My Dearest General: It Has Always Been You

It wasn't until the sun had settled down far into the horizon that Jiang Jinyan finally returned home. It was the house that he had lived in for fourteen years. Jiang Jinyan didn't remember where the house he lived with his mother was. Jiang Huocheng never told him anything, everything in the past sank down like a small pebble plunging to the bottom of the ocean, indefinitely being buried without knowing when to see the light of the day.

The Jiang Residence was built in an antique style. The ground was covered in hardwood floors and the wallpaper was creamy white. The light was planted around the corner of the room and it could be set either to brightly white or dimly yellow according to preference. Boston Ivy circled around the wall outside and the lawn was covered in soft grass, adorned with an old, small wisteria tree. It would definitely feel very comfortable to lay down when the sun wasn't too hot.

The architecture of the house would make anyone comfortable when they looked at it, but unfortunately such a perfect house was devoid of warmth and traces of living being.

Even when it's summer and the air outside was smothering hot, when Jiang Jinyan entered, a gush of cold air sprayed onto his face and he had an inexplicable chill.

He didn't even turn on the light and flopped down to the couch. After resting for a while, he rolled up his pants, showing the metallic glint of the artificial leg. With a soft groan, Jiang Jinyan took it off. It hurt as if he was peeling off his skin along with it and without glancing, he knew that his stumped knee was bruised but he was too lazy to deal with it.

He threw the artificial leg haphazardly beside him and let his amputated leg dangle freely. He would still find it novel when he moved, just like how someone could clearly see the things in front of them but when they tried to grab it, they could touch nothing but empty air. That kind of hollowness that was difficult to be described with words.

His phone buzzed again. It had buzzed numerous times when he was in the taxi just now, but he was too lazy to open it.

In addition to the two messages Wei Xiameng sent earlier, there were another bunch of messages spreading across the screen once every hour.

[Xiaxia]: Jinyan, why are you not answering me?

[Xiaxia]: I went to your house but the security guard said that you haven't returned yet. Where are you?

[Xiaxia]: Why are you disappearing on me like this?! [angry.jpg]

After these messages, there was a stretch of silence about two hours and the latest one was sent fifteen minutes ago. It seemed like she had realized that it was useless to lose her temper so she decided to give him a cold shoulder.

[Xiaxia]: If you've seen my messages, call me. There's something I have to tell you.

Without a change in his expression, Jiang Jinyan opened the call log and saw twelve unanswered calls, all from Wei Xiameng.

It had been five hours since Jiang Jinyan called his father. Deng Chuqian said that his meeting would last for another hour, but five hours had already passed and there was still no sign of activity. Jiang Jinyan sneered. He just knew it. His father, where was he busy? It was more like he couldn't spare some time for people who were unimportant.

He turned on the TV and changed it to the news channel. The sound of the woman broadcaster spoke softly in the background as Jiang Jinyan dialed back to Wei Xiameng. The ringing tone hadn't even echoed yet and the call was directly connected.

For the first few seconds, nobody spoke. Jiang Jinyan's eyes looked at the TV but his mind had wandered everywhere.

Finally, it was Wei Xiameng who gave up first. "Jinyan? Is that you?" There was a nasally tone to her voice as if she had just cried.

Jiang Jinyan softly let out an 'en'. "What did you want to tell me?" He asked directly.

Wei Xiameng almost choked on her breath. He had disappeared for almost a day but his tone remained nonchalant and even as if he had done nothing wrong. He didn't even feel like explaining anything. How could he be like this? Was he still the Jiang Jinyan she knew?!

"You—" Wei Xiameng's tone rose, but due to the sound of TV, it was muffled a bit. For some reasons, in the end, she changed her mind and didn't get angry, her tone softened instead. "Jinyan, where are you now? Are you okay? Why didn't you tell me that you have been discharged?"

The corner of Jiang Jinyan's lips curled up in a cold smile. He didn't say anything. If a few weeks ago, when he saw Wei Xiameng together with Qing Si, he had felt like cold shards of ice piercing his veins and merging with his blood, now he felt unbearably calm and level headed.

He even thought that it was stupid of him to cry.

It seemed like this sentimental trait ran down in his family. Just look at how his mother ended up because of one relationship. How could Jiang Jinyan let himself be affected like that anymore? He refused to be like her, begging and pleading for someone to stay only to be discarded like a worthless piece of trash.

He learned in a hard way that dependence, trust and love was such a scary thing.

"Why didn't you answer?" Wei Xiameng wasn't a good tempered girl to begin with. She had been pampered by Jiang Jinyan for years and now, getting this kind of cold treatment was like a slap to his face. "Jiang Jinyan, what the hell is wrong with you?!"

"I know right," he replied lightly. "I also want to know what's wrong with me these past few years."

All of Wei Xiameng's words got stuck on her throat. She didn't expect Jiang Jinyan to answer her so she was slightly speechless. Her chest huffed in anger and she decided to throw all caution to the wind and get to the point. It was useless to worry about him anyway. "Jinyan, there's something I want to tell you."

"What?"

Wei Xiameng fell silent for a while and then, starting with a vague sigh, she mumbled. "Originally, I wanted to tell you directly but I couldn't find you anywhere so it's not totally my fault anyway. Jinyan," She took a deep breath and blurted out "…let's break up. I—I'm sorry, but during this period of time, you weren't there and I was so lonely. It was very hard to endure...."

Jiang Jinyan's arms were spread by his side sluggishly and his head tilted back. His Adam apple rolled as he swallowed. Finally, it came. The declaration that was late by a few weeks. He didn't expect himself to be so calm after being cheated. Somehow, it amused him a bit. "Okay."

His cold, indifferent attitude made Wei Xiameng angry. "Okay? I am asking for a break up and all you gotta say is 'okay'?!"

Jiang Jinyan chuckled in ridicule. "Or else, what do you want me to say? You have already gotten together with Qing Si, what else do I have to say? Or…should I say congratulations?"

The other side fell into a deadly silence.