My Dearest General: It Has Always Been You

"Are you the serial killer that the police have been searching for?" Jia Ming'en waited for the answer with bated breath. He didn't withdraw his gaze and stared straight into Si Zhening's calm ones.

There were no fluctuations or any sign of surprise. He stood there, calm and composed as he always was. It made Jia Ming'en feel ridiculous for reacting excessively. Also, he began to doubt himself. Had he gotten the wrong person? Wouldn't someone who was charged with that kind of question feel a tad of panic or even surprise? 

Yet, he could find none in Si Zhening's eyes.

The suspicion was certainly a bit far-fetched. 

Even though Si Zhening was coldblooded, Jia Ming'en knew he wasn't the kind of person who would do something without any reason.

As he expected, Si Zhening let out a tired sigh. "What kind of question is that? I am the serial killer? If I am, do you think Boss will let me remain by his side?"

"That's…true." Jia Ming'en slowly calmed down. His clenched fists loosened and his heartbeat regulated to normal. It was as if a bucket of cold water was poured all over his head. 

Jia Renyu was a person who had the strongest judgment of people, in Jia Ming'en's opinion. That's why, if Si Zhening could remain by his side for so long, it meant that he had passed Jia Renyu's strict evaluation. However… "What did you need the human skin mask for?"

"Do I have to tell you everything about me?" He shrugged nonchalantly. "I never break the law."

"But…" Jia Ming'en deflated like a balloon. He hated how Si Zhening's cold remarks hurt him more than he expected. But still, he couldn't help but worry for the other person. Was there anyone more foolish than him? "Sooner or later, even if it's not me, the police will be suspecting you."

Si Zhening sneered. "They have always been suspecting me."

"What?!" Jia Ming'en lifted his head in shock. "What do you mean by that?!"

"I have been called in for some questioning as early as a few months ago. However, until now they still haven't found the serial killer yet. Does it tell you something?"

That meant that the police couldn't find anything on him. Si Zhening wasn't the serial killer... 

Jia Ming'en let out the breath he didn't know he was holding and rubbed his face roughly. "Sorry, I lost control for a moment. I never meant to suspect you."

"It's fine." Si Zhening walked barefooted to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator, taking out a bottle of cold mineral water. "Drink first and then go home. It's weekday tomorrow and you still have classes, right?"

Jia Ming'en gave a soft hum in agreement. 

He didn't linger there any longer and went out soon after. However, when he arrived at the door, he turned around to see Si Zhening standing in the middle of the room looking straight at him expressionlessly. There was something about the man that gave off a sense of disharmony and desolateness. Jia Ming'en didn't know why he felt uneasy. "Do you know something regarding the serial killer?" He blurted out the question before he could think it through.

Si Zhening blinked and pulled up the corner of his lips. "No, how could I?"

Jia Ming'en nodded and left without turning back.

***

"The analysis is out. From the dental record, the earliest corpse buried inside the wall dated around two years ago." Luo Ning reported to Qin Weizhe who sat with his legs propped up the table and a book covering his face. "Female. Mid twenties. Quite a beauty."

Qin Weizhe pulled down the book and sat up. "You know she's a beauty from the skeleton?"

"I—It's not me!" Luo Ning rebuked hastily. "I only relay the data according to the analysis report!" He cleared his throat and continued. "Anyway, the forensic department is doing facial reconstruction right now as we speak. But our country still doesn't have sophisticated computerized 3D technology so we have to do it manually. The earliest time the result can be expected is two more days." 

Qin Weizhe frowned. He didn't really understand how forensics did their job so he couldn't comment on anything. "Did you ask how accurate the result will be?"

"Yes," Sighing, Luo Ning replied tiredly. "By estimation, the accuration for female skull is only 26% whereas male can reach up to 68%."

"Better than nothing…" Qin Weizhe raked his fingers through his hair.

Luo Ning glanced at him worriedly. He scanned the surrounding to confirm no one was around then leaned down to cup the man's cheek. "Are you okay?"

Stunned, Qin Weizhe reacted a moment later. He grasped Luo Ning's fingers and fiddled them playfully. "Why are you asking?"

"It's just…you look tired."

His innocent remark made Qin Weizhe laugh carefreely. "Well, how about letting me recharge for a while?" Before Luo Ning could ask what he meant, Qin Weizhe had pulled him forward and hugged him tightly, head buried into his belly.

"D—Detective Qin!" Luo Ning held his shoulders in panic. "Someone can walk in on us!"

Qin Weizhe inhaled deeply and let him go before Luo Ning could protest further. "Alright, recharged 100%." He reached out and patted Luo Ning's head gently. "Thank you, my reliable boyfriend."

Luo Ning stared at him with widened eyes, face flushing furiously. He covered it with his hands and murmured under his breath. "Haa…he's doing it again."

"What did you say?"

"Nothing—err…" Luo Ning refocused on the matter at hand and flipped his notebook. "Right, there's something we have to look into. We received statements from the women held in Dreamscape Bar surnamed Lei and Yu that a person named Wen Biwen might be a spy who got in undercover."

