rose ashes

Luo Yang looked at the girl beside him and finally saw her face clearly.

"Tian Tian? Why are you here?"
Tian Tian and Luo Yang also met because of Sang Huaiyu. The three of them became good friends by chance. Tian Tian was having a party with friends here today and saw a familiar figure from behind at the bar.

When I came over to take a look, it was indeed Luo Yang.

Tian Tian grumbled and complained: "Why didn't you tell me you were coming back? I couldn't even pick you up."

Luo Yang laughed and patted her head, "It's okay, we will meet again someday."

Tian Tian didn't get to the bottom of the matter. She looked at Luo Yang with regret in her eyes and held her hand tightly.
"Do you know? The Ye family is planning to get married. It has been circulated in the circle for many days, and we haven't heard any news of the Ye family denying it yet!"

Luo Yang's eyes were normal. She lifted her hair and tucked it behind her ears calmly. She sipped the Earl Grey Gin at hand. Her chin was slightly raised, revealing her slender neck with skin as white as cream.
"do not know."

Tian Tian became anxious when she saw that she was still motionless.
"Why don't you go ask him, he will definitely tell you! Anyway, you just returned to China and there is a welcoming banquet, what a great opportunity!"
The emperor is not anxious, but the eunuch is. The ancients were truly not deceiving people.

But Luo Yang still sat there drinking resolutely, completely calm, "It's a marriage, there's nothing to ask, sweetie, stop imagining it."
Having said that, he pushed Tian Tian back to the party and sat alone at the bar, feeling quite lazy. In his ears was Debussy's Moonlight, deep and melodious.

Her eyes were lazy and unfocused, giving off an aura that kept strangers away.
He stayed there for a short while, saw that the show over at Tian Tian's place was still going on, and then left alone.

In the south city in spring, it is windy but rainless, which is a comfortable season for both body and mind.

I was walking alone on the street, and occasionally a leaf was blown by the wind and fell on my shoulders.
For a moment, Luo Yang had the illusion that he had returned to his student days.

Same season, same place, same sycamore tree.
A pair of hands picked up the leaf that fell on her shoulder.

After being a little dazed, Luo Yang came to his senses and suddenly found himself not knowing where he was.

The wind blew through the streets, and the traffic lights turned green countless times before she got into the car.

In the afternoon, I accepted an invitation from a friend to a gathering in the circle. Because I learned that she had returned to China, she invited me in many ways and I couldn't refuse her kindness.

Although they are friends, they are not ranked in Luo Yang's friend list. They are just acquaintances in the circle.

There were many celebrities at the party, but Luo Yang had no intention of making friends with them. He just drank alone in a corner, looking a little lonely.

The friend who invited Luo Yang noticed her and walked over out of a sense of ownership.

"Luo Yang, why are you sitting here alone? Why don't you go over and have a drink with them?"

Luo Yang saw the person coming, smiled, shook the wine glass, and the liquid hit the wall, becoming crystal clear.
"I'm used to drinking alone, it's okay, you guys have fun."

The person hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but was conflicted. Luo Yang was sensitive and could see what she was thinking.

"Do you have something to say?"

After weighing the pros and cons, the host Liang Yi nodded, sat down on the high stool next to Luo Yang, and asked the bartender to order a special cocktail.
"It's not a big deal. There are just a lot of rumors in the circle recently, and I heard some of them."

"I heard that the Ye family is planning a marriage. I think you should have heard about it."
Luo Yang did not deny it, but still held the wine glass in both hands and did not speak.

"But do you know whose family you are marrying into?" Liang Yi looked serious and lowered his voice, almost whispering in Luo Yang's ear.

Luo Yang smiled indifferently, "How should I know? Anyone can do it."

Liang Yi obviously disagreed with her attitude, "It's Luo Ke, it's the Luo family."

Luo Yang suddenly stopped, but still remained calm, only finally showing some fluctuations in his reaction.
"It's a rumor."
After all, in her opinion, Ye Gu would never have a good impression of their Luo family. Apart from the fact that he knew her, he had no reason to marry into the Luo family. For a family as powerful and wealthy as the Ye family, there would be no benefit in marrying into the Luo family.

Liang Yi waved his hand, "At first I thought it was 100% a rumor, but later I heard something from Ye Gu's friends. On the day you came back, I heard that Ye Gu did not deny the news and seemed to agree with it."

Although Liang Yi and Luo Yang are just acquaintances, she personally likes Luo Yang very much and has always admired her for her various behaviors. She is one of the few people in this circle who is rebellious and has achieved something.

"Luo Yang, I don't think Luo Ke should get away with this." Liang Yi is not the kind of person who likes to stir up trouble, but Luo Ke does have a bad reputation in this circle. He loves to act and do things, and to put it bluntly, he is not presentable.

No matter how much Luo Jiancheng spends to create the image of a lady from a noble family, she is still a vulgar person at heart.

If she were to join forces with Ye Gu, or if Ye Gu really fell in love with her, it would not be good for any of them, either in business or in life.

