My Beloved

"Luo'er, look! I bought you a doll." Han Changhong had come back from work with a doll for his niece. He was thinking of how happy she would be after getting this doll.

Han Luo was sitting beside Han Sheng Ming, who was reading a storybook with her in the living room. Han Changhong came closer and gave the little girl a warm hug. She grinned at the sight of the doll, calling out, "Welcome, uncle! Thank you, uncle!" Little Luo's smile felt somewhat shallow, as though her cheerfulness had been drained out. Yet it was still reassuring. It was better than seeing her cry and refuse to eat.

After Han Luo took the doll, Han Luilui ran toward her father and grasped his leg. "Daddy, where's my doll?"

Han Changhong blinked. "Didn't I bring you a dollhouse yesterday? I bought the exact same one you wanted."

Han Luilui cried out, "But that was yesterday! Today is today! Why can Xiao Luo get a doll but I can't?"

Han Changhong felt slightly irritated. It was already a grueling day at the company, and he was exhausted. He just wanted some peace in the family. If Han Changhong knew that his daughter was going to make a scene, he would've been more reluctant to come home. He held back his anger and said as calmly as possible, "I didn't buy Luo'er a dollhouse yesterday and she didn't complain. Why are you complaining? Luilui, please don't be so greedy. I don't accept this behavior."

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Han Luilui's face had screwed up as she suddenly bolted up to the second floor while sobbing. "Mommy! Daddy is scolding me!"

Du Liu came out of her bedroom, with a deep frown, and saw her eldest daughter crying. She didn't like seeing her daughter in distress, especially after the torment the Han family already had to go through. Du Liu bent down and embraced her daughter. As Luilui had begun to calm down, her mother asked, "What happened, dear?"

Han Luilui harshly tugged on her mother's clothes with a face dipped in tears. "Mommy... daddy bought a doll for Xiao Luo, but he didn't buy me anything!" Her words babbled into each other, like a gush of water.

Du Liu's eyebrows had furrowed as she exhaled with a sound of annoyance. She had realized that Han Luo's entrance to her house made the whole family become upside down. The peace that once existed had eroded away. "Dear, your daddy gave you a doll house yesterday. Please don't give us a tough time."

Willful Han Luilui refused to listen. "But I want a doll like that! It's not fair for that daddy bought a doll for her but not for me."

Du Liu sighed and agreed quickly. This was the only way to bring some temporary peace. "All right, all right, I will buy you a doll like that tomorrow. Now, be a good girl and quit complaining."

Han Luilui stubbornness was growing. "No, mommy, I want it today!" Her father had usually never bought gifts for others. She couldn't understand why he bought gifts for Han Luo, but rarely for her.

Without hesitation, Du Liu trudged downstairs toward Han Luo. "Xiao Luo, could you please give your doll to your sister, Luilui? I'll buy you a doll tomorrow." Her narrow eyes pierced right through the little girl's eyes.

Han Luo looked down at the doll. It was a music doll – a priceless one. It was her first gift after the tragic accident, but the brief light of happiness that shone on her was briskly put out.

Han Changhong protested, "How could you say that? I bought the doll especially for Luo'er!" He felt his chest swirl into bewilderment, startled by seeing how his wife and daughter treated little Luo like an outsider.

Irked by her husband's interruption, Du Liu retorted, "Changhong, can you not butt in? It's already hard enough to raise my own children and now somebody else comes in and makes this job even harder! Look – she's even made our own daughter upset." Her merciless eyes glared at the helpless child, as she menacingly commanded, "Han Luo, hurry up."

Han Luo stepped closer and mumbled, "Here, auntie…" She tried to hand over the doll. Her face looked like she just lost something precious.

Du Liu ordered, "Give it to your sister Luilui."

Han Luo's pitiful eyes were glued onto the floor as she walked toward Han Luilui. She meekly offered the doll and muttered, "Sister Luilui, you can play."

Han Luilui had already stopped crying, yet her eyes were filled with a different emotion. Anger. She scowled at Han Luo repulsively and hurled the doll onto the ground. "I don't want your used doll. How dare you!" The doll fell on the floor and had become fractured.

Little Luo was frightened by her cousin's action. When she had seen the broken doll, Han Luo hurriedly ran to it and picked it up. Her eyes were drowned in tears.

Han Sheng Ming was silently watching the dilemma from the start. However, when he saw Han Luo's tears, he couldn't hold back. He rushed forward and pushed his sister. "Why did you do that to little Luo Luo? You should say if you didn't want it! Why did you have to break it?"

Han Luilui dropped to the floor and felt pain all over her tiny body. She screamed in fierce frustration. "Brother Sheng, who is your sister? Me or her?"

Han Sheng Ming protectively hugged Han Luo while responding to his sister, "She is much nicer and cuter than you could ever be!"

Han Luilui was always envious of Han Luo, who was a year younger than her. Han Luo was an adorable and obedient child. She was also a gifted quick learner. She was always laughing and always friendly. Everyone liked her. But Han Luilui could only feel a fit of dark jealousy for her cousin, and the insult from her brother made this jealousy darker. Han Luilui cried out loudly and called for her mother. "Mommy!"

Du Liu was on the verge of losing all patience. To her, her son was a precious gem, and she could never scold him no matter what he did. Her only choice was to scold her headstrong daughter. "Luilui!" Du Liu thought that her daughter was as intelligent as her, but today proved that this wasn't really the case.

Han Changhong's patience had already been lost. "I saw enough. You disappointed me. And you too, Liu. How could you spoil your daughter like this?" He didn't forget to berate his wife.

Du Liu's countenance had blackened bitterly.

Han Changhong didn't wait for his wife's reaction. He swiftly picked up Han Luo and carried her in his arms. "It's all right, Luo'er.. I'll make you the biggest dollhouse with a hundred dolls."