Muscle Strains

"Us? Are you..." Xinran felt strange about Zhihao's sentence, wanting to confirm.

"I don't mind delaying the shop's opening," the man with black hair that was left loose filled the empty cup with liquid. "It would be bad if there was no transportation back home, wouldn't it?"

She had no idea that the man before her would go further than this. The kindness he offered bewitched Xinran into an indescribable sense of awe and appreciation, smiling broadly at the offer. "You've helped me a lot!"

"I didn't remember that helping others has limits," Zhihao responded, sipping the tea that had been mixed with his concoction. "As the host here, it is only right that I offer the best to my visitors."

Wide-eyed, her beautiful face blushed. Those two tanned eyes flashed around as she looked down, hiding her embarrassment. "Lin Zhihao... I will never forget your kindness," she lifted her face to look at the man in front. "Thank you so much."

[You have a Mission!]

[Make a Dish: Dumplings!

Make dumplings for the guest.

Reward:

Profession EXP: 500

Skill Unlocked: Nimble Hand (1/3)]

"A dumpling, eh?" he mumbled as he saw the hologram right in front of his eyes, he briefly noticed Xinran across from him who seemed neither surprised nor aware of the presence of the transparent object, instead, she consumed her drink. "If I'm not mistaken I've made it before."

"Right, I will be back," he rose on his seat.

Xinran paused, releasing the saucer containing the cream-colored liquid from her lips. "Where?"

"You must have quite an appetite, right?" he walked toward his kitchen. "How about some dumplings?"

"Wait, no, I'm fine with this," she placed the ceramic on the table and stood fast. "You do not need to serve me more."

"No, no, I wanted to make it so why don't I share it with you," the man opened the cabinet above, attached to the wall. "Relax, make yourself at home."

"I-I want to help!" Just as she was about to take a step, she somehow halted, feeling a sharp pain in her thigh. "Argh!"

Zhihao who heard that suddenly turned around, noticing Xinran who was on the edge of the couch. "You alright?"

She winced as the muscle ache shot through her. But, not wanting to worry Zhihao or trouble him, she forced a smile and composed herself, trying to cover up like nothing happened. "Let me assist you!"

Zhihao felt something strange with the woman's unbalanced, limping steps. "I don't mind, but..." he hesitated.

"It's okay, it's the least I can do," she responded, stepping forward toward Zhihao but, the ache was so unbearable that the woman stumbled, and fell to the floor.

"Xinran!" Zhihao quickly rushed over to her, helping her back to her feet. "What happened?"

"It's probably because of my training earlier," she contorted, getting back up when Zhihao grabbed her hand and under her arm. "I pushed myself too hard."

As he helped her to sit back on the sofa, Zhihao pulled up the wooden table and knelt before her. "Did you sprain it?" he eyed her foot.

"Um... I think so," she looked down, breathing in to stifle the sorrow that still twitched.

"I'll check on it after this, wait a bit," the man departed and returned to his kitchen, back to his mission to serve dumplings.

Zhihao there began to mix the meat, chopped vegetables, leftover minced ginger, and other ingredients. That mix was then placed in the center of the dumpling wrapper. After folding it, Zhihao set the food inside the streamer bamboo and closed it, turning back to Xinran.

"Alright," he knelt in front of Xinran once more, noticing her legs were attached. They looked small and delicate, the same color as her skin. "May I check your foot? I might be able to make it better."

Zhihao, known as Mikael, does not only practice traditional medicine, but he is also a massage therapist. He has many customers and most of them are satisfied, with almost no complaints or negative comments. It could be said that he was an expert in the field before interested in alchemy.

"But... it's not my foot that has strains," she uttered, embarrassed. "It's my thigh."

Zhihao was stunned, speechless for a moment. Even though Xinran allowed him to rub those areas, Zhihao felt that it was not ethical since they had met a few hours ago. On the other hand, as an experienced, he had to ensure the well-being of his customers without breaking a rule.

"Are you also a therapist?" the brunette woman continued, wanting to confirm a point.

The man nodded with a wide smile. "Yes, besides opening a medicine shop, I am trained in acupuncture and massage."

"I can see that," Xinran looked down, her face laden with discomfort lingering in her thigh. "At the school where I studied martial arts, there was always a section for muscle toning to make sure we look fit."

"But, in this condition, it seems like it would be difficult for me to return home or even take a step," she continued, her eyes darted toward Zhihao. "I don't want to trouble you for more than this, but, could you heal me?"

Seeing that the man was silent and didn't even blink, Xinran compensated. "Please, I will reward you with golden coins."

According to the book written in his notebook, currency in the Manthana realm was differentiated by the material it was made of. Bronze coins had the lowest value, silver was in the middle, and the top was golden. Only royal aristocrats and entrepreneurs with great effect and wealth owned this coin.

"Well, alright, I tried my best," he rose to his feet. "Just lie on that couch, I'll prepare the food first."

Zhihao hurried to the kitchen and opened the bamboo basket, releasing thick smoke with an appetizing smell. He picked them up one by one with chopsticks and arranged them on the wooden dish. At that moment, a notification popped up and rang in his ears:

[Make a Dish: Dumplings!]

[Mission Completed.]

Reward:

Profession EXP: 500

Skill Unlocked: Nimble Hand (1/3)]

Benefits: Your hand can now move faster and flow like water, tender touch, and can smooth circulation of blood or muscle soreness.]

His complexion suddenly lit up. This was a skill he needed right now and he took the rice ban oil that was in his kitchen cabinet, bringing it to the guest table along with the dumplings. Zhihao was a little nervous when he saw Xinran lying on her stomach, accentuating her specific area that looked well-rounded.

"Okay, all set," he turned to Xinran who was also watching. "Let's begin."