My Dearest General: It Has Always Been You

"They ganged up on her?" Jiang Jinyan frowned.

Xu Binchen added as he fed a spoonful of curry fried rice into his mouth. "Not only that, they also threatened to call you out."

"Then why didn't she call me?" he demanded.

In the next second, both men's eyes simultaneously turned to Shi Nian who wished that she had a shell so that she could shrink inside and escape from their piercing eyes. One Xu Binchen was already enough and now, adding Jiang Jinyan to the group…

Oh how she wished to just drop dead and faint.

Shi Nian didn't know when, but when she realized it, there was already a strange sense of camaraderie between the two men and she often saw them huddling in the corner, whispering who knows what to each other. Shi Nian was sulking, feeling like she had been left behind.

The rice noodle soup in front of her was only half eaten, but somehow Shi Nian had already felt bloated. 

The cafeteria in their apartment district was lively and boisterous as usual. After Shi Nian was fetched by Xu Binchen who arrived in less than ten minutes, they returned home together and bumped into Jiang Jinyan on the way. Thus resulted in the strange combination at this moment.

Xu Binchen and Jiang Jinyan…

Shi Nian stole some glances. One was fierce, cold with perpetual frown while the other had softer features, so overwhelming stunning yet giving off a sense of melancholy. The combination of their aura practically screamed 'unapproachable' and in the radius of two tables, there was no one who dared to sit around them.

Just one was already enough. And now, the two of them attracted too much attention ah!

Shi Nian could feel everyone's eyes, coincidentally or not, stumble on them once in a while. The two handsome men were just so blinding that they couldn't look straight at them, thus they turned to Shi Nian who sat between them, the strange and mediocre anomaly.

The heated gazes seemed to burn her back and she didn't dare to turn around. Even her back straightened without her realizing.

Xu Binchen gave her a weird glance. "Why do you keep squirming around? Your butt's itchy?"

Jiang Jinyan choked on his spicy ramen and coughed, flush colored his cheeks red.

Shi Nian looked at Xu Binchen in disbelief, but the man only gave her a questioning glance. She gnashed out through her teeth. "My butt is not itchy!"

Xu Binchen's eyes were filled with incredulity as if he didn't understand why she was angry just by a simple question. He backed away in the end, thinking that he had literally used up all of his patience on her, that's why she dared to climb up to his head and talked back to him. "Okay, your butt isn't itchy."

Shi Nian: "…"

Was that a suitable topic to talk about on the table where they ate?!

Jiang Jinyan drank his lemonade and pretended that he heard nothing. Halfway through the meal, Xu Binchen's phone rang and after receiving it, he finished his food in two or three large bites yet still managed to look graceful and elegant like he was dining in a French restaurant. Wiping his mouth, he said, "I'm going first. Finish your food." He pointed at Shi Nian.

Shi Nian glowered. Did he have some kind of problem with her today? Why must he keep on embarrassing her in front of Jiang Jinyan? "Finish your food"? She wasn't some kind of three years old child. Shi Nian sulked and didn't dare to imagine how Jiang Jinyan's face was right now. He must have thought that she was childish and ridiculous.

However, to her surprise, Jiang Jinyan mumbled under his breath after Xu Binchen had walked away. "You two sure are close."

Shi Nian's fur bristled like a cat whose tail was being stepped on. "We're not!"

"Alright." He replied with a faint smile then proceeded to eat his food in silence. There was no further conversation until they finished their meals. Shi Nian was immersed in her own thoughts when Jiang Jinyan suddenly leaned forward, whispering with his face right in front of hers. "Are you done?"

"Ah? Y-Yes, what's wrong—" Shi Nian followed his sight and saw a familiar figure entering the cafeteria. Tall, curvy body clad in sportswear with hair tied up in a ponytail, showing the refreshing sight of her forehead...

Who was it if not for Jiao Jiaying? Why was it her again?!

"If you're done, let's go." Jiang Jinyan stood up.

