No Substitutes for the Bigshots' Dream Girl Anymore!-Chapter 1823: Jack Stewart Side Story (End)

She shifted slightly to the side, carefully lifting the hem of her dress, exuding a grace and warmth that time could never take away.

He shook his head and said no, then handed over the umbrella in his hand. "Here, you can use this."

"If I take your umbrella, what about you?" The elderly woman was in a hurry to leave but lingered here, worried the rain might ruin the flowers in her hands.

The fragile Forget-Me-Nots cannot endure. Once parted from the soil, they quickly wither.

He said, "I’m not in a rush. I can wait until the rain stops to leave."

Only then did the elderly woman accept the umbrella. Before leaving, she said, "I’ll make sure to return it to you. I’m truly sorry for troubling you. I hope you have a wonderful day."

In the Sullivan District, lovers wait to see the Forget-Me-Nots bloom. If one is no longer there, the other would take a Forget-Me-Not, place it on their grave, and let the flower carry their longing to a faraway place.

The day he returned home, it snowed.

There were few people at the airport today. Hannah still bought a bouquet of baby’s breath, her hands red from the cold, yet she refused to put it down.

Hayes Edwards, who had come with her to pick him up, squatted suspiciously on the side. He had sunglasses, a mask, and a hat—all in place, claiming he was afraid of being recognized by fans.

Hannah had already explained to the airport security three times that he wasn’t some kind of troublemaker.

"When exactly is Jack Stewart coming out?" Hayes, squatting between the trash bin and the seats, clasping his hands to keep warm, looked nothing like a superstar.

He seemed more like a small-time hooligan on the streets.

Hannah glanced at the time on her phone. "Almost."

Hayes nodded, then squatted back into his original spot. After a moment, a little kid walked over and placed a lollipop in front of him.

Then, with a flushed face, the kid ran back to their parents and said in a sad yet innocent tone, "Mommy, that uncle looks so pitiful."

Hayes: "..."

Finally, he was willing to stand up, holding the lollipop the little kid had "donated" to him. He wasn’t picky—he unwrapped it and stuck it in his mouth.

The moment he tasted it, he saw Jack Stewart walking out. "That’s him, isn’t it?"

Hannah had noticed too.

He seemed thinner than two years ago, dressed in casual and comfortable clothes. His jacket was unzipped, revealing just a single long-sleeved shirt underneath. He didn’t seem concerned about the cold. The hood of his jacket was pulled over his head, partially obscuring his brow and eyes. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Hayes was the first to bounce up to him, childishly trying to startle him, only to have his face pushed away by Jack Stewart.

"I..."

Hayes didn’t even finish his sentence.

Jack Stewart walked straight to Hannah, taking the bouquet of baby’s breath from her hands. He noticed her fingers, reddened from the cold. "You could’ve just waited in the car."

The temperature outside was below freezing. Snow fell mixed with rain, drenching the air with moisture and filling it with an icy chill.

"I was afraid you wouldn’t be able to find us." Hannah tucked her hands into her pockets. With her face half-covered by her scarf, only her reddened, crescent-shaped eyes were visible. "Jack Stewart, welcome home."

He said, "Yeah, I’m back."

Countless sceneries passed along the way—snow-capped mountains, grasslands, starry skies—but in the end, they all transformed into one single image of her.

Memories cannot be replaced, and neither can the people within them.

This, just this, was enough.

The three of them walked toward the airport exit. Hayes’ figure was the liveliest, his words the most abundant. "You skipped last year’s New Year celebration—this year, don’t even think about running away! After being friends for so many years, how can we lose to the bustling world out there..."

Hannah asked him, "Will you leave again after the New Year?"

He replied, "No, I’m not leaving."

The sights beyond are beautiful, but I’ve seen them already. Together with the memories of the past, it’s enough for me to live out the rest of my life.

In the prime of our youth, at the height of our splendor, and as those days pass, we reminisce deeply and savor them slowly.