If It’s Wrong, Then It’s Wrong - Chapter 41
Chapter 41: The Fourteenth Day
A Day in the Life of CEOs had recently premiered. Its popularity was moderate, largely relying on the popular actress Yun Fei as the host to attract viewers. The first guest had been Li Dong, the CEO of Dongchu Hotels.
The director was shrewd, having deliberately invited Li Dong for the gossip potential.
Li Dong’s wife was Yang Fanyu, a famous actress, and Yun Fei had debuted with the nickname "Little Fanyu." This created ample opportunity for speculation and discussion.
And Li Dong had lived up to expectations, staring at Yun Fei for a considerable amount of time at the beginning of the program.
The live stream chat was filled with comments about Li Dong being captivated by Yun Fei, and A Day in the Life of CEOs quickly trended on several social media platforms, even piggybacking on Yang Fanyu's popularity.
Yang Fanyu was furious with Li Dong for not realizing the director's intentions and signing up for two episodes. She hadn’t calmed down even after several days.
But this didn’t stop the viewership of the first episode’s replay from steadily increasing.
Yesterday, the program had announced its next guest: the founder of Shenyin Technology.
Early this morning, the number of live viewers had already far surpassed the total views of the first episode. After all, a video clip of Shenyin Technology’s founder from a press conference had been circulating online, replayed countless times, with no new footage available.
Who wasn’t curious about this young founder? Especially since she was attractive, her looks surpassing even those in the entertainment industry, let alone compared to a group of middle-aged CEOs. Her appearance alone was a major draw.
As soon as the live stream began, the comments flooded Yun Fei’s phone screen.
[So excited to see the founder!]
[Impressive that they managed to get Shenyin Technology. Do they even need the publicity?]
[Wait, is CEO Cheng growing saplings in her yard?]
[Not what I expected. The yard looks pretty ordinary.]
[There’s a ladder by the wall. So down-to-earth. Can’t imagine CEO Cheng climbing a ladder.]
[I’ve rewatched that press conference clip countless times. Total CEO vibes! Eye candy galore.]
[CEO Cheng appeared in the news for a few seconds during a formal meeting. She looked stunning. It was like the camera suddenly switched from a serious conference to a glamorous red carpet event.]
Yun Fei, holding her phone, could see the comments instantly. In the previous episode, everyone had been praising her, but this time, even before Cheng Liu had appeared, all the attention was on her.
Feeling annoyed, and remembering that Ji Chaozhou lived next door, Yun Fei mentioned the genius perfumer of Ranshan, hoping to redirect the viewers’ attention.
She didn't think she was doing anything wrong. The program wouldn't reveal any address information, and she could even promote Ranshan for Ji Chaozhou, subtly hinting at their connection.
As expected, the comments began to shift.
[Ranshan Midu! My favorite perfume! Does the perfumer really live next door? Can the program invite him next time?]
[Does Yun Fei know the perfumer?]
[I looked it up. The perfumer of Ranshan Midu seems to be young as well, but there are no photos.]
Yun Fei was pleased to see the topic shift towards Ranshan, and she was about to say something more ambiguous when she noticed several new comments.
[!!! There’s someone on the wall!!!]
[Holy crap! Look at the wall!!!]
Yun Fei instinctively looked up at the wall in the video and saw someone squatting there. She jumped, nearly dropping her phone.
The comments exploded, everyone shocked by the unexpected appearance.
Who would have thought CEO Cheng would make such a dramatic entrance!
Climbing over the wall! That kind of agility took practice.
Just moments ago, viewers had been commenting that they couldn’t imagine CEO Cheng climbing a ladder. Now, they were witnessing her scaling a wall.
Yun Fei, standing below the wall, stared at Cheng Liu, who was perched on top. Before she could speak, a familiar voice came from next door. She recognized it immediately; it was Ji Chaozhou.
Even though his voice was still clear and calm, there was an undeniable familiarity in his tone, a gentleness Yun Fei had never heard him use with anyone before.
Realizing that Cheng Liu had climbed over from next door, Yun Fei's face instantly darkened.
…
Next door, the doorbell had been ringing for a while. Ji Chaozhou was about to remind Cheng Liu when she suddenly stood up, hiked up her trousers, and, before he could stop her, sprinted towards the wall and climbed over.
