If It’s Wrong, Then It’s Wrong - Chapter 90
Chapter 90: The Thirty-Second Day
Having received one hundred thousand yuan, Wang Hongyang had been prepared to spend three days and nights patiently chatting with He Bai, but after just a few messages, the client went offline.
Rich people were so easy to deal with.
Wang Hongyang sighed, Chief Assistant He was far more generous than Cheng Liu, that capitalist who insisted on waiting until their wedding for the gold plaque.
He exited the chat, opened WeChat Moments, and as expected, saw Cheng Liu's post, a photo of her and Ji Chaozhou.
Wang Hongyang politely liked the post, adding a comment: [Don't forget the gold plaque.]
…
At 6:30 pm, as the sun began to set, Cheng Liu and Ji Chaozhou finally headed back to the city. By the time they were halfway there, darkness had fallen. There were few streetlights along the road. The world grew quiet, the starry sky above, the night chasing behind them.
Ji Chaozhou, his arms around Cheng Liu’s waist, whispered, "Why?"
Why…did she like him?
Affection could be fleeting, like seeing something in a shop window, wanting it intensely, then, once obtained, losing interest, putting it aside.
The motorcycle sped along the highway, the wind roaring past them.
Ji Chaozhou hadn’t expected an answer, thinking she couldn’t hear him.
He knew the candy might be poisoned, but he couldn't resist the temptation.
Ji Chaozhou tightened his grip, leaning closer.
As lights appeared in the distance, the motorcycle raced towards them, leaving the darkness behind. As they drew nearer, Cheng Liu slowed down, finally stopping.
The motorcycle stopped at the edge of the light, Cheng Liu illuminated, he shrouded in shadow. But as she turned, the light followed, falling on him.
Cheng Liu raised her hand, pushing up her visor: “I’ve been thinking, but I don’t know why.”
“You…” Ji Chaozhou said, surprised. “You heard me?”
He had simply asked "why," but she seemed to have heard the unspoken question in his heart.
Cheng Liu pointed at her chest: “This doesn’t listen to me.”
She had been thinking about it on the way back, but she still couldn't explain why she liked him so much. Perhaps it was like that phrase in her handbook: Love at first sight, still captivated.
Cheng Liu looked at him earnestly, her sincerity disarming, and Ji Chaozhou, flustered, reached out, closing her visor: “We should go back.”
“Okay,” Cheng Liu said, turning back, starting the motorcycle.
Ji Chaozhou looked ahead, the roar of the engine unable to drown out the pounding of his heart.
…
When they arrived, the apartment was empty. Her family had gone next door to Cheng Lixia's, leaving a note saying they would be playing mahjong all night.
Cheng Liu looked at the note, puzzled. She couldn't recall any of them playing mahjong. They didn’t even know the names of all the tiles.
But…
Glancing at Ji Chaozhou, she decided not to question it.
“They’re out,” CEO Cheng said confidently. “They won’t be back tonight.”
“Mm,” Ji Chaozhou said, opening the door to her bedroom. He turned to her: “I need to shower.”
Cheng Liu, surprised, whispered, “That’s…not appropriate.”
Ji Chaozhou frowned: “What?”
CEO Cheng coughed, then said seriously, “You go first.”
Even though her family wasn’t home, it wouldn’t be appropriate to do anything here. They were right next door. Some things were better left for the villa.
Ji Chaozhou, looking at her: “I was just asking where the bathroom is.”
He had only been in the living room and her bedroom. He didn't know the layout of the apartment.
Cheng Liu: “…Oh.”
So, he hadn't been inviting her to shower with him. She felt a pang of disappointment.
CEO Cheng, her mind filled with inappropriate thoughts, wasn’t embarrassed at being caught.
“It’s over there,” she said, pointing.
She followed him into the bedroom, retrieved the shower gel he had blended from his suitcase, and turned, holding it out to him: “Do you…want this?”
Ji Chaozhou, having already unbuttoned his shirt, placed it on the back of a chair, his eyes meeting hers, a casual glance. Cheng Liu’s gaze drifted downwards, taking in his pale skin, like a beautiful statue bathed in moonlight. And further down, his black trousers, the button undone.
CEO Cheng, her eyes lingering where they shouldn't, blushed, thinking he was trying to seduce her.
Ji Chaozhou walked towards her, bent down, took the shower gel, and before straightening up, placed his hand over her eyes, his voice soft and gentle, “Cheng Liu, you’re a pervert.”
CEO Cheng, completely smitten, even found his words alluring.
But he had already removed his hand and turned to leave.
Cheng Liu sighed, disappointed, then, taking out her laptop, checked her email. There wasn't much to do on the first day of the holiday.
