Little Bodyguard(GL) 24

Chapter 24

Zhuo Zhi didn’t dare to sit down properly, let alone put her full weight down. If being close to Li Qinyue on the bus was like being enveloped in a fragrant mist, then this was like falling into a cloud made of cotton candy, all her senses heightened tenfold.

Fragrant, soft, warm. Li Qinyue’s arm was around her waist, her body pressed against Zhuo Zhi’s back, her chin resting on her shoulder.

“How does it feel?” Li Qinyue’s breath tickled her cheek, surprisingly sweet.

“Ahem,” Zhuo Zhi cleared her throat.

Li Qinyue chuckled silently, the small vibrations transferring to Zhuo Zhi’s body, “Don’t be so nervous.”

“I’m… not nervous,” Zhuo Zhi stared straight at the office door.

“Really?” Li Qinyue’s hand gently squeezed her abdomen, “Your abs are tense.”

This part of her body had rarely been touched, especially in this position. Every touch was amplified, the shyness she felt spreading across her skin, as ticklish as ants crawling over her hairs.

Zhuo Zhi almost jumped up. As she leaned forward, Li Qinyue patted her shoulder, “Sit down.”

So she sat back down, only daring to touch Li Qinyue’s leg with her bottom.

It was like an endless horse stance training session.

Outside the office, An Qi, Apple, and Zhang Baobei gathered.

They didn’t even bother with pleasantries. They were direct competitors, and the moment they saw each other, they only sized each other up.

For example, An Qi’s attempt to look young today was way over the top. She was actually wearing a sweater with angel wings, her hair in pigtails with fluffy balls attached, as if she were six years old.

Apple had a new, sharp bob haircut with purple highlights, very much against the current broadcasting regulations. (Apple chinese name is 苹果- (píng guǒ), which means Apple)

Zhang Baobei’s face seemed smaller, her eyes bigger, her filled cheeks looking stiff when she smiled, making her look even more artificial.

Dong Xin came over with the evaluation forms and asked them, “Are you ready?”

“Ready!”

“Ready~~”

“Ready…”

The same word, but their responses were as varied as their personalities.

“Let’s go,” Dong Xin led them to the office and knocked on the door.

Li Qinyue heard the knock, but she didn’t move.

She glanced at the computer screen, continuing to watch the audition videos, her arm rubbing against Zhuo Zhi in her lap.

Zhuo Zhi knew what she was supposed to do, but her throat was dry, and she couldn’t make a sound.

Li Qinyue wasn’t in a hurry, one arm around Zhuo Zhi, the other hand scrolling the mouse.

The knocking came again. Zhuo Zhi finally said, “Come in.”

When the group entered, Zhuo Zhi only glanced up before lowering her gaze.

Because the male secretary at the front, although trying his best to control his expression, was still so shocked by their current posture that his pupils dilated slightly.

The heat in Zhuo Zhi’s face intensified. She felt she had never been so embarrassed in her life.

Dong Xin paused and said, “President Li, they’re here.”

Li Qinyue glanced up, “Hmm.”

An Qi stepped forward and said sweetly, “Hello, President Li, my name is An Qi.”

Then she looked at Zhuo Zhi and, although she didn’t meet her gaze, she nodded and said, “Hello, nice to meet you.”

Just as Zhang Baobei was about to follow suit, Li Qinyue raised her hand and said, “Let’s begin.”

“Okay,” An Qi immediately smiled, “I’ll go first. ’12 New Stars’ is a girl group talent show, so I’ve been practicing singing and dancing recently.”

Li Qinyue nudged Zhuo Zhi, “Pay attention.”

Zhuo Zhi looked up and saw everyone’s eyes on her.

Feeling awkward and unsure what to say, she decided to smile.

So, in the eyes of Dong Xin, An Qi, Apple, and Zhang Baobei, the boss’s new lover gave them a stiff, forced, and unhappy smile.

Was this… hostility?

Dong Xin quickly handed over the evaluation forms, “President Li, I’ll leave you to it then.”

And then he quickly made his escape.

An Qi stared at the evaluation forms. Li Qinyue pushed them towards Zhuo Zhi.

As if a new exam subject had suddenly been added, Zhuo Zhi frowned and carefully examined the forms.

An Qi looked at this young judge, her mind racing, and changed her song at the last minute.

The kind of idol that girls of this age group liked was that popular boy band.

An Qi cleared her throat, chose the boy band’s latest hit song, and started singing acapella while dancing.

It was a little off-key, but that didn’t matter, as long as she imitated the boy band’s expressions.

Her steps were a little messy, but that didn’t matter, as long as she kept making eye contact with the judge.

She couldn’t attract the boss’s attention, but that didn’t matter, because the girl sitting on the boss’s lap had already started marking the evaluation form.

Go, An Qi! Unleash your most charming self on that girl!

Before this girl named An Qi started her performance, Zhuo Zhi still had some doubts about Li Qinyue’s words, that these people had ulterior motives towards her.

