If It’s Wrong, Then It’s Wrong - Chapter 40
Chapter 40: The Fourteenth Day
As Cheng Liu spoke, her hands gripped the top of the wall, her eyes shining with an irresistible anticipation as she looked at Ji Chaozhou.
Perhaps it was the bright morning sunlight.
Ji Chaozhou instinctively averted his gaze, not looking at her. He lowered his head and watered the flowers, not replying.
Cheng Liu simply climbed over the wall, landing gracefully beside Ji Chaozhou, and asked directly, “I’m going to be on a program tomorrow and need to buy some clothes. Will you come with me?”
Ji Chaozhou looked at the clothes she wore every day, the same style, not even a different color: “…”
Some people truly had questionable taste in clothing.
Ji Chaozhou took a few steps to the side, putting some distance between them, then continued watering the flowers, asking softly, “When are you going?”
“We can go now,” Cheng Liu said cheerfully.
Her neighbor was so kind and helpful, truly a wonderful person, worthy of her affections, his character noble and pure.
Ji Chaozhou looked at her and said calmly, “After I finish watering the plants.”
“Okay,” Cheng Liu said, happily going to the left side of the yard to fill the hideous red watering can.
She had taken the watering can Ji Chaozhou had given her back to her own villa, treating it like a precious treasure, using it to water the saplings in her yard, completely ignoring his intentions.
…
“What kind of program is it?” Ji Chaozhou asked in the car. A formal event would require a dress, a conference or program, a suit.
Cheng Liu drove, waiting for a red light before opening her phone and showing him the message: “This one.”
Ji Chaozhou took her phone, looked at the program title, and paused. It was the one Yun Fei had mentioned.
This program usually featured companies that needed publicity.
But Shenyin Technology's reputation, both within the industry and among the public, didn't require any promotion. He remembered hearing a news report mentioning that Shenyin’s founder preferred to stay out of the spotlight.
“Why are you suddenly participating in this program?” Ji Chaozhou asked Cheng Liu.
Cheng Liu replied casually, “Mr. Li, the one who sold us the villas, got kicked out of his house because of this program, so he asked me to take his place for the next episode.”
She didn't mention that her real motive was to subtly showcase her wealth and status to him.
Ji Chaozhou wasn't interested in other people’s gossip and was about to return her phone.
Just then, the light turned green, and Cheng Liu quickly released the brake and accelerated. Ji Chaozhou’s hand slipped, the phone sliding in his palm. As he instinctively tightened his grip, his thumb brushed against the screen, exiting the assistant director’s message.
Ji Chaozhou looked down and saw the three characters at the top of the WeChat main screen: Boyfriend.
His gaze instantly turned cold, then he paused, noticing the profile picture.
—It was his own WeChat profile picture.
Cheng Liu, oblivious, continued driving, excitedly thinking about how to subtly flaunt her wealth during tomorrow's program.
Ji Chaozhou, realizing what he had seen, pressed the power button, placed the phone in the storage compartment, and pretended not to have noticed. But the phone felt warm in his hand, the heat spreading from his fingertips to his ears.
He casually turned his head to look out the window, his hand resting on his knee, his fingers curling slightly.
He couldn’t understand why she had that contact name.
…
Cheng Liu didn’t go to the mall they had visited before. This time, she chose one with women’s clothing on the first floor, so they didn’t have to go upstairs.
After parking, Cheng Liu took out her phone, intending to check the time, then, seeing her WeChat main screen, she panicked.
She discreetly glanced at Ji Chaozhou. He didn't seem to have reacted. Perhaps he hadn’t seen it, or perhaps he had.
Cheng Liu thought for a moment, then decided to explain first, not wanting to leave a bad impression.
She opened her phone in front of Ji Chaozhou, pretending to have just noticed: “I mistook someone for you before, and I forgot to change the contact name.”
Ji Chaozhou stopped, his beautiful amber eyes fixed on Cheng Liu for a moment, then he asked, “What contact name?”
