After spending a slow hour outside the bus, the guests had simply sat and enjoyed the quiet, peaceful atmosphere of the rest stop. Conversations stayed light, smiles lingered easily, and no one seemed in a hurry to leave. Unfortunately, that calm ended when PD Xu Cui called everyone back.
One by one the guests began returning to the bus, the smiles still present on their faces. Among them, Su Wanyan and her small group carried the brightest expressions of all. Su Wanyan held the now deeply asleep Mo Yan against her chest. A thin trail of drool had already pooled on the front of her shirt. She did not flinch or shift the baby away. By now she was completely used to Mo Yan's habit of dampening every shirt she rested against.
