My Dearest General: It Has Always Been You

The rumor about Wu Wengen and Cui Qiqiang's shady relationship started to spread right before the wedding. Wu Wengen himself didn't know why he did that. Maybe it was just a final struggle, maybe he wanted a kind of liberation for his feelings, maybe he just wasn't ready to give up yet…

However, the thing that pushed him further into the abyss was how strong Cui Qiqiang reacted. "Nonsense! How can I and Wengen be like that? It's all just utter bullshit, you shouldn't believe it, Ruoqing!"

Perhaps a woman's intuition would always work at a precise moment. Even when Cui Qiqiang defended himself harshly, Wu Ruoqing started to suspect them. And then, to further prove his innocence, Cui Qiqiang started to avoid Wu Wengen too.

One day, Cui Qiqiang even came to him and the first thing he said was: "Wengen, help me deny the rumor. It's my wedding soon and it's not good for Ruoqing to speculate so much."

Wu Wengen gave a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "What rumor? Isn't it the truth?"

"You—" Cui Qiqiang's eyes widened in shock and he instantly looked around warily. Only when he confirmed that there was no one around did he sigh in relief. He rebuked angrily. "What are you talking about?!"

Wu Wengen smiled brighter yet the depth of his eyes had already died long ago. The brilliant, gentle boy years ago had already withered under the rain of storms and chills. He shocked Cui Qiqiang by wrapping his arms around the latter's neck, kissing him passionately on his lips like how he used to.

Cui Qiqiang pushed him away harshly and punched him on the face. His breaths were harsh and his words fell on Wu Wengen's ears like million swords stabbing his chest. "Don't be so disgusting, Wengen!"

Disgusting?

His love…his sincere love that took every nook and corner of his heart, was deemed disgusting by the person who occupied it?

Tears slowly slid down his cheeks.

Cui Qiqiang came to his senses and his face paled. "I—I don't…"

However, Wu Wengen had directly turned around and left, the sight of his back was exceedingly lonely and bleak.

From then on, it was as if Wu Wengen had given up. He never returned with the reason of creating some distance so that people wouldn't gossip much about their family.

Five years passed in a blink of an eye and everyone gradually forgot about this small turbulence. It was only Wu Wengen who couldn't forget, couldn't erase Cui Qiqiang's shadow from his heart. He was already 32 years old, but his heart remained unchanged.

He tried to respond to his female colleague's feelings, but no matter how hard he put in the effort, he just couldn't.

In this life, Wu Wengen was destined to love Cui Qiqiang and no one else.

It frustrated him further, but he knew that Cui Qiqiang was already a married man. His sister's husband. His brother in law. The more Wu Wengen thought about that, the more painful it was. He drank beers like water as if the liquid would be able to wash his sorrow away.

Then, amidst his hazy consciousness, he called the number which was already imprinted in his bones. 

"Hello? Who is it?" His voice had become deeper and smoother than Wu Wengen remembered.

He choked on his drink and murmured. "Qiqiang…"

A pause. "Wengen…?"

"Qiqiang…what should I do? What should I do so that I can forget you?"

"You…" Cui Qiqiang's voice became smaller. "Where are you?"

Wu Wengen told him the address of the bar and less than an hour later, Cui Qiqiang arrived. Wu Wengen's eyes brightened up and he hugged the man, sobbing like a child. "You never forget me, right? Am I right…?"

"You're drunk, Wengen." Cui Qiqiang hoisted him up. "Let's go home."

"En…let's go. Let's go back to our home."

They returned to Wu Wengen's single apartment and the man took no time to plaster himself to Cui Qiqiang, kissing him senselessly. "Qiqiang…Qiqiang…"

Cui Qiqiang peeled him off with much difficulty. "Let go, Wengen! Look at me, I am already married! It's all in the past already. I know that I've wronged you, I'm sorry okay?"

Wu Wengen slumped onto the wall lifelessly. Hearing Cui Qiqiang's words, he let out a laugh. "Sorry? You're sorry?"

"Yes, it's my fault. You can blame me but don't be like this. Ruoqing loves you very much—"

"Don't talk about her in front of me!" Wu Wengen screamed, his eyes reddened with unshed tears. "Why did you have to get married to her? Why did you two have to be together?"

"Wengen…"

Wu Wengen's laugh became more and more manic. "It's late…It's too late! You want to apologize to me?" He stumbled to his laptop and opened an encrypted video. The obscene gasps and moans of two men reverberated through the room. "Say, if I send this to Ruoqing, what will she think of you?"

Cui Qiqiang's pupils shrank. "You—" He lunged forward to grab the laptop. "WU WENGEN, HAVEN'T YOU HAD ENOUGH?!"

"No!" Wu Wengen laughed and cried. "I haven't! It will never be enough!"

Cui Qiqiang grabbed his collar, panicked. "What do you want?! What exactly do you want?!"

"I want you to tell Ruoqing about us!"

"Are you crazy?!"

"Yes! I am crazy!" Wu Wengen laughed himself hoarse. "I have gone crazy because of you!"

Cui Qiqiang threw him off and busily started to delete the video.

"It's useless. I have made many backups of it. No matter how many times you delete it, I can always take another out for you to see!"

Two people who were once the closest, who shared one bed and snuggled under one blanket, intimately talking about their dreams and future, ultimately turned into lifelong enemies right at this moment.

Cui Qiqiang was helpless against him. He knew how stubborn Wu Wengen was under that gentle appearance. However, he never expected that he would dare to record something like this! If this got out…Cui Qiqiang didn't need to imagine how chaotic it would be.

For the people who didn't have anything left to lose, they would be able to do anything.

Cui Qiqiang feared this kind of Wu Wengen. That fear turned into paranoia. Then, the matter escalated when Wu Ruoqing found out about the video. Cui Qiqiang could only fix the broken boat and confessed that he was under Wu Wengen's threats.

Wu Ruoqing had always been decisive. She was heartbroken that his brother was actually like this, furious to think that the person who shared the same bed with her for years was actually her brother's boyfriend. The humiliation was really unbearable which caused her to take drastic measures.

"Then, let's threaten him back.. I don't believe that he doesn't fear death."