"Uncle, what are you talking about?"
After finally managing to send away the girl who had come to chat him up, Zuko turned around, only to see Iroh talking to the man who had been watching them all along. He immediately felt a headache coming on, along with a sense of helplessness.
With no other choice, Zuko walked over to give Iroh some cover.
"Uncle, don't you still have a lot of work to do? How can you slack off here chatting with a customer?"
"No need to be so cautious, Zuko. This, uh... I don't think I know your name yet?"
As Iroh spoke, he realized that he still did not even know Kahn's name, leaving him rather embarrassed.
"My name is Kahn."
After Kahn answered, Iroh scratched the back of his head and introduced him to Zuko as though nothing had happened.
"That's right, Kahn. He may well be the child of an old friend of mine."
"But you don't even know his name."
Zuko was speechless. He eyed Kahn suspiciously, wondering what spell he had cast over Uncle Iroh.
"I can't prove my identity right now, but I'm willing to trade a piece of information for a chance to talk."
Seeing this, Kahn smiled with interest.
"For example, Ershu's current whereabouts. How about that?"
"What?!"
Zuko had never expected to hear the name of the mother he thought about day and night in a setting like this. His pupils contracted in shock, and he immediately pressed urgently.
"You know where Mother is now?!"
"Ahem!"
Hearing Zuko loudly address her as "Mother," Iroh hurriedly coughed hard several times to cover for him, also reminding Zuko to regain a little of his reason. Kahn smiled.
"Let's go somewhere quieter to talk. Surely you don't want to discuss these matters