My Dearest General: It Has Always Been You

"See? This theory here, and here too…all of them are only explained today by the Professor in person." Jia Ming'en seriously pointed at the papers he had brought. "This is the Professor's research that hasn't been released yet so you can't find it on the internet. You are lucky that I also take this class myself. What are you waiting for? Come on, finish the test right now."

The corner of Jiang Jinyan's lips twitched as he inputted the answers in a few empty brackets for the questions he had left behind. With Jia Ming'en's guidance, after ten minutes, he finished answering them all and submitted the test two hours earlier than the deadline. "...Thank you?"

"Ha!" He gave an incredulous laugh. "Why did you sound so uncertain?"

"Maybe because I am not sure why President Jia came here at this late hour at night just to help me do an online test?" Jiang Jinyan sounded sarcastic. "I don't remember we are close enough for you to do so."

"Haven't I said it before?" Jia Ming'en leaned back on the single seater sofa as if he owned the place. "If I didn't have to take care of some matters, then I would have arrived much earlier." He raked his fingers across his hair, sighing. "Anyway, there's something I have wanted to ask since just now. Miss, why are you looking at us with such a happy face?"

"Ah?" Shi Nian who was suddenly cued was taken aback. She put the glass of water in front of Jia Ming'en and touched her lips only to realize she was grinning without her knowing. "Sorry, I guess I am just too happy to see the two of you together."

Jiang Jinyan and Jia Ming'en's heads snapped to her simultaneously, both sporting the similar incredulous expression. Jia Ming'en had goosebumps all over his arms. "Don't tell me…are you one of those rotten women?"

Shi Nian: "Rotten…woman???"

Jiang Jinyan glowered. "Why are you insulting her?"

Just in one glance Jia Ming'en could see that they weren't speaking in the same wavelength. He held his forehead and waved offhandedly. "No, I'm sorry. Just forget what I was talking about. Anyway," He looked at Jiang Jinyan and Shi Nian back and forth, guessing. "Have I interrupted you two?"

Shi Nian: "W—What? No!"

Jiang Jinyan: "Yes."

The two different answers were spoken out at the same time. After that, both of them looked at each other, speechless. Jiang Jinyan narrowed his eyes, something within them held a warning that made Shi Nian's heart beat faster. She withdrew her gaze and tucked her hair behind her ear nervously. "Um…then, I will go home first."

Jiang Jinyan reached for his crutch. "I will see you off to the elevator."

"No need." Shi Nian pressed his shoulder back down and smiled. "I am sure you two have something to talk about. I will go alone, it's only a few steps anyway."

Jiang Jinyan harrumphed in discontent. When Shi Nian retracted her hands, he grasped it and kissed the back of her palm. "Then, I will see you tomorrow?"

Shi Nian blushed furiously and stole a peek toward Jia Ming'en to see the man cupping his cheek and staring at them with an utterly bored look. "O—Okay…" She scrambled to grab her phone and coat. "See you tomorrow then. Goodnight, Mr. Jia."

Jia Ming'en waved casually and it wasn't until the front door opened and closed again did he ask, "Your girlfriend?"

Jiang Jinyan leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. "Isn't it obvious already?" Whenever he thought back on how Shi Nian had praised Jia Ming'en to the nine heavens for his good character, he had the urge to put on a scowl.

"Heh…" Jia Ming'en grumbled under his breath. "Cocky bastard."

"Where's your glasses?"

"Fell off somewhere. Broken."

Jiang Jinyan had never seen the prim and proper Student Council President this messy before. Well, not that he had seen the other often anyway. As he had said before, they weren't so close that Jia Ming'en would come only to give him some notes. "Where did you get my number? I don't remember giving it to you."

"The Student Council President has the right to access the student's database. Don't worry, I will not misuse it. Today is the only exception."

Sighing, Jiang Jinyan finally got impatient. "Spill it. What are you coming here for? Are you running from debt collectors?"

