If It’s Wrong, Then It’s Wrong - Chapter 50
Chapter 50: The Eighteenth Day
The living room was filled with a complex mix of scents. Initially cool and light, it gradually became bitter and sour, the two scents vying for dominance. A faint sweetness lingered beneath, but it was quickly overwhelmed by the returning bitterness and sourness, almost imperceptible.
Ji Chaozhou sat on the floor, leaning against the table leg, enveloped by the bitter, sour fragrance, looking down at the message Cheng Liu had sent that morning.
She hadn’t sent anything else since.
Perhaps she was annoyed by his lack of response, or perhaps she was simply busy.
Having finished blending his perfume, Ji Chaozhou found himself caught between these conflicting thoughts. After a while, he wanted to reply to Cheng Liu, but he couldn’t find the right words.
The morning was long gone; it was almost evening now. Replying with the same greeting wouldn't be appropriate, but asking something else felt too intimate.
Ji Chaozhou had never experienced these conflicting emotions before. Yun Se's words echoed in his mind, the memories of the past resurfacing, yet the image of Cheng Liu's smiling eyes was even clearer now.
He clicked on Cheng Liu’s profile picture, intending to simply look at it, but the interface changed, showing her profile information.
Ji Chaozhou rarely interacted with people, let alone used Moments. He knew about it, but he had never looked at anyone’s feed before.
His gaze fell on the Moments link beneath her profile picture, and, after a moment’s hesitation, he clicked on it.
Three posts from April stood out, each related to him.
Ji Chaozhou looked at the post from April 2nd. She hadn’t deleted it…even though he wasn’t her boyfriend.
For some reason, Ji Chaozhou remembered Cheng Liu's contact name for him: "Boyfriend."
—Was it because she didn’t care, because it wasn't a big deal, so she hadn't bothered to delete it?
Ji Chaozhou scrolled down. She didn’t post often. He quickly reached the bottom. The earliest post seemed to be from her high school graduation, a photo of her diploma, the caption simply: “Graduated.”
The next post was Shenyin Technology’s business license, three years later, followed by a photo of her university diploma, another year after that.
Before this April, her Moments posts had only been about major life events, years apart. But in just half of April, she had posted three times, each related to him.
Ji Chaozhou’s finger, scrolling on the screen, suddenly felt hot.
He tried to ignore the conclusion forming in his mind.
Finally, Ji Chaozhou sent a message: [Okay.]
A simple acknowledgement of her morning greeting.
He sat there, waiting, but Cheng Liu didn’t reply.
Ji Chaozhou slowly stood up, placing his phone on the table. The new perfume on the workbench smelled bitter and sour. After a while, he capped the bottle, trying to clear his mind.
Just then, the doorbell rang.
Ji Chaozhou instinctively looked towards the door, then quickly realized it wasn't Cheng Liu.
She always rang the doorbell twice, in quick succession.
The doorbell had only rung once. It wasn't her.
Ji Chaozhou hesitated, not immediately checking the security monitor. He was reluctant, wondering if it was Aunt Yun.
A while later, the doorbell rang again.
Ji Chaozhou walked over and checked the monitor. It wasn't Cheng Liu; it was Ji Mushan.
…
Ji Mushan, having left the company, had been thinking about checking on his son and, without realizing it, had rung the doorbell.
He immediately regretted it, worried about disturbing Chaozhou, but then he rang it again.
The lights were on in the living room, but no one came to open the door.
Ji Mushan stood there, not surprised, yet a strange sadness settled over him.
Thinking back, their most harmonious day had been on the 6th, the day of Cheng Liu's misunderstanding, when, for once, they had acted like a normal father and son.
Just as Ji Mushan was about to turn and leave, the door suddenly opened. Ji Chaozhou stood there.
“…Did I disturb you?” Ji Mushan asked, trying to suppress his surprise and joy.
Ji Chaozhou stepped aside: “No.”
Seeing his son invite him in, the frown lines on Ji Mushan’s forehead softened. Despite his perfectly tailored suit, the tall, imposing man seemed awkward, his movements clumsy.
“Have you had dinner?” Ji Mushan asked, then quickly added, “Not trying to control you, just…it’s not good to skip meals.”
Ji Chaozhou walked ahead, thinking of Cheng Liu. She would say similar things, always ordering food for him, insisting he eat.
“I’m not hungry,” Ji Chaozhou said, turning slightly.
Ji Mushan paused, surprised not only by Ji Chaozhou’s willingness to speak, but also by the subtle vulnerability in his tone.
“Are you…not feeling well?” Ji Mushan asked tentatively. “Have something light, at least. I can order for you. I haven’t eaten either.”
Seeing that Ji Chaozhou didn’t object, Ji Mushan quickly ordered takeout. When he looked up, his son was already inside.
Ji Mushan felt like it was his lucky day. Chaozhou’s attitude had softened considerably. He entered the living room and, like Yun Se, immediately noticed the jacket on the single-seater sofa.
Unlike Yun Se, Ji Mushan recognized it immediately as Cheng Liu’s.
She had been wearing that same jacket at the auction, bidding against him, then giving the item to his son.
Ji Mushan remembered it clearly, the pilling on the sleeves, the ink stains, identical to the jacket on his sofa.
