He Holds a Rose from the Abyss

Oil lamps were lit in the tavern, and the dim light was sprinkled on the old wooden tables. There were not many people, most of them were students from the Magic Academy, who gathered together in twos and threes.

When night fell completely, a magician at the table next to Chi Lang and the others began to sing. He carried a hand organ with him and hummed softly as he plucked the strings.

The singing is very melodious, gradually attracting everyone's attention. Dinah listened to it for a while, then smiled and said, "It's 'Dream in the Clouds', the courtship song that was popular in the academy back then. You sang it better then."

As soon as these words came out, Joyce's expression became very strange, and there was an indescribable sadness. Chi Lang silently lowered his head and drank the wine, pretending that he didn't hear anything. When the magician finished singing, Dinah ran over and borrowed the organ, cleared her throat, and sang a song.

Dinah's voice sounded clear, and her singing had an ethereal feel to it from a distance. I don't know what song she sings, although her voice is beautiful, it also sounds sad.

"What song is this?" Chi Lang was already a little dizzy when he asked this. He felt that he had drunk too much fruit wine before.

"I don't know the name of the hometown song. Sheffield, do you know the name?" Dinah looked at Sheffield.

Sheffield shook his head.

Chi Lang asked them, "Are you from the same place?"

Dinah picked up the glass and took a sip: "Yes, we grew up together."

After that, Dinah sang a few more songs, all of which were good without exception. Joyce was still deeply saddened, and Chi Lang drank glass after glass. will fill him up.

Chi Lang thought it was very strange. He usually thought Mrs. White's wine was not very tasty, but today he couldn't stop drinking it.

When Chi Lang picked up the wine glass again, his hands shook a bit, and then the wine spilled on his sleeves. He wanted to get up to get some paper to wipe it, but he was a little dazed, and he got up a few times. Neither stood up.

Sheffield stood up first, he took out a white handkerchief, leaned over and wiped the wine off Chi Lang's sleeve, from the sleeve to Chi Lang's hand.

Chi Lang saw that the white handkerchief was stained with wine, and he had an inexplicable feeling in his heart. He really wanted to say, brother, you don't need to wipe it, I'll just find some paper myself, but the idea in his heart is that he is drunk here. In the state, it is difficult to convey to the action.

When Sheffield had done all this, he asked, "Are you drunk?"

Chi Lang couldn't hear what he was saying, or he heard it but his brain couldn't feed back the information, so he just looked at Sheffield blankly.

Sheffield smiled and said to Dinah and Joyce, "Then I'll take him back first."

Dinah's expression was a little surprised. She watched Sheffield help Chi Lang up, leaned in to listen when Chi Lang was slurring, and then watched the two of them walk out of the pub.

"I didn't expect Sheffield to..." Dinah muttered, "He doesn't look like that."

Joyce asked her, "Are you still drinking?"

Dinah turned to look at him: "Drink."

After walking out of the pub, Chi Lang was a little awake due to the cool wind, and he could feel himself leaning on Sheffield.

It is holiday time, there are not many people in the academy, and it is very quiet at this time. The sky is full of stars, and the road appears bright and desolate. Chi Lang: "Sheffield, why don't you go home for the holidays?"

Sheffield: "Home is too far away."

Chi Lang said earnestly: "You have to go home even if you are far away. I used to be far away from home when I was in school, but I look forward to going home every day."

"Micah," Sheffield stared at him, "where is your home? How long does it take to get there from Zevernar?"

"It's far, far, far away." Chi Lang was a little frustrated, "I don't know how long it will take, I don't think it will ever get there."

Sheffield stood in front of him, with the starlight behind him, he smiled slightly: "Can I be lucky enough to know your name?"

Chi Lang has not yet fully understood the meaning of this sentence, nor did he understand his own situation under the influence of alcohol.

"name?"

"Yes, your name."

The breeze was blowing slowly, and Chi Lang felt faintly that he should have said another name, but he couldn't remember what the other name was.

So he slowly, slowly replied: "Chi...Lang."

Sheffield repeated the pronunciation of the two words and asked with a smile, "Are you from the East?"

Chi Lang nodded.

"Why are you here?"

Chi Lang answered honestly: "I don't know either. I came here after a dream."

"What kind of dream?"

"A rose, a beautiful rose."

Sheffield froze for a moment, then the smile on his face faded a little.

He let go of his hand, turned and walked a few steps forward, then stopped again.

At this time, they walked to the sculpture in the academy again, the sculpture of the "God of Magic". Sheffield looked at the sculpture as if looking into the distant past through it.

Chi Lang trotted a few steps and followed, he saw Sheffield's gloomy expression.

When drunk, Chi Lang spoke with his heart: "Sheffield, why do you look so bad every time you walk to this sculpture?"

He had discovered the question long ago, but had not asked Sheffield.

Sheffield didn't answer him, and Chi Lang's previous answer about the dream aroused some bad memories in his heart.

Chi Lang leaned over, stretched out his hand, and poked Sheffield in the face.

The whole world is quiet.

"Smile," Chi Lang muttered, "I don't dare to talk to you when you're not smiling." Chi Lang thought he had found a very good reason.

Sheffield grabbed his hand that hadn't moved away and asked him, "Chi Lang, what kind of person do you think I am?"

"Very good person. Look at you, you are good-looking, you have good grades, and most importantly, you are willing to help others," Chi Lang said earnestly, "I like being with you very much."

Sheffield smiled: "What I told you before about the Demon King is true, no joke."

Chi Lang didn't quite understand the meaning of this sentence.

"So, don't think of me as a good person." Sheffield smiled softly. "I'd love to be close to you, but it's just out of curiosity, but you'd better stay away from me, understand?"

"Otherwise you will be very unfortunate."

Chi Lang nodded intuitively, although he didn't understand why he was nodding.

Sheffield suddenly felt a little disappointment in his heart. He didn't expect Chi Lang to agree so quickly, but he quickly suppressed this feeling of disappointment.

On the surface, he still maintains his habitual smile.

The sculpture was still standing in the starlight, and Sheffield took another look at the sculpture: "Just understand, then let's go back."

Chi Lang dawdled and slowly approached Sheffield, then quickly stretched out his hand and poked Sheffield's face again: "You still look good when you smile."

Then he quickly retracted his hand, took a few steps back, stood upright, and urged, "Go back, go back."

Sheffield took a step towards Chi Lang, Chi Lang took a step back, Sheffield took another step towards him, and Chi Lang took another step back.

Sheffield stopped, he smiled helplessly and said, "I won't do anything."

Then he asked, "Are you really drunk now?"

Chi Lang nodded, although he felt very awake, but he occasionally flashed in his mind some inappropriate thoughts, but these thoughts quickly disappeared in his drowsy brain.

Sheffield tried to take another step in his direction, but Chi Lang stepped back quickly.

Sheffield stopped, he turned and walked towards the dormitory, but Chi Lang ran over to follow him.

"Sheffield, I want to sing you a song." He pulled Sheffield's sleeve.

Chi Lang once complained about Joyce's singing when he was drunk, but his own singing was not much better. He sang a song out of tune.

Sheffield could only stop and ask him with a smile, "What are you singing?"

"A song from my hometown, sing it to you." Chi Lang solemnly introduced the song to Sheffield, "You may not understand, its name is "Angel in the Devil", and the other lyrics are not It's important, there's only one lyric for you."

"That's what I just sang - 'You're an angel of the devil.'"

The stars are flowing in the night sky.