As expected, Ling didn’t come to spend the night with me. It was both disappointing and relieving. Maybe I should heed the Goddess’ advice and let things be.
I woke up early the next morning, feeling almost as good as new. Still, the girls from last night came in to hand me a cup with medicine and another with tea to swallow the first.
I gulped the first and nearly threw it up. But one of the women placed her hands on my mouth and the other pinched my nose, forcing me to swallow. Once I did, I drank the tea as fast as I could.
“What was that?” I asked grimacing at the terrible aftertaste. It tasted so bitter that I was afraid my tongue would fall off.
“Medicine” one of them answers, trying to hide her smile.
“Give a drop of that medicine to anyone and I’m sure they’ll swear off
