The Liar's Dice (The Pingkang Li Mysteries, #2.5)

by Jeannie Lin

“Was my brother coming to see you the other night?” Some emotion flickered across Gao’s face, gone too fast to read. “Lord Bai did ask for me to meet him.” “What did he want?” He smiled slightly. “I don’t know. I had a much better night—I met you instead.”

“Did Huang tell you to distract me tonight?” I asked when the silence had become too oppressive. “I did what I did tonight for my own sake.” He looked straight ahead while he spoke. His features in profile were strong, his jaw etched out in sharp lines. “To keep you out of trouble.” “Wouldn’t that be for my sake then?” I questioned. He glanced downward. “For my sake,” he insisted.

Huang frowned at me. “After everything that just happened, you’re still concerned that I may have cheated on the examinations?” “Did you?” I insisted. He met my gaze squarely. “I did not. I had a very good tutor.”