"Nice shot!"

"Frederick Fairfax! What are you doing?"

"Why didn't you catch it?"

Frederick Fairfax stood in the center of the court, surrounded by his university classmates. Not far away on the neighboring basketball court was Grace Gordon.

A girl in a white T-shirt and denim shorts, her hair in a ponytail, walked over holding two bottles of Vitamin Water.

She was headed toward Grace Gordon.

Wife! My wife, my wife! I'm right here!

Before Frederick Fairfax could figure out what was going on, he rushed straight over.

Olivia Young handed one bottle of water to Grace Gordon—only for Frederick Fairfax to snag it away.

The two standing opposite him stared in bewilderment.

Frederick Fairfax unscrewed the cap and took a large, cool swig. "Thanks for the water, honey!"

Grace Gordon grabbed his collar. "Frederick Fairfax, what nonsense are you spouting!"

He wasn't speaking nonsense—Olivia Young was his wife.

It was as if he'd gone back seven years.

His wife was right in front of him and he couldn't even recognize her.

They already had a daughter who was a year old.

"Lily isn't one of your fangirls, so stop calling her that." Grace Gordon pulled Olivia Young away.

Wife! No! That's my wife!

"Olivia Young, thanks for the water," Frederick Fairfax caught up to them. "I was just really thirsty, sorry."

"It's nothing, just a bottle of water." Olivia Young handed the other bottle to Grace Gordon.

Grace Gordon held the water and said, "Frederick Fairfax, your teammates are calling you."

"I'm done playing! I just made a mistake, so now I need to treat Lily to bubble tea."

Olivia Young glanced him up and down. "I don't think we're even close, are we?"

Close! Super close. They slept together every night, after all.

"We'll be very close in the future," Frederick Fairfax said cheerfully, holding tight to the water his wife bought him. "Just wait—I'll go buy you bubble tea."

"She doesn't need any!"

"Was I talking to you? I'm not buying it for you." Frederick Fairfax scoffed quietly.

No way was he going to let Grace Gordon steal his wife. That guy would be looking for a stand-in sooner or later.

And right now, his wife was a total campus heartthrob.

Frederick Fairfax ran off to buy bubble tea—her favorite flavor. But by the time he got back to the court, both Olivia Young and Grace Gordon were gone.

He asked an acquaintance of Grace Gordon's and learned they had gone to the parking lot.

So he hurried over to the parking lot as well.

Grace Gordon's car was nowhere to be seen.

His wife had been whisked away by someone else.

She was still in school right now, so this stage was especially important.

Today was Sunday!! She didn't even have class.

Deciding not to play ball anymore, Frederick Fairfax went home to shower and change, then headed over to visit the Young family's house.

Lucas Young and Sophia Sinclair were both baffled by his sudden appearance.

Quentin Young sat on the sofa playing video games and glanced at Frederick Fairfax. "Are you here to see my sister?"

His little brother-in-law was sharp.

"Where's your sister?"

"She's upstairs."

"Can you call her for me?"

"Why should I help you?" Quentin Young continued playing his game.

Plenty of people came to see his sister—but she already had a childhood sweetheart.

"Whatever you want, I'll buy it for you," Frederick Fairfax prepared to bribe him.

"No need. I've got my own money."

He wasn't about to sell out his sister for some trifling goodies.

Over all the years Frederick Fairfax had known Quentin Young, he'd noticed the kid only had two hobbies: working and hanging out at his house, calling him sister and doting on his little niece. No other particular interests.

And at this age, kids were tough to handle—adolescence!

Frederick Fairfax remembered his own rebellious teenage years.

That evening at dinner, Frederick Fairfax finally saw Olivia Young.

What's wrong with him? Olivia Young wondered.

Her first reaction was a flashback to the playground that afternoon—calling her his wife, snatching away the water she'd brought for Grace Gordon, and now showing up at their house.

Every time he saw her, he wore that goofy, lovestruck grin.

Her mom had given her such a pretty face—no wonder she'd attracted so many admirers and secret crushes during her teens.

Olivia Young ate slowly, but Frederick Fairfax's gaze from across the table was so intense she couldn't ignore it.

Why does he keep staring at me? His look is almost predatory.

Olivia Young finished her meal early. "I'm done, you all take your time."

Then she headed upstairs.

Frederick Fairfax: (Ծ‸Ծ)

He barely exchanged a few words with her before she left.

Be brave, Jingche! Don't be discouraged.

After leaving the Young family's house, Frederick Fairfax went to the villa next door.

The person who opened the door was someone he recognized.

Even better.

"Are you selling this place?"

"If Young Master Feng wants it, it's yours."

He didn't care about the house—he cared about the person who lived next door.

That night, Frederick Fairfax couldn't sleep lying in bed.

He was so used to cuddling his soft, sweet wife at night, and now she was gone.

She wouldn't even talk to him.

He didn't even have her phone number.

His wife at eighteen was too cute! All baby cheeks and plushy softness—he wanted to pinch them.

He'd always regretted never tasting water from his wife, but today he finally did.

That half-drunk bottle of Vitamin Water stayed by his bedside. Frederick Fairfax stared at it, imagining Olivia Young had given it to him specially. As his eyelids grew heavy, sleep finally claimed him.

The next day, Frederick Fairfax closed the deal on the villa. Then he went furniture shopping.

He picked everything according to his wife's tastes.

He had to be patient—she was still in school.

Better to buy slowly and furnish everything carefully.

Three days later, Frederick Fairfax moved in next door to Olivia Young.

Just to see her, he hosted a housewarming party and invited neighbors from their tiny community.

There were only twelve households in the villa complex, and three of them were overseas.

On the night of the party, not many people showed up.

But as soon as he walked in, Frederick Fairfax spotted Olivia Young behind her parents, dressed in a white evening gown.

Wife!

Olivia Young could've sworn she heard someone calling her 'wife,' but her parents didn't react.

Was she hearing things?

What exactly was Frederick Fairfax up to? Suddenly moving in next door, staring at her so intensely—it gave her goosebumps.

"Good evening, Lily."

"Good evening, and congratulations on your new home." Olivia Young handed over a gift.

He might be odd, but manners were manners.

His wife gave him a gift!

Seeing Grace Gordon arrive not long afterward, Frederick Fairfax didn't bother to say hi—he slipped away to unwrap the present.

It was a picture frame, the image inside hand-painted bamboo by Olivia Young herself, with the phrase 'Greater and Greater Success' written on it.

A gift from his wife—straight to the bedside table it went.

After setting up the frame, Frederick Fairfax stepped out only to find Grace Gordon standing in the hallway.

At this stage, Grace Gordon still had feelings for Olivia Young—he hadn't started looking for someone else.

"Frederick Fairfax, just what are you trying to do?"

"I moved in—it's pretty obvious, isn't it?" Frederick Fairfax shot back.

He was here to see his wife!

"Why did you move here, Frederick Fairfax? You're acting weird," Grace Gordon said sharply. "I won't let you hurt Olivia Young."

"And why would you think I'd hurt her?" Frederick Fairfax replied with a gentle smile. "I'm allowed to like whoever I want—none of your business."

Olivia Young had always been popular, with plenty of admirers and secret fans.

But Grace Gordon had never felt threatened before.

This time, though, for some reason, he felt a real sense of crisis.

It was as if something precious was slipping away, and he couldn't do anything about it.