“I must thank her,” Shao said. A pause. “You know, Lian, it was better when you were shy and talked less.” But he was smiling and for a moment she forgot about Meirong.

“Hey, Hu Lian.” A voice called from behind. It was Wendian. “A moment of your time.”

“Go on,” Lian said to Shao. “I’ll find you in the library.”

Wendian caught up to Lian and gripped her arm. Hard. “Were you the one who betrayed Meirong?”

“How can you say that?” Lian said, confused and astonished. “Meirong was my friend.”

“You and your secret meetings with Mr. Lee,” Wendian said. “I saw you leave his office last night.”

“It wasn’t . . . that wasn’t a secret meeting.” Lian groped for words, tried not to let guilt wash over her face. “I was asking Mr. Lee if there was anything he could do to help Meirong.”

“Don’t play the innocent, Lian,” Wendian hissed. “I heard what you said. Watch yourself. I’ve taken care of Lee and you’ll be next.”

She stalked away, anger in the set of her shoulders, the gait of her walk.

Lian desperately tried to remember. What had she said to Mr. Lee? She had begged him to do more for Meirong. What had Wendian overheard? Lian’s hand came up to cover her mouth, stifling a gasp of horror.

She had told Mr. Lee she wouldn’t spy for him anymore. Was that what Wendian overheard? And what did Wendian mean about taking care of Mr. Lee?

ON SATURDAY MORNINGS, the jeep bringing mail from Changsha always came before noon. Lian could tell by the number of students milling around the barracks entrance that it had arrived. She walked a little faster, shoulders hunched against the light drizzle. She pulled her knitted hat lower over her forehead. Perhaps there was a letter from her mother. With a new address. A fixed address. She longed for some good news. She was still shaken by her encounter with Wendian the day before, unsure what to do about her warning, which had been ambiguous but definitely hostile.

She had to find an opportunity to get Wendian on her own. Speak to her again, convince her that she had never spied for Mr. Lee. She would lie, say that he’d asked her to spy for him and she’d refused. Perhaps Wendian would calm down.

Closer to the gates, she noticed the students were strangely silent. She hung back, not sure what was happening. Professor Kang and Mr. Lee got into a jeep, Mr. Lee moving awkwardly. His hands were tied behind his back. The vehicle drove away, canopy up against the rain.

Lian hurried over to Shao.

“What’s going on?” she said. “Why are Mr. Lee and Professor Kang going off with the military police?”

“Mr. Lee’s been arrested,” Shao said. “On suspicion of spying for the Japanese. The professor has gone to Changsha to vouch for his innocence.”