Bella ran upstairs, panting heavily. Just as she turned the corner, she bumped into Shen Wenjing, who was directing something.
To her surprise, behind Shen Wenjing stood a tall man in a sharp suit.
Bella subconsciously glanced at him and let out a silent "whoa" in her heart:
This bodyguard was quite handsome. He had sharp, defined features and cold eyes, but his expression was exceptionally indifferent, as if he didn't care about anything going on around him.
"Sister Jing, are you...?"
Bella walked into the room and stared at the two large, packed suitcases in the living room, feeling a bit bewildered.
Shen Wenjing turned her head and gave Bella a helpless, bitter smile.
Then she shot an annoyed glare at the man behind her:
"You wait right at the door. You are not allowed to come inside, hear me?"
"Yes, Miss." The man's voice was deep, but his eyes remained fixed on Shen Wenjing, not wavering for a second.
With the bang of the door closing, Shen Wenjing leaned against the door panel like a deflated balloon:
"Sigh, I'm moving back home. See that guy just now? My dad hired him specifically to 'supervise' me. He's a bodyguard in name, but actually just a mobile surveillance camera."
Bella recalled the way Shen Wenjing spoke to the man just now; it didn't sound like the tone one would use with a regular bodyguard at all.
There was definitely something going on between those two.
"Is that so..." Bella said, feeling a bit reluctant to part.
"Sister Jing, actually, I'm moving out in a few days too. It's near the school. I was struggling with how to tell you."
"Ah? You're moving out too?"
Shen Wenjing froze for a moment, then let out a long sigh, looking at her jokingly:
"Sigh, it seems this place really can't hold the two of us 'great Buddhas'. Then again, a man like Ye Jinzhi... how could he let you stay holed up in a place like this."
The room fell quiet for a moment.
"How about we go out for a good meal one last time before we move?" Bella suggested.
"That works." Shen Wenjing instantly perked up and nodded vigorously.
The two confirmed the time, and Bella hugged her backpack and went back to her room.
She knew the bodyguard outside probably had a lot to "discuss" with Shen Wenjing, so it was best to leave them some space to bicker.
Halfway through her homework, Bella vaguely heard Shen Wenjing's hushed, angry yell from the living room:
"Lu, stay away from me! This is my rented apartment, not the Shen family mansion. Stop using my dad to pressure me!"
Her pen paused, and the auxiliary line on her math problem went crooked.
Right after, the man surnamed Lu spoke. Although she couldn't hear what he said, his voice sounded quite nice.
Bella silently pushed her earphones in a little tighter.
Recalling the tall man she had just seen, the calmness and restraint oozing from his bones reminded her of Ye Jinzhi: gentle on the surface, but a ruthless character with overwhelming control issues underneath.
"Tsk, the waters of wealthy families run deep."
On Friday evening, Bella and Shen Wenjing met up at an old hotpot restaurant in the city center.
As soon as they pushed the door open, the spicy aroma of hotpot hit their faces.
"Hurry, Bella, over here!" Shen Wenjing, sitting at a booth by the window, waved frantically at Bella.
Bella walked over and sat down. Before she could speak, she spotted a figure sitting at an empty table not far away: it was Bodyguard Lu.
"Ignore him. Treat him like air."
Shen Wenjing gritted her teeth as she poured a plate of beef tripe into the boiling broth. "Hurry, I've already ordered some dishes. Quickly order whatever you want to eat."
Bella took the tablet from her hand and ordered a few things she wanted.
"Sister Jing, your bodyguard... is really dedicated. He even follows you to eat hotpot."
"Of course, he's a good dog of the Shen family."
Shen Wenjing curled her lips in self-mockery, then leaned closer to Bella and lowered her voice,
"Hey, are you moving out tomorrow?"
Bella laughed, picking up a slice of tender beef to swish in the broth. The steam clouded her eyes:
"Yes, tomorrow morning."
"Sigh, let me tell you, even though we won't be living together anymore, I already consider you my good sister! I'm going to ask you out to play often in the future. If Ye Jinzhi doesn't let you go, just secretly message me, and I'll bring people to 'break you out of prison'!"
Shen Wenjing patted Bella's shoulder heroically.
Bella chuckled, immediately cupped her fists together in salute, and nodded earnestly: "Thanks, Heroine Shen."
After finishing the hotpot, the two obviously hadn't had enough fun yet.
With a wave of her hand, Shen Wenjing led Bella into a nearby karaoke place, where they belted out pop songs for two hours.
As it approached midnight, Shen Wenjing was still in high spirits and pulled Bella along, wanting to go to a stylish lounge bar to listen to live music.
But just as they reached the intersection, a dark silhouette blocked their path.
Bodyguard Lu glanced at his wristwatch:
"Miss, it's already midnight. It's very late, you should rest."
The moment Shen Wenjing saw this face, her good mood vanished instantly, and her pretty face darkened:
"Not listening, not listening! I'm going to listen to music, is it any of your business?"
"Mr. Shen instructed that your routine must be regular." The other party didn't back down at all.
"Furthermore, Miss Bella is moving tomorrow, and she needs rest too."
Shen Wenjing stomped her feet in anger, but under the man's highly oppressive gaze, she finally gave in.
And so, the two girls who had planned to party all night were stuffed into a car one after the other at 12:05 AM.
The driver dropped Bella off first before returning to the Shen residence.
Bella felt like she had barely slept when her phone alarm went off.
She rubbed her eyes, turned off the alarm, and got up to drink a glass of water in the kitchen.
She prepared to go back to her room to sleep some more.
Knock, knock, knock.
Bella's heart skipped a beat. She knew who it was without even looking through the peephole.
She shuffled over in her slippers to open the door, only to see Ye Jinzhi holding steaming hot soy milk, fried dough sticks, and steamed buns.
"Morning."
He glanced at Bella's messy long hair and her sleepy red eyes, the corners of his lips curling up slightly:
"Played pretty crazy last night? You didn't get home until past twelve."
"How... how did you know?"
Ye Jinzhi didn't answer. He walked straight into the house, casually placed the breakfast on the table, and let his gaze sweep across the living room:
"Because when my little doll was dropped off, my car was parked right downstairs."
He turned around, raised his hand, and slid his fingertips down her hair, gently smoothing out the few strands that were sticking up from sleep. His voice dropped a few octaves:
"After all, on the last night the 'little doll' is wandering outside, her master must keep watch."
Bella's heart trembled at his words keep watch. That feeling of being watched from all angles fought with her sleep-deprived brain.
She simply fell backward onto the bed, sinking into it entirely, and pulled the blanket over her head. Her voice was muffled:
"Stop going on and on about 'master'... I'm still not awake, I can't even open my eyes. We'll talk when I wake up. Make yourself at home."
Ye Jinzhi stood by the bed, looking at her curled up under the blanket, and the corners of his lips curved up gently.
