Chapter 19 Violent, a potent aphrodisiac.

Another wave of cold air is moving south, and the temperature in City A is dropping again and again.

The first poster for the TV adaptation of "Sacrifice" has been released, sparking fierce competition among fans. Besides the female lead, the two male leads with significant roles are also fiercely contested. Whether it was a leak or a deliberate attempt to spread rumors, Li Zhuorong and Wang Qiao's names have appeared together on trending searches.

Xu Yanning sent a screenshot of a chat log to Ji Jiazhen. It was from GOLA, who invited her to shoot the New Year's cover. The cover star was Li Zhuorong. The original theme of twin flowers remained unchanged, but she was the only person featured on the cover.

Ji Jiazhen was indifferent to this. She guessed that Li Zhuorong herself knew that Wang Qiao's role was probably not going to be kept, so she tried to take the GOLA New Year cover in one go, just to establish herself in the fashion industry.

None of that matters. Li Zhuorong and Jian Yi desperately need this fashion resource, but she doesn't lack it.

Ji Jiazhen was most concerned about the weather forecast. She flipped through the weather forecasts from this year to last year and even the year before. Instead of replying to the screenshots Xu Yanning sent, she asked her in a cryptic tone, "Do you think it will snow in City A this year?"

Xu Yanning scolded her, asking if she was out of her mind. It hadn't snowed in City A for seven or eight years, and what did it have to do with her whether it snowed or not? Was there going to be a live-action remake of "Frozen" in China? She asked her if she was going to play Elsa or Anna.

Normally, Ji Jiazhen would have argued with her for ages, but today she unusually didn't retaliate, because whether it snowed or not really mattered to her.

A few days ago, Wen Siyu somehow got hold of her upcoming schedule, knowing she would be busy starting at the end of the month. So he sent her a message saying he would fulfill the bet before then. But she was drunk at the time, having a wild time in bed with a swimmer she knew before. When she sobered up, she belatedly checked her phone and found that after he said "I'll take you to an island," she had replied, "I'll go with you if it snows in City A."

Wen Siyu remained silent for several days; the message she had sent was still at the bottom of the chat box, and he hadn't replied.

The refusal in her words was too strong. Just like Xu Yanning said, it hadn't snowed in City A for seven or eight years, and she wasn't sure if Wen Siyu took that seriously. But she didn't want to lose face and explain that she had just said it randomly while drunk, yet she was worried that Wen Siyu would cancel the bet because of that sentence, causing her to lose the role of Wang Qiao. So, she had been praying for snow in City A for the past few days.

But this damn weather was so cold that the water was almost frozen over, yet there was absolutely no sign of snow. The weather forecast showed two light snowfalls, but when the day actually arrived, the forecast changed to rain.

Amidst all the agonizing indecision, Wen Siyu's phone call came before she could even compromise.

It was just before nightfall, and the thin clouds made the sky grayer than usual. The temperature dropped below zero, the roads were frozen, and there were few people and cars.

Ji Jiazhen wore a beanie and a mask, revealing only her eyes. A scarf was tied around her neck, and she was wrapped up tightly in a coat. She still had a slender figure. She bought two packs of cigarettes from a convenience store and then walked through the winter fog.

At the red light, she stopped at the zebra crossing and idly counted the passing vehicles. When she counted the eighth vehicle, a pure white light suddenly appeared before her eyes. She didn't pay any attention to it and continued counting.

The road was slippery, the cars were moving slowly, and horns were blaring constantly.

As the seventeenth car approached, Ji Jiazhen slowly raised his eyes from the red light at the rear of the car to watch the crystals falling from the gray-black sky.

Snow.

When the red light turned green, she didn't move, remaining standing in the same spot watching the unexpected snowfall.

She looked up, and a snowflake landed right on the bridge of her nose. Her skin, which had been exposed to the wind for a long time, had become dulled. She reached out and touched it lightly with her fingertips. The snowflake melted into a transparent, damp patch under the warmth of her fingertips.

The snow fell thicker and thicker, the pure white snow landing on her shoulders and body, covering her black beanie with a thin layer, which melted in a moment and soaked into her cotton wool.

