Is it considered as a transit if ...

If I buy a return ticket from Vancouver (Canada) to Beijing. (Ex: Sept. 14 to 24) Then a separate return ticket from Beijing to Macau. (Ex: Sept 17 to 21). As my first return ticket isn't itself a real transit .... could my (max. 72 hours) 3 days at the time in Beijing be free of the need to buy a visa.

If not, would only a MULTI-CITY ticket be valid? (In this case, all my trip would be bought via only one time purchase instead of 2 as the case above).