The Ultimate Glow-Up Guide for Straight Men - Chapter 7

What is the biggest difference between a genius and an ordinary person?

It’s probably the effortless ease with which they solve all problems.

Judging whether one has talent isn’t difficult either.

If you can achieve success in a certain area with minimal time and effort success that most people would need significantly more time and resources to attain then you can consider yourself talented.

Shen Zhinan’s talent was evident in how, whenever Gu Yunshen and Lin Xunchuan encountered particularly challenging problems, Shen Zhinan could usually glance at them briefly and outline the general approach. Given a little more time, he could even code it out.

If asked how he did it, Shen Zhinan would look slightly puzzled and say, “I just did it. Like this, then like that, and then it was done.”

You could even sense that he wasn’t boastfully showing off; he genuinely found it simple.

It was as if Shen Zhinan could memorize anything at a glance, making it hard for him to understand why others needed so much time to commit things to memory.

Sometimes, when he was deep in thought, his speech would speed up unintentionally not because he meant to, but because his words couldn’t keep up with the pace of his thinking.

In fact, it was his middle school teacher who first discovered Shen Zhinan’s talent in this area. Shen Zhinan had started competing in informatics early on, and by his freshman year of college, he had already won a gold medal in the ACM competition.

That competition is essentially a game for the gifted.

Drawing from his experience, Shen Zhinan began training Lin Xunchuan and Gu Yunshen based on his past methods.

His goal was the substantial prize money from the competition.

To be fair, both Lin Xunchuan and Gu Yunshen had a solid foundation and some innate talent. Often, Shen Zhinan only needed to give a hint, and they would grasp the concept immediately, requiring little extra effort from him.

It had been nearly half a year since Shen Zhinan arrived in this world, and he felt genuinely happy to have made two close friends.

Lin Xunchuan constantly called him “God Nan,” a title Shen Zhinan thoroughly enjoyed it lifted his spirits every time he heard it.

On the day Shen Zhinan received his tutoring payment, he treated Lin Xunchuan and Gu Yunshen to a meal. They had barbecue, and Shen Zhinan even brought three pineapple cocktails, declaring, “Tonight, we drink until we drop!”

“You know, I’ve never had many friends growing up. Meeting you two… I’m really… really glad!” By the later stages of drinking, Shen Zhinan was a bit tipsy. His eyes were hazy as he poured out his feelings, his speech noticeably slower than usual. “From now on, the three of us are sworn brothers!”

Shen Zhinan grinned foolishly and patted Lin Xunchuan’s shoulder. “Lin Xunchuan, you’re the oldest, so you’re the big brother!” His face was flushed from the alcohol, and he let out a hiccup. “Gu Yunshen, we’re the same age. When’s your birthday?”

Gu Yunshen hadn’t drunk as much and remained relatively composed. “My birthday is on the last day of July.”

“Mine’s in August, so I’m older! That makes me second, and you’re third!” Shen Zhinan grinned widely.

Gu Yunshen remarked, “You’re just comparing numbers.”

Shen Zhinan took a moment to process this slowly. “The last day of July”

“That’s tomorrow!” Shen Zhinan shot up from his chair.

“Mm,” Gu Yunshen nodded.

“It’s not going to be at the banquet hall on the top floor of Huating, is it?” Shen Zhinan had heard from a coworker that a VIP was hosting a birthday party there tomorrow.

“Mm,” Gu Yunshen nodded again.

Shen Zhinan’s eyes widened slightly. Huating was the very place where he currently worked part-time, and he knew exactly how much it cost to host a banquet on the rooftop.

Even if he worked for a whole year without eating or drinking, he probably wouldn’t earn enough to cover the cost of a single table at such an event.

The rich are truly extravagant!

“Wait… When I make it big someday, I’m going to throw my birthday party on the rooftop of a five-star hotel too!” On this night of his twentieth birthday, Shen Zhinan made an ambitious vow.

On the last day of July, the weather remained sweltering, with the summer heat lingering stubbornly. By evening, however, it had cooled down considerably. As darkness fell, the night breeze rustled the leaves outside the entrance of Huating Hotel.

A leaf drifted gently in the wind, eventually landing beside a pair of exquisite black handmade leather shoes.

Fu Yanshi stepped out of the back seat of a Bentley, casually unbuttoning his suit jacket. A waiter approached to guide him. “Mr. Fu, this way, please.”

