Chapter Four: Two Identical Faces

The young man dropped to his knees, sobbing. “Xiao He.” He remembered his fiancée's name. Xinghe shaped the night's melody into “Call Me by My Name.” This time he gave the platforms an arrangement stripped of the dream-eating frequency. The original master went into Wanzhao's locked recording case. At two in the morning, they returned to the hotel. In the mirrored elevator, Wanzhao rested against Xinghe's shoulder with her eyes closed. “Counselor Lin,” he murmured, “does backup number four need an addendum?” She opened her eyes. “What kind?” He kissed her. It was feather-light at first, as if testing whether a melody was in tune. Then Wanzhao caught his collar and extended the kiss long enough for the elevator to pass their floor.