Bonny Bodyguard: Work For Mr. Trouble

It was a cold, early summer night. The crescent moon shone faintly in the dark night sky, waiting to be devoured by the dark clouds.

A light wind blew across, and in the street, the lonely girl wrapped herself in her black leather coat. Her pink face, dripping with sadness, was hardly visible under the moonlight.

The wine red hair touched her waist, and lit the dark night around her.

The misty starlight revealed her beautiful lips and delicate porcelain skin.

But her eyes twinkled with sadness, and her little pouted mouth was full of regret and displeasure.

"Argh!" She let out a helpless shout into the dark lonely night.

His helpless shout echoed in the quiet night sky. The small stone lying on the ground was kicked away by her.

"Damn it! All I had to do was be cold and aloof, but instead, I made myself look like a rowdy woman with no manners!"

She stared at the crescent moon in the sky with watery eyes. He would have had such a bad impression of her.

"Crap..."

With a plaintive sigh, she pursed her lips in disappointment. She had wanted to show him the best side of her. There were thousands of scenarios in which they could have met, but they ended up meeting in the worst situation.

Thinking of the interview earlier that day, she wished she could return to the past and change everything.

Early that morning, Linda Xia made sure to dress perfectly. She straightened her suit and smiled at her reflection in the mirror. Yes, she looked like a capable and mature woman. When she finally arrived for the interview, Linda Xia saw that all the other applicants were male.

She shook off the discouraging thoughts. This was the best chance for her to be next to him all the time. She had to get selected by all means!

Ignoring the suspicious looks from the other applicants, she waited in line anxiously.

"Next!"

It was her turn. Linda Xia took a deep breath and walked to the manager.

"Hello! My name is Linda Xia. This is my resume..."

The manager stared at her, with no intention of accepting her resume. He shook his head helplessly.

"Really? A woman? Don't you think you are in the wrong place, lady? This is the interview to select the CEO's personal bodyguards, not his secretary. Don't waste our time. Next!"

The men behind her burst into laughter.

The smile on Linda Xia's face slowly faded. Although she had half the mind to whack the manager, she persuaded herself not to be impulsive.

"Get out of the way, little girl!"

The applicant behind Linda Xia smirked and reached out to push her away. Just as his hand was about to touch her, there was a crisp sound of a bone breaking cleanly, followed by an unmanly scream.

The hall instantly quieted down, and everyone looked at the woman's slender figure.

So, what had happened? Before the man could lay his hand on her, Linda Xia had quickly turned around and grabbed his arm, breaking his wrist. The man howled in pain.

Shoving aside the whining man, Linda Xia snorted. He was muscular, but so weak. Yet he dared to apply for a bodyguard's position. The best he could ever be was a security guard!

Turning back to the stunned manager, Linda Xia slammed down her resume on the table. Then, she threateningly stepped on the chair with one foot. The sneer on her face stayed, and it made the manager in front of her sweat subconsciously.

"I implore you to take a look at my resume. Your company is recruiting bodyguards-people with some good fighting skills, I assume? Does it matter if it's a man or woman? You are pretty conservative for a man of your position. You don't think a woman could be a bodyguard? You think I'm not as strong as all these men here? Don't you think you are being a little too unprofessional? You won't even look at my resume before dismissing me as unqualified."

The manager's face turned red at her words, but he didn't want to lose face in front of so many people. His face darkened quickly.

"Are you trying to create a scene? If you don't leave, I'll call the security!"

Just as Linda Xia was about to lose her temper, the main door flew open and several men in suits walked out one after another.

"Boss! Good morning, boss!"

The interviewers, including the manager, stood up in an instant and nodded in greeting. The applicants too stared at the CEO.

Linda Xia's rosy face flushed instantly. She quickly removed her leg from the chair and didn't even dare to look up at the person in front of her. She could only pray that he hadn't witnessed the scene just now, although she knew that it was almost impossible.

"Jim!" A voice rang through the silent room. "She is pretty bold and brave. Hire her. Arrange the appointment and join me in the meeting room later."

