Bai Youwei stared at the pair, a plain bun still in her hand.
Su Man and Zhu Shu were wide-eyed too, matching her gaze.
After a long silence, Su Man, all of a sudden, hugged Bai Youwei, exclaiming with glee, "My God! The prop is a godsend! It actually managed to bring someone over!"
Bai Youwei was rocked back and forth in her embrace, nearly dropping her bun. "…What's going on?" she inquired.
Su Man let go of Bai Youwei, exchanged a glance with Zhu Shu, and their happiness visibly subsided.
"Where's Yan Qingwen?" asked Bai Youwei, looking around the room. Except for Su Man and Zhu Shu, there was nobody else. "Why on earth is it just the two of you?"
Zhu Shu signaled something with her eyes to Su Man.
Su Man seemed to understand, tiptoed quietly to the door, gently opened it to check both sides of the room, then returned and shook her head at Zhu Shu.
—Nobody was outside, all clear.
Both women relaxed their taut nerves a bit.