"I know," says Liu Mingyan. "I was attempting to play along." Her mouth goes wry; it is an odd and slightly vulnerable thing to know Nina can see it. Usually when she removes her veil she is keeping her mouth very busy shortly afterward¹, so she is unused to simply having a conversation like this. But she will have to keep it off to eat, anyway, and she finds she does not entirely mind. "I admit joking is not my strongest suit. I am not often called on for it, in my position."

¹ See two other current threads...