Chapter 2311


    Nicole inquired, "So, which option are you leaning toward?"


    Leighton hesitated, weighing his choices.


    Opting for the first one would entail assisting thepany in promoting new talents. While he didn''t mind mentoring neers, he found thepany''s various publicity tactics distasteful.Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    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 thepany''s instructions, behaving particrly 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 ''rtionship'' between him and the new actor began trending, that things became clear. During public events, friends teased, "Are you two an item? Your eye contact in the video makes it seem so." Leighton waspletely baffled, notprehending their implications.


    His friends assumed he was pretending and showed him screenshots of fan edits, where fans interpreted every tweet timing and every coincidental schedule ovep as evidence of a romantic rtionship. For instance, in one video, they shared a sip from the same coffee cup, leading fans to specte about indirect kissing.


    There were numerous other "sweet moments," such as using the same towel or wearing the same jacket. Particrly noteworthy was when the new actor identally liked a fan''sment under Leighton''s post, insinuating a romantic connection.


    The new actor had posted a birthday tweet, showcasing one of the gifts-a scarf. It happened to resemble the one Leighton had been spotted wearing a couple of days earlier.


    This prompted ament from a follower, "Is that a couples'' scarf from so -and- so?" The new actor mistakenly liked thement before retracting it.


    Some "fans" were quick to screenshot the incident, sparking a frenzy among couple enthusiasts, leading many in the industry to believe Leighton was genuinely attracted to men.


    Estelle caught wind of it before Leighton did and immediately approached thepany. However, they dismissed his concerns and instructed him to keep an eye on Leighton without intervening.


    Estelle realized it was a publicity stunt orchestrated by thepany, leveraging Leighton''s "bromance" to boost their poprity.


    Estelle was furious. While such tactics weren''t umon, they usually involved mutual agreements between both parties'' teams and were used by actors trying to break into the mainstream with unconventional roles. Leighton didn''t need this- he was already a sensation from a talent show, with a fan base built on authenticity. Such publicity would only alienate his fans.


    They were essentially trying to bleed Leighton dry, using star-making tactics to create another A-lister.


    Estelle couldn''t afford to offend his superiors and didn''t want to keep tq Leighton in the dark. He was struggling to find the right words when Leighton found out on his own.


    He didn''t even acknowledge Estelle, simply unfollowed the new actor and posted a tweet, showcasing his own scarf with the caption, My mom knitted this."


    Couple enthusiasts felt duped and expressed disappointment and m


    usations of heartlessness toward himon twitter, even though he hadn''t done anything, inexplicably bing the viin.


    Leighton, resolute, retweeted a post about Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium that, in one case om mentioned in the tweet, infected a man who had secretly used utensils previously used by a woman he admired.


    Underneath the educational tweet, the top-likedment read, "This bacteria is impressive. It truly knows how to get things moving."