Shi Nian blinked, and before she could react, he had leaned forward and brought his face close to her. Shi Nian was taken aback. There was a clear reflection of her own face within his pair of dark eyes. Dirty and bloody, marred with bruises and soil, very unsightly to see.

“Because we are the same.”

The answer stunned her. What…did he mean by that?

General Jiang didn’t seem like he was going to explain further as he lifted his head again. Then, under her confused eyes, he stretched out his hand to her with his palm up.

“Here.” He laughed jovially. “Why don’t you try growing a flower on my hand?”

***

Shi Nian’s lips quirked up when she remembered his absurd request.

Her fingers unknowingly tapped on the elevator wall, but nothing happened like before.

After she was reborn, all of her identity had been stripped away. She wasn’t the witch of the dark forest anymore nor did she retain her previous ability. She was just Shi Nian, an ordinary girl living in a peaceful world without any war or magic.

The elevator dinged open and she was startled to find that she almost jammed straight into a hard chest.

Fortunately, the person opposite her held her shoulder before they crashed, preventing the accident from happening. The hand atop her shoulder was warm and heavy, and she hastily stepped back and bowed her head in apology.

“What a coincidence. I am going to get you and here you are..”

The familiar voice halted her movement and she lifted her head. Indeed, it was uncle detective, standing there with one of his hands inside his pocket.

The man turned around without waiting for her, and she strived to keep up with his long strides. She didn’t bring her board into the physiotherapy session thus she could only tap on his wide back.

Xu Binchen turned his head half way and found her opening and closing her mouth like a fish.

“What are you saying?” He frowned. “You don’t bring your board?”

Shi Nian shook her head.

“Here.” Xu Binchen stretched out his hand with his palm up. “Write here.”

Maybe because she had been reminiscing about the past, but when she encountered such a similar scene, a feeling of dejavu rose inside her chest. Inexplicably, she found that her heartbeat was increasing.

The man’s palm was wide and large, and there were thick calluses on his fingers.

Shi Nian stared at it for a moment before gingerly reaching out one of her fingers and wrote. [Why are you searching for me, uncle?]

Xu Binchen frowned at the ticklish sensation that seemed to make his whole arm numb. He took his hand back and turned around. “Did you forget that we have an unfinished matter this morning?”

Shi Nian indeed forgot. She grinned sheepishly and no longer talked as they walked back to her room. There was a well maintained distance between them, one walked in front and the other following, not too close but not too far either.

To her surprise, Xu Binchen broke the silence. “How are—”

There was a faint commotion ahead and Doctor Chun stepped out of the room. His face was wrinkly and gloomy as he looked around to no avail. He then took out his phone and dialed a number, but looked like it wasn’t answered because he put it down helplessly.

“Doctor,” Xu Binchen greeted.

Shi Nian nodded in acknowledgment behind him.

Doctor Chun saw Xu Binchen and his face darkened a bit but when he found he had a little tail following him, the elderly man smiled kindly. “Shi Nian? Just came back from your physiotherapy session?”

Shi Nian nodded and glanced into the room behind Doctor Chun, her eyes inquiring.

There were two nurses that stepped out, their forehead covered in sweat. “Doctor, he has been stabilized for now.”

“Great.” Doctor Chun sighed. “Call me immediately if he woke up.” He then turned to Xu Binchen and Shi Nian and beckoned for them to follow him. “It’s okay, it’s just a patient who went into hysteria. Seems like he was triggered by something, but his friend suddenly left when I wanted to inquire about the situation and his parents aren’t answering the phone.” He sighed heavily and shook his head.

After realizing that he had been complaining in front of Shi Nian’s face, he hurriedly corrected. “Don’t mind me. Let’s go. Detective Xu said that there’s something he needs to say?”

Xu Binchen nodded.

The three entered Shi Nian’s room and Xu Binchen didn’t beat around the bush.

“We received a new development this morning.” His lips thinned as creases appeared on his forehead. “There is a new victim, and it has been confirmed that the suspect is the same person we have been chasing after.”

Doctor Chun gasped.

Xu Binchen continued, “It won’t be long until he realized that one of his victims is still alive.”

He stared at Shi Nian and spelled out, “Shi Nian, you are in great danger.” Her heart skipped a beat. “That’s why the police have applied for you to receive special protection for a three months period starting from now.”

He stretched his hand out.. “Please bear with me for three months.”