He hadn’t seen it!
CEO Cheng was relieved. She wouldn't change it then, waving her hand dismissively: “It’s not important.”
As soon as she said that, Cheng Liu felt the air around them grow colder, but Ji Chaozhou had already turned and walked towards the mall entrance, so she quickly followed.
…
The entire first floor was filled with women’s clothing, so they didn’t have to go upstairs.
This was the first time Cheng Liu had put any effort into choosing clothes for herself, but she clearly had no fashion sense. To her, any piece of clothing she could put on was considered fashionable.
Ji Chaozhou stood silently by the clothing racks, choosing clothes for her.
This program didn't require anything too formal, but Cheng Liu's usual casual attire wouldn't do either.
“This black dress is perfect for the transition from spring to summer, and it can be worn casually as well,” the sales assistant said, looking at the handsome young man and explaining, “Your girlfriend is tall and slender. It would look great on her.”
Cheng Liu, hearing the word “girlfriend,” beamed and immediately said, “We’ll take it!”
“We’re not dating,” Ji Chaozhou said coldly, glancing at Cheng Liu. “The material is thin and easily damaged.”
Someone who could scribble on their sleeves and climb walls probably wouldn’t be able to keep a delicate dress intact for more than a day.
“Then we won’t buy it,” Cheng Liu said, immediately changing her mind, clearly believing that whatever Ji Chaozhou said was right.
The sales assistant looked at the cold, handsome young man, then at the beaming Cheng Liu, puzzled: If they weren't a couple, were they siblings? They didn't look alike, though both were attractive.
Ji Chaozhou picked out an outfit and handed it to Cheng Liu: “Try this on.”
“Okay,” Cheng Liu said, taking the clothes and going into the fitting room.
When she came out, the sales assistant offered a genuine compliment: “It looks great on you.”
Cheng Liu’s long legs were accentuated by the silver-buckled belt on the trousers, and the small embroidery on the collar of the white shirt added a touch of delicate detail.
“Is this one okay?” Cheng Liu asked Ji Chaozhou, already imagining herself wearing this outfit to the office every day, subtly showing it off.
Ji Chaozhou’s gaze fell on Cheng Liu’s hand, which unconsciously kept tugging at the collar of her shirt. He shook his head: “Try something else.”
While Cheng Liu was changing, he checked the weather forecast for tomorrow.
Sunny, 12°C to 15°C.
She would need a jacket.
When Cheng Liu came out again, she was still tugging at her clothes, clearly uncomfortable in the more fitted attire, used to wearing loose-fitting clothes.
“Do you have anything else?” Cheng Liu asked. Although she wasn't comfortable in these clothes, as long as Ji Chaozhou had chosen them, she was happy to wear them.
This time, Ji Chaozhou chose a different style, more relaxed yet still formal, without a shirt, and had Cheng Liu try it on.
Style wasn't just about the clothes, but also the hair.
When Cheng Liu came out again, Ji Chaozhou looked at her for a moment, then walked over and removed her hair tie. Her black, shoulder-length hair cascaded down, a few strands clinging to his fingers as he withdrew his hand.
Cool and smooth, soft and fine, not at all like Cheng Liu herself.
Cheng Liu looked up at him, puzzled, not understanding what he was doing.
The sales assistant watched them, increasingly suspicious. They really weren't a couple?
Ji Chaozhou withdrew his hand: “This outfit looks better with your hair down.”
Cheng Liu hesitated. She disliked having her hair down, finding it obstructive, but if Ji Chaozhou said so, she could tolerate it for a day.
“We’re not getting this one,” Ji Chaozhou said, his gaze lingering on her forehead. He opened his hand, revealing the hair tie. “Tie your hair back up.”
“Oh,” Cheng Liu said, taking the hair tie and quickly tying her hair back.
Ji Chaozhou chose another outfit for her: “Try this one.”
