Koala Reads

"Tian Shengyu had thrown together a messy kind of gathering tonight. When Su Yang asked earlier whether it would be a public banquet or a private dinner, Gu Xuyan had told her it would be a bit of both—end of year, he’d said; some ties needed to be made, some maintained. Su Yang had pictured the usual mix of schmoozing and small talk. She hadn’t imagined Mr. Xu would be here. For a moment she didn’t know whether to praise Tian’s connections or curse her own luck."

"The room buzzed with laughter. Approaching forty, Tian was the life of every party—generous, loud, a man who collected acquaintances the way others collected stamps. As host he flitted from table to table, introducing people, catching up with old friends; the banquet hadn’t even started and the place was already warm."

"That warmth only made Su Yang more uneasy. The man beside her hadn’t said a word since they sat, but she could feel his eyes traveling over her like a fine wine sliding along the tongue—leaving a trace wherever it lingered."