I Became an All-round Artist

"What a pity..."

As they were about to part ways after dinner, Sun Yaohuo spoke with a hint of regret. “I recently took out a loan to open a hotpot restaurant. I was hoping to invite you, my junior, to come and try it when it opens. But I guess you'll be heading off to Qizhou by the end of this month, right?”

“I’ll be here!” Lin Xuan's eyes lit up instantly.

Sun Yaohuo quickly nodded. “Of course, you’re always welcome, sister! I’ll notify the manager, and anytime you want to visit, it’ll be on the house. I'll send you the address later. The restaurant will open at the end of next month, so you can drop by then!”

“I’ve got faith in you!” Lin Xuan responded cheerfully. She didn’t bother correcting Sun Yaohuo for calling her "sister," even though he might be older than her. It didn’t matter—after all, she didn’t look old, so why worry about a title?

“And one more thing...” Sun Yaohuo continued with a grin. “I also own a milk tea shop and a breakfast place. You can visit those too whenever you like, and it’ll all be free. After all, I’ve got such a good relationship with your brother!”

“I’ll come back to try them,” Lin Yuan nodded, feeling a bit of regret that he wouldn’t be able to try the hotpot right away. He was confident Sun Yaohuo’s restaurant would be amazing because Sun was someone who truly knew food. He always had a knack for finding the best spots to eat in Sucheng.

Sun Yaohuo was visibly excited. Lin Yuan didn’t deny their close relationship, which meant he acknowledged it too. He was now determined to go to the airport to see Lin Yuan off and further strengthen their bond.

Truth be told, as Lin Yuan headed back home after saying goodbye to Sun Yaohuo, he actually started to feel a touch of melancholy. They had spent so much time together, and now he had to part for an entire semester. It was a bit hard to adjust to.

Over the next few days, this feeling of farewell only grew stronger.

Even Xia Fan, busy with her various engagements, made time to meet up with Lin Yuan. She was just getting her career off the ground, so finding time to hang out wasn’t easy.

In addition, Jiang Kui, a fellow artist under Star Sound, heard from some colleagues that Xian Yu was headed to Qizhou. Xian Yu was a rising star in the music scene of Qinzhou. Almost everyone in the industry who worked with him only got one chance to collaborate. Only Jiang Kui and Sun Yaohuo had the privilege of working with Lin Yuan a second time—and Jiang Kui was the first.

Whether there would be a third collaboration, no one knew. But when Jiang Kui learned Xian Yu was leaving, she immediately invited him to a meal and gave him a carefully prepared gift.

“What’s this?” Lin Yuan asked curiously.

Jiang Kui, a bit shy, replied, “I’ve been learning how to make pastries lately. I made these salted egg yolk pastries just before heading out.”

Lin Yuan’s eyes lit up. He loved ice cream and pudding, but salted egg yolk pastries were also high on his list! The pastries were round and looked delicately made.

He gratefully accepted the gift and thanked her sincerely.

“Does it have egg yolk inside?” he asked.

“Yes,” Jiang Kui confirmed, a little unsure of his tastes. “I used salted duck egg yolk. I hope it suits you.”

“I love egg yolk. Whether it’s chicken or duck, it’s all good,” Lin Yuan replied. When he used to eat mooncakes, he would always go for the ones with egg yolk, often competing fiercely with his sister over them. Most of the time, they would split it—his sister ate the yolk, and he got the rest.

But today, he got to have the salted yolk all to himself. What could be better?

“I’m glad you like it,” Jiang Kui said, secretly clenching her fist in relief. She wasn’t as close to Lin Yuan as Sun Yaohuo, so she had worried that this meeting might feel a bit abrupt. The gift was something she had thought about for a long time.

Xian Yu’s songs were wildly popular, and he certainly didn’t lack money. Giving him expensive gifts would be meaningless, and he might even find it vulgar—just like those who tried too hard to curry favor with him, like Sun Yaohuo. But these egg yolk pastries, though inexpensive, were made with care, and Jiang Kui was sure Lin Yuan could see that.

