THE SADDEST GIRL SINCE THE SONG DYNASTY

CONFESSIONS ON A ROOFTOP - PART I

Only once it was absolutely certain – after all the rote credit card throwing and histrionic insistences had passed – that Dor-Yen, or Yenny as some called him, really was paying for everyone did Ander contribute his token protest. "That was far too much, far too generous... you should have let me pay, or at least have shared it. Next one is on me. I'm technically from the West, don't forget." Of course it was unlikely they'd ever meet again after that night. Still, to have spoken any earlier was simply too much of a financial risk for Ander – several thousand kuai of risk in fact.

Yenny had proposed they next all go somewhere cheap but with character and get stinking drunk; he said everyone was welcome, but offered sympathetically to Bingbing the option of going home if she was tired – even if she had not expressed the sentiment herself. The offer was extended to Ander, but Lady Zhao answered on his behalf, saying he was her responsibility, that she was therefore answerable to the American government should he fall into the Huangpu River and drown, as was, in her opinion, likely should she send him off alone at this time of the night. She said she feared waking up the next morning in Guantanamo Bay. Bingbing decided she was indeed emotionally drained and would call it a night, while Spring and others claimed they had somewhere better to be.

Marchingalong the Huaihai Road, the remainder of the group stratified into walkingspeeds and resolution. Lady Zhao and Yenny headed the patchy, diluted parade despiteLady Zhao every few moments adding new reasons why she preferred anywhere butthe destination Dor-Yen had proposed; Ander was within their slipstream but effectively– socially – on his own, patting his stomach because it felt uncomfortable (hehad eaten too much in an effort to reduce waste), looking up and around at thetowers and the traffic and the faces of the oncoming crowd; Trav strolled, phoneagainst ear, hand in pocket, at a speed entirely independent of anyone else. AndSooming, somehow already several address numbers behind the leaders, draggedher flat shoes, walked painfully slowly, seemed to dare Dor-Yen to turn around andwait for her.