Chapter 24: My Brother Is an Artist

At half past eight in the morning, Chen Yufeng left his apartment.

He wore a gray robe, topped off with a hat, sunglasses, and a fake beard. In his hand, he brandished a staff adorned with a strip of red cloth, upon which gleamed several bold golden characters: "Mountain Sage Descends—Healing and Fortune-Telling, Fifty Thousand Per Session, Honest Dealings for All!"

Chen Yufeng had gone to great lengths with his disguise. Looking at his reflection in the mirror, he saw someone with an air of mystic wisdom and felt quite pleased with himself.

Ah, he truly looked like a reclusive master from the depths of the forest. Surely, this would be enough to impress people! He chuckled to himself.

His plan was to stake out near Ninghai First People's Hospital, hoping to encounter family members of patients who might allow him to treat their loved ones. Not only would this earn him money, but he could also rack up reward points—a win-win situation.

"Wow, what a stunning girl—she's a real knockout!"

No sooner had Chen Yufeng opened his door than he caught a waft of fresh fragrance, soothing and pleasant. Instinctively, he turned his head and saw, standing at the neighboring entrance, a youthful girl who instantly brightened the morning.

Her beauty was beyond words—pure and captivating. She wore her hair in a single ponytail, dressed simply in a white T-shirt, blue shorts, and canvas shoes. The aura of youth radiated from her.

He couldn't help but compare her to Qin Ning; this girl was about the same height, just over 1.7 meters tall, with a knockout figure.

If Qin Ning was the cool and elegant type, then this girl struck Chen Yufeng as lively and energetic.

She noticed him and walked over with a bright smile, extending her hand in greeting. "Hello, I'm Ning Doudou, your neighbor."

"Uh, hello, I'm Chen Yufeng," he replied, smiling as he shook her hand.

"You moved in yesterday, right?" she asked casually, sizing him up.

"Yes," he confirmed.

"So, what do you do?" Ning Doudou glanced at his odd attire, wondering if he was some street charlatan.

"I..." Chen Yufeng glanced at his getup, thought for a moment, and grinned. "I'm something of an artist."

"Oh, really? What a coincidence! I'm an artist too. I'm a student at Ninghai Academy of Arts, majoring in film and acting. And you?"

She wondered if he was an actor. If so, they would be peers. But her first guess proved correct.

Chen Yufeng replied solemnly, "I help people ward off illness and evil, predict marriages, careers, fortunes, that sort of thing. Looking at me, you can tell I’m a sage from beyond the world, right?"

"A sage? An artist? Isn’t that just a street charlatan? Talk about shameless self-promotion." Ning Doudou thought to herself, though she kept her expression neutral, merely responding with a soft "Oh" and inwardly giving him a thorough dressing-down.

What kind of person was this, insulting the arts like that?

"Can you predict my love life and career?" she asked.

"Yes, I can," he replied.

"Alright, then do it now," she said. With nothing better to do, she was curious to see how this charlatan would try to hoodwink her.

Of course, Chen Yufeng had no idea how to tell fortunes. But having boasted so much, he couldn’t back down now. He looked at her and said seriously, "Fifty thousand per session, guaranteed."

"Fifty thousand? That's outrageous! We're neighbors—can't you do one for free?" Ning Doudou was genuinely shocked. Wasn't this blatant fraud?

This guy must be insane!

"It's all clearly priced, honest dealings for all. No special treatment for neighbors, though I can offer you a friendship discount—twenty percent off, forty thousand. Not a penny less. Trust me, my predictions are guaranteed. You get what you pay for," Chen Yufeng replied earnestly.

Ning Doudou inwardly scorned him again, firmly placing him in the fraudster category—one of those money-crazed, brain-addled scammers.

She certainly wasn’t foolish enough to believe his nonsense. Forty thousand for a guaranteed prediction? Did he think people were idiots?

Still, since she’d run into him, she might as well ask for a small favor. After a moment’s pause, she took out her phone and said, "Can you help me? I need someone to record a video while I dance."

"Oh, sure!" he agreed. Filming a video was no trouble, just a small favor. He smiled and took her phone to record.

To his surprise, his good deed earned him a +2 notification from the Good Person System—an unexpected bonus!

Ning Doudou was indeed lively and cheerful. After adjusting herself, she began to sing and dance. She performed a brisk English song, and her dance was light and energetic.

Chen Yufeng couldn't understand the lyrics, but it sounded pleasant enough, and her movements were agile and well-coordinated.

When the filming was done, Chen Yufeng handed the phone back and casually asked, "So, are you trying out for The Strongest Boys and Girls?"

"That's right! You know the show?" Ning Doudou looked at him in surprise. Maybe he wasn’t so old-fashioned after all. On closer inspection, she realized this so-called charlatan was actually a young man in disguise. Why would someone so young choose to be a swindler?

Still, judging from his ability to rent this apartment, his business must be booming. The rent alone would be at least twenty thousand upfront. Are charlatans really making that much these days?

"Uh..." Not only did he know the show, he was planning to win the championship. But Chen Yufeng didn’t bother to explain. After handing her the phone, he left, eager to earn more reward points.

Watching his departing figure, Ning Doudou felt deeply disappointed.

She had hoped the empty apartment next door would bring a neighbor she could look forward to meeting.

Instead, a major fraudster had moved in, shattering her hopes.

At her age, youthful and full of dreams, she loved watching a Korean drama, My Love from the Star.

She often fantasized about having a neighbor like Professor Do—a handsome, charming man with supernatural powers from another world.

The very thought was dreamy: time travel romance with an alien, sitting on the moon watching the stars.

But now, her beautiful fantasy was instantly destroyed. Not only did she not get a Professor Do, but even a Prince Charming was too much to ask.

Little did Chen Yufeng know that his arrival had completely crushed a young girl's beautiful dreams—she wished she could kick him clear out of sight.

He headed toward Ninghai First People's Hospital, hoping for a stroke of luck.

After all, there were always those suffering from terminal illnesses like cancer, who, when the hospital could do no more, sought out mysterious sages for a last hope, willing to try anything.

For the wealthy, a few tens of thousands was nothing.

Chen Yufeng hoped to meet such people; if he could help cure a terminal illness, he’d be doing a good deed, earning money and reward points. Why not?