Chapter Four: Who Was Missing When the Applause Ended

When Tang Li's solo ended, no one in the studio breathed. Using the gray-blue ribbon on her wrist as an axis, she turned as though led by an invisible hand. On the final beat, she faced the mirror wall and laid her empty right hand on her shoulder. It was Shen Yan's preparation pose. From the wings, Lin Wu understood. *Mirrors lie. Bodies do not* was more than a clue. Tang Li had forgotten Shen Yan, but her muscles remembered him. Applause erupted. The screen declared Tang Li safe. At the same moment, pale arms seized a man in the mirror. His name was Zhou Ning, a locking specialist who had lent Lin Wu pain spray ten minutes earlier. The real Zhou Ning was laughing. His reflection pounded soundlessly on the glass. “Zhou Ning!” Lin Wu ran out.