Chapter 61 Butterfly "Kneel down."...

The time difference between New York and City A is twelve hours. When Wen Siyu received Shi Kuang's call, he had just fallen asleep less than an hour ago.

He started having insomnia the day he arrived in the United States, or rather, he has been having insomnia every day since he separated from Ji Jiazhen.

It was a sleep disorder. His body was extremely exhausted, his nerves were constantly on edge, he had a headache and dry eyes, but he just couldn't fall asleep. It was as if his brain had a device called "longing" embedded in it, running at high speed all day long without stopping for a second, so he couldn't fall asleep. Whether his eyes were open or closed, all he could see in his mind was Ji Jiazhen's face.

During the first week after they separated, he began to rely on medication to fall asleep.

Shi Kuang said his house was on fire. Of course, he knew what he meant and knew that if things continued like this, the fire would burn even more fiercely. He, along with all the evidence of their past love, would be burned to ashes, but he had no right to extinguish it.

A broken mirror cannot be mended, and spilled water cannot be gathered up again.

He spoke the word "breakup" decisively and resolutely. From the moment he chose revenge over Ji Jiazhen, many things were beyond redemption.

But I can't stop loving her.

I love her so much, I can't let her go, I can't forget her, I can't stop thinking about her, and I can't help but look at anything related to her.

He saw the trending topic about eight male models that she tagged on her birthday night, and at that moment his heart broke almost halfway. He was in so much pain that his breathing trembled. He felt he deserved it, but he was unwilling to give in. In a fit of emotion, he bought a plane ticket to return to China the next morning, but in the end he didn't go to the airport.

She simply returned to her previous life, something he would have to accept sooner or later.

He watched the entire Berlin Film Festival live. On the night she won the award, he bought her a large screen in Times Square. A photo of her holding the trophy and laughing triumphantly was played on the screen for a whole week. She must have liked that kind of attention.

As for her and Ke Xian, he has no right to interfere.

It's perfectly normal for her to have new lovers; she'll have many more. He was once such a new love, but now he's an old flame, a thing of the past.

He understands the logic; he should remain silent.

The premise is that he didn't see Ke Xian's face.

Finding a new love is one thing, but finding a new love who is 80% like him?

*

Unsurprisingly, the news of Ji Jiazhen and a mysterious man racing on a mountain road in the evening became a trending topic. The internet is really powerful; Ke Xian's identity was quickly exposed. However, he also has a deep background, and what they could find was only what he was willing to let them see. Therefore, his online image is similar to Wen Siyu's—both are wealthy young men.

Many people joked that Chi Chia-chen really sticks to one type, and the discussion about "how long Ke Xianneng can stay by Chi Chia-chen's side" has also become very popular.

Ji Jiazhen was busy drinking with others and didn't notice that her private life had been the subject of gossip again.

Yesterday, Ke Xian dragged me up the mountain for two whole hours. I didn't get much out of him, but I did hear a lot of nonsense from him.

He's incredibly vulgar; all he talks about is sex and kissing. Aside from the one time she asked him, he almost never talks about true feelings. In his eyes, the word "love" is probably only associated with "doing it."

She's a terrible person, but we actually get along quite well.

Ji Jiazhen cheated a bit while drinking, secretly pouring herself countless drinks by the pool, to the point that she was only slightly tipsy even after four people had passed out. Ke Xian saw all her little tricks and sat down next to her, smiling silently.

Those who wanted to challenge Ji Jiazhen to a drinking contest were deterred, and by halfway through, no one dared to challenge her to a drink anymore. The others also wisely stayed away from the pool, after all, Young Master Ke's intentions were obvious, and staying as a third wheel would only make them look foolish.

The atmosphere in the vast venue was extremely disjointed. Ji Jiazhen looked at the group of people playing wildly ten meters away, tilted his head back and drank a whole glass of wine, which was the real drink of the night. Then he snatched the apple that Ke Xian had been playing with for two hours and casually threw it into the pool. With a splash, the bright red fruit sank and then floated up again.

