If It’s Wrong, Then It’s Wrong - Chapter 29
Chapter 29: The Ninth Day
Outside, the rain poured down, and thunder rumbled.
Inside the living room, the two of them stood close together, almost embracing.
Cheng Liu, slightly shorter, stood behind Ji Chaozhou, her chin resting on his shoulder, her left hand over his eyes, her right hand intertwined with his, their fingers laced together in an intimate gesture.
But neither of them seemed to notice.
Ji Chaozhou’s eyes were covered, his long eyelashes brushing against the warmth of Cheng Liu’s palm. The nightmarish red that always haunted him slowly receded, the metallic scent of blood replaced by the slightly bitter fragrance of grapefruit.
The presence of the person behind him, so close and overwhelming, pulled him firmly back to reality.
Cheng Liu, looking out the window, was lost in thought.
When the window had fallen, a flash of lightning had illuminated the outside, and they had both seen the second-floor window being blown off its hinges.
Even with the loud crash, they had been prepared and shouldn't have been startled.
Unless…he hadn’t been startled by the sound of the falling window.
Cheng Liu subtly looked away. Confirming that he had calmed down, she slowly released his hands.
Ji Chaozhou finally reacted, but with the table blocking his way, he could only turn his body to break free, his voice as cold as ever, yet tinged with an emotion he didn’t recognize: “Let go.”
They were already standing very close. As Ji Chaozhou turned his head away, his nose almost brushed against Cheng Liu's face, their breaths mingling.
At this close proximity, Ji Chaozhou finally saw Cheng Liu’s face clearly. When she wasn't smiling, her eyes were calm, her thick eyelashes not curled upwards but pointing straight down, giving her a sharp, almost intimidating look.
The next second, a smile appeared in her eyes, and the earlier sharpness vanished like an illusion.
Cheng Liu stepped back, raising her right hand to show that she had let go: “You need to have someone inspect and repair the villa tomorrow.”
Ji Chaozhou turned around, the warmth from her touch lingering on his hand. He looked away, down at the mess on the floor, some of the essential oil bottles shattered, others scattered around.
Cheng Liu had already squatted down and was gathering the unbroken bottles, placing them back in the box, which she then handed to him: “There’s no broom here. Shall we deal with the broken glass tomorrow?”
Ji Chaozhou took the silver box, avoiding her eyes: “…Thank you.”
“It’s just picking up some bottles. You shouldn’t touch them with your injured hand,” Cheng Liu said, not mentioning the fact that she had just covered his eyes. “It’s getting late. Get some rest.”
She then walked towards the spare room, as if nothing had happened.
Ji Chaozhou stood in the living room for a long time, then walked to the window, opened it to air out the room, and went to shower, washing away the lingering scents.
He lay in bed. Even though he had showered with his special blend of shower gel, leaving only a faint scent of coffee, he could still smell that grapefruit fragrance.
After a while, Ji Chaozhou got up and picked up the bottle of Midu from his nightstand.
In the darkness, his long, pale fingers rested on the nozzle, hesitating for a moment before pressing down, spraying the perfume on himself. The cold, desolate sandalwood scent instantly masked all other smells.
…
When Ji Chaozhou woke up in the morning, the broken glass was gone, and breakfast, still slightly warm, was on the dining table.
He walked over and saw a sticky note on the table: [A thank you for letting me stay last night – Six]
He had seen her handwriting before but hadn’t paid much attention to it. Now, looking at it again, he noticed the bold, free strokes, with a hint of sharpness.
Ji Chaozhou peeled off the sticky note. These occasional glimpses into Cheng Liu’s personality were more in line with the image of a young, ambitious founder of a rising company, assertive and driven.
By this time, Cheng Liu had already arrived at Shenyin Technology and started working.
Work normally started at 9 am, but she wanted to finish early and free up some time to be a “good neighbor.”
He Bai arrived at 8:30 am, surprised to see Cheng Liu already in her office. He had assumed she wouldn't be coming in today.
He glanced at his reflection in the glass, making sure his attire was impeccable, then picked up the documents he had organized and knocked on her office door.
“Come in,” Cheng Liu said, her eyes on her computer screen, her fingers moving rapidly.
“CEO Cheng, these are the reports from the various departments,” He Bai said, placing the documents beside her. Then, his tone softening slightly, he added, “Senior, is everything alright now?”
It wasn’t officially work hours yet, so He Bai had switched to a more casual form of address.
Cheng Liu didn’t notice the change in his tone. She finished typing, stopped, glanced at the documents, and then looked up at He Bai: “Send me my schedule for this week.”
He Bai immediately took out his phone and sent it to her.
Cheng Liu looked it over carefully, then turned to He Bai: “Move these meetings to the morning, send me all the documents that need to be reviewed, and conduct the other meetings online. Try to group everything together.”
He Bai agreed and went back to his office to adjust her schedule.
After making the changes, he realized that Cheng Liu had cleared several days in her schedule.
He Bai paused, then returned to her office with his phone: “CEO Cheng, do you have any plans for these days?”
Cheng Liu glanced at her new schedule on his phone: “No need to arrange anything. I have other matters to attend to.” Matters of the heart.
She had wanted to boast to her chief assistant, but she held back, deciding to wait until she had successfully captured his heart.
