RMM -Chapter 270 Fate

After her phone call with Su Ruo that day, Zhou Yunzhen immediately rushed to a hospital in another city and stayed there for several days before returning to City B.

She had been gone for so many days; she had to appear now.

Zhou Yunzhen could no longer avoid reality—reality wouldn’t allow her to hide any longer.

She had been out of everyone’s sight for far too long, and if this continued, something bad was bound to happen.

Her colleagues at the hospital would become suspicious; the department director, who was already displeased with her, would become even colder. And her father… all of this meant that Zhou Yunzhen had no choice but to show up.

Although her father was devoted to the military and rarely paid attention to her, that didn’t mean he couldn’t notice anything. After all, he had spent his whole life in the army—how could he be so careless? If she still didn’t show up, he would surely become suspicious.

The more outstanding a soldier, the more sensitive he is to things around him.

So even though her wounds hadn’t fully healed, she could no longer hide from people.

When Zhou Yunzhen returned home, Zhou Tingzhang happened to be at home.

Hearing the door open, Zhou Tingzhang, who was watering the flowers he tended, looked back. When he saw it was his long-absent daughter, he wasn’t surprised—but his gaze softened.

Who else had the keys to this house besides him? So, the moment the door opened, he already knew who it was.

“You’re back?”

Zhou Tingzhang put down the watering can and asked in a deep voice.

“Yeah, Dad. Have you been okay these past few days?” Zhou Yunzhen asked with a smile while changing her shoes.

Her tone was light and cheerful, her expression normal. At this moment, there was no hint of anything amiss—her affectionate tone carried the joy of reunion after a long time apart. She really did look like someone returning from a business trip.

“I’ve been fine. This isn’t the first time you’ve been away. I’ve long since gotten used to it.”

Hearing her concern, Zhou Tingzhang’s face broke into a smile.

“But why was this trip so sudden? And for so long?”

Zhou Tingzhang looked a little puzzled and asked.

Zhou Yunzhen’s eyes twitched slightly at his words, but she quickly composed herself and deepened her smile. Walking toward her father, she said:

“Who knows what the leadership is thinking? I’m still a rookie, so I just follow orders and try to perform well. Maybe when I become a somewhat renowned medical expert, there won’t be such surprise assignments anymore.”

With a smile, she smoothly shifted the topic and walked to Zhou Tingzhang, handing him a teacup.

“Dad, I haven’t asked—how have you been these past few days? Eating well?”

Zhou Tingzhang didn’t know her real thoughts. He chuckled and shook his head. “You’re not married yet, so why are you so worried about me? If you’re this concerned now, what will it be like after you get married?”

Zhou Yunzhen’s expression stiffened, and she let out an awkward laugh. “Then I won’t get married. I’ll stay with you for my whole life, okay?”

“Ah, what are you saying?” Zhou Tingzhang immediately frowned. “Why wouldn’t a girl get married? If you don’t get married, that’s when I’d worry. My biggest wish in life is just to see you married, starting a family, having kids, and finding a good place in life.”

Zhou Yunzhen let out a bitter smile. “Dad, do you believe in fate?”

Fate? Zhou Tingzhang froze, momentarily taken aback. It was the first time anyone had asked him this.

He felt a little lost. Zhou Tingzhang had never considered such a question, and hearing it so suddenly made him feel bewildered.

Fate?

What is that?

For a moment, the living room fell silent. Seeing her father’s rare dazed pause, Zhou Yunzhen herself felt confused.

Fate… does it really exist?

“Of course it does. How could it not?” Zhou Tingzhang suddenly spoke, looking at his tall, graceful daughter, a slow smile spreading across his face.

His daughter had grown into such a beautiful young woman—no longer the baby who once babbled her first words.

“You are my fate. Being able to have you as my daughter—that is the greatest fate of all.”

The usually stern Zhou Tingzhang spoke so sentimentally for the first time. It didn’t feel awkward at all; in fact, it was unlike his usual demeanor but somehow felt right.

Fate was a question he had never considered. He didn’t understand it, but seeing the hopeful look on his daughter’s face softened his heart.