She glanced sideways at the half-empty glass of orange juice on the table and scoffed, "What do you mean by not drinking a drop of alcohol?"

Ke Xian looked at her profile, lowered his shoulder to meet her gaze: "Drinking can lead to trouble. I can't hold my liquor. What if you take advantage of me while I'm drunk, and then deny it after kissing me? Who can I complain to?"

Ji Jiazhen scoffed lightly, "You really know how to flatter yourself."

He leaned in, his nose almost touching her cheek, and deliberately paused for a few seconds by her ear. An unsuspecting person would think the two were flirting.

"I have a question for you."

Ji Jiazhen pushed the bottle of wine next to him and pointed with her chin, "I'll answer you after you finish drinking it."

Ke Xian gave a meaningful smile, his voice low and deep, "Aren't you going to ask me any questions? Or are you saying that I can answer any question as long as I finish drinking?"

She didn't reply, but her lips curled slightly, as if to say, "Guess."

The next second, the glass she had drunk from was taken away, and Ke Xian poured wine into it, filling the glass to the brim. He then placed his lips on the spot where her lip print was, stared into her eyes, and drank it all in one gulp.

If she's drinking so much strong liquor, then her earlier claim of having a low alcohol tolerance was probably just a lie.

After three drinks, the bottle was empty and the glass was completely bare. Ke Xian's face flushed slightly, and he hooked his little finger with hers. "Now I want to change the subject."

"..."

"How long has it been since you last did it?"

"Low-class".

This refers to the problem.

Ji Jiazhen withdrew her hand, sat down at the edge of the pool, threw her shoes aside, tested the water temperature with her toes to make sure it was warm, and then put her calves in.

Ke squatted down beside her and showed her the apple in the water.

"Gravity breaks the calm. The apple itself is an external stimulus to the water surface, and it only creates a splash the moment it hits the water."

Ji Jiazhen felt that he was just making things up, and this question had nothing to do with his problem, so he lazily asked, "So?"

“You don’t love him, you’re just used to having him around. The biggest difference between him and others is that he’s been by your side the longest. It would have the same effect with anyone else. It’s not that you don’t have feelings for me, it’s just that you’ve entered a refractory period, both physically and emotionally.”

He suddenly pushed himself up from the ground and leaped into the water, standing in front of her knees, face to face. The splashing water made Ji Jiazhen instinctively try to back away, but he pulled her back halfway.

"You need a substitute to help you through your refractory period and reignite your desire. I said something inaccurate yesterday: it's not that you belong to me, it's that I belong to you. Between us, it's a relationship where you sleep with me, and the subject is you. I don't mind being that substitute. If you're willing to give me that chance, then kiss me."

Ke Xian's hand grasped her calf in the water, his palm much hotter than the pool water, and she could see herself reflected in his pupils.

Not long ago, she also saw herself countless times in a pair of similar eyes.

Why are you so sure I need a substitute?

Ke Xian still tilted his head back, then placed his hands on either side of her legs. "Essentially, we are the same kind of people."

Ji Jiazhen became even more curious, placing her hands on either side of him, which landed precisely on the back of his hand. Leaning slightly forward, she pressed him for an answer, asking, "What kind of person am I?"

"We are all people who don't need love. What you love is type, it's a feeling, not the person."

She continued to lean forward, closing the distance between herself and Ke Xian until they reached a height where they could kiss, then suddenly stopped. "So tell me, what do I need?"

Ke Xian's smile spread from his eyes to the corners of his lips, as if he was laughing at her for finally taking the bait, or as if he was laughing at her for asking a question she already knew the answer to. He lowered his voice and said, "Sex."

He took the initiative, grabbing her wrist and trying to pull her into the water.

Ji Jiazhen felt the force pulling her forward, her body leaning forward until half of her knees were submerged in the water. Suddenly, a strong hand grabbed her shoulder, pulling her back. The momentum caused her to fall backward, but the hand then supported the back of her neck to help her maintain her balance.

