The Exclusive Bodyguard of the Top Idol - Chapter 9

Before the car had even come to a complete stop, Ji Qingshi flung the door open and jumped out without hesitation. Ren Jiao, who had been speaking to the police, widened her eyes the moment she spotted her from behind her mask.

“Why didn’t you go home?” Ji Qingshi called out from a distance before she even reached them.

The police officer talking to Ren Jiao turned to look at her, his expression wary. Before he could even begin questioning, Ji Qingshi smoothly pulled out her badge. Damn, she was one of their own.

Upon seeing the title on Ji Qingshi’s badge, the young officer instinctively straightened up to salute, but she immediately waved him off.

Stopping in front of Ren Jiao, Ji Qingshi gave her a once-over and repeated, “Why didn’t you go home?”

Seeing that Ji Qingshi could still run and move without issue, Ren Jiao let out a sigh of relief and explained, “After we drove over, we ran into police reinforcements. They saw all the bullet holes in our car and stopped us to ask questions. Two other patrol cars went ahead. You must’ve passed them on the way, right? How are you? Are you okay? What about those people?”

Ji Qingshi shook her head. “I’m fine. They’ve already been caught, so don’t worry.”

She quickly briefed her arriving colleagues on the situation before turning back to Ren Jiao. “Let’s go home. It’s really late.”

After such a sudden and harrowing ordeal, everyone was exhausted. Cen Shu, Qianqian, and the driver had never experienced anything like this in their lives. They were all badly shaken and still looked terrified.

Ji Qingshi glanced at Cen Shu and Qianqian, their hair disheveled from fright, and reassured them, “Don’t worry, Sister Cen. Those guys have already been taken away by the police, they won’t be coming back. It’s really late now, so why don’t you all ride back with the driver? I’ll take Ren Jiaojiao with me, we live together anyway.”

Splitting up would get everyone home sooner. Cen Shu didn’t hesitate long before nodding. She glanced at Ren Jiao’s bodyguard and said, “Then the bodyguard can go with Qianqian and the driver. I’ll stick with Jiaojiao!”

“Sister Cen…” Ren Jiao tried to persuade her to go home first, but Cen Shu cut her off.

“Don’t even try. You’re my artist, I won’t rest easy until I see you home safe.”

This wasn’t a matter of distrusting Ji Qingshi; it was simply Cen Shu’s sense of responsibility as a manager.

Ji Qingshi had no objections. With Ren Jiao traveling alongside Cen Shu and herself, she’d be safe. After what had just happened, Qianqian and the driver would feel more at ease with the bodyguard accompanying them.

With that settled, everyone headed home. Ren Jiao and Cen Shu got into the SWAT team’s vehicle. Cen Shu took the front passenger seat, while Ji Qingshi sat in the back with Ren Jiao. The moment they got in, Ren Jiao reached out and grabbed Ji Qingshi’s arm, only for the latter to hiss sharply in pain.

Ren Jiao froze for a second before looking down at her hand. Why did Ji Qingshi’s sleeve feel damp?

The sight made her gasp. “Your arm is injured!”

It wasn’t a question. The bright red blood on her hand was proof enough.

Outside, under the dim light of the highway in the early morning, Ji Qingshi had run over looking completely unharmed. Her black jacket had hidden any signs of injury.

If Ren Jiao hadn’t grabbed her arm in the car, she might have never found out!

“Why didn’t you say anything? Why didn’t you go to the hospital?”

Ji Qingshi waved her hand dismissively as if it were nothing, saying, “It’s just a minor injury, barely grazed by a bullet. It looks like a lot of blood, but it’s really not serious at all. During training back in the team, I’ve had worse injuries than this. I can handle it myself when I get home. It’s so late, there’s no need to—”

“Excuse me, could we please go to the hospital?”

Ren Jiao didn’t even wait for her to finish, leaning forward to address the SWAT officer in the driver’s seat.

The driver glanced in the rearview mirror, taking in Ren Jiao’s concerned expression, and chuckled. “Sure.”

“Hey!” Ji Qingshi hadn’t expected her teammate to just listen to Ren Jiao like that. “What’s wrong with you? Can’t move when you see a pretty face? You’ll do whatever a beauty says?”

