Infinite Professions from a Pearl Collector

In the blink of an eye, the New Year holiday was over.

The apprentices of the Qingchun Troupe were back to their tedious daily routine of vocal exercises and physical training.

But not long after the year began, the Opera Troupe landed a major gig.

The wealthy merchant in town, Mr. Lu, was hosting a private performance at his home and specifically requested the Qingchun Troupe to perform for three straight days.

This was a major client, so Guan Sihai naturally agreed in a heartbeat.

The moment the news broke, the entire Opera Troupe was abuzz with excitement.

Performing for a prestigious family like the Lu Family wasn’t just an honor; it also meant there would be no shortage of tips.

Guan Sihai specially gathered all the troupe’s official Actors, the ones who performed on stage. They were Chen Ye’s senior brothers and sisters, individuals he rarely saw on a typical day.

"This is your little junior brother, Chen Ye," Guan Sihai said to the crowd, gesturing to Chen Ye, who was standing off to the side. "For this trip to the Lu Family, he’ll be coming along to help out backstage and gain some experience. You all look out for him a bit."

The senior brothers and sisters had already heard that a highly gifted junior brother had joined the troupe. Now, seeing him in person, they found his looks and demeanor truly remarkable and nodded in agreement.

"Don’t worry, Master. We’ll be sure to take good care of our little junior brother," said a woman with delicate features, a specialist in young female roles. She smiled, her eyes practically sparkling as she looked at Chen Ye.

’This little junior brother... he’s really quite handsome.’

Chen Ye felt a bit awkward under her gaze, but he made a mental note of this senior sister. The main reason was her rather magnificent bosom, which was especially memorable in an era where most women were flat-chested and a large bust was even seen as something shameful.

When Tie Dan and the others heard that Chen Ye was going to the private performance, they were green with envy.

"Chen Ye, the Lu Family is the richest family in all of Sea Guardian Guard! I hear they serve meat at every single meal!" Tie Dan sidled up to Chen Ye, practically drooling. "You’ve got to eat your fill. Better yet, try to sneak some back for me."

Chen Ye didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but he promised to bring them back some tasty treats.

Early the next morning, the Qingchun Troupe set off for the Lu Family’s estate, a grand procession of horse-drawn carriages.

The Lu Mansion was situated in the affluent district in the northern part of the city. It was a sprawling, Chinese-Western hybrid manor. Its high walls and imposing wrought-iron gate were a testament to the owner’s wealth and status.

Stepping through the gate revealed another world entirely.

Beyond the well-manicured lawns and gardens, an exquisite two-story opera house came into view.

Even Guan Sihai couldn’t help but be secretly astonished. When ordinary wealthy families hosted private performances, they would at most erect a temporary stage in a courtyard. You’d be hard-pressed to find another family in all of Sea Guardian Guard that had built their own dedicated opera house like the Lu Family had.

There were still many tedious preparations to make before the performance, so everyone got to work.

Just then, the Lu Mansion’s butler approached them with a request.

"Master Guan, my master would like the performance to begin after nightfall, once the lanterns are lit."

Since it was a private performance, the host’s wishes were paramount. Guan Sihai readily agreed.

"Of course, of course. We will follow Master Lu’s arrangements completely."

Meanwhile, Chen Ye was busy backstage with his senior brothers and sisters, moving costumes and arranging props. Though it was all menial work, he was meticulous in everything he did.

Just then, Senior Sister Da Xiong approached, smiling as she handed Chen Ye a bowl of water.

"It’s freshly brewed flower tea. Have a drink to quench your thirst."

Chen Ye felt it would be rude to refuse, so he accepted it. "Thank you, Senior Sister."

"’Senior Sister’? Do I look that old?" she said, a little displeased. "Just call me Xiaoyu."

"Er..." Chen Ye was at a loss for words.

Just then, a young Martial Artist popped his head out from nearby. "Xiaoyu, I’d like some tea, too."

"Get lost. Who said you could call me Xiaoyu?" The senior sister glared, and the twin peaks on her chest quivered.

"Then why can little junior brother call you that?"

"How can you compare? Little junior brother is as pretty as a girl. I’m just looking out for him."

"I can be pretty as a girl, too. How about you look out for me, then?" the young Martial Artist chuckled.

"Alright then, Senior Sister will ’look out’ for you right now." With that, Xiaoyu rolled up her sleeves as if to strike him. The Martial Artist laughed and ran off, shouting back over his shoulder.

"Little junior brother, you’d better watch out! Our senior sister has a taste for fresh meat. Don’t let her eat you up before you even know what’s happening!"

Everyone backstage roared with laughter. Chen Ye just smiled and shook his head, then went back to his work.

The looks of his current body were top-tier, even among the three worlds Chen Ye had experienced.

Especially after studying opera for the better part of a year, his posture had grown even more erect, elevating his entire aura to another level.

This was evident from the young serving maids gathered nearby in twos and threes, who pretended to work while stealing glances in his direction.

Chen Ye could only pretend not to notice.

Time flew by, and soon it was afternoon. Everyone was busy again after lunch when Guan Sihai came backstage to find Chen Ye.

"Chen Ye, we’re short a few fresh flowers for the costumes. I just spoke with the head butler. Go to the small garden out back and pick some."

"Right away." Chen Ye acknowledged the order and headed for the small garden out back.

The small garden was adjacent to the main house and was where Master Lu often took a walk after meals to aid his digestion. It wasn’t part of the inner residence, which was why Chen Ye was permitted to enter.

When Chen Ye arrived at the garden, he found it overflowing with flowers. Among them were numerous rare varieties—the kind where a single stalk could be worth over a hundred Oceans.

Chen Ye inwardly marveled at Mr. Lu’s immense wealth, then picked a few of the less valuable-looking flowers.