Had their relationship already progressed to this point?
Ji Mushan suppressed his surprise, then, noticing the lingering fragrance in the living room, he paused.
“Chaozhou, are you working on a new fragrance?” Ji Mushan asked, a complex mix of emotions swirling within him.
Few people knew, but he was aware of Chaozhou’s talent for perfumery, inherited from his mother, his creations reflecting his emotions.
This scent in the living room…
…Was his son…in love with Cheng Liu?
Ji Mushan’s head started to ache. His usual composure faltered: “Cheng Liu, she…”
Ji Chaozhou, who had been putting away his perfumery tools, looked up, his voice cold and indifferent: “Are you going to say the same thing as Aunt Yun, that she’s ruthless and cold-hearted because of her success?”
Ji Mushan, about to launch into an analysis of Cheng Liu’s character, froze: “I…”
“I can decide for myself what kind of person she is,” Ji Chaozhou said, his voice sharp, cutting him off. “I don’t want to hear it.”
He remembered Cheng Liu by the pool that night, looking up at the stars, a fleeting moment of vulnerability and longing in her eyes.
“Did Aunt Yun say something to you?” Ji Mushan asked, instinctively defending himself. “I was just going to say that Cheng Liu seems to like good-looking people. You…you could try. It wouldn't hurt.”
A forty-something-year-old man, having barely spoken to his son for years, now awkwardly trying to give him dating advice, felt incredibly uncomfortable.
He didn't want Chaozhou to silently pine for someone, and he remembered Cheng Liu mistaking his son for her boyfriend, which suggested she approved of his looks, at least.
Ji Mushan's words hung in the air, an awkward silence filling the living room.
Seemingly encouraged by the silence, Ji Mushan, his stern face flushed with embarrassment, continued his awkward guidance: “I heard Cheng Liu fell in love with her boyfriend at first sight. You’re just as handsome as Wang Hongyang. You could…express your feelings. Don’t keep them bottled up.”
The memory of the gaudy gold plaque and bars in the car trunk that day was still fresh in Ji Mushan’s mind. He suddenly remembered something: “Did Cheng Liu and Wang Hongyang break up?”
They probably had. One had cheated, the other had mistaken someone else for him for days. Neither seemed to actually like the other.
Ji Chaozhou, after a long pause, finally spoke: “They broke up. And I’m not…pining for anyone.”
“Chaozhou, your scent doesn't lie,” Ji Mushan said, trying to reassure his son. “There’s nothing wrong with having a crush. But some feelings…you have to fight for.”
He then added, “Don’t worry about what Aunt Yun said. Everyone’s different.”
Ji Mushan hadn’t expected Chaozhou to have a crush on Cheng Liu, but she was indeed capable and charismatic, attractive in her own way.
Silence filled the living room again. Ji Chaozhou looked at the test tube in his hand. He knew everyone was different, but he was worried…worried about hurting Cheng Liu in the end.
Finally, the doorbell, announcing the arrival of their takeout, broke the silence.
The atmosphere, though strange, was peaceful. Ji Mushan, his anxiety easing slightly, even served his son some food.
“But that jacket…” Ji Mushan asked tentatively. “How did it end up here?”
Surely his son hadn't taken it without her knowledge.
Ji Mushan, having been quite popular in his youth, had seen his fair share of unusual behavior. He had heard of people doing strange things when they had a crush.
“She left it here,” Ji Chaozhou said. He hadn’t put the jacket back in the guest room, as if keeping it there meant she would return soon.
“She left it?” Ji Mushan said, misinterpreting his son’s words, and offering a plan. “You could use that as an excuse to go next door and see her.”
Ji Chaozhou paused, his chopsticks in his hand, and looked at Ji Mushan, his voice calm: “There’s no need. Cheng Liu will come get it herself. She’s staying in the guest room.”
“…The guest room?” Ji Mushan asked, after a long pause, pointing at the floor. “Here?”
“Her place is being renovated,” Ji Chaozhou said, his expression unchanged, repeating Cheng Liu’s excuse. “She said there’s too much dust.”
Ji Mushan put down his chopsticks, piecing together the situation, then carefully asked the crucial question: “Can’t Cheng Liu afford a hotel? I thought she had an apartment. Why is she staying in your guest room?”
Ji Chaozhou remained silent. He had guessed the reason, but she hadn't said it aloud, so he pretended not to know.
“You two…” Ji Mushan sighed. This wasn’t a crush at all. “Chaozhou, don’t overthink things. Follow your heart.”
Before he could continue, his phone rang. It was someone from the company.
He answered, listening to the report.
A few minutes later, Ji Mushan’s face changed, and he looked at Ji Chaozhou, turning slightly to speak into the phone: “Are you sure about this? Where did you hear it?”
After a pause, he asked, “What’s Shenyin Technology doing?”
Ji Chaozhou, hearing “Shenyin,” looked at Ji Mushan. Was it something about Cheng Liu?
A while later, Ji Mushan hung up, his expression grim: “Chaozhou, check the trending topics. Something happened at Shenyin Technology.”
Ji Chaozhou paused, picked up his phone, opened Weibo, and saw the top trending topic, a negative news story about Shenyin Technology.
#ShenyinTechnologyFatalSystemFlawCausesFamilyCarCrash#
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