I Became an All-round Artist

Though Lin Yuan had the idea of buying a villa, he didn’t know where to start. Naturally, he sought advice.

"Let’s ask Senior Yao Huo."

These days, whenever Lin Yuan encountered a problem, his first thought was to reach out to his senior, Sun Yaohuo. He wasn’t exactly sure why, but one thing had always stood out about him: reliability.

As usual, Sun Yaohuo answered on the first ring.

“Hey, what can I help you with, junior?” he asked with his usual enthusiasm.

“I’m thinking about buying a villa,” Lin Yuan got straight to the point.

Sun Yaohuo chuckled. “Any specific requirements?”

After a moment’s thought, Lin Yuan said, “Preferably close to where I live now.”

Sun Yaohuo knew where Lin Yuan lived since he often gave him rides after work.

“Anything else?”

“That depends on what’s available.”

“I got it. How about I pick you up tomorrow?”

“No need, my sister has a car.”

“Alright then,” Sun Yaohuo said with a hint of regret. “I’ll send you the address tomorrow. See you there.”

“Okay,” Lin Yuan replied, hanging up the phone.

Sun Yaohuo was as dependable as ever!

Lin Xuan, who had been watching this exchange, realized one thing: her brother was serious. He really intended to buy a villa! A villa in Sucheng!

The thought shocked Lin Xuan so much that even when she woke up the next morning, her mind was still hazy. Fortunately, she hadn’t forgotten to request time off from her department manager.

The head of the editorial department was Lü Bei, though usually, his secretary handled leave requests. Lü Bei had previously told his secretary to take good care of Lin Xuan, so getting time off was no problem.

After getting her approval, Lin Xuan drove home in her recently purchased car to pick up Lin Yuan. Casually, she asked, “Did you tell your company you’re taking time off?”

“Not yet.”

Just as Lin Yuan said this, his phone rang—it was Lao Zhou.

“Is that your boss?” Lin Xuan asked.

Lin Yuan nodded and answered the call. Lao Zhou’s tone was concerned. “Why didn’t you come to work today?”

Would saying he was buying a house sound unprofessional? Lin Yuan thought for three seconds and replied, “I’m out doing fieldwork.”

There was a pause on the other end of the line for about three seconds, and then Lao Zhou, sounding a bit complicated, said, “I see.”

“Thanks,” Lin Yuan said before hanging up and turning to his sister. “Let’s go.”

Lin Xuan was speechless.

Should I start using “accompanying a writer on fieldwork” as an excuse for my time off too? But that wouldn’t fly in the editorial office—plus, my brother’s not even a Silver Blue Publishing author. What a pity.

After getting in the car and starting the journey, Lin Yuan called Sun Yaohuo.

“Are you heading out? I sent the location to your phone. I’ll meet you there—drive safe, junior.”

“Got it.”

Lin Yuan shared the address with his sister, and ten minutes later, they met up with Sun Yaohuo. To Lin Yuan’s surprise, despite the hot summer weather, Sun Yaohuo was wearing a mask and sunglasses, completely covering his face.

“Are you sick, Senior?” Lin Yuan asked, feeling a bit guilty.

Sun Yaohuo waved it off. “Don’t worry, I’m fine. It’s just that I’m a celebrity now. If people recognize me, it could cause a scene.”

Lin Xuan, puzzled, asked, “Are you really that famous?”

She knew of Sun Yaohuo because he had sung some of her brother’s songs, but she had never thought much about his level of fame.

“Not too bad,” Sun Yaohuo said with a proud smile, straightening his posture. But when people glanced over, he quickly lowered his head, acting cautious again.

“Too many eyes around,” he chuckled softly. “Let’s head in. I’ve already had my manager contact the sales office. Someone’s expecting us.”

The previous night, right after Lin Yuan’s call, Sun Yaohuo had his manager start looking for villas. Though his manager wasn’t particularly influential, he had plenty of connections thanks to the nature of his work. As soon as he heard it was for Xian Yu, he worked through the night, making dozens of calls before finding a suitable villa.

When they arrived, the manager was already waiting for them. They were then given a tour of a sample villa, a three-story property with a basement.

Lin Yuan thought it looked good but remained silent, leaving the decision to his sister. If she liked it, it was good enough for him. After all, he was buying this for his family. As long as they were happy, he was satisfied. He didn’t need anything too extravagant.

“So, what do you think?” the manager asked with a smile after the tour, turning to Lin Xuan.

Lin Yuan and Sun Yaohuo were walking behind Lin Xuan, so the manager assumed Lin Xuan was the one calling the shots.

Lin Xuan thought to herself, What do I even think? She felt completely out of her depth.

From the moment she stepped into the model villa, seeing the kind of luxury she’d only ever seen on TV, she hadn’t heard a single word of the manager’s pitch. Her mind was flooded with questions like:

“Am I even supposed to be here?”
“How do I pretend like I buy villas all the time?”
“Wait, no, how do I pretend like I can even afford a villa?”

I can't fake this!

I don’t know anything!

Why isn’t my dear brother saying anything? Don’t you realize how awkward this is for me?
And what’s with this manager? He clearly asked all of us, so why is he staring at me?
Is it because I’m pretty? Are you discriminating against beautiful girls?

Sun Yaohuo, noticing Lin Xuan’s long silence, thought, I knew it. Lin Yuan’s sister can be just as quiet as he is sometimes.

Thankfully, Sun Yaohuo was prepared. Although he hadn’t bought a villa before, as soon as Lin Yuan mentioned it last night, Sun Yaohuo had done a lot of research. He even reached out to some industry veterans for advice on avoiding common pitfalls when purchasing a villa.

The senior he contacted was surprisingly helpful. Although the first time Sun Yaohuo called, the veteran just said, “I’m busy” and hung up. But when he called again and mentioned he was gathering information for Xian Yu, the veteran suddenly found time. They met at a restaurant and had a long heart-to-heart, where the senior shared all sorts of valuable tips.

Before they parted, the senior even hinted at introducing him to someone important one day. But since Sun Yaohuo wasn’t great with names, he couldn’t quite remember who it was.

In any case, Sun Yaohuo had basically become a semi-expert on villas overnight.

He removed his mask and sunglasses, smoothly striking up a conversation with the manager. As they talked, Lin Yuan and Lin Xuan were able to grasp the key details about the villa.

“I think it’s pretty good,” Lin Xuan finally spoke up. She felt like it was a safe comment, confident she had successfully concealed her inner panic.

Did my sister like it? Lin Yuan nodded and asked the manager, “Can we get a discount?”

The manager smiled. “Since you’re here through a referral, I can offer you the best price.”

After another half-hour of negotiations, they finally signed the pre-purchase agreement.

Back in the lobby, Lin Yuan glanced at Sun Yaohuo and asked, “Senior, aren’t you going to put your mask back on?”

“Oh no!” Sun Yaohuo exclaimed, suddenly remembering. He was just about to put his mask and sunglasses back on when Lin Xuan, looking amused, said, “I don’t think that’s necessary anymore, is it?”

They all looked around. The lobby was bustling with people coming and going. Plenty of people had seen Sun Yaohuo, but they all passed by calmly. One group even said, “Excuse me, sir, could you please move? You’re blocking the entrance.”

Sun Yaohuo shuffled aside, dumbfounded.

Lin Xuan sighed and patted him on the shoulder. “I’ll ask Xia Fan to give you some pointers. I’m sure one day, people will recognize you!”

Sun Yaohuo: “…”

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