My Dearest General: It Has Always Been You

Shi Nian didn't cower at all under his gaze. She gave an innocent look as if the person who was staring intently at Jiang Jinyan wasn't her. It would be more believable if Jiang Jinyan didn't know how she truly was.

Seeing that his attack seemed as if punching soft cotton, Jiang Jinyan didn't want to bother with her anymore. He turned his head to look out of the window, but the girl's sticky gaze stayed on him. In the end, he couldn't help but snap. "Can you not look at me?"

Both the human and the cat titled their heads and looked at him with the same confused expression.

Jiang Jinyan: "…"

Shi Nian took her phone and typed. [Mr.Jiang Jinyan…]

"What?" He replied impatiently.

[Have you eaten breakfast?]

The veins on Jiang Jinyan's forehead bulged out. "What does it have to do with you?"

[My mom made meat congee. If you want, then let me share it with you?] She had such an earnest and sincere look that it made Jiang Jinyan feel slightly guilty and ridiculous for reacting so excessively.

In the end, she was just looking at him. Why did he have to make a mountain out of a hill?

Every single rejection, rebuttal and refusal didn't work on her. She just kept on treating him…normally. Like a concerned neighbor and friend. Maybe an overly enthusiastic one. In the end, it made Jiang Jinyan tired because he knew that he had no idea how to push her away.

"Don't bother yourself with it." He leaned back to the couch tiredly.

Shi Nian shook her head and stood up, making him reluctantly lift his eyelids. "Where do you want to go?"

[Meat congee.] She smiled. [I haven't eaten yet either so let's eat together.]

Left with no choice, Jiang Jinyan could only nod, albeit unwillingly. However, he still trailed behind the girl, following her as she walked to the elevator. Shi Nian turned around in surprise, even the tip of her hairs swayed around in joy. [You don't need to follow me.]

Jiang Jinyan looked away and coughed. "You shouldn't be alone until the suspect is caught."

Originally, Shi Nian always took the stairs because the distance of one floor was too superfluous to wait for the elevator. But this time, because Jiang Jinyan was here, she silently changed her direction and pressed on the button. The elevator was still empty thus it didn't take even two minutes for them to arrive.

Shi Nian slapped her forehead, recalling how she was intending to buy kitchenwares for Xu Binchen earlier. She opened her door in a hurry and invited him in, then dashed into the kitchen to heat the porridge. After making sure that Jiang Jinyan had settled in the living room, she again dashed out, wanting to go check up on Xu Binchen.

Seeing her run around so busily, Jiang Jinyan caught her wrist. "Where do you want to go again?"

Shi Nian glanced at the long and slender fingers which wrapped around her thin wrist and pointed outside.

He frowned. "Where?"

Shi Nian fumbled around for her phone. [Xu Binchen gege's place. He's sick.]

It was unknown what Jiang Jinyan was thinking of, but then he stood up and said. "I will go with you."

Shi Nian scratched her nose and didn't have any choice but to let him follow. She took out the key and opened Xu Binchen's house quietly, putting her forefingers to her lips as a signal for him not to make any ruckus.

The corner of Jiang Jinyan's mouth twitched. He didn't go inside but only leaned on the hallway as he looked at Shi Nian's back which disappeared into the kitchen. She popped her head out all of a sudden, catching him off guard.

"What's wrong?" he asked in a low voice.

Shi Nian pointed toward her door across Xu Binchen's, then mimicked the gesture of eating.

Jiang Jinyan said helplessly. "…just do your business." Why did she always worry about him? Moreover, telling him to go to her house alone, did she trust him that much? Exactly how gullible this girl was? Jiang Jinyan had never known before that he had such a trustworthy face.

Shi Nian went back to the kitchen to heat up the congee.

Subsequently, the door to one of the rooms suddenly swung open and Xu Binchen emerged, clad in pajamas and messy bed hair. The phone was pinched between his ear and shoulder. "Yes, I'm up. What do you say? You have more or less solved the case?"

