On the performance stage, Yu Shuying thought about it for a long time. In the end, she found herself agreeing with what the commentator had said. Because when she thought about it carefully, it seemed accurate.
First, in the memories shown on screen, Father had said Mother had left behind only an envelope before disappearing. Leaving was wrong, there was no denying that, but Mother was also a genius.
Second, when she performed the song "Insect Flying", the song that later became a hit, a talent scout had come knocking at their door. But her Father drove him away angrily and earned himself a reputation for being hot-tempered and unreasonable. That had been her first opportunity and her first chance to become famous while she was still young.
No. Not only had her Father destroyed that opportunity, afterward, he even pretended nothing had happened and constantly told her that acting and performing were meaningless. After that day, she never saw her Father produce any outstanding work again.
Yet back then, his creative ability had seemed limitless. Talent flowed from him naturally, as though every skill had been maxed out to perfection. Then suddenly, everything stopped.
Thinking back now, it became clearer and clearer. Her Father was only the messenger. The true genius behind everything... Was her Mother.
The first song.
The person who lit the spark in her heart.
The one who gave her conviction.
Her Mother.
And her Father?
When she was only four years old, the only thing he had done exceptionally well, the only thing he had done reliably, was create a loving, kind, warm-as-summer image of Mother for her.
After that... Everything became a lesson in failure. His methods of raising her could practically serve as a textbook example of the worst kind of parenting. Nothing was right, and nothing worked. Nothing. Memory was like a flower blooming painfully from the edge of a cliff. Beautiful and fragile. Impossible to forget.
Yu Shuying remembered crying when she was young. She remembered watching the scout leave with reddened eyes while her Father stood there smiling.
Back then, her heart hurt. In those memories, her Father looked patient when teaching her music. Gentle and caring like a good father.
But why... Why was it always at the critical moments? Why was it always when her future stood at a crossroads? Why was it always during the moments that mattered most that he stubbornly, foolishly, absurdly overturned everything? Again. And again. And again. Making her miss opportunity after opportunity.
"I don't understand you! I won't thank you! Never!" For the first time in her life, Yu Shuying yelled. Her voice echoed toward the darkness behind her.
The male commentator immediately nodded in agreement. "This is what a true genius looks like! No matter how terrible her circumstances were, she rose above adversity! This is Yu Shuying! Her success has nothing to do with Yu Ye! Not at all!"
The female commentator, Nana, sighed softly. The more she looked at her, the more unbelievable it felt. She was practically the heroine of a novel, someone who climbed upward through hardship after hardship.
And now, watching everything unfold, the audience felt exactly the same. Her Father... Maybe he wasn't evil. But as a father, he had truly failed.
At that moment, inside Jinling University's social education elective course, Professor Chen Shanzhan stood before her students. Today's lesson topic: Yu Shuying's Educational Journey.
"As you can see," Professor Chen said calmly. "This is a classic root cause of educational failure. Yu Ye can be considered a representative example of failed parenting in contemporary society. If Yu Shuying had possessed a weaker personality, she could have collapsed entirely under this environment. According to the Third Law of Pedagogy, Yu Ye's behavior will likely become even more extreme. More stubborn, more rigid, and more obsessed with maintaining the dignity of being a father."
After Professor Chen finished speaking, many students nodded silently. Some of them had grown up under fathers exactly like that. Pedantic and stubborn, which is impossible to communicate with.
And because of that, everyone admired Yu Shuying even more. She was truly strong-willed. To rise from this kind of family and that kind of environment to stand where she stood now, it was unprecedented. At least, it was rare enough to amaze the world.
And then, the screen on stage continued playing as the memories moved forward.
Little Shuying, who is three years and ten months old, could already sing the opening section smoothly. Because of years of practice, her voice was clear and bright. Pure like a child's, yet carrying a dreamlike softness.
Yu Ye returned home covered in mud as he had fallen while delivering food orders. He didn't dare let his daughter see, so silently, he changed clothes and then walked toward her. In his hand, a withered rose. He gently placed it before her.
"Your mother turned into a butterfly. I saw her today. She said being a butterfly is tiring, as not many people sing anymore. And because the song still isn't finished... She can only visit for a short while. This rose is from your mother. It was beautiful when she gave it to me, but she flew too slowly, so now... It's withered."
After Yu Ye spoke, Little Shuying immediately pouted, and her eyes turned red. Tears rolled down her face, but she stubbornly refused to cry loudly. She only wiped her tears quietly. Wronged and regretful. She hated herself for being lazy, for not finishing the song sooner.
"I'll finish it! I want to see Mommy!" Little Shuying clenched her tiny fists, encouraging herself. Her eyes landed on the unfinished lyric.
"Who are you missing?" Then, she noticed the rose. The withered rose. A flower that bloomed brightly, only to fade.
Something sparked inside her mind. She picked up her pencil and started writing. The roses on the ground wither...
She paused, then suddenly, a cold breeze drifted in. Her father had opened the window, and the wind brushed against her hair. Cold wind blows... Cold wind blows... As long as I am with you...
"No..." Little Shuying muttered. "This isn't for me. This is for everyone. This is for you."
She crossed it out and then rewrote it. As long as you are with me... And so, the second verse appeared.
The roses on the ground wither.
Cold wind blows.
Cold wind blows.
As long as you are with me.
The first verse.
The second verse.
Finished.
Little Shuying's eyes sparkled, and she looked proudly toward Father. "I finished it! I'll definitely see Mommy!"
Standing beside the window, her Father smiled. He pressed his lips together and raised his thumb. Then suddenly, he coughed violently. He hurriedly pulled out a handkerchief and coughed several times.
Little Shuying panicked, and she ran toward him.
Her Father's face looked pale, but he smiled. He showed his handkerchief, and there was nothing. "You got tricked again."
Little Shuying pouted, then returned to her chair. Her small legs were swinging gently. Thinking. Writing. Dreaming.
Behind her, Yu Ye tightly clenched another handkerchief that was hidden. It was covered in blood.
He stared into the dark ghetto outside. No fireworks. No warmth. Only arguments and decay. Only a future so narrow, you could see its end with one glance. Countless times, he had wanted to jump. To end it. To stop hurting. But every time he turned back and saw his daughter, strength returned to his eyes.
The wind carried away his quiet voice. "I'll die someday. But... Not now. Absolutely not now."