Ashes of Devotion
1
qianyu was more than nervous, she was absolutely terrified
luo qianyu
you got this! you’ve done this plenty times before…
luo qianyu
stop freaking out
mr. sheng
you got this qianyu! don’t worry too much
qianyu steps onto the stage, her violin in hand. the lights shine down on her, and she begins playing a delicate melody.
jiang yuze
who is this performer?
yuze glances up and stared at qianyu as she played
luo ziyan
isnt she amazing?
luo ziyan
shes got so much talent to give besides her beauty
qianyu finishes her piece, and the crowd erupts into applause. she bows gracefully and steps offstage. little does she know, her stepsister, luo ziyan, is the fiancée of the man sitting in the front row, jiang yuze.
luo ziyan
she’s good, right? qianyu’s always been talented, but she never really had the chance to shine.
she whispered over to yuze
jiang yuze
i’ve seen much better…
yuze shrugged softly, they got up and walked around to have conversations with the others guests
qianyu walks backstage, trying to catch her breath, when she saw a familiar figure walking towards her—yuze. she freezes, recognition flashing in her eyes.
is he here to belittle me again?
jiang yuze
well, well… i never expected to see you here, luo qianyu. i thought you’d disappeared off the face of the earth.
yuze smirks at her, eyeing her up and down as she stood in front of her
luo qianyu
you…what are you doing here?
luo qianyu
why are you here yuze?
luo qianyu
are you following me?
jiang yuze
like i would follow you anywhere..
jiang yuze
you should be on your knees bowing and thanking me
jiang yuze
im the one who hired her for the gig, didn’t you know? i own this place.
yuze leaned against the wall casually as he watched her
jiang yuze
bu i didn’t expect to see you back so soon. especially after everything that happened…
his sharp eyes glanced down at her
qianyu gripping her violin, the strings cutting her finger slightly; feeling a lump form in her throat
luo qianyu
you never gave me a chance to explain
luo qianyu
i never did what you though i did yuze
yuze smiled coldly at her
jiang yuze
you didn’t need to. you betrayed me, qianyu.
yuze pauses for a minute as he steps closer towards her
jiang yuze
and yet, here you are, performing at my engagement party.
he chuckled deeply at comment
jiang yuze
its funny how things come in full circle qianyu
luo qianyu
yuze i didn’t-
jiang yuze
don’t play innocent with me.
his voice got quieter, almost bitter
jiang yuze
how does it feel to be so close, but so far away from everything you wanted?
luo qianyu
no this ain’t far
luo qianyu
and you know this
her voice shaking slightly
jiang yuze
life’s not fair qianyu
jiang yuze
didn’t i teach you anything?
luo qianyu
i can’t do this with you right now
qianyu hurried off, carrying her violin with her.
her manager, mr. sheng saw her dart towards the front doors
mr. sheng
please wait for the driver
jiang yuze
this might be interesting…
luo ziyan
why did you leave me alone?
jiang yuze
catching up with a old friend..
luo ziyan
oh, can i meet them?
she looked around, scanning the room
jiang yuze
or rather they ran away
luo ziyan
you aren’t that scary
she giggled stroking his chin
02
yuze texted qianyu to come over to his place, the text message was simple and plain.
yuze’s words were always short, direct. but something felt different this time. it wasn’t just a request—it was a demand.
it made qianyu stomach turn a little. she quickly wrapped up her violin practice, setting her bow down with care. she loved jiang yuze, and for the past year, despite their differences in social standing, he had loved her just as fiercely.
when she arrived at the jiang estate, the air felt colder than usual. yuze was standing in the grand hall, his expression unreadable. beside him, his father sat in a high-backed chair, staring at qianyu like she was a stain on their perfect world.
mr. jiang
you don’t have anything to say to us?
mr. jiang
you thieving idiot!
jiang yuze
the family heirloom has been stolen..
mr. jiang slid a folder across the table. qianyu hesitated before opening it, her breath catching as she saw security footage screenshots—a bit blurry & grainy images of a figure in dark clothing sneaking into the estate’s vault.