“Mm,” Fu Yanshi replied indifferently.

“Hey! Old Fu!” A pink-haired alpha in a white suit approached it was He Yanzhou.

“What a coincidence, running into you right at the entrance.” He Yanzhou grinned cheekily and slung an arm over Fu Yanshi’s shoulder.

Fu Yanshi glanced at He Yanzhou’s hand, then shifted his gaze to his face, and finally to his pink hair. With a tone of utter disdain, he asked, “What’s with this look?”

He Yanzhou’s fair complexion allowed him to pull off the pink hair, giving him an air of dashing charm the very picture of a playboy.

He Yanzhou explained, “My baby likes pink. We had a fight the other day, so I dyed it to cheer him up.”

The “baby” he referred to was his latest omega boyfriend, a minor celebrity who often needed to be pampered. The two were in the throes of passion, and He Yanzhou was more than willing to indulge him.

As they walked and chatted, Fu Yanshi asked, “The photographer?”

He Yanzhou replied, “That one? We broke up last month. This is the newest.”

Fu Yanshi: “…?”

Suddenly remembering something, He Yanzhou asked, “By the way, any luck finding that person?”

At the mention of this, Fu Yanshi’s expression darkened.

That omega had run off right after they slept together, leaving behind 200 yuan as an insult. Now, it was as if the person had vanished into thin air no trace of him anywhere.

Fu Yanshi had practically tracked down every “Li Hua” in the capital, only to realize that the name was likely fake.

“No rush, I’ll find him eventually. When I do” Fu Yanshi let out a cold snort, leaving the threat hanging.

“Hey, Qi’an! When did you get here?”

Hearing He Yanzhou’s voice, Fu Yanshi turned to follow his gaze and spotted an alpha with an impassive expression.

Zhou Qi’an was dressed in a gray suit, his broad shoulders and narrow waist accentuating his handsome features.

Zhou Qi’an was Gu Yunshen’s biological older brother Zhou Qi’an took their father’s surname, while Gu Yunshen took their mother’s. Today was his younger brother’s birthday, and he had dressed formally for the occasion.

Fu Yanshi, He Yanzhou, and Zhou Qi’an had grown up together since childhood. Fu Yanshi and Zhou Qi’an, in particular, were business partners in many ventures.

“Right around the time you started discussing this pink hair of yours,” Zhou Qi’an replied, ruffling He Yanzhou’s hair.

He Yanzhou immediately protested, “Hey, hey, hey! Don’t mess up my hair! You’re ruining my style!”

Zhou Qi’an withdrew his hand, and He Yanzhou, eyes sparkling, leaned in closer to ask, “So, what do you think? Does it look good?”

Zhou Qi’an stared at him for two seconds, tilting his head slightly. “You look hideous.”

“Hey! Zhou Qi’an, watch your mouth!”

Fu Yanshi, however, shook Zhou Qi’an’s hand. “Great minds think alike.”

The banquet officially began shortly after.

In the opulent banquet hall, many faces were ones usually seen only on television. Today was the birthday of the Gu family’s youngest son, Gu Yunshen. As the Gu family was a prominent clan, nearly every influential figure in the entire capital had attended.

Such a background ensured that this banquet could never be just a simple birthday celebration.

Gu Yunshen had just turned twenty-one an age suitable for engagement, with marriage following immediately after his graduation.

Thus, families with eligible omegas had brought them along today.

Fu Yanshi had always been particularly popular with children. Among his relatives, his younger cousins had chased after him constantly when they were young, and Gu Yunshen was one of them.

Of all the children, Gu Yunshen was the quietest and least bothersome, which was why Fu Yanshi doted on him especially.

This time, Fu Yanshi hadn’t come empty-handed. He had bought Gu Yunshen a sports car and planned to give him the keys in person.

Throughout the event, many people approached Fu Yanshi to strike up conversations. Fengyuan Technology was gaining momentum, and with the backing of both the Fu and Gu families, everyone wanted to get on Fu Yanshi’s good side.

Fu Yanshi exchanged a few polite words before excusing himself to step out into the garden outside the banquet hall, prompted by an alarm on his phone.

He had never liked such occasions the constant chatter gave him a headache.

Fu Yanshi lit a cigarette and leaned against the garden railing, smoking quietly.

Suddenly, he recalled a pair of bright, clear eyes, shimmering with moisture.

