"I... yes," she finally managed, nodding rapidly. "Yes, of course, but... my house is very humble. I don't know if it's suitable for... for people like you..."
"It'll be fine," Tianlong said simply.
The woman swallowed hard, then stood on shaky legs, still holding her son. "O-okay. This way."
She turned and started walking, glancing back every few seconds to make sure they were following, her mind spinning with confusion and anxiety.
Tianlong and his wives followed casually, the crowd parting before them like water.
As they walked through the marketplace, the woman—whose name was Mira—kept up a nervous stream of chatter.
"It's... it's not far. Just at the edge of the residential district. Like I said, very humble. Just two rooms really. I hope that's okay. I don't have much food prepared but I can make tea. Do you drink tea? I hope you drink tea because that's what I have and—"
"Relax," Yu Xiang said smoothly from behind her. "We're not going to eat you."
