If It’s Wrong, Then It’s Wrong - Chapter 65
Chapter 65: The Twenty-Third Day
The black ribbon fell silently to the floor.
Cheng Liu, slightly dazed, realized: The rapid heartbeat she had heard earlier hadn’t been hers.
Ji Chaozhou, fueled by a flicker of anger, had bitten Cheng Liu's lip, but the bite had softened into something else entirely.
Their breaths deepened, the air around them thick with unspoken intimacy.
Ji Chaozhou, inexperienced in kissing, not wanting to reveal his awkwardness, pulled away slightly after a gentle nuzzle, trying to create some distance between them.
At that moment, Cheng Liu finally reacted: He had kissed her!
As Ji Chaozhou pulled away, the soft, warm touch on Cheng Liu’s lips vanished. She looked up, meeting his still somewhat cool gaze, a hazy mist in his beautiful amber eyes.
Cheng Liu instinctively leaned closer, her head tilting slightly, her nose brushing against his. Ji Chaozhou moved back, she followed, but he retreated again, creating a sliver of space between them.
His slow, deliberate retreat, more of an invitation than a rejection, drawing Cheng Liu closer with each movement.
She placed her hand on his neck, stopping him from moving back any further, and kissed him.
No biting, just the most intimate of touches.
Cheng Liu, a quick learner, adept at mastering new skills, didn't mind revealing her inexperience, boldly exploring, practicing.
When she felt breathless, she pulled away slightly, placing a gentle kiss on his cheek, nuzzling against his chin, then returning to his lips.
Ji Chaozhou’s long eyelashes lowered, one hand resting on the sofa, his knuckles tinged with pink, his long fingers slightly curled, the veins prominent, his fingertips pressing into the fabric.
He didn’t understand, only that Cheng Liu seemed more experienced than he was.
The thought of Cheng Liu having done the same with Wang Hongyang sparked a flicker of anger in his eyes, and he bit down on her lower lip.
Cheng Liu gasped, pulling away, a hint of grievance in her voice: “Why did you bite me again?”
Ji Chaozhou looked up at her, his eyes cold: “You don’t like it?”
“…I do,” Cheng Liu replied, feeling like she was answering a trick question. She thought for a moment. “But next time, could you bite somewhere else?”
Twice on the same spot wasn’t ideal. She had to work tomorrow.
Ji Chaozhou turned his head away, not looking at her. He picked up the black ribbon from the floor, tossed it to Cheng Liu, and said, “You should go.”
CEO Cheng sighed inwardly: Why did he turn cold after the kiss?
“Chaozhou,” Cheng Liu said, her voice suddenly serious. “I like…mm?”
She had been planning to confess, hoping to finally define their relationship, but Ji Chaozhou had covered her mouth, stopping her.
The faint blush on his ears vanished, his expression even colder than usual. He removed his hand: “I don’t want to hear it.”
He didn’t want such a simple confession.
“Oh,” Cheng Liu said, not asking why. Instead, she asked directly, “Can I…kiss you again?”
Ji Chaozhou was suddenly silent, a sharp pang in his chest, followed by a dull ache. He looked up at Cheng Liu, his voice cold: “Did you say the same thing to Wang Hongyang?”
Cheng Liu was taken aback: “What does Wang Hongyang have to do with this?”
He couldn't even bear to hear his name mentioned?
A flicker of jealousy, like a budding sprout, grew in Ji Chaozhou's heart.
Cheng Liu finally understood. She raised her hand: “I never kissed Wang Hongyang. I swear!”
She had been swearing a lot lately.
“Actually, I hadn’t seen Wang Hongyang in three months before I met you at the airport,” Cheng Liu continued, trying to distance herself from her ex-boyfriend. “I’ve been too busy with work. We didn’t even hold hands after we started dating.”
The earlier intimacy in the living room had vanished completely.
Ji Chaozhou, hearing her explanation, said slowly, “You liked Wang Hongyang.”
She had liked Wang Hongyang before, and now she liked him. Naturally, she would like someone else in the future.
He didn't want that kind of affection.
Cheng Liu was silent. She had fallen for Wang Hongyang at first sight at the cruise ship banquet six months ago, even though the feeling had faded the next day. But she couldn't deny having liked him that night.
“I’m sorry,” Cheng Liu said, standing up, looking at Ji Chaozhou, her voice sincere. “I did like Wang Hongyang, but…”
Ji Chaozhou, looking up at her, interrupted her again: “I don’t want to hear it.”
He stood up, avoiding her, and turned to go to his bedroom.
“Chaozhou,” Cheng Liu said, grabbing his wrist, stopping him. “Don’t be angry.”
“…I’m not angry,” Ji Chaozhou said, not meeting her eyes, his tone clearly betraying his emotions.
Cheng Liu suddenly leaned closer and kissed him gently on the cheek.
She had hesitated before the kiss, and he hadn't pulled away.
“Goodnight.”
Cheng Liu released his wrist and left.
Ji Chaozhou watched her leave, stunned.
He hadn’t wanted to hear her confession, afraid he would agree to be with her, afraid that after exchanging their hearts, the result would be decay and ruin.
