The Exclusive Bodyguard of the Top Idol - Chapter 45

The training base was vast, with the male and female dormitories separated by an entire bamboo forest. Though the name “Bamboo Sea” suggested expansiveness, it was actually a 300-meter-high hillside. Traversing the bamboo forest during runs or hikes was one of the training activities.

There was no need to go through the bamboo forest, of course one could take the path around the foot of the hill, either by boarding the base’s shuttle bus or walking.

Ji Qingshi was in a bad mood and deliberately didn’t let Ren Jiao take the shuttle, insisting she walk instead. In the time they had been walking, two shuttle buses had already passed by on the adjacent road. Ji Qingshi was clearly doing this on purpose, yet Ren Jiao didn’t even mention it, silently following along without a word.

The two stood facing each other for a long time, their gazes betraying countless unspoken emotions.

After what felt like an eternity, Ji Qingshi was the first to speak: “Wait here for the shuttle.”

Her words revealed that she still couldn’t bear to make Ren Jiao walk the whole way. Ren Jiao, sharp as ever, instantly grasped the deeper meaning behind the statement, and her smile widened even further.

Ji Qingshi grew uncomfortable under her gaze, frowning and awkwardly averting her eyes. She warned, “Tone down that look. We’re not at home, there are eyes everywhere here. If someone sees, they’ll start spreading rumors again.”

Ren Jiao tilted her head, feigning innocence. “What look? What are you talking about, sis?”

Perfect. Now she was playing dumb.

If Ji Qingshi answered, she’d be admitting she knew exactly what emotions lay in Ren Jiao’s gaze when she looked at her. She wasn’t about to fall for that trap.

“You know exactly what look you’re giving me.”

Ren Jiao pouted, putting on a wounded expression. “I just haven’t seen you in so long, and you’ve been ignoring me. I missed you.”

“…”

Ji Qingshi instinctively glanced at her. Three weeks apart had indeed brought noticeable changes. Not only had Ren Jiao grown bolder and thicker-skinned, but the blatant affection in her eyes was now completely unrestrained, burning so intensely that Ji Qingshi couldn’t hold her gaze for long, afraid her carefully built resolve would crumble in just a few exchanges.

She had already made up her mind. She couldn’t let this slide so easily.

The shuttle bus slowly approached. The driver on duty today was familiar with Ji Qingshi and greeted her right away. “Captain Ji, taking the shuttle today?”

“Yeah, got a rookie with me.” Ji Qingshi shot Ren Jiao a glance, signaling her to load her luggage into the back of the shuttle.

The driver followed her gaze and immediately spotted a slender girl standing beside a large suitcase. He stepped out of the vehicle, muttering, “That thing looks heavy. Let me handle it!”

Ji Qingshi’s brows twitched slightly, displeasure flickering across her face. She had deliberately made Ren Jiao carry her own luggage as a test, but the idea of someone else helping instead only annoyed her further. She’d rather Ren Jiao do it herself.

Ren Jiao, however, was entirely focused on her and immediately noticed the shift in her expression. She quickly lifted the suitcase herself and placed it in the shuttle’s storage compartment. “It’s fine, sir. I can manage.”

“Ah, alright. You’ve got some strength, kid.”

“Not bad. I work out regularly.”

As a dancer, her physical fitness wasn’t lacking. She trained often and wasn’t the frail type.

Ji Qingshi’s expression brightened as she followed Ren Jiao onto the bus, even sitting right beside her.

Ren Jiao secretly rejoiced in her heart and deliberately moved a bit closer to Ji Qingshi, wanting to lean in.

Ji Qingshi noticed her action and glanced at her sideways, saying coolly, “It’s the middle of summer. It’s hot.”

Having her little scheme so easily detected, Ren Jiao looked somewhat embarrassed. She stopped her attempt to get closer but couldn’t help muttering under her breath, “But the temperature in the mountains is actually quite low.”

Perhaps Ji Qingshi’s demeanor since their meeting had given Ren Jiao some confidence, emboldening her to grumble openly like this. Indeed, if Ji Qingshi truly wanted nothing to do with her, she could have outright refused to train her or even firmly declined the role of coach to the leadership.

But she hadn’t. She wasn’t completely ignoring her either; this was a good sign. It meant that while Ji Qingshi might still be upset, there was room for reconciliation.

Thinking of this, Ren Jiao felt happy. Sitting on the shuttle bus, she even swung her legs carefreely, her little feet bouncing without a care for appearances.

This side of her felt fresh to Ji Qingshi. Maybe it was the entirely unfamiliar environment, but Ren Jiao’s behavior today was very different from before. Not only was she no longer avoiding her feelings, but even her usual tense and reserved demeanor had changed.

Ji Qingshi knew her well enough to understand. The training base was a relatively secluded place compared to the outside world. Here, no matter how intimate the two of them acted, it wouldn’t matter much. At most, they’d be the subject of teammates’ gossip for a while before everyone moved on.

Ren Jiao had instinctively built a defense mechanism against the chaos of the outside world, a habit formed from years as an idol and from lurking around Sheng Dingzhe for clues.

Remembering her past experiences, Ji Qingshi felt another wave of pity rise in her heart, even an urge to reach out to her. But recalling that she was supposed to be maintaining her “angry” stance, she forcibly suppressed the impulse.

The shuttle bus passed through a large training field before arriving at the women’s dormitory. An’An was waiting there, craning her neck to look. The moment Ji Qingshi stepped off the bus, she rushed over.