As the green light began its countdown, Ji Jiazhen, not wanting to wait through another eighty seconds of red light, glanced left and right before jogging across the zebra crossing.

By the time I reached the other side of the road, the light was already red. The hot breath I exhaled gathered inside my mask and condensed into fine water droplets under the influence of the cold air, leaving my nose damp.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket. She reached into it, took it out, glanced at the screen, and saw a "w" that made her slow down.

This was the only phone call Wen Siyu made in five days.

Hover your thumb over the screen and tap slowly to connect.

Ji Jiazhen took her free hand out of her pocket and raised it to catch the falling snowflakes.

"It's snowing."

Her voice sounded low and muffled through the mask.

There was no response from the other end, so she continued walking slowly. The gate of Hengrui came into view, and another strong gust of wind blew the snow slanting onto her face. She couldn't help but squint, then opened her eyes again, and in her frown, she caught a glimpse of a tall figure standing by the flower bed. She slowed her pace, then slowed it even more, and finally stopped.

Wen Siyu, also dressed in black, stood there with his phone to his ear, his neck completely exposed to the air, and his face fully exposed. His black hair was messy from the wind, and his expression was not clear from the distance, but Ji Jiazhen could guess that it must be as indifferent as ever.

He repeated her words into the receiver, his voice hoarse and chilly.

"It's snowing."

She silently gazed in his direction, her hand holding the phone slowly falling to her sides, her eyes filled with an indescribable emptiness. Yet, after feeling a cold sting on the back of her hand, her gaze returned to him.

Unfathomable.

During the long silence, the call continued, and messages popped up one after another, but Ji Jiazhen didn't read them.

Xu Yanning sent five unread messages.

"It's snowing in City A."

—"They said the snow on my bed was artificial."

"It seems that the person who threw the money was also from his circle; he said his surname was Wen."

—"When you asked me the other day if it would snow, did you hope it would snow or not?"

"Wait, isn't the girl you've been dating lately also surnamed Wen?"

...

Someone actually caused the city to experience its first snowfall in eight years because of her casual remark.

*

It snowed in City A, so we absolutely had to go to the island.

Ji Jiazhen was filming in China and arrived a day later than Wen Siyu. It took quite a long time, involving a plane and a yacht. She arrived at the dock just in time for the sunset. The fiery clouds dyed the entire sky red, and the boundless sea rippled with orange-yellow waves. The sea breeze felt very comfortable on her body. The scenery was beautiful, and she was in a good mood.

The person who took her to the island by yacht never set foot on the shore. After dropping her off, he returned home. The car that was supposed to pick her up had been waiting for a long time. The driver introduced himself as the hotel's butler.

Ji Jiazhen took two photos of the sunset over the sea. After taking the photos, her luggage was taken into the car, and she got into the passenger seat.

The island was quite famous but not very large. Her itinerary was well-planned; the butler drove her around half of the island's ring road, allowing her to see the sunset from various angles. Afterwards, from returning to the hotel to dinner, Wen Siyu didn't show his face once. The more mysterious he was, the more curious Ji Jiazhen became; the itch in her heart was completely aroused, but she still patiently followed the schedule he had arranged for her.

After dinner, the housekeeper led her to the botanical garden to digest her food, but he only took her to the entrance; Ji Jiazhen was the only one who entered the garden.

She wasn't a particularly self-disciplined person, so naturally she couldn't calmly appreciate the scenery; she simply walked along the path, her eyes wandering aimlessly. Compared to the delicate and vibrant flowers in the first half, she preferred the tall, green plants in the second half, which looked vibrant, strong, and growing wildly, just like herself.

The only thing that caught her eye was a palm plant with enormous leaves. The tops of the leaves were uniformly green, but the backs were a unique silver. There was only one of these in the entire botanical garden. She also noticed that a thin string was tied to the stem of the largest leaf, with a white flower with a yellow center and an envelope attached to the end of the string.

Ji Jiazhen untied the rope, held the envelope in her hand, and gently sniffed the flowers. The sweet fragrance filled her nostrils. She tucked the flowers behind her ear and began to open the envelope.

