The next day, Yutong was already in her blue tutu that matched with the colour of her eyes. Her long hair was tied into a bun leaving her straight bangs that covered her eyebrows.
She swirled around in happiness and went to hug Lu Beichen.
" Do you like it? " Lu Beichen asked with a doting smile on his face.
" Like it! Like it !!" She exclaimed jumping around in excitement. Lu Beichen carried her up. " Let's go to your dance studio to see how you can perform " He said as he walked out of the room.
When they got to the front of the room, Lu Beichen brought Yutong down and bent to her level. " Are you ready for my surprise? "
" Sure. I can't wait." She replied nodding her head. Lu Beichen straightened himself and opened the door of the studio and entered with Yutong closing the door behind. The light of the studio was turned off causing Lu Beichen and Yutong to be unable to see anything.
" Uncle, why is the light turned off? Could this be the surprise you talked about?"
" Of course... " Jiang Xiuying voice sounded and the light came on. " Surprise!!!! " Jiang Xiuying and Lu Beichen chorused looking at Yutong's reaction. As expected, she looked very touched. Jiang Xiuying squatted at her and spread her hands out beckoning her little daughter to hug her.
.
Yutong ran towards Jiang Xiuying 's direction but rather than hugging her, she went past her and hugged the person standing behind Jiang Xiuying.
" Aiyoo....my little brother. I knew you planned all of this out to apologise for calling me a football yesterday right?" Yutong asked Yuxuan hugging him tightly. She was very happy seeing that her dance studio was designed beautifully and her mother was also wearing a tutu like her.
" It's okay as long as you like the surprise" Yuxuan patted her back and smiled at Jiang Xiuying and Lu Beichen.
"..." Jiang Xiuying and Lu Beichen stared at Yuxuan in disbelief. He had refused to be part of the surprise but now he was acting like he was the one that brought the idea to surprise her.
" Okay....let's take pictures of my cute daughter " Lu Beichen said as he brought out his camera ready to take her pictures. His hobby was photography. He especially loves to take unaware pictures of the children and Jiang Xiuying.
Yutong let go of Yuxuan and ran to Jiang Xiuying ' s hugging her legs. " Thanks mama" She smiled and ran away from her to take pictures.
" 1...2...3" Lu Beichen said as he clicked the camera capturing a very stunning picture of Yutong making a funny face sitting on the floor. " Yuxuan sit beside Yutong "
Yuxuan did as he was told since he already promised to cooperate with them.
Yutong looked at Yuxuan sitting with a stoic face beside her. " Smile for the camera" Yuxuan turned his head to look at her. Lu Beichen captured that beautiful moment of the two children staring at one another.
" Uncle Chen, I want to do splits make sure to capture that moment" Yutong said as she stood up from the floor.
Jiang Xiuying quickly held Yutong in place to prevent her from doing something funny. How can a girl as round as she is perform splits?
" I will do it. You just have to sit in front of me like a beautiful princess" Jiang Xiuying said to Yutong making a face at Lu Beichen. " That's right. You only have to be a princess'' He agreed with Jiang Xiuying.
Yutong nodded to the relieve of Jiang Xiuying and Lu Beichen.
Jiang Xiuying proceeded to do the split raising both of her hands up. She looked like a professional ballet dancer. Yutong looked at her mother in admiration and sat down in front of her spreading out her hands with a her lips curved upwards into a big smile.
Lu Beichen happily captured the beautiful mother and daughter.
=Flashback ends=
Jiang Xiuying stared at the picture of her and Yutong in a tutu smiling brightly at the camera. Seeing her daughter's smile, it felt like a dagger stabbed through her heart. When last had she seen her daughter smile? It's been a really long time. She left the house to get some fresh air in the garden. Her room felt so suffocating to her.
" Achoo.." Jiang Xiuying sneezed. She had felt her body growing hot but she ignored it. Now, she was shivering with her nose red from being stuffy. She decided to head back inside the house to get some rest.
* * * *
Lu Beichen got back home when he heard that Grandfather Lu's schedule changed and Jiang Xiuying was unable to visit him. He decided to stay with her for a while knowing she would be feeling lonely.
He entered her room after several attempt of knocking with no response and found her sprawled on the bed still wearing her slippers. He sighed and proceeded to remove it for her. He carefully adjusted her position and covered her with a blanket.
" Achoo..." Jiang Xiuying sneezed while sleeping and shifted uncomfortably in her soft bed. Lu Beichen moved closer to her and touched her forehead with the back of his palm. He swiftly withdrew his hand. Her temperature was too high, high enough to boil a water.
The sick Jiang Xiuying continued shifting uncomfortable in her bed. She was also shivering slightly. Lu Beichen panicked a bit noticing that the colour on her face has drained. Her face was pale like a sheet of paper.
Lu Beichen quickly sent for a maid to get him a first aid box and she came in less than a minute. He quickly checked her temperature and found it to be 38.5°C.
" Get me an ice pack " He instructed the maid and she ran to get it right away. Lu Beichen planned to get her temperature reduce a bit so he placed the ice pack on her forehead. He also wiped her hands face and feet with a wet cloth. After about an hour, he successfully brought down her temperature a bit of colour had returned to her face and she she was no longer shivering. Lu Beichen made her drink medicine and left her to continue sleeping. Hopefully, her body would be okay.