If It’s Wrong, Then It’s Wrong - Chapter 93
Chapter 93: The Thirty-Fourth Day
The garden was large, every corner meticulously designed and maintained. Morning dew clung to the petals, about to fall.
Ji Chaozhou pushed Yun Se’s wheelchair along the path. He had walked this path countless times, but never with such tranquility.
“Chaozhou, stop here,” Yun Se said, pointing at a wooden table and chairs.
They stopped in a corner of the garden, beside a wall covered in climbing roses, their vibrant blossoms a splash of color.
Yun Se looked at Ji Chaozhou, his complexion much improved, no longer pale and gloomy as before.
She remembered their dinner with Cheng Liu. That Cheng Liu truly had a way of making people happy.
“Why didn't you go anywhere for the May Day holiday?” Yun Se asked. “Was Cheng Liu too busy?”
“We went to her family’s place the day before yesterday,” Ji Chaozhou said, remembering the lights in the backyard next door, burning until dawn. Cheng Liu's work must be demanding, but she never showed it in front of him.
Every time he looked out his bedroom window, at the light spilling over from next door, he had the feeling she was like a student frantically finishing homework at the last minute after days of playing.
Yun Se, watching him, noticed the smile that appeared whenever Cheng Liu was mentioned.
“Why didn't you stay longer?” Yun Se asked.
Ji Chaozhou, looking down: “We’ll go again when we have time.”
Yun Se knew she couldn't change his mind. He had clearly decided to be with Cheng Liu.
They sat in silence, watching the rose petals fall, until Yun Se spoke again: “Chaozhou, don’t be too stubborn. Know when to let go.”
The Yun family was known for their possessiveness. Once they set their hearts on someone, they wanted to possess them completely. But people weren't objects. They had thoughts, they had freedom. Unlike objects, which could be bought, kept at home, always nearby, day and night.
Yun Se had liked someone when she was younger. But realizing her possessiveness was becoming unhealthy, she had cut ties before it went too far, never pursuing another relationship.
She had even adopted Yun Fei, but she had kept a distance, not wanting to be a typical mother.
That was why Ji Chaozhou only called her "Aunt Yun." That distance, that different surname, was a constant reminder not to get too attached, not to try and control them.
Ji Chaozhou didn't reply, silently catching a falling rose petal in his hand. He didn’t know what the future held; he couldn’t answer her.
Yun Se sighed. She still hoped they would be together, a lifetime, without any unforeseen circumstances.
“Sometimes, a little distance can strengthen a relationship,” she said, offering subtle advice. Relationships needed to be nurtured. Since he couldn’t change his possessive nature, he could at least try to hide it, or even, if done well, make it enjoyable for the other person.
Yun Se didn't feel guilty about manipulating Cheng Liu. After all, she was the one who had pursued Chaozhou.
This time, Ji Chaozhou replied, saying he understood.
…
Meanwhile, the unsuspecting Cheng Liu was watching TV, completely engrossed.
“This plot doesn't make sense.”
“The male lead is an idiot.”
“The female lead is too.”
Yun Fei listened impassively, wanting to tell Cheng Liu to act it herself then, but remembering Cheng Liu’s intelligence, she held back, biting her tongue.
“So, you just…die like that?” Cheng Liu said, watching Yun Fei’s character, dressed in red, die silently from poison. She turned to the real Yun Fei, a hint of sympathy in her voice, probably due to the character’s tragic fate. “You looked pretty, though.”
Yun Fei: “…” She couldn't deny feeling a bit comforted. Who wouldn't like being complimented by their rival, especially someone like Cheng Liu?
“Are you going to marry him?” Yun Fei asked suddenly.
Cheng Liu, startled, sat up straight. She and Ji Chaozhou weren't even officially dating yet. She had planned to skip straight to marriage.
Remembering Yun Fei's feelings for Ji Chaozhou, Cheng Liu raised an eyebrow: “Do you have a problem with that?”
“…” Yun Fei, suppressing her jealousy, looked around, making sure no one was listening, then asked, “Do you know about his parents?”
Although Yun Se wouldn't discuss it with her, having lived here for so many years, and with her own deliberate inquiries, Yun Fei knew some details.
“No, I don’t,” Cheng Liu said, glancing at her. “And I don’t want to know.”
Yun Fei, about to speak: “?”
“I’ll listen when he’s ready to tell me,” Cheng Liu said, unfazed. She cared about Ji Chaozhou, not his parents.
“You…!” Yun Fei, wanting to warn her, but seeing Cheng Liu’s indifference, she sneered, “Don’t come crying to me when you regret it.”
“Regret what?” Yun Se’s voice came from the doorway as Ji Chaozhou wheeled her in. She looked at Yun Fei: “You’re old enough now. Stop being so childish.”
“Aunt Yun, I was just…” Yun Fei said, her resentment simmering.
“She’s quoting lines from the drama,” Cheng Liu said, pointing at the TV screen.
