"Getting used to the new place?"
She was making small talk.
"It's great, thank you!" Cassius replied. "Emma told me the visiting time. Wednesday afternoon. I'll be there on time."
Kristen seemed surprised that he cut straight to the chase.
"Actually, you don't have to be in such a rush to fulfill your obligations!"
"I'm mostly curious about how a big production operates."
Cassius came up with a reasonable excuse.
"I don't have any other work right now anyway. I want to see if I can learn a thing or two!"
The reason was impeccable.
Kristen nodded. "Suit yourself. Sets can be a bit boring."
There wasn't much else to talk about. After a simple dinner prepared by the chef, they returned to their rooms.
Cassius followed the agreement strictly.
First, he walked with Kristen into her master bedroom suite, intentionally letting any potential long-range lenses capture them entering together.
After staying for ten minutes or so, he slipped through the hidden door and returned silently to his actual guest room.
Cassius felt zero emotional fluctuations about this. In fact, he found it much easier than hustling for gigs on the street corners of Santa Monica.
Wednesday afternoon.
The car Emma arranged dropped Cassius off outside a soundstage at Universal Studios in Burbank.
After a rigorous ID check, he was allowed inside.
The set of Snow White and the Huntsman was massive. Crew members were bustling about, and expensive equipment was everywhere.
Kristen was rehearsing fight choreography with the stunt coordinator. She was playing Snow White.
She wore training clothes that allowed for easy movement, her hair tied back, her expression focused.
Her partner was Chris Hemsworth, who played the Huntsman.
A tall Australian actor with a bright smile. He had been in Star Trek and was getting quite a bit of buzz!
What Cassius didn't know was that Chris Hemsworth's next role was Thor. After this movie wrapped, he would seamlessly transition to the Thor set.
And with Thor, he would successfully break into Hollywood's A-list!
At this moment, the future God of Thunder was also in training gear, holding a prop axe.
Cassius was seated in the rest area so as not to disturb the rehearsal.
His gaze swept across the entire set like radar.
Target acquired!
Just as Chris Hemsworth completed a beautiful spinning axe swing, a blue orb dropped from his feet:
[Physical Attribute — Power +3]
Cassius's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately focused on absorbing it.
An understanding of how to use body language to convey raw power flooded into him.
This was way more advanced than the [Force +1] he picked up from indie action flicks!
Meanwhile, Charlize Theron, who played the Queen, was resting nearby, speaking in low tones with the director.
Even just sitting there, she radiated the aura of a top-tier actor.
A purple orb flickered into existence at her feet:
[Aura Attribute — Queen's Presence +4]
A purple attribute orb!
As expected of a big production!
Absorb!
Cassius felt his spine straighten involuntarily.
This place was a treasure trove of attribute orbs!
And the quality was insanely high!
During a break, Kristen saw Cassius and walked over to drink some water.
"How is it? Boring?"
"No, it's fascinating!"
Cassius said sincerely, his eyes still subconsciously scanning the surroundings for the next orb.
"Watching professionals work, I can learn a lot!"
Kristen looked at his shining eyes and felt it was a bit odd.
Usually, when people visited stars, they were either excited or nervous. Why did he look like an archaeologist who just discovered a dinosaur fossil?
"You like being on set?" she couldn't help asking.
"Love it!" Cassius answered without hesitation.
Cassius was completely satisfied with this visit.
Not only did he get a feel for the high-end set environment, but he also harvested several high-quality attribute orbs. The numbers on his panel saw a small spike.
Back at the house in Beverly Hills, he asked Kristen, "Can I come again next time you're working?"
Kristen looked at his serious expression and nodded. "Sure!"
She was increasingly feeling that this "contract boyfriend" really just saw their relationship as a VIP pass to high-level film sets!
Cassius's life in Beverly Hills quickly settled into a routine.
Wake up early, work out, study scripts.
Then, for the most part, he either stayed in his room or clocked in at the Snow White and the Huntsman set at Universal Studios.
His frequency of visiting the set was so high that even Kristen's assistant, Emma, was side-eyeing him.
This guy treated set visits like a 9-to-5 job, and his enthusiasm was off the charts.
What made Kristen feel even weirder was that Cassius's focus on set was never on her.
Cassius was usually engrossed in studying Chris sparring with the stunt actors, mimicking the moves on the sidelines, eyes shining as if he had struck gold!
Sometimes he would observe Charlize's posture as she moved, or even squat next to the cameraman to see how they framed the shots.
On the rare occasions he talked to her, it was always pure shop talk like, "What did you think of that choreography just now?" or "Ms. Theron's aura is incredible, isn't it?"
Once or twice was fine, but as it happened more often, Kristen started to feel a little slighted.
This wasn't right!
Very not right!
She was Kristen Stewart.
Bella from Twilight. The idol of teenagers worldwide. The kind of girl everyone agreed would look good even in a potato sack.
In the past, men who were rumored with her or tried to pursue her always did whatever they could to get her attention!
Even if he was a fake boyfriend, a physically and mentally normal straight guy living under the same roof with her every day shouldn't have zero reaction!
She admitted she could be a slob sometimes, but with her looks, how could he be completely indifferent?
Unless...
A thought struck her like lightning.
Unless he isn't straight at all!
Once this idea appeared, it quickly took root in her mind.
Right!
That would explain everything!
Why was he blind to her charm?
Why was he only interested in the set, the muscular guys, and the powerhouse actresses!
Why did he watch Chris Hemsworth swing an axe with more focus than he watched her in her training gear!
It all made sense!
Kristen liked women herself, so she had experience with this kind of thing!
Kristen's attire and behavior at home became even more casual, completely letting herself go.
Before, she would at least wear a decent T-shirt and sweatpants at home.
Now, she often wore an old, graying long-sleeved shirt and loose pajama pants, her hair a mess, face bare, wandering around the house.
When eating, she would sit cross-legged on the chair with zero image consciousness, stuffing food into her mouth while scrolling on her phone, occasionally letting out a burp-like laugh at a funny video.
Cassius had no reaction whatsoever.
He ate his food, discussed scripts when necessary, and his eyes remained as calm as if he were looking at a piece of furniture.
Once, Kristen deliberately wore that old T-shirt with a neckline so stretched it practically fell off her shoulder and walked around in front of him for ten minutes. Cassius didn't even spare a second glance. Instead, he seriously analyzed the emotional layers of a scene in the Snow White script with her.
Kristen was thoroughly convinced!