Now, everyone present in the program studio was thinking the same thing, and this was precisely why Little Shuying was so different from everyone else.
At the age of five, a song called Under the Sea swept through the city. After its official release, several renowned composers personally participated in its arrangement, polishing every detail until the song reached near perfection.
From that moment on, Little Shuying became an overnight sensation across the internet. Her name spread throughout the country, and countless people remembered the little girl with the angelic voice.
"Our praise alone isn't enough to tell the whole story," Commentator Tao said with emotion. "Next, the program team has invited Principal Zhao Guochang, the former principal of Hope Primary School in Night City."
As his words fell, an elderly man slowly walked onto the stage with the support of a cane, and his beard and hair had long turned white. Fifteen years had passed. A serious car accident, retirement, and the relentless passage of time had left their marks on him. He was no longer the energetic principal he once was.
Yet when he stepped onto the stage and saw Little Shuying again, he couldn't help but smile, and then he slowly shook his head. His eyes were filled with emotion. Filled with admiration and disbelief.
Fifteen years ago, he had stood in a classroom and looked at a little girl, wondering just how extraordinary she might become when she grew up. Fifteen years later, he stood before a superstar actress and wondered, instead, how she had managed to reach such unimaginable heights. Even now, he still found it difficult to believe.
"I'm still curious," Guochang said with a sigh. "How exactly did you grow up into the person you are today? To be honest, I've never truly believed in the so-called theory of class ascension. But you... You shattered my understanding of what's possible."
His voice carried sincere admiration.
Across from him, Shuying merely smiled calmly and offered a respectful bow. She said nothing, nor did she need to. The honors and achievements she had accumulated over the years spoke louder than any words.
On today's stage, there were already three people who had personally witnessed her rise.
Chen Cheng, who witnessed her brilliance at the age of four.
Sheng Yue, who witnessed her rise at the age of five.
And Zhao Guochang, who had watched her grow from an ordinary student into a legend.
Every one of them had been astonished by her, and every one of them had become a witness to history.
Meanwhile, the footage continued to play.
The screen showed Little Shuying leaving school after class. Outside the gates, a crowd of reporters had gathered with microphones stretched forward from every direction. Questions came one after another.
At that moment, Ye arrived on his electric scooter to pick her up, and his brows furrowed immediately. Without hesitation, he stepped forward and drove the reporters away.
When the reporters learned that this disheveled man was actually Little Shuying's father, they became even more enthusiastic. So questions flooded toward him.
"How did you educate your daughter?"
"What's your parenting philosophy?"
"How did you cultivate such a gifted child?"
However, Ye, dressed in worn and dusty clothes, merely looked at them impatiently.
"What are you interviewing me for? What are you asking all these questions for? Can any of this be eaten as a meal? Move aside!"
His blunt and almost outrageous responses were all captured by the cameras. Even now, watching the footage again made Guochang frown with displeasure. Back then, he had been furious.
On the screen, Little Shuying's face remained expressionless, but everyone could see the determination hidden within her eyes. And beneath that determination... A growing resentment. A stubborn refusal to surrender.
She silently repeated the same belief to herself. One day, she would defeat him. Defeat the man she regarded as the greatest enemy of her life. The more he looked down upon something, the more determined she became to prove him wrong. The more he denied her dreams, the more desperately she wanted to achieve them.
At the same time, inside the stadium.
Ye sat quietly in his seat as his thoughts drifted back to that day. The reporters' questions seemed to echo once more in his ears.
"How did your daughter become so outstanding?"
"Do you really have the ability to raise a child like her?"
"Shouldn't you be giving her a better education?"
Question after question. Relentless and sharp.
Back then, Ye had remained silent. Because before that day, many wealthy families had approached him. Some influential business people. Some powerful social elites. All of them had expressed the same wish: they wanted to adopt Little Shuying. Because she was simply too exceptional. Too dazzling. Too precious.
Countless people believed she deserved a better environment, and they believed Ye was holding her back. Many called him stubborn, and others accused him of ruining her future, but Ye never agreed.
In his eyes, those people were indeed kind, yet they did not understand. To them, Little Shuying was merely a beautiful rose. Something admirable. Something precious. Something worthy of appreciation. But not something they would sacrifice everything for.
Ordinary people would think that the rose was no different from countless other roses in the world. Yet Ye knew better. His rose was unique. More important than all the others combined. Because he was the one who had cared for her.
He was the one who tucked her into bed every night.
He was the one who shielded her from the wind and rain.
He was the one who patiently shaped her earliest understanding of the world.
He was the one who noticed every moment of silence.
Every trace of sadness and every hidden emotion.
He had taught her, little by little, everything he knew.
He had watched her grow with his own eyes.
And now... The once stubborn Ye finally felt regret. A regret that had been buried in his heart for many long years. He regretted never finding a way to reconcile with her.
Because for many years... He had never seen his daughter smile at him again. For many years... He had never once heard her call him "Dad." The pain of that silence was enough to crush a person.
At that moment, a mechanical notification suddenly echoed in his mind.
[Detected: Yu Shuying's mother will soon appear.]
[Detected: Yu Shuying's educational journey is about to be replayed.]
[Detected: The screen will reveal a prominent scene.]
[Audience Reward: Immersive Emotional Resonance.]
The system's voice caused Yu Ye to freeze briefly. That woman... Was she really coming?
As for the next scene, he no longer cared what others would think. Because what was about to appear on the screen... Was his final source of pride. His final proof. The last chapter of his educational journey.
And perhaps... The last thing he still believed he had done right.