Brian expected the others to chime in with him in reassuring Mr. Yi, but though Lu set down the computer she’d been reading from, and Gabe straightened up, neither of them said anything.

Tori didn’t say anything either. She just chewed her lip and stared at her empty plate as if it had somehow betrayed her.

“Are you sure you don’t need more?” Brian asked her. “We’ve got plenty.”

“I’m sure.” A note of horror crept into her voice.

What was so terrible about another plate of food? She’d missed more than one meal. “If you’re sure. You seemed pretty hungry.”

Tori grimaced.

Mr. Yi chuckled mirthlessly. “That how it start for Xiao Gao, too. Mad at himself for eating.”

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