Francis Jian looked at Linda Xia, who had her head lowered. He smiled and walked past her. Jim Han nodded and stood beside her, a look of pure disdain in his eyes.

Francis Jian's sharp eagle-black eyes swept over the executives, making their legs go weak. They bowed and nodded.

"Clear the site!" Jim Han ordered.

As soon as Francis Jian left, Linda Xia breathed a sigh of relief. The moment she raised her head, she looked straight into Jim Han's deep black eyes. A single glance into those abyss-like gaze sent goose bumps down her spine.

"Tomorrow morning. Nine o'clock. Be there on time."

Saying that much, Jim Han walked towards the direction in which Francis Jian had left. Linda Xia stuck out her tongue at his cold back. Although things did not go smoothly as she had planned, the result was the same. She had succeeded!

But when she thought back about her very first meeting with Francis Jian, she felt depressed.

"Ah..."

Linda Xia sighed again and stopped to look at the crescent moon in the sky.

"Oh dear moon, would he think I'm a vulgar woman? This is all your fault! What should I do tomorrow? This is so embarrassing."

She continued to complain to the innocent moon and the moon blinked back at her silently, while a black shadow slowly fell over Linda Xia's head from above.

"Huh? What's going on? Is something-Nah... I am tired and hallucinating," she murmured to herself.

Linda Xia blinked and rubbed her tired eyes. At the same time, a black figure smashed into Linda Xia and she fell to the ground with a loud thud.

"Ouch!"

she screamed. Something was on top of her and she was pressed to the ground, suffocating under the weight. The first thought that came to her mind was that her spine was probably broken.

"What the hell, moon? I was just complaining a little, and you smashed something onto me. You are so narrow-minded!"

Linda Xia murmured and rubbed her head. Fortunately, she was tough. Or else, she would have been crushed to death by the force of the fall. And if she hadn't been distracted earlier, this thing wouldn't have smashed into her. And it was not like she was expecting this thing to fall from the sky!

Linda Xia tried to push aside the heavy object on top of her. But when she finally saw what was on her body, her slender hands stopped midair as if possessed by magic.

Under the faint moonlight, she saw the beautiful face of a man.

His waist length black hair covered half of his face, but she could still see his fair skin and facial features.

Linda Xia blinked in panic. 'An angel?' she wondered hysterically. 'A god? Did this being just fall from the sky?' This was too outrageous to believe, but either way, the being was too heavy.

Linda Xia carefully pushed the man to the ground, and oxygen filled her lungs instantly. She took a few deep breaths and sat up with her hands on the cold ground.

The man's long jade-like hair slid down to the ground, revealing a face that almost choked Linda Xia to death. She slowly raised her hand to touch that seductive face.

At first glance, he looked like he was fast asleep. His sleeping face was elegant, hiding all his emotions under the expressionless feature.

His thick eyelashes softened his strong outline, and there seemed to be deep thoughts between his slightly frowned eyebrows.

'Is he even human?' Linda pondered. She was still in a daze as she continued to study his face. Long nose, thin lips. Such perfectness. How could a man be so beautiful? And how the hell did he just fall from the sky?

Linda's heart raced.

She extended her hand and touched his chest, quickly withdrawing it in panic. Her fair face instantly flushed. 'Wow, I'm taking advantage of a sleeping man!'

Her rapid heartbeat was somewhat similar to the time when she had first seen Francis Jian. She touched her heart and felt the rapid beating. How could her heart beat faster every time she saw a handsome man?

Linda sighed helplessly and studied the man's outfit. Her eyes widened in astonishment.

The ornate bright yellow clothes were embroidered with exquisite patterns, and there was an unusually hard golden belt around the waist. The clothes looked similar to those from an ancient TV drama!

Linda couldn't take her eyes off the man. 'Is he a popular star of a TV drama? Did he fall off a plane by accident while filming?' Linda wondered with a frown. 'Maybe he was too popular and someone kicked him off the plane.'

