The Exclusive Bodyguard of the Top Idol - Chapter 48

“Sister Cen, you came to see me!” During a break, Ren Jiao bounced over to Cen Shu, flashing a bright, toothy grin.

Cen Shu looked at her with an indescribable expression, unable to muster a single word for a long moment.

Ren Jiao tilted her head in confusion. “What’s up, sis? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Finally, Cen Shu sighed and spoke in a faintly melancholic tone, “Nothing. I was just thinking about how much whitening treatment you’ll need after we go back before you can go on stage.”

Ren Jiao was stunned. “Am I—am I that dark?!”

So dark that she needed whitening treatments? She used to have such fair skin!

Cen Shu gave her another exasperated look. “Maybe it’s because all of you have gotten tanned now, so you don’t even realize how dark you’ve become.”

Ren Jiao froze, as if unwilling to accept this painful truth, visibly crushed by the revelation.

Cen Shu almost laughed at her devastated expression but patted her shoulder reassuringly instead. “It’s fine. This is just part of the sacrifices you make as an actress! It’s all good.”

This was Cen Shu’s first time seeing the training grounds, and after a curious glance around, she asked, “Where’s your Sister Ji?”

Ren Jiao took a moment to mentally brace herself, gradually coming to terms with her newly tanned reality. “She has shooting practice today.”

This referred to the sniper team’s regular training, which the actors in the program couldn’t participate in. Today, Ren Jiao and the others were being led by a different instructor.

“I see. I was hoping to say hi to her,” Cen Shu said. “After all, we’ve worked together for a while now. By the way, how are things between you two? Any progress?”

At the mention of this, Ren Jiao’s expression drooped again. She sighed. “No progress at all. Aside from training, she barely talks to me in private.”

This wasn’t what Cen Shu had expected. She had been fairly confident that Ji Qingshi wouldn’t last two days before falling for Ren Jiao’s charm. She’d even started planning PR strategies for the future. But now, it seemed Ren Jiao hadn’t won her over yet.

“Seriously? Are you even trying?” Cen Shu teased, raising an eyebrow.

Ren Jiao wiped the sweat from her face and pumped herself up. “I can do it! Of course I can! Sister Cen, a woman must never admit defeat!”

Cen Shu scoffed. “Alright then, prove it to me.”

Easier said than done, though. Ren Jiao had no idea how to proceed. Ji Qingshi seemed like an impenetrable fortress, always indifferent toward her.

Cen Shu stroked her chin, deep in thought. As Ren Jiao’s manager, she could guess at the underlying issues between them. But with Ji Qingshi still seemingly resistant, she wasn’t sure how to break through that barrier.

The arrival of the director meant filming was about to begin in earnest. Starting the second week, the actors’ intensive training sessions would be drastically reduced. Aside from maintaining the strict daily routines of the SWAT team, most of their time would be spent shooting scenes.

For the first couple of days, all the actors felt like they were losing their minds. Their daily schedules still adhered strictly to SWAT team regulations, and they continued sleeping in their assigned barracks at night. But as soon as dawn broke, they had to switch into actor mode and start filming.

Some, like Ren Jiao, who had no prior acting experience, struggled daily to distinguish between her real self and her character. The mental strain was immense, leaving her exhausted.

Earlier, Jiang Yi, the male lead who had more scenes with her, noticed her issue. To help her get into character, he took the initiative to talk to her about his own approach and taught her how to handle the situation.

“The simplest method is actually not to handle it at all,” Jiang Yi said, sitting on a small stool next to Ren Jiao in the training ground repurposed as a film set. He patiently explained, “The director sent us here for pre-training so we could immerse ourselves in our roles. You’re new, so you don’t have the experience yet. Last week during training, you were still acting as yourself. But the rest of us—me, Xu Xin, and the more experienced seniors. We all stepped into our roles early. Last week, I tried my best to act as the male lead from the script.”

Ren Jiao was smart and highly perceptive. She instantly understood what Jiang Yi meant.

From now on, she could try to fully embody her character whether it was going to the dorm to sleep at night, morning runs, or eating in the cafeteria. It wouldn’t be Ren Jiao doing these things; it would be her character.

With Jiang Yi’s guidance, Ren Jiao quickly found her footing. Her role wasn’t particularly heavy, especially since she had few long lines to memorize. Most of her scenes involved action and combat, where expressions, gaze, and body language were crucial.

Her immersion made filming smoother, but it also brought her some minor troubles.

The trouble wasn’t that her closeness to Jiang Yi sparked unnecessary gossip or speculation. After all, this was a training base for the special police unit. There were no fans or paparazzi around to spread rumors.

Her problem was that once she got into character, she couldn’t easily step out of it. As a newcomer, she didn’t have the same ability as seasoned actors like Jiang Yi or Xu Xin to switch in and out of character effortlessly. In the drama, her relationship with Ji Qingshi, the sniper team captain, was purely professional. They were comrades at best. But occasionally, when facing Ji Qingshi, she still carried traces of her character’s demeanor, coming off as cold and distant.

