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
Keegan moved from initial resistance to reluctantly listening, and eventually to questioning."Why do these novels portray men as so stupid and brainless, yelling at the female lead as if they have intermittent explosive disorder?""Is the male lead sick? Forcing the female lead to donate a kidney, is he out of his mind?""How many years would they get for calling the police in their world?""Why is he so dumb? The supporting actress claims the female lead pushed her into the water and he believes it? Is checking surveillance footage illegal?""Stella, are you making fun of me?""I can't learn this. It all feels so neurotic. What does the female lead see in him?"Stella retorted, "Who cares if it's neurotic? Just mimic that stupidity, that's how these innocent women like men who protect them like that."Keegan was very reluctant, but his brain was more compliant than his body. Without needing to study deliberately, everything he heard stuck in his mind.So when Keegan mentione
Keegan's expression darkened with anger. "You're being completely unreasonable!"Stella crossed her arms, wearing an expression that seemed challenging. "You let her take it. Let's see if I dare."Jaylene hadn't actually wanted those junk items in the first place; she was deliberately trying to stir up discord between them. Now that her goal was achieved, she put on a sympathetic look."Keegan, I don't want it anymore. Don't be angry. Your health is more important. Didn't the doctor say to keep your emotions stable?"Turning her head, she reproached Stella. "Stella, are you here to help Keegan recover his memory or just to provoke him?""Shut up, you brat! Do you even have a say here?"Acting under the guise of a drama, playing the role of someone lacking in manners, was incredibly satisfying.She’d wanted to curse this brat for a long time!Jaylene's lips twitched, but she held back, tearfully saying, "Stella, if you don't like me, I'll leave. There's no need to humiliate me l
Jaylene understood the situation perfectly. Even though she didn't particularly like these cold, mechanical devices, she put on a pretense of surprise, saying, "Really, Keegan?"Keegan nodded. "Choose one you like.""Keegan!" Before Stella could finish her sentence, she couldn't hold back her sharp voice, "With your pile of junk that I can't even touch normally, she takes a look and now you want to give it to her? What's the meaning of this?!"Keegan frowned, apparently not comprehending her current anger at all. "Jaylene gave me a gift, and I'm giving her one in return. What's the problem?""What problem?" Stella's eyes started to redden. "I can't touch them, so why should she be able to? Have you forgotten, or do you have inappropriate feelings for her?"Keegan's expression darkened. "This makes no sense!"Jaylene secretly delighted in this, hypocritically trying to calm things down, "Forget it, Keegan. Since Stella minds so much, I don't want it anymore. You've strained your r
The standoff lasted for over twenty minutes before Keegan grabbed a book and knocked the beetle off Jaylene's neck. The beetle fluttered twice and suddenly flew up, landing on Jaylene's face.Jaylene screamed, rolled her eyes, and fainted.As she collapsed, the bug flew off again."Jaylene?"Keegan called out to her.He looked up at Stella and said, "You go start the car, I'll carry her to the hospital."As he spoke, he signaled to Stella.She understood and coldly grunted, "So troublesome."Walking over to Jaylene, she squatted down beside her and slapped her face twice.Jaylene immediately opened her eyes and reached out to push her away. "What are you doing!"Stella was prepared and had already moved back before she could be pushed.She shook her tingling hand and innocently said, "Jaylene, you fainted because of the bug. I was just saving you. Don't believe me? Ask Keegan."Jaylene nearly ground her teeth. Did she think she hadn't heard? She was intentionally exposing h