The intense intimacy of those two days had haunted Fu Yanshi’s dreams over the past three months.

He Mingfan, noticing Fu Yanshi’s distracted state, had even tried to set him up with a few omegas. Fu Yanshi had told him to get lost.

That omega had injured him with an ashtray first and then seduced him. Naturally, Fu Yanshi wasn’t about to let him off the hook.

After finishing his cigarette, Fu Yanshi was about to return to the banquet hall when he thought he caught the scent of hibiscus.

He wondered if he was hallucinating.

Following the fragrance, he walked to the other side of the garden.

The garden surrounding the top-floor banquet hall of Huating Hotel was circular. The closer Fu Yanshi got to the other side, the stronger the scent became.

As he rounded a curved corner, he heard a series of “crunch, crunch” sounds.

A figure in a server’s uniform came into view.

Moonlight streamed through the glass surrounding the garden, illuminating the person’s profile and making their skin appear smooth and delicate.

From his angle, Fu Yanshi could see the person’s lowered eyelashes and straight nose bridge.

Seemingly ravenous, the person was devouring a biscuit hastily, with crumbs sticking to the corner of their mouth.

After finishing the biscuit, they picked up a piece of bread, then a slice of cake, followed by a pastry.

Their cheeks were puffed out, making them look like a squirrel.

Fu Yanshi watched intently as the person, after finishing three biscuits, two slices of cake, and one pastry, finally noticed him standing not far away.

“Holy shit!” Shen Zhinan jumped to his feet upon meeting a familiar pair of peach-blossom eyes.

Th-this was that man from that day!

Ten two!

He remembered now he remembered everything!

Low, ragged gasps, broken moans, and the sound of violent impacts clamored in his ears.

Shen Zhinan instinctively tried to flee, but the man quickly caught up, grabbing his arm and slamming him against the wall.

“Trying to run?” Fu Yanshi narrowed his eyes, a dangerous glint flashing within them. He pinched Shen Zhinan’s cheek with one hand and sneered, “Talk about a lucky find. Three months you’ve kept me searching for a long time.”

“Y-y-y-you.” Shen Zhinan’s mouth was squished into a pout from the pinch. He kept stammering the word “you” in shock, only managing to continue after a long pause, “What are you doin’ here!?”

“Why shouldn’t I be here?” Fu Yanshi gritted his teeth. “You slept with me and then ran off right after. You’ve got some nerve.”

“I didn’t just run off! I-I left money, didn’t I?” Shen Zhinan attempted to defend himself.

Mentioning that only made Fu Yanshi angrier: “You actually have the gall to bring that up. Two hundred? Treating me like some cheap gigolo?”

“I only had four hundred to begin with!” Shen Zhinan protested indignantly. “You used a whole dozen condoms are you even human?!”

Shen Zhinan’s backside had hurt for days afterward, making it especially uncomfortable to sit on the hard classroom chairs during lectures.

“You were the one who seduced me,” Fu Yanshi retorted.

“I had a fever that day! I don’t remember any of what you’re saying!”

Shen Zhinan felt a little guilty the fragmented memories he did have featured him being particularly forward.

But life was hard enough already; if he could avoid blaming himself, he would.

“You don’t remember?” Fu Yanshi tightened his grip.

“Ow!” Shen Zhinan winced. “L-let go first!”

Fu Yanshi stared at him for a moment before releasing his hold.

“So what do you want?” Shen Zhinan rubbed his sore cheek. “What’s done is done. How about I add another two hundred?”

The alpha’s face darkened.

“Four hundred?” Shen Zhinan ventured cautiously.

The alpha’s expression grew even stormier.

“Eight hundred?”

The alpha’s face turned as black as coal.

“Shut. Up.” Fu Yanshi had finally reached his limit.

Shen Zhinan promptly sealed his lips.

Fu Yanshi leaned in closer until their noses were almost touching. “You seduced me, slept with me this isn’t something you can just walk away from.”

“Li Hua is a fake name, isn’t it? What’s your real name?” Fu Yanshi needed to know this omega’s true identity.

“Actually, I ” Shen Zhinan hesitated before finally blurting out:

“My name is Zhang Wei!”

“Shen Zhinan, are you done eating? The manager is calling for you!”

Just as Shen Zhinan finished speaking, a colleague’s booming voice echoed from the corridor connecting the banquet hall to the garden.

Fu Yanshi: ?
Shen Zhinan: