hollywood billionaire

Chapter 511 A Small World (Part 2)

"Yuzhen, why do you like Small World so much?"

"I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it, I like it very much, it's just..."

"I can sense that your affection seems a bit unusual."

Sitting in the miniature world boat, looking at Zhao Youzhen beside me who was so excited she could hardly sit still, her breathing becoming rapid, and even her lips moving unconsciously, I finally couldn't help but ask this question.

From the moment she caught sight of the colorful "It's a Small World" sign fifteen minutes earlier, the Korean girl had been caught up in this irrational frenzy. Her steps instantly became light, cheerful, and incredibly swift; she practically dragged Han Yi by the wrist as they weaved through the crowd, her eyes no longer able to see any other attractions, her goal as clear as a fledgling bird returning to its nest.

While waiting in line, Youzhen couldn't stay still at all. Her toes lightly touched the ground to the cheerful melody that filled the air, her body swaying slightly from side to side, and she whispered along to the classic tune etched into the DNA of countless people around the world. Every time a small boat filled with laughter sailed out of the deep cave entrance, the light in her eyes would brighten a little more, and her fingers gripping Han Yi's arm would unconsciously tighten, as if she were about to jump up at any moment.

Now, truly seated atop this petal-shaped boat about to set sail, surrounded by its bright, saturated, dreamlike colors, Youzhen was completely immersed. Her back was ramrod straight, as if participating in some sacred ceremony, her eyes wide open, greedily capturing every detail within sight—the adorable dolls at the far end of the entrance, dressed in costumes from various countries, constantly nodding and smiling; the archway at the departure point, adorned with intricate patterns and adorned with strings of twinkling lights; and the clear waterway winding forward beneath her, accompanied by the ceaseless flow of music.

She didn't even want to blink; her long eyelashes trembled slightly with excitement, and the smile on her lips was a pure, almost childlike joy that Han Yi had never seen before.

"That's because it's been with me my whole life."

It seemed that only Han Yi could pull Zhao Youzhen out of this almost selfless state. She pursed her lips, maintained her innocent smile, and murmured softly.

"Today, I finally saw it."

"A lifetime?" Han Yi asked, somewhat surprised. "Why?"

"Dad is a very capable person."

Looking up at the children in the line on the shore, who were gazing enviously at their own boat, Youzhen's reply seemed somewhat irrelevant.

"He was born in 1970 in Namwon, Jeollabuk-do. In the 1980s, Jeollabuk-do was the poorest place in South Korea, and Namwon, with the smallest population, was even more backward. Not only was income meager and life difficult, but people with Jeollabuk-do accents faced discrimination wherever they went. Many people who went out to work would deliberately hide their hometown from outsiders to avoid trouble, because in other people's eyes, those from Jeollabuk-do were uneducated, uncivilized, and unreasonable poor people."

"But Dad wasn't like that. He was smart and studious, and through his own efforts, he achieved first place in the Namwon City achievement test and sixth place in the Seoul National University entrance exam, successfully entering the Department of Political Science at Seoul National University. There, he never hid his identity; everyone knew he was Cho Young-cheol from Jeolla Province... Dad especially loved his hometown and never hid his accent, nor did he try to imitate the way people from Seoul spoke. No matter how biting the sarcasm or ridicule was, it had no effect on him, and no one could stop him from achieving his goals. He didn't socialize, didn't flatter, had no friends, and didn't need any; he just knew how to study, study, study every day."

"It sounds like they were cut from the same cloth as you... No, that's backwards."

“No, I’m not as good as him.” Yoojin shook her head. “He got a perfect score every year during his four years at Seoul National University, a truly perfect score. After graduation, he went straight to Yale Law School…need-blind admission and full scholarship. Worldwide, only 12% of students are admitted to Yale Law School without gaining work experience after graduating with a bachelor’s degree. What’s even more impressive is that Yale Law School only admitted two people from South Korea that year.”

"Two people? That's so few?"

“Yes, South Korea is not very big... and you know what, of the alumni of Yale Law School, only 27 live in South Korea now, and my father is one of them.”

Zhao Youzhen knew all the honors her father had received, and it was clear that she was very proud of him.

