CHAPTER 145: ARTHUR

[Someone call an ambulance, Luther is wearing glasses—oh my god, I’m not okay, I’m NOT okay!]

[There aren’t enough ambulances for all of us, seriously]

[As if you’re the only one not okay. Why is everyone this gorgeous? Please.]

[I feel like Joshua hasn’t been cute lately. He doesn’t do the eye-smile anymore. He keeps giving that detached little smile—he’s seducing me!]

[Stop deluding yourself, sis]

[Is no one talking about Justin? He’s usually glued to Joshua like a giant puppy, but every time he gets styled up... damn, he’s insane. Those muscles and that face belong on a brand’s magazine cover.]

[Agreed. His only weakness is that he only has eyes for Joshua.]

[That’s a strength, actually haha]

Almost the moment ShineOn appeared, the comments were drowned by the Polaris fandom. With a lineup dazzling enough to blind people, it was no surprise they drew massive attention.

On the red carpet, ShineOn and ATA finally began interacting.

Of course, ShineOn bowed to ATA first.

Though Leonard’s attitude was atrocious, as if he were seconds away from carving the word "disdain" on his face.

Joshua couldn’t help muttering, "Did someone over there owe you money or something?"

Unexpectedly, Leonard narrowed his eyes and, right in front of the camera, bent down close to Joshua, creating the perfect "whispering intimately" scene.

Joshua looked at Leonard’s sly fox-like smile and felt helpless. "You did that on purpose. Fans are going to overthink it again."

Leonard only grinned wider. "So you do know? Have you ever seen their drawings or stories? They’re adorable."

Joshua: "..." He refused to respond.

Leonard continued musing, "I’ll send some to you next time."

Joshua vigorously shook his head. "No need."

Joshua had no interest in stories about himself and Leonard.

Meanwhile, the moment Leonard leaned in close to Joshua, fans absolutely lost their minds. The comments were exploding, running so fast it looked like the chat was about to crash.

[Holy shit, Leonard and Joshua—YOU TWO! Can you not separate for once?! Do you HAVE to be like this?!!]

[I’m sure Leonard did that on purpose. Look at his face, I can read him like a book!]

[Joshua’s expression hahaha, he looks so done]

[Raise the flag of the Foby Empire high!]

[Honestly, there’s a reason Foby is the strongest warship. I’d like to sincerely thank our captain, Leonard.]

[Hahahahahahahaha]

[Come on, guys, they’re adorable, but let’s not talk about OTPs here]

Mixed in were also comments criticizing Leonard’s attitude toward ATA, but Leonard’s fans had long been immune to such things.

Leonard had always been like this—the entire industry knew it.

The group quickly finished signing and moved on. But at that moment, a sudden commotion broke out. Joshua instinctively looked back.

A young man around twenty-five stepped onto the carpet. He looked stunned when he saw ShineOn, and then something flickered in his eyes—something like awkwardness mixed with irritation—but his smile didn’t change even slightly as he looked toward the cameras, thoroughly professional.

Joshua followed ShineOn’s formation and walked off.

Meanwhile, the livestream chat exploded in outrage.

[Why is Luis showing up NOW? AG is really inhumane.]

[Those bastards. They know Luis doesn’t want to renew his contract, so they do this to him.]

[He’s already so influential in the industry and still gets treated like this.]

[Just hurry up and let his contract expire. He hasn’t had a single schedule for a month. AG is genuinely awful.]

[Poor Luis, hang in there, just two more weeks!]

Luis—the young, talented actor who won Best Actor last year.

His contract with Atius Group was nearing its end. But because he had shown apparent reluctance to stay with the company, AG had started giving him a hard time.

They weren’t doing anything severe enough to damage his reputation, but the petty tricks were more than enough to make anyone uncomfortable.

After signing, Luis politely walked into the main hall of the banquet.

The livestream only covered the red carpet. Everything inside the banquet was private, though reporters would still be present to write articles afterward.

ShineOn was guided to their seats by an assistant.

The interior was luxurious, brightly lit, yet decorated beautifully with fresh flowers and candles.

Champagne towers stood in several corners, and waiters moved through the hall serving drinks. Joshua’s eyes immediately locked onto the enormous cake displayed at the center of the hall. It was probably taller than he was, designed like a grand, majestic castle in shades of white and soft pink.

Joshua’s gaze looked indifferent, but anyone who knew him could see it—his eyes were glued to the cake.

Luther couldn’t help laughing. He gently tapped the tip of Joshua’s nose and said with a smile, "Don’t bother with that thing. It only looks big—there’s no way it tastes good."

Joshua looked over at Luther and said thoughtfully, "Stop touching me. And with today’s styling, you should smile less—then you’ll look more seductive."

Luther shrugged, utterly nonchalant. "No matter how seductive I look, what’s the point? It’s not like I can seduce Joshua."

Joshua: "..."

He truly had no words.

Joshua resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He glanced toward Henry, who was sitting one seat away with Leonard between them. He wanted to sit next to Henry, but it seemed the seating arrangement didn’t allow it.

Henry seemed to sense Joshua’s gaze and offered him a reassuring smile.

Luther witnessed this and nearly swore he’d seen a ghost. Henry... smiled?

So it was true—Henry had feelings for Joshua too...

Just then, a soft voice suddenly drifted over. "That cake was made with the finest ingredients and crafted by some of the most talented chefs in the world. Why wouldn’t it taste good?"

Joshua instinctively turned his head.

Arthur was standing behind them, dressed in a dark gray suit with subtle golden stitches running along the fabric. His soft brown hair was slicked back, and his deep black eyes rested gently on Joshua—like a calm, gentle lake.

He smiled at Joshua. "Because Joshua likes sweets."

He said it as if that magnificent cake had been created specifically for Joshua.

Joshua curved his lips slightly and replied, "With the chefs from Atius Group, of course, their skills can’t be criticized."

Leonard, cold-voiced beside him, cut in, "Joshua, ignore him. No need to be afraid."

Arthur’s sudden appearance—like a peacock fanning its tail in front of Joshua—made something burn irritably in Leonard’s chest. He had the urge to punch that overly polished face of Arthur’s.

Arthur paid Leonard no attention. He stepped a little closer to Joshua, placing a hand lightly on the back of Joshua’s chair as he leaned down, his voice gentle. "I heard you were injured. It seems you’re doing better now?"

Joshua nodded stiffly. Didn’t Arthur have a habit of avoiding physical contact? Why was he suddenly this close?

Arthur’s gaze lingered on the pale nape of Joshua’s neck as he continued, "Joshua, you said we were friends, yet it feels like you’ve completely forgotten about me."