The envelope contained a black card with gold-embossed English letters and numbers that were very eye-catching.

—Room key.

At this point, she lost all interest in looking around. She clutched the room key in her hand, the hard, rounded corner sinking in slightly, and began searching for the exit of the botanical garden.

The faint fragrance of the flower near her ear lingered in her nostrils, and she quickened her pace.

When she left the botanical garden, the housekeeper wasn't there waiting for her. In fact, there was no one around; the corridor was empty except for her.

The sign directed her to the right, forward, and then right again, until the door corresponding to the room number on her room card suddenly appeared before her.

Ji Jiazhen slowed her breathing, feeling as if a million ants were gnawing at her heart, making it itchy and numb.

Swipe your card and open the door.

The room was completely dark, and it was also completely dark outside. The moonlight only shone through a small patch at the doorway, and along with her shadow, it was gradually swallowed up by the darkness.

She took a few steps inside, her figure completely enveloped in darkness, and all around was silent.

“Wen Siyu”.

Ji Jiazhen spoke, the last syllable of his voice drawn out longer than usual, carrying a hint of uncertainty, yet also a gut feeling that he was in the room.

But no.

The footsteps came from behind her.

It was very soft, but she heard it very clearly.

A familiar scent wafted from behind her. The hot, salty tropical sea breeze did not affect him at all; he still carried the chill of the snowy night, an inexplicable damp cold enveloping Ji Jiazhen's entire body.

"You still have a chance to say no before I close the shop; that bet can still be cancelled now."

Ji Jiazhen replied with her back to him, "There's no need. I'm not someone who can't afford to gamble."

Wen Siyu put his hand on the doorknob and said, "You'd better keep your word."

"I am a person of my word."

Click, the door closed, and the light came on unexpectedly. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and the sudden light made Ji Jiazhen close her eyes. She slowly opened them after the white haze in front of her eyes dissipated, then turned around and looked at the person behind her.

Wen Siyu's eyes were completely different from the coldness around him. His eyes were burning with passion, like a boiling, unfathomable pool, and Ji Jiazhen could see her own reflection in them.

A dark shadow in her peripheral vision made her unable to help but look down, her gaze focusing on his collarbone, and her breath caught in her throat.

There was a new tattoo there.

The fish is jet black, with the hook piercing the fishbone. The sharp point at the end is extremely sharp, and the tip is coiled into a circle, like an inescapable ring.

This is a capital "J" designed in the shape of a fishhook, with the top designed like an abstract "Z".

The initials of her name are all incorporated into the design, and the pierced fishbone resembles a trophy from her trap.

Ji Jiazhen felt her blood surging through her body, and the burning sensation in her chest spread to every inch of her meridians, as if a hand was setting fire to her. She was the manipulator who had fallen into a sea of ​​fire, while Wen Siyu was a love suicide.

The tattoo resembled some kind of mark, or a collar with a custom name on it that a dog wore around its neck. He ostentatiously placed it in the most conspicuous position, essentially telling everyone that she was the owner.

Ji Jiazhen reached out, her thumb tracing the tattoo, and asked softly, "Is this my birthday present?"

However, before Wen Siyu could answer, she had already tiptoed and kissed him, her hand still caressing the skin between his collarbones. The kiss was more passionate than ever before, penetrating him deeply and entwining with him. His lipstick was completely wiped clean, leaving a slight astringency on the tip of his tongue, which was then hooked by her soft tongue and circled in his mouth, his saliva wetting the corners of his lips.

His sharp canine tooth pressed against her lips, making her naturally let out a groan that reached his ears, sending chills down his spine and making his erection throb.

Wen Siyu wiped away the messy lipstick marks around her lips with his fingers, leaving his fingertips red. He replied in a hoarse voice, "This is one of them."

She asked, panting, "What about the other one?"

He plucked the flower from behind her ear, a smile playing on his lips, his eyes burning with intensity.

"This is a dog rose. Some people say that if you soak its flowers and sap in alcohol, you can make..."

He pressed his lips to her ear, his voice whispering intimately, his words bordering on the absurd.

"A potent aphrodisiac."