But when the performance started, An Qi’s gaze was glued to Zhuo Zhi. She kept raising her eyebrows, smirking, drawing circles in the air, and pretending to shoot at her chest, her expression fierce, as if Zhuo Zhi had stolen two barrels of oil from her.

At that moment, Zhuo Zhi understood that Li Qinyue was indeed right.

An Qi resented Zhuo Zhi, because Zhuo Zhi was occupying the spot in Li Qinyue’s lap, shattering her hopes of gaining benefits through improper means. So now, she wanted to eat Zhuo Zhi alive.

Faced with this imaginary hostility, expressed through singing and dancing, something Zhuo Zhi was completely unfamiliar with, she felt helpless, enduring it with embarrassment, her legs starting to tremble.

This was truly an ultimate horse stance training, testing not only her physical strength but also her mental endurance.

An Qi danced and sang the entire song for three minutes before stopping.

She looked at Zhuo Zhi, covered in sweat, bowed slightly, her eyes full of meaning. Zhuo Zhi only glanced at her before quickly looking away.

Li Qinyue completely ignored what was happening. Zhuo Zhi, wanting to end this quickly, raised her hand and said, “Next.”

Apple smiled, full of disdain for An Qi. She looked up at Zhuo Zhi and said, “I am who I am. I won’t cater to any standards, and I won’t give up after a single failure.”

Zhuo Zhi: “!” She still wouldn’t give up even after getting a girlfriend?

“I will defeat any enemy who stands in my way,” Apple stared at Zhuo Zhi, “Even if it means bloodshed.”

Zhuo Zhi: “!!” So straightforward? Was she challenging her to a fight?!

Apple: “Singing has always been my forte. Today, I’m going to sing ‘Bloody Love Story’.”

Zhuo Zhi: “…” Indeed very straightforward, was this a threat?

Apple started singing, “All the sweetness you’ve tasted are fruits of loneliness, they are pieces of me, ripped from my heart…”

Zhuo Zhi: Okay, I get it, it’s a threat.

Apple’s voice was powerful, her high notes clear. As she sang the chorus, she stared at Zhuo Zhi, her voice hoarse and resolute, “Let me follow your every move, let me write a horror story for you, who’s suspicious, who’s pitiful, who’s innocent, who’s surviving, I’ve already seen the ending…”

Zhuo Zhi couldn’t hold her horse stance any longer.

She pushed Li Qinyue’s hand away and jumped off her lap, earning a glare from Li Qinyue.

Zhuo Zhi hopped to the side, stretching her limbs. Apple gave her a wicked smile, which, paired with the lyrics and the song, made Zhuo Zhi’s hair stand on end.

It was easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow shot from the dark. This shield was really too difficult to be.

Zhang Baobei, who had been standing at the side, watched as Apple’s song managed to make the judge stand up in excitement. She inwardly cursed.

She wasn’t as good a singer as Apple, nor as good a dancer as An Qi. If she couldn’t highlight her uniqueness at this time, she would have no hope of winning.

So, after Apple finished her song, she suddenly ran to the judge and stared at this young, crucial girl who had appeared out of nowhere, “My biggest advantage is my face.”

She pointed at her face, “Whether male or female, no one can resist a pretty face. Beauty is my most powerful weapon.”

Zhuo Zhi’s eyes widened. Faced with increasingly blatant provocations, she decided to fight back.

“You…” she paused and pointed at Li Qinyue, “You’re not as pretty as President Li.”

Zhang Baobei froze. Li Qinyue, suddenly called out, turned to Zhuo Zhi and smiled.

Looking at that ambiguous, deadly smile, Zhang Baobei panicked and hurriedly said, “Of course I can’t compare to President Li, and I don’t need to compare to her.”

Zhuo Zhi thought for a moment, she was right. Li Qinyue’s standards for a partner might not be someone prettier than herself.

There was no need to compare with Li Qinyue. The most important thing was to compare with her, Zhuo Zhi.

Zhuo Zhi looked at Zhang Baobei, carefully observing her features, comparing them with her own.

Then, she said calmly, “From my personal aesthetic point of view, each of your facial features is prettier than mine, but together, they don’t look as harmonious as mine.”

Zhuo Zhi took a step back, confirming her judgment, and repeated, “Yes, not as harmonious as mine.”

Zhang Baobei was completely stunned. She didn’t understand why the boss’s new lover would compare her face with hers. The only explanation she could think of was that this person was also going to participate in “12 New Stars.”

That would also explain why the usually hands-off boss suddenly came to the company to watch the audition videos, why she brought her new lover along, and even handed over the decision-making power to her.

This wasn’t a talent showcase, it was a surprise attack. Faced with this powerful enemy with connections, they had walked right into a trap, sending themselves to the guillotine.

Zhang Baobei looked at An Qi and Apple. These former rivals were now in the same boat.

An Qi frowned, while Apple still seemed confused.

Li Qinyue looked at them and suddenly laughed, a sound that wasn’t exactly joyful.

“Hehe,” she said to Zhuo Zhi, “You’re also fairer than her, more appealing.”