Still in shock, she was about to turn around when an arm was placed across her chest, gripping her tightly.

"Is this your new love?"

A familiar voice rang in her ears, and her heart skipped a beat.

His appearance was completely unexpected for her.

Wen Siyu pressed his cold cheek against hers, his voice tinged with remorse.

"Ji Jiazhen, I regret it."

His embrace was filled with the chill of a winter night, his unique scent completely enveloping her. Ji Jiazhen exhaled almost imperceptibly, while Ke Xian's expression clearly showed displeasure.

Apart from Shi Kuang, who tipped them off, everyone was surprised by Wen Siyu's sudden appearance and was craning their necks to look in their direction.

Ke Xian held onto Ji Jiazhen's wrist tightly, refusing to let go, and mocked Wen Siyu, "You've been broken up for over a month and you're still playing the 'still clinging to the past' game?"

Wen Siyu also gave Ke Xian a cold look, and sneered as he looked at the soaking wet man: "What are you playing at this time? Seduction or enticement? Neither of them are respectable."

"Recognize your place. You're already a nameless ex, so stop pretending to be the rightful wife."

"Even a stand-in should have some awareness. You should be grateful that you have a face similar to mine, otherwise you would never have had the chance to speak to her in this lifetime."

The two argued back and forth, each word laced with barbs, each looking down on the other. Ji Jiazhen, caught in the middle, felt a headache coming on, but her hands were being held and her shoulders being embraced, and she couldn't break free no matter how hard she tried.

Ke Xian stared into Wen Siyu's eyes and said, word by word, "Do you think she would choose you, who has abandoned me once, or me, who is currently very interested in her?"

This gave Ji Jiazhen an idea, and she replied calmly, "Then let's take a look."

Then he first pushed Wen Siyu's shoulder, then shook off Ke Xian's hand, stood up, and walked towards the sofa without looking back.

This action caused Wen Siyu to frown slightly.

She didn't even glance at him, nor did she bother to say a word.

*

The choice that Ji Jiazhen spoke of was entirely up to fate; no one could tell from her which side she truly favored.

She had someone find two proper dog leashes, and after receiving them, she threw them in front of the two of them. The people around looked on with excitement, and even made "whoosh" sounds. Under the gaze of more than a dozen pairs of eyes, she made Wen Siyu and Ke Xian put on the collars themselves.

She chose this method mainly to vent her anger. When the three of them were confronting each other just now, both of them clearly forgot their identities: she was a person, and they were objects.

She gets to choose; they get none.

Simply putting a leash on them wasn't enough. She propped her legs up on the table, crossed her arms, and leaned back on the sofa, her chin held high with arrogance. Her disdainful gaze swept over Wen Siyu and Ke Xian's faces. Wen Siyu was slightly taller, and the difference was clearly noticeable when the leash was in his hand. So she said coldly, "Kneel down."

Wen Siyu practically knelt down the moment she finished speaking; he was far too adept at acting as her dog. Ke Xian was clearly not used to it, taking a full minute to react.

Fang Chengmu put a blindfold on Ji Jiazhen, shuffled the chains on her left and right hands, and then handed them back to her.

Then, the selection process begins.

Wen Siyu's eyes were fixed on her hand. Even the slightest movement from her would make him tense. His heart was completely under her control. Whether she went up or down was entirely up to her.

Ji Jiazhen tightened both dog leashes at the same time, and the two men were tightly strangled and forced to crawl forward two steps.

Hearing the sound of the bells, she smiled slightly and swiftly pulled on a chain.

That was her choice.

And the other end of the dog leash is connected to...

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Author's Note: Be sure to check back tomorrow night at 9 PM sharp for dinner! [rice emoji]

Also, there will probably be about 2-3 more chapters until the end. If there are any side stories you'd like to see, let me know and I'll consider writing them.