"No cats or dogs in this house. There's no one home to look after them during the day," Zhou You's mother warned.
"I definitely won't keep any," Zhou You promised solemnly.
His mother didn't quite believe him. She scanned the room again, found nothing unusual, then shut the door and went back to watching TV.
Even after hearing the door close, Duan Yuxian didn't dare show herself. Only when Zhou You said, "All clear," did she cautiously open the wardrobe door, reveal half her face, and whisper, "Is she really gone?"
"She really is."
Only then did Duan Yuxian dare crawl out of the wardrobe with the quilt in her arms. Her little face was flushed, whether from embarrassment or being cooped up inside.
"Sorry for the trouble."
"It's fine, really," Zhou You said hurriedly. He glanced at the rain outside. With lightning flashing and thunder rumbling, it wouldn't be stopping anytime soon.
"With the rain this heavy, fellow Daoist..." Zhou You wanted to suggest she make do with staying here for the night, but somehow that felt awkward to say aloud.
"Could I stay here tonight?" Duan Yuxian asked softly.
"Of course. Would you like to sleep on the bed?"
Duan Yuxian waved her hands repeatedly. "I couldn't possibly impose like that. I'll sleep on the floor."
"How could I let a guest sleep on the bed? I already felt bad enough when you slept on the floor while sleepwalking last time." That didn't fit Zhou You's idea of hospitality.
They each tried to yield to the other, but in the end, Duan Yuxian couldn't win the argument. Using "You haven't slept in a bed for two days" as his reason, Zhou You made her take the bed while he slept on the floor.
Lying on the bed, Duan