[Huo keeps his expression neutral; he doesn't want to alarm her by letting her see his amazement at her discussing dragons as though they were everyday things, as though one might like dragon, as simply as that. No, none of that; he gives her an encouraging smile, rather, grateful.]

There was a man in my dream, of whom I thought as a dragon, [he said softly, volunteering a piece of his own tale in turn, such as it was,] and he was dearer to me than all in the world. But flesh and blood dragons seemed to be a thing of myth.