Chapter 20: Trade Glasses

Nobody spoke.

Su Lu's glass stopped an inch from her mouth.

"Trade glasses?" she said lightly. "Why?"

"Humor me," Su Ye said. "It's an old fishing-town habit. You swap cups with the person next to you, for luck."

"I've never heard of that."

"Then it's new."

A small laugh went around the table, polite and unsure.

Su Lu laughed too.

"Of course," she said. "Silly boy. Give me yours."

She held out her free hand.

Su Ye did not move.

He lifted his glass a little, and waited, with his steady blue eyes on her face.

Her hand stayed out in the air.

She had to take his glass and hand over hers.

There was nowhere in the room for the wine she had poured to go.

Lu Chen watched the moment stretch, and he saw the exact second her smile began to cost her.

"Actually," she said, "I'm not thirsty."

"You were about to drink," said the chairman.

"I'm not well, Grandfather. A small headache."

"Then you won't mind trading."

"Su Ye..."

"Please, Su Lu," Su Ye said, soft and kind. "Humor your brother."

She set her glass down on the cloth.

She did it carefully, so that it did not clink.

"I'd rather not."

"Why not?"

"Because it's a silly game."

Ma Rui stood up.

His chair scraped, and his hands were shaking so badly that he had to hold the folded paper with both of them.

"I'm sorry," he said in a high voice. "I'm so sorry. It isn't a silly game. I tested the wine."

"Ma Rui," said the head of finance, smiling thinly. "Sit down."

"I tested the decanter this morning, and it's clean. I tested these glasses an hour ago. They were clean." He swallowed. "May I?"

He leaned across the table and dipped a thin paper strip into Su Ye's glass.

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