He coughs a little, hand up to his mouth.

"Yeah, that was a surprise to me." Decades later getting the information that clued him in to Lan Zhan having married him in custom of the clan if not exchanges more traditionally realised.

"Not so much now, but for a long time. Hardly the only thing to take me by surprise."

The water heats, and he sets down the cups to see to pouring from the boiling pot into the smaller tea pot.

"Have you had a chance to see Sizhui yet? He ended up in another residence, but these pendants let us see and speak with each other easily."