"Ni hao!" Cassie chirps happily. It doesn't seem to matter how often she sees him; whether by appointment or by chance, the sight of Zhuge is ever a pleasant surprise, a cherished thing that Cassie half expects to be torn from her at any moment.

"Have you come for a pastry?" she asks, hurrying towards him with ever widening eyes. "Oh, but what are you making? Not another crossbow, Liang."