Zhang Baobei’s face turned ashen, and Apple finally understood.

The three of them now shared the same look as they turned to Zhuo Zhi, finally realizing the truth.

Zhuo Zhi coughed slightly, hoping that Li Qinyue would restrain herself and stop attracting hatred towards her.

But Li Qinyue never did what Zhuo Zhi wanted. This person, usually indifferent and unconcerned with such matters, suddenly stood up and walked towards Zhuo Zhi.

Zhuo Zhi stepped aside, but she couldn’t dodge.

Li Qinyue’s hand reached out and landed on Zhuo Zhi’s shoulder, a gesture and a smile full of intimacy, her voice full of flattery, “How did you manage to stay so fair after running around all over the place? It’s really enviable.”

An Qi, Apple, Zhang Baobei: “!”

Their envy had been discovered!

Li Qinyue: “Sometimes I really want to hide you away, not letting anyone see you, just keeping you to myself. But you’re so good, more people should see you, so they can know what kind of treasure I have.”

An Qi, Apple, Zhang Baobei: “!!”

So she really is going to compete with us on “12 New Stars”!

Zhuo Zhi looked at Li Qinyue, goosebumps rising and falling on her skin. She truly admired Li Qinyue’s acting skills, wondering how she could say such cheesy things in front of so many people without blushing or feeling embarrassed.

Li Qinyue squeezed her shoulder, “What should I do?”

The implication was clear. Zhuo Zhi remembered their agreement. She had to play along at times like this. So she quickly cleared her throat and replied, “There’s no need for too many people to see you, just the necessary people.”

She also expressed her own opinion, hoping that Li Qinyue understood that the fewer occasions she had to act as her fake girlfriend, the better.

An Qi, Apple, Zhang Baobei: “!!!”

What did she mean? She rejected the debut opportunity offered by her wealthy and influential backer?!

After seeing all of them, she decided that it was more important to win the boss’s heart than to compete with them for a debut?!

Should they despise her lack of ambition and shortsightedness, or should they envy her carefree attitude?!

And! The conversation between these two was so exaggerated and dramatic, like a cheesy idol drama!!!

Was this really the type that domineering CEOs liked?!

Li Qinyue saw the changing expressions on the faces of the three girls standing at the side and was overjoyed.

She really wanted to share this moment of joy with Zhuo Zhi, so she tugged at the evaluation form in her hand and asked, “How’s the evaluation going?”

Zhuo Zhi froze for a moment and quickly said, “Almost done.”

She scribbled on the form for a while and then handed it to Li Qinyue, “My personal opinion.”

“Hmm.” Li Qinyue looked at the three girls, “Thank you for your hard work, I’ll hand the evaluation forms to President Chen.”

“Thank you, President Li.” The three of them bowed and left the office.

Not far away, they heard laughter and the sound of furniture scraping against the floor from the office. They all rolled their eyes, expressing their shock and disdain for the frivolous rich second-generation boss and her new lover’s office play.

They weren’t sure how today’s visit would affect the audition results, but one thing was certain: they had glimpsed into the boss’s private life and gotten some fresh gossip.

The three of them quickly parted ways, taking out their phones to share the latest news with their own circles.

• Hey, hey, guess what, that little President Li is into girls! Girls!

• She likes the pure type, the kind that doesn’t even wear makeup!

• But they have to be stubborn and dramatic, ‘I don’t want money or fame, I only want you!’

• A domineering CEO and her innocent little flower, please, all of you who are planning to cling to a sugar daddy, learn from this, learn!!

Zhuo Zhi, however, wasn’t aware of any of this. She didn’t have time to think about how much of a stir her fake girlfriend performance had caused. All her energy for understanding the inner world of adults and city people was focused on Li Qinyue.

For example, this person was a party animal. Now, she was probably excited about something, because she wrapped her arms around Zhuo Zhi’s waist, lifted her up, and started spinning.

Zhuo Zhi’s legs flailed, hitting the table and kicking the chairs, her cries of protest going unheeded.

Li Qinyue laughed. One spin wasn’t enough, she wanted another.

Zhuo Zhi brought her legs together, locking Li Qinyue’s legs in place, using her strength to stop them both from moving, finally making Li Qinyue settle down.

“Honey,” Li Qinyue looked at her, their faces so close they could feel each other’s breath, “You’re so fun, so interesting.”

Zhuo Zhi sighed, asking, “Sister Qinyue, you like me, right?”

“I like you,” Li Qinyue answered without hesitation.

“I still don’t understand a lot of things,” Zhuo Zhi said sincerely, “If you like me, please tease me less, play with me less, okay?”

“I’ll agree if you let me kiss you,” Li Qinyue looked at her, amused.

“You’re playing with me again!” Zhuo Zhi cried out in frustration. She tried to get down from Li Qinyue’s lap, but she was held tightly.

“I’m going to break your arm!” Zhuo Zhi threatened.

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“I wouldn’t dare, you’ll get hurt.”

“Let me hold you for a while.”

“Just for a while?”

“Just for a while.”