If It’s Wrong, Then It’s Wrong - Chapter 46
Chapter 46: The Sixteenth Day
After careful deliberation and sincere inquiries, CEO Cheng finally had hope.
She felt that Ji Chaozhou might actually like her, even just a little.
This thought fueled her afternoon work, and she finished her tasks with remarkable speed. However, there were an unusually high number of reports to review today, and by the time she was done, it was already dark.
“Senior,” He Bai called out to Cheng Liu, who was hurrying to leave.
“More reports?” Cheng Liu asked, turning around.
He Bai shook his head: “No, I just brought two bottles of wine from home. I wanted to celebrate your housewarming.”
“Thanks,” Cheng Liu said, her mind already elsewhere, not paying attention to the fact that He Bai had mentioned this several times. “We can celebrate later. My new place is a mess with all the renovations.”
Seeing that He Bai still wanted to say something, Cheng Liu waved goodbye: “I’m leaving. See you tomorrow.”
She quickly stepped into the elevator, went down to the parking garage, and drove home.
The temperature was unusually high today. Even with the car windows down, the night air was warm, feeling like summer.
Cheng Liu closed the windows, turned on the air conditioning, and waited for the car in front to move.
She wondered if he had gone to Ranshan today.
As Cheng Liu drove, her mind raced with various thoughts, but the image of Ji Chaozhou’s smile that morning lingered in her memory.
He was usually cold and aloof, like a snow-covered pine tree. That morning, still half-asleep, his amber eyes filled with a sleepy haze, his long, elegant hand resting lazily against the wall, the warmth of the house clinging to him, his hair dark, his lips red. Seeing her, he had smiled, a gentle warmth in his eyes, an almost intimate look.
Cheng Liu couldn't forget that smile.
Arriving at the villas, Cheng Liu glanced through the gap in her gate and saw the lights on in Villa Number Five. Her heart skipped a beat. She turned and drove into her own garage.
As she opened the car door, a wave of heat washed over her.
CEO Cheng tugged at the collar of her hoodie: Perhaps the weather was as passionate as her heart.
Cheng Liu walked over to Villa Number Five, unlocked the gate with her fingerprint, and walked in, trying to appear calm.
There was no new perfume scent in the living room today, only the familiar, cold, and aloof sandalwood fragrance of Ranshan Midu, but it was stronger than usual, as if he had deliberately sprayed it everywhere.
Cheng Liu, her expression giving nothing away, scanned the living room. He wasn't there? But the lights were on.
Not seeing Ji Chaozhou, she felt a pang of disappointment and walked towards the guest room, carrying her bag. Just as she reached the door, the door to the master bedroom across the hallway opened.
Ji Chaozhou stood there, a tall, slender figure.
Perhaps because of the warm weather, there was a healthy flush on his usually pale face.
“I’m back,” Cheng Liu said, turning to meet his gaze, her eyes shining with uncontainable joy.
“Mm,” Ji Chaozhou replied, looking down, avoiding her eyes.
She always seemed so full of energy.
Ji Chaozhou gripped the doorknob. Even with the air conditioning on, the metal felt warm. He looked down at the floor, the hallway suddenly seeming narrow.
Too close. He could smell her scent.
“You…” Cheng Liu stammered, her usual confidence and directness gone in front of Ji Chaozhou. She was hesitant now, afraid of being rejected, of him ignoring her.
Perhaps being friends for now wasn't so bad.
As Ji Chaozhou looked up, his amber eyes meeting hers, Cheng Liu quickly changed her mind: “I’m going to take a shower.” Just being friends for a few hours would do.
She hurried into the guest room, closed the door, and went into the bathroom.
The guest room had its own bathroom, connected to the bedroom, not accessible from the hallway.
Ji Chaozhou stood there for a moment, then turned and walked towards the living room.
He had been at the villa all day, listening to the sounds of renovation next door, not finding it bothersome, the noise only reminding him of the villa's occupant.
Ji Chaozhou sat on the sofa, holding his book, his gaze drifting towards the empty single-seater beside him, lost in thought.
She liked sitting there, using her laptop or her phone.
He could easily tell whether she was working or not.
When Cheng Liu was working, her face was expressionless, the usual warmth and enthusiasm in her eyes replaced by a calm composure, her thoughts hidden.
She often had that look when she was on her phone.
Occasionally, Cheng Liu would hold her phone, her expression serious, as if pondering a difficult problem.
Ji Chaozhou had never seen what she was looking at, but he instinctively knew it wasn’t work-related.
“I’m done,” Cheng Liu said, emerging from the bathroom, her hair wet, her phone in hand, diligently reporting her every move.
CEO Cheng was simply rehearsing for her future married life with a business partner.
Cheng Liu sat down on the single-seater sofa, and Ji Chaozhou felt a strange sense of fullness in his chest, the usual coldness and emptiness receding.
“I wanted to come back and have dinner with you, but there was too much work at the company today,” Cheng Liu said, casually drying her hair with a towel, her words, for a neighbor, strangely intimate. “Should we have dinner together tomorrow? Are you free?”
Ji Chaozhou, looking at her messy hair, wanted to refuse, but his gaze drifted downwards, meeting her eyes, and he pursed his lips, accepting her invitation: “…Yes.”