Looking at his grown-up daughter, a sudden surge of emotion came over Zhou Tingzhang. At this moment, he found himself believing in fate.

Perhaps it really was fate that in this life, he had such a sensible, obedient daughter.

Zhou Yunzhen hadn’t expected to hear such words from her father, especially phrased this way.

It left her stunned, unsure how to respond. Yet rather than shock, it was more a feeling of deep emotion.

In her heart, Zhou Tingzhang had always been a strict father. When she was little, he had rarely held her, and even when she ranked first in school, he wouldn’t praise her—just a satisfied nod and “keep it up,” and that was it.

She had envied other children for having affectionate parents, a mother, and a father who was cheerful and responsive every day.

But as she grew older, Zhou Yunzhen no longer envied them—she had grown used to it. Used to seeing happy families, used to facing an empty room alone, used to her father’s increasingly strict expectations.

Not wanting others to see her loneliness, she isolated herself. Not wanting others to think she was unhappy, she smiled whenever she went out. Not wanting others to think she was inferior, not wanting to disappoint her father, she strove to be first in everything.

Only then would people notice her; only then would she seem perfect in their eyes.

Thus, pretending became a deeply ingrained habit, and striving became her way of protecting herself.

She had never imagined hearing such words from her father.

“Dad…”

Zhou Yunzhen’s voice was hoarse, her eyes slightly wet, her heart aching.

Zhou Tingzhang, of course, loved his daughter. No father in the world doesn’t love their child. He simply wasn’t good with words.

Having lived a lifetime of strictness and rigor, he demanded the highest standards of himself and others, leaving few people to meet his approval.

Zhou Yunzhen, as his daughter, bore high expectations. He trained her as meticulously as his soldiers—only improvement, only maintenance, only acknowledgment mattered. He rarely observed or praised others.

In this sense, Zhou Tingzhang, a successful soldier, was an inadequate father.

Zhou Yunzhen had never truly felt the warmth of home.

“I’ve never said it, but I’m proud to have you as my daughter. I am honored by you.”

Zhou Tingzhang, perhaps feeling a pang of guilt for his strictness over the years, unexpectedly spoke the most sentimental words of his life.

Now older, his temper still fiery, personality still sharp, his heart was no longer as hard.

Looking back, he realized that after sending his daughter to a militarized school following her elementary graduation, they had few interactions. Only when she started working did she move back home.

Zhou Tingzhang suddenly felt a twinge of pain. He had devoted his life to the country and the army, rarely prioritizing family. He had always believed a man’s life should be bold and heroic, dedicating himself to the battlefield and the nation. Now, in old age, he finally felt emotions he had never experienced before.

Zhou Yunzhen stared, her red lips slightly parted, disbelief spreading across her face. Her mind went blank, unsure how to react.

Yet looking at her father’s slightly weathered gaze, she realized he had grown old too. In that instant, all her strength collapsed, and two tears ran down her flushed cheeks.

“Dad, what are you doing? Why are you saying this all of a sudden?”

Her heart ached, and after the surprise came overwhelming emotion. She could only smile, her voice hoarse.

For Zhou Tingzhang to say such things today was already rare. To continue would be beyond him, so he followed her lead.

“I just felt a bit emotional hearing you talk about fate… ah, I’m old now. The one thing I can’t let go of in this life is you.”

After speaking, Zhou Tingzhang felt discomfort, not wanting his daughter to see. He picked up the watering can again, pretending to continue watering casually.

Zhou Yunzhen watched him carefully, unable to ignore the redness in the corners of his eyes.

“Dad, don’t worry about me. I’ll live well and won’t let myself suffer any grievances.”

Zhou Yunzhen suppressed her sobs, forcing a smile. She was reassuring her father while also promising herself, her eyes red but unwavering.

“That’s good. That’s good. You’ve always been capable. I trust you can take care of yourself.”

Zhou Tingzhang said this with some pride. From childhood to now, his daughter had never caused him worry. He believed she could navigate her own path in life.