"A spy?" Qin Weizhe received the notebook and scanned it with intrigue. "Wen Biwen? I haven't heard that name before. She's also the one who provided the riddle? It means that she knew something huh? Interesting…" He tapped his fingers on the armchair and nodded. "Ask the technical team to investigate her deeper. We might get something out of her."

"Yes, sir!" Luo Ning saluted and went to execute the order.

Qin Weizhe was left alone in the office. He leaned backward and lifted his leg onto the desk again, his gaze wondering. The farmer who bought the most expensive seed. The exotic plant which sucked the nutrients out from the soil and nearby plants. The gears in his brain turned rapidly. This was the clue to the owner of Dreamscape Bar, he was rumored to be a high ranking official who had a wide source of network at his disposal and possibly…connection with the police. 

If Qin Weizhe had to guess wildly then…what if the riddle wasn't limited only to Dreamscape Bar? The farmer who liked to plant all kinds of crops, what if…it was a metaphor for the most powerful person in the whole country for example…the President?

QIn Weizhe grabbed a pen and paper and was ready to continue digging into his line of thoughts when his phone suddenly rang. It was as if the answer was already right in front of his very eyes, but it eventually slipped away due to the interruption. He pulled out his phone and answered in irritation without even looking at the caller's name. "Hello? This is Qin Weizhe speaking."

"Boss Qin, it's me."

Qin Weizhe sat up straight. "You haven't called me for weeks. I thought you had abandoned the task."

"How can I?" The man laughed. "You have no idea to what extent I have to do to get this information."

"So there's something?" He asked in anticipation. The man who was talking to him was an illegal information broker who was famous for his high success retention. 

Ru Meiqi had once brought up that she wanted Nan Xukun's medical report and Wang Chengbing gave it to her on the next day. Afterall, Nan Xukun was CEO Nan Cheng's only son, he ought to undergo annual checkup and his medical record was easy to get.

Contrary to their expectation, it was clean. Nan Xukun was healthy both mentally and physically.

Qin Weizhe had heard one or two hearsays that Nan Xukun was brought back to Nan Family when he was already somewhere around eight years old. The child had suffered greatly before that so it was a suspicion how his medical report could remain so clean. 

Originally he also had guessed that this kind of information couldn't be obtained so easily and it seemed like he was right about that. 

"Yes, there is." The broker laughed and hinted discreetly. "It's very, very difficult to get. I bet you will be surprised."

"I will pay you thrice the amount." 

"Thank you for Boss Qin's generosity!" Upon receiving the money, the broker instantly spilled out everything he knew. "CEO Nan's son entered the family when he was eight. Before that happened, he was said to be kidnapped and sold to human trafficking but actually, it's not true."

"So, what happened?"

"He lived with his mother until then."

"Mother?" Qin Weizhe frowned. "Nan Cheng never had a wife by his side. Is it a mistress?"

"It seems so. She never entered Nan Family's registry. It seems like Nan Cheng never married her properly, that's why she brought his son and moved from place to place to avoid Nan Cheng's eyes."

"Then what kind of surprise do you say I will get?"

"Don't be impatient, Boss. Nan Xukun's medical report is indeed clean but I've found an unknown doctor who has diagnosed him before. You don't know how difficult it is to find him. Nan Cheng was supposed to get rid of him but the doctor managed to escape with barely a breath hanging on his life. He went to the countryside to lay low, living with his legs amputated and burn marks all over his body.

"And you must be wondering why Nan Cheng had to get rid of him? It's because he found out that Nan Xukun—the social butterfly Young Master Nan—suffered from a severe depression soon after his return."

"Severe depression?" Qin Weizhe asked, not understanding. "It's not anything unusual. Why did he need to hide that?"

"Not only that, he also showed symptoms of a mental disorder. Let me see…" Page flipping was heard in the background. "Ah yes, he had paranoia, hallucination, disorganized speech and in the end, he even created an imaginary friend whom he called Xiao Chun. In short, he's nearly crazy, that's why Nan Cheng was dead set on burying the matter."

Qin Weizhe was dumbfounded. His perfect memory made him instantly recall Xu Binchen's casual remark. Damn it, wasn't Xiao Chun the name of Shi Nian's childhood friend?! 

"Is there anything more?!" He pressed urgently, itching to give Xu Binchen a call right at this moment.

"Hmm…nope!" Just as Qin Weizhe was ready to hang up the call, the broker continued. "Ah, wait! As thanks for your generous payment, let me give you a tip. Nan Xukun's mother is surnamed Si, named Qingzhao."

Si Qingzhao…

Qin Weizhe froze and something in his mind clicked. Si Qingzhao. Si Yusheng. And also…Si Zhening. Moreover there's also Nan Cheng, Nan Xukun, Shi Nian. What connection did they have with the serial killer? Argh, for God's sake, why did his gut feeling tell him that there's a huge conspiracy right in front of his eyes?!

He furiously entered Xu Binchen's number and bit his nails anxiously. As soon as the call connected, his mouth let out a string of profanities. "Help, Binchen! Please tell me I'm not insane!"

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A/N: author got nothing to say during these moments because behold, everything will fall into place soon :)