The warm sunlight poured in through the window and just happened to shine on the seat next to Song Qianlong.
The man who had taken off his mask stared at that spot for quite a while, swallowed, then spoke nervously.
"I... I wouldn't dare."
Song Qianlong didn't seem intent on forcing him.
"Dull, dull. Like this, how are you ever going to accomplish anything big."
His gaze shifted. While raising his cup to sip his wine, Song Qianlong looked down at the bridge below, where heads surged like a tide.
"See them? Mediocre, insignificant, laughably ordinary. Their whole lives amount to a few taels of broken silver. That kind of life is not what people like you and me ultimately seek."
"..."
The man who had taken off his mask fell silent, head lowered, saying nothing.
At the same time, down at the head of the bridge, a commotion suddenly broke out.
