My Dearest General: It Has Always Been You

A series of knocks resounded on Jiang Jinyan's door, followed by his low voice, "Come in."

Nurse Zhang slid the door open with a smile, her hands holding a small bouquet of bright yellow flowers, blossoming with six lobes with its central bell-shaped crown. They were swaying coquettishly in the air, bringing with them the fresh air of spring. "There's a delivery for you."

Jiang Jinyan raised one of his brows. "From who?"

The nurse's smile was impeccable as she said, "Sorry, we don't know either, it's anonymous. Do you want me to place it in a vase?"

Jiang Jinyan nodded, "Yes please." Afterwhich, his mind wandered. Who would send him flowers? The only people who knew that he was hospitalized were his father and Wei Xiameng. His father was a lost cause, let alone flowers, maybe he had already forgotten that he had a son staying in the hospital.

Then, the only possibility was…Wei Xiameng?

Jiang Jinyan felt the corner of his mouth curl up and his mood elevated. "It's beautiful."

"Yes," Nurse Zhang agreed with a smile. "It's beautiful indeed." She was dexterous and did her work fast. In less than five minutes, she had found an empty vase, filled it with water and put the daffodils inside. "I will put it on the table by the couch?"

"No," Jiang Jinyan requested, "Put it on top of the nightstand instead."

Nurse Zhang beamed, "Sure." She put the vase on the nightstand closest to Jiang Jinyan. Seeing how much the young man liked it, she felt happy for Shi Nian. "Then, I will leave first."

"Thank you, Nurse Zhang."

Jiang Jinyan waited until the door closed completely to reach for the vase. He recalled that Wei Xiameng had always liked flowers, but being the crude man whose brain was only filled with training and training, Jiang Jinyan often forgot to buy it for her on their dates, causing the girl to throw a tantrum until the end, buying flowers before a date became Jiang Jinyan's habit.

Now, the girl took the initiative to send him one? It was…quite adorable.

He fiddled with the yellow petals between his fingers, his face donned with a rarely seen smile. Not long after, the person in his mind arrived, carrying with her the bright smile that brushed off the gloom hanging on Jiang Jinyan's heart.

"Jinyan, how are you?" Wei Xiameng put down her backpack and approached him. Seeing the flowers in his hand, she exclaimed in admiration. "Wow, such a beautiful flower!"

Jiang Jinyan snorted, amused. If she wanted to play pretend, sending the flowers anonymously, then he would gladly follow along. "It's beautiful, right?"

"Hmm-mm!" Wei Xiameng nodded, looking especially happy today which further confirmed the doubt in Jiang Jinyan's mind. He relaxed and twisted the flowers with his pale and long fingers.

"It's such a pity that I don't know what meaning it carried," he meaningfully said.

"Then let me tell you!" Wei Xiameng chirped, her voice crisp and clear. "This flower is named daffodil! Daffodils are said to be the first flower we see in springtime and a great indicator that winter is over. Because of it, they are seen as a representation of rebirth and new beginnings. It's such a meaningful flower, Jinyan, whoever sends it must love you so much!"

Sure, sure, keep pretending. Jiang Jinyan smiled and titled his head. "You think so?"

"Yes, haha. I have no reason to lie, haven't I?"

"Hmm." He lowered his eyes, joy bursting through his eyes. "Then this will be my favorite flower from now on."

Both of them were immersed with their own world. She, thinking of the mesmerizing man who had just dropped her off, to the point where the person who would send flowers to her boyfriend slipped out from her mind.

Meanwhile he, seeing his girlfriend beaming brighter and brighter, thinking that surely, his guess was right. Silly girl, if she had just wanted to send flowers, why should she do it secretly? Jiang Jinyan's heart melted into a puddle and his stiff expression softened considerably.

Just like that, the misunderstanding continued…

***

Meanwhile, Shi Nian was in a good mood because Nurse Zhang had just reported that Jiang Jinyan liked the flowers very much. She was grinning from ear to ear to the point where Xu Binchen felt crept out. "Why are you so happy today?"

She drew a big smiley face on her board and hummed a random tune.

This kind of happiness…no one would understand!

[Uncle detective, are you busy?]

Xu Binchen rolled his eyes. "Yeah, since when am I not?" Then, his eyes were drawn toward the blooming yellow flowers on the vase and he cleared his throat. "Do you like flowers so much?"

[Yes, yes! I like it, like it so much! Thank you!]

So happy just because of a bouquet of flowers? Xu Binchen snorted. Indeed, she was such a simple teenager…then, if she was sad in the future, he would have to buy more bouquets and the problem would be solved, right?

All of a sudden, his phone rang and without any qualms, he accepted it in front of Shi Nian. "Yes, Tang Wei?" He gave Shi Nian a furtive glance. "I am in the hospital, what's wrong?"

Shi Nian lifted her head and stared at him curiously.

She saw Xu Binchen's face sink, alternating between black and red, brows knitted tighter before he let out a string of curses. "Can you take care of it?! Wait—it has come up to the trending list?! Damn it, just bring it down!" In the end, his tone rose higher and higher into a roar and he hung up with a fuming face.

Shi Nian fearfully wrote, [Did something happen?]

"You—" Xu Binchen glanced at her and rubbed his face roughly. "Remember, no matter what happens, you must not leave this room as much as possible until the end of the week, okay?"

Shi Nian's heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. The first possibility that popped up in her mind was; the serial killer had reappeared. Her small face turned pale, even her fingers were trembling ever so slightly.

Xu Binchen heaved a sigh and messed her hair up. "It has nothing to do with you. But you're so damn unlucky to be caught up in it."

She blinked, confused.

Sighing again, Xu Binchen grabbed his coat and put it on. "Listen to me. If there's something you need, press the nurse button and make sure not to show yourself as much as possible, okay?"

Shi Nian instinctively grabbed onto the hems of his shirt, her golden eyes quivered, filled with inquiry and dependence. Xu Binchen actually felt his heart go soft. He hastily patted her hand two times and flicked her forehead. "Don't be scared. I will just meet up with little fatty outside the hospital. I will return soon. In the meantime, I will ask a nurse to accompany you."

Thus, without giving Shi Nian any chance to retort, Xu Binchen strode out in large steps, not forgetting to repeat. "Don't go outside, you hear me!"

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