Zeng Mu could swear he had never slept so peacefully before. He felt as though his body had turned to water, dissolved into the air, and evaporated into vapor, drifting slowly toward the sky to travel with the wind, free of all restraints.
"Mmm..." he murmured contentedly, occasionally mumbling words about distant places, his homeland, his parents, and other things Ma Linya had never heard of. Unable to make sense of them, she could only frown and listen carefully as she worked.
The scent of pine resin in spring spread around his nose. At the same time, a faint sizzling reached his ears, carrying a trace of something scorched, like burnt meat. Zeng Mu disliked that smell intensely.
Then the warmth spreading across his skin turned into searing heat. It grew stronger, sharply stimulating his bones and nerves, and soon exceeded what he could endure, yanking him out of his dreams.
"Hot!" he blurted as he opened his eyes, only to find his face pressed into the pillow.
Ma Linya giggled. "You certainly slept soundly. It took you quite a while to wake up, too." Wisps of black smoke brushed across her face, lifting her hair slightly.
Zeng Mu turned to look and saw numerous small black cups covering his exposed thighs. He could feel them on his back as well.
"You even know how to do cupping?" Reassured, he slowly rested his chin on the pillow and relaxed.
"Cupping? What does that mean? I really can't understand the things you say." She released the last cup and lowered her fingers, speaking casually.
"Did I say a lot of strange things just now?"
"Yes, a few words I couldn't understand, but nothing particularly strange."
"But..." Her tone shifted, and she asked in puzzlement, "You mentioned a name earlier. That was