The Exclusive Bodyguard of the Top Idol - Chapter 54

Ren Jiao had been resting at home for over a week since her return, staying at Ji Qingshi’s place the entire time. It wasn’t until she received a message from the director about resuming work soon that she finally went back to her own home with Ji Qingshi accompanying her.

The neighborhood where Ren Jiao currently lived was quite far from the SWAT team’s headquarters. Considering Ji Qingshi’s commute, Ren Jiao brought up the topic: “I’m thinking about moving. What kind of place would you like to live in, sis?”

“Why the sudden change?”

“The place I’m in now is a long-term rental. I want to buy my own home. Over the years, I’ve saved up quite a bit, but I never dared to spend it before because I wasn’t sure how long my mom’s treatment would take. Having money on hand gave me peace of mind. Now that her condition has improved, I can think about using some of the extra funds for other things. We could look for a place near your workplace to buy.”

Ji Qingshi thought it over and agreed that buying their own home would be a good idea if they had the means.

“I’ll have my mortgage fully paid off this year. We could stay at my place while the new home is being renovated; just move directly from here. It’s a bit small, but it’s still a two-bedroom. We can share one room, and the other can be turned into a music room for you.”

Ren Jiao loved the idea. She didn’t care about the size of the place. When buying a new home, she only cared about the location and environment. There was no need for a sprawling luxury apartment. Wrapping her arms around Ji Qingshi’s waist, she nuzzled against her collarbone. To her, as long as they were together, it was home size didn’t matter.

“Then it’s settled. I’ll ask Qianqian to help me look for listings when she has time.”

Qianqian, her assistant, now had to keep track of everything especially since her artist was in a relationship and had another person’s affairs to consider.

When Qianqian first found out Ren Jiao was dating someone, she was utterly shocked. But upon learning it was Officer Ji, her dormant shipping heart reignited, and she suddenly felt like she was back in the game.

After Ren Jiao returned to the set, the Provincial Department faced a major event. The summary and commendation conference for Operation Shattered Ice, targeting the Fengbo Group. Given Ji Qingshi’s contributions, her attendance was a given.

Half a year later, at the commendation ceremony, Ji Qingshi saw Qin Sheng. Qi Xuesong’s lover again. Since January, Qin Sheng had been undercover at Fengbo Pharmaceuticals. After Operation Shattered Ice concluded in May, she had been absent for nearly half a year before finally returning to the police force.

Watching Qi Xuesong and Qin Sheng step forward together to receive their medals, Ji Qingshi couldn’t help but feel that they had finally emerged from hardship into happiness. But seeing them as a pair only made her miss her own girlfriend, who wouldn’t be home for quite some time, leaving Ji Qingshi feeling lonely and cold.

So, she invited Qi Xuesong and Qin Sheng out for a meal. They were all cut from the same cloth, colleagues who got along well.

But those two seemed to have vanished after the commendation ceremony, no replies to her messages, no sign of them. Left with no choice, Ji Qingshi went home alone.

That night, during her video call with Ren Jiao, she complained about it. “They won’t even hang out with me. I’m so bored all by myself.”

She leaned closer to the camera, pouting, hoping to elicit some sympathy from her girlfriend.

And indeed, Ren Jiao did feel for her. After coaxing her for a while and finally lifting her spirits, Ren Jiao said slowly, “Sis, if Captain Qi and the others went home and ignored you, they probably just didn’t have the time.”

No time? Why wouldn’t they have time after going home?

Oh…

Ji Qingshi caught the meaningful look in Ren Jiao’s eyes and immediately understood.

Well, how to put it? If it were just the two of them at home, they’d probably also be “too busy” quite often.

…

Ren Jiao’s supporting role didn’t have many scenes, so she wrapped up filming in just two weeks and returned home, sparing Ji Qingshi from too much lonely waiting.

With her scenes completed, the production team discussed with Cen Shu the possibility of leveraging Ren Jiao’s existing popularity for some early promotional content. Highlighting the wrap-up of her first on-screen role.

Cen Shu agreed to the plan and requested that the team put together a well-edited wrap-up featurette.

This, of course, wasn’t an issue. The featurette even included clips of the director, screenwriter, and other key creators praising Ren Jiao’s audition performance, effectively silencing the haters.

As expected, when the official announcement dropped that Ren Jiao would be appearing in this counter-terrorism police drama. A joint production by the Provincial Department and Huaying Studios; the haters arrived right on schedule, flooding the comments.

[What kind of serious drama casts a little idol right off the bat??? Has she even acted before???]

[Don’t you see Huaying’s name in the credits? This little idol’s really climbing the ladder now, cozying up to a big film company.]

[Guess even Huaying’s reputation is about to take a nosedive.]

Amid the haters’ snide remarks, fans naturally stepped up to defend her.

[I mean… she’s literally just playing a minor role. The way you guys are freaking out, I thought she was the female lead or something.]

[LMAO, haters are just obsessed. The actual leads are award-winning actors Xu Xin and Jiang Yi, are you seriously doubting their judgment?]

The haters sneered back:

[Guess even Xu Xin and Jiang Yi have fallen, reduced to propping up some idol.]

[Guess everyone’s bowing to capital these days!]

The inevitable fan-hater war erupted, giving the drama an early burst of attention before filming had even finished. Then, the production team released the audition clips from the wrap-up featurette. Though the captions didn’t explicitly state that she had passed the audition, the footage spoke for itself.

This time, not just fans but curious onlookers chimed in as well.

[I watched the audition clip. She struggled at first, but after the director gave her a few pointers, she nailed it. That’s some solid adaptability!]

[Right? She did great in the audition. Why are people so eager to hate on her?]