"Idiot, what are you thinking?"

Linda patted her smooth forehead and collected her thoughts in order. 'Everything will be clear once he wakes up.'

"Hey! Wake up, hey!"

Linda pinched his pretty face gently with her slender fingers. She felt the temperature difference almost immediately and touched his forehead in a hurry. He was burning.

"You have a fever! Wake up! Where do you live? Hello?"

No matter how much Linda called, the man didn't wake. He was completely out cold. She looked around; there were no cars passing by. She had no choice but to call the ambulance.

Carl Nangong frowned in pain. It felt like he was surrounded by blazing flames. The burning pain in his throat made it unable for him to make a sound.

When Linda saw the sudden painful expression on the man's face, she put her mobile phone back into her pocket. Patting his face again, she asked, "Hello, are you awake? Hello?"

Her sudden touch caught Carl Nangong by surprise and he grabbed her hand subconsciously, as if he were hanging onto a life-saving straw, unwilling to let go. His dry lips opened and closed, and he whispered, "Water..."

Frowning, Linda tried to take back her hand, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't withdraw her hand from the man's.

"How are you so strong while you are almost dying? Are you pretending to be sick? You'd better be really unconscious, or else, I swear I'll make you regret fooling me!"

After murmuring to the half-awake man for a while, Linda raised her head and looked at the two-floor building not too far away from where they were. She pursed her lips-this was too much of a psychological struggle in the dead of the night. She compromised and sighed slightly before deciding to take him home for the time being. If he were still not feeling well the next day, she would have him sent to a hospital.

"Let go of my hand now. I'm taking you to my place."

The man seemed to have understood, or maybe he was just too weak to hold on to her. His grasp around her hand slowly loosened.

Linda withdrew her hand and rubbed it. Grumbling about the pain he had caused, she grabbed the man's arm and pulled him up. Putting her arms around his waist, she supported him to the front building.

Walking up the stairs, Linda took out the key with one hand. Carl Nangong's whole weight was on her slender shoulder, and sweat dripped from her smooth forehead.

After throwing Carl Nangong on to the bed on the second floor of her house, Linda bent over and gasped for breath. 'I've been slacking off too much. How could I be so tired from carrying a man up one stairs?' she scolded herself.

Taking off her leather coat, Linda threw it on the bed. The tight T-shirt and jeans made her look more slender and petite. She dragged herself to the wardrobe and took out the medicine box.

Glancing at the man, whose face was now deathly pale, she poured a glass of water for him reluctantly. God knew what was wrong with her and why she was so concerned about a stranger. If this man caused her any trouble in the future, she was going to be so mad at herself.

Sitting on the bed, she carefully helped the man up and supported him against her shoulder. She fed him with the medicine for his fever and gave him some water.

"You are lucky that I'm in the mood to help tonight. Normally, I don't care much about strangers who fall from the freaking sky!"

She let the man lay back on the bed and put a cold towel on his forehead. Linda guessed that he felt better, because the frown on his brows disappeared.

Resting her chin on her hands, Linda stared at the beautiful man without blinking.

She wondered if he was hot-tempered. Even while unconscious, he still gave off a strong aura that could prevent weak-willed strangers from getting close to him. It was a waste-he had such a handsome face. But Francis was much better.

He had gentle eyes that could melt anything in the world. Thinking of the easy-going, gentle Francis, Linda's lips curled into a smile and slowly, she drifted into sleep.

The first ray of sunshine hit Carl Nangong's face through the French window. Linda was asleep at the edge of the bed, and her hand was entwined in Carl's.

The sunlight became more intense and Carl frowned slightly.

He tried to move his arm-it was a little numb. Slowly, he opened his eyes. When she felt movement, Linda, who was unusually sensitive, woke up and looked at him with her sleepy eyes.

His starry eyes opened wide in confusion when he saw the stranger. For a moment, Linda's soul was sucked away into those deep eyes.

The man was so much more beautiful in the day. However, his eyes were cold enough to drive people away in fear.

