CHAPTER #9

Even though he was still angry with his father, the payment he got for being a bodyguard was larger than expected. The money he saved, so he could move out and live by himself in the near future. Dealing with his father's infidelity and keeping the secret from his mother and brother, made life a little hard at home. Qihe couldn't relax.

His bodyguard services weren't needed for Yǔxī again, until later that month. His orders were to watch out for retaliation from 14K, while she went out after school with her friends. Her school uniform remind him a little bit of Sailor Moon. Yǔxī smiled and did the hand movements that went with being Sailor Moon.

"For halloween last year I was Sailor Mars, so it's funny that you said that. Here come my friends."

"You didn't tell us that Mafia Boy Qihe was coming with you!"

"Wow, you're much more handsome in person, than in those cat food commercials I've seen."

Yǔxī put a possessive hand on his arm. "The twins have done modelling too, I'm sure you've all drooled over those pictures."

"Do you act in dramas like Lu He does?" A girl with a short boyish bob, asked.

"No, just commercials and modelling. I'm too busy for more than that."

"What, playing e-sports?" The red-haired girl asked snidely.

"I do play, but I'm between teams right now. My time is taken mostly working security or being a bodyguard. That's how I met Yǔxī."

"Aren't you too young to be working as security or whatever?"

He shrugged, pinning the girl who was questioning him, with his eyes. She looked away first, so he didn't answer. "So where are we off to Yǔxī?" He asked, leading the attention back to their friend.

"Karaoke! But don't worry, I won't make you sing with us."

"Any of your boyfriends joining us?" Qihe asked the other girls.

They giggled and only one girl answered. "They don't have boyfriends, but I do. He'll come get me in an hour or so. He hates karaoke."

They gossiped about boys for a while, then got on a bus to get to the karaoke location. When the bus jolted, Qihe protectively put his arm around Yǔxī's waist, so she didn't fall. He kept it there for the remainder of the ride, because she leaned her back against his front. Was he playing her boyfriend again? She hadn't requested that, so maybe she just took comfort from his presence. It could be that Yǔxī was still anxious from her kidnapping experience earlier that month.

On arrival at the karaoke place, he paid for two hours in a karaoke room. The girls then purchased drinks and food. They chose songs and then got to the singing. Most of them were decent, but Yǔxī and her closest friend were the best singers. He caught both trying to impress him and thought it was sweet. He normally wasn't interested in this type of girl, but he did admit they were super cute. Their flirting was a little more childish than what girls normally did around him, but it wasn't a total turn off. Still he was on the job, so he couldn't react to any of it.

Close to the end of the two hours, Yǔxī got a call and motioned for Qihe to follow her out the door. "The driver had to park down the street a little, can you walk me to the car?"

"Sure, have you said your good-byes?"

"Give me a minute." She darted back into the room and then emerged with her little purse. "All set."

They walked out together, but he was in front of her. She came up and tapped his shoulder. Stopping he turned around. Yǔxī motioned him closer. He leaned down, so his head was nearer to her. She kissed his forehead.

Qihe reminded, "I'm just a bodyguard."

Her smile fell and she turned away, walking towards where the car was parked. He grabbed her wrist and spun her to face him, pulling her to his chest. Putting his face against her ear, he said through his mask, "I'm not a bodyguard from now on."

Happily she hugged him, arms around his neck. He held her against him with one arm. They could date, it wasn't against the rules. Her father already approved of him, especially because no extra men were needed to protect her, when Qihe was around. Taking her hand in his, they finished walking to the waiting car. To be sure, he opened the front passenger seat door to confirm he recognized the driver.

"It's safe, he's from your security team."

"I'll call you when I get home."

He wasn't surprised when on Monday he saw her outside of his school gates. She went to a private school, which meant the driver had picked her up and took her straight to Qihe's school.

"Did you wait long?"

"No, can we go for a walk in the park? I'll send the driver away, so we have some privacy."

"Sure, let's get snacks first."

They walked hand in hand to a convenience store and got a variety of snacks and a few drinks. He paid for it all, even though she protested. As he held his cash out of her reach, she noticed his hands.

"Who were you fighting?"

After paying, he answered. "Sometimes people need reminders why I am the Boss in this district."

"Oh, I really thought it was just because of me that you fought."

He opened a popsicle pack and gave her half. "It's chocolate fudge."

"But you don't eat sweet things."

"I do sometimes," Qihe winked at her.

"I like this… it being just the two of us."

They walked in the park and stopped by a bench under a big tree. He cleaned off the bench seat, before they sat down. Qihe had finished his popsicle and opened a bag of chips. She struggled with the tab on the pop can and so he helped her with that too. Yǔxī kissed his cheek, where the mask didn't cover. In response, he put his arm around her shoulders.

"Are you in your final year of junior secondary school at the start of September?"

"Yes."

"So you're the same as me. Will your twin brother go to the same school?"

"Lu He will be at the same school we are at right now. Once we start senior secondary school, he'll be at one place and I'll go to another school." He could see she was about to ask why and added, "I like to fight, he hates that I do it. Easier for us to be at different schools."

"That makes sense. Dad said we're moving again, because of his work. That means I won't be around here soon."

"Will you miss your friends?"

"Not really, because the girls from school are sometimes a bit gossipy. My best friend and I will stay in touch with video calls. The Qi Lolita girls are all over, so I can make new friends anywhere." She wiped her mouth and confessed, "I'll miss you though. I'm not scared to go out, when you're with me and it's like we've been friends forever."

What she said, was one of his hidden talents. He'd never had a problem making connections with girls. Taking off his mask, since the park was empty, Qihe captured her chin in one hand and guided her face closer. Tilting his head to the side, his lips made gentle contact. Her mouth opened in surprise and he took advantage of that moment, slipping his tongue in to caress hers. She wasn't skilled in kissing and probably was a virgin too, but that didn't surprise him. It wasn't a long kiss and then he pulled back.

"That is to make sure you don't forget me."

"You're the first guy to ever kiss me, so I'll remember this forever."

He nodded and gently suggested, "next kiss close your eyes when I'm about to make contact and breath normally."

"O-Oh!" She stuttered in a higher pitched voice than normal. Embarrassed she hid her face in her hands.

"Your inexperience matches how cute you are, especially because you're a Qi Lolita. Don't be embarrassed."

He removed her hands and waited until she finished her pop. Then returned to kissing her. It was convenient for him, that she was moving away. He preferred to be single at the start of each semester, just to keep his options open.