Chapter 28 - HAN LUO'S NEW MOTHER
"I've always wanted a daughter like you." Ma Rui rubbed Han Luo's small head with warmth in her heart. Mo Yuan had enough. He wiped his mouth and left the dining room.
Han Luo was startled seeing his abrupt move, realizing that his expression turned slightly sour. Han Luo looked down and pondered deeply. After that, she glanced at Ma Rui and asked, "Can I call you 'mom'?" Little Luo thought that since her big brother's mother wanted a daughter, and he didn't like her to call his mother 'mother-in-law', then she should just call Ma Rui 'mom' too.
Ma Rui was stunned but felt some guilt eating at her. 'What am I doing? She doesn't even know what 'mother-in-law' means. Right now, she needs a warm family – not an in-law. What's more, is that she needs a mother. She looks at her mother's photos every single day after waking up and before going to sleep. Her craving for her mother is far deeper than it seems on the outside. The poor girl's father is also still in a coma. No one knows when he's going to wake up or if he will ever wake up. My son isn't ready for anything new yet either. Let's take it slow and let them become friends.'
She sighed secretly and then softly smiled at Han Luo. "Sure, you can call me 'mom'." She wanted to become her mother, promising to try her best to become the perfect mother for this little girl.
After they finished their lunch, Miss Mei came to give lessons. First, she taught Han Luo the Chinese language of Mandarin. There are around five thousand to seven thousand characters in the Chinese Language; in the past year, Miss Mei only taught Han Luo one thousand characters and then asked her to write them all. She let Han Luo use a pencil, the little girl's right hand shaking while she wrote. She found writing fun and so wrote almost every day. Miss Mei was thinking of teaching her only five hundred characters, as she was too young, but seeing Han Luo's enthusiasm and great determination to learn more made Miss Mei happily teach little Luo as much she wanted.
After Han Luo was done studying, Miss Mei taught her how to draw a tree. At that moment, Mo Yuan knocked on the door and entered the room. "Good afternoon, Teacher Mei."
Miss Mei was surprised. "Xiao Yuan, aren't you early today? Xiao Luo is still drawing."
"As long as she is okay with it, I don't mind being early," Mo Yuan replied.
"Is that okay, Xiao Luo?" Miss Mei asked Han Luo.
Han Luo looked up and smiled. "I don't mind." She didn't say any more than that.
Miss Mei thought, 'She sure speaks less when Xiao Yuan is around. Is it because Xiao Yuan doesn't like kids? She is very sensible.' She couldn't help but praise the little girl.
Mo Yuan sat beside Han Luo silently and opened his textbook. "Teacher Mei, I don't understand what this means." He pointed at the part of the text.
"Oh, let me teach you it, then." Miss Mei read the part that he didn't understand aloud and then explained it to him.
Suddenly, the maid came inside with a handset. "I'm sorry to disturb you Teacher Mei, Young Master, and little miss. Young Master Tang called. He would like to speak with the little miss."
Miss Mei agreed. "Sure, they can talk."
The maid handed the handset to Han Luo. She hesitantly grabbed it with her small, white hand. "Big brother Yujin!" she excitedly exclaimed.
Tang Yujin's cool voice could be heard from the other side of the receiver. "Little Luo, how are you doing?"
Hearing his familiar, friendly voice, Han Luo brightly beamed. "I'm great. I'm having lots of fun!"
Tang Yujin felt a wave of relief blanket him. Han Sheng Ming called him to check up on her; he wasn't allowed to call Han Luo from his grandparent's residence. Her cousin was very worried about her and even had a nightmare where the devilish Mo Yuan devoured Han Luo. Tang Yujin had no other option but to promise Han Sheng Ming that he would contact Han Luo. "I'm glad. What were you doing before I called you?"
"I was drawing with Miss Mei and…" Han Luo hesitated before finishing her sentence, "big brother."
"Oh, Xiao Yuan is with you too? How unusual!" Tang Yujin had already heard from Han Sheng Ming that she was in the Mo Mansion. However, he had some doubts that Mo Yuan got along with Han Luo. With a tinge of curiosity, he asked, "Are you getting along with Xiao Yuan?"
"…Um…" Han Luo didn't want to tell the truth, yet she didn't want to tell a lie either.
"I understand." Tang Yujin chuckled. "Little Luo, Japan is an amazing country. I wish I could visit this place with all of you. I'll bring a doll for you from here – I know you'll love it!"
Han Luo eagerly sang, "Okay, big brother Yujin! Take lots of photos! I want to see Japan."
Tang Yujin liked to spoil Han Luo, who always called out his name sweetly. He agreed right away. "All right, and next time, I'll take you with me. I'm going to hang up now. I'll see you soon. Bye!"
"Bye-bye, big brother Yujin. I'll be waiting for you!" Han Luo hung up. After talking to him, she felt a ray of light shine through her heart.
"Luo'er, are you close with Xiao Yujin?" No one noticed when Ma Rui entered the room. Her unexpected entrance startled her son, Miss Mei, and the maid.
Han Luo quickly turned around to see her. "Yes! Big brother Yujin likes me a lot."
Ma Rui sat beside her son and continued to ask little Luo, "Do you like Xiao Yujin?"
"Yes! I love big brother Yujin the most." A grin grew on Han Luo's face. Tang Yujin always talked to her with a sweet and warm smile. His voice wasn't as loud as Han Sheng Ming's, and he wasn't as cold as Mo Yuan. He has a calm temperament around him that drew people to him.
Ma Rui's countenance stiffened in unease. She patted her son's back.. "My son, good luck."