My Dearest General: It Has Always Been You

Jiang Jinyan was stunned and subconsciously clenched his fists, his eyes half lidded.

Shi Nian held his hands and appealed softly. "Can I? Well, if you're unwilling, I will not force—"

"No." He lifted his head, a determined light flashed within them. "You can." Shi Nian could even feel the slight tremble on his fingertips and the knowledge caused her heart to squeeze painfully. "If you want to, you can…"

"Thank you, Jinyan." Shi Nian hugged him tightly, feeling his thunderous heartbeat echoed in her ear. "Stay here. I will grab the medicine kit, okay?"

The man gave a soft hum.

When Shi Nian returned with a medicine kit in her hand, he still stayed in the same position. Even the creases in his shirt didn't change. Shi Nian sat on the carpet under him and reached for the bottom hem of his pants. Pausing, she asked once again. "Is it really okay?"

Jiang Jinyan inhaled sharply, put the laptop away and bent down to roll the trousers up himself. Shi Nian wasn't even given the time to react when he had rolled up to his knee, showing the stump knee that was still wrapped in bandages.

Shi Nian grasped his cold hands, bringing it onto her lips for kisses. She didn't say anything but her warm smile and encouraging gaze were all Jiang Jinyan needed to loosen up. That's right, Shi Nian was different from others. She wasn't repulsed by me. She said she loved me…only with that thought could Jiang Jinyan manage to calm his stumbling heartbeat.

No matter what Jiang Jinyan became, she was the last person on Earth who would leave him.

The notion appeared all of a sudden in his mind and heated his whole body, warmth surging his heart in gentle waves. It was kind of ridiculous and narcissistic yet he found no doubt that it would be true, as if that was how it should be between both of them.

His nose couldn't help but feel sour. How could she be so nice? What kind of great sacrifice had he done in his past life to meet her in this life?

Shi Nian gently cut the bandage off and applied medicine, murmuring. "Well, it's okay nowadays because the weather is cold. But when spring arrives, you should just wear short pants at home." She gave him a smiling glance. "Isn't it more comfortable that way?"

"Hmm…" His throat constricted painfully, it was getting hard to breathe. "Are you done yet?"

The clueless Shi Nian didn't notice his turbulent emotions and answered patiently. "Wait for a moment ah. I don't want it to come loose in the middle of the night. Why?"

"Nothing, just want to hug you."

She laughed and from Jiang Jinyan's position, he could see the curl of her eyelashes, fluttering adorably as she blinked. "One minute." She deftly tied the end of the bandages into a beautiful bow and exclaimed. "Done!"

She hadn't even packed up the kit when Jiang Jinyan directly pulled her up by arm, earning him a shocked yelp. Shi Nian stumbled and held onto the back of the couch so that she didn't directly fall on him, grumbling with a smile. "What got you so impatient, Mr. Jiang?"

Jiang Jinyan didn't answer, directly hugged her waist and buried his face into her stomach, inhaling deeply. Shi Nian giggled and returned his embrace, patting his back in a soft manner. "Are you okay?" She asked gently.

He nodded but didn't give any other response except for hugging her closer.

Shi Nian nuzzled his chin on the top of his head and kneaded his shoulders, sensing the man's nerves slowly loosened up under the slow massage. She felt so much love toward this man, so deep that it seemed to come from her soul and engraved within her bones. Two lifetimes…only Jiang Jinyan could make her feel this way and no one else.

After an unknown amount of time, he lifted his head, the rims of his eyes faintly red. "Why are you so good to me?"

Shi Nian was taken aback by the sudden question. Instead of answering, she pinched both of his cheeks mischievously. "Why? I can't?"

He harrumphed lightly and lowered his head back down. "If you keep being so good to me, then I…" The rest of his words disappeared into incoherent murmurs.

"Hmm? What did you just say?"

"Nothing, just—" His words were cut off by the sudden ringing of the doorbell.

Dingdong dingdong!

Jiang Jinyan frowned, more than displeased at the sudden interruption.

"Huh?" Shi Nian glanced at the clock on the wall. It was 9.45 pm. "Who is visiting at this late hour?"

Jiang Jinyan thought of the most probable person. "Is it your mother?"

"No." Shi Nian checked her phone, confused. "Mama has told me that she will return possibly in the wee hours of the morning. She doesn't send me any messages either."

"Then let's ignore it." Jiang Jinyan returned to its recent favorite spot, Shi Nian's soft tummy.

Dingdong dingdong dingdong!

The sound of the bell came out more urgent as if the person on the other side had gotten either anxious or impatient. Or maybe both.

Shi Nian patted his steel-like arms around her waist. "J—Jinyan...!" She didn't know whether to laugh or cry. In a tone of cajoling a three years old child, she pushed his shoulders away. "I will just look into the peephole, okay? Just to see who's coming. Come onnnn…let me go!"

Jiang Jinyan's face was filled with reluctance. However, the continuous doorbell was akin to a hammer that almost cracked his skull. His face darkened and he slowly let go of Shi Nian with a scowl. "Just take a peek."

"Yes, yes," She answered helplessly. "I will just take a peek."

After peeling Octopus Jiang off her body, Shi Nian went to the door and tiptoed to peek into the peephole and when she saw who was behind the door, her eyes widened in shock. "Huh?!"

Hearing her exclamation, Jiang Jinyan asked. "Who is it?" He was already grabbing his crutch when his phone that was on the table vibrated. A new message appeared on the screen and from his peripheral vision, Jiang Jinyan could see it in a glance. His expression froze. 

[137-4477-xxxx]: Open the door - Jia

He heard the front door open followed by Shi Nian's gasp. "M–Mr. Jia, what happened to you?!"

Jia Ming'en stood there without his glasses. His neatly combed hair was currently in a mess and fell over his forehead, making him look younger than usual. However the thing that shocked Shi Nian the most wasn't his sudden visit, but the fresh wound and bruises all over his body as well as the blood stain on his otherwise perfectly white shirt.

Seeing Shi Nian, Jia Ming'en paused and rechecked the door's number. "...Isn't this Jiang Jinyan's house?"

Shi Nian snapped out of her senses. "Oh, yes. Jinyan, he–"

Jiang Jinyan appeared behind her, leaning on the hallways with his temples throbbing. Just in one glance, he could tell that Jia Ming'en's entire body spelled trouble. "May I ask what President Jia came here for?"

Jia Ming'en lifted the folder in his hand. It was already wrinkled, stained with mud and blood from his hands. "You have an online test to complete today, right? I heard you haven't been coming because you're sick so I think I should act out some kindness once in a while. You will not be able to pass without the Professor's note." Noticing the blood in his hand, Jia Ming'en softly exclaimed with an 'ah', his expression still indifferent and nonchalant.

"Sorry, I have just shaken off some unwanted tails. Do you think I can come in for a cup of water?"

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A/N: President Jia is here!