If It’s Wrong, Then It’s Wrong - Chapter 17
Chapter 17: The Fifth Day
“You must have accidentally dialed me,” Cheng Liu explained for him.
Ji Chaozhou remembered that last night, in the car, he had called her to set her as an emergency contact.
He must have accidentally dialed her from his recent call history after calling the fire department.
Ji Chaozhou looked away: “Sorry for the trouble.”
“It’s what I should do.” Cheng Liu didn’t feel it was any trouble at all to do things for her boyfriend. She pointed to the clothes on the sofa. “Take a shower and change into clean clothes. Rest today.”
Ji Chaozhou's pajamas, having been wet and then dried, were indeed uncomfortable. He walked over and opened the bags silently.
“I wasn’t sure about your size, so I bought a few extra sets,” Cheng Liu explained. “I’ll go to the mall with you tomorrow.”
Ji Chaozhou took out a set of clothes. She had bought several of everything, even socks and shoes.
Cheng Liu herself usually bought clothes randomly, often filling her closet with identical items, claiming it saved time and effort.
But this morning, to buy clothes for her boyfriend, she had put in a lot of effort, even consulting with the sales assistants for a long time.
CEO Cheng’s mind was filled with the “fashion tips” the sales assistants had imparted, having struggled to choose a few outfits.
“I’m going out for a bit. I’ll be back soon,” Cheng Liu said to her boyfriend, heading out.
She was going to Guyu Restaurant to pack some food.
The Dongchu Hotel had a five-star restaurant, but it was on the rooftop, and her boyfriend might not like it.
Cheng Liu remembered that her boyfriend seemed to prefer the food at Guyu Restaurant, but they didn’t offer takeout, so she had to go there herself.
Normally, Cheng Liu wouldn't bother going to such a place.
However, her boyfriend wasn't feeling well today, and she wanted to cheer him up a little.
As soon as Cheng Liu left, Ji Chaozhou’s phone rang. It was Ji Mushan.
Ji Mushan finally breathed a sigh of relief when the call connected: “Chaozhou, where are you? Are you hurt? I’ll come pick you up.”
He had already called the property management of Wenxing Residential Complex, and they had assured him that no one was injured, but Ji Mushan was still worried and was already on his way.
“I’m fine. You don’t have to come,” Ji Chaozhou said, his hand resting on the sofa. Hearing Ji Mushan’s voice, his vision seemed to be filling with that bloody red again. The veins on the back of his pale hand bulged as he abruptly hung up.
Ji Chaozhou stood there, recovering for a long time. The persistent ringing of his phone finally caught his attention.
He looked down. It wasn't Ji Mushan; it was Aunt Yun.
Ji Chaozhou composed himself before answering: “Aunt Yun.”
“Chaozhou, are you hurt? I saw on the news that there was a fire in Building Five of the Wenxing Residential Complex,” Yun Se asked anxiously, her voice followed by a fit of coughing.
“I’m fine. I’m at a hotel,” Ji Chaozhou said softly, trying to reassure her.
Yun Se sighed in relief: “I’m glad you’re okay.”
After a moment, she continued, “That old complex is a mess, and the property management is useless. Chaozhou, you shouldn’t live there anymore. Find a better place.”
“…Okay,” Ji Chaozhou agreed.
The call ended, and silence returned to the suite.
Ji Chaozhou stood by the sofa, his expression desolate, his aura cold and distant. Under the light, he looked like a beautiful statue slowly losing its life force.
…
The moment Ji Mushan saw the news notification on his phone, he canceled all his appointments and rushed towards the Wenxing Residential Complex. Unable to reach his son, he had called the property management office to inquire.
Although he now knew that Chaozhou was safe, Ji Mushan continued to the complex.
He got out of the car at the entrance, told his driver to wait across the street, and walked towards the complex.
Ji Mushan wasn’t unfamiliar with this place. He had come here alone many times, secretly, without Chaozhou’s knowledge.
The early morning fire had caused panic in the complex, and the fire department was conducting safety inspections.
Ji Mushan’s heart sank as he reached Building Five, his frown deepening. He had seen the photos in the news, but they didn't compare to seeing the damage in person.
The first floor was the worst hit, warped and deformed. Scorch marks extended all the way up to the fourth floor, and even the fifth floor showed signs of smoke damage.
