rose ashes

It seemed that every time she was in a bit of a mess, Ye Gu would appear, as he always did, covering her head with a piece of clothing, then patting her on the back and telling her, "I'm here to take you home."

Luo Yang revealed a pair of ink-black eyes from his clothes as he looked at Ye Gu, his emotions churning and stirring. He had known that this day would come, and had even imagined such a scene many times, but when it really ended, he still felt uncontrollable heartache.

The pain was piercing and bone-grinding, from the hands and feet to the head and then to the heart, everything was swollen and screaming in pain, and the tears left behind were like magma lashing and whipping every inch of skin.

Luo Yang's voice was low and hoarse, his forehead resting against the back of Ye Gu's hand, sobbing: "Ye Gu, this time it's true, I really don't have parents this time, I have no place to go anymore... right? He has done so many heinous and unforgivable things, but, but I still... I still can't easily erase him from my life... "

In the afternoon, the sun was hot and dazzling, and the treetops were shining brightly. The veins on the edges of the leaves were clearly revealed by the light, extending in strands.

Ye Gu sighed silently, and his hand fell on the top of Luo Yang's head slowly and gently. He didn't say a word, but gave her some personal space to digest the situation.
He grew up in a free-range environment and was not very dependent on his parents, but he understood that was because he knew clearly that his parents would never leave him and break up the family.

Blood ties are truly magical. That inexplicable sense of closeness and desire to get close are engraved in our bones. Perhaps resentment and estrangement may arise because of other things, but even so, dependence will not disappear.

Mimi felt warm in the sun and felt sleepy. She leaned against Luo Yang's feet and fell asleep comfortably.

Luo Yang took off her clothes and wiped away her tears. It was a foregone conclusion. This time, she would just treat it as a memorial to the past.

Ye Gu gently wiped the tears from her cheeks with his fingertips, "Are you really saying goodbye?"
-"real."
- "You won't turn back?"
- "There's no turning back."

He seemed to be thinking about something, then he held Luo Yang's hand and stood up, "Then let's move forward, Ah He."

The deserted Luo residence was getting farther and farther away behind us, until it blurred into a line inside the car and disappeared at the boundary line.

The sunlight set little by little until it disappeared into the horizon, and then the moon climbed up reluctantly, shining brightly under the waterfall.
There are an especially large number of stars tonight, just as many as the night before Luo Yang was born.

Luo Jiancheng sat on an old rattan chair that made a creaking sound. It was an old object that no one knew where it had come from.
All the doors and windows of the house were open, and the summer night breeze was blowing wildly around every corner of Luo's house. In the empty house, only Luo Jiancheng was left.

As if he had aged ten years in one day, Luo Jiancheng reached out to touch the water cup on the stone pier. The instantaneous chill spread throughout his body, stimulating every nerve ending.

This family is really broken up from now on. He built everything of the Luo family with his own hands, and now it is also collapsed in his hands. Perhaps this can be considered a retribution.

In the Internet age, everything spreads very quickly. Within half a month, the Luo Group declared bankruptcy, Luo Jiancheng's property was searched, Luo's house was sealed, and Zhang Peilan surrendered herself.
Everything was like a revolving lantern, and the strong wind blew through, leaving everything in a mess.

Luo Yang was just finishing up the last appointment with a client at the consultation center. He stretched his neck and walked to the window, wanting to open it for some fresh air. Before he could push it open, someone outside the door came to notify him:
"Doctor Luo, Mr. Shen is here."

Luo Yang withdrew his hand, nodded, and walked out.

As soon as I got downstairs, I saw Shen Mo waiting in front of the elevator. The two of them knew each other for a few seconds and smiled slightly.
Shen Mo entered the elevator in a wheelchair. The elevator door closed and the light in the narrow space dimmed.

"Mr. Shen seems to be in a much better mood and state. It seems that there are things worth being happy about recently."

Shen Mo did not comment. His right hand naturally twisted the cliff cypress rosary. The elevator numbers jumped little by little, and it slowly opened after reaching the floor.
Shen Mo went out first, waiting for Luo Yang, and said nonchalantly: "Doctor Luo should be in a good mood recently."

Luo Yang was slightly surprised. Although she didn't know why Shen Mo said that, apart from her stable life recently, there was nothing worth stirring up her emotions.
I didn't think much about it, I just shrugged and said as I walked, "There's really nothing I'm very happy about."