The driver grinned even wider, giving Ren Jiao another look before suddenly saying, “I think I recognize you. Aren’t you Ren Jiao?”

Ji Qingshi was slightly taken aback. She hadn’t realized Ren Jiao’s fame extended this far. Not just among young people, but even the older veterans in the SWAT team knew her?

Ren Jiao nodded. “Yes, that’s me.”

“This is perfect!” the driver exclaimed excitedly. “Could you give me an autograph later?”

Ren Jiao smiled and nodded. “Of course.”

Ji Qingshi frowned slightly, puzzled. “Old Zhou, you’re into celebrities? I’ve never seen you follow stars before. At your age, you’re still keeping up with trends?”

Old Zhou shook his head. “Not me! It’s for my daughter.”

Ji Qingshi’s expression cleared in understanding. No wonder. Old Zhou was usually so busy he barely had time to breathe. Where would he find the time to follow celebrities?

Old Zhou was eight years older than Ji Qingshi, already 36, with a ten-year-old daughter who adored Ren Jiao.

He shot her a glance and teased, “Xiao Ji, you should pay more attention to pop culture too. You’re still young. Don’t fall behind an old man like me.”

Ji Qingshi snorted. “Not interested.”

Ren Jiao was pressing a tissue to the wound on Ji Qingshi’s arm and glanced up at her words.

Catching her look, Ji Qingshi suddenly amended, “Well, I wasn’t interested before.”

“Before?” Old Zhou chimed in. “So, you’re interested now?”

“Mmm, after tonight. Just a little bit.”

Tonight, of course, referred to S-Group’s concert. The performance had been outstanding, the live effects nothing short of spectacular, flawless in every way. Professionals like the producers from Star Records were eager to collaborate with S-Group, and even a non-professional like Ji Qingshi couldn’t pinpoint exactly what made it so mesmerizing. But the music and choreography had pulled her into their world, making her feel the passion and energy radiating from the young women on stage, even if she didn’t fully understand it.

To evoke such emotions in the audience, that was the mark of a truly successful concert.

“After watching their concert, I really wanted to listen to their songs,” Ji Qingshi said, glancing at Ren Jiao. “Could you tell me more about them later?”

Ren Jiao looked at her, delighted, and nodded. “Of course.”

Getting Ji Qingshi to like their music and performances was the second happiest thing for Ren Jiao tonight! The first, of course, was the success of the stage itself!

…

Ji Qingshi’s injury was on her left upper arm, a gunshot wound. At the hospital, she was taken straight to the treatment room. After examining it, the doctor confirmed it was just a graze from a stray bullet and nothing serious.

“See, I told you. I could’ve handled this injury myself, no need to make a special trip to the hospital.” Ji Qingshi muttered under her breath, her left upper arm wrapped in bandages.

Ren Jiao ignored her, letting her grumble. After all, they were already here, the wound had been treated, and once Sister Cen returned after paying the bill, they could head home.

Before long, the door to the treatment room was pushed open from the outside. Ren Jiao thought it was Sister Cen, but instead, a familiar face walked in.

They had met once before. This was the officer who had come to her door to explain the witness protection program. Ren Jiao remembered her surname was Qi.

“Officer Qi?” Ren Jiao greeted her first.

Ji Qingshi recognized the visitor and quickly waved. “Captain Qi, what brings you here? Visiting me? At this late hour.”

But the motion accidentally tugged at her injured arm, making her grimace in pain.

Qi Xuesong’s first glance landed on the thick bandages wrapped around Ji Qingshi’s arm. Ren Jiao stood beside her, handing her oral medication, her face half-hidden behind a mask.

Ren Jiao shoved the medicine into Ji Qingshi’s hand and frowned. “If it hurts, why don’t you stop moving so much?”

Though she had changed out of her stage costume, her makeup remained; elaborate and striking, accentuating her naturally deep, captivating eyes. Even with the mask, her presence was undeniable.

Qi Xuesong stepped closer to Ji Qingshi’s side, eyeing her arm. “Is it serious?”

Ji Qingshi shook her head dismissively. “Just a scratch, much lighter than the bullet wound I took to the abdomen the year before last. Now that was a close call.”

