She whispered as though afraid of being overheard, even though they were the only ones still in the shelter. Shao put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.

“I don’t understand,” he said. “Why would Wendian think you or Mr. Lee are to blame for Meirong’s arrest?”

“According to her, every director of student services is a Nationalist spy,” Lian said. “She thinks he reported Meirong after she took over as leader of Minghua’s Communist Students Club.”

“Oh, we all knew it was a good bet Lee was put here to keep an eye on us.” He frowned. “But why does Wendian think you had anything to do with Meirong’s arrest?”

“Because she knows I was spying on my classmates.” She turned her head away. “Mr. Lee recruited me to spy, Shao. He threatened to expose me if I didn’t.”

Shao scoffed. “What’s there to expose? You’re a scholarship student.”

“You don’t know how my father died.” Her eyes met his, pleading. “He was shot by a police officer who mistook him for a Japanese spy. The police admitted their mistake, but not publicly. Officially, my father died a traitor and everyone believes the official story.”

Her face taut with misery, she told him how her mother had gotten new identity papers, changed their names, moved to Peking. That Lian had agreed to Mr. Lee’s demands out of fear that she’d be shunned for being a traitor’s daughter. That Cook Tam was also at Minghua to spy on the students.

“I don’t know who betrayed Meirong,” Lian said. “Mr. Lee said it could’ve been anyone, perhaps someone Meirong befriended in Changsha. But I’m sure Wendian was the one who sent the anonymous note accusing Lee of being a Japanese spy. She said she’d taken care of him.”

“If she did, that was clever,” Shao said. “Accusing Lee of being a Communist would’ve been ludicrous. But there’s so much hatred when it comes to the Japanese no one would stop to think.” He didn’t voice the worst part of it. Before Mr. Lee managed to clear his name, he would’ve suffered horribly at the hands of the Juntong.

“And then Wendian told me I was next,” Lian said. “I’m sure she’ll have me arrested.”

Unlike Mr. Lee, however, if Lian was arrested, she would not be released quickly. Shao knew this. Her father’s past would be dragged up and reevaluated, this time to denunciate Lian. Like father like daughter, they would say.

“You don’t have to believe me,” she said.

“I believe you, Lian,” he said. He did believe her. And he wanted to help. “You know, although he’s in Shanghai, perhaps my father can do something. I’ll ask him whether he knows anyone who can get Meirong released.”

“Shao, is that possible?” Her eyes brightened. “Does your family have that much influence?”