Lianne tilted her head to look at Nina, her eyes clear and bright, and asked, "Am I supposed to know them?"
She spoke slowly and softly, her question utterly sincere, with no trace of a hidden agenda.
'It's good she doesn't know.'
"No, nothing. I was just asking casually," Nina said, relieved. She smiled gently. "Congratulations on landing the chance to perform in the 'Crane' concerto."
"Thanks," Lianne said.
Nina rummaged through her locker for a moment, then clenched her hand into a fist and shoved it into her pocket. Her voice was tinged with timidity:
"I found what I was looking for. Are you heading home now? The whole building is so quiet, it's a little scary. Let me go down with you."
Lianne glanced at her and said, "Mm."
Lianne held her phone, her thumb nimbly tapping into WeChat. The pinned contact hadn't read any of her messages. She was used to it. She pressed the side button, and the screen went dark.
