"Oh, good wine."
Slightly intoxicated, Lan Jue breathed in the thick smoke and peat smell of the liquor. Her eyes seemed a little blurred.
In front of him was a small dining table that could seat eight people. Although it was small, it was very classical and luxurious, with wood patterns and gilded lines.
The Wine Master sat at the head of the table, Lan Jue to his left, and the Gourmet to his right.
Today the Gourmet was dressed in black trousers and a white shirt. But unlike Lan Jue, he wore a waistcoat with a U-shaped opening, which made him look even more gentlemanly.
However, the cuffs of his shirt were rolled up, and in his right hand he held a long and narrow knife. The blade was about thirty centimeters long, and the hilt was dark yellow.
If a knowledgeable person was here and saw this blade, he would definitely be so shocked that his eyes would widen. Not to mention the magnificent cloud patterns on the blade's edge, just the mammoth ivory hilt was an extremely rare treasure even in the Upper Yuan Era.
The Gourmet's slender fingers moved, and slices of Iberian ham, as thin as a cicada's wing, quietly floated up and landed on the white porcelain plate in his other hand.
Under the white porcelain plate, candlelight warmed the grease instantly, giving the ham a crystalline quality.
The Wine Master looked at the Gourmet, then at Lan Jue. "You've already drunk almost half a bottle of Taliska, can we begin the story?"
Lan Jue swirled the glass in her hand, then used her hand to pick up a slice of ham and put it in her mouth.
The rich, but not greasy, aroma instantly filled her mouth.
She then took a small sip of Taliska whiskey. The strong single malt whiskey was like a raging fire that exploded the aroma, and in an instant the aroma seemed to spread through every pore of his body.
"Taliska's specialty is the thick taste of peat, with a strong island character. It's an untamed and legendary brew.
If a person truly likes the taste, then they can't help but follow it with unswerving devotion. "
The Wine Master said quietly, "So you're going to tell me the story of Taliska?"
The Gourmet finished heating another plate of ham. He sat down and gestured with the knife in his hand, as if about to stab it into the table. The Wine Master glared at him.
The Gourmet smiled and sheathed his sword.
With a wave of his hand, the gourmet grabbed the half-empty bottle of Talisca from the table. The golden liquid shimmered in the light.
"If you don't give him a drink, he'll tell you." The Gourmet poured himself half a glass and set the bottle down beside him.
The Wine Master nodded in satisfaction.
Lan Jue, on the other hand, was a little dispirited. She gulped down the wine in her cup. "I'm a little sleepy. I want to go back to sleep. What should I do?"
The Wine Master's eyelids twitched. "Go, then."
"Can you come again in the future?" Lan Jue's mouth twitched, and she said with a faint smile.
The Wine Master shot him a sidelong glance. "What do you think?"
"I came here three years ago, right?" Lan Jue leaned back on the chair and said calmly.
"Three years, one month, and three days." The Wine Master answered like a science student.
Lan Jue's mouth twitched in bitterness. "I had a beautiful wife. She was gentle, beautiful, and kind. Anyone who was with her would feel as if they were bathed in a spring breeze.
From the first moment I saw her, I fell for her. I loved her. "
"We were an enviable couple. Our path to love was smooth. We kept each other company.
It was natural to be together. It was natural to feel the happiness we brought to each other.
She was like my entire world. When she was with me, the world was filled with color. "
"But the days of happiness are always so short.
Three years ago, she left me in an accident.
I don't even know if it was an accident, or if it was caused by someone.
All traces were obliterated by a massive explosion.
I couldn't find her. Not even a trace was left behind.
It was as if she had never existed in my life. "
"She was gone. My heart was empty."
"That's why I came here.
I loved the tranquility of Skyfire Avenue. I loved the life here.
In my early years, when I first came here, I fell in love with this place.
Originally, I planned to bring her along.
But she left so suddenly. "
Lan Jue's words were calm. Even his eyes were calm. It was as if he was telling a story. A story that had nothing to do with him.
"Not long ago, a customer came to my jewelry shop. She left me a note.
She told me that my wife wasn't dead.
She showed me the video.
I believed her.
I couldn't not believe it. Even if it was to deceive myself, even if I knew it was impossible, I believed it. "
"So I did something for them, and they told me where my wife was.
They told me that my wife was going to marry someone else.
As a man, I think you can understand how I felt. "
"So I went.
I took my wife back.
I was so happy. She was like a colorful paintbrush. Color returned to my world. "
"But in the end, I was just fooling myself.
It was just a girl who looked a lot like my wife.
It wasn't her. "
Lan Jue paused. A graceful smile spread across his face, but the emptiness in his eyes was frightening.
The Wine Master beckoned to the Gourmet. There was a flash of light, and the bottle of Talisca appeared in his hand.
Pulling out the cork, the Wine Master quietly poured Lan Jue a glass of Talisca, then raised his own.
Lan Jue picked up his glass and drained it in one gulp. In that instant, the intense heat of the whiskey washed over him like he was on fire.
But the heat in his throat did nothing to ease the pain in his heart.
It was as if he'd been transported back in time to three years ago.
"I'm going." Lan Jue put down his glass and left.
Neither the Wine Master nor the Gourmet asked him to stay.
A man's sorrow could not be easily resolved with words.
Lan Jue had long since lost interest. He didn't even have the heart to seek revenge on those who'd given him false information.
No matter what, they'd given him hope and surprise. The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.
But at the very least, in that instant, he had believed that Hera had truly returned.
The Wine Master and the Gourmet looked at each other, speechless. The Gourmet finished his glass, the last piece of ham on his plate.
"I'm going too," the Gourmet said.
"Mm." The Wine Master nodded.
The Gourmet rose to his feet, eyebrows arching. "Huh? That guy didn't pay for his drink.
Didn't he say he was treating? "
The Wine Master's hand, still holding his glass, froze, as if he'd been struck by magic.
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