What if it turned into another embarrassing situation?
CEO Cheng couldn't handle that kind of humiliation!
He Bai looked at Cheng Liu, who was staring at her computer screen, fully immersed in work, just like her usual self, her full attention now back on her work.
He lowered his head, pushed up his glasses, and smiled slightly: She’s probably realized that relationships are a waste of time.
He Bai wasn’t surprised by this outcome.
Six months ago, he had known that Cheng Liu and Wang Hongyang would eventually break up.
They had attended a banquet on a cruise ship to finalize a contract.
He Bai had been by Cheng Liu's side from the moment they arrived, only excusing himself briefly to get them drinks when he spotted the business partner in the distance.
Then the business partner had approached, and they had sat at a small table, discussing and drinking. They had signed the contract within half an hour.
After exchanging a few pleasantries with the business partner, Cheng Liu had suddenly walked towards a table nearby.
He Bai had instinctively followed and heard Cheng Liu ask Wang Hongyang if he wanted to date her.
At that moment, He Bai’s first reaction hadn’t been heartbreak, but surprise.
He couldn’t understand Cheng Liu's thought process. It was too impulsive.
They hadn't even properly met. Cheng Liu had been talking to the business partner the entire time.
He Bai could see right through Wang Hongyang. He definitely wasn’t one of the invited guests, probably someone’s plus-one. He was undeniably handsome, the kind of person who would stand out at a banquet.
And Cheng Liu had taken a liking to him.
Standing on the deck, the sea breeze blowing in his face, He Bai looked at the spark in Cheng Liu’s eyes and felt his heart sink.
He was familiar with that look.
It was the same look she had had when she had stood on the roof of their suburban office building, telling him she was going to found Shenyin Technology.
Wang Hongyang, sitting at a small table on the deck, hesitated for a long time before answering. Cheng Liu then suggested they meet again the next day.
He Bai didn't think Wang Hongyang would refuse.
Or rather, no one could refuse Cheng Liu. If she set her mind to something, she would achieve it. She could win over anyone.
He Bai took a day off the next day. He didn't want to hear any news about Cheng Liu, yet he couldn't stop thinking about how things were progressing between them.
On the third day, he went back to work. Cheng Liu was her usual self, even asking him how he was feeling.
He Bai casually asked her about her date.
“It went well. He agreed to date me,” Cheng Liu said, her eyes still on the documents she was reading.
At that moment, He Bai’s heart calmed down.
Her tone was the same as it always was after successfully closing a deal, not paying any further attention unless a problem arose.
And for the next six months, things had progressed exactly as He Bai had predicted.
Cheng Liu’s attitude towards her boyfriend had been indifferent, always putting work first.
“What are you standing there for?” Cheng Liu asked, reaching for a document and noticing her chief assistant standing there, lost in thought.
“Thinking about what to get you for a housewarming gift, CEO Cheng,” He Bai said, recovering.
Cheng Liu opened the document: “No rush. You can give it to me later.”
A housewarming gift? She wanted a wedding gift!
The thought made CEO Cheng’s heart race.
“Send me the updated schedule.”
“Then I’ll leave you to it,” He Bai said after sending her the schedule.
Cheng Liu waved him away, then sat up straight, focusing her mind: I need to finish work quickly and sneak back. I want to see Ji Chaozhou!
…
Cheng Liu arrived home at noon, declining He Bai’s lunch invitation and hurrying back to her villa.
Ji Chaozhou was home, not at Ranshan.
People were coming and going from Villa Number Five, maintenance and cleaning crews, as well as Ranshan staff delivering several cabinets of fragrance materials and essential oils.
Cheng Liu glanced over and saw Ji Chaozhou tending to the plants in his front yard.
He was wearing a loose-fitting grey loungewear set, his sleeves pushed up to his elbows, revealing his long, pale forearms, as he bent down to water the flowers.
He looked radiant.
Before Cheng Liu could admire him further, Ji Chaozhou, in the front yard, looked up, his eyes meeting hers.
She had been caught!
CEO Cheng’s heart pounded, but she maintained a calm façade, raising her hand in greeting: “Good afternoon, neighbor.”
She would change that form of address to “darling” soon enough!
The young CEO Cheng, in her twenties, was completely unaware that she was adopting the cheesy habits of her middle-aged business partners.
Ji Chaozhou looked away, continuing to water his plants.
Although he hadn’t responded, Cheng Liu took it as a signal and entered his front yard.
She walked over to him, watching as he watered the flowers, and said, “These daffodils are beautiful.”
Ji Chaozhou paused: “Those are freesias.”
Cheng Liu: “…”
She would study the encyclopedia of flowers tonight!
It didn't matter that she couldn't tell flowers apart; she could at least recognize colors. The freesias were white.
Alone in the front yard, Cheng Liu felt the urge to deploy her newly acquired romantic vocabulary.
She had always been quick to adapt, and after studying those phrases, she could now use them with ease.
Cheng Liu cleared her throat and tried again: “I think you’re as pure and flawless as a freesia.”
“…” Ji Chaozhou tightened his grip on the watering can and looked at Cheng Liu, his expression unchanged. “What did you say?”
In a moment of crisis, CEO Cheng instinctively changed her tack: “I said, your hands are very fair.”
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