Backstage.

"What was that just now?"

"Do you know him?"

"He came just to watch your competition and even brought you flowers."

"Wow, I’m so jealous!"

Olivia Young found herself surrounded by a crowd.

She really wasn’t that close with Frederick Fairfax.

"We’re neighbors," Olivia Young explained with a smile. "Maybe someone asked him to do it."

"Hurry and get ready, everyone."

Olivia Young's performance was already over.

She changed clothes and prepared to leave.

She should be able to breeze through the preliminaries.

Now, all she had to do was return to the hotel and wait for the results.

Olivia Young changed, grumbling to herself about the cumbersome flowers.

But, then again, they were her favorite kind.

Frederick Fairfax even knew what flowers she liked—and even what food she preferred.

Hmm...

Traveling back in time.

And marrying him.

Love at first sight?

No way!

She studied abroad; there was no way she’d fall for him at first glance. She’d known Frederick Fairfax before, after all.

How absurd!

Hugging the bouquet, Olivia Young stepped outside and found Frederick Fairfax waiting by the door, waving at her.

"Lily~"

"Thank you for the flowers."

"Just a verbal thank-you?"

"You helped me attract a ton of attention—you’re an actor, after all. If I end up trending today, it'll be because of you."

"That’s no big deal," Frederick Fairfax said, moving his fingers as if he could make all the trending topics vanish with a snap.

"Let’s go eat together."

Olivia Young wanted to refuse, but she hesitated. She was curious—maybe having dinner would help her get some answers.

"Alright."

Frederick Fairfax took her flowers and bag for her. "I reserved a restaurant, and a room at the hotel. I'm sure you’ll get to the next round."

"I already booked a hotel myself."

"Sure."

He’d just book a room next door to Lily's.

He was terrible!

Lily was only 18, and here he was, already thinking about holding her hand.

Before traveling back, he’d hold her hand every day.

Now, all he could do was watch young and vibrant Lily—and happily play the part of her faithful bag-carrier.

He honestly didn’t mind.

When they arrived at the restaurant, Frederick Fairfax gazed at Olivia Young with an unabashedly adoring look.

Olivia Young had always been confident and composed—she’d seen every kind of situation. But now, under his intense stare, her ears turned pink.

"What are you looking at?"

"Looking at my wife."

"Frederick Fairfax!"

Olivia Young’s scolding sounded adorably fierce.

"You really are my wife in the future," Frederick Fairfax said, sounding aggrieved. "So stop thinking about Grace Gordon—you two are never going to end up together."

"I’m not thinking about him. What I’m wondering is, who taught you these clumsy tactics for chasing a girl? Did you get inspired by the script someone handed you?"

"Suppose we get married, live happily ever after, like you say. Why would you suddenly travel back seven years? Did you die?"

Based on her web-novel experience, the only reason people travel back in time is death.

"I didn’t. In fact, the night before I woke up here, my wife and I… never mind, I can’t say that in front of you, you’ve just turned eighteen." Frederick Fairfax tapped his forehead a few times. "I have no idea what happened. I just woke up and found myself on the basketball court—I went straight to snatch the water bottle you’d brought."

She was old enough now to understand what he meant.

Utterly ridiculous!

He traveled back without dying?

Unbelievable.

"That look on your face—you still don’t believe me."

"If you were me, would you believe it?"

"I would!"

"So you want me to believe that the Frederick Fairfax sitting in front of me, who’s 21, has the soul of your 28-year-old self? I’m only 18, yet you’re saying all this in front of me—aren’t you getting a head start on being a cranky old man?" Olivia Young sipped her juice.

Frederick Fairfax burst out, "#￥￥#%￥……!￥%￥……"

What?

Old?

His looks were only 21!

Even at 28 he wouldn’t be old.

Lily even said he looked really young.

Other men dropped off after 25, but not him.

He only needed to try once to impregnate his wife.

Even after her having their child, he could still satisfy her.

He was not old!

Frederick Fairfax was crushed, but watching his wife eat did wonders for his mood, and he perked up quickly.

Olivia Young’s wariness really deserved praise.

If anyone else came around spinning this sort of tale and she believed it, he’d probably explode from jealousy.

"Eat up. I’ll stay with you until your competition is all over, and then take you home."

"What’s your angle?"

"I’m just worried someone will pick on you."

At the moment, the one most likely to pick on her was sitting right across from her.

Olivia Young shot him a look.

He instantly understood what she meant.

"I won’t bully you. I just want to let you know that in the future, we’ll be together. Whatever you want to do now, keep on doing—live your life the way you want."

He’d be crazy to think of changing the course of Olivia Young’s life.

If she didn’t go abroad, then she’d end up stuck with Grace Gordon, and he’d never get the chance to meet her overseas.

Would their little Yana even be born?

"Of course," Olivia Young replied, not even considering his opinions.

She was only 18—not the age to dwell on these questions.

After dinner, Olivia Young leisurely said, "So you say you won’t interfere in my life, but now you show up everywhere and even moved in next door. What’s up with that?"

"I just want to see you more. I won’t interfere. If you want to study abroad, I’ll support you and visit every month." Frederick Fairfax, for one, wasn’t about to vanish for five years like Grace Gordon had.

He had to stay present, reminding his wife of his existence.

"That’s looking pretty far ahead," she commented.

"Wife, five years abroad is a long time." Frederick Fairfax didn't know when—or if—he would go back.

If he couldn’t, he wanted more time with his wife now, to make up for the regrets.

"So Grace Gordon really does end up looking for a substitute?"

The question stung Frederick Fairfax.

Of all things, she chose to ask about Grace Gordon.

Wasn’t she curious about when they’d get married themselves? Or what their married life would be like?

"He does! The stand-in was called Annabelle Winters. They even had a child together, but in the end it didn’t work out. He regretted it and came looking for you," Frederick Fairfax recited the facts with a serious face.

Lily wasn’t in a good mood.

"But you and Grace Gordon never ended up together!"

To think childhood friends like that never got together—what a twist.

Wait.

Was she actually believing Frederick Fairfax’s words?

Olivia Young asked again, "How do you know what foods I like, or which flowers to bring me?"

"We’re husband and wife. Of course I know you very well."

His eyes practically screamed, "Ask me more!"

But she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

"You don’t like celery."

That’s true.

"Wife, I can’t exactly prove any of this." Frederick Fairfax slumped against the couch. "Shall we head back to the hotel? I’ll walk you."

"Mm, thank you."

In the car back to the hotel, Frederick Fairfax was visibly glum.

Olivia Young was preoccupied with her phone.

Family and friends—who would understand this situation?

Frederick Fairfax’s acting had gone off the rails.

To think he called himself her future husband.

Her best friend, Bella Snow, saw her ranting and just about died laughing.

[Snow: Frederick Fairfax? The same Frederick Fairfax who blew up after just one movie?]

[Snow: Girl, honestly, with your looks, having one more boyfriend is no big deal!]

[Snow: Go for it!!]

She was only 18—dating was out of the question.

This was all just so unbelievable.

[Lily: Isn’t this too absurd? I’m a staunch materialist, remember.]

[Snow: No, what I find hard to believe is that you and Grace Gordon never ended up together. If he traveled back asking when you’d marry him and how many kids you’d have, you’d probably believe it on the spot.]