If It’s Wrong, Then It’s Wrong - Chapter 81
Chapter 81: The Thirtieth Day
On the plane, He Bai sat by the window, Cheng Liu beside him, looking down at the summary report on her tablet.
He Bai glanced at Cheng Liu. She was always focused when she worked, rarely distracted.
He watched her for a while, then discreetly took a photo with his phone. He didn’t capture her face, only her hand holding the tablet, the other swiping the screen, a typical image of her working.
Cheng Liu’s hands were beautiful, long and slender, but few people noticed them, often captivated by other aspects of her.
Having worked for her for so many years, He Bai knew she always kept her nails short, never painted.
She wasn’t interested in such things, preferring to focus all her energy on her work. A true workaholic.
“CEO Cheng…thank you…for tonight,” He Bai said, finally unable to hold back.
“Mm,” Cheng Liu said, adding a note to the document on her tablet, her eyes still on the screen. “We’ll be landing soon. Get some rest. Oh, and I’m giving you two weeks off. Recover properly.”
“Two weeks?” He Bai sat up straight. “CEO Cheng, my injury isn’t that serious. Besides, there’s so much to do at the company.”
“You’ve broken a bone,” Cheng Liu said, looking at his bandaged foot. “Do you want to go to work on crutches or in a wheelchair?”
Having known He Bai since university, she knew he was meticulous about his image. He would never willingly appear in public like that.
He Bai, his hand gripping the armrest, hesitated: “…I’ll be fine in a few days.”
“Suit yourself. Take a few days off. Come back whenever you’re ready,” Cheng Liu said, returning her attention to her tablet.
When they landed, it was past 7 am. The sky in S City was bright and clear, a stark contrast to the gloomy, rainy weather in Z Province.
He Bai, being pushed in a wheelchair, looked up at the familiar sky, a sense of relief washing over him. The past few days in Z Province had been overwhelming.
“Go home and rest,” Cheng Liu said, after seeing He Bai off in a taxi.
He Bai agreed. As the taxi drove away, he looked back. Cheng Liu had already turned and left.
The car at the airport belonged to the project manager. Cheng Liu’s car was at the company. After seeing He Bai off, she took another taxi home.
She messaged Cheng Gui and the others, letting them know she was back, but she didn't message Ji Chaozhou. She wanted to tell him in person.
…
“You can stop here,” Cheng Liu told the taxi driver, taking her suitcase and walking towards the villas.
She had initially planned on going straight to Ji Chaozhou’s, but at the last minute, she changed her mind and went to her own villa instead.
Ji Chaozhou had a keen sense of smell. She had transferred between several vehicles. It was better to shower first.
Cheng Liu hurried past Villa Number Five, entered her own, and went upstairs to shower.
Next door.
Ji Chaozhou had been awake for a while, checking the news as usual. All roads in Z Province were now open, and the search for survivors was ongoing.
She would be coming back soon.
Ji Chaozhou sat on the single-seater sofa, lost in thought. He always sat where Cheng Liu usually sat, as if he could catch a whiff of her scent.
After a while, he checked his phone again. Cheng Liu still hadn't messaged him, but there was a notification on his Moments feed.
He clicked on it. Li Dong, whom he had added during their car shopping trip, had posted an update.
[CEO Cheng is back. Dinner gathering tonight. DM if interested.]
Cheng Liu…was back?
Ji Chaozhou stared at the message, then abruptly stood up and walked next door, pushing open the gate and entering.
As expected, he saw Cheng Liu’s suitcase.
He looked up at the second floor. She hadn't messaged him since returning.
She had said…she missed him.
Ji Chaozhou’s eyes darkened, a mix of complex emotions swirling within them. He placed his hand on the banister, slowly ascending the stairs.
The staircase in Villa Number Six had been renovated. The railings were higher now, solid panels blocking the view down, eliminating his fear of heights.
Cheng Liu, having just finished showering and changing, stood in front of the mirror, drying her hair with a towel, her movements slowing, her other hand resting on the vanity.
Usually, she felt refreshed after a shower, but today, she felt drowsy, likely from exhaustion.
She would see him first, then rest.
Cheng Liu splashed some water on her face, quickly tied up her damp hair, and hurried out, only to see Ji Chaozhou standing at the top of the stairs.
“I was just about to go find you,” Cheng Liu said, smiling, walking towards him. “I’ve been in cars for so long. I didn’t want you to smell…so I showered first.”
Ji Chaozhou’s expression was calm, his usual coldness masking his emotions, as he watched her approach. She had lost weight in just a few days, the light in her eyes slightly dimmed.
The emotions he had been suppressing vanished.
Seeing her was all that mattered.
Ji Chaozhou, looking at the unnatural flush on her cheeks, suddenly said, “Cheng Liu.”
“Mm?” Cheng Liu looked up, her reaction slightly delayed.
Ji Chaozhou touched her forehead with the back of his hand, his brow furrowing: “You have a fever.”