"What surprised everyone the most was that after being admitted to Yale Law School, he went from being a Jeolla boy that everyone looked down on to becoming a hot commodity that everyone was fighting over overnight. More than one professor offered to introduce his daughter to him, and even some of his classmates took the initiative to throw themselves at him... But Dad resolutely rejected all the temptations and returned to Namwon to marry my mother before Yale Law School started."

"she……"

"For your safety, please remain seated throughout the voyage. Do not extend your hands, arms, legs, or head out of the boat. Please take good care of your children..."

"Alright everyone, we're about to begin our voyage. Please do one last check. Hey, honey, please don't splash the water, or you'll fall in. Dad, could you please keep an eye on your child...?"

"The boat has set sail, let's talk later."

The volume of the safety instructions in her ear suddenly increased, and the staff began to patrol back and forth to give final reminders. Han Yi patted Youzhen's hand considerately and said this.

Although he wanted to continue listening, he wanted Yoojin to have a perfect, undisturbed first experience in her little world.

"Okay, I'll continue talking to you after this is over."

This is a world of laughter, a world of tears.

A world full of hope, and a world full of fear.

We share so much,
It's time to realize that
This is ultimately a small world…

The classic melody of "It's a Small World" gently enveloped Yujin like a warm river. At the same time, countless tiny strings of lights and twinkling orbs of light, as if by magic, slowly flowed across the deep blue background, simulating a dazzling galaxy that complemented the joyful Earth village below.

Her breath seemed to be gently grasped by a warm hand at the entrance, then released at an extremely slow and precious pace. Involuntarily, she straightened her back, like a plant yearning for sunlight, and leaned forward unconsciously, as if this would allow her to merge more deeply into this dream.

Her eyes, which usually exuded calmness and composure, were wide open at this moment, reflecting a dreamlike shimmering light, like two clear springs filled with the essence of a fairy tale.

Her fingers unconsciously gripped Han Yi's sleeve tightly, her fingertips turning slightly white, betraying the surging excitement within her. She couldn't even utter a gasp; all words seemed pale and powerless at this moment, transforming into one soft, satisfied breath after another, almost a sigh.

At that moment, Yoojin finally arrived at the promised land of her dreams—a flawless utopia without shadows, only laughter, music, and color.

The whole world was gently shrunk, peacefully and dazzlingly displayed before her eyes.

"Like it?"

During the fifteen-minute flight, Han Yi did not say a word to Zhao Youzhen. He stood gently on the edge of the dream, admiring the girl falling into the beautiful clouds, her radiant and stunning face.

Only when the small boat was rowed back into the sunlight, and the song "It's a Small World" gradually faded into the distance, did Han Yi speak again.

"I love it so much." Youzhen cupped her hands around her heart, her expression one of relaxation and joy Han Yi had never seen on her before. "It's exactly what I imagined... Thank you, Yi." "Don't mention it, I'm glad you like it." Han Yi pointed to the fast passage in the small world. "Since you like it so much, how about we do it again?"

"Is it okay?" Yoojin's eyes shone brightly, like Ultraman shooting lasers. "Won't you find it too boring?"

"How could it be boring? No one can get tired of this little world, right? Taking a boat ride in, closing your eyes, and listening to music is a very relaxing thing." Han Yi went ashore, then turned around and extended his hand to Youzhen, flashing a bright smile. "My only goal today is to make sure you don't have any regrets... Come on!"

"it is good!"

It was 3:46 PM when we rejoined the queue, which was the peak time for crowds at Disneyland. As a result, even the fast lane had about 20 or 30 people waiting in line for the next boat to return to the starting point.

"Since we're in line, let me continue. My mom and dad are completely different. When it comes to studying..."

"My goodness, you still remember where we were in the last episode? That's amazing!"

"2360 points, what do you think?" Zhao Youzhen proudly raised her little face.

"Wow, what a talented woman!"

"Are you still listening?"

"listen."

Han Yi's instantly docile demeanor amused Youzhen, who couldn't help but smile.

"Then I'll continue... My mom and he were classmates in high school, and our families know each other too. You could say they were childhood sweethearts. It's just that she wasn't very good at studying and didn't get into university. Instead, she went straight to become what people call..."

