The most awkward silence is always the sudden kind.
Olivia Young's lips curled into a smile. “Just pretend I didn’t say anything…”
So embarrassing!
Frederick Fairfax’s ears flushed, and he buried his face shyly against her chest. “It’s my honor to serve my wife.”
“I love taking care of you.”
“Making you happy is my responsibility.”
Olivia Young ran her fingers through his hair. “You really are getting better than before.”
Frederick Fairfax didn’t get chances like this often, but each time, he improved by leaps and bounds.
They were husband and wife, after all.
And a good married life was important. Otherwise, what was the point? Might as well get divorced.
“I’m so good to you, shouldn’t you be honest with me?”
Frederick Fairfax’s lips pressed against her delicate neck, his words murmured against her skin—soft, tingling, making her mind go blank.
“About what?”
“Why do you really want a baby?”
He’d never quite believed her excuses before.
Olivia Young hadn’t returned to China for five years, but the Young family often visited her abroad, so her claims of loneliness last night didn’t add up. She was well-liked everywhere, always surrounded by friends—never lonely.
“It’s a long story…”
“Let’s change positions, you can take your time telling it.”
They shifted from the foot of the bed back to the head, Frederick Fairfax cradling her in his arms.
“What I mean is, since it’s such a long story, maybe I just shouldn’t tell it at all.”
Frederick Fairfax gently pinched her waist. “Why not? I’ve got all the time in the world.”
The truth was, she didn’t really want a baby. She just wanted to change the original plot of the story. Who would’ve thought she’d end up pregnant, yet sometimes still forced along by the mysterious ‘Plot Powers’ of the world? Lately, though... not so much. Maybe she’d finally broken free.
“My brain just short-circuited!”
“Don’t talk about yourself like that!”
Olivia Young sat up. “It’s just a coincidence! You were just so accurate that I got pregnant. I mean, I’m such a loving person—how could I ever let a life slip away?”
Frederick Fairfax gazed at her quietly. Right. Keep making things up. It was always what someone said spontaneously that revealed the truth, and Olivia Young was spinning this yarn for the second time now. How could he believe her?
“Frederick Fairfax, you don’t believe me!”
“I believe you. If you said I’m a dog, I’d believe it.” No helping it—he already knew what he was getting into when he married her last year. ‘Whose child is it?’ ‘The dog’s.’ He remembered that line clearly—and it wasn’t just once she’d said stuff like that. Ridiculous! Last year, before he even realized what was happening, Olivia Young treated him just like a puppy.
“If you’re a dog, you’re the cutest big puppy!” Olivia Young stroked his jaw. “Smooch smooch smooch~”
Frederick Fairfax stared at her. Sending stickers like this on the phone was one thing—but teasing him in real life? No way he was playing along.
“Smooch smooch smooch~”
Still smooching? If he gave in, what dignity would he have left?
“Alright, I’m going to go swap you out for a new husband who’ll play along with me.” Olivia Young pulled her hand back and made to leave.
“Woof!”
Frederick Fairfax grabbed her back in an instant. “You’re not allowed to switch!”
“If you dare replace me, I’ll take our daughter and visit you and your new husband every day. I’ll haunt your new home!”
Olivia Young burst out laughing. She was only joking, but Frederick Fairfax already seemed to be plotting out his future harassment mission in his head.
“So tell me—what does my new husband look like? Is he more handsome than you?” Olivia Young smiled slyly.
“Impossible!”
“He can’t be!”
“I’m the most handsome! So my wife can only love me.”
He used to act above it all—now he stuck to her side like glue, unwilling to let her leave.
Heavens! She just wanted to go see their daughter. And maybe check out the gift their daughter had received yesterday.
Frederick Fairfax buried his face in her shoulder and took a deep breath. “Olivia Young, why won’t you answer me?”
“I love only you!” Olivia Young formed a heart shape with her fingers. “Can I go see our daughter now?”
“You can, but at least put some clothes on first…” Frederick Fairfax finally let her go, stealing glances at her as he spoke. “You’ve got a few too many love marks from last night.”
“The nerve of you to say that!”
Frederick Fairfax admired his handiwork openly, entirely satisfied. That was his badge of victory.
Olivia Young slipped into a fresh skirt and pulled a thin wool cardigan over it. After a quick wash, she finally headed out the door.
A few minutes later, Olivia Young carried their daughter down to the restaurant.