Cheng Liu instinctively took a step back, touching her forehead: “A fever? No wonder I feel warm.”
She rarely got sick, her constitution strong, so she hadn’t realized until Ji Chaozhou pointed it out.
“It’s fine. I’ll be better after some sleep,” Cheng Liu said, not approaching him, forcing a smile. “I’ll see you later.”
But just as she turned around, Ji Chaozhou took her hand, his eyes searching hers: “Take some medicine first.”
“I don’t need…” Cheng Liu said, meeting his gaze, then quickly changing her mind, “I’ll take it.”
Ji Chaozhou released her hand, letting her go to her bedroom. He went downstairs to prepare the medicine, carefully testing the temperature before returning to her room, pushing the door open and handing her the glass.
This was the first time he had been in Cheng Liu’s bedroom. The room was sparsely furnished, only a large bed and a desk. The dark gray bedsheets and comforter almost reached the floor.
Cheng Liu took the glass and drank the medicine in one gulp. She was still drowsy, her reactions slow. Otherwise, she would have definitely taken a photo of the medicine Ji Chaozhou had prepared for her and posted it on Moments.
Exhaustion hit her quickly. Cheng Liu sat on the edge of the bed, holding the empty glass, too tired to think.
Ji Chaozhou took the glass and placed it on the desk: “Dry your hair before you sleep.”
By the time he returned with a hairdryer, Cheng Liu was already lying in bed, asleep.
Ji Chaozhou looked at her for a moment, plugged the hairdryer into the outlet by the bed, set it to the lowest heat setting, and sat down beside her, his long, slender fingers gently combing through her hair as he dried it.
Her hair was soft and fine, unlike her personality.
Ji Chaozhou ignored the rapid beating of his heart, patiently drying her hair, strand by strand. He turned off the hairdryer, placing it on the nightstand, then touched her forehead with the back of his hand. She still had a fever, but it wasn’t high.
He withdrew his hand, but didn't leave, his finger gently tracing the outline of her face, slowly moving downwards, stopping at her lips.
Ji Chaozhou looked down at her, his fingertip gently caressing her lips, a look of deep affection in his eyes.
After a moment, he lifted his finger to his lips, gently kissing the tip, as if he could still taste the warmth of her skin.
“Cheng Liu…” he whispered, looking at her, his voice soft.
He was used to the way she looked at him, her eyes filled with him, her affection so direct and intense, drawing him deeper and deeper.
She was pulling him into an abyss, yet in this abyss, he felt like he could have everything he wanted.
Ji Chaozhou lay down beside Cheng Liu, turning to face her, his finger gently tracing her face. After a long silence, he finally replied to her earlier words, his voice soft and low, “I miss you too.”
His usually cold voice was filled with a restrained longing.
He reached for her hand, their fingers intertwining, a subtle tenderness in his eyes, a pang of bittersweet longing in his heart.
With Cheng Liu fast asleep, her fever chasing away any awareness, he finally let down his guard, his usual coldness melting away, replaced by a deep affection.
He leaned closer, kissing her gently on the corner of her mouth, his eyes filled with a tenderness he had never shown anyone before.
As if he had been waiting for this moment for a long time.
“…Cheng Liu,” he whispered, his voice filled with a gentle warmth.
…
When Cheng Liu woke up, it was already evening. She sat up, frowning, rubbing her temples. Her fever had subsided, but she still felt drowsy, unlike her usual, instant alertness.
After a moment, she finally remembered seeing Ji Chaozhou.
He had even given her medicine.
Cheng Liu threw off the covers and jumped out of bed, hurrying to find him, almost colliding with him at the door.
“You…” Cheng Liu said, seeing him, stating the obvious, “I’m back.”
Ji Chaozhou held a glass, the pungent smell of medicine emanating from it.
“Drink this now that you’re awake,” he said, handing her the glass.
Cheng Liu took the glass and retreated back into her bedroom.
She held the glass in one hand, pulled over a chair with the other, offering it to Ji Chaozhou: “Sit here.”
Cheng Liu fidgeted, touching everything in sight, but not drinking the medicine.
“Drink it,” Ji Chaozhou reminded her.
Cheng Liu sat down on the edge of the bed, trying to explain: “I’m already better.”
Having always had a strong constitution, she rarely took medicine, highly resistant to it. She had only taken the medicine earlier because she had felt unwell, and because Ji Chaozhou had prepared it. Now, her fever had subsided, and she didn't want to drink any more.
But Ji Chaozhou simply looked at her with his beautiful, yet cold eyes, and Cheng Liu, frowning, finally drank the medicine in one gulp.
It was bitter!
The fearless CEO Cheng’s face darkened.
“Cheng Liu,” Ji Chaozhou said.
Cheng Liu immediately held up the glass: “I finished it.”
Ji Chaozhou, seeing her still frowning, suddenly leaned closer and kissed her, sharing the bitter taste.
Cheng Liu, startled, dropped the glass, the sound of shattering glass echoing in the room.
Oop- 😳🫣
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