Niklas whimpered. He pulled at her scolding hand without success.
After only a few minutes of scarfing down chive and pork dumpling and meat-filled savory white buns, Abrial suddenly got a melancholy look in her eyes. It was as though a cloud had passed over the twinkling stars in the night sky, casting shadows over her whole expression. Her shoulders sagged. She swallowed, and to Instructor Wei's relief, didn't reach for another bun to stuff down her throat.
Ever so slowly, she put her plate down on the polished wooden table with a muted clack.
She sniffed, rubbing at her nose, which had gone pink at the tip. Her dark eyes gleamed waterily.
"Is something wrong, Abrial?" Instructor Wei leaned down to get a view of her face, which was tilted downward and shadowed. He paled. "Are you — crying?"
She had begun to hiccup again. When Instructor Wei caught sight of her face, he froze.
