Leighton was speechless.After ten minutes, the car finally came to a stop.The house was a villa, but the entire villa area had been abandoned previously. The developer went bankrupt, and the assets were liquidated. A few years ago, a new developer took over and completed the final touches, finally making it available for use. However, this place was quite remote, and being close to the crematorium, property prices had sharply declined. There were listings everywhere online, offering low prices. Those purchasing villas here were generally not short of money. Due to the unfavorable location of this house, not many people chose to live here.The house was far from the city center, and with the overcast sky, darkness had already descended by the time they arrived. There were scarcely any lights on the road. Leighton glanced out the window, observing the willows casting eerie shadows under the dim streetlights. The more he stared, the more unsettled he felt. Quickly averting his gaze,
Leighton was still trying to wrap his head around how he could have kicked a ghost when the lights flickered on, revealing what lay on the ground. It wasn't some ghastly hanged specter; it was unmistakably a man.His kick had been forceful; the man lay there clutching his stomach, unable to get up right away. Upon seeing the light, he didn't bother lifting his head, but clenched his teeth and said coldly, "Nicole, you've really outdone yourself this time!"Leighton was speechless.What was this thing? Why did it speak so disgustingly? It was even more repulsive than the lines he delivered as a boss character.Nicole furrowed her brow. "What are you doing here?""How did I end up here? Who else has the power to make me come to this dump—" The man paused, then glanced toward the foyer. When his eyes met Leighton's, his voice abruptly trailed off, and he frowned. "You brought someone else?"Nicole replied calmly, "He's not someone else; he's my boyfriend." Then she introduced Leight
Kaden visibly bristled at Leighton's words, taking a full two seconds to compose himself before responding, his face contorted with anger. "Who do you think you are? What do you know about her and me?"Leighton silently mused, "I couldn't care less about their dynamic, but if a woman who can handle me is getting bullied by someone else, how embarrassing would that be if it got out? I need to assert myself in front of this domineering guy so she knows I've got her back—it's not that I can't hold my own against her, but I'm cutting her some slack because she's a woman."Leighton impatiently retorted, "You talk too much! Wrap it up and get lost already. A non-blood-related big brother hanging around his stepsister's place in the dead of night— even if she's okay with it, I’m not!"Since Leighton joined the conversation, Nicole remained silent. She stood there, observing Leighton with a peculiar expression, and even at the last sentence, a hint of amusement flickered in her eyes, tinged
She had nearly completed a loop around the entire villa area when she finally spotted Leighton, sitting all alone in the children's play area, his gaze fixed on the rocking horse that had been the center of kids' attention.With hardly any children in the neighborhood, the play area stood deserted, devoid of any activity.Leighton's long legs made him appear rather awkward sitting there. Half of his face was obscured by shadows, lending him a desolate air, like a forsaken puppy, pitiful and alone.Having discarded his outerwear, he sported only a thin white short-sleeved T-shirt. As the night's chill set in, Nicole felt a shiver despite her coat, imagining how uncomfortable Leighton must be in just a T-shirt.He rubbed his arms, seemingly annoyed, and kicked away pebbles at his feet.Sensing a presence at his shoulder, Leighton jolted for a moment, then glanced up to find Nicole standing beside him with a warm smile, whispering, "Let's go inside; it's getting cold out here."Sudd
Nicole remarked, "You ran quite a distance, and I had to wander around searching for you for what felt like ages."Leighton, with a hint of discontent, retorted, "I was just behind your house. Who do you think you're kidding?"Nicole was surprised, "I thought you headed toward the main gate, so I searched for you along the main road. I never imagined you could circle around the back. I ended up walking in the wrong direction and making a full circle before I finally found you."Leighton felt a bit relieved and quipped, "Who would've guessed you'd be this clueless? Why didn't you check the places with seating first?"As for Nicole... She did indeed check places with chairs. Who would've thought he'd end up in the children's area with his long limbs?"Wait, if I hadn't found you, were you planning on spending the whole night there?"Leighton shot her a glare. "If you had made me wait all night, I would've tweeted tomorrow accusing you of cheating with a college student! Trying to f
Nicole inquired, "So, which option are you leaning toward?"Leighton hesitated, weighing his choices.Opting for the first one would entail assisting the company in promoting new talents. While he didn't mind mentoring newcomers, he found the company's various publicity tactics distasteful.Previously, they had gone to great lengths to pair him with an actor two years his junior, arranging for the actor to join the same cast and assigning her the role of an assistant, always at his side. The actor obediently followed the company's instructions, behaving particularly intimately with him on set, fetching drinks or snacks. Even after shooting a rain scene, the actor brought him a towel and a hand warmer.Leighton remained oblivious, sensing nothing awry throughout the filming process.It wasn't until the drama aired, and the ‘relationship’ between him and the new actor began trending, that things became clear. During public events, friends teased, "Are you two an item? Your eye conta
Leighton posted two Facebook updates, directly shattering the fans' faith. He openly rejected the CP (Couple Pairing) on the entire internet, he faced a barrage of disappointed fans calling him a scumbag, while his solo fans fought back fiercely, causing a huge online clash. At this moment, the new actor did something bold—he deleted the Facebook post where he showed off a scarf and posted a new one: "If I stand high enough, does that mean I have the right to stand beside you?" Posting such an ambiguous Facebook at this time led netizens to naturally interpret it as Leighton being afraid to admit his love, fearing it would affect his career, so he dumped the other person and even used his fame to attack him. Half of the CP fans unfollowed, while the other half became solo fans of the new actor, furiously insulting Leighton online. Leighton's solo fans didn't take it lying down; they dug up and posted the actor's history of bullying classmates before his debut. However, becaus
Nicole changed her approach, "Are you avoiding this option because you're afraid your popularity will drop while you're on break?" Leighton nodded, then shook his head, finally saying after a while, "I don't know what I'd do if I wasn't working." Since his debut, he hadn't had much of a break. Suddenly being without work made him feel lost, and he feared his dad might mock him. Nicole suggested, "Go back to school. You're still so young; it's never too late to do anything. If you want to have a long-lasting career in this industry, you need the confidence to stand on stage. No one is born an actor. Most of the best acting teachers in the country are at Rivera Drama Academy. You need to study acting systematically and see firsthand the skills of the older generation of actors. That's something you rarely get to experience outside." Nicole's words cut through the fog in Leighton's mind, making him realize that going back to school was an option. His dream had been to get into R