155 The Benefit Concert

The Wine Master broke in to laughter. He lifted his right hand and, with a small motion, a shimmering crystal glass appeared on the table before Lan Jue. It looked handmade, of sophisticated and rare craftsmanship.

The Wine Master lifted the bottle set before him. He tipped it over the glass until two fingers of wine sloshed within.

Lan Jue watched the display, his eyes bright. “So is this my reward for capitulating?”

“That’s right.”

Lan Jue lifted the glass and swirled its contents, watching as the rich red liquid swung around in a clockwise direction. He dropped his hand and took a wiff. “Very fine. I quite like the Leoville Las Cases. Certainly worthy of being called the best of the Bordeaux Super Seconds.”

“What year, do you recon,” the Wine Master tested quietly.

Lan Jue took a tentative sip, sloshing the fluid around his mouth. The pungent wine rolled around, covering the sides and tip of his tongue, down to the base before slipping down his throat.