MFMH C115(END)

Chapter 115 — Modern Arc (IV)

Even after leaving Gu Changfeng’s home, Shen Yanbei was still grinning like a fool.

Hehehe, Changfeng said he was handsome!

When he passed a sedan parked by the roadside, Shen Yanbei even tilted his head neurotically to check his reflection in the car window. But then, his smile faded.

The youth in the reflection still had a white medical patch stuck to his forehead from his injury, his bloodshot eyes betrayed a sleepless night, and his complexion was pale…

Shen Yanbei froze there, his mood complicated.

What part of that looked “handsome”?

Did Gu Changfeng have some misunderstanding of the word, or was he simply… trying to comfort him?

Damn it! Shen Yanbei ruffled his hair in frustration, feeling like his IQ these past few days had plunged like a nosediving stock market index—utterly disastrous!

Letting out a long sigh, Shen Yanbei pulled out his phone to check his messages. Even though he had severed ties with old man Shen, his life still had to go on.

Lately, he had been working on a new energy project. Because the start-up capital required a hefty sum, and he didn’t have enough on hand, he sought investors to share the risk. But just as he was making progress, old man Shen publicly announced he had cut ties with his son. Most of the investors who had been interested were now sure to find excuses to back out. Even if they didn’t, Shen would sabotage things.

Sure enough, when Shen Yanbei contacted them one by one, their attitudes had all changed. Some bluntly refused to cooperate and told him not to bother them again. Others politely claimed to have chosen “more promising projects,” offering him empty apologies.

Shen Yanbei wasn’t discouraged. Those people only cared about his identity as the Shen family’s only heir, not the project’s potential or future. He had no desire to work with such short-sighted fools anyway.

He would need to find a new partner, someone strong enough that old man Shen wouldn’t dare interfere.

Quickly regaining his focus, Shen Yanbei pushed on with his venture. He wasn’t one of those idle second-generation heirs who only ate, drank, and played around. He had never surrounded himself with shallow “drinking buddies.” When his friends learned he had been kicked out, they all offered help. Shen Yanbei took them up on it, asking them to keep an eye out for suitable investors.

Old man Shen was a restaurant tycoon with considerable influence in the city. After he’d given the word, no one local would touch Shen Yanbei’s project. His friends suggested he look for investors elsewhere.

“The new mayor’s wife is the eldest daughter of Shenghe Industries in Y City. Their boss appreciates ambitious young men. If you can connect with the mayor’s wife, you might be able to reach Shenghe.”

It was a good suggestion. But how could he approach the mayor’s wife?

As it happened, the mayor’s young son’s birthday was coming up, and the mayor and his wife were hosting a small banquet. It was both to celebrate and to mingle with the city’s elite.

The perfect opportunity! But without the identity of the Shen family heir, how could he even get in? Shen Yanbei stroked his chin. He would need a solid plan.

His phone suddenly rang. It was an unfamiliar number.

He had just bought this SIM card—who could be calling? Shen Yanbei raised an eyebrow and answered.

A middle-aged man’s slightly excited voice came through: “Hello, may I ask if this is Mr. Shen?”

“Hello, yes, this is he.”

“Mr. Shen, I’m the son of the owner of Unit 301, Building 2, Minghua Courtyard. My mother mentioned you were interested in buying our old apartment…”

Shen Yanbei froze, then lit up with joy. “Yes, I am indeed interested. May I ask, are you willing to sell?”

“Considering my mother’s health and the condition of the old place, if the price is fair, we can discuss it.”

…

After hanging up, Shen Yanbei could barely contain a cheer. The family had invited him over that weekend to discuss the details!

This meant he could go freeload off Gu Changfeng’s cooking again! Now, what excuse could he use this time? Shen Yanbei happily pulled up WeChat and sent a message to Gu Changfeng.

“Changfeng, will you be home this weekend?”

But he waited, and waited… no reply.

Was his phone not nearby? Shen Yanbei glanced at the time—just past eight in the evening. Could he be showering?

He waited a while longer, but still no response.

Should he call instead? Shen Yanbei hesitated.

What if he was busy?

He gave a wry smile.

Here he was, claiming to like him, yet besides his name and his temporary address, he knew practically nothing else!

At that moment, Gu Changfeng truly was busy—busy correcting a female student’s posture.

