Li Wei entered the dining room and glanced toward the table. There were eight seats on either side, enough for sixteen people, and six were already occupied.
He knew two of them: the newlywed couple. They were sitting together, and when the wife saw Li Wei, she waved at him excitedly. Her husband looked a little displeased but said nothing.
An elderly woman sat diagonally across from the couple. Her attire was rather strange: a black veil and a black formal dress. Her thin, small frame curled into the chair, making her look like a shadow. She simply sat with her head lowered, saying nothing.
One seat away from the veiled old woman sat a family of three: a husband, a wife, and their four- or five-year-old daughter. The little girl had blond hair and was dressed like a doll. Her bright blue eyes blinked curiously at everyone, full of life. Her mother was clearly very fond of her, frequently turning to murmur something to her with a smile. The husband, by contrast, wore a stern, unsmiling expression and sat beside them smoking.
Li Wei nodded to everyone by way of greeting, then sat down across from the family. The little girl had been watching him curiously ever since he entered. Now that he was sitting opposite her, she broke into a giggle and waved at him. Li Wei smiled and waved back.
Inspector Lestrade then sat down beside Li Wei and grinned as he waved at the little girl too. Frightened, she immediately turned and buried her face in her mother's arms. She sneaked another glance at Inspector Lestrade, then turned away again.
The corner of Inspector Lestrade's mouth twitched, and he looked at Li Wei.
"Is my smile that ugly?"
"You looked like you'd spotted prey and were