“This building is currently closed off,” the property manager said, stopping Ji Mushan. However, the man’s tall stature and well-tailored suit exuded an air of authority, so he spoke politely. “Can I help you?”
“My son lives here,” Ji Mushan said, looking up at the fire-damaged building.
“Oh, are you the one who called earlier?” The property manager finally recognized Ji Mushan’s voice. “Your son is fine. Thanks to him unplugging the scooter, the situation wasn’t worse.”
The police had taken the fourth-floor resident into custody that morning. After questioning him, the property manager had learned what had happened.
“How did they get out?” Ji Mushan suddenly asked.
The property manager pointed to the rooftop: “The fire trucks arrived in time. They set up ladders and helped the residents evacuate from the roof.”
From the rooftop…
Ji Mushan’s face turned grim. He looked away, avoiding the property manager’s gaze.
The handsome man suddenly looked much older.
“You don’t have to worry. Your son’s girlfriend picked him up early this morning,” the property manager added.
Ji Mushan froze, thinking he had misheard. He turned to the property manager: “Girlfriend?”
When did Chaozhou get a girlfriend?
The frown lines on Ji Mushan’s forehead smoothed out, then deepened again. Had…Yun Fei come?
But he remembered that Chaozhou and Yun Fei weren’t close.
“Yes, and she’s quite a fierce one,” the property manager said, recalling Cheng Liu and unconsciously wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead. He was both grateful and slightly intimidated by her.
The girlfriend of that young man on the second floor seemed just as formidable as the man in front of him.
Fierce?
Ji Mushan immediately ruled out Yun Fei. She was a popular actress and wouldn't display any negative emotions in public. Moreover, she was anything but fierce.
“Was it her?” Ji Mushan took out his phone, searched for a photo of Yun Fei, and showed it to the property manager.
The property manager looked at the photo, then looked up at Ji Mushan with a strange expression: “Isn’t this Yun Fei? The famous actress?”
If it wasn’t Yun Fei, then who was it?
Ji Mushan’s earlier emotions were replaced by surprise. He thought about everyone Chaozhou knew but couldn’t think of anyone who could be his son’s girlfriend.
He had never expected Chaozhou to have someone he liked.
“Can you describe what she looked like?” Ji Mushan asked the property manager.
“You don’t know what your son’s girlfriend looks like?” The property manager was surprised, then understanding. “Young people these days. Anyway, your son's girlfriend is quite beautiful and tall.”
Ji Mushan was lost in thought. Chaozhou…actually had a girlfriend?
He couldn’t even imagine what kind of person Chaozhou would like.
Seeing that the man didn't seem particularly happy, the property manager, not wanting to discourage the relationship, said kindly, “I think she’s a good match for your son. It was thanks to her yesterday morning that we cleared the fire escape.”
Recalling the events of the past day and night, the property manager shuddered. Thanks to that young man on the second floor and his girlfriend, they had averted a disaster.
Ji Mushan recalled the abruptly ended phone call earlier, and his worry lessened slightly. With his girlfriend by his side, Chaozhou should be fine.
He wanted to see his son, but he also knew that his son didn't want to see him.
Ji Mushan turned and walked back to his company, his figure looking somewhat lonely.
The property manager stood at the entrance of Building Five, muttering to himself, “Why are all the people in that family so good-looking?”
…
After ordering, Cheng Liu received a call from He Bai.
“Why didn’t you come to the company today?” He Bai asked, sitting at his desk and looking towards Cheng Liu's empty office.
Cheng Liu: “Oh, I forgot to tell you. I’m not going to the company today.”
She reviewed her schedule every night before bed and finished any urgent tasks, so there wasn’t anything major pending. From early morning until now, her mind had been preoccupied with her boyfriend, and she had completely forgotten about going to the company.
“Forgot?” He Bai repeated incredulously, then quickly regained his composure. “Are you feeling unwell?”
“No, something came up.” Cheng Liu pointed to the menu, showing it to the server beside her. “I remember the dinner appointment with the business partner tomorrow night. Did anything happen at the company today?”
He Bai gripped his phone: “…Everything is normal at the company.”
“Alright, then you can leave work on time. I won’t be coming in today,” Cheng Liu said, then added, “I probably won't be in tomorrow either.”
“Okay.”
