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“She had practiced, she could do this; she knew not only the steps of the tiaowu but the trick of securing the bracelet on her partner’s arm. The time for thinking was past. Now she must be guided by instinct and memory.
“Young Daiyu, you dance with a great deal of grace,” Chenglei observed after they had stepped through the first few measures of the pattern. “I seem to recall that you were nervous about performing well.”
That was something she had said to him back at Mei’s more than two weeks a...go. Why would he retain such a useless bit of conversation? “I am glad the prime minister is pleased with my ability,” she said. “But I am embarrassed that he remembers anything I said when it was so ridiculous.”
“I am trying to remember the whole of our conversation, with limited success!” he said, humorously dismayed. “So you will kindly have to remind me. You are Xiang’s niece, of course. Where does your mother live?”
“In the northwest territories.”
He peered down at her, instantly concerned.MoreLess
“Young Daiyu, you dance with a great deal of grace,” Chenglei observed after they had stepped through the first few measures of the pattern. “I seem to recall that you were nervous about performing well.”
That was something she had said to him back at Mei’s more than two weeks a...go. Why would he retain such a useless bit of conversation? “I am glad the prime minister is pleased with my ability,” she said. “But I am embarrassed that he remembers anything I said when it was so ridiculous.”
“I am trying to remember the whole of our conversation, with limited success!” he said, humorously dismayed. “So you will kindly have to remind me. You are Xiang’s niece, of course. Where does your mother live?”
“In the northwest territories.”
He peered down at her, instantly concerned.MoreLess
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