Chapter Three: The Voice That Was Cut

Behind the camera, Wen Que whispered, “A happy ending.” When Ye Lan broke free, her cheek was numb. Lu carried her through the seam. All three crashed back into Auditorium Twelve, where the screen looked untouched. Cheng Ye stood at the door with three coffees. “When did you get here?” he asked Lu. Then he noticed Bai. “Why are there two Zhou Xiaos?” Bai removed his mask. Cheng Ye's attention slid away from his face, as if his mind refused to record someone absent from reality's cast list. “Close the cinema,” Ye Lan ordered. “Send everyone home.” “The distributor arrives in ten minutes to lock the premiere schedule.” Black cars were already outside. Seven people in identical gray suits entered.