"Gongsuni?" Han Yi imitated Youzhen's pronunciation. "What does that mean?"

“Hmm… how do I explain it? It’s a word that’s a bit disrespectful to people in our country.” Youzhen opened her mouth, thinking about how to explain this discriminatory word unique to Korean to Han Yi. “Gongdori is a common female name in Korea, Gong Jang means factory in Korean, and Gongsuni is a word that combines the two to satirize female workers, especially young, unmarried female workers.”

"Got it." Han Yi succinctly summarized it using a term unique to Chinese: "Factory girl."

"Yes, almost."

Although she had never heard of this word before, Yu-jin could roughly guess its meaning and the derogatory sentiment it carried.

"So, when her father returned to Nanyuan and proposed to marry her, she herself found it a bit unbelievable."

“It was fine when we were classmates, but now the difference in status is too big, at least in the general societal perception.” Han Yi expressed his understanding, “A fully funded PhD student at Yale Law School, and a factory worker. No wonder… Auntie seems so vulnerable in front of Uncle.”

“Her partner is the only hope for improvement in her life, so of course her mother has to hold on to it with all her might.” Youzhen’s words were neither praise nor criticism; perhaps they were just a common statement. “Without her father, what would she be doing now? Even if she left the factory, she would still be in Nanyuan and wouldn’t be living the kind of life she has now.”

"For this reason alone, her father is her god."

"There's more than one way for couples to get along," Han Yi said politely. "A stable relationship is more important than anything else."

“It wasn’t stable at first either.” Youzhen smiled. “Grandma said that after getting married, Dad went to study in the United States by himself and stayed there for three years. If he hadn’t come back once in between, my mother would have thought that she had become a widow as soon as she found a husband.”

"Didn't Uncle take Aunt with him to the United States?" Han Yi asked. "If it's a student visa, it seems you can also apply for a dependent visa for your partner."

"It's not a visa issue, it's a lack of money," Youzhen replied sincerely. "I rely on scholarships to study, and the plane tickets were borrowed from relatives. How could I possibly bring another person along?"

"I see." Han Yi underestimated the difficulties faced by poor students in Jeolla Province during that era.

“My mom was worried every day back then that my dad might find another wife over there and then come back to ask her for a divorce. But thankfully, the time he came back halfway through, he behaved very well and brought her a lot of gifts from the United States—not expensive, but all very exquisite. With the money my dad saved while working as a teaching assistant there, the two of them even went on a trip to Jeju Island for the first time ever, which made up for the honeymoon they missed, and... she got pregnant with me.”

"So that was in August 1995?"

"1994, you idiot." Youzhen slapped Han Yi's arm, both amused and annoyed. "Who gives birth right after getting pregnant?"

“Right.” Han Yi laughed at his own stupidity, so he began to show off his mathematical talent, “Counting back from August 20th, that’s November 1994… Hey, maybe the day I was born was the same day your aunt and uncle were pregnant with you.”

"I don't know that. I only know that they went to Jeju Island in November."

"Then there's no doubt about it." Han Yi clapped his hands. "We're so destined for each other. Look, it's all meant to be."

“You’re such a smooth talker.” Yu-jin gave him a charming glare. “The rest is as you know. My mother got pregnant with me and gave birth to me in Namwon in August 1995. And then… before I was even six months old, my mother was taken to New York by my father.”

“After graduation, my dad found a job at the Milbank Law Firm in New York, and suddenly our finances became much better. My mom had always wanted to go and be with my dad, but he also needed to take care of himself while he was busy with his work. So, I was left with my grandma. Their original plan was to let me grow up in Nanyuan until I was old enough to start elementary school, and then take me to the United States.”

"So, before I was six years old, I rarely saw them and have no memories of spending time with them. Because they didn't even come back every year, in six years... I probably only saw them three or four times."

“But every time they come back, they bring me a small gift they bought in the United States.”

"I can't remember when they first came back, because I was too young, but I remember the second time very clearly. I was just three years old when they came back the second time."

"Dad opened his luggage, smiled, and placed a pink box in front of me. He told me that this was a gift he brought back from the biggest and most beautiful castle in the world, called Disney, for his favorite little princess."

"This gift is the music box crystal ball from 'It's a Small World'."

(End of this chapter)