For the next few evenings, Wu Genji had seen Yuan Ning, but every time, he made no effort to acquaint with her in public. He kept his distance from her, and it was both a relief and disappointment. She couldn't tell which she felt more.
His appearances, however, attracted more guests, and her business bustled and busied. Whenever she passed by, he spared her a brief and searing glance, quick and fleeting, and her heart somersaulted when he did. She would clutch at her chest, willing her heartbeat to calm and steady.
She left work early one evening, heading over to a location assigned by Shi Yen. She idled around a dock, pulling a boat party invitation from her purse.
Shi Yen instructed her to attend an evening party with the intent to watch, listen, and to ask questions since she was going as Wu Genji and not as the Tiger Queen.