—Her movements were swift and agile.
Ji Chaozhou: “…”
He had chosen a light, loose-fitting yet still formal suit for her, not to facilitate wall-climbing.
Ji Chaozhou thought that would be the end of it, but Cheng Liu remained perched on the wall.
He frowned and walked towards the wall, looking up at her: “What’s wrong?”
Cheng Liu, hearing Ji Chaozhou’s voice, snapped back to reality. She looked at him, quickly winked, and placed a finger to her lips, signaling for him to be quiet.
Ji Chaozhou vaguely understood that there was a film crew next door and remained silent.
Cheng Liu turned back, placed one hand on the wall, and jumped down, casually greeting the cameras: “Good morning.”
CEO Cheng, having weathered the awkward encounter at the mall, was unfazed.
She thought calmly: Just climbing a wall. Nothing to be afraid of.
The little incident would soon be forgotten, she thought, unaware that the live stream chat had exploded, her wall-climbing feat already captured and turned into a GIF, circulating online.
[What’s going on? Why did the founder of Shenyin Technology climb over from next door early in the morning? Didn't they just say the genius perfumer of Ranshan lives next door?]
[I get it now. Yun Fei was definitely hinting at a connection between them.]
Yun Fei’s face turned pale: …She wasn’t!
[Damn, CEO Cheng is so cool! That jump just stole my heart!]
[CEO Cheng is not only young and successful, but also apparently skilled at wall-climbing.]
[Didn't anyone notice the perfumer’s voice was really nice?]
[It was, you can imagine he must be handsome.]
[Not necessarily. People with nice voices are usually ugly.]
Cheng Liu took Yun Fei’s hand, intending to lead the camera away from the wall, then, seeing the comments, she frowned. How did the viewers know who lived next door?
She glanced at Yun Fei, suspecting she had said something.
Cheng Liu snatched the phone from Yun Fei, looked directly into the camera, and said, “He’s not ugly.”
Having said that, she quickly looked away, as if she had simply been defending her neighbor.
[Ahhh! CEO Cheng's beauty is blinding!]
[Screenshotted!]
[So the genius perfumer of Ranshan is handsome?]
[What’s the relationship between CEO Cheng and the perfumer? Why did she come over from next door so early in the morning?]
“We’re neighbors. I went next door to see his flowers,” Cheng Liu said calmly, her tone casual, her expression giving nothing away.
She held the phone in one hand and placed her other arm around Yun Fei, practically dragging her inside, taking control of the situation.
The director, finally reacting, signaled for the camera crew to follow.
Cheng Liu turned the phone camera, showing the viewers the living room: “This is my home. I just moved in a few days ago, so it’s still a bit messy. Please excuse the clutter.”
The viewers, unaware that Ji Chaozhou had also recently moved in, assumed they had just met.
The comments about the Ranshan perfumer gradually disappeared, everyone's attention now on Cheng Liu's home.
“This is the first floor. The second floor isn’t ready yet, so I won’t be showing you around,” Cheng Liu said, abandoning her earlier plan to showcase the entire villa. She didn’t want to involve Ji Chaozhou too much.
Yun Fei stood awkwardly in the living room, her phone confiscated, unable to interject.
“I hear many of you are curious about Shenyin Technology,” Cheng Liu said with a smile, after a brief tour of the first floor, her tone polite and professional. “I’ll be taking you to the company shortly.”
She covered the phone camera with her hand, signaling for the director and camera crew to cut the live stream.
As soon as the live stream ended, Cheng Liu turned to the director, a faint smile on her face: “I didn’t know your program offered a buy-one-get-one-free deal. I haven’t heard anything about inviting the Ranshan perfumer.”
The director instinctively looked at Yun Fei, then quickly apologized to Cheng Liu: “CEO Cheng, we didn’t know the genius perfumer of Ranshan lived next door. We’ll be more careful next time.”
So it was Yun Fei’s doing, as expected.
Cheng Liu tossed the phone back to Yun Fei. As she walked past her, she leaned in and whispered, “Don’t try that again.”
Yun Fei caught the phone, staring at Cheng Liu’s back, anger flaring in her eyes. This was the second time Cheng Liu had ruined her plans.