It was a slightly loose-fitting, black, v-neck sweater, paired with a light gray, slightly shimmering suit jacket. The material was smooth and high-quality.
When Cheng Liu came out, she didn't fidget with her clothes, seemingly comfortable in the new outfit.
It fit her perfectly. The suit jacket wasn't too fitted, and the loose sweater underneath gave it a relaxed, casual yet still formal look, perfect for tomorrow’s program.
Ji Chaozhou then chose a pair of black leather shoes for her, with a black and white checkered pattern on the soles, a subtle yet eye-catching detail.
He had never chosen clothes for anyone before, yet he did it with effortless ease.
“I’ll wear this for the program tomorrow then,” Cheng Liu said, looking at herself in the mirror.
“…Mm,” Ji Chaozhou said, looking away.
When she wasn’t smiling, she seemed like a different person, not as approachable as usual.
Cheng Liu went back to change, then, after paying, insisted on treating Ji Chaozhou to dinner as a thank you.
Shopping and dinner – CEO Cheng finally experienced the joys of a “date”!
…
Yun Fei was delighted when she learned that Cheng Liu would be the subject of the next program. Ji Chaozhou lived next door, so she would have a chance to see him.
And since the program was live, Yun Fei couldn’t resist scheming.
The director was thrilled when he learned about the change. He stayed up all night preparing, even posting a teaser on Weibo.
Both the first-ever glimpse inside Shenyin Technology's headquarters and its founder’s first program appearance were major selling points.
Their program usually featured middle-aged CEOs, mostly ordinary-looking men, but Cheng Liu was young and attractive.
So, the day before filming, Yun Fei tried on countless outfits, finally settling on a red dress, its vibrant color meant to ensure she wouldn't be overshadowed by Cheng Liu.
The next morning, Yun Fei arrived early at the villa, the filming crew having received Cheng Liu’s address – Villa Number Six – and gone ahead to set up.
They needed to prepare the cameras and lighting in advance, so they arrived early.
But at that moment, Cheng Liu was next door, diligently pruning the dead leaves from her saplings, her attention so focused she had even squatted down to examine their roots.
“Cheng Liu,” Ji Chaozhou said, frowning at Cheng Liu, who was squatting beside the grapefruit saplings, seemingly engrossed in something. “Someone’s ringing your doorbell.”
“Oh,” Cheng Liu said, slowly standing up. She walked halfway to the gate, then stopped, turning back to Ji Chaozhou: “Stay here, so they don’t find out you live next door.”
Just then, the program crew, having accidentally opened the gate, assuming Cheng Liu had left it unlocked, walked in.
The director immediately signaled for the cameraman to start recording and gave Yun Fei a cue to begin.
“Good morning, everyone. I’m standing in front of the residence of Cheng Liu, the founder of Shenyin Technology,” Yun Fei said, her long, wavy hair cascading down her shoulders, her red lipstick vibrant and striking. She deliberately led the camera towards the wall, then, holding her phone and looking at the comments, she said, “Let me tell you a little secret. The genius perfumer behind Ranshan Midu lives right next door.”
The director, standing behind the camera, was surprised. He hadn't known this.
The program wouldn't show any identifying details like house numbers. Yun Fei was simply trying to draw attention to her connection with Ji Chaozhou.
As expected, some viewers commented that they wanted to see the genius perfumer.
“Today's program is about the founder of Shenyin Technology, so let’s stay focused. Perhaps another time I’ll…”
Just then, CEO Cheng, having decided not to use the main gate, suddenly appeared on the wall, face to face with Yun Fei’s phone camera. The camera behind Yun Fei captured her climbing over the wall with practiced ease.
“Holy shit!” the director blurted out.
Yun Fei nearly dropped her phone in shock.
Cheng Liu was equally startled, not expecting them to be inside her yard. She was now stuck on the wall, unsure whether to climb down or jump.
But then she figured it didn’t matter. No one knew who lived next door anyway.
Just then, a clear, pleasant voice came from next door: “What’s going on?”
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