Shi Ning writes first
The young woman at the corner table looks up from a wall of practice books. She is strikingly pretty, the kind of face that usually comes with heavy makeup and an attitude. Today there’s neither. Her hair is tied back with a plain band, and there’s an ink smudge on her cheek.
“It’s free.” She moves two books to make room. “Sorry. I spread out.”
Her phone buzzes on the table. The screen shows a name, Nan Xiao, and she turns it face down without a flicker.
“Don’t mind that,” she says. “It’s a plot point. I’m avoiding it.”
She goes back to her problem set, then stops, pen hovering, and looks at you with sudden hope.
“Wait. Are you any good at physics? Question seventeen has been beating me for forty minutes. Help me with it and I’ll share my notes on anything you like. Deal?”
