshi didn’t quite understand why it had come to this. Some thoughts, once they surfaced, grew uncontrollably. She couldn’t even untangle the logic behind them, simply following the voice in her heart.

That day, Ren Jiao woke up early. Over breakfast, she said, “Sister, come out with me today.”

“Sure, where to?”

“The sanatorium, and then the orphanage.”

The sanatorium was to visit her mother, but the orphanage?

Ji Qingshi looked at her, puzzled.

Ren Jiao explained, “I sponsor a small orphanage. The oldest child there is already in elementary school. I’ve had some free time lately and wanted to visit them.”

Ji Qingshi’s eyes widened in surprise, quickly followed by admiration. “You sponsor an orphanage?”

Ren Jiao caught the undisguised admiration and affection in her gaze. Her heart clenched abruptly. Lowering her eyes, she took a sip of milk and said calmly, “People in the industry often do charity work after making money. Mostly for peace of mind or to improve their public image.”

She gave a self-deprecating smile. “My reputation in the industry wasn’t great before. Doing more charity might make people criticize me less.”

Hearing her belittle herself again, Ji Qingshi frowned instantly, reflexively retorting, “Don’t say that! You’re wonderful. Those people don’t know you at all!”

Seeing Ji Qingshi getting upset again, Ren Jiao didn’t want to dwell on the topic. “Alright, alright, don’t be angry, sister. Let them talk! I’m used to it.”

The word “used to” only made Ji Qingshi angrier. How could she be used to it? Those rumors should have been met with lawsuits long ago. Why was the person involved so resigned to it?

She wanted to argue further, but Ren Jiao didn’t give her the chance. Finishing her milk, she stood up to change clothes, urging Ji Qingshi to hurry.

Clearly, she had no intention of continuing the conversation. Suppressing her frustration, Ji Qingshi quickly finished breakfast and cleaned up.

They left together, first visiting Ren Xiuxian at the sanatorium. Recently, Ren Xiuxian’s condition had been stable, with all health indicators improved, though there were still no signs of her waking up.

Despite having braced herself for this, Ren Jiao couldn’t help feeling disappointed each time.

She never voiced it, but a sliver of hope always lingered in her heart. That one day, her mother might wake up.

After leaving the sanatorium, they headed to the orphanage. It was well-located, near both an elementary and a middle school. The buildings and courtyard were newly constructed; small but fully equipped.

The welfare home currently housed only a dozen or so children, the youngest just three years old, while the older ones were already in elementary school.

“Xiao Ai.” Ren Jiao hugged the little girl who ran up to her, smiling as she pinched her cheek. “You’ve grown taller again.”

Xiao Ai was very close to her, clinging to her leg and chattering nonstop about all the fun things that had happened at school recently.

How many truly interesting things could happen between elementary school kids? But Ren Jiao listened with utmost attentiveness, responding to every word Xiao Ai said with genuine interest.

Ji Qingshi stood behind her, his gaze infinitely tender.

“Come, let me introduce you to a new friend.” Ren Jiao pulled Ji Qingshi over to introduce her to the more sensible children. “You can call her Sister Ji. Sister Ji is a super, super amazing SWAT officer!”

She introduced Ji Qingshi to the kids in a playful, childlike tone, adding an extra layer of cheerfulness to the moment.

The children were innocent. Whoever showed them kindness, they would naturally gravitate toward. Ji Qingshi played with them in the courtyard, sliding down the slides and such, while Ren Jiao took the opportunity to chat with the director.

The director was a middle-aged woman hired by Ren Jiao to manage the welfare home. She gave Ren Jiao a brief update on how things had been going.

“Auntie Zhao, if there are any financial issues, you must tell me. No matter what, we can’t let these children suffer again.”

Director Zhao nodded repeatedly. “I know. The money you’ve given before is more than enough for now. If any problems come up, I’ll let you know right away.”

“Good, that’s a relief.”

Ji Qingshi sat among the children, listening to them praise Ren Jiao left and right, talking about how kind and patient she was.

“Sister Jiaojiao is the best! The very best person in the whole wide world!” Xiao Ai, the oldest and the ringleader of the kids, stretched her arms out wide, trying to draw the biggest circle possible to express just how wonderful Ren Jiao was.

Ji Qingshi smiled gently, tilting her head to glance at Ren Jiao, who was still talking to the director. Her gaze softened infinitely, a part of her heart melting into something indescribably tender.

As she watched Ren Jiao, she felt as though the woman was glowing. She was a beam of light perhaps one she herself overlooked. But at the very least, she was the light in these children’s lives.