My Beloved

Chapter 26 - HAN LUO'S PHOTOSHOOT IN THE LAKE

"Xiao Yuan, what's with that gloomy face? Smile a little!" Ma Rui clicked the shutter as she took pictures of Han Luo and Mo Yuan. It was already the third day, yet Ma Rui still didn't have enough of her cosplay game. That morning, she dressed Han Luo as a princess and Mo Yuan as a prince, then took them to the garden for a photo shoot.

Click! Click! Click!

Mo Yuan knew that his mother had a habit of overdoing everything, but he had no idea that his mother was crazy when it came to cosplay. Even though his mother told him to smile, he could only force his lips to stretch. He didn't feel like smiling; he never felt like doing things like that. The young boy just wanted to escape from this house at that very moment.

His mind was occupied with the thought of running away, but he was suddenly interrupted by a maid who came to the garden. "Madam, Young Master's piano teacher has arrived. He is waiting in the music room."

Ma Rui glanced down at her watch. "Huh? It's already time! I really wanted them to wear the Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse dress…"

"I'm going then." Mo Yuan hastily fled from his garden – he had never been this happy to have piano lessons before.

Ma Rui's eyes drooped out of slight irritation. 'You can never capture Xiao Luo's heart, let alone any girl, with an attitude like that...' she thought. She felt unsatisfied with her son's stubborn behavior. While grumbling, her eyes landed on the three years old princess. The woman's eyes suddenly glittered. "Xiao Luo, do you like swans?"

"Yes, I do." Han Luo nodded, causing the small crown on her head to nearly fall off.

Ma Rui took off the little girl's crown and held her hand. "Let me dress you up like a swan princess then." She took Han Luo to the room where she was staying. The woman then dressed Han Luo in a pure white dress; it was a swan gown, decorated with angelic feathers. Ma Rui tied the girl's hair into a ballet bun, and then covered it with a white tiara, which had a few attached feathers at the back. After Han Luo wore a pair of white ballet shoes, she stood in front of the mirror in awe. Little Luo could hardly recognize herself in the mirror.

Ma Rui always wanted a girl who she could dress up like this – her son was too boring to play with. Han Luo's company was a precious light to Ma Rui. "Xiao Luo, you are so pretty! I don't want to let you go." The woman tightly hugged the little girl's small body.

Han Luo couldn't speak. She felt a deep tug in her heart; she had never met an elder who acted as loving as her big brother Han Sheng Ming.

After the dress-up session, Ma Rui dragged Han Luo to the Mo family's lake. She had a few white swans and personally took care of them whenever she was free. She put Han Luo on the dinghy and then joined her. Ma Rui effortlessly rowed the boat to the middle of the lake, where the swans were. "Now, Xiao Luo, give me some cute poses." She pulled out her camera and took some photos. As a professional camerawoman, her photos were always spectacular. Among the bevy, Han Luo looked like the queen of swans.

Once Ma Rui finished taking pictures, she rowed Han Luo back to the ground. "You go ahead and play, I have something to do. Okay?"

"Okay." Han Luo nodded happily and then sauntered into the flower garden. Ma Rui smiled at her before going to her study room.

Han Luo loved chasing after butterflies – she was entranced by the way they gracefully fluttered their wings, full of freedom. The little girl followed some butterflies, which only led her to the back of the mansion. There, her actions and thoughts were subdued by a beautiful melody. She paused and then followed the sounds of the music. Step after step, Han Luo had finally found it; it was coming from the music room. The mansion faced south, and the music room was located on the first floor of the northeastern corner of the mansion.

There was a large window and Han Luo tried to peep inside. She jumped a few times but was still too small to see anything. Mo Yuan and his piano teacher were playing Mozart's Sonata in D together using two different grand pianos. The music encased the air in a lively aura, refreshing enough to lift the minds of any person. The sounds leaked through the large window and resonated throughout the mansion. Those who heard it couldn't help but feel amazed at how talented their Young Master was at playing the piano. He was a young prodigy.

Han Luo was enthralled by the music, her body unconsciously swaying and her feet tapping the ground themselves. Before she knew it, she was dancing.

Mo Yuan was right beside the window. He noticed some movement in the corner of his eyes. He glimpsed to the right and saw a small head moving up and down.

Mo Yuan was so surprised that he made a mistake and almost lost his focus. His teacher gave him a disappointed looked, leading the boy to quickly correct himself. He didn't make any mistakes later, but his eyes were glued onto the window. He watched the little girl's small movements. A small smile crept on his lips.

When Ma Rui came out of her study room, she spotted Han Luo asleep in the flower garden. She gasped and urgently asked the maid who was with her, "Did you let any maid look after her?"

The maid politely answered, "Yes, and the maid said that she was dancing a few minutes ago, when the Young Master was playing the piano, so she didn't want to disturb her."

Ma Rui was amazed. "If she likes to dance, I can always introduce her to the best teacher in China."

"That would be a great idea, Madam," the maid agreed.

Ma Rui picked up the sleeping Han Luo from the ground and ordered the maid, "Dial Xiao Luo's uncle's number.. Since he is her legal guardian, I still need his permission."