He Bai put down his phone, suddenly feeling that something was amiss.
It was normal for the founder of a well-established company not to be at the office every day, but Cheng Liu was different. Ever since the founding of Shenyin Technology, she had always prioritized work, practically living in her office except when she was traveling, never late and never leaving early.
…When had she changed?
He Bai rested his elbows on the desk, his hands clasped under his chin, recalling Cheng Liu’s unusual behavior these past few days.
He remembered.
It had started on April 1st, when Cheng Liu had gotten off the plane. She had initially decided to postpone her date and return to the company for the meeting, but then she had suddenly changed her mind.
Since then, Cheng Liu had been acting strangely.
He Bai’s expression turned cold. It seemed that Wang Hongyang had some skill in manipulating women.
He picked up his phone, opened his notes app, looked at Cheng Liu’s schedule for tomorrow night at 7 pm, and slowly pushed up his glasses.
Tomorrow night, Cheng Liu would see Wang Hongyang’s true colors.
…
By the time Cheng Liu arrived at the hotel with the takeout, it was already noon. She swiped her key card, walked through the living room, and reached the bedroom. Pushing open the slightly ajar door, she noticed that the curtains were drawn. She could vaguely see her boyfriend lying on the bed, his back to her.
Assuming he was asleep, Cheng Liu quietly placed the takeout on the living room table.
She would reheat it when he woke up.
Cheng Liu sat down. She hadn’t eaten either, but after a moment of thought, she decided to order room service later.
She picked up her phone to check the industry news, but she couldn’t focus.
After hesitating for a moment, she stood up and returned to the bedroom door.
Cheng Liu didn't know what she was doing; it was just a gut feeling. She pushed the door open slightly and stood there quietly.
A few minutes later, Cheng Liu finally realized what was wrong.
Her boyfriend’s breathing was irregular, too rapid.
Cheng Liu quickly walked into the bedroom, went to the other side of the bed, and, in the faint light filtering through the curtains, saw the flush on his face and the unusual paleness of his lips.
Cheng Liu frowned, reaching out to touch his forehead. He was clearly running a fever.
She hurried to the living room, found a thermometer, returned to the bedroom, and checked his temperature.
—38°C
Any higher, and it would be considered a high fever.
Cheng Liu placed the thermometer on the nightstand and touched her boyfriend's neck. As expected, he was sweating.
She quickly left the room and returned with a towel soaked in warm water.
The towel had been wrung out, but steam still rose from it. Cheng Liu folded the towel and bent down to wipe the sweat from his neck.
Ji Chaozhou shifted uncomfortably. He tried to open his eyes, vaguely seeing a shadow, unable to make out the person, but his eyelids were too heavy, and he quickly lost consciousness again.
Cheng Liu only wiped his neck and chest, not daring to move too much for fear of waking him.
However, as she wiped the sweat from his hand, he unconsciously grasped hers.
His hand was beautiful, Cheng Liu had always known that, especially now, with his fingertips flushed from the fever.
But he was sick.
Cheng Liu gently pulled her hand away and stood up, leaving the room.
She returned with a cooling patch and placed it on his forehead.
After doing all this, Cheng Liu stayed in the bedroom for over half an hour, making sure his breathing had returned to normal before returning to the living room.
Around 4 pm, a delivery driver called, saying she had a package.
Cheng Liu pressed her temples, remembering that it was the phone from G City.
“Thank you. Please leave it with the concierge,” she said. She wasn't planning on going home today.
…
Night deepened.
Around 8 pm, Ji Chaozhou’s fever finally broke, and he woke up.
He felt something on his forehead and, confused, pulled it off.
The bedroom was dark. Ji Chaozhou slowly sat up and turned on the light, finally seeing what was in his hand – a cooling patch.
At the same moment, someone opened the door.
“You’re awake?”
Ji Chaozhou looked up, his mind slowly clearing. It was the bodyguard.
Seeing the light in the bedroom, Cheng Liu walked over from the living room.
Under the light, the hair on her boyfriend’s forehead was still slightly damp, and the color had returned to his lips. Perhaps because he had just woken up, there was a faint flush on his cheeks.
Normally, CEO Cheng’s mind would be filled with inappropriate thoughts, but now she was only concerned about whether his fever had subsided.