mr. jiang
you’re the only outsider who has access to our home, the only one close enough to him to know our security codes…
qianyu felt sick to her stomach
there’s no way this was happening to her, like actually
luo qianyu
you don’t believe this? do you yuze?
luo qianyu
jiang yuze? do you?!!
he finally looked at her then, but his eyes were cold, distant.
jiang yuze
besides that…your bank account..
luo qianyu
what about it?
jiang yuze
there’s been $500k taken out of it qianyu
jiang yuze
from last night…
her lips parted, a sharp breath escaping her.
yuze slammed his hand in the table loudly, it shook a little
qianyu jumped back at his voice.
shes heard about it but never at her directly
luo qianyu
yuze! i swear i didn’t-
jiang yuze
do you know how humiliating it is to have my father tell me that the woman i love is a thief?
luo qianyu
you know me, yuze! why would i ever—
jiang yuze
WHERE THE F*** IS THE MONEY THEN?!
she couldn’t tell him if she wanted to. she had no idea at all.
but the evidence was damning, and with yuze looking at her like she was nothing but a crazed stranger, she felt something inside her crack.
luo qianyu
if you truly loved me, you would believe me..
luo qianyu
i have never done you wrong since i’ve know you for these past 5 years
jiang yuze
is this suppose to make me feel better qianyu?
jiang yuze
YOUR LOVE CANT BRING BACK THE FAMILY HEIRLOOM!
jiang yuze
IT CANT BRING BACK THE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS LOST!
jiang yuze
GET THE F*** OUTTA MY FACE AND NEVER APPEAR IN FRONT OF ME AGAIN!
qianyu left the jiang estate that night with tears burning in her eyes, her heart shattered beyond repair.
yuze had took the car he gifted for the engagement, so qianyu was waiting for her ride to get her.
she had barely noticed the cold rain, as the sound of her own heartbeat pounding in her ears as she walked aimlessly down the sidewalk.
luo qianyu
this isn’t real..
luo qianyu
this is a dream g-
tires screeching. headlights blinding. the force of impact.
pain exploded through her body as she hit the ground, her right arm twisted unnaturally beneath her.
the world blurred into chaos—screams, sirens, people rushing toward her. but the only thing she could think about, as she lay broken on the wet pavement, was that jiang yuze had let her walk away.
03
qianyu stared at her bandaged arm, the dull ache a constant reminder of what she had lost.
metal plates now sat beneath her skin, holding together what had been fractured.
NURSE
even after recovery, prolonged violin playing might be difficult.
NURSE
your wrist won’t have the same endurance.
NURSE
you may also find it a bit difficult during the seasons, especially winter and autumn…as you will feel the vibration through your arm due to the metal
yuze zone out after the nurse said violin might be difficult for her to continue to play
her dreams. her career. yuze.
everything had been stolen from her in one night.
NURSE
i’ll give you some alone time, just press the button on the switch and a nurse will be here to assist you
as she scrolled through her phone, a news article popped up.
jiang corporation’s stolen heirloom recovered. suspect unknown.
qianyu breathed softly as she scrolled through the article
so it had been found. she exhaled a shaky breath, bitter laughter escaping her lips. it didn’t matter anymore.
she was done with, as well as her own career.
qianyu sink into the bed, gently crying as she stared at the wall
jiang yuze had never come looking for her, nor did she ever get in contact with him or his legal team
qianyu flexed her wrist subconsciously, feeling the faint pressure of the metal beneath her skin.
as she stood in front of her manager mr. sheng, the memory of that night flashed in her mind like a ghost haunting her.
mr. sheng
i asked if youre alright?
luo qianyu
let’s just go home already
mr. sheng
what about the after party?
luo qianyu
i’m not feeling well mr. sheng…
luo qianyu
i’d like to go home now.
mr. sheng
i’ll send a driver for you
qianyu uttered a small thank you towards him
the older man tapped away at his phone, as he held it up to his ear.
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