Xie Lian knows enough to know when he might have touched something sensitive, so he won't insist.

"It would have been nice to have you along for the beginning of the trip. Although I guess it's lucky for the new people that you were around to get them out when they arrived."

He pats his chest, the place where he's been keeping the lock of hair he was given.

"I've been keeping what you gave me safe."