My Dearest General: It Has Always Been You

"Mr. Xu…!"

"Mr. Xu, please hang on!"

Who…? Xu Binchen frowned. Who was yelling for him with such an ugly crying voice? 

The last thing he recalled before he lost consciousness was enveloping Lei Liqiu in his embrace as they plunged into the sea. Water rushed into his senses and his eyes remained sharp as he checked on the panicking girl. He tried to hold her down but was instead kicked on his shin. The water buoyancy shielded half of the force but it caused him to lose his grip on her. At the same time, the back of his head—which was struck by the wooden box back in the storage room—throbbed painfully.

He grimaced in pain and involuntarily gulped in some water.

Not good! He tried to swim up to the surface yet his leg just had to be cramped right at that moment. He cursed vehemently as he could only see Lei Liqiu getting further and further away from himself. 

Everywhere in his body ached and it felt like a ton of bricks were pressing down on his chest, so heavy that he couldn't take a breath. 

"Mr. Xu! Hic...Hic Mr. Xu...please don't die…"

Damn girl, what are you cursing me for?

Xu Binchen was so annoyed that he broke through the surface of his subconsciousness. Instantly, fresh air rushed into his lungs and he coughed softly, eyelids fluttered open. White ceiling and glaring lights pierced his eyes and he shut them down again, groaning.

"Mr. Xu!" The same voice in his dream called out, followed by a girl's messy and teary face. "You're awake!"

"Yeah…" His temples throbbed painfully and he painstakingly managed to lift his arm to massage his brows. "It's regrettable that I can't experience how it feels to be buried deep in the sea."

"W—What are you saying that for?!" Lei Liqiu burst out crying, large teardrops slid down her cheeks. "How can you be so mean?! You must have felt better then…"

He scoffed and turned his head weakly, sarcasm dripping from his voice like blood flowing in his veins. "Never been better before." He had just woken up and had to be subjected to these teary eyes and excessive worry. Great, certainly not the way he'd like it to be.

The door slammed open in the next moment and a doctor and two nurses came in, followed by the energetic Wang Chengbing. "Binchen! You're awake!"

Xu Binchen's headache grew worse. Damn it, why did that fatty look as fit as a fiddle while he was paralyzed in the hospital bed?

The doctor performed a string of vital tests and nodded. "It's good that you managed to wake up. If you were sent here a bit later, it would have been precarious. Please have a lot of rest, Mr. Xu."

Xu Binchen sat up, feeling his bones creaking in all places. He received a glass of warm water from Lei Liqiu, gulped it down and asked after the doctor and nurses left. "How long have I been unconscious for?"

"More than a day." Wang Chengbing answered. "What's wrong with you, dude? You got injuries and bruises all over your body. You had a death fight with Si Yusheng? Look at Little Qiuqiu, she's been so worried that she almost tied herself on your bed."

Lei Liqiu bit her lips guiltily and hung his head low.

Little Qiuqiu? Goosebumps crawled over his arms and he ignored the latter part of Wang Chengbing's sentence. "How is he? He's okay, right?"

"Yep, still unconscious though, but overall alive and breathing." 

Xu Binchen sighed in relief and frowned. He didn't know how to break the news to everyone. How could he tell them that the superior they had been receiving commands from was someone corrupt who got orders from the owner of Dreamscape Bar? 

Seeing his frown, Wang Chengbing patted his shoulder and laughed. "What are you worrying about again? Everything has ended nicely. We have apprehended everyone on the scene, the goods aren't damaged and we have Si Yusheng in our hands. This is a huge success!"

Xu Binchen caught his arm and said seriously. "Increase the security in Si Yusheng's room. Don't use the people assigned by the higher ups. Take someone you trust."

Wang Chengbing was taken aback by his sudden seriousness. Still he nodded and thumped his chest. "Leave it to me! Just take a lot of rest. Oh here." He pulled out a brand new phone from his pocket and gave it to Xu Binchen. "Your phone was broken and I changed it into a new one. Give Shi Nian a call if you have time."

Xu Binchen's head snapped up. "Shi Nian called me? Did something happen to her?"