Linda shivered and looked away, afraid that she would fall into the bottomless abyss.

Gradually regaining his consciousness, Carl stared at the stunned woman next to him. Her fiery long hair made him unhappy and he pursed his lips. His cold eyes burst into anger when he saw their entwined fingers.

"How dare you! You slave! How dare you act so rudely in front of your highness!"

With a roar, Carl shook off Linda's hand in disgust. With no time to react, she fell to the ground. Her eyes widened in shock and anger.

"Slave? Highness? Are you out of your freaking mind? I'm not a slave. I'm as good as any princess, for your information!"

Linda tried to stand up, but her legs were numb from half sitting next to the bed all night. 'Ungrateful little...' she thought angrily.

Carl groaned and touched his head; it hurt so much that it felt like his head was about to crack. Every part of his body was in pain, like needles pricking all over. 'Damn that Allen! How dare he plot against me?'

He eyed Linda carefully. "Are you a slave from another country? Why do you have red hair? Anyway, get Jeremy here. I need to ask him whether he fulfilled his job as the chief guard of the Xiang Prince's mansion."

Linda's long eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings. Was she dreaming or did this guy have some kind of delusion? The man looked like he was in a lot of pain. Where did he get the energy to shout so loudly?

Seeing that Linda remained inactive, Carl cursed in a low voice and stared down at her.

"Are you deaf, woman? If you don't obey, I'll kill you. Go and get the imperial doctor for me!"

Sitting on the floor, Linda burst into laughter. Carl gritted his teeth and sat up with his hand on his chest. The piercing pain from his body made his pale face even paler.

"You! How dare you!"

Linda wiped the tears, stood up from the floor and patted off the dust from her clothes. She walked to the bed and smiled, her clear eyes filled with sympathy.

"It's a pity that he is a madman, even though he is so handsome. Such a waste of this beautiful face..."

While murmuring to herself, Linda gently patted Carl's fair face as if coaxing a child, and then said softly, "Tell me. Where is your home? Do you know your family's phone number, or do you know which psychiatric hospital you escaped from?"

'What the hell is this woman saying?'

Carl pursed his lips slightly, and a murderous look flashed across his cold eyes. Linda was slightly stunned and quickly retreated, which was perfect because Carl's palm missed her by an inch, and the sharp wind from the movement smashed the wooden desk beside him.

His blood boiled.

Turning sideways, he spit a mouthful of blood on the floor. The moment he attacked, he felt the pain in his heart. He had only casually released ten percent of his strength, but it turned out that he was too hurt by the reversal of his energy.

Linda was stunned. With her hands on her hips, she looked angrily at the man on her bed. Her body naturally exuded a calm arrogance. She was an imposing beauty, the fiery red long hair working to her advantage.

She stared at the broken planks on the floor and then looked at Carl in disbelief. If it weren't for her extraordinary speed of reaction, the planks wouldn't be the only broken things.

She stared vigilantly at the man, whose face was getting paler by the minute. This man...he was dangerous. The wind from his fist actually smashed the table into bits. Who on earth was he? Was he even human?

She had never heard of such extraordinary strength. Was he an assassin?

"Are you trying to kill me? You should know that it was me who saved you last night. You should be grateful. Instead, you return the kindness with such brute force? What was that just now? Where did you learn such a skill?"

However, at that moment, Carl couldn't hear what she was saying. The abnormality in his body made him feel uneasy and he wanted to heal himself, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't make the internal force in his body work normally.

Carl's breathing became uneven. His internal force could not run on its own, nor could he use it to heal himself. This recognition confused him even more and he wondered what had happened to him.

He wanted to remember, but the more he tried, the more confused he became. He knocked his head, which was about to explode. He shook his head hard to make some sense of his situation.

A feeling of dizziness came over him, and broken images from his memory surged through.

The stench of corpses was everywhere in the secret dark, damp room. The walls were stained with blood on all sides. People sat silently in the locked room, as if in a trance. Their expressions were numb; they had long lost hope of life.