“Keep your back leg straight, like this.” Gu braced himself on the ground, one leg forward, the other stretched back, alternating the motion with steady precision.

A boy watching from the side stared at the fluid motion of his muscles, filled with envy.

He wanted that kind of physique too, but he couldn’t come to the gym every night.

After the female student completed two perfect sets under Gu’s guidance, he sprang upright with a push, clapped his hands, and turned to the boy waiting nearby. “What is it?”

“Coach, I have to go back to school tomorrow, so I can’t come to class. I’ll be back next Sunday.” The round-faced boy smiled sheepishly. “I started school early, so I’m a bit younger than the others. I’m a sophomore in college now.”

Gu raised an eyebrow in mild surprise. For the past week, during the National Day holiday, the boy had come almost every night. He had forgotten the boy was only a teenager, still in school.

“I see. Tomorrow’s the eighth—back to work and classes for everyone.” He nodded. “Come when you can. If you can’t, exercise at home. Since you’ve resolved to slim down, you must stick with it.”

“Yes, sir!” The boy responded earnestly, then pulled two invitation cards from his bag and offered them. “Coach, next weekend is a family birthday banquet. It’s an open buffet. You can bring a friend and come have fun.”

Gu hesitated. A buffet-style birthday banquet implied many guests. Judging by the ornate invitations, this was no ordinary family.

Would someone like him really fit in?

Seeing him hesitate, the boy quickly added, “No gifts needed. My family just wants to thank you in person for helping me last time. It just happens to be a child’s birthday. You can come have cake. Most of the guests will be strangers, everyone doing their own thing.”

“A small favor, nothing worth thanks,” Gu frowned.

“Please, coach! It’s not just that. My family worries about me at the gym. They wanted to hire a private coach to teach me at home. But I’m not a kid anymore…”

Gu stayed silent, unmoved.

“Coach Gu… Brother Gu, I’ll even call you big brother! Please come!”

The boy pleaded, clear eyes full of hope.

Gu studied him for a moment, then sighed. “Alright. If I’m free, I’ll go.”

“Not if! You have to come!” the boy cried, thrusting the invitations into his hands before darting off, waving as he ran. “It’s settled then! See you next weekend, Brother Gu!”

Gu looked down at the invitations, helpless.

Bring a friend… but who? He had no friends here.

The image of a certain smiling young man rose unbidden in his mind. Gu’s eyes darkened slightly.

Were they friends? That day, before leaving, the youth had asked for his number, even added him on WeChat. But since then, no message. Could he really ask him to a birthday banquet out of the blue? Would he accept out of politeness?

Gu’s brows furrowed as he tucked the invitations into his locker.

Just then, his phone inside lit up.

He pulled it out. A WeChat notification—

The first message, sent at eight.

“Changfeng, will you be home this weekend?”

From Shen Yanbei, saved as “Yanbei.”

Gu’s eyes flickered. As if he had been waiting with no reply, the youth had just sent another message:

“Changfeng, are you asleep?”

Gu pursed his lips, typed back: “No, I’m at work.”

No sooner had he sent it than a reply popped up instantly—

“You’re still working this late? That’s tough!”

Had he really been holding his phone, waiting for a reply? Gu stared at the words, warmth flooding his chest.

He typed out an explanation, wanting to say his work wasn’t hard—but deleted it. In the end, he just sent: “Mn.”

Shen Yanbei replied instantly. “I’ll be near your place this weekend. Will you be home? Can I come find you?”

Gu’s fingers lingered on the screen. After a long pause, he typed: “Okay.”

Immediately, a celebratory sticker burst across the chat. Gu could almost see the youth’s bright grin in his mind.

A smile tugged at his own lips as he typed back: “I have to get back to work.”

“Go on, then. See you this weekend!” came the reply, complete with a waiting emoji.

The corners of Gu’s eyes softened as he slipped the phone back into his locker.

That night, riding his little scooter home, he instinctively took his usual shortcut—until he remembered this was where he’d first met Shen Yanbei.

Did he live around here?

Looking around, Gu noticed a gated luxury community. Behind iron fences were landscaped gardens, cobblestone paths, small artificial ponds, and elegant villas.

If the youth really lived here, then his situation wasn’t nearly as dire as he had assumed.

A faint smile crossed Gu’s lips.