Cheng Liu hurried to the bedside and touched his forehead.
Ji Chaozhou, just waking up, hadn’t yet processed what was happening when the bodyguard touched him. He looked up at Cheng Liu in surprise.
His gaze wasn't intimidating; in fact, perhaps because he had just recovered from a fever, his eyes were slightly moist.
No one could resist such a look, but CEO Cheng, at this moment, remained steadfast and unmoved.
She withdrew her hand and, to be certain, took the thermometer and checked his forehead again: “Your fever is gone.”
Ji Chaozhou had never been treated this way before, so casually…and with a hint of inexplicable intimacy.
“Are you hungry? I’ll reheat the food.” Cheng Liu left the bedroom and put the takeout she had brought earlier into the microwave.
She had eaten around 6 pm and wasn’t hungry anymore.
Besides, the food she had brought from Guyu Restaurant was all her boyfriend’s favorite.
“Have some water.” Cheng Liu saw her boyfriend emerge from the bedroom and handed him a glass of water.
“Thank you,” Ji Chaozhou said, his voice slightly hoarse, his lips dry from the fever.
He sat down and slowly sipped the water.
The water was just the right temperature, neither too hot nor too cold. After drinking it, Ji Chaozhou felt more alert.
He looked at Number Six, who was at the kitchen counter.
Had she…taken care of him today?
“It’s probably not as good as fresh food,” Cheng Liu said, bringing over the reheated dishes.
Ji Chaozhou looked down at the food. It looked familiar; it was from Guyu Restaurant.
Cheng Liu reached for his empty glass: “Do you want more water?”
“Yes,” Ji Chaozhou murmured, still feeling the lingering fatigue and aches from the fever.
Cheng Liu refilled his glass and handed it to him: “Eat, wash up, and then get some more sleep. We’ll go to the mall tomorrow morning.”
Ji Chaozhou didn’t say anything, eating quietly.
Occasionally, he would glance at the bodyguard across from him. She was leaning back in her chair, looking down at her phone. He wondered if she was messaging Ji Mushan or her family.
Ji Chaozhou guessed it was probably her family.
Because he saw her smile.
…
At that moment, CEO Cheng was messaging the bank manager.
They were discussing the font and engraving style for the plaque.
The plaque was 40x60 cm, slightly larger than an award certificate, but not too big.
After finalizing the details, Cheng Liu began to imagine her and her boyfriend’s wedding, a smile unconsciously appearing on her face.
A while later, Ji Chaozhou put down his chopsticks, saying he was finished.
Cheng Liu put down her phone, looked at the leftover food, and sighed inwardly: Did her boyfriend really survive on air?
“I’ll clean up. You go and rest,” Cheng Liu said, standing up to clear the table.
Ji Chaozhou wanted to take a shower. He took a set of clothes into the bathroom and noticed an unfamiliar towel in the storage basket under the sink.
—He hadn’t put it there this morning.
Standing at the sink, Ji Chaozhou’s memory flickered. Someone had wiped his neck and chest.
There were only the two of them in the suite, so he knew who it was.
Ji Chaozhou's expression turned strange as he remembered holding her hand.
He wondered what she thought of him.
His usual world-weariness intensified, and he gripped his forearm so tightly that his nails almost drew blood.
“Knock, knock—”
Cheng Liu’s voice came from outside: “Don't shower for too long. You might catch a cold.”
Ji Chaozhou quickly released his arm and lowered his sleeve.
A moment later, Cheng Liu heard him murmur an acknowledgement and returned to the living room.
…
When her boyfriend emerged from the bathroom, his hair still damp, Cheng Liu held a magazine in front of her face, pretending to read.
She was afraid that if she looked at him too much, she would have another nosebleed.
Ji Chaozhou paused as he walked past Number Six, then continued towards the bedroom.
He didn't care whether she stayed or left. She was probably under Ji Mushan’s orders to keep an eye on him.
Hearing the bedroom door close, Cheng Liu put down the magazine and inhaled the lingering scent in the air.
It was the hotel’s standard fragrance, but as her boyfriend had passed by, she had smelled that unique, cool, and subtly alluring scent again.
Like…his own personal scent.
CEO Cheng pondered seriously, then understood: This was clearly genetic attraction.
She and her boyfriend were destined to be together!
Comments
Post a Comment