Instead of answering, Jia Ming'en hung half of his body over the sofa and scratched Little Apple beneath its chin, making it purr ceaselessly. "Cute kitty. What's its name?"

Jiang Jinyan clicked his tongue in vexation.

"Alright, alright." Jia Ming'en sighed. "Why is your temper still so bad when you already have a girlfriend?"

Jiang Jinyan scoffed. "I am only patient in front of her."

Jia Ming'en laughed as if he couldn't believe such a corny sentence could come out of Jiang Jinyan's mouth. His laughter receded into a sigh after a while. "Debt collectors huh? Well, I guess you're right. Recently, so many annoying flies are chasing after me, it's so infuriating. I am in a very bad mood and somehow, I thought that I could crash on your place for a while. I don't know why…" He turned his eyes to Jiang Jinyan with a smile. "Maybe because we were good friends in our past lives?"

Jiang Jinyan scoffed at the ridiculous sentence. He knew that Jia Ming'en was only blabbering some nonsense thus he didn't put any further thought in it. He kicked the medicine kit on the carpet onto Jia Ming'en's leg and said coldly. "Help yourself."

Jia Ming'en raised his brow and grabbed some iodine cotton and red medicine. "So, whom did you fight with? You injured your leg?"

"None of your business."

Jia Ming'en shrugged and proceeded to dab the medicine all over his wounds haphazardly. Judging by the scars along his arms, it looked like he fought quite often. Even his current wounds looked like they came from knives and all sorts of heavy weapons.

Jiang Jinyan grimaced at how casually the man treated such horrendous wounds without batting his eyelid but his own prideful temperament didn't allow him to help. Thus, he only sat in silence and stared at Jia Ming'en with a frown.

"What's wrong? Scared?" He asked without lifting his head.

Scared? Jiang Jinyan? Was there a funnier question than this? His expression cooled down in an instant. "Get out."

"Don't be like this." Chuckling, Jia Ming'en continued, "If you kick me out tonight, you might find my corpse by the roadside tomorrow morning."

Jiang Jinyan added with a more sincere tone. "Then please make your way out right at this moment."

"Whoa, look at how much of a heartless bastard you are. Can't you see that your girlfriend likes to see us together? If she knows how you treat me, don't you think she will be angry with you?"

Jiang Jinyan put on a smug and satisfied look. "She will never be angry with me."

Jia Ming'en threw the medicine tube to his face, laughing. "Listen to how arrogant you are."

Jiang Jinyan caught the tube with bare hands and threw it back at him. He grabbed his crutch and stood up. "Just for tonight, you can sleep on the couch." After saying that, he left for his bedroom, limping.

Jia Ming'en stared at his back with a smile on his face.

Jiang Jinyan stopped in front of his bedroom, contemplating. A while later, he finally sighed and turned sideways. "If you…by chance, clashed with some people you couldn't handle, you should go to the owner of this apartment building. His surname is Xu and he's a police officer. He should be able to help you rather than taking shelter here with me."

Jia Ming'en almost burst out laughing by the time Jiang Jinyan's sentence registered in his mind. Police? Ha. Jiang Jinyan had no idea that the police were even ravenous than those people. As soon as they caught wind of him, he would be hunted to become the puppet just for their transaction to come through. He had lived this kind of life for more than twenty years that he had gotten sick of it.

However, tonight, instead of returning to his own place, he suddenly recalled a person whom he had helped once before. He was seized by the urge to do something different, to break through from the chains that locked him down. And here he was, sleeping over in someone's house which he had never done before.

"No, thank you but there's no need…" His words trailed off as a sudden idea popped in his mind. "Actually, you know what? I will take you up on your offer." He stood up with a slight smile, a dark light flashed in his eyes. "I won't bother you. Give me the police officer's number, I will call him myself."

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A/N: Jia Ming'en you got it right lol you two were indeed good friends in your past lives hahaha