He stopped in his tracks, dumbstruck. Because his room's direction was parallel to the kitchen, thus he instantly caught sight of a figure who was busily looking over the pot. His entire being froze in place. In his ear, Qin Weizhe's voice travelled out, confused. "Hello? Binchen? Heck, is the signal that bad? Hello, helloo???"

Xu Binchen shut his eyes and opened them again, yet the sight in front of his eyes remained the same.

He pinched his thigh, it hurt. So…he wasn't dreaming?

What was happening right now? Why was Shi Nian cooking in his kitchen?

"Detective Xu." Jiang Jinyan caught sight of the befuddled Xu Binchen and stepped forward to greet. "Sorry to intrude your place early in the morning."

Xu Binchen was taken aback once again. His hoarse voice cracked in the end. "…What the hell?" There were so many questions in his head that he didn't know where to begin. It wasn't enough with Shi Nian and now, Jiang Jinyan was here too???

Shi Nian turned around and beamed at the sight of him. She turned off the stove and ran toward him. [Are you okay now?] She wanted to measure his forehead but Xu Binchen was too tall and she couldn't reach him even when she was tiptoeing.

Xu Binchen recovered his senses and took a step back. "No…what are you doing in my house?"

Shi Nian was shocked. [You don't remember?]

There was a faint bad feeling in Xu Binchen's heart. "Remember what?"

[You…] Shi Nian didn't know how to explain Xu Binchen's unusual behavior last night. [You're sick and became clingy…]

The man's eyes turned incredulous as if it was more believable to say that pigs could fly rather than this. "Me…?"

Shi Nian puffed up her cheeks in anger. How could he do the deed and then forget it just like that? Shi Nian glanced toward Jiang Jinyan who looked like he was going to merge with the wallpaper anytime soon and swallowed her words back down. It wasn't good to air Xu Binchen's shameful behavior out in the open. She would properly count it with him when they were alone later.

In the end, the three people ate together in Xu Binchen's place.

It wasn't long until the police siren rang out in the distance and the doorbell rang. Shi Nian went to open the door for Ru Meiqi, Qin Weizhe and Luo Ning. Then, the house turned rowdy and cramped in an instant.

"Wow, so this is Binchen's place~" Qin Weizhe ran around like a dog sniffing around a new place. "It's so clean and tidy! Look at your kitchen tsk tsk, you don't even have any instant noodles?! Then what did I come here for?! What is this? Congee? Where's mine?!"

Xu Binchen almost threw his spoon to Qin Weizhe's face. "Shut up."

It was Luo Ning who was more sensible. He tidied Qin Weizhe's messy shoes into the cabinet and bowed, slightly embarrassed. "Sorry to intrude, Detective Xu."

Ru Meiqi strode past toward Shi Nian and looked at her up and down. "Are you okay? Why do you always make me worry? Don't be so careless in the future, got it?"

Shi Nian's heart felt warm and she smiled at the woman.

Ru Meiqi turned to Jiang Jinyan and nodded slightly. "Mr.Jiang, I believe that it's our first meeting." She gave him a name card. "My name is Ru Meiqi. Thank you for taking care of Shi Nian earlier."

Jiang Jinyan glanced down and caught sight of the bold cursive font of 'Criminal Psychologist, Professor of Criminology Department, Affiliated University of Sangzhe' then, with a usual deadpan expression, nodded and replied. "Miss Ru is too polite."

"Ah yes!" Qin Weizhe returned to the living room and shook Jiang Jinyan's hands. "Thank you very much, young man. Because of your report, we have successfully caught the culprit! I noticed that you're very sharp, calm and observational. May I ask if you're interested to be a detective?"

Xu Binchen put down his spoon with a bang and the atmosphere swiftly turned silent. He crossed his arm and demanded coldly. "Tell me what is going on. What did all of this have to do with Shi Nian and Mr. Jiang? Hmm?" He looked around and his eyes finally fell onto Shi Nian who hid behind Ru Meiqi, silently pretending that she was entirely made of invisible air.

He chuckled angrily at her cautious look.. "Come out."