Chapter 11 - The Stalker
TL Note: The romance starts~~~~
Returning to the villa district, Shen Ming did not even bother to wait for the car to stop before jumping out and impatiently opening the room door. Originally, he wanted to find Dream Jade, but when he entered the living room, he could only see Wu Neng on the couch, silently tasting red wine.
“I remember that you said that you were a professional bodyguard. Let me ask you, by letting your owner run away alone, can you still be considered a professional?” Wu Neng shook his gla.s.s of red wine.
“Sorry, this won’t happen again, where is Dream Jade?” Shen Ming could not refute Wu Neng. Like what Wu Neng said, the fault could only be blamed on Shen Ming himself.
“Will there even be a next time? Do you know how much trouble you caused? In Hong Kong, Liang Jun has many contacts. The managing company he is affiliated with was opened by a boss of the underworld. There was once a director that scolded him a little. That director had to go home with broken legs.
I don't expect you to bring Dream Jade any benefits, but could you at least not bring harm to her?” Wu Neng, in a single gulp, finished the wine in his gla.s.s.
“Have you already handled it?” Shen Ming understood, Wu Neng absolutely would not publicly denounce someone. A person like him would always quietly complete his tasks.
“That year when Dream Jade was deceived by Liang Jun, I had already gathered information about what he secretly does. This time, you have really frightened him, but with these pieces of information I have, today’s incident will never go to light.” Wu Neng softly sighed.
“Thanks, I owe you one. If there’s a chance, I will repay this favour.” Shen Ming continued, “Where is Dream Jade?”
“At the seaside.” Before Wu Neng had even finished speaking, Shen Ming had already rushed out the backdoor.
Dream Jade was sitting on the beach, hugging her legs. The high tide was soaking her toes, but she did not even move one bit. This evening’s sea breeze was very cooling. The sky was covered by the clouds, it was so dark that the stars could not be seen.
“Today you’re very tired. Why don't you go back and rest?” Shen Ming took off his jacket and put it on Dream Jade’s shoulder.
“Get lost, I don’t want to see you! Men are all beasts!” Dream Jade threw the jacket into the sea like throwing garbage, letting the seawater carry it to a distant place.
“I’m not.” Shen Ming quietly looked at the faraway jacket.
“Not a man? Or not a beast?!” Dream Jade was like a breaking dam, and yet Shen Ming wanted her to find fault with him. Anger, suffering, despair, all the negative emotions were just poured on him.
“Do you men even understand what love is? Your brain only understands l.u.s.t, just to sleep with a girl, you can fabricate all sorts of lies, make all sorts of promises. What ‘I have already divorced’, what ‘I will only love you alone’, what ‘Besides you I will never ever love anyone else’, what ‘For you I can die’! All lies!” Dream Jade tore off a big bracelet from her right wrist, and threw it at Shen Ming’s chest, exposing a sinister scar on her right wrist.
“It was obviously me that was hurt, but why must I be made into a mistress? It was obviously him that was lying, but why does the world make me the villain?
It’s obvious that you men will err, but do we women deserve being called a homewrecker?
I want to use my life to prove my innocence, what innocence does the entertainment industry have? All it has are warped values, and just for the sake of success, they can be shameless.” Dream Jade was crying so much it was as if she was trying to use her tears to create another ocean,”To satisfy your s.e.xual desire, you can say anything you want, you brutes! All of you are bru-…..!”
Before Dream Jade could finish talking, that man who was hard as steel, who was as stiff as wood, yet as warm as the sun, grabbed Dream Jade’s trembling shoulder... and kissed her tender lips.
Dream Jade had never met such a rude man. This guy had even skipped the process of using flowery words, and instead directly kissed her.
But the weird thing was, why didn’t she avoid it? Because he was courageous and strong? Or was it because his kiss was so gentle, like the honey for the heart, that temporarily covered up her suffering?
“Would a brute kiss you like this?” Only after sensing that the girl in front of him finally calmed down did Shen Ming return to his original stance.
“Why did you kiss me?" Dream Jade covered her mouth, her tears had yet to dry, but her face was dyed in red.
“Because you needed it. Your pent up emotions erupted at that moment. If not dealt with effectively, it could very likely end up in acute depression.”
“Animal! You’re even worse than a brute! At least other men are willing to spend time to fool people, you even save the time spent on fooling people!” Dream Jade’s fury, which was originally halted, flared up once again. Merely, this time it was all directed at Shen Ming. However, it was not nearly as intense as just now, where she looked like she was on the verge of a breakdown.
“I will never lie to you. When you need to vent, I’ll be your air bag[1]; When you need to eat, I’ll be your bean paste bun[1]; When you need to go on a long journey, I’ll be your travel pack[1]; Only when you encounter danger, only then am I your bodyguard.
I don’t need to care about whether or not you like me, after all, I’m more clear than you on what you need.
If you want to cry, then cry on my chest. Even in your most fragile moment, you still don’t have to worry about the world hurting you. Because there’s me, your full-time bodyguard.” Shen Ming always used that ‘even if the sky fell, he wouldn’t be fazed’ tone. So, moving words were also like workplace declarations. But Dream Jade still powerlessly fell into Shen Ming’s embrace.
[1] It’s a pun/poetry technique. All the words end with 包(bag), air bag for venting anger is obvious, the character for ‘bun’ is also bag, and pack also = 包’
“Why do you make me hate you so much? I clearly hate you so much, yet I can’t run away from you...” Dream Jade buried her face in Shen Ming’s bosom. This was the first time that she felt that there was such a trustworthy man...