Lei Liqiu couldn't help but give Xu Binchen some discreet glances. Shi Nian? This was the first time she had heard that name. That...was certainly a woman's name, right? She couldn't help but speculate more. Was it his sister...or girlfriend? He sounded so worried...and Lei Liqiu had only heard this kind of genuine concern from him once before when he picked up the call in the middle of the night and hastily left Dreamscape Bar.

She swallowed down the discomfort in her chest.

"Nah, she's just calling because she noticed you haven't been home for a few days." Wang Chengbing grinned. "Such a good girl, huh? I told her that you are hospitalized so she might rush here as soon as you give her a call."

Xu Binchen sighed tiredly. "Why did you tell her?"

"She's worried about you." Wang Chengbing relished in the schadenfreude and left feeling refreshed. "Goodbye! I will tell Captain Jin that you're awake! Little Qiuqiu, please look after him for a while, okay?"

Lei Liqiu stood up and bowed politely. The door closed, leaving the two of them alone.

Although Xu Binchen had a look of annoyance in his face, he still went to WeChat and tapped on Shi Nian's contact. 

[Xu Binchen]: I'm here.

Not even five seconds later, a reply came.

[Ten Years]: !!!!!!

[Ten Years]: You've woken up?!

[Xu Binchen]: No, it's my spirit who is talking to you.

[Ten Years]: cry.jpg you made me so worried

Somehow, Xu Binchen could imagine how her expression looked matched with the gif. The rims of her eyes reddened and she looked at him anxiously, scanning him up and down. "Are you okay? Anywhere uncomfortable? Do you want to eat anything?" The thought caused his frown to loosen and a hint of smile appeared in his eyes.

Xu Binchen glanced at the time on the screen and typed. 

[Xu Binchen]: Aren't you still in class right now?

[Xu Binchen]: Put your phone down and pay attention.

[Ten Years]: Salute.jpg I will come to visit after my class ends.

Xu Binchen was halfway through typing 'There's no need' when Lei Liqiu suddenly spoke. It was only then that he recalled there's another person in the room with him. "Mr. Xu ah no, Detective Xu, I want to thank you for everything you have done. The Dreamscape Bar was searched and everyone in captivity was saved. Thank you."

"It's nothing." Xu Binchen put the phone down. "I am only doing my job."

"Right…" Lei Liqiu hung her head low, a bitter smile on her face. Of course, everything was just his job. What were you expecting ah, Qiuqiu? "Still, you are injured because of me. I will feel guilty if I don't say anything to you."

Xu Binchen nodded offhandedly. "How about you? Any injuries?"

"Ah, no!" Lei Liqiu waved her hand nervously and tucked her hair behind the ear, flattered by his concern. "I was just a bit shocked but today, it is better. I have been discharged earlier. Finally, I can go home." 

Lei Liqiu couldn't describe what she was feeling right now. On one hand, she was happy and relieved that everything had ended and she had been freed from that hellish place but on the other hand...it meant that she no longer had any reason to meet Xu Binchen, to accompany him, to talk to him…

She desperately racked her brain to think of how to maintain any form of contact when her eyes fell on his bare wrist. An idea popped up in her mind. "If you don't mind, can I give you something similar to your red string bracelet? Don't think too much about it, it's just a small token of my gratitude. I noticed that you have always been wearing that bracelet but it seemed that you lost it in the sea…"

Lei Liqiu's words trailed off. She peeked at him through her eyelashes only to find him lost in thought. His gaze drifted onto his right wrist blankly. It was unknown what he was thinking about. Yet somehow, Lei Liqiu had a feeling that he looked a bit...lost.

"Is the bracelet that important to you?" The question came out before she could think it through. She hastily clamped her mouth shut and looked at him nervously. 

"Nah..." He withdrew his gaze and no distinct emotion could be detected from his eyes. "If it's lost, then let it be. It's a cheap thing anyway."

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A/N: Can you hear the sound of something breaking? Yes, it's my heart QAQ Xu Binchen really treasured that cheap bracelet ne~