The Dark Forest (Remembrance of Earth’s Past, #2)

by Liu Cixin

“Well, let’s try to convey a simple meaning through facial expressions.” “Okay!” She nodded her head excitedly. “Here, let’s each think of a message, and then exchange them.” Luo Ji paused for a moment. “I’ve thought of mine.” Zhuang Yan thought for a much longer time, and then nodded. “Then let’s begin.” They stared at each other, but held that pose for less than half a minute before they burst out laughing at practically the same instant. “My message was, ‘Tonight I’d like to invite you to have supper on the Champs-Élysées,’” he said. She doubled over with laughter. “Mine was, ‘You … need to shave!’” “These are grave matters concerning the fate of humanity, so we ought to remain serious,” Luo Ji said, holding in his laughter. “This time, no laughing allowed!” she said, as serious as a child redefining the rules of a game.