Ren Jiao took the water cup from Ji Qingshi’s hand and fell silent, offering no further comment.

Seeing that Ji Qingshi seemed in good spirits, Qi Xuesong asked, “When can you go home?”

“Hmm, soon. Sister Cen’s just handling the payment and picking up the meds…” Ji Qingshi glanced at Ren Jiao, her expression tinged with worry. “You know why I didn’t want to come to the hospital? Someone as stunning as you even with a mask people are bound to look twice. What if you get recognized?”

“It’s fine.”

To avoid recognition, Sister Cen had handled all the payments and prescriptions.

Ji Qingshi sighed at her stubbornness. “If someone spots you, tomorrow’s gossip headlines will read, ‘Pop idol spotted out all night after concert, accompanying mystery figure to hospital ER, caught in unknown scandal?’”

Ren Jiao’s hand paused mid-motion. She lifted her gaze, her peach-blossom eyes brimming with exasperation. “Who knew the SWAT team’s sharpshooter was also a master at crafting headlines?”

“Flattery, flattery!” Ji Qingshi arched a brow. “I’ve always thought I could handle our team’s bulletin board. I’m just as good as the propaganda committee, don’t you think?”

The visible part of Ren Jiao’s face radiated disbelief. “Absolutely. If you ever quit SWAT, you’ve got a future in tabloids. The clickbait industry needs you.”

“Ren Jiaojiao, that didn’t sound like a compliment.”

“Officer Ji, whatever do you mean? I was absolutely praising you.”

“…”

Qi Xuesong listened to their back-and-forth, suddenly feeling like an awkward third wheel.

She hesitated, wondering if she should just leave otherwise, she might as well be a glowing lightbulb hovering above them.

But before she could speak, the door opened again. Cen Shu walked in, holding a payment slip and a bag of medication.

“These medications include both oral and topical ones. I’ve prescribed a lot according to the doctor’s orders. The only thing that’s a bit troublesome is when Officer Ji needs to change her dressings later.”

Before Sister Cen could finish, Ren Jiao volunteered, “It’s no trouble. She can move upstairs and stay at my place.”

“What?”

“Huh?”

Ji Qingshi and Sister Cen exclaimed simultaneously, while Qi Xuesong, the outsider, stood awkwardly to the side.

Ignoring Ji Qingshi’s bewilderment and the shock in Sister Cen’s eyes, Ren Jiao repeated, “In her current condition, living alone would be inconvenient. Staying with me means she’ll have help whenever she needs it. I have plenty of spare rooms.”

No, this isn’t about spare rooms. You don’t even like living with others! You barely stay at the team dorm! Sister Cen suddenly felt like she didn’t understand her own artist anymore.

Ji Qingshi was equally stunned. “But aren’t you a germaphobe?”

After spending some time together, Ji Qingshi had gotten to know Ren Jiao a little. She was well aware that Ren Jiao was fiercely independent, had strong germaphobic tendencies, and guarded her personal space like a fortress. Honestly, if not for her teammates knowing she was actually warm beneath her cold exterior, Ji Qingshi would’ve assumed she had no friends in the group!

Facing their questions, Ren Jiao replied calmly, “You got hurt because of me. During this time when you need care, I can’t just leave you alone. ”

Her tone was flat, but Ji Qingshi miraculously detected a hint of guilt, which made her feel a little awkward.

“Actually, this is part of my job and duty. You don’t have to…” Ji Qingshi had suffered plenty of injuries, big and small, and never dwelled on them. Yet now Ren Jiao felt guilty over it.

Ren Jiao was stubborn by nature. Once she set her mind on something, no one could change it. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to infiltrate Skyline Entertainment at just 20 to gather evidence. With her determination, she could succeed at anything.

In the end, despite Ji Qingshi’s reluctance, Ren Jiao’s insistence won out, and she was set to move upstairs. Ji Qingshi felt both resigned and oddly nervous. Living with others wasn’t an issue. After all, she was used to sharing dorms with her SWAT teammates. But that faint tension in her heart was inexplicable. Maybe it was because Ren Jiao, as a celebrity, lived so meticulously, while Ji Qingshi saw herself as rough around the edges. She was afraid of embarrassing herself in front of her.

Yeah, that had to be it.