Ji Jiazhen watched as he bit a petal right in front of her, looking frivolous.

She thought Wen Siyu was a madman, a madman who followed the rules yet disregarded them, acting recklessly and without regard for consequences.

He said he wanted to bet with her whether she would take responsibility, but when her attitude was unclear, he left an indelible mark on his body.

Regardless of who the final winner is, he paid the highest price, while she only lost a role that was never meant for her.

But he was so clever that he anticipated all her schemes.

She was so promiscuous that he used this tattoo to assert his dominance. She said she wouldn't sleep with the same man twice, so he used this bet to force her to take responsibility.

He knew she wanted Wang Qiao, and she would take responsibility.

Ji Jiazhen was busy scheming and plotting against others, but she didn't notice that she herself had fallen into a trap.

She only realized it then, but at this moment, she didn't want to dwell on it.

She said, "Then let's see how strong it is."

...

He kissed her tenderly from her lips to her neck, as if retaliating for the two times she had bitten him, leaving a tooth mark on the side of her neck.

The extra clothes piled on his body made Ji Jiazhen less than satisfied, so she ran her fingers through his hair, pulled back slightly, and dragged his head back.

"Taking off clothes is so annoying."

Wen Siyu left a short sound before looking up. Ji Jiazhen propped herself up on her arms and sat up. He pulled on her skirt and helped her take off the cumbersome inner and outer garments. She untied the rope behind her neck herself, and then pulled his clothes off her head.

The clothes were thrown on the ground. Ji Jiazhen fell back down, smoothing the hair that was pressed under her body upwards and spreading it on the pillow.

Wen Siyu continued downwards, his black hair rubbing against her waist, then her lower abdomen, and still downwards.

He pulled her into the sea, the water reaching her waist. Her soaked clothes made her feel heavy, hanging on her body as if a pair of hands were pulling her towards the bottom of the sea.

So he tore off all the excess fabric, folded her legs up, and placed her feet on his shoulders. He used one hand to hold her knees and the other to support her and prevent her from sinking.

Without hesitation, Wen Siyu dived into the water. Enveloped in the warm, soft moisture, Ji Jiazhen almost lost her voice. Her foot, which was pressing on his shoulder, was pushed back by his hand.

It was clearly Wen Siyu who was swimming, but Ji Jiazhen felt like she was about to drown.

The salty seawater filled her nose and mouth, and Ji Jiazhen lost her way in the water. Every time she managed to float to the surface, she would gasp for air, trying to get some oxygen in between, and she would also try to call for help. However, when the words reached her lips, they changed. She could not shout for help and could only utter fragmented "uh-huhs" and stammering.

Wen Siyu's lower face was submerged in the sea for a long time and was soaked through. When Ji Jiazhen shouted "Enough" in a trembling voice, he looked up, licked his lips, and said, "I'm about to drown."

Ji Jiazhen felt dizzy, lost in the pleasure of being saved, her mouth agape, unable to speak.

Wen Siyu observed her expression; she looked serious, as if she were an unsolvable advanced mathematics problem.

Ji Jiazhen's wrist was covered in front of his eyes, so his face could not be seen, and of course, no one knew what he was thinking.

Only he himself knows.

He was thinking about how to make a wave surge only for him.

...

Wen Siyu floated on the sea with Ji Jiazhen, the waves crashing against her one after another. Every wave was created by him. The sea was too deep for her to touch the bottom, and the suffocating feeling brought by the water pressure was particularly strong. She struggled in the water and was only saved after he caught her.

This face-to-face embrace allows him to pay attention to every detail of her expression. He would deliberately let go when the tide was rising, letting her sink, and then scoop her up again when she was about to drown, repeating this process over and over.

The waves crashed against the rocks, creating fine foam, and the sea breeze carried a salty, damp scent.

Ji Jiazhen used to pride herself on being a surfing expert, but this was the first time she was at a disadvantage in the sea. Her surfboard drifted further and further away, and with nowhere to hold on, she could only cling to Wen Siyu's shoulder to get out of the water.

