And now, the screen showed Little Shuying at four years and ten months old, and she was going to school for the first time.
Before she left, Ye said something to her that would quietly shape the rest of her life. "You have to shine. Shine as soon as possible, so that the person who lights your path will know that everything they gave you was worthwhile..."
Little Shuying did not fully understand those words; she only vaguely understood one thing. The people who illuminated her deserved to know their efforts mattered.
At that time, Ye was thirty-one years old, over 1.8 meters tall, and only eighty pounds. Thin enough to seem like a gust of wind could knock him over. But when he stood there sending his daughter to school, when he said those words, his back was straighter than anyone else's.
Inside the classroom, other children cried loudly. Some shouted, and some threw things around because they had been spoiled too much at home. Only Little Shuying sat quietly. Serious and attentive. Following every instruction from the teacher, the female kindergarten teacher liked this obedient child immediately.
Little Shuying helped pick up fallen chalk, she volunteered answers, and she listened carefully. She had already learned basic numbers long ago, so before long, she began asking about first-grade lessons.
The teacher was stunned. Among all these children, for the first time, she saw something different. It felt like two lights being lit at the same time.
One person devoted everything to education, and one child devoted herself completely to learning. A parent and a student quietly shine together.
This scene replayed again inside the Humanities Education Selected Course, and Professor Chen fell silent. For some reason, she unconsciously picked up a piece of chalk.
On the screen, Ye looked toward Little Shuying. His expression was casual and his voice calm, yet every word struck deeper than expected.
"You have to shine. Shine as soon as possible. Let the person who illuminated you know that their light was worthwhile. You may never have enough time to repay every kindness in this world. So shine as soon as possible. Before those who love you grow old before seeing your light, don't hesitate. Don't fear failure. Shine."
The words crashed into Professor Chen Shanzhan's heart like a heavy hammer. For the first time, she saw someone living in such brutal poverty, a sickly man barely over thirty, speaking to his daughter with wisdom powerful enough to shape an entire life.
It was not merely teaching, it was awakening. He was telling her to grow. Become brighter. Let the people who sacrificed for you see who you become. Let their love bear fruit. That was the meaning of hard work.
"What exactly is Yu Ye's background?" Professor Chen whispered. "How could he possess this level of understanding?"
The younger students beside her did not think deeply; they only thought Little Shuying was sensible. Hardworking and adorable. But the older scholars felt something different; they understood. From the moment those words were spoken, Little Shuying's life had quietly changed forever. She herself did not know it yet, but the foundation of her character had already begun.
Even inside the broadcast, Teacher Luo could not stay silent. "Many people think education is just teaching children how to read and write. They think words like this don't matter. But he is different. He doesn't simply teach knowledge; he wakes his daughter up and tells her that other people may live however they want. But you? You shine. Illuminate yourself. Illuminate those who sacrificed for you. Face the sun. Don't fall into despair."
Teacher Luo paused, then frowned slightly. "But honestly... I'm not sure he himself fully understands how extraordinary his thinking is. Growing up in an environment like this... I wouldn't expect someone to have this kind of awareness."
The audience comments overwhelmingly agreed. Most believed Little Shuying's character had simply been built naturally. No one realized that someone had quietly held up the sky behind her.
The footage continued.
Little Shuying's first day of school ended. Because there was no kindergarten near the slum where they lived, Ye enrolled her in the city.
Luxury cars lined the pickup area, and parents stepped out dressed neatly. Successful. Comfortable. Confident. Only Yu Ye arrived on an electric scooter. Out of place. Quiet. Almost invisible.
Little Shuying climbed onto the back, and Ye spoke softly. "Your mother misses you. Let's go see her."
Little Shuying nodded obediently. The electric scooter slowly traveled toward the lonely outskirts of the city. Eventually, they stopped before a quiet grave. There was no full name. No grand monument. Only one word. "Mother."
Little Shuying carefully placed a folded paper boat before the grave.
Ye stood beside her, speaking softly. "Your mother says she can already see light inside you, but it's still small. You have to make it brighter. You have to become different. Your mother also said... You must find the light. You must meet people who will show you what kind of person you should become."
Little Shuying could not fully understand, but she remembered. Mother's words must be right, so she remembered them carefully. Deep inside her heart. She waited. She searched. She wanted to find that person.
But as time passed, she could not find them. So slowly, she became that person herself. She learned to shine. To illuminate herself. To illuminate others. She tried to become the great person she had once imagined.
And so, before she was even five years old, Little Shuying was no longer the silent little girl living inside a cramped house. A light had appeared inside her. Faith. Discipline. Belief. Every teacher loved her. Every class welcomed her. She was simply too exceptional.
Yet nobody knew, inside that forgotten corner of the world, Ye quietly carried everything. Taking her to visit her mother's grave. Guiding her gently. Teaching her patiently. Again. And again. And again.
"You must shine as soon as possible..."
Yet Little Shuying slowly forgot. Forgot the figure hiding quietly behind the darkness. Forgot the father, who never claimed credit. She believed those beliefs belonged to her mother. Believed those values had appeared naturally. Believed she had built them alone.
But beneath the endless night, a father's arms quietly held up the sky, allowing Little Shuying's light to slowly begin burning.
Inside Humanities Education Selected Course, Professor Chen slowly removed her glasses. Originally, she had intended to criticize the father. But now, she suddenly realized something. This was a slum. This was an ordinary kindergarten. This was the same starting line where countless children began life, yet Little Shuying was different. Why?
Professor Chen stared quietly at the screen. Then finally, she found the answer. "No. The difference... Was never the child. It was the father."