Yun Se turned to look, recognizing Yun Fei's breakout drama, her mood softening: “Stay for lunch.”
Ji Chaozhou had already walked over to Cheng Liu. As she stood up, they naturally formed a separate unit, distanced from the other two.
Cheng Liu brushed a few pink and white petals from Ji Chaozhou’s shoulder, bringing them to her nose: “They smell so good.”
She was ostensibly talking about the flowers, but her gaze, meeting his, held a different meaning.
Ji Chaozhou confiscated the petals, giving her a cold look in return.
CEO Cheng didn’t mind, even secretly enjoying it. She truly liked his cold demeanor.
Of course, she also liked…his other expressions, especially that night, during the power outage, when he had been struggling to maintain control, his beautiful eyes cold, his lips pressed together, yet his neck arched, gasping softly.
…
During lunch, Yun Se asked about Ranshan's next perfume release: “I heard from Tang Fanglu that you’ve blended a new fragrance.”
Yun Se wanted to know what Chaozhou's second perfume would be like, although she wasn’t sure she would live to see it.
“It’s not finished yet,” Ji Chaozhou said, glancing at Cheng Liu, then looking away. “I’m working on the bottle design.”
“It should be ready soon then,” Yun Se said, a hint of relief in her voice. “Ranshan will only grow stronger. I’m…happy.”
Cheng Liu listened to their conversation. She didn’t know anything about perfume, but she liked watching him blend fragrances, the bottles and jars seeming to come alive in his hands.
…
It was 5 pm when they left. Ji Chaozhou had spent the afternoon with Yun Se. They both knew they didn't have much time left.
But Yun Se still didn't want to keep him too long, preferring to be alone in the garden her sister had designed, during these final days.
“Chaozhou, don’t be too fixated. Sometimes, a little distance is good for a relationship,” Yun Se said, subtly hinting.
Since he couldn't change his possessive nature, he could at least try to hide it.
Ji Chaozhou didn’t reply. He knew what she meant, but he couldn't promise anything.
…
Back at the villa, Ji Chaozhou took out his sketchpad and resumed working on the perfume bottle design. He hadn't blended any new fragrances, lacking inspiration, so he focused on the bottle.
Across the wall, Cheng Liu, having brought her work over, was diligently replying to emails.
It was inconvenient going back and forth, but she seemed to enjoy it.
Ji Chaozhou, looking up, saw her working, her usual cheerful expression replaced by a calm composure, her thoughts hidden behind a blank mask.
She often had that look when she was on her phone.
Sometimes, she would hold her phone, a serious expression on her face, as if pondering a difficult problem.
Ji Chaozhou had never seen what she was looking at, but he knew it wasn’t work-related.
After a while, his gaze returned to his sketchpad, unconsciously sketching the outline of a perfume bottle. As he regained his focus, he looked down at his design, surprised.
It was a car.
If Cheng Liu had been there, she would have recognized the rough sketch as the car they had met in six months ago.
Ji Chaozhou, gripping his pencil tightly, a flicker of helplessness in his eyes, tore the page out, discarding the design.
Classic perfume bottles were usually square or round, rarely anything unusual.
But then he placed the discarded sketch back on the table. He…wanted to design it this way.
He would have to modify it, though, to make it functional as a perfume bottle.
Meanwhile, Cheng Liu, busy with work, unaware of his design struggles, was working furiously, eager to finish and go next door.
Just a chance to touch his hand, kiss him, would be enough to make her happy.
Of course, if there were other opportunities…she wouldn’t refuse.
CEO Cheng had done her research, a top student in every aspect.
11 pm.
The “top student” CEO Cheng was kicked out of Villa Number Five.
“Can’t I stay?” Cheng Liu asked, standing at the door, looking at him expectantly. This wasn't how she had envisioned the night ending.
Ji Chaozhou, looking at her coldly: “No.”
She had finished her work, then come to bother him, hovering around him, holding his hand, playing with his fingers, her intentions obvious.
He had finally had enough and kicked her out.
“I wasn’t doing anything,” Cheng Liu said, feeling wronged.
“What were you planning to do?” Ji Chaozhou asked, clearly seeing through her.
CEO Cheng: “…” She had been found out.
Cheng Liu, holding her laptop and documents, asked pitifully, “Then…can I at least have a goodnight kiss?”
Ji Chaozhou, silent.
“Other people do it,” Cheng Liu added.
Ji Chaozhou’s face hardened: “Then go find someone else.”
Cheng Liu froze, quickly explaining, “I saw it on TV. I don’t have anyone else.”
Ji Chaozhou, his lips pressed together, realizing he had overreacted, stepped closer, bending down to kiss her gently, his forehead against hers. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.
Sometimes, he was afraid of revealing his true self, his vulnerabilities, so he hid behind a mask of indifference.
Ji Chaozhou, avoiding her eyes, afraid of seeing disgust, kissed her again, a tender, almost pleading gesture.
Just reading abt them makes me feel warm ☺️
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