The blue awards!

Hua Jing had been a part of the entertainment industry for quite a while and she knew that the Awards were around the corner.

Back then, she had won quite a lot of awards. In terms of excellence, the only person who could never match was Fu Jing Rong standing before her at the moment.

This was one of the reasons why they fought a lot back then as well!

The preparations for the Blue Awards were already in full swing, and Hua Jing had heard whispers of it from the staff in Yellow Garden.

She turned her head toward Fu Jingrong, eyes curious. "How long has it been since you came back?"

He understood instantly — she meant since he returned to this world.

"About a month," he replied after a moment’s thought.

Hua Jing nodded slowly, her lips curving faintly. "The Blue Awards is coming up soon... will you be in attendance?"

Fu Jingrong’s gaze shifted toward the garden beyond the window, as though weighing his answer. "I haven’t decided yet."

Her eyes brightened with a glint of memory. Back then, he had dominated every chart without mercy. He was an actor who could command an audience with a single glance, a singer whose voice could make the world fall silent.

And when he stood under those stage lights... it was as if time itself stopped, the crowd holding its breath in awe.

She remembered watching him once — or maybe twice — back when they had been enemies.

Even then, she couldn’t deny that he was magnificent.

Now that he was back, it only felt right for him to appear again — to shake the industry to its core.

"You should go," she said with a small, knowing smile. "It would be good for your comeback."

He looked at her for a long moment before a slow smile spread across his lips. "The only comeback I care about," he said, voice warm and unhurried, "is the one where I come back to you every single day."

Her eyes widened slightly at the shameless line, but he didn’t stop.

"In that other world, we learned what it was to love each other. But here... here we’ve barely begun. We haven’t walked in the rain together, haven’t stayed up till dawn just to talk, haven’t even had the chance to see how beautiful you look when you laugh without restraint. That’s what I want right now. Time with you."

Hua Jing’s cheeks warmed despite herself, and she gave a soft laugh. "You’re so cheesy, Fu Jingrong."

He only leaned closer, brushing his nose against hers with a lazy smile. "Then get used to it, Mrs. Fu. I’m going to be even worse from now on."

Hua Jing froze at the sound of it.

Mrs. Fu.

The words lingered in the air like a sudden chime, soft yet startling. She blinked, her mind catching up only after a few heartbeats. "M–Mrs. Fu?" she stammered, almost as if she needed to confirm she’d heard him right.

Fu Jingrong’s eyes flickered, and for the briefest moment, he looked caught off guard. It hit him then — in the other world, the title had been second nature. There, she had truly been his wife. Here... they hadn’t even begun to talk about marriage. Maybe he’d gotten ahead of himself.

Hua Jing’s lips curled into a small, sly smile. "I’m not married yet," she reminded him, her tone light but her gaze sharp with amusement.

His brows rose, a teasing glint in his eyes. "Are you blaming me for being too slow?"

Heat flared up her cheeks before she could stop it, and she gave him a gentle push. "Go away."

Instead of retreating, he leaned back just enough to smirk. "It’s up to you. We could go register right now if you want."

Her heart skipped a beat. His voice was calm, but his gaze... it was steady, resolute, the kind of look that made her realize he wasn’t joking.

For a moment, she studied him, remembering that she never really knew the exact moment this man started liking her. And now here he was, speaking of marriage as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Well," she said, her voice gaining a playful edge, "seeing that you’re so eager for me to be your wife, then can Mr. Fu answer one question of mine?"

He already knew what was coming — or at least thought he did — but instead of asking, he stepped closer, closing the space between them until her breath caught in her throat.

The nearness made her chest tighten, her skin warm. Back in that other world, his closeness had never rattled her like this. But now... now it felt different.

Dangerously different.

It was as if something in Fu Jingrong had finally snapped free.

Back then, in the chaos of misunderstandings and unspoken words, he’d never had a clear footing with her. But now — now that their hearts had already crossed that invisible line — he could no longer keep his distance. He couldn’t even bear the thought of being apart from her for a single moment. It was as though he wanted to fuse her into his very soul, to carry her in every breath, in every heartbeat.

The intensity of his gaze made Hua Jing’s own heart stumble. His eyes shone with a depth that almost frightened her with how much it held.

"Mrs. Fu," he said softly, each syllable warm with possession, "must ask whatever she wants to ask."

Her breath hitched. "C–could you maybe... go a little farther away before you answer?"

Instead of moving back, his hand slid to her waist, pulling her in until there was no space left to claim. "And why would I do that?"

"Because..." she murmured, unable to finish the sentence, shaking her head with a flustered laugh.

"Okay," he said simply — though he didn’t move an inch.

She inhaled sharply, the heat in her cheeks refusing to fade. "How... how long has it been?"

He blinked, brow lifting slightly. "How long has what been?"

She bit her lip, forcing herself to meet his eyes. "How long has Mr. Fu... been in love with me?"