These emotions were like an invisible shackle around his neck. Being with Cheng Liu meant handing her the other end of the chain, giving her control.
His life, his death, in her hands.
He sensed the danger, instinctively recoiling.
Yet, he couldn’t resist Cheng Liu’s approach.
Every time she drew near, it was like a dying tree being revived by the first rays of spring, its leaves unfurling, welcoming the warmth without reservation.
But with her increasing closeness, he feared losing everything afterwards.
Ji Chaozhou returned to his bedroom, leaning against the door, his heart aching, his eyes reddening. He turned his head, his fingers tracing his cheek, then resting on his lips, pressing down hard, trying to erase the feeling of her kiss, a muffled groan escaping him.
…
Cheng Liu, back in her villa, couldn't sleep, replaying every interaction with Ji Chaozhou, finally drifting off around 3 am, only to wake up early again.
She hesitated, then, slinging her backpack over her shoulder, decided to go next door before going to work.
She didn’t mind being turned away.
As soon as Cheng Liu opened the door, she saw Ji Chaozhou in the front yard, watering the flowers. “Good morning,” she said.
Ji Chaozhou turned around, his expression no different than usual. His gaze lingered on her lips for a moment, then he put down the watering can and walked inside: “Come in.”
Cheng Liu paused, then followed him.
Ji Chaozhou took a tube of ointment from the first-aid kit. Turning around, he saw Cheng Liu following closely behind. He gestured towards the sofa: “Sit down.”
“Okay,” Cheng Liu said, clutching her backpack strap, a sense of unease settling over her. He seemed different today.
Ji Chaozhou washed his hands, then sat beside Cheng Liu, squeezing some ointment onto his fingertip and gently applying it to her lower lip.
He carefully dabbed the ointment on the bite mark, Cheng Liu barely daring to breathe, her mind reeling. He had seemed angry last night, yet now he was tending to her wound.
Cheng Liu was distracted, thinking: Her lips felt warm, not sure if it was from the ointment or his touch.
“Cheng Liu,” Ji Chaozhou said softly, looking up at her after applying the ointment. He leaned closer and kissed her gently on the cheek.
A light, fleeting touch, barely a kiss.
Yet, Cheng Liu’s face flushed crimson.
She had kissed him far more passionately last night, yet her heart was racing even faster now. Was she having a heart attack?
Ji Chaozhou, seemingly oblivious to her reaction, picked up the car keys from the coffee table and handed them to Cheng Liu: “Drive my car to work.”
“Okay,” Cheng Liu said, taking the keys, her mind a jumble.
The usually composed CEO Cheng fled the scene.
It wasn't until she reached the company, looking at her reflection in the car mirror, that she finally regained her composure.
Entering the lobby, Cheng Liu noticed the employees staring at her. She felt a pang of guilt. Ji Chaozhou had bitten her twice on the same spot yesterday. Although she had applied ointment, the mark hadn’t faded completely.
“CEO Cheng,” the employee from the seventeenth floor said, having just finished his security check, walking towards her.
Cheng Liu nodded at him.
“CEO Cheng, is the person on the trending topics your boyfriend?” the employee asked, eager for gossip.
Cheng Liu shook her head: “He’s the man I like.”
The employee, puzzled: Was there a difference?
“But…there were rumors that you were dating a model…Wang Hongyang,” the employee said as they entered the elevator.
Cheng Liu: “…” The mere mention of Wang Hongyang's name gave her a headache.
“Did you finish the work I assigned you?” Cheng Liu asked, quickly listing several project tasks.
The employee paused: “I was on my honeymoon with my wife.”
Cheng Liu: “…” When would she be able to go on a honeymoon with Ji Chaozhou?
“Is that so? Then you can start working now,” Cheng Liu said coldly.
“Of course,” the employee said, patting his chest. “I’m a married man now. I have to work hard and earn money.”
CEO Cheng felt another pang of jealousy.
As they reached the seventeenth floor, Cheng Liu watched the employee leave, a smug look returning to her face. Although she and Ji Chaozhou hadn’t officially defined their relationship, he had kissed her that morning!
CEO Cheng was feeling triumphant.
She walked into her office. He Bai wasn't there yet, his desk empty. She entered her own office.
The second floor was being renovated, soon to be her new office space.
That way, Ji Chaozhou could come directly to the second floor to see her.
…
He Bai arrived at 10:30 am. Although Shenyin Technology didn't have a strict clock-in policy, this was the first time he had been so late.
He couldn’t have missed the trending topics last night, even receiving numerous photos from friends within the industry, all taken at the expo.
He had been drinking all night and had unsurprisingly overslept.
Even now, he could still smell the faint lingering scent of alcohol, masked by perfume.
He Bai walked into the office, bypassing his own desk and going straight to Cheng Liu's, apologizing, “Sorry, CEO Cheng, I’m late.”
“It’s fine,” Cheng Liu said, looking up at him. “Is that Midu you’re wearing?”
He Bai froze, not just because, in his haste to leave, he had grabbed the wrong perfume, but also because he had noticed the slight swelling on Cheng Liu’s lower lip.
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