My Dearest General: It Has Always Been You

The sky was blue, the island was surrounded by crystal clear water that the fishes, shells and reefs underneath could clearly be seen. Breeze ruffled through the coconut trees, swaying the leaves gently. Just as the sun started to rise, Jiang Huocheng was already up, dressed neatly in a suit with his head combed back, showing his chiseled and deep features. He sat on a long table that could accommodate more than ten people, bodyguards and staff around him.

"What do you wish to eat for breakfast, Sir?" The cook asked politely.

Jiang Huocheng would usually choose to skip breakfast altogether, but recalling that he wasn\'t the only one on the island, he changed his mind eventually. "Where is Jinyan? Still asleep?"

Si Zhening stepped forward with his head bowed. "When I passed by the west cottage, there\'s still no sign of movement inside so I guess yes, Young Master Jiang shouldn\'t have woken up yet."

Jiang Huocheng sighed with a frown. "What time is it now? So young but already so lazy. Secretary Si, please go and wake him up, tell him that I have been waiting for him in the dining hall."

"Yes, sir." Si Zhening smiled faintly, turned around and went to the west cottage. It was still as tranquil as he had glimpsed upon a few minutes ago. Sunshine poured in from the glass window and the breeze was soothing. It was so quiet that it looked like no other person existed.

Si Zhening had just walked in when the room at the other end of the hallway opened, showing Ru Meiqi with damp hair and a refreshed face. 

He bowed. "Good morning, Miss Ru. Did you have a nice sleep?"

"Oh yes," Ru Meiqi smiled. "The air is so fresh and the room is nice, how can I not sleep well?"

Si Zhening chuckled. "Indeed. CEO Jiang built this island as a vacation resort so it\'s no wonder that it makes people feel relaxed." He paused for a moment and couldn\'t help but comment, "Excuse me, Miss Ru, your pocket is a bit crooked."

"Hmm?" Ru Meiqi looked down to see two small pockets on either side of her shirt. One of them had its inside a bit overtuned. Albeit, it wasn\'t too messy to the point where someone would specially point it out. Still she tidied it up properly. "Thank you, Secretary Si. I am amazed at how attentive you are."

"It\'s nothing." He said with a more sincere smile. "It\'s just a habit."

Ru Meiqi nodded and casually walked alongside him. "So where are you going this early in the morning?"

"CEO Jiang asked me to wake Young Master Jiang up. It seems like he has a good night\'s sleep."

Ru Meiqi\'s eyes twinkled. "Okay, let me go with you. I should wake Shi Nian up too."

Si Zhening smiled and didn\'t refuse. The two walked down the corridor until Ru Meiqi broke the silence first, "So, judging from how you pointed my shirt out earlier, it seems like Secretary Si has quite a severe OCD problem? Ah sorry…I don\'t mean to invade your personal life," She smiled apologetically. "It\'s just an occupational habit."

"OCD?" Si Zhening hummed vaguely. "It might be considered so. Perhaps because I have been working as a secretary for years, I developed a habit that makes me unable to leave something untidy alone. I apologize if I have offended you."

Ru Meiqi laughed and waved her hand offhandedly. "It\'s nothing. I also know someone who\'s itching whenever he sees something messy. But compared to him, Secretary Si seems a bit more…disciplined."

Si Zhening only smiled and didn\'t comment.

They entered the area where Jiang Jinyan and Shi Nian lived. Coincidentally or not, Si Zhening\'s steps became more hurried so he soon left Ru Meiqi behind.

"Come to think of it," Ru Meiqi suddenly claimed. "I have always wondered where I have heard your name before, Secretary Si. Possibly…have you gone to the police station before for some questioning regarding the serial murder case?"

Si Zhening visibly halted but when he turned around, his smile still remained impeccable. "…You\'re right. Miss Ru has a very good memory. I have almost forgotten about it myself."

For a while, both of them stared at each other. Ru Meiqi\'s blank eyes moved and it was unknown where she directed her gaze to. In the end, she gave an elegant and beautiful smile. "Thanks for the compliment. Now, let\'s go and wake them up, shall we?"

"Yes." Si Zhening nodded and gestured ahead. "If you may."

Ru Meiqi walked ahead leisurely yet she was secretly alert inside. Years of experience had honed her senses and she could vividly feel the man\'s gaze on her back, almost piercing a hole there. She frowned and pondered. Where did this weird feeling whenever she looked at Si Zhening came from?

She shook her hand and decided to bring it up to Jin Renguang when she returned later. Walking toward Shi Nian\'s room, she knocked a few times. "Niannian, are you up yet?"

There was no answer.

"Shi Nian?"

Ru Meiqi grabbed the handle and tried to turn it. The door opened in an instant. "If you don\'t answer, then I am going in, okay?" She waited five seconds and still no answer was heard inside. There wasn\'t even any hint of movement.

She finally opened the door and popped her head in. Just as she expected, the room was empty, even the bedsheet was smooth and tidy without any creases. She had somehow seen it coming but when her doubt was proven true, she still felt a tad surprised. "She\'s quite a bold girl, huh…"

"Miss Ru?" Secretary Si\'s voice sounded beside her. "If you\'re searching for Miss Shi, I think you can find her here."

Ru Meiqi chortled and walked toward Jiang Jinyan\'s room.

The window was left half opened and sunshine peeked in from the gaps of the curtain. The whole room was unexpectedly serene and tranquil. A huge lump formed above the king size bed and two people\'s heads peeked out from the blanket, leaning against each other intimately. Fortunately, both of them were still dressed and there\'s no condoms lying around.

Ru Meiqi crossed her arms and gave an amused scoff. On the other hand, Si Zhening directly went to open the curtain, letting the glaring sunshine fall over Jiang Jinyan\'s eyes.

Soon, his eyelids twitched and he roused from his sleep.

"Young Master Jiang, it\'s time to wake up."

Jiang Jinyan\'s eyes instantly snapped open but it closed soon due to the lights. He let out a hoarse grunt and tried to move his arm to no avail. Glancing down, he saw Shi Nian\'s peacefully sleeping face. Sensing how Si Zhening was still standing there like a fool, he glowered. "I know now. Get out."

Si Zhening bowed and moved to exit the room, closing the door behind them. He saw Ru Meiqi leaning on the wall in front of the door, an exasperated smile on her face. After thinking for a while, Si Zhening asked, "Miss Ru, are you angry?"

Ru Meiqi raised a brow. "Do I look like I am angry?"

"Usually, when a guardian sees their child in the bed with a man, they would get angry."

Ru Meiqi let out a bark of laughter. She went forward and patted Si Zhening\'s shoulder. The latter was taken aback and had no time to react. "Secretary Si, you\'re quite a funny guy. Let\'s go, we should go to the dining hall first." After saying that, she strode away leisurely, humming a random tune along the way.

Si Zhening looked at the woman\'s back and gave a smile that didn\'t reach his eyes. "Yes, we should."

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A/N: Damn, Ru Meiqi don\'t mess with him aaaah! Did she begin to feel that he\'s a lil sus....omo