One evening after filming wrapped, Ren Jiao returned to the dormitory and ran into Ji Qingshi on her way out. Instead of bouncing over to greet her cheerfully like she used to before filming began, Ren Jiao instinctively snapped to attention and greeted her with the respectful tone of a subordinate addressing a superior.

“Good evening, Captain Ji.”

Ji Qingshi’s brows immediately furrowed. She glanced at Ren Jiao and couldn’t help but snap, “Why so formal?”

Ren Jiao snapped out of it, awkwardly lowering her hand, looking flustered.

“…Sis, are you heading out this late?”

Her tone returned to normal, but there was still a hint of tension, as if she were wrestling with herself.

Ji Qingshi’s frown deepened. She couldn’t figure out what was going on with Ren Jiao. Was she reverting to her old ways? She mentally reviewed recent events but couldn’t pinpoint anything that might have upset her or thrown her off.

The two stood facing each other in the hallway, but for a long while, neither spoke. Ren Jiao’s question hung in the air, unanswered. Stepping out of her character from the drama, Ji Qingshi’s silence left her feeling disheartened again. On top of that, the recent filming had been exhausting. After all, acting wasn’t her forte. Though her role was minor, many aspects of performance required hands-on learning, keeping her nerves tightly wound without a moment’s respite.

Seeing the dejected look on her face, Ji Qingshi snapped out of her thoughts and finally spoke: “I have to go into the city. There’s a mission.”

Ren Jiao’s head jerked up, her earlier disappointment instantly replaced with concern. “Will it be dangerous?”

This was more like the girl she knew. Ji Qingshi’s mood lifted slightly as she shook her head. “No, it’s safe. Don’t worry.”

Bincheng had just wrapped up a major case, leaving the entire city unusually quiet. Ji Qingshi’s trip to the city wasn’t for fieldwork this time. She was accompanying provincial authorities to provide security for several high-ranking officials.

Such critical security operations required the involvement of the SWAT team, but she didn’t have time to explain the details to Ren Jiao. She simply emphasized that there was no danger and that she’d be back by morning.

Since Ji Qingshi said so, Ren Jiao naturally believed her. And it wasn’t just belief, her sharp intuition picked up on the unspoken undertone in Ji Qingshi’s words and tone, almost as if she was reporting to her.

In that moment, Ren Jiao’s heart swelled with emotion. Unable to hold back, she rushed forward and hugged Ji Qingshi, startling the other woman into taking a step back.

“What are you doing?”

Though she retreated, Ji Qingshi didn’t push her away. A triumphant smile curled at Ren Jiao’s lips, this tacit permission gave her immense courage. Tilting her head up, she gazed at the woman before her. “Jiejie, I really like you.”

Ji Qingshi’s heart raced wildly. As far as she could recall, this was the first time Ren Jiao had ever confessed her feelings so directly. Though her tone was light, her eyes were utterly sincere. Ji Qingshi could see the affection and admiration in them; unmistakable, impossible to fake.

“You… why are you suddenly saying this in the middle of the night?”

Ren Jiao’s grin widened. “Jiejie asked why I’m suddenly saying this, but not why I suddenly hugged you. So you like this too, don’t you?”

“…”

What a clever, sharp-tongued girl. She could twist any statement to her advantage, wearing that smug, fox-like expression.

Ji Qingshi gritted her teeth and took another step back, nudging her lightly. “Alright, stop fooling around. We’re not the only ones on this floor. What would people think if they saw us?” Her voice was hushed, worried that being overheard might bring Ren Jiao unwanted trouble.

But Ren Jiao didn’t seem to care. After being pushed away, she didn’t pursue further, merely smoothing her hair. “But there’s probably no one else here right now, right? Otherwise, Jiejie wouldn’t have let me hug you just now. You care about me! I know.”

“…”

She said it so matter-of-factly, so confidently, and worst of all, she was right. Ji Qingshi had no retort. Damn this girl! Why was she so helpless against her?

Straightening her clothes, Ji Qingshi shot her a glance. “I should go. You should head back and get some sleep.”

“Alright, alright, I’m heading back now.” Ren Jiao waved at her cheerfully with a grin: “Goodnight, sis. Stay safe.”

Ji Qingshi pressed her lips together and responded softly, “Okay, goodnight.”

Receiving that simple goodnight from her, Ren Jiao happily returned to her own room.

Ji Qingshi exhaled deeply, shaking her head as she turned away. Her self-control really wasn’t up to par—by tonight, it was practically all laid out on the table. Their feelings were laid bare, and pretending not to know was no longer an option.

But was she ready to accept it now? Ji Qingshi didn’t want to.

Her heart was still tangled, still holding onto a stubborn resentment. She was obstinately clinging to the need for an explanation. An explanation for the past, for back then.