Shen Mo didn't say anything and didn't ask any more questions, but there was a faint smile on the corner of his mouth, which made Luo Yang really unpredictable.

I don’t know what’s wrong with me lately. I always feel listless and not very curious about anything.

Shen Mo's condition was unexpectedly good, as if some external factors were giving him invisible energy. As for what it was, Shen Mo didn't really want to say, but Luo Yang had an idea in her mind. She still remembered the Valentine's Day bracelet hanging on the wall that she saw in Shen Mo's house.

Thinking about it this way, if Shen Mo's change was due to the appearance of this person, then it makes sense.

After all, it was a return to the good direction, so why not do it? But before leaving, Luo Yang still warned implicitly: "Don't put all your decision-making power and hopes, even life and death, on one person. It will be very dangerous, Mr. Shen."

Shen Mo and Luo Yang got along very well. There was no way he couldn't understand what she said. After a long silence, he finally agreed.
Luo Yang knew that even though he had agreed, he might not necessarily do it. During the time she was treating him, she knew very well how erratic his personality was.

When it reached the door, the wheelchair's movement suddenly stopped. Turning around, Shen Mo looked at Luo Yang. The person who was originally sitting in the wheelchair actually stood up with the help of crutches. Luo Yang was really shocked. His pupils suddenly shrank and the smile lasted for a long time.

Shen Mo looked at her and bowed deeply. After he stood up, his voice calmed down: "Thank you, Dr. Luo, for saving me during this period and that time. In fact, I have never had any so-called reverence for life. My belief in wanting to die has never changed over the years. I always thought that I wanted to die because I had no desires, but later I realized that it was because desires were too difficult to achieve, so I chose this way to escape my failure and cowardice."

"Thank you. If you need my help in the future, please feel free to come to me."

I have to say that in some ways, Shen Mo is eerily similar to Ye Gu, for example, their way of expressing gratitude is so overbearing and not tactful at all, and they are so lazy that they don't even bother to package it.
Luo Yang smiled. She had calmed down after being startled by him. "You don't have to be so polite. Mr. Shen, you should sit down. It will be tiring to stand for a long time."

Although Shen Mo was not unable to stand up, due to the previous accident, he could not stand for a long time, otherwise he would feel excruciating pain.

He sat down slowly and waved his hand. The butler in the car took out a box and said, "Doctor Luo, this is something our husband gave you. It's what you have always needed."

Luo Yang was confused. Apart from the wedding dress, she didn't remember asking Shen Mo for anything else.
Confused, she slowly opened the box, and a familiar vintage watch came into view.

"This watch is the Winnie the Pooh watch you want, right? I got it when I was traveling a long time ago, and later gave it to a friend to find someone who would sell it to. The owner of the second-hand watch shop you went to is my friend. Now, it's yours, Dr. Luo." His fingertips gently brushed across the dial, and the ticking sound of the second hand was surprisingly pleasant and soothing.
She closed the box and breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you so much. This really means a lot to me."

After seeing Shen Mo off, Luo Yang sat in the leisure area of ​​the lobby, staring at the watch in his hand for a long time, feeling a little regretful. He had originally wanted to give it to Ye Gu on his birthday, but unfortunately missed it.

Tian Tian appeared from behind him at some point, tiptoeing without making any noise, which really scared Luo Yang.
She lowered her chest and looked at Tian Tian with resentment.

Tian Tian curled her lips, and when she saw the watch in her hand, her eyebrows danced with joy: "Wow~ This is not going to be a gift for the young master! Tsk tsk tsk, the scent of love."

Luo Yang closed the box and pretended to be calm, "Who said it must be for him? You can just guess."

"Isn't it hard to guess? Please, the only one who likes Winnie the Pooh is Ye Gu, okay? There is no point in trying to cover up your mistake. But if your young master knew that you bought him a gift, he would probably brag about it for half a year." After a pause, Tian Tian changed the sentence seriously: "Oh no, it should be a year."

Luo Yang: "...Are you here just to tease me?"

Thinking of the business, Tian Tian stopped laughing. "The matter about Uncle Luo and that woman has come out. It is a foregone conclusion that he will go to jail. Luo's company has also declared bankruptcy. But there is a property for you. Aunt Yang prepared it a long time ago. She calculated the time to give it to you after you realize your dream at the age of 27. It happens to be now, when the consulting firm is on the right track."

Luo Yang nodded without any emotion, as if everything was within his expectations.

