"So I've found," Shi replied cryptically. It may mean he had less to worry about, but it meant that he felt even more disconnected from the world around him. Moments like this were rare, but he was trying.
"How do you take your tea?" Likely British style with cream and sugar if he thought it would offend him. Really Shi preferred his tea black. "I do think it's a pity that the arts are neglected. There are whole parts of their culture that they never get to encounter."