The screen began to play once more.
At this time, Little Shuying was only six years and ten months old. In an apartment, deep within the slum district, Yu Ye had already gained a noticeable amount of weight compared to before.
When he returned home that day, he was greeted by the sight of Little Shuying standing proudly in the living room, clutching an invitation agreement in both hands. The document clearly stated:
[Invitation for Yu Shuying to participate in the television series The Qin Dynasty as the daughter of King Zhuangxiang of Qin. Details regarding role requirements, audition arrangements, dialogue preparation, and filming conditions are listed below.]
Little Shuying lifted the agreement high into the air, her face overflowing with pride. "Hmph! This is an invitation from a major television production! They specifically invited me! I'm already better than you!"
She looked at Ye triumphantly, waiting for praise.
Unfortunately, the response she received was the exact opposite. Ye glanced at the agreement casually before curling his lips in disdain. "You're only playing a minor role, and you don't even know who the core character of the Qin Dynasty is; it's Qin Shi Huang. At most, you're just a supporting character. What's there to be proud of?"
The moment those words left his mouth, Little Shuying's expression stiffened. Her cheeks puffed up with anger, and she looked as if she wanted to bite someone.
After a long moment, she finally squeezed out a sentence through clenched teeth. "Go buy groceries!"
Without another word, Ye took her out, and the two rode an electric scooter toward the market. The suburban farmers had already gathered there, carrying shoulder poles loaded with fresh vegetables. Vendors lined both sides of the road, selling chickens, ducks, roasted drumsticks, fried cakes, steamed buns, and all kinds of snacks.
Little Shuying sat quietly behind Ye. However, her eyes wandered nonstop. One moment she stared at a fragrant meat pie; the next moment she was looking at a colorful comic book displayed on a roadside stall. Her eyes sparkled with longing, and she wanted both. Very badly.
Yu Ye acted as if he hadn't noticed anything. He walked straight past the snack stalls and comic stands before stopping in front of a secondhand book vendor. After browsing for a while, he purchased two children's books for Little Shuying, two exercise workbooks, and several brainless web novels for himself.
Seeing this, Little Shuying nearly exploded with anger. At that moment, she silently swore an oath in her heart. She would fight this man until the very end! The war between father and daughter was far from over.
After returning home, they prepared dinner, and the meal was surprisingly good by their standards. Potato stew with chicken and freshly cooked rice.
As usual, Ye claimed that he preferred a vegetarian and Buddhist lifestyle. As a result, he only ate potatoes and rice. All the chicken meat ended up in Little Shuying's bowl.
After dinner, she immediately returned to her room.
The production team had already sent her script and dialogue materials. Holding the script in her hands, she began reading seriously. Her voice gradually became immersed in the role. "You were once my sunshine... but now I realize that even without sunshine, I can still live well."
"Across the ends of the earth, through endless wind and dust, fate chased me to ruin. I swept aside the crows and stood amidst gathering storms. Who could have made me let go... until the day I met her?"
"A few sighs encompass all the joys and sorrows of life. How ridiculous that fate should be left to heaven. Even if you are the chosen son of heaven, seated upon thousands of miles of rivers and mountains, in the end you can only hold a handful of yellow earth."
She recited every line earnestly. Following the script's instructions, she practiced the character's expressions and movements. Her gaze turned distant and her posture changed.
Again and again, she repeated the scenes. She deliberately stayed in her bedroom because she didn't want Yu Ye to watch her practice.
But suddenly, a burst of laughter came from the living room, and Little Shuying immediately became irritated.
"What are you laughing at? These are excellent lines!" Her voice was filled with indignation.
A lazy reply drifted in from outside. "They're not as good as the lines in the story I'm reading."
Little Shuying froze, then she exploded. "Impossible!"
She absolutely refused to believe it.
A few moments later, Ye's voice sounded again from the living room. His pronunciation was deliberately awkward, as though he were an uneducated person stumbling over every word. "If I return to the day of the world... all the rebels will die..."
The sentence itself sounded imposing. Yet when spoken by him, it became strangely ridiculous.
Little Shuying frowned deeply. "What kind of terrible line is that?"
She muttered to herself. Then, after thinking for a moment, she immediately revised it. "It should be... When I alone return to this world, all rebels shall perish.'
Her eyes brightened. That sounded much better, so she quickly memorized the revised version.
At that moment, Ye's voice sounded once more. "I began the story of the Great Qin with a sword in hand. The story of Great Qin should also end beneath that sword."
Little Shuying immediately felt uncomfortable again. Such a good line had somehow become awkward when spoken by him. After pondering for a moment, she revised it again. "A story that began with a sword shall ultimately end with a sword."
Perfect. Much more concise and much more imposing.
Meanwhile, Ye continued speaking from the living room. "Back then you were arrogant and overbearing, acting like some great hero. None of them were worthy of being my enemy."
Little Shuying instantly looked disgusted, then she improved the sentence again. "Pride reigns across the four horizons. None of you are worthy of being my enemy."
After finishing all three revisions, she carefully reviewed them. The more she read them, the more satisfied she became. Finally, she nodded proudly, and a smug smile appeared on her little face. Clearly, she believed her literary talent had reached extraordinary heights.
At that exact moment, the camera shifted to the living room. The audience watching the screen collectively froze because Ye wasn't reading a novel at all, not even close.
He sat quietly at the dining table, patiently wrapping dumplings one by one. His movements were practiced and gentle. But every so often, he would intentionally shout one of those so-called "lines" toward the bedroom. Then he would continue wrapping dumplings as though nothing had happened.
A warm smile never left his face. It wasn't the smile of someone mocking another person, nor was it the smile of someone showing off. Instead, it was the smile of a father secretly helping his daughter improve.
A smile filled with patience.
A smile filled with pride.
And above all, a smile filled with warmth.