Chenghai took my empty plate before I could decide whether the remaining icing justified licking it clean.
It did, but he carried the plate to the sink before I could prove it.
He rinsed away the evidence and placed it beside the dishes Fang and the others had used earlier, apparently unconcerned that he had deprived me of at least half a bite of perfectly edible icing.
The kitchen had become quiet after the workers left.
Movement continued beyond the windows as Luo Qing checked the locks and Qin Fen inspected the security panels, but nobody returned to ask another question.
Either Fang had explained the arrangement clearly enough, or the sight of several hundred zombies beyond the hedge had inspired everyone to remain inside until morning.
Both possibilities worked for me.
