I don’t see Lasawani around the studio for hours, so I return to where I was lounging before.

Just as I sit down, I notice SamsaraCream and ThePervySage heading in my direction. They stop in front of me and take a seat.

The old man is sucking on a milkshake through a straw while SamsaraCream holds a half-burnt cigarette in his hand.

I bow respectfully to the old man.

"Hoho, you don’t have to be so humble. We should be the ones apologizing for intruding on your privacy," PervySage says, waving his hands dismissively while he continues aggressively sucking on the extra-large cup of milkshake. The thing probably holds about a liter.

"No, this is public property. There’s no need to apologize. You and SamsaraCream probably came here to relax too."

"Hey, Jacob, if we’re alone like this, you don’t need to be so formal. Just call me by my name—Beluba Grondok. This old geezer is Ramon Roku," SamsaraCream says, puffing out a cloud of smoke.

"Oi, stop calling me an old geezer. I’m healthy and in peak condition. Don’t judge a book by its cover. You know I lasted twice as long as you during the audition, fufu," the perverted old man giggles mischievously, the loud sound of him sucking aggressively on his straw filling the space.

"Tch," Beluba clicks his tongue.

"Jacob, do you have a father, mother, or sister?" Ramon suddenly asks, his expression turning serious.

My face grows serious too. This man doesn’t seem to be messing around.

"I don’t remember having a family. My orphanage was attacked by bandits, and I was taken as a slave before eventually becoming free," I lie. I notice the old man’s eyes narrow slightly.

"Is that so? I see... You look like someone, but according to your story, I’m sure you’re not that person. Sorry for bringing it up," Ramon says with a small bow and returns to drinking his milkshake.

My interest is instantly piqued. I lied because I actually don’t know shit about my predecessor’s past. I only gained awareness inside the auction house.

"Can you tell me more about the person you’re talking about?" I ask, but the old man immediately shakes his head.

"Never mind. I don’t want to talk about it. You’re not the person. I’m sorry for bringing this up."

"That’s fine."

"Old man, stop stirring up conspiracies. That’s not even why we’re here," Beluba grumbles, then focuses on me.

"Don’t mind him. We came to ask why you’ve been distancing yourself from everyone. Our colleagues are talking about you. Some say you’re arrogant or rude. A few even called you Lasawani’s boy-toy, claiming that’s why she favors you so much. But only the old man and I know that isn’t true. You’re just good at your game," Beluba says, looking at me with clear respect in his eyes.

"Man, I actually don’t care what people say. I have no fucks to give. I’m not going out of my way to please people who aren’t beneficial to me. What’s the point?" I reply with a chuckle, visibly surprising Beluba.

"That’s true. Anyway, do you know about the house party happening tonight?" Beluba asks.

"House party? I don’t know anything about that," I say, surprise clear in my voice as I lean forward.

"Yeah, it was just announced today by Shaba. It’s meant to help the old workers and newly signed talents bond. Shaba specifically told me to inform you about it."

"I see. I’ll attend," I reply. "By the way, I heard you two already shot your debut videos. How was it?"

"It was nice. I’m getting pretty good views and engagement, but not as much as yours. The girl I was paired with is the new cat girl from the audition day," he reveals.

"Ja-Ja-Ja, my debut video kinda sucked. I got paired with a fatso called MilkyNana. She’s popular because she lactates a lot. The views are impressive, but I’m disappointed I got stuck with an old-timer like her," Ramon hisses.

I can’t help but burst into laughter along with Beluba.

"But I thought you were supposed to be a huge pervert. A lactating woman isn’t bad. If I were you, I would’ve sucked those knockers dry," I say, still laughing.

"Hmph. Her ass was stinky. I bet that bitch hadn’t washed down there in days. I already reported that actors and actresses need to be inspected thoroughly before shoots. I wouldn’t complain about the milk—I’m a man of culture. But I would’ve canceled on the spot if they’d paired me with a Centaur," Ramon says, shaking his head as Beluba does the same.

"Wait, what’s wrong with a Centaur?" I ask, confused.

"Well... among demi-humans, they’re really odd-looking. Aside from that, you need to be packing serious meat to sexually satisfy a Centaur, let alone make them cum. An average male centaur has nothing less than twelve inches, with some reaching twenty. There’s no way normal humans like us could ever satisfy their females... but you, boy—you’re an exception. You’re packing some ridiculous meat down there," old man Ramon says in a deep tone, slurping the last of his milkshake while we laugh our asses off.

Even while laughing, I take note of what he said. I remember clearly how, after my shoot with Lola, we went to her dorm and had several hours of intense sex that left me exhausted and drained.

After about an hour of chatting, Beluba and the old man finally leave. It’s already noon, nearly evening. Just as I’m about to get up, I hear loud, abnormal footsteps approaching.

I look up and see Lola. Her long straight ears flare as our eyes meet, and a scowl forms on her face.

"Is that how you treat a woman? I’ve been worried about you these past days. I texted you but you never replied. You came in today and didn’t even bother to check on me until Lasawani told me you were around. That’s so unfair," Lola says, clearly unhappy.

I don’t say anything. I simply stand up and hug her, patting her back.

"I’m sorry about that. I didn’t realize you texted me. Unknown messages go into the archive, so I don’t see them until I check. I also didn’t want to raise any suspicions. I’ve been hearing a lot of stuff lately," I say, and her face blooms into a smile.

"Let’s head inside. I heard they’re hosting that house party. I think it might’ve already started," I say. She nods, and we start walking away from the terrace.