I pushed through the Mingyuan Hotel's revolving door, rain splattering my coat and my bag, and the lobby light hit me like a spotlight.
"You're soaked," the doorman said, reaching for a towel.
"Just the towel," I said, fumbling for my phone. "I'm fine."
The elevator dinged open. I tapped my screen, thumb numb from cold, and pressed the button for the tenth floor without looking up.
"You're Zhou Xia, right?" a voice asked behind me.
I turned. Two men in suits were already inside, polite smiles glued on. I forced a neutral smile back and moved toward the inner wall.
"Yes," I said. "StarRiver."
One of them looked me over and then looked away as if he'd granted me permission to exist in the same air as YiLan Group.
"You must be here for Lu Yao's event," he said. "Suite ten."
"Yes," I said again.
Then he looked at the other man, and the elevator felt too small.
He was taller than I remembered. Sharper. He wore a dark suit that could fold the light around him. He didn't smile. He didn't move. He just looked at me.
"Shen Han," the first man said into his phone, mouth barely open. "He's here."
I should have stepped off. I should have turned my phone off and disappeared into the crowd. But the elevator doors were closing and the light inside had the hotel logos reflected like a stage sign.
"Good evening