Crowley snorts suddenly, quietly - a little wry.

"Gāoyáng zhōng de gūyáng. I can't even remember how long it's been since I've been the family member to give the What Are Your Intentions talk. But there you go, that's the way it goes, isn't it?"

And just as quickly, the humour is gone, replaced once more with a sober, deadly seriousness.

"I don't like to see any of me and mine hurt or unhappy, dŏng ma?"