Quite a few people were already there. Last night had been a private party to celebrate their daughter’s hundred-day milestone; this morning, all the guests from last night were at breakfast.
No sooner had she sat down than several people came over to join her. Anyone else would be fine—but why was Grace Gordon still here? She hadn’t scolded him harshly enough last time? Leonard Holmes, Zachary Shaw, and the guy who took pictures last night were there, too.
“Where’s Frederick Fairfax? Why are you carrying the baby by yourself?”
“Sis-in-law, where’s my brother? Isn’t he supposed to be taking care of you?” Leonard Holmes objected.
“He’s taking a shower. He’ll be down soon. He’s an actor, you know; he has to pay attention to his image. I’m sure you all understand.” Olivia Young made sure to give Frederick Fairfax plenty of face.
Had she known the restaurant was packed, she absolutely wouldn’t have come down.
“So his image is more important than his wife and daughter?” Grace Gordon snarked. “Yu Yue, don’t be fooled by his looks—he’s not as pure as you think.”
“I never said he was pure. You’re mistaken.” Olivia Young sipped her pumpkin porridge in tiny mouthfuls. “You all had breakfast already?”
“I have.”
“About to.”
She’d burned a lot of energy last night; all she wanted was to eat breakfast in peace.
She trusted Leonard Holmes; he was family and had held Yana last night, so she felt safe letting him hold her daughter.
Leonard Holmes, holding Yana, started talking to the baby in a voice full of endearments.
“Baby, do you remember Uncle?”
“Baby, I’m your Uncle Shaw.”
“Baby, I’m your Uncle Shaw.”
“Baby, I’m your Uncle Wells.”
Olivia Young ate her breakfast unhurriedly. If she was a heartbreaker, it couldn’t be helped—it wasn’t her fault. As long as her daughter didn’t end up in a messy love triangle like Yang Buhui and Yin Liuxia from those old wuxia romances*, she was happy.
“Yu Yue.”
Olivia Young kept her expression cool. “Grace Gordon, where’s Annabelle Winters?”
“She went home.”
“Her mother passed away. Doesn’t she need someone by her side? And you sent her home alone?”
“Why does ‘needing company’ automatically mean it has to be me?”
So why did he bring Annabelle Winters to the banquet last night? Olivia Young thought this, but couldn’t be bothered to actually say anything out loud.
“Still, the fact you’re asking about her means you care at least a little, doesn’t it?”
Olivia Young: !!!∑(ﾟДﾟノ)ノ What does she care about? Could Grace Gordon possibly think she was jealous? No way! She only paid attention to the heroine’s mental state, wondering when the main couple would finally get together so the original story could end.
“Grace Gordon, my wife couldn’t care less about anything involving you. To her, you don’t even qualify as ancient history,” came a lazy drawl as Frederick Fairfax strolled in. “She said it herself: you and she were never actually together, never even engaged. She studied abroad for five years and you never visited her once.”
One look from Frederick Fairfax and Leonard Holmes got up with Yana, surrendering his seat.
Grace Gordon had his own reasons, of course. He wanted to visit her—but he couldn’t. Olivia Young knew it, too. She said that just meant they were never meant to be. But Frederick Fairfax had managed to visit, and that was that.
Everyone else at the table looked at Grace Gordon as if to ask, ‘What’s wrong with you?’
Grace Gordon, always prideful, didn’t want to meet their gaze—or offer any explanations. He stood up and left.
When Grace Gordon went looking for a ‘replacement’ (a stand-in girlfriend who resembled the real one—a trope common in such stories), the others were honestly relieved. Someone like Olivia Young would never go for a guy who tried to pull that sort of thing. That meant they all still had a chance—except, no one expected her to come back to China pregnant. And then she got married in a flash, and to Frederick Fairfax of all people. Every step, pure surprise.
Seeing them so happy now, all the other guys could do was steal sidelong glances. Things like last night’s gift-giving, or the breakfast crowd this morning—only possible when everyone grouped up. If it were just one of them, they’d never dare. But together, they had no fear. After all, Frederick Fairfax couldn’t very well fight them all, and none of them had dared lay a finger on Olivia Young. They just wanted to admire her a little longer—and finally let go of the secret crush that had haunted them for years.
*Yang Buhui and Yin Liuxia: Famous star-crossed, endlessly tangled lovers from classic martial arts novels.