Of course, Shi Nian didn't have any complaints about that. On the contrary, she was happy that Jiang Jinyan seemed to have no interest in Jiao Jiaying. Shi Nian had more than once inadvertently heard that the boys in her class created a survey to vote for the most beautiful girl in the third year. It gave her the impression that boys always paid attention to appearance first.

Jiang Jinyan was only three years older than them, why would there be such a big difference?

Shi Nian's thick rose tinted glass started to work. Certainly, it was because her General was born this way!

After that, her mind started to recall Jiang Jinyan's ex-girlfriend without any warning. Beautiful, fashionable, cheerful, sweet with a stunning body. Shi Nian's mood, which she had lifted up with much effort, crashed back down in an instant.

The afternoon wind blasted against her face as they stepped out of the cafeteria. Shi Nian gave an involuntary shudder and brought her coat closer. Jiang Jinyan, coincidentally or not, maintained half a step in front of her, shielding her from most of the chilly autumn wind.

Shi Nian's feet stepped on the fallen leaves, creating crunchy sounds on her trail. November was coming soon and winter was approaching. It would be eight months since she regained the memory of her past life and reunited with Jiang Jinyan again. Shi Nian from a year ago couldn't have guessed how much her life would change just in a span of one year.

"What are you thinking about?" Jiang Jinyan's palm blocked her forehead, preventing her from crashing straight onto the electric pole like a fool. His palm felt very warm against her cold face and Shi Nian blushed, half from his sudden touch and half from embarrassment.

"I…" She blurted out. "I am thinking how sad Jiao Jiaying would be if she found out we were running away from her like this."

"Jiao Jiaying?" Jiang Jinyan knitted his brows deeply.

Shi Nian let out an 'ah' and her mood instantly soared. She couldn't suppress her smile. "No, it's no one. You don't have to remember her name!"

Jiang Jinyan raised a brow but didn't refute her further. Shi Nian stole a glance toward his side profile, then down to his palm which was hanging free by his side.

What to do…really want to hold…

Shi Nian was ashamed by her own wanton thoughts, but once the desire emerged, it rapidly sprouted and burst out into a large, towering tree, almost overshadowing any other thought in her mind. Shi Nian gave him a quick glance then gingerly, bashfully…reached out and tugged on his pinky finger.

Jiang Jinyan halted in his tracks and behind him, Shi Nian held her breath, her hold tightening ever so slightly.

To her surprise, he didn't refuse nor acquiesced. Shi Nian shamelessly took his silence as an agreement. With her eyes lowered, she buried half of her face into her scarf, grinning like a fool. 

Jiang Jinyan's pinky finger felt as warm as his palm and there were slight calluses, one that's smoother than his past life. Of course, he used to wield swords and blades, there were uncountable scars criss crossing his palm alone. Fortunately, right now they lived in a peaceful world without wars.

Both of them walked leisurely under the setting sun and amber glow far in the horizon, enjoying the breeze combing their hair. Streetlamps lit up one by one, illuminating the two overlapping shadows. 

They strolled in silence, yet it felt so warm and peaceful like never before.

How Shi Nian wished that time would stop right at this moment.

"General Jiang," she murmured into her scarf, heart full to the point of bursting.

Jiang Jinyan suddenly stopped and caught off guard, Shi Nian's nose bumped against his shoulder. The whole scene felt like a dejavu. She rubbed her nose and gave him a questioning glance.

"I forgot to ask," He said slowly. "In the hospital, on the rooftop, in your house, why do you always call me 'General'?"

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A/N: An extra chappie for you guys! 

Shi Nian, buuusteeed!!! (/ε＼*) oh I love how she took the initiative lol one thing I realized in Chinese novels that all problems could be solved just by communication especially Ye Fei Ye's novels (if you read them) for example Bringing The National Husband Home, Back Then, I Adored You and Billion Stars Can't Amount To You...oh dear, the dog blood plot that originated from a mere misunderstanding dragging on until hundreds of chapters _(:3」∠)_

but no kidding, the stories are very good, just that you need...a very strong heart...

ignore me ranting because I read all of her books and got depressed cos of it (/ε＼*)