Tian Tian was a little surprised: "Aren't you surprised at all?"

The two of them went upstairs, and Luo Yang replied as she packed her things: "I can guess that Ms. Yang always likes to arrange everything properly and rigorously, but when it comes to love, once she makes a mistake, there is no turning back."
Tian Tian nodded, not quite understanding, "Now you have to sign, and then you will have control over the money."

Luo Yang stood still, staring at the empty white wall for so long that Tian Tian thought she was in a trance. Then she said, "Donate it to the Women's Legal Aid Center, and provide some help within your ability to those women who need legal aid."

Tian Tian was stunned for a moment, then smiled. She was not surprised by Luo Yang's decision. "I guessed you would do this, but do you want to tell your young master?"

Luo Yang didn't hesitate, "No need."
Tian Tian: "Aren't you afraid that he will say something about you?"
"He will not."
"So confident."
"Because no matter what I do, he understands me."

I don't know when it started, but she would speak so frankly and naturally with such confidence. Maybe it's the confidence given by one person to another.

/ / /
Ye Gu has been returning home frequently recently, which makes Luo Yang a little distressed as he hasn't been returning home early recently.

Every time I open the door, I can see the resentful expression on the sofa, with the very unhappy words: "You're back."
It was as if he was questioning her: "Why did you come back just now? Why did you come back so late? Are you willing to come back now? Let me see what wild flowers and weeds are holding you back from returning home?"

In short, facing this face, Luo Yang has a very vivid picture.

Luo Yang looked at the box in her bag calmly, the corners of her mouth slowly raised. It would be easier to coax her today, as she had a trump card.

Luo Yang pulled him upstairs. Ye Gu pouted: "What for?"
Luo Yang had a mysterious expression, "Come on, I'll take you to see one of my visitors. He's a designer, very talented. It just so happens that there's an interview about his comeback today, so come with me and see it."
Ye Gu sighed uncomfortably, turned his head away, and touched his nose with his hand: "Well, I'm not busy now, so I'll reluctantly accompany you to see it."

On the side that Luo Yang couldn’t see, Ye Gu’s dimples were deeply sunken.

The time was just right and the interview was about to begin. Luo Yang took a box of cookies, sat cross-legged on the carpet, and ate and watched comfortably. Ye Gu, on the other hand, was holding up his face and looked absent-minded.

"Look at her. She's pretty good-looking and talented."

Ye Gu didn't want to watch anymore, so he turned his head away, a little upset, "I don't want it."
Luo Yang couldn't persuade him, so she stopped forcing him and just watched by herself. She had to say that Shen Mo was indeed very thoughtful. From his various answers, she could feel that he was a very independent-minded person.

"Does Mr. Fil have anything interesting to share with us recently?"

On TV, Shen Mo actually laughed out loud. When Ye Gu heard this, he couldn't hold it back any longer. He rolled his eyes, glanced at him sideways, and immediately frowned.

Thinking he had seen it wrong, Ye Gu swallowed slightly, turned his head and took a closer look, his breath choking.
This man looked exactly like the designer he had visited in the hospital before, but he didn't remember that man having a twin brother.

Never mind, Ye Gu reached out to touch the shoe box hidden under the sofa. At that time, Luo Yang pretended to watch the interview while secretly lowering his eyes to pick up the watch beside him.

"I have a gift for you—"
"Then you go first--"
"Then I'll send it first—"
The two of them said it in unison three times. Ye Gu scratched the back of his head and opened the box. Luo Yang also pursed his lips and took out the watch.

But before I could say anything, the man on TV said happily:
"I met a very interesting couple during this period. The gentleman asked me to buy a pair of rose high heels that were not for sale for the lady, while the lady asked me to buy a watch that was in a second-hand shop for the gentleman."

“I really don’t know what their expressions would be when they knew about this, hahahaha.”

Luo Yang and Ye Gu outside the TV listened to this story and the more they listened, the more it resembled themselves. They looked at each other's gifts, stood there in a daze, their expressions stiff and dull, and gradually frowned.

Luo Yang sighed, feeling a little disappointed. He blinked his eyes and made a fist to pretend to be a microphone: "So, how does this client feel?"
After walking around in a circle, he found himself alone. Ye Gu lightly tapped his back teeth, his temples throbbing: "I feel like... I've been teased..."

The two looked at each other awkwardly.

(End of this chapter)