My Dearest General: It Has Always Been You

The room sank into a heavy silence. Sounds of teeth gnashing could be heard faintly.

Dreamscape Bar! It's Dreamscape Bar again!

"Captain!" Ke Shao exclaimed angrily. "We have detected the activity of drugs distribution and human trafficking, can't we just shut down the bar and arrest everyone responsible there?"

Jin Renguang's sharp eyes flashed. "Do you think Director Fen doesn't know about it? Or Chief Song or even Commissioner Wang?!" He scanned his heavy gaze around as his low voice pierced through the air. "They knew! They have long known about it! Then, why can't they act? Why should Director Fen secretly give me clues to investigate? It's because they can't! Don't you understand? We have to gather crucial evidence which those sitting on the high can't deny!"

"Do we have evidence now? Can we provide enough proof to send out an arrest warrant? Can we?! All we got is only a mere testimony from a little girl and some video recording. If the higher ups decide to act against us, those little pieces of evidence will disappear from the surface of Earth!"

Ke Shao lowered his eyes sullenly, tufts of his hair flying around in frustration. "I know. Sorry, Capt. I got too emotional.."

"Let's stop and cool our heads for a while, shall we?" Ru Meiqi suggested, looking at Jin Renguang intently.

The latter nodded, fingers pressing against his throbbing temples. "Let's take a break. We will return here in half an hour. Disperse!"

The door to the meeting room swung open and a crowd of detectives swarmed out. There was no difference between them and the students who ran out after the bell rang to go to the cafeteria. Until the end, only five people remained; Jin Renguang, Ru Meiqi, Xu Binchen, Qin Weizhe and Luo Ning.

Luo Ning didn't go out because he was waiting for Qin Weizhe.

Qin Weizhe was looking at Jin Renguang and Ru Meiqi back and forth, his eyes alert as if he had detected something different about them.

Jin Renguang was leaning onto the chair with his head tilted back, heaving a loud sigh of frustration while Ru Meiqi went through her notebook and reread the reports which were distributed just now.

On the other hand, Xu Binchen…

Well, he didn't care a bit about the strange undercurrent in the air as he pulled out his phone and started texting. His head lowered, strands of hair covering his forehead. The glow from the phone screen illuminated his face, obscuring the emotion in his eyes yet it made his features soften somehow.

Ru Meiqi suddenly spoke, "You're taking her to school all of a sudden. Did something happen? Didn't she tell you not to fetch her around anymore?"

As expected of Senior Ru, nothing could escape her eyes.

Xu Binchen didn't intend to hide anything and explained Shi Nian's accident and what Psychiatrist Cheng said. "The probability of succeeding is less than 50%. She has been imprisoned for too long and there's a huge chance that she might have a breakdown if she recalls all of her memories. Afterall, she said that the serial killer didn't torture her."

"Didn't torture her…" Ru Meiqi pondered and understood instantly. "Then, it might have been something worse. There's no concluding remark about human's psychology about this but let's conjure up the worst case scenario. Imprisonment, possibly in a dark, narrow room. Maybe there's even manipulation and witnessing something that we can't possibly imagine. Don't say three months, just five days or one week is enough to break someone's mind."

Xu Binchen didn't say anything, but his hold on the phone tightened so much that it almost cracked.

"And she's only sixteen years old." Ru Meiqi sighed heavily. "Sometimes I wonder, is it better for her not to remember forever?"

Qin Weizhe pointed out. "She said she wanted to remember."

Ru Meiqi chuckled darkly. "That's just what she said. Who doesn't want to escape from the thing they fear the most? Don't you realize that she has a habit of putting up a strong front? Maybe it's because of her upbringing, but she's too mature and sensible for her age. It's not good for her psychology in the long term. She needs someone to confide in, someone who can share her weakness and burden."

A figure flashed in Xu Binchen's mind. "Let's see." He said. "It's true that if she can remember, then we will have another breakthrough. We may even solve the case."

Jin Renguang who was silent during their discussion, opened his eyes. The corner of his lips tilted down. "Since when does our squad become so weak that we need a sixteen years old girl to sacrifice herself for us? If she can't remember, does it mean that we will not be able to solve the case?"

Four pairs of eyes turned to him, stunned.

"Don't look at me like that." Jin Renguang chuckled wryly. "What kind of brute do you think I am? I will not sacrifice someone innocent. Haven't I said it from the very beginning? Xu Binchen, if the chance of success didn't exceed 60%, don't give your permission, got it?"

Xu Binchen's brows loosened and he answered loudly. "Yes, sir!"

"Now, there's something I am curious about." Jin Renguang leaned forward and intertwined ten fingers beneath his chin, smiling meaningfully. "Xu Binchen, you—"

Xu Binchen interjected suddenly. "Detective Qin."

"Ah, what?" Qin Weizhe asked, startled.

Xu Binchen lifted his eyes from his phone screen, the light illuminated his eyes, making them shine dazzlingly. "Shi Nian got a lead from a student named Zhang Jiancheng. She said that Li Qing liked a boy. Heard it from Ruo Tingran's group."

Qin Weizhe's brain whirled rapidly and he cursed. "This group of snotty kids!" He couldn't care less about the serial killer anymore and got up. "Little Ning, come! We will re-interrogate them one by one. Even if I have to dig three feet underground, I shall dig this person out!"

Luo Ning gathered his things, excited. "Detective Qin, this person might be the link we're searching for!"

***

After sleeping for a night bathing in cold autumn air and going through a long and exhausting day, it was no wonder that Shi Nian developed a low grade fever when night arrived.

Qiang Fei had gone on a business trip and hadn't returned yet. Shi Nian was used to being alone, but when she's vulnerable like this, the emptiness of the house seemed especially unbearable. Nevertheless, she wasn't the kind of daughter who would make a fuss.

After obediently finishing her homework and downing two pills with warm water, she drilled into the blanket and sweated it out. When she woke up groggily, the sky was still dark outside and her fever had broken.

She saw the time. 2.27 am.

After changing her clothes and relieving herself in the bathroom, Shi Nian found that she couldn't fall asleep anymore.

Her eyes were wide open and only the sound of ticking clock could be heard. It was dark and quiet. Every single sound was magnified indefinitely. The sound of her breathing, her heartbeat, the rustle of bedsheet when she moved…

Shi Nian sat up and grabbed her phone.

When the screen lit up, a new message notification popped up, one that she hadn't noticed before because she didn't touch her phone at all. Unexpectedly, it was from Jiang Jinyan.

Shi Nian's pupils shrunk as she tapped open the message.

It was sent at 6 pm and the content was very short and sounded quite familiar.

[Jiang Jinyan]: Have you eaten yet?

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A/N: Shi Nian and Jiang Jinyan's way of showing love will be asking "Have you eaten yet?" (ﾉ≧∀≦)ﾉ oh, there's a very nice treat for you in the next chappie hehehe~