Chapter 138
AU: The Heiress and The Bodyguard Part 4
“Shijie…”
“Shijie.”
“Wakako!”
Only when her name was called did Wakako snap out of her daze, meeting Lin Lin’s disapproving eyes.
“Weren’t you hungry? Hurry up and eat your breakfast. We need to go in.”
But… Wakako looked down at the sandwich in her hands. Despite her rumbling stomach, she felt reluctant to eat it.
This was from Miss Miki… Why would she remember the name of a lowly bodyguard like me? And how did she even guess I was hungry enough to need it?
Wakako couldn’t understand it, but she felt a surge of happiness, unconsciously breaking into a sweet, silly smile.
Lin Lin checked the time and clicked her tongue. “The meeting’s about to start. If you don’t eat now, we’ll be late. How do you think Miss Miki would feel about that?”
Her tactic worked. The name “Miki” was more effective than anything else. Wakako, who’d been cradling the sandwich like a precious treasure, immediately swallowed it whole without even chewing.
Delicious! Everything from Miki tastes amazing…
Five minutes before the meeting, as they were about to enter the conference room, Miki’s assistant peeked around the corridor corner and beckoned them over.
“Is something wrong?”
“Not really, just wanted to ask, didn’t the maids prepare breakfast for you?”
Wakako blushed, shaking her head, “No, it’s just… I have a much bigger appetite than most, so I wasn’t quite full…”
“Oh, I see.” The assistant nodded. “If that happens again, just let the butler know. We hired you to protect Miss Miki, not to starve. Don’t hesitate to make reasonable requests.”
They thanked the thoughtful assistant.
However, the assistant seemed to have more to say, studying Wakako intently before asking carefully: “Miss Wakako, did you… know Miss Miki before?”
“No.” Wakako shook her head in confusion.
How could she possibly know a wealthy heiress like Miss Miki?
The assistant’s expression grew strange. Having worked closely with Miki for years, she was familiar with her personality. Miki never wasted her energy remembering unimportant details. Yet, not only had she called a bodyguard by name, but she had also gone out of her way to give her breakfast.
Just yesterday, she’d even considered firing them…
Of course, the assistant say this aloud. The assistant just smiled and patted her: “For Miss Miki to remember your name means she values you. Well, it’s time – come with me.”
Lin Lin walked ahead of Wakako, trying to shield her shijie’s beaming smile with her body.
… Her grin was practically splitting her face.
Could you control yourself a little, stupid Wakako!
…
The long conference table was filled with company executives and visiting guests. Miss Miki sat at the head of the table.
Dressed once again in her signature white, this time with a shawl draped over her shoulders, she exuded elegance. She was strikingly beautiful, even among the crowd.
Wakako and Lin Lin sat in the corner, wearing well-fitting suits and sunglasses, looking impeccably professional.
Young women dressed like bodyguuards. Is this the decline of society or just the cruelty of the world? Lin Lin stared at their reflection in the tiled floor, feeling a pang of sadness.
But then she remembered how many zeros were in their payment and quickly felt better.
But thinking about the number of zeros in their paycheck quickly dispelled her gloom.
However, after waiting a while, Lin Lin got no response from Wakako. Following her gaze, sure enough – she was staring at Miss Miki again.
Lin Lin sighed again. Yes, Miss Miki was uniquely beautiful, but did she need to be this obsessed? Her eyes were practically glued to her. Good thing the sunglasses hid it from others.
Wakako had completely forgotten about Lin Lin.
She just stared, intensely, at Miki.
— Why did Miss Miki remember my name and give me food? Could she feel the same way I do, like we’ve known each other in a past life? Could she have fallen for me at first si-
THUNK.
Miki’s hand trembled, nearly dropping her cup before setting it down hard on the table.
The executive speaking thought they’d said something wrong and anxiously stopped, waiting for the young heiress to speak. After a moment, she simply said “Continue.”
The sound of the glass hitting the table broke Wakako’s train of thought. She shook her head dejectedly.
— What am I even thinking? Miss Miki has seen all sorts of people, why would she be interested in a lowly bodyguard like me?
— Miss Miki just dropped her glass. I thought she was angry. But with her composure, she wouldn’t lose her composure in front of so many people.
— But just imagining her icy expression makes my heart race!
— If one day she lost her patience with me and threw a whole glass of water in my face, I wouldn’t even complain… Waaah, Miss Miki, please be mean to me…
Suddenly, the room fell silent.
Everyone noticed the sudden shift in Shenzake’s expression. Her face had grown cold, her gaze like ice daggers.
The executive who had been speaking realized his mistake, assuming Miki’s displeasure was directed at him. He quickly stood up and apologized, “I’m sorry, Miss! What I meant was…”
He hastily rephrased his statement, but Miki wasn’t listening.
She just kept her head down, secretly glancing at the corner where the supposedly attentive bodyguard sat.
For over twenty years, Miki had learned to filter out irrelevant thoughts, just as she was doing now with the dozens of executives in the room.
But that dimpled girl… every thought seemed to burrow its way into her ears…
Love at first sight? Having water thrown in her face? What was going on in that girl’s head?
Miki felt a throbbing in her temples, even regretting giving her breakfast. Why was this girl disrupting her concentration?
Yet the girl’s thoughts continued.
— Ah, just like that, her icy expression is so beautiful… Pant, pant… Slurp, slurp… Miss Miki, can I be your dog? QAQ
Why would anyone want to be a dog?
What was wrong with her?!
Miki felt her patience reaching its limit. She abruptly called for a ten-minute break.
Wakako can’t stay here. Her every thought is wrecking my concentration. This meeting will be a disaster if this keeps up.
Miki took a breath, about to call her assistant, when she heard a faint sound above. She looked up, puzzled.
Above hung an enormous crystal chandelier, specially designed to be several people wide to showcase the room’s grandeur.
Miki quickly realized something was wrong, but her body couldn’t react fast enough. The next moment, the chandelier came crashing down!
The assistant screamed: “Miss!”
Panic broke out among the executives, many of whom were also in the chandelier’s path. They scattered in every direction, too focused on their own safety to think about Miki’s.
As the enormous shadow descended, Miki instinctively raised her arms to shield her head. Just when she thought the impact was inevitable, she felt herself pulled into a warm embrace.
What…?
Miki’s eyes flew open.
She saw the girl named Wakako.
The other, younger girl, Lin Lin, also reacted quickly, catching a large portion of the chandelier with her bare hands, preventing it from hurting anyone.
Except Wakako.
Because she’d used her whole body to protect Miki, Wakako had been struck by a corner of the chandelier. It tore through her suit, leaving a bloody gash across her back and leg.
Despite the injury, Miki could see the girl’s lips curved in a smile, showing those round dimples, seeming to smile as she held her.
Wakako’s heart pounded in her chest, drowning out all other sounds.
They were so close she could almost smell the faint fragrance in Miss Miki’s hair. Cherry? It was a delicate, sweet aroma that perfectly matched her personality.
Wakako wanted to breathe in more but felt too shy to even meet her eyes, so she lowered her head.
She spoke her first words to Miki since they’d met: “Are you alright, Miss?”
Miki knew she wasn’t hurt.
Not even a hair out of place.
Before Miki could respond, she merely nodded.
The next moment, Wakako sighed in relief, quickly releasing her and stepping back, “I’m glad you’re safe.”
But Miki clearly heard her thoughts, which said something entirely different.
— I wish I could hold her in my arms just a little longer…
