Giggle.

"I think you've got me beat tonight," she responds in the same language. "That is a very pretty dress."

"This is a special occasion." She hasn't heard the New York girl speak Mandarin before - but she sounds more or less fluent, with the kind of strict textbook accent that means she probably learned as a kid from the best tutors money can buy, and didn't otherwise use the language often until she got here. 

"Um, I'm sorry, what was your name again?"

"Li Xunyu," she says, mostly keeping the 'unimpressed' out of her tone. 

"Xunyu, that's right. You're Li Jiana's sister, aren't you?"

Nod. "Have you met her?"

"I've... seen her. In passing. Y'know. She's always so busy."

She makes a brief face like she's suddenly questioning Daniella's taste in women. "She doesn't often have time for - pleasantries."

"Dedicated to her work," Daniella nods.

"And her people," she says with a small smile. 

"That's a pretty admirable quality."

"It is," she says. "Though I didn't ask to meet you just to talk about my sister..."

"I might be a little worried if you got all dressed up just for that."

"Worried?"

"Implications about your priorities and so forth. That I'm just a means to an end."

"Not just that."

"Well, good."

"What else is on the table?"

"Building bridges between the Mandarin and English speakers, establishing some friendly ties between New York and Shanghai, discussing matters of importance to the student population as a whole..."

"Sounds like a worthwhile agenda."

"I'm glad you agree."

"So where did you want to start?"

"Recent events - like what happened with that American maleficer, and if she's still a threat."

"Seems like everyone wants to know about her..." she mutters in English. Then takes a breath and switches back to Mandarin. "Jacky's dead. Won't be killing anyone else."

" - Did you kill her?"

"No. I tried, but- No."