He resisted the urge to tug on the other man's face, to draw it up into a smile, and instead murmured: "I've done a significant amount of business in China. 'Let her sleep, for when she wakes she will shake the world' - her awaking and all that." He hummed and then murmured: "I'm not fond of any current regimes, I'm afraid." If he was being honest with himself - of course, he did enough government business it was good Shi didn't know who he was.
"Timeless. Good thing you didn't pick Venice, then you'd be lost, hm?" He nodded towards the cafe - Teaism - a nice, small, modern little tea place. "My treat?" Was a gentleman thing to do.