Chapter 32 - HAN SHENG MING'S HEART IS BROKEN
"Little Luo Luo, what's your result?" Han Sheng Ming barged into his father's study room and excitedly questioned Han Luo. Before Han Changhong could say anything, his son snatched the blue mark sheet off him and skimmed through the result. "Hooray! You came first place. Little Luo Luo's the best! I knew you could do it!" He hugged Han Luo tightly and kept saying, "You're the best! You got the highest mark even though you had caught a cold. Little Luo Luo's the smartest girl in the whole wide world."
Han Changhong frowned. "And what about you? Why didn't you come first place? Also, why didn't you knock on the door before entering? You didn't even ask for permission. Sheng Ming, you are not a kid anymore. You are eight years old now. What will Luo'er learn from you? You are teaching bad things to your sister again," he chided his son.
Han Sheng Ming was wearing a white shirt and a pair of navy blue shorts, with a navy blue tie wrapped around his white collar. He retorted, "Daddy if you are talking about my age, I have to say that I'm a kid until I turn eighteen. After I'm eighteen, I'm an adult. And about my grades, there's no way I can beat Xiao Yuan and Yujin, who is also in my class! I'm not as smart as my little Luo Luo." He had his own point of view and logic to defend himself and, of course, he didn't forget to shower his cute little sister with praises.
Han Luo protested, "That's not true! Big brother Ming is very smart. You may not be as smart as big brother Mo and big brother Yujin, but you are still smarter than others." She didn't want to give him false hope, so she tried her best to cheer him up.
Yet Han Sheng Ming was hurt; he couldn't believe that his cute little sister would put him at number three on her 'cleverness list'. "Little Luo Luo, is that how you stab your big brother's back? I'm so hurt! Sob…sob…sob…" He faked his crying – that's why he couldn't shed tears.
The tearless cry didn't bring pity nor sympathy to Han Luo's heart.
"Uh…" Han Changhong rubbed his temples. He was starting to have a headache. Whenever he talked to his son, he felt like he was talking to a plank of wood. Han Sheng Ming was getting more and more childish. None of his words seemed to go through his son. His son most certainly looked like him, but his attitude matched neither Han Changhong nor Du Liu.
Han Changhong declared, "Still, watch your manners from now on, Sheng Ming. By the way, where is your sister Luilui? I know she didn't come first place since Luo'er achieved it, but Luilui at least needs to show me her results."
Han Sheng Ming recalled something and answered, "Oh, I remember now! Mommy took Luilui and Wanwan to the dollhouse in L street. She wanted to treat them with something good because of their results."
The dollhouse he was talking about wasn't any normal dollhouse. This dollhouse was from an auction shop where only the most expensive and rare dolls could be bought. The auction was held only once in two months, and no doll was sold less than twenty thousand dollars.
Han Changhong's expression warped. Fury throbbed in his head. "Unbelievable! Luo'er won first place so how could your mother only take her daughters and not Luo'er? She deserves more than those two!" He didn't mind if her daughter spent money on buying dolls; they were just dolls, after all. They were nothing dangerous or harmful. He earned enough money for his family for them to buy whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted. But he was upset at the fact that his wife didn't care about Han Luo as much as she cared for her own daughters. It seemed to him that his wife only showed that she cared for Han Luo in front of him when in reality, she couldn't care less. Thinking that his wife deceived him, his rage suddenly seared.
Han Luo reached out and touched his left thigh with her white little hands. "No uncle, auntie did ask me to go with them, but I have plans. So, I didn't go."
As he heard that, Han Changhong's anger subsided. "Ah, it was that. That's good, then." He was relieved that his wife was neutral about the kids.
However, Han Sheng Ming caught onto Han Luo's words quickly. "You have a plan? I don't remember you saying that you wanted to do something this week! I thought you were free."
Han Luo replied, "Well, that's how it was until two days ago. Mom said that she wanted to take me somewhere, so I'll be gone for a week. I agreed because I think it will be fun!" By 'mom' she meant Ma Rui.
Han Sheng Ming gasped. He could protect his little Luo Luo from pests like Xiao Yuan or his sisters, but how could he possibly protect her from elders? Ever since the moment he sent Han Luo to the Mo Mansion, Madam Mo – aka Ma Rui – seemed to have an unusual attachment to Han Luo. Once every week, she would take Han Luo somewhere to have fun.
Han Sheng Ming also noticed that when Mo Yuan was around Han Luo, he wasn't as gloomy as before. The thing that pricked his heart the most was that he never had any cosplay pictures with his own cute little Luo Luo, yet Mo Yuan had not only one or two, but numerous. He wanted to do cosplay every year at Comic Con, but he never had to chance to be alone with her as Tang Yujin and Mo Yuan always tagged along with them. It was not only heartbreaking but also frustrating. The only reason he didn't say "no" was because of Han Luo's bright smile.
Han Sheng Ming didn't want Han Luo to get close to Ma Rui more than it was necessary, but he also had to compromise because of Han Luo's happiness. She was always in a good mood when she was with Ma Rui, and there was no way he could tell that to his friend's mother.. He was only afraid that Han Luo would be snatched from his hands.