And in the next moment, a new scene appeared on the massive screen. It was Yu Ye, submerged beneath the dark sea. He didn't struggle, and he didn't resist. From his vacant eyes, everyone could see just how exhausted and powerless he had become. It was as if all the strength in his soul had already been drained away. The ocean swallowed him whole.
Yet suddenly, something flashed through his mind, and his eyes widened. He moved and began swimming desperately toward the shore. He kicked through the waves with all his strength while seawater poured into his mouth, mixing with his frantic gasps as he roared hoarsely:
"You can't die! No matter how painful it is... no matter how hopeless you feel right now... you can't die! You selfish bastard! Are you the only one suffering in this world?!" At that moment, Ye stood on the beach, shouting at himself.
The vitality that had nearly vanished returned to him once more. Because of his daughter... Because he still had a child waiting for him... The fighting spirit that had been extinguished reignited within his chest, like an unkillable cockroach that refused to be crushed. No matter how many times fate knocked him down, he would crawl back to his feet.
Now, facing the endless ocean, he raised his head and shouted into the deserted world. "At least that's not how this song should be sung! My life shouldn't be defined by nothing but sorrow!"
The scattered moonlight pierced through the clouds.
Silver light spilled across the sea.
The waves shimmered like countless scales beneath the night sky.
And at this moment, everything changed.
The song changed.
The emotions changed.
The meaning changed.
No longer was it a low, mournful lament.
No longer was it a cry of surrender.
Instead, it became the roar of a man who had walked out of the sea itself.
A man who stood before all the suffering in the world without fear.
A man who smashed every obstacle with iron fists.
A man who stared into the unknown future and refused to lower his head.
At this moment, it was still six in the morning. The first rays of dawn slowly rose from the horizon, and golden sunlight broke through the darkness.
Ye stood against the light. Just as he had once fallen into the sea, he had now climbed back out. He refused to collapse because of his daughter. The world was chaotic, and life was cruel, but there would always be light somewhere ahead.
And now, the "Under the Sea" he sang was no longer filled with despair.
No longer drowned in sadness.
No longer weighed down by depression.
Instead, it overflowed with life. With hope. With stubborn determination.
Everyone watching was stunned, and their minds went blank. Could this song... Actually be interpreted this way? Taking all tragedy upon oneself and facing every hardship head-on. Ignoring fear and ignoring pain. No matter what stood in your path, defeat it, fight it, and crush it.
Then, as the morning sun illuminated the beach, Ye's hoarse voice erupted like thunder. "You have to cast off the coldness, and you have to keep moving forward! Don't listen to those voices that drag you down and don't let this dark life imprison you! You have to watch your child shine, and you have to teach her how to shine! Even if you're only a spark, then burn! Light up the darkness once! Don't wait for someone else to become the torch!"
At that moment, Ye's overwhelming vitality truly infected everyone present. This wasn't merely touching; it was inspiring. After being immersed in endless sadness, countless young viewers had never seen a father or a man like this before. He had fallen into despair countless times as life had beaten him down again and again. Yet every single time, he gritted his teeth and stood back up.
In the stadium, many audience members in the front rows unconsciously rose to their feet; most of them were scholars and professors from prestigious universities. And because they understood the significance behind such resilience, they stood instinctively in respect.
"This... this man's conviction is terrifyingly strong!"
"For the sake of his child, he can unleash such incredible strength?"
"This is true faith!"
"Is this the real interpretation of the song?"
"He can sing sorrow and he can sing hope."
"He can embody both extremes at once!"
Meanwhile, in the last row of the stadium, seated near the elderly Ye, the married couple who had been quietly watching could no longer remain calm.
The woman couldn't help exclaiming, "I always felt he wasn't an ordinary person. It's like his daughter became the light that pulled him back from darkness."
The man, despite being a loyal supporter of Shuying, nodded unconsciously. "This man's conviction is unbelievably strong. Both versions of the song are incredible. But if we're talking about surpassing Shuying..."
He paused before shaking his head. "That's difficult. After all, Shuying's performance is simply unmatched for her age."
Neither of them noticed that the elderly man sitting beside them had revealed a faint smile.
At that same moment, the person most shaken by the performance was Zhao Guochang, the former principal of Hope Primary School. Leaning on his cane, he stared at the screen with widened eyes. Three images continuously flashed through his mind.
The first image: years ago, when "Under the Sea" first appeared. Ye sat alone in the slums, quietly humming the song. Lonely and broken. His voice carried endless exhaustion.
The second image: little Shuying's performance at the welcome ceremony. That unforgettable a cappella performance had stunned both the literary and music circles. It was there that countless people came to know the girl known as the Sad Angel.
And now, the third image unfolded before him. After singing the first half of the song with overwhelming sorrow, Yu Ye seemed to use the bitterness of half his life to interpret every lyric. But then, something unimaginable happened.
He changed.
His expression changed.
His spirit changed.
His voice changed.
The singing was no longer hoarse and despairing. Instead, it burst forth with hope and vitality. Like a man shouting toward the heavens.
The explosion of that belief shook everyone present.
Men.
Women.
Young.
Old.
No one remained unaffected.
"How..." Guochang gripped his cane tightly. "How can a father possess such conviction? Can someone from the very bottom of society truly carry such unwavering faith?"
His emotions became incredibly complicated as he vaguely remembered a scene from years ago. Back when Shuying was in second grade, Ye had arrived at school wearing dirty mechanic's clothes. At that time, he was overweight. Not healthy nor strong. Just bloated from years of hardship.
Standing among well-dressed parents in tailored suits and luxury cars, he looked completely out of place and the contrast had been glaring. Yet now, looking back, Guochang suddenly felt uncertain.
"But Shuying once said that after developing mental illness, he gradually gave up all of his hobbies..." The old principal frowned deeply. Could a man with such faith truly become that broken?
Beside him, Shuying silently watched the screen. This was the first time she had heard "Under the Sea" performed in such a way. Yet the knot in her heart remained tightly locked. Too much resentment and too much pain.
During the most important years of her childhood, from seven to ten years old, her father had left behind wounds that seemed impossible to erase. Because of that, even now, on the program, none of the other contestants spoke. None of them questioned anything. They were waiting.
Waiting for Ye's flaws to be exposed.
Waiting for the contradictions in his story to appear.
After all, during the most critical stage of a child's development, Ye had displayed nearly every failure expected of a father. His stubbornness. His outdated beliefs. His constant complaints. His emotional instability. His threats and outbursts caused by mental illness. Year after year, he became increasingly overweight.
And despite all his sacrifices and struggles, he had never managed to give Shuying the comfortable childhood environment she deserved.