“Captain!” An’An stood at attention in front of Ji Qingshi, though her eyes couldn’t help darting toward Ren Jiao.

Oh my god, it was her favorite idol! This was unbelievable! She was actually seeing her in person today, alive and breathing!

Ji Qingshi knew An’An was a fan of Ren Jiao’s and had deliberately told her she’d get to meet her idol today. She’d even assigned her a task: to show Ren Jiao around the dormitory and explain some basic rules.

Handing Ren Jiao over to An’An, Ji Qingshi checked her watch. “I still have a meeting to attend. Follow An’An, she knows what to do. Listen for the assembly call at dinner.”

Seeing her about to leave, Ren Jiao instinctively stopped her. “Sis, won’t you join us for dinner?”

Ji Qingshi paused, turned back to look at her, and after a moment’s thought replied, “I don’t know yet.”

“Oh, okay.” Ren Jiao didn’t bother hiding her disappointment in front of her now, her pretty face showing full-blown dejection.

Ji Qingshi couldn’t stand seeing her like this. Every time Ren Jiao looked upset, she wanted to pull her into a hug and comfort her.

To keep herself from wavering, Ji Qingshi took half a step back. “…I’m leaving.”

After watching everyone walk away, Ren Jiao quickly brushed off the earlier disappointment on her face. Holding her suitcase, she nodded politely to An’An and said, “Hello, I’m Ren Jiao. I’ll be here for some training because of an upcoming film.”

An’An was almost too excited to speak. She had just witnessed the inexplicable push-and-pull between her team leader and her idol, leaving her utterly confused. But now, Ren Jiao had taken the initiative to talk to her, even adopting a humble demeanor as if meeting a senior, which made An’An so elated she could hardly contain herself.

“Hello, Jiaojiao! I—I’m actually your fan,” An’An whispered. “Our team leader once brought back your autographed photo for me.”

Ren Jiao remembered the incident. Ji Qingshi had mentioned getting an autographed photo for one of her teammates. “So, it was for you! Now I remember. I thought you looked familiar. Did we see each other in a video call during the New Year?”

“Yes, yes! You actually remember me!” An’An struggled to stay composed and maintain her dignity. She recalled the team leader’s morning reminder: in front of Ren Jiao, she must remain reserved. If she scared her idol, the task would be handed to someone else!

To ensure she could spend more time with her beloved idol, An’An kept reminding herself to stay controlled and not act too fanatical.

Realizing she was being hosted by someone familiar, Ren Jiao felt even happier. “Then I’ll be in your care.”

An’An led her to the dormitory area. The women’s quarters consisted of four three-story buildings, each with 30 rooms accommodating two people per room.

“You’ll be staying in Building A this time. There’s an empty room on the third floor, so you’ll have it all to yourself; very convenient.”

The dormitory had no elevator. An’An reached out to help Ren Jiao with her luggage, but Ren Jiao beat her to it.

“It’s fine, I can manage,” Ren Jiao said. She was here for special training, not a vacation, and didn’t want to appear weak by inconveniencing others even if this officer was her fan.

Watching Ren Jiao effortlessly carry her suitcase up two flights of stairs without breaking a sweat, An’An followed behind, impressed. “Jiaojiao, you’re really fit!”

Once they reached the third floor, Ren Jiao set her suitcase down and paused to catch her breath.

“Not bad. I exercise regularly.”

“Of course, your training must be pretty intense too.”

An’An showed Ren Jiao to the empty room. The floor felt unusually quiet, as if barely anyone lived there.

“The first and second floors of this building are full. Only a few team leaders live on the third floor, so it’s quiet and private.” Leading Ren Jiao inside, An’An pointed mysteriously to the adjacent room. “The team leader lives right next door. She specifically arranged for this room to be prepared for you.”

An’An had no idea about the history between Ji Qingshi and Ren Jiao. She only knew the team leader had previously been involved in a mission related to Ren Jiao, so she had no qualms about casually revealing this detail.

Hearing that Ji Qingshi had deliberately placed her nearby, Ren Jiao pressed her lips together, unable to suppress a flutter of excitement.

Unaware of her reaction, An’An continued explaining the dormitory rules. “Actually, there aren’t many rules here. It’s pretty much like a regular dorm. Since you don’t have a roommate, you’ll have more freedom.”

“Oh, and lunch is at 11:30 every day, dinner at 5:30.”

“The wake-up call is at 5:30 in the morning. Morning drills start 15 minutes later, followed by a half-hour break for freshening up. Breakfast is at 7.”

An’An introduced Ren Jiao to their daily training schedule when they weren’t on missions, then scratched her head and said, “The captain said you’ll be training with us, so it might feel a bit tough at first.”

Ren Jiao nodded, taking it in stride just from An’An’s explanation. She had lived with Ji Qingshi for several months and was well aware of her discipline. Waking up early every day for morning workouts.

An’An thought this level of training might be challenging for celebrities like them, but Ren Jiao’s mind was elsewhere. For her, this experience wasn’t just work. It was an opportunity to better understand and integrate into Ji Qingshi’s life.

Their meeting had been mission-related; they were from two different worlds. Before knowing her, Ji Qingshi had barely recognized any celebrities. Yet, after months by her side, Ji Qingshi had gone from knowing nothing to gradually grasping the ins and outs of the entertainment industry.

This was a crucial opportunity for Ren Jiao. Not just work, nor merely about winning Ji Qingshi back, but also about understanding her more deeply and immersing herself in her world.