As the morning strengthened and more of the village's own workers filtered into the rows, the remaining guests finished their tasks one after another and collected what they had earned. Jingxue handed Zhao Yichen his points without ceremony. Around them, the others drifted toward the staff, forming the familiar loose cluster of people waiting to be told what came next.
The staff member at the front scratched the back of his head and offered the group a wry smile that already apologized before the words arrived.
"I'm so sorry." He bowed at a careful forty-five degrees. "Supposedly PD Xu would be the one delivering the next segment to you. However...."
He trailed off, the embarrassed smile returning as if the rest of the sentence might somehow become less awkward if left unfinished.
Su Wanyan and Mo Xingxue glanced at each other. The same thought passed between them without needing air. Both of them chuckled—quiet, shared, and intimate.
