[ He staggers under the weight of the curse. It's enough to take his breath away. Poor Xie Lian, having to endure something like this for so long; how he must have suffered. He swallows hard. After a few moments he's able to breathe again, and he takes a long, shuddering breath. And then he arranges a smile on his face and says: ]

I did. It's nothing. I just... I just have to work out the specifics of this thing, and it's easier to do that if I'm experiencing it personally.

[ He reaches out to pat Xie Lian's shoulder. His hand is shaking a little, but that's fine. ]

How are you feeling, didi?