First at the airport, disrupting her carefully orchestrated scene, and now, stealing the spotlight during the live stream.
Cheng Liu got into the program crew’s car, where the cameras had already been set up. Yun Fei followed, sitting beside her.
They drove a short distance away from the villa complex to avoid revealing the address, resuming the live stream once they reached the main road.
Cheng Liu took out her phone, leaned against the car door, lowered the window to avoid reflections, and quickly sent two messages before putting it away.
During the drive, Yun Fei interviewed Cheng Liu, asking questions about the company’s development and other business-related topics.
Cheng Liu answered patiently, her earlier coldness gone, occasionally even helping Yun Fei smooth over any awkward phrasing in her questions.
Yun Fei seethed silently. She hadn't expected Cheng Liu to be so skilled at maintaining a pleasant façade. The comments were now filled with praise for Cheng Liu.
[CEO Cheng is so thoughtful, even helping Yun Fei with her questions.]
[Yun Fei isn't a professional host after all. Her skills are lacking.]
[I used to think Yun Fei was so elegant and glamorous, but CEO Cheng doesn't seem overshadowed at all.]
[CEO Cheng has the face of a true leader. A single glance from her, and she seems to command the world.]
When they arrived at Shenyin Technology, Yun Fei got out of the car with her phone, Cheng Liu following closely behind.
A gust of wind blew, and Yun Fei, wearing only a thin red dress, shivered, goosebumps rising on her skin, her hair tousled. She quickly reached up to smooth it down.
Cheng Liu, in her gray suit jacket and v-neck sweater, her hair tied back in a low ponytail, seemed unaffected by the wind.
“Are you cold?” Cheng Liu asked Yun Fei, raising an eyebrow.
Yun Fei, glancing at the comments, bit her lip: “A little.”
Cheng Liu nodded knowingly, patted Yun Fei’s goosebump-covered shoulder, and said earnestly, “Remember to dress warmer next time.”
“…” Yun Fei forced a smile, cursing silently.
In front of the camera, Cheng Liu’s actions were perfectly calculated, a masterclass in manipulation.
Her overall demeanor was thoughtful and composed, yet with small, “genuine” flaws in her behavior, making her seem relatable while still exuding the charisma of a successful CEO.
These “flaws” only added to her charm, making her seem more authentic.
Yun Fei looked at the comments; as expected, they were filled with praise for Cheng Liu.
[Ahhh, CEO Cheng is so cute!]
[LOL, I thought CEO Cheng was going to take off her jacket and give it to Yun Fei.]
[Good thing CEO Cheng is a woman, otherwise, this would be too shippable!]
[Yun Fei is definitely underdressed today. Her makeup is too heavy as well. And why isn't she dressed more formally for an interview with a CEO? Which host would dress like that?]
[CEO Cheng isn’t like those other CEOs. She’s so young. No need to be so stuffy.]
[Did Yun Fei dress like that because she was afraid of being overshadowed by CEO Cheng?]
[She’s still overshadowed, even with all that effort.]
Yun Fei, reading the comments, felt her blood pressure rise.
This was her first direct confrontation with Cheng Liu, and she was losing miserably.
…
Ji Chaozhou sat on the sofa in his living room, quietly looking at his WeChat messages.
Cheng Liu: [We’re leaving now. No cameras. You can come out.]
Cheng Liu: [Sorry.]
He didn’t actually mind the intrusion, and it wasn't her fault.
But…
Ji Chaozhou lowered his long eyelashes, his hand pressed against his chest, a strange feeling stirring within him.
After a while, he searched for the live stream and clicked on it, just as Cheng Liu was being interviewed in the car.
The bright smile was gone from her eyes, replaced by a calm, composed look, a polished mask. The gray suit she was wearing exuded an air of elegance and authority.
She sat in the car, answering Yun Fei’s questions flawlessly.
This Cheng Liu was completely different from the one he had seen, unlike the focused and serious woman in the warehouse, or the cheerful neighbor in his yard. This Cheng Liu was a seasoned businesswoman, a skilled negotiator.
Ji Chaozhou watched as Cheng Liu got out of the car, the polite smile on her face unchanging.
Perhaps the viewers didn't notice, but he suddenly understood.
—She wasn’t happy.
Heh so he noticed 🙈🙈
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