"Thank you," he says, and kisses Lan Zhan on the cheek before he settles back onto his cushion.

Interestingly, he does not stir quite as much chili oil into his congee as he has in the past. In fact, it is downright bland compared to how he usually eats it: three or four spoonfuls, not even a quarter of the jar. In between sips of tea, he decimates one of the steamed buns and makes off with a good chunk of the fruit.