The Exclusive Bodyguard of the Top Idol - Chapter 52

“Has something good happened to the captain these past two days? She’s been smiling all the time. Yesterday during shooting practice, I accidentally missed the target, and she didn’t even scold me. Just told me to be more careful next time.”

When asked this question, An’An shook her head, equally puzzled. “No idea. She doesn’t tell us anything.”

“Could she be in a relationship?”

Another teammate suddenly blurted out this suggestion. An’An’s breath hitched, and the room fell silent.

The group exchanged glances before unanimously shaking their heads in denial. “No way, no way! The captain is totally the type to stay single forever! She’s so badass! What man could possibly measure up to her? Definitely not anyone in our team, and I doubt there’s anyone in the entire SWAT unit who’s good enough for her!”

“Exactly! Forget just the SWAT unit. I don’t think there’s anyone in the entire headquarters who could match our captain!”

An’An nodded in agreement but then seemed to think of something. “But who said it has to be a man? What if our captain is like Captain Qi and Teacher Qin from the Special Investigation Team?”

Once she said it, the possibility didn’t seem so far-fetched. While such relationships weren’t mainstream, society had become much more accepting than before. Captain Qi and Teacher Qin from the Special Investigation Team were already a widely admired couple in the headquarters.

If their captain had also found a girlfriend like Captain Qi.

They huddled together, whispering, “If our guess is right, what kind of girl would the captain even go for?”

“Achoo—”

Ren Jiao sat on a rest chair on set, rubbing her nose as she took a tissue from the temporary assistant. The mountain breeze today seemed a bit strong, making her nose itch.

“Are you catching a cold, Jiaojiao?” the makeup artist asked with concern.

“Probably not. The weather isn’t cold. It’s July, and even in the mountains, it’s pretty hot.”

Though the temperature in the mountains wasn’t necessarily high, the sun was scorching, especially in the open training grounds where there wasn’t a single tree for shade.

Ji Qingshi had led her team back to the city’s training base early that morning. Ren Jiao only then learned that they rotated between urban and suburban assignments. If they were in the city, Ji Qingshi didn’t stay at the team quarters. She had her own place near the SWAT headquarters.

Having just gotten together two days ago, Ren Jiao was reluctant to part with her, but there was no helping it, their jobs were like this. No matter how much she didn’t want to, they had to separate for now.

Fortunately, she only had two more days of filming at the base before she could return to the city. The crew would stay behind to finish all the training base scenes, but as a minor character, Ren Jiao could go home and focus on other work once her part was done, waiting for the next call from the production team.

Just two more days. She could endure it. She had one more scene to shoot today, and once it was done, she could go back and video call her.

With the motivation of finishing work quickly to see her girlfriend, Ren Jiao was in top form today. Even the scenes the director thought might be challenging for her were nailed in one take. Impressive work.

Back in her dorm after wrapping up, Ren Jiao called Ji Qingshi on video. With Ji Qingshi and her team gone, the dorm building had quieted down significantly; about half the people had left.

The call connected quickly, the screen shaking briefly before settling on Ji Qingshi’s face.

Ren Jiao immediately curved her eyes into a smile and called out to her, “Sister, where are you?”

After confirming their girlfriend status, Ji Qingshi found herself enjoying it even more when Ren Jiao called her “sister.” It was a feeling hard to describe like a special little intimacy that belonged just to the two of them.

“I’m at home.”

“Don’t you have work today?”

Ji Qingshi replied, “I went in the morning, then filled out a leave request. I still have a lot of unused compensatory leave.”

Ren Jiao’s eyes sparkled mischievously as she grinned and asked, “Sister, are you taking leave now because of me?”

Seeing how quickly Ren Jiao caught on, Ji Qingshi’s eyes crinkled with amusement. “My Jiaojiao is so clever. You’re coming back the day after tomorrow, and I want to spend some proper time with you at home.”

They had just gotten together, after all this was supposed to be the honeymoon phase of their relationship, sweet and inseparable. It wasn’t just Ren Jiao who wanted to stick close; Ji Qingshi felt the same way. Even if they just lazed around at home doing nothing, she simply wanted more time together.

That was just how Ji Qingshi was. She said exactly what she felt, without any pretense. Her straightforwardness in matters of the heart gave Ren Jiao a deep sense of security.

Ren Jiao propped her phone on the bed, lying down as she tilted her head to look at Ji Qingshi. “Then come with me to visit my mom.”

A simple invitation, yet it carried the weight of introducing her to family. Ji Qingshi paused for just a moment before asking, “Are you sure?”

Ren Jiao nodded without hesitation. “Of course.”

Meeting the parents so soon after getting together. Ji Qingshi might have appeared calm on the surface, but inside, she was nervous. Even though Ren Jiao had already told her that it was her mother’s encouragement that gave her the courage to pursue Ji Qingshi in the first place, the thought of meeting the family still left her with a flutter of unease.

She admitted as much to Ren Jiao, sounding a little embarrassed. “I’m mostly worried I might not make a good impression.”

