Chapter 203 - 203: Reduced to Zero

Translator: _Min_

After being exposed by Gu Dai, Zhou Ci didn’t show any annoyance. Instead, the sparkle in his eyes grew brighter as he looked at her.

“So, was I correct?” Gu Dai asked after she finished speaking.

Zhou Ci nodded, then quickly shook his head, admiring, “Absolutely correct, Daidai. You’re just as smart as I thought. Though, that’s expected for the woman 1 have my eyes on. Now that you know me this well, will there come a day when you’ll like me?”

Gu Dai was at a loss for words. She took a long pause before finally mustering a response, “Could you like someone else?”

Zhou Ci bowed his head, clutching his heart as if wounded. “Do you know how much your words hurt me, Daidai?”

Gu Dai sighed, “Please call me by my full name.”

“Alright, Gu Dai,” Zhou Ci complied.

Looking earnestly at Gu Dai, he couldn’t help but voice the question that had been lingering in his heart, “What type of man do you like?”

Pondering his years of knowing Gu Dai, Zhou Ci hesitated before asking, “Does it have to be someone like Song Ling? If 1 mimic his behavior, would the chances of you liking me increase?”

Gu Dai replied with candor, “No.”

Zhou Ci let out a wail, “Ah?”

Gu Dai added, “Not only will the chances not increase, they will become zero.”

“Alright, 1 understand,” Zhou Ci nodded.

It seemed that Song Ling had no chance at all.

Zhou Ci breathed a sigh of relief. After all, in his eyes, Song Ling had been his most formidable rival. Little did he know that Song Ling was, in fact, a nobody.

Gu Dai then briefly outlined her plans for the Suzhou embroidery industry. At the end, she said, “Well then, here’s to a successful collaboration.”

Smiling, Zhou Ci extended his hand, “To a successful collaboration.”

Gu Dai also reached out and shook hands with Zhou Ci.

However, Zhou Ci paused for a moment upon holding Gu Dai’s hand, his eyes resting confusedly on her hand.

Noticing Zhou Ci’s gaze, Gu Dai knew what he was pondering. Before he could ask, she spoke up, “You’re not mistaken; my hands are rather rough.”

Baffled, Zhou Ci inquired, “But you’re the young miss of the Gu family, how could your hands—”

Halting midway, Zhou Ci suddenly realized what he was about to say and looked seriously at Gu Dai, “Is it because of the bullying you’ve endured over the years at the Song family?”

Gu Dai wasn’t inclined to answer the question. Instead, she issued a veiled dismissal to Zhou Ci. “We’ve settled on our business arrangement. If Mr. Zhou has no other matters, please take your leave.”

Understanding Gu Dai’s sentiment, Zhou Ci nodded. He didn’t want to press her, so he simply responded, “Alright, I’ll go then. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me. And don’t forget, my entire family will support you unconditionally!”

After several acknowledgments from Gu Dai, Zhou Ci finally took his leave.

Once Zhou Ci left, Gu Dai’s gaze fell back onto her hands.

Indeed, Zhou Ci wasn’t wrong. Her hands had become rough, and though there were other factors, the Song family was partly to blame. Wang Lan had tormented her ceaselessly.

Despite the availability of smart home technology, she insisted that Gu Dai perform manual labor and even assigned three or four people to supervise her.

After completing household chores and errands for Wang Lan during the day, Gu Dai had to care for her at night, including dressing, washing, and providing full-body massages.

Fortunately, Grandpa Song cared for her. When he discovered what she had to endure, he ordered Wang Lan to cease the bullying.

Therefore, Wang Lan resorted to tormenting Gu Dai only when Grandpa Song wasn’t around, which reduced the frequency of these cruel acts.

If she had been subjected to high-intensity labor, Gu Dai felt that her hands would be far worse than they were now.

She sighed and then gathered her thoughts to focus on her work for the day. Just as she was about to start, her office door was knocked.

“Come in,” Gu Dai said.

Looking up, she was surprised to see Zhou Ci, who had just left, return.

“What’s the matter?” she asked, puzzled.

Zhou Ci placed two bottles on her desk, smiling as he spoke, “These are hand creams that my family unanimously recommended as effective. Try them for a few days and see if they suit you. If they don’t, 1 can select a different brand for you.”

Gu Dai was momentarily stunned.

And Zhou Ci continued, “Oh, and my aunt owns a beauty salon that offers hand treatments. Everyone who has tried it speaks highly of the service.. I can take you there to try it out when you have some free time!”