Wen Siyu carried her toward the shore. At that moment, heart to heart, he could feel her heartbeat, feel needed by her, feel everything she had never felt before, and he wanted her to forget everything as they rose and fell, and only remember him.

Let her know that there are some feelings that only he can give her.

He must be better than others.

...

She felt like she was about to drown in the sea. Wen Siyu was clearly the first person to go into the water, but she was the one calling for help.

She thought Wen Siyu would quickly surrender upon first encountering the raging waves, but he was more patient than she imagined. She deliberately created waves to push towards him, hoping to see him give in. However, he saw through her malicious intentions and instead unleashed wave after wave of giant waves from him. She forgot that this was his territory. She couldn't withstand the onslaught, yet she found it all quite enjoyable.

During her surfing trip, she gradually understood why Wen Siyu had gotten his tattoo on his collarbone.

Because with each breath he takes, the hollow between his collarbones moves up and down, like a fishhook rising and falling, as if a fish is being hooked.

...

The moment she felt the most intense was when she was lying on Wen Siyu's surfboard. He was above her, fiddling with the surfboard's tether, silently taming each wave, but his eyes were always fixed on her, unwilling to look away for even a second.

She stroked the corner of his eye and asked him, haltingly, what he was thinking.

That was the first time he called her "sister".

"Thinking about how to get you swallowed up by the waves, sister."

In that instant, a giant wave surged from the deep seabed, and the tsunami within her body extinguished every spark of fire.

...

At three in the morning, he carried her to the bathroom to clean her up. She was so weak that she couldn't even lift her arms. She quietly watched him wash her.

She said, "What should I do, Wen Siyu? We have to say goodbye tomorrow. I've slept with you for the rest of my life. I won't sleep with a man a second time."

Wen Siyu stopped moving, pretended to pick her up, and said, "Alright then, let's continue until you die in my bed."

Ji Jiazhen kept laughing until she was so tired that she dozed off. Just as she was about to fall asleep, Wen Siyu woke her up.

She lifted her hand out of the water, splashing water, slapped him on the shoulder, and asked him irritably what he was doing.

Wen Siyu, with a serious expression, took her hand and asked, "What is our relationship now?"

She replied impatiently, "It's because we've slept together."

"You said you would take responsibility."

She lifted her eyelids to look at him. "So what kind of relationship do you want? Long-term friends with benefits?"

"Boyfriend," he replied firmly, his tone unwavering.

Ji Jiazhen's mind cleared up a bit, and his drowsiness dissipated. He looked at his resolute attitude.

"Love can't just be about actions without talking about it. Aren't you a man of your word?"

Ji Jiazhen also raised her other hand out of the water and deliberately flicked a few drops of water onto his face.

"I haven't been in a relationship all these years, little brother, you're taking advantage of me."

Ke Wensi said, "I haven't talked about it or done anything with anyone else. I haven't held anyone else's hand or even glanced at them once. Who's taking advantage of whom between us?"

He added, "You probably won't believe me, but I'm telling you, I fucking love you. It's not just liking, it's love, the kind of love that's unbearable."

"We've only met a few times, and you're already head over heels in love?"

"There's something called love at first sight. It sounds far-fetched, but it really exists. The few times I've seen you, it's enough for me to love you to that extent. Besides, I can actually do it."

Ji Jiazhen looked into his eyes, then at his tattoos, and inexplicably recalled the argument between her parents when she was ten, and the scene she had witnessed when she was twelve.

Her life motto is to indulge in pleasure and she has never believed in any nonsense about true love.

But at this moment, she was indeed wavering.

From the snow covering the city to the wind on the island, and then to the fishhook tattoo on Wen Siyu's collarbone.

His skin in that area was still flushed red, with tangled lines and sharp fish bones, like a melodramatic love story that you can watch endlessly in a bad movie, or like tears of blood shed when love runs deep.

His logic was ridiculously naive, yet his eyes were so genuine.

She thought the person in front of her was indeed somewhat cute.

She thought it wouldn't hurt to try believing just once.

Perhaps there really is someone who is willing to love her unconditionally and honestly.

Perhaps.

-----------------------

Author's note: Perhaps you can understand my stream of consciousness [glasses]