After weighing the pros and cons, Luo Yang is the only one who has the position and status to take action on this matter.

Liang Yi didn't say much, just made a point. Luo Yang is a smart person. She only made some indirect reminders out of selfishness and humanitarianism. It's up to the person concerned whether to do it or not. ///
——Pingcheng Yanghu Bay
Luo Yang stood at the gate, looked at the door lintel that looked like a beautiful carved figure, held the bag in her hand, and walked in.

I came back here unknowingly, but I found it extremely difficult to even step in.

The housekeeper came out and saw Luo Yang, and ran over: "The eldest lady is back, I'll go tell the master first."
Luo Yang stopped him halfway.

"Uncle Wu, are Luo Ke and the others home?"

When Uncle Wu looked at Luo Yang, he thought of how his wife Yang Yue was when she was alive. She was also gentle and had a bit of arrogance that was not annoying. He sighed in his heart.
"They are not here. Only the gentleman is at home."

Uncle Wu has been working in the Luo family for nearly 30 years. He was recruited by Yang Yue back then, and Yang Yue was very grateful to him for his help. Yang Yue has a kind nature and even did a favor to their family back then, and has been supporting them until now.

Later, Yang Yue left due to health reasons. He wanted to leave at one point, but Luo Yang was still young at that time, and a new wife came to the house immediately. Uncle Wu felt sorry for the eldest daughter and refused to leave no matter what, just as a way to repay his wife for her help.

By now he is already over fifty years old, his children and grandchildren have grown up, and this place has almost become his home, so he has been doing things for the Luo family.

He always favors Luo Yang.

This was exactly what Luo Yang wanted. "Then please go in and tell Uncle Wu. I need to talk to him about something."

Following Uncle Wu, Luo Yang walked on a place that was familiar to him every inch, but he couldn't imagine the whole family in his mind.
The stairs have been replaced from the wood they used to wear when Yang Yue was still here to magnificent platinum marble. It is luxurious but cold, and one's fingertips feel cold.

The study room on the second floor is at the end of the corridor. It was Luo Yang’s favorite place when she was a child. At that time, Luo Jiancheng and Yang Yue seemed so harmonious, and Luo Yang was also a little princess in the eyes of outsiders.

She likes to sneak into her father's room on weekends to read books, many digital books. Although she can't understand them, she just wants to be with her father and feel safe.

Things have changed and people have changed. Luo Yang is no longer the same as before, and the study room in front of her has become a place she no longer wants to go near.

"We're here." Uncle Wu followed his discretion and left after bringing Luo Yang to the door.

Standing in front of the mahogany door, Luo Yang actually felt like he was facing a battle, even though he was just going to meet someone he didn't want to see.
The idea was unexpectedly grim.

Luo Yang knocked on the door, and a familiar voice answered from inside, so she didn't hesitate any more.

Luo Jiancheng stood by the window with his back to her, looking down. No one knew what he was looking at. There was nothing downstairs except the yard.

"If you don't want to go home so much, why did you come back today?"
Luo Jiancheng and Luo Yang have always been frank with each other. Ever since Luo Yang confronted him about his infidelity and Yang Yue's death a few years ago, the superficial warmth between the two has disappeared.

Luo Yang was not afraid of him, she just stood not far behind him, with the coffee table beside her, and she casually put her bag on it.
"There are some things I need to discuss with Mr. Luo."

When Luo Jiancheng heard the name, his eyes visibly darkened, but it disappeared in a flash. He turned around and looked at her with his hands behind his back.

"It's rare that you still ask others to do things for you."

There was no one outside the study, but a calico cat passed by the door. It didn't meow, but just sat quietly by the door with an elegant posture.

Luo Yang was too lazy to beat around the bush with Luo Jiancheng, so he got straight to the point: "You know about the marriage between Luo and Ke, right?"

As soon as the words came out, Luo Jiancheng turned his eyes unfathomably and stared at Luo Yang, as if he was trying to guess how she knew about this.

The situation was deadlocked for a minute, and Luo Jiancheng did not explicitly deny it. Luo Yang had made up her mind. She was famous for her sensitivity and this matter could not be hidden from her.

Luo Jiancheng no longer tried to hide the truth and simply confessed: "Yes, that's true. So do you have any opinion on this matter?"

Luo Yang's eyes were determined and burning as she stared straight at Luo Jiancheng.
"Let's make a deal. You want me to go home and continue to maintain the superficial family harmony you want. Okay, but I have one condition."

Luo Jiancheng frowned slightly, sat on the chair in front of the desk, and looked at Luo Yang from afar, with no intention of interrupting, but with a look of scrutiny.

After a few seconds, she said, "The marriage partner will be me."

Luo Jiancheng was extremely surprised, but after all, he was a veteran who had seen many ups and downs over the years, so this little thing was not enough to make him lose face.

Luo Yang is still his daughter, but it was the first time that Luo Jiancheng saw a determination to win in Luo Yang's eyes.

"If the marriage partner is me, I will go home. As for other requests, as long as they do not exceed my bottom line, I can agree to them, including shares."

(End of this chapter)