Pop~
The sweet fragrance of wine spread through the carriage the moment the cork was pulled.
With the fingers of his left hand curled together, Hong Jiu tucked the cork into his palm before slowly raising the wineskin and adjusting the angle of his neck.
But just as the amber-colored wine was about to ripple over the opening, he suddenly stopped and stiffly, mechanically pressed the cork back into the wineskin.
Sigh~
He casually tossed the wineskin into a corner and collapsed onto the soft cushions, sighing soundlessly.
Though he felt he had done nothing wrong, after seeing Deaf Boss and Er Zi off, he had still been overcome by the urge to drown his sorrows.
But this was not the time for him to get dead drunk.
After an unknown amount of time had passed, the area around the carriage gradually grew noisy. The energetic cries of vendors urged Hong Jiu to straighten up again.
He swiped one hand behind him and somehow produced a palm-sized mirror, holding it in his hand as he continuously adjusted his expression.
Only once the stiffness and dejection had completely vanished, and his face bore a humble yet sunny smile, did Hong Jiu set down the mirror in satisfaction and casually lift the heavy curtain.
Beneath the wash of morning light, Dali Temple's tall walls and grand buildings appeared increasingly solemn and dignified. Even the two lazy runners outside the main gate seemed to have been granted a different sort of color.
At the sight, the knot in Hong Jiu's heart quietly loosened by a third.
It was time to make a clean break with the past!
After all, his future did not lie in Shanxi Alley, but behind these high walls and within these grand halls!
The carriage soon circled around to