The night before heading to Gu’s, Shen Yanbei deliberately went to bed early. The next morning, standing before the mirror, he studied himself for a long while, raising an eyebrow.

The stitches on his forehead had been removed, the wound healing well. Only a faint scar remained, hidden by his bangs.

Refreshed, Shen Yanbei headed out, grinning all the way to the old lady’s home.

Negotiations went smoothly. The old lady’s son, a kind biology professor, didn’t take advantage, offering a fair price. In the end, Shen Yanbei spent around 800,000 yuan to buy the three-bedroom, two-living room apartment. The family even left him the furniture.

After agreeing on a date for the transfer, Shen Yanbei bade them farewell and headed downstairs.

But Gu Changfeng’s door was closed. Odd. Hadn’t he said he’d be home?

Stepping closer, Shen Yanbei peered through the window—only to see the man in shorts, shirtless, doing push-ups in the living room. And not just push-ups, but one-handed push-ups!

The man’s physique was nearly flawless. Golden-brown skin glistened with sweat, muscles taut and explosive, his eight-pack defined, the faint lines of his v-cut revealed with every motion.

Sweat traced the sharp lines of his jaw, dripping down as his deep eyes stayed fixed ahead, every movement exuding raw allure.

Shen Yanbei gaped, swallowing hard.

As if sensing time was up, Gu finished with a final push, springing upright—only to meet the dazed stare of Shen Yanbei outside the window.

Their eyes locked.

Gu froze. The youth’s gaze was heated, intense. Yet in it, there was no lust—only admiration, and something that could only be called… affection.

Startled, Shen Yanbei quickly reined in his look.

Caught red-handed, he felt guilty, but instead of dodging Gu’s questioning gaze, he scratched his head and admitted sheepishly, “Sorry. I thought you weren’t home since the door was closed, so I came over to check. Didn’t expect to see you working out. I got carried away watching, forgot to call out…”

His frankness diffused the awkwardness.

Gu said, “The door’s unlocked. Come in.”

Shen Yanbei smiled and walked to the door. By the time he entered, Gu had slipped on a shirt. But with sweat clinging, the T-shirt only emphasized his sculpted frame.

Shen Yanbei quickly averted his gaze. “Why don’t you shower first? You must be uncomfortable all sticky like that.”

His tone was casual, his eyes clean. Even if his feelings were more than friendly, they weren’t suffocating.

Gu nodded and went to fetch clothes.

Shen Yanbei sighed in relief, collapsing onto the sofa.

What an embarrassment! Thankfully, Gu hadn’t lost his temper. Otherwise, not even friendship would’ve survived.

By the time Gu returned, freshly showered, Shen Yanbei had composed himself. He greeted him with ease, his heartbeat steady.

Gu didn’t bring up the incident, as if it had never happened.

“It’s nearly lunchtime. Have you eaten? If not, shall we eat out together?”

Normally, Gu would have said no, just cooked some noodles. But remembering the boy’s invitations, he agreed.

Shen Yanbei grinned. “Any craving?”

Gu shook his head. “I’m not picky. You decide.”

“How about Sichuan? The weather’s turning cool. Spicy food suits the season.”

“Alright.” Gu grabbed his essentials and left with him.

On the way, watching the youth’s smiling profile, Gu asked, “Are you free next weekend?”

Shen Yanbei’s eyes lit up. “I am.”

“A… friend gave me two invitations to his family’s birthday banquet. Could you come with me? I’ve never been to such an event. I’m afraid I wouldn’t know how to handle it.”

A pang of jealousy struck Shen Yanbei. Carefully, he asked, “What friend? Why so eager to invite you?”

“A kid. My student. Some thugs tried to rob him before, and I happened to help…” Gu explained honestly.

Relieved, Shen Yanbei smiled faintly. “So that’s it. Where’s the banquet?”

“At the Liuyun Villas on Jin Feng Road,” Gu hesitated. “That place won’t be hard to find, right?”

Liuyun Villas? Shen Yanbei’s heart jumped. “Is the invitation signed by Li Zhiyuan?”

Gu stared at him in surprise. How did you know?

“Thank you, Changfeng!” Shen Yanbei couldn’t help throwing his arms around him.

Just when he’d been worrying about getting in, the pillow had fallen right into his lap! Wasn’t this banquet exactly the mayor’s son’s birthday party?