Beauty and the Bodyguard

Mengyao was angry. _Very_ angry. This Lin Yi was simply too much!! What did he think he was doing, holding Tang Yin’s hand as he announced publicly, in school no less, that she was his woman?! Was he not concerned at all about her, did he perhaps forget that he had a Miss??? Wasn’t he her shield and follower?!!

Tang Yin was her woman? What would that make her, then? How was he supposed to be her shield now? Maybe she could tell everyone that she was a concubine of Lin Yi’s?!!

“Are you jealous, Yao Yao? Why are you this angry?” Yushu said as she waved her hand in front of Yao Yao’s face.

“Jealous? Me? I’m angry because he’s not being a proper follower! He’s supposed to be my shield, but there he goes hitting on girls!! How’s he supposed to be my shield now!!” Mengyao, naturally, wouldn’t think that she was jealous- why would she ever get jealous for Lin Yi? Was that even possible at all?

“Oh, it’s fine, isn’t it? You can say you’re his concubine! His second wife, you know?” Yushu suggested.

“Concubine? Shu, are you telling me to be his concubine????” Mengyao’s eyes were flared open as she stared at Yushu- was she trying to console her or just piss her off best she could?

“What’s wrong with that? What’s wrong with being a concubine? I’ve always been prepared to be the second wife, right after you, but things aren’t that different- now you’ll be concubine number one and I’ll be concubine number two!” Yushu said casually.

“You…… Shu, I don’t know what to say to you anymore- what’s wrong with you? You think it’s fun playing concubine or something?” Mengyao was speechless- her soulmate’s thought process simply wasn’t normal. She decided to not talk to her when in a bad mood from now on- she’d just piss her off even more, piss her off to death even.

“Hmm.. Yeah, I think it’s pretty fun.” Yushu said as she flipped a page on the english textbook in front of her, bored. “Yao Yao, there’s still a test in the afternoon- I’m gonna study first.”

“.........” Mengyao remembered the upcoming English test as well, and had no choice but to pull her own textbook out- but Lin Yi wasn’t off the hook yet. She had to talk to him about this later, the guy was getting out of control! She’d tell him that if he were to go on like this, then… then she’d cut his salary!

Mengyao realized at that moment that the only thing she had on Lin Yi was his salary- what a tragedy.

She got even more pissed off when Lin Yi texted her when school ended- the guy had the nerve to say he had something to do tonight, that he’d be getting home late!!

Mengyao flamed up instantly. “Shu! Look at this Lin Yi, he said he’s coming home late! You think he’s going on a date with Tang Yin??”

“Should be the case! Yao Yao.” Yushu was a girl who constantly seeked chaos.

Mengyao gritted her teeth as he sent a text back to Lin Yi. “You come back late and I’ll cut your salary for a month!!”

Lin Yi, on the other hand, had a bit of a headache as he looked at the text message. Cutting his salary for a month for coming back late? Wasn’t that a little absurd? He smiled bitterly as he dialed Mengyao’s number.

“What is it?” Mengyao said icily.

“Miss, I really do have something to do tonight.” Lin Yi didn’t know where this was all coming from- what was up with Mengyao?

“Something to do? Going on a date with Tang Yin?” Mengyao responded with a question. “Lin Yi, will you please think of our image? You’re my shield! If you really have to hit on girls then could you please do it in secret? Don’t announce it!! Now everyone knows about you and Tang Yin, how am I gonna use you for my shield now?”

Lin Yi paused as he understood what was going on- so this was what upset the Miss!

“Yao Yao, It’s not a date- I’m just doing a friend a favor.” Lin Yi explained.

“What friend? What favor?” Mengyao asked.

“It’s that Sun Jingyi I met in the bar that day, she asked me to do something for her. There’s compensation.” Lin Yi made sure to mention the word ‘compensation’, lest Mengyao think he was hitting on girls again.

“I don’t care if there’s compensation, just as long these girls don’t walk up to our doorstep!!” Mengyao didn’t really want to let Lin Yi go to Jingyi, but didn’t have a good enough excuse to stop him with. What was she even getting upset over? Could it perhaps be… Yes, that had to be it- these women would ruin everything, Lin Yi wouldn’t be able to act as her shield anymore if things got out of hand! That had to be it. It’d be fine as long as none of these women showed up at school, he could go and do whatever it was he wanted then!

With that, Mengyao hung the phone up. Lin Yi shook his head as he pulled the phone away from his ear- was this a ‘yes you can go’ or ‘no’ from Mengyao? Was his salary still safe, even?

Lin Yi went to the food street behind the school and saw Tang Yin, who had come to help her mother out- she probably wasn’t really needed at the hospital anymore, with Xiaobo and Xinwen there to look after Fen.

Tang Yin jumped in surprise upon seeing Lin Yi, feeling a mixture of shyness, panic, and joy.

The news about them had spread throughout pretty much the entire school already, but for some reason she wasn’t as mad as she had been towards the ‘love letter’ incident from last time…

After all, that incident was a rumor, while this one had truth to it… Tang Yin thought that it was probably the case… But was it really like that..?

Tang Yin shook her head, clearing her thoughts. She didn’t reject Lin Yi from her heart anymore… Quite the contrary, there was this excitement and throbbing she always felt, feelings that came from nowhere whenever she would spend time with Lin Yi. Could she really be in love at this young an age??

“Wh… What are you doing here…..” Tang Yin lowered her head, too shy to meet Lin Yi’s eyes.

“I’m waiting for someone- a friend asked me for help.” Lin Yi paused. “And to visit you while I wait.”

Tang Yin was feeling a bit disappointed at what Lin Yi was saying at first, thinking that the guy hadn’t come to see her… But the second part was like honey- it filled her heart with sweetness…

“Oh……” Tang Yin blushed, feeling really complicated at this point- was she really just going to fall for him like this? Just like this?? _No……………_

“Business looks pretty busy for you guys… You could hire a helper if the work load’s too much.” Lin Yi suggested as he looked at Mrs. Tang’s stall- it was surrounded by students.

“Yeah… Mom said so too, that we’d have to hire someone if it’s this busy…” Tang Yin felt thankful to Lin Yi- business wouldn’t be this good if it weren’t for him. She remembered her relationship with him, and wondered if it counted as a repayment in disguise… Tang Yin dared not think about it anymore- it was getting too confusing. “I’m… gonna go help my mom then…….”

With that, Tang Yin ran off.

Lin Yi’s eyes looked distant as he watched Tang Yin’s figure fade away… A life like this was… so good.

But he was faced with those piercing, resentful eyes every time he closed his…

Was he just too reckless back then? Because he was young, hot-blooded? Or was it… his lack of confidence, because of the kind of family he’d come from? Or was it he days of gunfire and blood, days he didn’t know the end to?

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