Ren Jiao reassured her repeatedly. “That won’t happen! Sister, you’re amazing! Every part of you is perfect. Even if you didn’t do anything special, my mom would still like you!”

But no amount of comforting words could completely ease such nerves. Ren Jiao understood her feelings and didn’t press further. Instead, when she called her mother later, she shared the happy news.

When Ren Xiuxian heard her daughter was bringing her partner to visit, she actually seemed more nervous than Ji Qingshi. “Should I ask Auntie Liu to help me with some makeup or something? At least to cover up how sickly I look.”

Ren Jiao quickly protested, “Not at all, Mom! You look great right now!”

“You’re my daughter/ You see me through rose-tinted glasses.” Ren Xiuxian didn’t believe her and called for Auntie Liu. “Tell me, if I’m meeting Jiao Jiao’s partner, shouldn’t I put on some makeup first? It’d be impolite to meet them looking so pale and ill.”

“Madam, you’ve already recovered quite well.”

“No, I still think my complexion isn’t great.”

Auntie Liu chuckled helplessly. “Alright, I’ll help you freshen up a bit before Miss Ren brings her guest over.”

And so it was settled. Once Ren Jiao returned from the film set, they would visit Ren Xiuxian at the sanatorium.

The news of their relationship wasn’t just shared with Ren Xiuxian; Cen Shu and Tan Jiajia also found out. On the very day they confirmed their relationship, Ren Jiao couldn’t resist showing off.

As Tan Jiajia’s best friend, she was genuinely happy for her dear sister, and the two chatted via video call for a long time.

Cen Shu, however, had more on her mind than Tan Jiajia. While she was delighted, she also wanted to ensure they were well-prepared. Although she believed that as long as the relationship wasn’t made public, any intimacy could be passed off as close friendship, minimizing PR risks.

“Still, we should report this to President Lian,” Cen Shu suggested.

Ren Jiao agreed. “President Lian has been very good to us. This is a big deal for me, so I’ll talk to her myself after I get back.”

“Alright. President Lian recently spoke with the director, who praised your talent. She was really pleased.”

The company had taken on the management contract for Group S with high expectations, and Lian Na herself had played a key role in securing the deal, placing great faith in Ren Jiao’s future. Ren Jiao was grateful to her, so something as significant as a relationship. No small matter for an artist had to be disclosed to President Lian.

The next day, after wrapping up her final scenes at the training base, the director was in high spirits, thoroughly satisfied with her performance over the past period. He called her over and praised her at length.

“Rest well when you get home. The crew will contact you later to shoot the remaining scenes,” the director said, patting Ren Jiao on the shoulder. “You’ve done an excellent job, young lady.”

He didn’t overdo the praise. Young people at her age could easily become complacent, so moderation was key.

“Leaving tomorrow? How about joining the crew for dinner tonight?”

Ren Jiao smiled and shook her head. “No, Director, I’m heading back right away.”

“In such a hurry? Family matters?”

“Yeah, something came up.”

The director didn’t press further. “Alright, then. Safe travels. Is your assistant picking you up?”

“Yes, she’s already on her way. I’ll leave as soon as I finish packing.”

After saying goodbye to the director, Ren Jiao quickly returned to her dorm to gather her belongings, then waited for Qianqian to pick her up.

Qianqian called as she neared the base. Having stayed there for three weeks, Ren Jiao was familiar with the layout. She carried her luggage downstairs and took the shuttle to the entrance.

“Weren’t you supposed to go home tomorrow?” Qianqian asked while helping load the luggage into the trunk.

Ren Jiao grinned. “Something came up last minute.”

“Alright, straight home then?”

“No, not my place. I’ll give you an address.”

After entering the address into the navigation system, Qianqian looked puzzled. “Where is this? Did you move?”

“No.”

Ren Jiao didn’t elaborate. Qianqian glanced at her but didn’t ask further. A good assistant knew when to stop. If the other person clearly didn’t want to explain, it was best not to pry.

Soon, they arrived at the address Ren Jiao had provided a regular residential area, likely built in the last couple of years. The neighborhood looked relatively new, with decent surroundings.

The security at the entrance was strict, requiring registration for outside vehicles. To avoid hassle, Ren Jiao got out at the gate, keeping her mask and hat on as she walked with her head down toward Ji Qingshi’s apartment.

This was her first time here, navigating solely based on the detailed address he had given her. The security in the complex was decent but not as stringent as her own home—no keycard was needed for elevator access, or else she wouldn’t have been able to go up alone.

Upon reaching Ji Qingshi’s door, Ren Jiao adjusted her hat and mask, double-checked the unit number, and rang the bell.

Footsteps approached from inside, followed by a familiar voice. “Who is it?”

Ren Jiao deliberately lowered her voice. “Delivery.”

Ji Qingshi had exceptionally sharp hearing, and even if Ren Jiao lowered her voice, she could instantly recognize it.

Delighted, she opened the door to find Ren Jiao looking up at her, eyes curved into crescents.

She quickly pulled her inside and wrapped her in a tight embrace. Nestled in her arms, Ren Jiao tilted her head up and said, “I delivered the person to you, didn’t I? Don’t I deserve a five-star review?”