Chapter 156: Hands Being Burnt
Translator: _Min_
Gu Zhi spoke softly to Gu Dai, “Little sister, let me take off your shoes and socks for you.”
Gu Dai glanced at Gu Zhi and sensed her ulterior motives. Looking at the footbath bucket steaming away, she lowered her eyes and asked, “Isn’t the water a bit too hot?”
The smile on Gu Zhi’s face momentarily stiffened before quickly recovering. She laughed and said, “How could it be hot? I’ve tested it; the temperature is just right for a foot soak.”
Gu Dai looked at Gu Zhi without responding.
Increasingly anxious, Gu Zhi averted her eyes, unable to meet Gu Dai’s gaze.
Gu Dai once again softly inquired, “Are you sure the water temperature is just right?”
Even though Gu Zhi was inwardly panicked, she nodded affirmatively and said earnestly, “I’m sure!”
Meng Zhi had been holding back his irritation since he saw Gu Zhi bring the hot water. Hearing her words now, he stood up and said, “If you think it’s just right, then you soak your feet!”
Gu Zhi’s face tightened, and she blurted out, “I can’t; this water is for Little Sister Gu Dai’s foot soak.”
Finishing her sentence, she turned her eyes towards Gu Dai.
Under Gu Zhi’s expectant gaze, Gu Dai slightly parted her red lips and said, “We’re all family, and it’s just a foot soak. What’s the harm in you using it?”
Full of alarm, Gu Zhi quickly waved both hands in refusal.
Gu Dai curled her lips into a faint smile and queried, “Is there something wrong with the water?”
Gu Zhi’s hand-waving halted. Startled, she quickly said, “Of course not.”
Nodding, Gu Dai smiled, “If there’s no problem, then you should go ahead and soak your feet.”
Gu Zhi found herself caught between a rock and a hard place, uncertain what to do.
Not giving Gu Zhi a chance to choose, Gu Dai promptly grabbed her hand and plunged it into the bucket.
Feeling the searing pain on her hand, Gu Zhi screamed, “Ah, my hand! It hurts!”
Gu Dai forcefully held Gu Zhi’s struggling hand and asked again, “Is the water too hot?”
Gu Zhi yelled, “Hot, hot, let go of me!”
After Gu Dai loosened her grip, Gu Zhi hurriedly pulled her hand back and rushed into the bathroom to rinse it under cold water.
Gu Dai didn’t stop her. When she returned, Gu Dai asked, “Why did you bring such hot water to me?”
Gu Zhi looked at her own scalded, swollen hand, her eyes filled with hatred for Gu Dai. What other reason could there be except that she detested her?
But Gu Zhi only dared to think these thoughts; she couldn’t utter them.
Avoiding Gu Dai’s eyes, she shifted her gaze and said softly, “I didn’t know the water was that hot; otherwise, 1 wouldn’t have brought it.”
Gu Dai nonchalantly responded, “Oh, but 1 remember you just told me that the water was just right.”
Gu Zhi lowered her head in panic, muttering, “The water indeed seemed just right.”
Upon seeing this, Meng Zhi rolled up his sleeves, ready to teach her a lesson.
He had never laid a hand on a woman, but seeing Gu Zhi’s actions, he couldn’t hold back any longer.
Noticing Meng Zhi’s movement, Gu Dai quickly reached out to hold him back, saying, “Third Brother, don’t do it.”
Meng Zhi could tolerate not buying things for Gu Dai for a while, but he couldn’t bear to see Gu Zhi mistreating her and getting away with it. “Daidai, she tried to scald you with hot water and lied through her teeth. How can you let her go?”
Gu Dai whispered, “1 haven’t planned on letting her go. After all, I’m no saint. I just don’t want to deal with her right now.”
Meng Zhi understood that Gu Dai must have other plans. To avoid interfering, he reluctantly gave up his intention to give Gu Zhi a beating.
Gu Zhi didn’t hear what Gu Dai and Meng Zhi were talking about but noticed their secretive whispers. A sense of dread filled her, as if something bad was about to happen.
After Meng Zhi gave up on his idea, Gu Dai shifted her gaze to Gu Zhi and said coldly, “If you think the water is just right, then continue soaking.”
Seeing Gu Dai reaching out, Gu Zhi was reminded of the earlier scene where she was forcibly held down. Frightened, she quickly blurted out, “No, it’s not just right. 1 lied earlier.”
Gu Dai remained silent, waiting for Gu Zhi to continue.
When Gu Zhi realized this, she had no choice but to go on, “I thought the water temperature was just right because it looked that way to me. 1 didn’t actually test it.”
After saying this, even Gu Zhi herself felt the reason was hardly convincing. Unexpectedly, Gu Dai nodded, appearing as if she believed her.
Gu Dai said, “1 see, then it’s a misunderstanding on my part. However, you’re also at fault. After all, you can’t just go by feel for everything you do..”