33. Chapter 33: The Male Star’s Handsome Bodyguard

Not being able to attend university due to family circumstances was Kong Lingxin’s greatest regret. Every time she passed a university campus, she couldn't help but linger for a few extra glances. Now that she had both the time and the opportunity, Kong Lingxin genuinely wanted to enroll in a short-term training course at a university. It would not only allow her to soak in the academic atmosphere and fulfill a long-held dream, but she could also learn something new.

Kong Lingxin paused for a moment, then looked at Meng Zexiao and asked, "Does that mean you will grant me whatever request I make?"

Meng Zexiao raised an eyebrow and replied, "Of course not. For instance, I would never agree to something like you dancing with Liu Hanyi."

The jealousy still lingered after all this time. Kong Lingxin rested her chin in one hand, watching him quietly as she said, "I want to go back to school to learn something."

Meng Zexiao looked at her in utter disbelief. "What did you say?"

"I said, I want to go back to school and learn something."

"What do you want to study?"

"I haven't decided yet. Do you have any suggestions?"

Meng Zexiao finished the fried egg on his plate, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and stared at Kong Lingxin for a long moment before saying, "That is a very strange idea; I need some time to digest it. Alright, I’m off to work. Why don't you head to the study, read some books, or practice calligraphy? When I get off work, I’ll take you out."

Kong Lingxin’s heart grew cold. Was this what life as a wealthy socialite was all about? The breakfast was already not to her taste, and now her wish to study had been brushed aside. She glanced at Meng Zexiao without a word, stood up, left the dining room for the living room, and picked up the remote to flip aimlessly through the channels.

The television was showing an entertainment news segment about a top-tier actor named Huang Xiaoyong appearing at a promotional event, doting on his fiancée. However, the couple was completely overshadowed by a handsome security guard standing beside Huang Xiaoyong who was a head taller than him. The commentary quipped, "Is this bodyguard trying to get fired by being so tall and handsome that he steals his boss’s spotlight?"

The brief footage on the screen sent ripples through Kong Lingxin’s calm heart. Five years. Five whole years. The face that had haunted her dreams had appeared before her eyes in such an unexpected way.

Meng Zexiao noticed the way Kong Lingxin had suddenly drifted into her memories, then glanced at the entertainment news on the screen. With a note of disdain, he remarked, "With such an outstanding husband right here, why are you chasing after celebrities?"

Kong Lingxin realized her expression had betrayed her. *If it weren't for your lucky birth,* she thought to herself, *who knows where you’d be, Meng Zexiao.*

"They say you become like those you associate with. Being with you for so long has turned me into a visual-oriented creature. You love looking at beautiful women, so what’s wrong with me taking a few extra looks at a handsome man?" There was a stubborn glint in her eyes.

Meng Zexiao leaned into her face and said in a commanding tone, "We are in a relationship now. There is no room for sand in the eyes of lovers. Don't go creating imaginary rivals for me, or I’ll make sure that actor can no longer work in the entertainment industry."

Kong Lingxin knew he wasn't exaggerating. He had the power to ruin Bai Tingting’s reputation and drive her to the point of violence; making an actor lose his career would be effortless for him.

Fortunately, Meng Zexiao didn't realize that her interest was actually in the bodyguard, not the star.

Believing he had everything under control—since Kong Lingxin was no longer fighting him at every turn as she had in previous days—Meng Zexiao brazenly stole a kiss and left for work.

True to the spirit of their contract, Kong Lingxin walked him to the door. Once she watched his car disappear from sight, she hurried back to the study, opened her computer, and searched for the text version of the news she had just seen.

Just as she expected, the major entertainment portals featured the story prominently, complete with photos of the actor’s eye-catching bodyguard.

Kong Lingxin couldn't help but reach out to touch the magnified photo. Back in her youth, when her heart first began to stir, this face had taken up residence in her soul.

Five years ago, while Kong Lingxin was studying to be a preschool teacher in the provincial capital, she would often take shifts at a supermarket to cover her living expenses and ease the burden on her mother. She would stand for ten hours at a time, from the moment the store opened until half an hour before it closed at night.

One evening, as she was walking back to school, exhausted, she was targeted by a group of drunken hooligans. At that critical moment, a brave, fearless shout rang out through the night, a voice she could still clearly remember today: "Stop!"

The thugs turned around to see a lone man standing there empty-handed. After a burst of mocking laughter, they pointed at him, sneering, "Oh, trying to play the hero? Fine, we’ll grant your wish!"

With that, they charged at him, intent on beating their "hero" to a pulp.

Kong Lingxin, slowly recovering from her terror, screamed, "Stop! Please, stop! Help! Someone, help!"

Seconds ticked by, and the scene before her defied all expectations. The thugs were knocked down one by one. It was one against five, yet the outnumbered man was decimating them.

After dealing with the thugs, the "hero" walked over to Kong Lingxin and asked, "Are you alright?"

Only under the dim streetlights did she clearly see his young, handsome face—the deep contours, the dark eyes, his sturdy, tall physique. Combined with his heroic act, Kong Lingxin was instantly captivated by this remarkably skilled and handsome man.

He reached out to help her up from where she had been huddled on the ground and said, "My name is Gu Yiming. Why are you out alone so late? It’s very dangerous; girls should try to avoid going out alone at night."

At sixteen, standing beside a man who made her feel so safe, Kong Lingxin’s heart fluttered. That night, she learned what it felt like to truly like someone—her heart raced, and her breath quickened.

As Gu Yiming walked her back to school, Kong Lingxin learned that his impressive skills came from his job as an instructor at a martial arts school. Given what had just happened, he suggested that if she had the time, she should enroll in a self-defense class there so she could stay safe if she ever found herself in such a situation again.

Thinking that learning martial arts would not only protect her but also allow her to be closer to her savior, Kong Lingxin used her first paycheck from the supermarket to sign up for a class at his school.

And so, Gu Yiming became her instructor. Three months into her training, another coach suddenly took over her class. According to him, Gu Yiming had to return to his hometown to deal with an urgent family matter.

However, by the time Kong Lingxin graduated from the preschool teacher program, Gu Yiming had never returned to the martial arts school.