My Dearest General: It Has Always Been You

After some clarification, Shi Nian testified that the one who escaped was the man who was called Bro Sui. He had prickly hair, a viciously upturned eyes and a huge dragon tattoo along his arm up to his neck.

The other four men, albeit their conditions were a little better than Jiang Jinyan, still hadn't regained consciousness yet. One of them had sustained a concussion, one suffered from the agony of broken testicles because of Shi Nian's kick, while the other two had broken ribs and damaged eyes respectively. Due to the anesthesia, they were still sleeping soundly, unaware of the doom that was awaiting.

"Can you think of any reason why they attacked you?" Officer Wen asked.

"I don't know." Shi Nian answered hoarsely. "Jiang Jinyan said that his throat hurts so I offered to go to the convenience store to buy him a drink and cough drops. When I returned, they were already fighting. I wanted to call the police but one of them found me and dragged me out."

Shi Nian rubbed her face roughly, the shadow beneath her eyes were dark, making her eyes look rounder and hollower. "Officer Wen, are they targeting him?"

"It's not certain yet." Officer Wen rubbed his chin thoughtfully. There was another officer by his side who was sketching Bro Sui's features according to Shi Nian's statement.

"Last time," Xu Binchen spoke out for the first time. "You were blocked by some gangsters. Do you think there's some connection to this?" The man had been eerily silent for the whole night to the point where everyone had almost forgotten about him. It was only then that they sensed the low pressure emanating from him. In truth, he was just curbing his anger. God knew how furious he was when he found Shi Nian lying helplessly in the hospital.

"Yes, you're right!" Shi Nian exclaimed somberly. "Could it be...the same person? So, their target is…me?!"

"Wait. What is this last time about? Please tell me concisely." Officer Wen requested.

Shi Nian proceeded to tell him about the matter. After the last incident, she had always thought that the person behind the scene had given up because Xu Binchen had given them a severe warning through the gangsters. Never would she expect that instead of withdrawing, they came back with more vicious means!

The police officer by Officer Wen's side had finished sketching Bro Sui's features. However, before he could hand it to Officer Wen, Xu Binchen who stood behind him snatched it away instead. His eyes widened in surprise. "Ah, that…"

"Give me." Xu Binchen said coldly as he pulled out his phone and pressed some numbers. "I can search for him a thousand times faster than the police."

Aren't you a police too? The officer thought exasperatedly. Officer Wen gave him a nod so he could only swallow his words back down and excused himself.

"Can you guess who might want to harm you?" Officer Wen asked Shi Nian again. "Anyone. Those who have feuds with you, those who don't like you and are cruel enough to resort to such means."

Shi Nian lowered her eyes as she fell deep into thoughts. In this lifetime, there was no war nor hierarchy power struggle. This was a modern world that advocated peace and justice. Who would be so vicious that they could go through any means to sabotage her?

After eliminating some guesses and doubts, Shi Nian came to an answer almost in an instant. However, she didn't have any proof to accuse that person…

"Found him." Xu Binchen's voice rang out softly, bringing them out of their reverie.

Officer Wen's eyes rounded in shock. "F—Found who?"

Xu Binchen waved the sketch paper without any expression.

Officer Wen was shocked. How many minutes had it been? He had already found the man just by a single sketch?! He had heard the hearsay about how every personnel in the Special Crime Investigations were officers who had passed a series of special tests, making them different from ordinary police officers.

However, this wasn't just simply different anymore, okay? This was clearly on another level!

"Sui Chenyou. 27 years old. Born in the Capital from a housewife mother and bank robber father. Has four criminal records in a span of two years. Since young, he has learned some bad ways from his father and mixed himself with the underworld. When the mafia organization recruited new members, he passed with flying colors and became a small head of the district around Sangzhe High." The corner of Xu Binchen's lips curled into a cold smile. "I have sent the rest of the data into your email. Feel free to check it. However, I have one request."

"W—What request?" Officer Wen was being led around by his nose yet he didn't even realize it yet.

"This Sui Chenyou." Xu Binchen waved his phone, his eyes penetratingly cold. "Hand him to our SCI squad. We have some old and new grudges with his boss."

***

After a night of monitoring, the doctor proclaimed that Jiang Jinyan's condition had fully stabilized. He was moved out from the ICU toward another VVIP room that was directly across Shi Nian's. Early in the morning when daybreak hadn't even settled yet, Shi Nian couldn't hold herself back and slipped into his room.

The heartbeat monitor rang out rhythmically along with the subtle rising and falling of his chest. His face was covered with an oxygen mask, head wrapped in a thick bandage. Almost every part of his body was injured so right at this moment, he was akin to a mummy with only his face showing. A cast was hung over the bed to prop his leg up, the long pants were rolled up, showing the patch of his stump knee which was wrapped in thick dressing.

He was breathing smoothly, mists forming from the exhales.

Shi Nian gingerly pulled a seat and sat by his bedside, eyes never leaving his face since she stepped into the room. Gradually, her sight turned blurry and she bit her lips to hold back the cry. 

General Jiang had once told her that it was human nature to cry, but when someone cried every time something happened, they must be a crybaby. Shi Nian didn't want him to wake up to see her miserable face so she took a deep breath and blinked the tears away.

How she wished to reach out to hold his hand, but when he saw his fingers wrapped in bandages with purple bruises on his skin, she held herself back and only stared at his face unblinkingly like a pitiful puppy who was waiting for its owner to return home.

Soft knocks resounded throughout the room and Shi Nian lifted her head to find Ru Meiqi on the door. "I knew you would be here." The woman said with a smile.

Shi Nian replied in a quiet voice. "Sister Meiqi, I want to wait for him here."

"I know. I am not here to bring you back." Ru Meiqi didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "You haven't eaten breakfast yet, right? I will go down and buy a few snacks for you to pad your stomach. What do you say?"

Shi Nian shook her head. "I am not hungry."

She was like an immovable statue. Even if it rained bullets or swords, once she had made up her mind, she wouldn't budge no matter what people said. Shi Nian might look thin and fragile, but actually her heart was stronger than anybody else. Only the people who had interacted with her closely over time could tell.

That trait of hers was both commendable and distressing at the same time.

Ru Meiqi fell silent for a moment. "...Do you like him that much?"

Shi Nian was taken aback by her abrupt question but she still answered solemnly. "I do."

Maybe it was because the hospital was too desolate or maybe, the weather today was just too cold, thus Ru Meiqi had a sudden urge to share her thoughts. "You don't know what the future holds. What if, one year later, two or maybe ten years later, your feelings gradually fade and you find that you don't like him as much as you did in your youth?"

The heartbeat monitor rang out softly in the room. Beep…beep…beep. Jiang Jinyan's steady breathing was akin to an anchor which offered her tranquility.

Shi Nian lowered her eyes, seemingly in a daze. "I don't know about other people, Sister Meiqi, but for me, that will not happen. Do you know that there is a one of a kind sentiment in this world? When you meet a certain someone, you will instinctively know that they are the one. Your heart clamors for them, yearns and long to be with them. You won't be able to imagine ever having the same feeling toward another."

Shi Nian lifted her head, a pair of golden eyes gazing at her seriously. At that moment, it was as if there were glows radiating from within, so bright and dazzling that Ru Meiqi couldn't look away.

"For me, Jiang Jinyan is that someone. I will continue to like him…even when the world ceases to exist."

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A/N: I wish Shi Nian can help Ru Meiqi confirmed her feelings~ and Shi Nian QAQ, it's such a pity that Jiang Jinyan isn't awake to hear such a confession!

And can you guess who Shi Nian is suspicious of?