"Sorry, Sun Yaohuo, but I won again this time!" she thought smugly, though with a twinge of regret. She had originally planned to slowly build her relationship with Xian Yu, but now that he was leaving for Qizhou, she wouldn’t see him for quite some time. That wouldn’t do. When he returned, she’d have to find more opportunities to get close to him and not let Sun Yaohuo hog the spotlight.

Farewells have a way of making people emotional. Lin Yuan found himself becoming more sentimental than usual. The next day, he even skipped work, not for any particular reason, but just to visit the piano rooms at Qin Art College one last time before he left.

Before he even arrived, his phone rang. It was his boss, Old Zhou.

“Why didn’t you show up at work again today?” Zhou asked with a sigh.

“Out gathering inspiration,” Lin Yuan replied.

Old Zhou sighed again. “You can't keep using that excuse. If someone else were doing a check today, it wouldn’t fly.”

“I’m out doing research,” Lin Yuan corrected.

Zhou was silent for a moment before responding, “How is that any different from the last excuse?”

“I changed two words,” Lin Yuan said.

Zhou: “...”

Too tired to argue, Zhou resigned himself to the situation. After all, if someone did report Lin Yuan, it would just end up on his desk anyway.

“Fine. I get it,” he said, hanging up.

Lin Yuan had already reached the school gate. Even though classes were over, the gate was still open, and the guard, after confirming his student ID, let him in without a fuss.

As he walked down the hallway to the piano rooms, a familiar voice called out excitedly, “Lin Yuan!”

It was Gu Xi. Whenever she showed up, things were rarely straightforward. But since she had helped the Composition Department out last time, Lin Yuan didn’t turn away. Instead, he nodded politely. “Hello.”

“Are you here to play the piano?” Gu Xi asked.

“Yes,” Lin Yuan replied. “I won’t have a chance to use these rooms next semester.”

Gu Xi paused for a moment, then her face changed as she realized, “You’re going to be an exchange student!”

Lin Yuan didn’t deny it.

Gu Xi’s heart sank. She had turned down her own offer to be an exchange student because she didn’t want to be far from him, and now he was the one leaving! If she had known, she would’ve gone to Qizhou herself.

Trying to keep her composure, she asked, “How long will you be playing today?”

“I’m not sure,” Lin Yuan replied.

“Can you wait for me? I’ll be right back. Don’t leave!” Gu Xi pleaded.

“Be quick,” Lin Yuan responded, though he didn’t know why she wanted him to wait. He shrugged it off and entered the piano room to start playing.

Meanwhile, Gu Xi darted out of the building and pulled out her phone. She made a hurried call, “Can you see if it’s still possible for me to switch to Qizhou as an exchange student? Yes, I’ve changed my mind... Please help!”

After the call, Gu Xi ran downstairs. Twenty minutes later, she returned, holding a beautifully wrapped gift box.

When Lin Yuan finished playing, she approached, holding out the box. “I didn’t know you were leaving, so I didn’t prepare anything in advance. I quickly bought this just now as a farewell gift.”

“Thank you,” Lin Yuan said, hesitating briefly before accepting the gift. One gift or two, it didn’t make much difference.

“Open it?” Gu Xi suggested with a smile.

Curious, Lin Yuan agreed. He opened the box to find a round object inside.

“This is a 3D-printed model of Bluestar,” Gu Xi explained proudly. She thought it was a meaningful gift, symbolizing that no matter where they were, they shared the same world. She was quite pleased with her quick thinking.

But Lin Yuan, looking at the tiny globe in his hands, asked a question that Gu Xi could never have anticipated: “Does it have an egg yolk inside?”

Enjoying this story? Support me on [Patreon](patreon.com/aiden_connor) to unlock more chapters early and get exclusive content!