He felt both guilt for his fallen comrades and anxiety about his own future.
If his wound didn’t heal properly and affected the function of his arm, would he still be able to charge into battle?
To him, that was everything.
Being forced to retreat to the rear would mean losing his purpose in life.
But now that his leader and the commander were here to see him, he couldn’t appear too dejected.
He could only force himself to pull it together and muster a smile to get by.
But the disappointment and unease in his eyes couldn’t be hidden.
Shen Zhenwu saw right through him.
His tone grew serious as he spoke directly.
"Xiao Xiao, I give you my personal guarantee. If this injury really sets you back and you can’t fight on the front lines anymore, I won’t let you get the short end of the stick. Even if you’re transferred away from the front, I will absolutely arrange a respectable post for you. I’ll make sure you’re taken care of for the rest of your life."
Xiao Weijun’s head shot up, and a light instantly returned to his eyes.
"Sir!"
Zhang Jianwei immediately chimed in.
"Xiao Xiao, you hear that? With the Commander’s promise, what do you have to worry about? Just focus on getting better!"
Xiao Weijun nodded repeatedly, so emotional that his voice trembled.
"Thank you for your consideration, sirs! I’ll do my best to recover quickly and rejoin the unit. I won’t fall behind!"
"That’s more like it."
Shen Zhenwu nodded, a hint of a smile finally appearing on his face.
Just then, a voice called out from the doorway.
"Reporting!"
Shen Zhenwu turned to look and saw a soldier on duty standing at the door.
The soldier’s lips moved as if he wanted to say something.
But before he could speak, a set of footsteps approached from behind him.
Then, a young woman emerged from just behind and to the side of him.
"Dad."
Shen Zhenwu froze, his brow furrowing slightly.
"Shuangshuang?"
Shen Shuangshuang was wearing a light-colored blouse, which was all the rage, paired with a dark blue, knee-length skirt.
On her feet was a pair of white cloth shoes.
Her hair was black and smooth, draping naturally over her shoulders.
She had a fresh and clean-cut look about her.
When she turned to face them, while not disappointing, she somehow lacked a certain impact.
It wasn’t that she wasn’t pretty, just that her looks were too ordinary.
But in an era where everyone dressed in drab grays, her outfit was more than enough to turn heads.
So from the moment she walked in, several of the young men in the room couldn’t help but stare a little longer.
Xiao Weijun looked up at the sound, his gaze falling upon her.
He only snapped out of it when she spoke, quickly looking down and pretending to cough.
She walked up to Shen Zhenwu and stopped, a gentle smile on her face.
"Oh, good. I heard you were in the hospital and was so worried something had happened."
Shen Zhenwu hadn’t expected her to come, and his tone was clearly reproachful.
"Why did you suddenly show up here? Without a word to anyone. What is this nonsense?"
Shen Shuangshuang’s smile immediately froze on her face.
She then lowered her head, her voice softening.
"I’m sorry, Dad... It’s your fortieth birthday, and I just wanted to spend the day with you. I didn’t want to tell you beforehand because I was afraid of ruining the surprise, so I came on my own..."
She paused, her breathing growing a little shaky.
"Please don’t be mad, okay?"
Everyone in the room held their breath.
He had just been reunited with his biological daughter, and now the daughter he had raised showed up at his door.
It was a scene that made everyone break out in a cold sweat.
"Shen, it’s your big day today? Alright then, I’ll head back right now and have the mess hall whip up a few special dishes. We’ll have a good drink tonight!"
Someone clapped Shen Zhenwu on the shoulder.
He backed away as he spoke, and in the blink of an eye, he pushed open the door and ran out.
"Shen, I’m not confident about that matter with Xiao Hu and Xiao Yang. I need to go supervise them myself. I’m outta here!"
Another man quickly stood up.
"Shen, you and your daughter have some private things to talk about, so I won’t get in the way. I’m leaving!"
The words had barely left his mouth before he was already out in the hallway.
In the blink of an eye, almost everyone had scattered.
The few who remained were either unable to move easily or couldn’t leave due to their duties.
Shen Shuangshuang was quick-witted. As each person left, she called out sweetly.
"Goodbye, Uncle."
Shen Zhenwu watched his daughter’s behavior, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
More importantly, he had long known that this daughter was not his by blood.
Because of that, there had always been a barrier in his heart, making it impossible for him to truly dote on her.
On top of that, he was away leading troops and fighting battles all year round, rarely returning home more than a few times a year.
He had been absent for all the crucial stages of her development.
So, how deep was his bond with this adopted daughter?
Truthfully, it wasn’t much to speak of.
Especially since, just three days ago, his own biological daughter had risked her life to save him.
The scales in his heart had long since tipped completely to one side.
But the girl before him seemed sincere enough, so he couldn’t bring himself to be too harsh.
"Alright, since you’re here, don’t just stand there."
Shen Zhenwu sighed.
"I’ll have someone clear a room for you to stay in. Call your mother later to let her know you’re safe, so she doesn’t worry herself sick."
Shen Shuangshuang grinned.
"I’ll do whatever you say, Dad."
Her eyes darted around, then settled on the person lying in the hospital bed.
"Dad, who is this? It looks like he’s badly injured."
Shen Zhenwu then told her about Xiao Weijun’s situation.
He made a special point of mentioning that the man had been stabbed while protecting him.
His voice deepened slightly as he described that moment.
The life-or-death scene replayed in his mind.
The moment Shen Shuangshuang heard her father had been in danger, her eyes immediately turned red.
"Dad, you were hurt too? Where are you injured? Is it serious?"
She immediately looked Shen Zhenwu up and down, trying to find where he was wounded.
Tears started streaming down her face.
"It’s a good thing I came. Something this huge happened, and you didn’t even send word home! We always find out after the fact! Mom’s heart would be broken if she knew, and I... I’m so upset, too!"
She spoke with genuine emotion, but Shen Zhenwu felt no resonance with her at all.
The dam in his heart had long been built, unshakeable by any emotional onslaught.
His brows knitted, and he cut her off sharply.
"I’m not on my deathbed, so what’s all the crying about! Pull yourself together!"
Shen Shuangshuang’s throat tightened, and she choked back her sobs.
"That’s enough. Don’t disturb the patient’s rest here. Let’s go."
Shen Zhenwu’s voice was cold and hard.
With that, he turned, clasped his hands behind his back, and walked out.
Shen Shuangshuang bit down hard, catching Xiao Weijun secretly glancing at her out of the corner of her eye.
She forced herself to straighten her back, suppressing all the emotions churning inside her.
By the time she turned around, her expression was composed, showing no trace of turmoil.
"Dad, don’t be upset. I was just so worried about you..." she mumbled under her breath.
Shen Zhenwu was silent the whole way, his mind turning over old matters again and again.
Finally, he stopped at a corner in the hallway.
When Shen Shuangshuang caught up, he spoke. "Shuangshuang, you’re about to turn nineteen. There’s something I need to be upfront with you about."
Shen Shuangshuang stopped in her tracks.
She lifted her eyes to the back of Shen Zhenwu’s head, her throat tightening once more.
’No, it can’t be...’
She denied it over and over in her mind.
But Shen Zhenwu gave her no time to react.
He turned around, his gaze fixed directly on her.
"You’ve carried my surname, Shen, since you were a child. But when I first brought you home to adopt you, I told you clearly that you are not my biological daughter. My real daughter is someone else. You were just someone who came into our lives by a twist of fate..."
Before he could finish, Shen Shuangshuang suddenly went limp and collapsed to the floor with a THUD.