The drama’s first round of promotion went smoothly, and with the massive online buzz, it had already built a solid foundation of audience interest.

With filming wrapped, Ren Jiao returned home. Her next tasks were to focus on her new album and then make a guest appearance as a mentor on the talent show hosted by Tan Jiajia. She had a few days off. Spending two of them cuddling with Ji Qingshi, visiting her mom at the rehabilitation center, and even having dinner with Qi Xuesong and Qin Sheng.

Though Ren Jiao had heard plenty about Qi Xuesong’s girlfriend, Qin Sheng, this was their first-time meeting.

Ji Qingshi had described Qin Sheng as beautiful, sharp-witted, and exceptionally brave. Painting the image of a bold and capable policewoman in Ren Jiao’s mind.

But the woman who walked in, practically draped over Qi Xuesong like she had no bones, was this really the same person Ji Qingshi had described?

Since Ren Jiao was a public figure, they chose a highly private restaurant for their gathering and even booked a private room in advance. With no outsiders around, Qin Sheng was completely at ease, lazily leaning against Qi Xuesong’s shoulder and even letting out a yawn.

Ji Qingshi, who was quite familiar with the two of them, teased before sitting down, “You look exhausted. Were you standing guard at the city gates all night?”

Only after seeing them enter did Qin Sheng reluctantly pull herself away from Qi Xuesong, rubbing her eyes as she said, “Not standing guard, but close enough. I was working on a case until the early hours yesterday.”

Once she sat up straight, her face became fully visible. Ren Jiao took in her appearance and couldn’t help but silently agree with Ji Qingshi’s earlier description of her as stunning. Qin Sheng’s looks went beyond ordinary beauty. She could easily hold her own acting in a TV drama.

Qin Sheng’s gaze landed on Ren Jiao, and she smiled. “I’ve heard the girls on my team talk about you nonstop. Finally meeting you in person today!”

Chang Mu from the Special Investigations Unit was Ren Jiao’s devoted fan, constantly gushing about her idol. On top of that, Ren Jiao had played a crucial role in the Sheng Dingzhe case, so Qin Sheng had heard plenty about her but never had the chance to meet until now.

Given Qin Sheng’s undercover work at Fengbo Pharmaceuticals, Ren Jiao also held a bit of hero worship toward her and couldn’t hide her excitement while talking to her.

Seeing Ren Jiao’s starstruck expression, Ji Qingshi felt a pang of jealousy and secretly squeezed her palm.

Ren Jiao glanced at her expression and, suppressing a laugh, leaned against her shoulder.

“Qi Xuesong mentioned you know Ruan Lixuan?”

Once the dishes were served, it was inevitable that their conversation would turn to the case.

Hearing Ruan Lixuan’s name, Ren Jiao’s expression immediately grew concerned. “Yes, I even asked my sister to check what kind of sentence would someone in Ruan-ge’s situation face?”

Qi Xuesong and Qin Sheng exchanged a glance before Qi Xuesong poured her a glass of water and said, “He has a record of meritorious service, so his sentence won’t be long. Combined with time served in pretrial detention, he’ll probably be out in a year or two.”

Qin Sheng added, “Once he’s out, I’d like to recruit him as an informant. Of course, we’d ask for his opinion first.”

Hearing this, Ren Jiao felt a weight lift from her heart. She had always felt that Ruan Lixuan had sacrificed too much in taking down Sheng Dingzhe, even to the point of facing prison time. Even if, as Qi Xuesong said, his sentence wouldn’t be too long, a criminal record would still significantly impact his future.

But Qin Sheng had offered him a path forward. Though Ren Jiao thought it might be risky, if Ruan Lixuan agreed after being consulted, it could turn out well for him.

The four of them didn’t dwell too much on the topic. After all, they were here to enjoy a meal together and preferred to keep the conversation lighthearted.

“Given your situation, you two probably can’t go public anytime soon, right?” Qin Sheng, ever curious about celebrity life, knew that publicizing a relationship often sparked intense discussion.

Ren Jiao nodded, her expression tinged with helplessness and guilt. “I haven’t successfully transitioned my career yet, so going public is even more impossible.”

Ji Qingshi, not wanting her to blame herself, quickly reassured her, “It’s fine! We’re together for ourselves, not to show off to anyone. Look our friends and family all know, right? We’re just like any other couple!”

Her understanding had always been the warmest and most steadfast support for Ren Jiao.

After finishing their meal, the four of them agreed to take a stroll by the seaside.

The night view by the shore of Bincheng was quite beautiful. The area was sparsely populated in the evening, and the sea breeze made for a rather pleasant atmosphere.

The two couples walked hand in hand, one pair in front and the other behind. Qin Sheng, who was leading, occasionally turned back to exchange a few words with Ren Jiao at the rear.

Young people were like that. They could easily grow familiar with one another. If they shared common interests, they could quickly become good friends.

Holding Qi Xuesong’s hand, Qin Sheng suddenly turned around and asked, “Jiaojiao, when’s your next concert? Your last one was so lively. It was all over the internet but I couldn’t make it at the time. If there’s a chance next time, I’ll bring Qi Xuesong along!”

Seeing her interest in the concert, Ren Jiao immediately nodded. “It’ll probably be after the new album drops. When the time comes, I’ll arrange VIP tickets for Officer Ji and Captain Qi!”

“Awesome! It’s a deal then!”

VIP tickets for S-Group’s concerts weren’t easy to come by. Knowing the main attraction personally certainly had its perks. Qin Sheng got to experience the privilege of “pulling strings.”

As the night deepened, the four young women strolled along Bincheng’s shoreline, listening to the murmuring waves, continuing down the city’s path toward their futures.