And there was one person in the dirty, dark room-someone who didn't fit in. His gorgeous clothes were so in contrast to the filthy surrounding.

"Stop struggling, Carl. You have been poisoned. If you forcefully exercise your internal force, it will only accelerate the poisoning and eventually push you to death. If you can give up the skill you are proud of, you may be able to live another year or so. Of course, it will only be more painful to live like that."

Carl was hung on an instrument of torture inside the locked room, bloodstains all over his body. He lifted his head to look at Allen Nangong, who was sitting not too far away from him. Although he had long known that his half-brother wanted to get rid of him, he had never given him the opportunity to seize him. But here he was, and Carl had no idea how it had happened.

"Allen... When did you...poison...

How..." Allen Nangong clapped his hands lazily, and a woman in a water-green cheongsam slowly walked over to him and sat on his lap. She put her slender arms around Allen Nangong and looked at Carl with a smile.

"It was me, Carl. It was the kiss. Did you enjoy it?"

Carl stared at the woman who had betrayed him. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly into a disappointed smirk. No one could be trusted these days.

"Lois... I didn't think that you would betray me."

The charming woman raised her eyes to meet his and said with pity, "It was your fault, Carl. You forced me to do this. I was nothing but a tool to warm your bed at your will. You've never loved me. But Allen is different. He gave me his tender heart and his love. Allen..."

As she spoke, she bent down to kiss him. A smirk appeared on Allen Nangong's lips, and he slyly avoided Lois Yang's lips. Instead, he pressed her head against his chest.

"That's right, darling."

The broken images devoured Carl's thoughts as his head ached again. He couldn't believe that he was betrayed by the one he had once trusted.

"Damn it! Damn it all!"

Seeing the man struggle in pain, Linda's anger dissipated. She didn't understand why this man, who had just looked like he was about to devour her, changed so quickly into a ball of agony. But if she let his emotion go out of control at this pace, her home would be destroyed in no time.

"Hey, listen to me,"

she said, cautiously approaching his side. She tentatively grabbed Carl's hand to stop him from hitting his own head.

She assured softly, "It's alright. It's okay now. Listen to me. I saved you from whatever it was that hurt you. Calm down. You are safe here. Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you..."

Seeing that he didn't shake off her hand this time, she stretched out her fingers to feel his pulse. His chaotic pulse made her frown slightly.

He seemed to be injured internally, but after witnessing his skill earlier, she assumed that he was among one of the best fighters she had ever seen. Who could have injured such a man so seriously? She wondered if she should call her brother.

Carl gradually calmed down. The woman made him feel at ease-something he had never felt from anyone before. Her voice was seeped in magic, and it relaxed his tensed body.

"Who are you?"

Carl asked. He wanted to examine the woman in front of him, but he couldn't see her clearly since he was still dizzy.

"My name is Linda. I saved you last night," she said again.

Carl sighed. "Go to the Xiang Prince's mansion and find Jeremy. Tell him that Carl is still alive."

Linda groaned almost inaudibly, "What Xiang Prince's mansion? Who is this Carl and Jeremy? Did this guy hit his head in the fall?

If it was a slight concussion, he might recover soon." She decided to get him some Chinese medicine for his wounds after work.

'Work...' Her beautiful eyes widened in horror. WORK! Linda jumped up from the bed. How could she forget that she had to go to the YC Company at nine o'clock?

"Francis, that Linda hasn't arrived yet. Should I go ahead and cancel her appointment order?"

Dressed in a neat black suit, Jim looked respectfully at the beautiful young man in front of him. Francis was reading a document in his office.

He raised his head from the file. His angelic face looked like a fully bloomed white lotus, attracting everyone's attention. His eyes were as soft as the moonlight, making it difficult for anyone to look away from them.

'Linda...'

He remembered her fiery argument from the day before. 'I implore you to take a look at my resume. Your company is recruiting bodyguards-people with some good fighting skills, I assume? Does it matter if it's a man or woman? You are pretty conservative for a man of your position. You don't think a woman could be a bodyguard? You think I'm not as strong as all these men here? Don't you think you are being a little too unprofessional? You won't even look at my resume before dismissing me as unqualified.'

