Yan's face was flushed red, so red it seemed ready to bleed. His crimson short hair hung messily over his forehead, hiding the eyes that usually burned with fighting spirit.
He still clutched a wine jar in his hand, its mouth pressed to his lips as he gulped mouthful after mouthful down his throat.
Wine trickled from the corners of his mouth, soaking his collar, but he did not notice at all.
"Why..."
He lowered the wine jar and muttered to himself, his voice so hoarse it was nearly inaudible.
"Why him... Why Xue Qinghe..."
Hu Liena's face kept surfacing in his mind.
The woman he had protected for years, the woman for whom he was willing to give everything, the woman he had thought would one day turn around and look at him.
She had fallen in love with someone else.
A man he had never met.
The emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire.
Yan suddenly took a huge gulp of wine. The fiery liquid slid down his throat and into his stomach, scorching his insides.
But that heat could not compare to the pain in his heart.
"Yan?"
A voice came from the mouth of the alley, carrying a hint of surprise.
Yan raised his head and squinted at the newcomer.
Under the moonlight, a tall figure walked toward him. Golden short hair gleamed softly in the night, and even in the dim alley, his holy aura could not be concealed.
Florian.
He had just left Spirit Hall and was heading back to his residence. Passing this alley, he had caught the strong scent of alcohol, along with a familiar ripple of Soul Power.
When he came over to take a look, he saw Yan slumped on the tavern's doorstep, surrounded by empty wine jars.
Florian's brows furrowed