Gu Xiang reaches for Esther's wrist, feeling her pulse. She isn't sure what she's supposed to be feeling there--maybe a texture, like silk or like pearls moving under skin?--but all she feels is the steady thump of Esther's heartbeat against her fingers, and the radiant warmth of her petal-soft skin. Her own heart beats a little faster; she swallows. "If you've been feeling depressed, you might be deficient in yang energy, too," she says, letting Esther's wrist drop. "What are you eating?"