She had a beautiful face, flaming red hair, and an arrogant, domineering look. He was captivated.

"Never mind. Wait a little longer."

Jim frowned slightly and showed a trace of displeasure on his handsome face.

"Francis, is that really necessary? Why let a strange woman stay by your side?"

Francis smiled.

"Why do you think my uncle was so kind as to choose bodyguards for me this time? The death of my former bodyguard-it was a well-planned murder, and those men who had come for the interview yesterday were probably arranged by my uncle too."

"Aren't you worried that Linda could be a spy sent by him?"

Jim asked.

Francis turned to him. "She isn't. Her eyes were the purest I've ever seen. I don't believe that a person with such pure eyes would do the bidding of someone like my uncle. Moreover, if my uncle meant to send a spy, he wouldn't choose someone who would stand out from the crowd. Besides all that, I still have you. Even if she were a spy, you will protect me."

Jim shook his head, seeing the playful smile on Francis's face.

"Don't try to convince me with your charming smile. I'm not some lame woman. Besides, I don't think you need anyone else's protection."

'Francis may look like he is weak and needs protection, but he can defeat me easily.'

"And Jim... Did you check her background?"

Jim replied, "Yes. It's just like what was on her resume. Her parents are dead, and she used to live with her aunt. She lived a good life, and since she worships you, decided to be your bodyguard. Other than that, there's nothing much to say about her. It seems too simple, and it is quite disturbing that I can't find more about her."

"Oh?

There are things in the world that you can't find out?"

Francis asked, laughing. "Anyway, it doesn't matter. Take your time. I don't believe she's a threat. She may be intriguing in ways, but she is not likely to be an enemy."

Linda stood in front of the huge building. It was not an easy task to own a place in the middle of this bustling city, not to mention, a twenty-eight level commercial building in the most prime location.

She gulped nervously, looking up at the magnificent building.

"Francis is able to run this big company at such a young age. He deserves to be a member of one of the three great families!"

"Wait! Do you have a permit?"

Two security guards in uniforms stopped her in front of the transparent rotating glass door. She was lost for a second, and then said, "Yes, I'm Mr. Francis's new bodyguard, Linda Xia. I'm here to report for work."

At this point, she was more worried about getting fired because of her tardiness on the first day than the suspicious looks given by the guards.

Her flaming red hair caught their attention, but other than that she looked completely ordinary. Nothing about her seemed good enough to be a bodyguard. She seemed so fragile, like she could pass out from a tight slap.

One of the security guards looked away from her and picked up his walkie-talkie. She was used to being underestimated by men. Her weak appearance was her best secret weapon.

"Come with me," the guard said finally.

Linda sighed with relief.

The elevator stopped on the twenty-eighth floor. Linda stroked her beating heart and quickly followed the security guard.

They were on the topmost floor of the building, where the CEO's office was located. The floor was unusually quiet; there was not a soul in sight.

The security guard knocked once on the wooden door. "Mr. Francis, she is here."

The name plate on the door which read "CEO's Office" looked particularly dazzling.

"Come in."

The voice from the other side of the door sounded like a cool breeze in hot summer.

"Yes, Sir."

The security guard opened the door and gestured for Linda to walk in. After she entered, he respectfully closed the door and returned to the elevator.

The office was a little different from what she had imagined. There was a big French window on one side, the walls were painted a light blue. There were two desks and a row of sofa. Simple, yet elegant.

"Ahem!" Jim cleared his throat with displeasure.

'Unbelievable! Why is she looking around so leisurely when she's already late for the appointment?'

Jim's eyes pierced her like a sharp sword, making her uncomfortable.

His black eyes overshadowed all other features of his face. Linda smiled awkwardly, looking at the cold, hard expression on the man's handsome face.

She had heard that the omnipotent full-time manager and assistant, Jim Han, was as serious as an old man.