"Are you trying to quit the competition?"
Lin Chen glared at her. "You talk about learning my skills, but is this how you protect your hands?"
"For a chef, these hands are the most important thing. Losing your hands means losing your job. In serious cases, you can never return to the kitchen, never cook again. It could even affect your daily life and turn you into a complete invalid."
He took out two freshly picked soapnuts from his bamboo basket, crushed them, and quickly worked them into a white lather.
"This might sting a bit."
Without waiting for her reaction, he grabbed one of her hands and applied the foam.
Although his movements were already quite gentle, the moment the foam touched her wounds, Erica shivered as if she'd been electrocuted.
But she didn't cry out in pain. Instead, a teasing smile spread across her face.
"What did I say? You just wanted to touch my hand, didn't you?"
"Say whatever you want."