Dream Jade was too tired and actually snuggled in Shen Ming’s embrace, sleeping with tears held back. Finally, it was Shen Ming who had to princess carry her back to the villa and placed her on the comfortable bed.
The second day, when Dream Jade woke up from her sleep, she saw the splendid sunlight outside the window, a cup of milk and a note on a cabinet next to the bed. The note said, “Drink it, maybe you can still grow taller.”
“A silly bodyguard is much more fun...” The black clouds in Dream Jade’s heart were dispersed last night, and she finished the gla.s.s of milk with a young lady’s happy smile.
Today was the third day that Shen Ming was following Dream Jade, and it was also the day where Wu Neng couldn’t tolerate it anymore. First thing in the morning, he gave Dream Jade strict orders. He rejected all the interviews, dance practices, fan club meetings on that day. They would only do one thing, which was deciding on the last song of the compet.i.tion.
Wu Neng purposely invited the country’s most famous composer for Dream Jade, even if she had to go 24 hours without sleeping, she had to completely study that song.
In order to avoid information about the song being disclosed, Wu Neng even chose to not hire a driver. Xiao Yi had no choice but to return to being a guest driver. Shen Ming still habitually sat in the first officer’s seat.
“Hey, add sugar into the milk next time. How am I supposed to drink such plain milk?” Dream Jade sitting behind said, trying to find fault with him..
“Got it.” Shen Ming replied with a smile.
“Let’s go.” Xiao Yi started up the nanny van and drove towards the destination.
During the journey, everyone was very busy. Wu Neng was busy calling the sponsors and confirming later events; Xiao Yi had never ever driven such a big car, so she didn’t dare to be distracted at all; Shen Ming was constantly paying attention to what was happening outside the car window, quietly; Dream Jade had a musical score and pencil in her hands, looking at Shen Ming who was sitting in front, while humming the song she had composed two years ago and writing brand new lyrics on the musical score.
She had never felt so good writing song lyrics. It was as if the characters were already in her brain, emerging and jumping on to the musical score.
But right as the nanny van was cruising along the coastal overpa.s.s, Shen Ming suddenly said,” Xiao Yi, decelerate to 30km/h”
“Is your head offline? This highway has a minimum speed of 60km/h, I’ll have my points deducted.” Xiao Yi said confusedly
“Listen to me, quickly decelerate.” Shen Ming’s tone of voice was firm. Xiao Yi didn’t ask anymore questions and slammed on the brakes, slowing down the car. The vehicles behind had to drive around the nanny van that was like a huge turtle. When the cars beside overtook, many drivers ‘amiably’ pointed the middle finger at Shen Ming, and the even ‘friendlier’ ones even gave their respects[2] to Shen Ming’s mother.
[2]: Basically, cursed at his mother.
But Shen Ming ignored all these gestures, and kept looking at the car behind using the rear mirrors.
“Hey, why are you driving slowly? We’re in a rush!” Wu Neng hung up his phone and said with anxiety.
“There’s a car behind us… It’s been following us since we left the .” Even though Shen Ming signaled to Xiao Yi to slow down, that car still followed suit and slowed down, there wasn’t the slightest sign of overtaking.
One must know that it was just a taxi. Time, to him, should be money, but he had never left or gave up from start to finish. What’s more, the licence plates on the front and back were blocked by CDs which covered up the last two numbers. This was a suicidal act that would cause 12 points to be deducted
“Xiao Yi, maintain this speed and wait for me to give the signal before accelerating.” Shen Ming said as he went through the coach to the seats at the back.
“Shen Ming what are planning on doing?” Xiao Yi bafflingly felt worried for Shen Ming.
“Getting rid of danger before it occurs. Don’t worry, it’s nothing.” Shen Ming grabbed the back door's handle and suddenly called out, “Go faster!”
Xiao Yi directly floored the gas pedal, and the huge nanny van shot forward like a horse that broke its leash, the speedometer rapidly went from 30 to 50. Naturally, that strange taxi also accelerated and caught up with the van.
Shen Ming suddenly opened the back car door and jumped out from the nanny van. Like superman, he stably landed on the taxi’s hood. The taxi’s iron cover was caved in by Shen Ming’s stomp, and the front of the taxi also sank in a bit. Bursts of sparks were created by the friction between the front b.u.mper and the ground, and the rear tire almost came out.
The vehicles that were pa.s.sing by thought that they were filming a movie. Only Shen Ming, who was grabbing the edge of the hood, fixed his eyes on the driver behind the windshield. That guy was wearing a skin mask, and the mask was unexpectedly of Dream Jade’s face.
Also, the accessory hanging from the rear view mirror was a toy figurine of Dream Jade, and the radio was playing Dream Jade’s song, 《Snow Buries Flower》, on loop.
“Stop right now.” Shen Ming waved his fist at the taxi’s windshield, and punched it. Who would’ve known that the driver’s reaction would be to accelerate, and suddenly break, throwing Shen Ming and the hood off the car. While sparks flew due to the inertia between the hood Shen Ming was stepping on and the floor, the taxi had already overtook other cars and sped away.
“Shen Ming!” Xiao Yi stopped the car and ran over.
“Your driving skills are not bad, you won’t have such good luck next time.” Shen Ming looked at the rapidly leaving car and said coldly.
…
TLed by: Sean, H0RR1BL3CPU
Edited by: SecondRate, Arch