Don't Mess with the Girl with Candy novel Chapter 1376

Even though the video didn't catch her face straight on, her clothes and styling left no room for debate.

She looked exactly like a "man."

Damn it.

How could her cover be blown at a critical moment like this?

Would this ruin Jimmie's career?

Luella bit down hard on her lip and immediately dialed Jimmie's number. "The news online..."

"Ignore the news. Just focus on what you need to do."

Jimmie's voice was completely steady, even carrying a soothing warmth. "Luella, I'm not afraid. So you don't need to be afraid either."

He knew how long she had spent meticulously crafting this plan.

If she exposed her true gender now, everything she had built would collapse into dust.

"Jimmie."

Luella's eyes instantly burned red, her chest tightening with an overwhelming surge of guilt. Her voice broke. "This is going to destroy your future. How are we going to fix this?"

"Worst case scenario, I walk away from the entertainment industry."

A low, soft chuckle rumbled in Jimmie's throat, his tone endlessly gentle. "Luella, if I have to choose between my career and you, you win every time."

"You absolute romantic fool!"

"Mhm, and I'm a fool only for you," Jimmie didn't even try to deny it. "Starting right now, stay off the domestic news completely!"

Luella sniffled, silently letting the tears fall.

"I'm flying back tonight."

Jimmie's throat felt dry, the reluctance to leave her heavy in his chest. "Luella, I'll be waiting for you to come home."

"I will, Jimmie. I promise," Luella murmured thickly.

That night, Jimmie flew back to Borealia.

The scandal of him "coming out" had already ignited an absolute firestorm online.

Countless irrational fans were screaming about betrayal, publicly dropping their support and demanding an explanation.

Several major brands, spooked by the massive PR nightmare, immediately released statements suspending their contracts with him.

His talent agency was a total war zone.

"Everything is falling apart!" Jimmie's direct superior, Mr. Zigmund, stared at the impossibly calm superstar in front of him, pacing frantically. "Jimmie, are the photos and the video real?"

"They are."

Jimmie sat effortlessly in his chair, his gaze lowered, his voice a low gravel.

"Well, since his background is so untouchable, couldn't we..."

Mr. Zigmund's PR instincts kicked into overdrive, formulating a rapid-response strategy.

They could leak Luella's identity to the press to instantly shift the media's focus.

Then, they could have Luella issue a public statement claiming they were just close friends, and that he had drunkenly kissed Jimmie by accident.

As long as they redirected the crosshairs off Jimmie, they could salvage this, right?

"What exactly are you planning to do?"

Jimmie's eyes lifted, locking onto his manager. His voice was freezing cold. "Don't even think about throwing her under the bus, Zigmund. I strictly forbid it."

"It is the best possible play!"

Mr. Zigmund planted his hands on his hips, exasperated. "What else are we supposed to do?! Your reputation is tanking, the company's stock is plummeting right along with it, and we have millions of fans and brand partners demanding answers! How do I explain this to them?"

"I fell in love. Who exactly do I owe an explanation to?"

Jimmie rose to his feet. His tall, broad frame seemed to radiate a suffocating, glacial aura that made the hair on the back of Zigmund's neck stand up.

"I'm almost thirty years old. Are you telling me my fans can't comprehend the concept of me being in a relationship?"

Would they only be satisfied if he died alone?

Any rational fan who truly cared about him would simply want him to be happy, without uttering a single word of complaint.