Her fingertips trembled with a mix of horror and excitement. Just as the teapot was about to slip from her grasp, Keegan suddenly said, "Jaylene, don't move."Jaylene froze, instinctively thinking Keegan had regained his memory. She had barely twitched when Keegan loudly stopped her again, "Don't move, absolutely don't move."Jaylene wanted to say something, but then felt an itching sensation on her neck, as if something was crawling slowly. Goosebumps erupted all over her body.By now, Stella had turned around and saw Jaylene standing stiffly with the teapot in hand. Her eyes quickly assessed the situation and then she noticed the beetle crawling on Jaylene's neck.It was an unknown species, not overly tentacled but as long as a little finger, its mouthparts slightly twitching, genuinely alarming in appearance.Stella murmured, "It's so big."Jaylene couldn't see what was on her neck, unsure if it would bite or if it was venomous. She stood frozen in place, her voice trembling,
Seeing him, Stella even lowered her eyes and softly praised, "Mr. Kane, you acted very well."Keegan glared at her, his voice low and intense. "If you keep watching like this, Coco will cut ties with me tomorrow."Stella replied confidently, "No, she won't. After accepting the red envelope, she can tolerate you a little longer."Keegan asked sharply, "Did you teach her to ask for red envelopes like this?""Don't falsely accuse me; I didn't teach her.""You may not have taught her directly, but you set an example. Have you forgotten how you always make me buy things for you?"Stella was speechless. Whenever she wanted Keegan to buy her something, she would often say, "Gifts are only surprises when given voluntarily. If reminded, it shows they don’t like me that much."It had to be said, Coco had learned the essence of it.Stella also felt a bit awkward, thinking that in the future, she needed to avoid such flirtatious conversations between spouses in front of the children. They
Could she figure all this out?Keegan frowned, casting a disappointed look at Coco. "Are you not listening to me now?"Coco raised her gaze defiantly and stated, "Aunt Stella taught me that if I don't want something someone gives me, I can say no. I don't want this hairpin.""Didn't she teach you that even if you don't like something, you should still say thank you?"Coco fell silent for a moment, then reluctantly said to Jaylene, "Thank you, Aunt Jaylene, but I don't want it."Jaylene hesitated with her hand extended, unsure whether to retract it or leave it there, managing a strained smile. "Then what do you like? Next time, I will get you something you do like."Coco asked, "Do you want me to do something for you?"Jaylene was taken aback. "What?"Coco replied seriously, "Aunt Stella says offering help without reason is either deceitful or thieving. Since you don't like me, why else would you give me something? You want me to do something for you, right?"Jaylene forced a s
Leighton's incident did indeed revive their suspicions.Jaylene was gullible, but Darcie might see through this scheme. "Keegan, why didn't you go to work today?" Jaylene chose to ask directly at first.Keegan remained composed. "I've been busy with the press conference lately and haven't had much rest. Now that things have slowed down, I thought I'd take a break and relax."Jaylene spoke gently, "You should rest well. Since you came back, you've been busy, and you've been postponing Dr. Stone's follow-up appointments. Keegan, I'm really worried about your health. Since you're resting these days, I'll arrange for Dr. Stone to give you another check-up. Stella has been living here to assist your recovery for so long. We need the doctor to give a clear assessment of whether there's been any improvement. Otherwise, it's not good for Stella's reputation to stay here so long, unmarried and under one roof."Keegan nodded. "Okay, please arrange it. Thank you."His response was decisive,
Stella had just descended the stairs when she heard that remark, causing her eyelids to twitch as she thought to herself, “Damn it! He really knows how to come up with excuses!”Upon hearing this, Jaylene's eyes briefly flashed with disdain, but she ultimately accepted the shoe covers Keegan handed her. As Keegan led Jaylene into the house, her eyes continued to scrutinize every corner.There were a couple of pillows on the sofa, couple mugs on the table, wedding photos of Keegan and Stella on the walls, and even headbands and hair ties scattered on the table. The house exuded an unmistakable feminine touch.Jaylene's expression darkened, but when Keegan turned to ask if she preferred tea or coffee, she adopted a gentle, harmless demeanor. "Tea would be perfect."Keegan invited her to take a seat and called for Maria to prepare tea. Jaylene spoke softly, "Keegan, I heard from Stella that you brew Dragon Well tea better than anyone else. Is there a special technique?"Stella paused