Cheng Liu’s eyes lit up. This was their third dinner together. She wouldn’t mess it up this time. No staying up late, no working tomorrow – just their date!
She wouldn't fall asleep.
“I…” Cheng Liu, racking her brains, was about to try out a romantic phrase when the entire villa plunged into darkness.
Ji Chaozhou turned on his phone’s flashlight, placing it on the coffee table, casting a faint glow across the living room.
“A power outage?” Cheng Liu asked, also turning on her phone’s flashlight. “I’ll go check.”
Ji Chaozhou followed her silently.
Cheng Liu walked out of the living room, then stopped at the entrance, looking at the darkness outside: “The streetlights are out too. It must be a power outage.”
She turned to Ji Chaozhou: “Let’s go back inside.”
“I haven’t received any notification,” Ji Chaozhou said. He rarely checked his phone, but he hadn’t received any text messages from the power company about an outage.
“Perhaps it’s due to a surge in demand with the sudden temperature increase,” Cheng Liu said, taking his wrist and leading him back inside. “They should fix it soon.”
Ji Chaozhou followed, looking down at his wrist, then, letting her hold his hand, pretending not to notice.
They walked side by side, just a few steps, neither realizing that their hearts were beating in unison.
…
“They’re still working on it,” Cheng Liu said, sitting on the single-seater sofa, checking her phone, and sighing.
Two phone flashlights illuminated the coffee table. The living room was dimly lit, but the cool air from the air conditioning had dissipated, replaced by the warmth from outside.
Cheng Liu felt hot, her wet hair now dry.
Ji Chaozhou, beside her, seemed unaffected by the temperature, not even a bead of sweat on his forehead.
“…It’s cooler in the backyard,” Ji Chaozhou said, looking at Cheng Liu in the dim light. She seemed to dislike the heat.
Cheng Liu immediately stood up: “Let’s go sit outside then.”
They took their phones and walked out to the backyard. A cool breeze greeted them.
Cheng Liu sat down by the pool, dipping her feet in the water, and turned to Ji Chaozhou, waving him over: “It’s cool here.”
Ji Chaozhou paused, then walked over and sat beside her, the water reaching his ankles.
The surface of the water was still warm, but underneath, it was cool.
Cheng Liu leaned back, her hands supporting her weight, and looked up at the night sky: “There are so many stars tonight.”
The night sky was dotted with stars, a beautiful, dreamlike sight.
Ji Chaozhou glanced up, then looked back at Cheng Liu.
She seemed different tonight, since the power outage.
Cheng Liu, after gazing at the stars for a long time, sat up and, turning to Ji Chaozhou, said with a smile, “I loved power outages in high school. Every time the lights went out, I would leave the classroom, look up at the night sky, and watch the stars, forgetting, for a while, the path I had to take.”
Ji Chaozhou paused. He remembered the program host praising Cheng Liu for her journey from a small town, her rise to success, her self-made empire.
He had never experienced such hardships, but tonight, he suddenly understood the hidden struggles beneath her brilliant exterior.
“The night sky was just as beautiful then,” Cheng Liu said, then, struck by a sudden inspiration, she looked at Ji Chaozhou earnestly. “But the stars are different now. Do you know why?”
Ji Chaozhou, having just glimpsed another side of Cheng Liu, felt a strange tightness in his chest. He shook his head and asked softly, “Why?”
Cheng Liu smiled, a smug look on her face: “Because now, I have someone I like.”
She truly was a genius at romantic phrases!
Ji Chaozhou: “…”
Seeing that Cheng Liu was about to speak again, Ji Chaozhou instinctively reached out and covered her mouth, stopping her.
“Mmm?” Cheng Liu, the smug look still on her face, had been about to continue, riding the wave of her inspiration, but her beloved had just silenced her.
“Don’t talk,” the handsome young man beside her said, his expression neutral.
Cheng Liu fell silent, staring at Ji Chaozhou, her dark eyes filled with a deep fascination.
Ji Chaozhou, feeling the heat of her gaze, realized what he had done and quickly withdrew his hand, but he couldn't look away.
His palm was warm, the memory of her soft skin lingering.
Ji Chaozhou unconsciously glanced at Cheng Liu’s lips, their pale pink color, then, realizing what he was doing, he quickly looked up at her eyes.
The two actions, one after the other, were almost seductive.
Cheng Liu, already captivated, was completely mesmerized by his gaze, and she leaned closer.
Ji Chaozhou’s hand gripped the edge of the pool, the unmown grass pricking his skin, but it couldn’t erase the lingering warmth of her touch.
He sensed her approach, his eyelashes fluttering, but he couldn’t look away, as if avoiding her gaze would somehow erase the situation.
They were so close now, Ji Chaozhou could feel her breath, hear the beating of her heart, or perhaps it was his own.
Ji Chaozhou’s Adam’s apple bobbed, but he didn't move back.
Cheng Liu’s nose touched his, a cool, soft touch. She even nuzzled against him slightly, and Ji Chaozhou, unable to resist, opened his eyes, meeting her gaze, a mix of fascination and a gentle smile in her dark eyes.
In the moonlight, sitting by the shimmering blue pool, their shadows merged, intertwined, almost embracing.
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