She quickly skimmed through the messages, then retrieved her pajamas from her suitcase and went to the other bathroom to shower.
Using her parents’ shower gel, she felt a pang of unease. She hadn't cared about such things before, but after meeting Ji Chaozhou, she had become more aware of scents.
She should have added a bit of his shower gel, Cheng Liu thought.
When she came out, Ji Chaozhou was sitting on the bed, reading a book he had taken from her bookshelf. He wasn’t wearing the dark green robe, but the black one he had on now seemed to be the same style, tied at the waist, the collar loose, revealing his collarbones.
Sometimes, men could be just as alluring as women.
Especially with him sitting on the bed, his long, pale ankles visible beneath the robe, every exposed part of him a silent invitation.
Cheng Liu stood there for a moment, then retreated.
Her throat felt dry. She needed water.
Cheng Liu went to the living room, poured herself a glass of cold water, and drank it in one gulp, the ice water cooling her down, but not enough to quell the rising heat.
One glass wasn’t enough.
Seeing the ice maker, probably bought by Lixia, Cheng Liu retrieved a few ice cubes, dropping them into her glass.
As the cold water hit the ice, condensation formed on the glass, a welcome chill.
Holding the icy glass, Cheng Liu calmed herself, then returned to the bedroom.
Ji Chaozhou, hearing her, placed his book on his lap, turning to look at her: “Where did you go?”
It was a casual glance, but his beautiful eyes seemed to hold a silent invitation.
CEO Cheng, completely smitten, was captivated once again.
“I got some water,” she said, holding up the glass. “Do you want some?”
Ji Chaozhou, looking at her, gave a soft "mm" in acknowledgement.
Cheng Liu sat on the bed, facing him. She didn't hand him the glass immediately, her gaze falling on the book in his lap.
It was a computer science textbook, filled with technical jargon and her handwritten notes. Someone without a background in the subject wouldn't understand it.
Perhaps sensing her gaze, Ji Chaozhou closed the book, placing it on the bed, his legs straightening.
Cheng Liu looked up, meeting his eyes, holding the glass between them: “I’d like to…drink this first.”
Ji Chaozhou could see the playful glint in her eyes, a trap laid bare before him. Yet, he willingly stepped into it: “Okay.”
“Then I’ll switch glasses,” Cheng Liu said.
“Okay,” Ji Chaozhou said.
Cheng Liu, a smile playing on her lips, suddenly pushed him back against the headboard. Dipping her fingers into the glass, she lifted them, the water dripping onto his collarbone, watching intently as the droplets gathered in the hollow of his throat.
The ice water, landing on his skin, felt strangely hot.
Ji Chaozhou looked at her, the amusement in her eyes, as if she had found a new toy. His throat tightened, one leg bending slightly as he turned away, a silent acquiescence.
Cheng Liu, pleased with the small pool of water gathered on his collarbone, leaned down, slowly sipping it.
The ice water, warmed by his skin, had lost its chill.
Cheng Liu didn’t mind. She found the water sweet, mixed with his familiar, warm scent.
Even after she had finished the water, she lingered.
Ji Chaozhou, leaning against the headboard, his eyelashes fluttering, didn't push her away, his neck and cheeks flushed, his fingers gripping the pillow. He finally whispered her name, “Cheng Liu…”
Cheng Liu, pulling away, looked at him, her voice clear: “The water…was delicious. I liked it.”
Ji Chaozhou looked at her. He had known her true nature wasn’t as gentle as she appeared, a playful, thrill-seeking spirit hidden beneath her composed exterior.
She picked up an ice cube from the glass, holding it between her fingers.
“Want some?” she asked.
Ji Chaozhou knew that if he refused, she would put down the ice, returning to her usual, composed, rational self.
But…he didn’t want that version of her. He wanted the real Cheng Liu.
Ji Chaozhou, his back pressed against the headboard, ignoring the discomfort, his voice low, “Yes.”
Cheng Liu held the ice cube to his lips: “Then you’ll have to wait for it to melt.”
The ice cube, pressed against his lips, sent a chill through him.
Ji Chaozhou, his eyes meeting hers, a cold glint in them, parted his lips, taking the ice cube into his mouth, his lips brushing against her fingers.
They both knew what was happening, but neither acknowledged it.
He held the ice cube in his mouth for a moment, then said, “Cheng Liu, I’m cold.”
Cheng Liu, after a moment's thought: “Then…let me warm you up.”
She leaned closer, kissing him. His lips were cold, the ice still melting in his mouth.
Cheng Liu’s hand, holding the glass, slipped, the icy water spilling onto the sheets, spreading slowly. The ice cube, between their lips, finally melted completely.
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