He realized that he still preferred women.

He He was suddenly nudged in the arm.

He quickly closed his phone and turned his head, only to find Qin Hua’s gaze fixed on him. He gave a light cough and tucked the phone back into his pocket. Qin Hua, however, was not about to let him off the hook.

"We’re at an event like this, and you’re still playing on your phone? Didn't you come here to find a girlfriend? There are so many women across from us; shouldn't you be taking a look?"

He glanced over at the opposite side and met the gazes of at least four or five women. Two of them were sitting together, likely having come as a pair; they were peering at him while whispering behind their hands.

"Take a look," Qin Hua nudged him with his elbow again, his tone a mix of envy and bitterness. "It’s nice being handsome, isn't it? You’re so popular."

He rubbed his face, not knowing what to say.

"See anyone you like?" Qin Hua asked.

He shook his head. "I'll look later. It’s too far to see clearly."

"Tch." Qin Hua crossed his arms. "I knew it. You say you aren't picky, but you're actually incredibly selective."

The break ended, and everyone participating in the event was divided into groups. The host returned to the stage to announce the name and rules of the next game. It was "Pass the Flower to the Beat of the Drum," which, as the name implied, involved staff beating a drum on stage while the five groups passed a prop flower among themselves. When the music stopped, whoever held the flower had to go up on stage.

There was a twist, however: the person on stage had to choose someone of the opposite sex from the room and perform a short segment of a song or dance with them.

Before the host even finished speaking, the room erupted in cheers and jeers. Qin Hua kept nudging He’s arm, brimming with excitement. He grabbed Qin Hua’s elbow and forcibly pinned him down, only letting go once Qin Hua reacted to the pain.

"It’s crowded here, stop squirming around," He cautioned.

The smile faded from Qin Hua’s face, and he gave He a subtle, scrutinizing look. He, who had been watching the host, caught this in his peripheral vision and couldn't help but look back. "What’s wrong?"

"I just get the feeling you aren't very interested," Qin Hua said.

He denied it without a second thought. "I’m very interested."

"Doesn't look like it."

He touched his chin. "Maybe it's my reserved nature. You know, I’ve always been someone who doesn't wear my emotions on my sleeve."

Qin Hua choked. "I can't believe you managed to say something that cringeworthy."

He chuckled. "I learned it online."

"The internet teaches you this?"

"When I'm scrolling through videos, I sometimes get ads for web novel sites. The stories are written just like that—the 'domineering CEO' protagonist is reserved and doesn't show his emotions, and his biggest hobby is hanging the heroine on the city gate."

"..."

Qin Hua was speechless, barely suppressing the urge to roll his eyes. He wanted to say more, but the staff arrived and directed the men and women in their group to sit in a circle. The prop flower was handed to one of them.

The game began, and the sound of the drum filled the room. At the same time, He’s phone vibrated twice in his pocket. Once the flower passed through his hands and everyone else’s attention was fixed on it, he quickly pulled out his phone.

It wasn't a message from the work group. It was a private message from Assistant Bi, containing two voice clips instead of text.

The drum stopped abruptly, replaced by cheering from the five groups. Prodded by an excited Qin Hua, He looked up and saw that the prop flower had landed in the hands of a beautiful woman with long, straight black hair. She was shy, holding the flower in both hands, and hesitated for a long time before standing up, only doing so after the host urged her three or four times.

Qin Hua craned his neck, his eyes practically glued to her. "She’s so pretty!" he remarked. "I just checked; even among all the women here, she’s the best-looking."

Hearing this, He took a serious look at her and asked, "Is that your type?"

Qin Hua replied bashfully, "I like all pretty girls, but I like this gentle type even more."

Under other circumstances, He would have encouraged Qin Hua to be proactive and try to seize the opportunity, but finding a partner was different from other things. He thought of Qin Hua’s usual behavior and his increasingly unkempt appearance, and held his tongue.

The lights in the hall dimmed, and two spotlights hit the stage. The host encouraged the woman from their group to introduce herself. She was so nervous that she stuttered with every word, and each pause was met with a chorus of cheers from the audience.

He watched for a while, then remembered Assistant Bi’s message and opened WeChat again. The phone was in earpiece mode, but the room was too noisy; he couldn't hear what was being said, so he switched to speakerphone.

"He, your 'Workaholic Yang' is looking for you in the group chat. Are you in C City?"

"Let me tell you, if you don't want to work overtime, just leave her on read. Mr. Shen won't say anything. Besides, it’s New Year's Eve tonight; who would still be glued to their phone? That’s just too boring."

He put his phone away, wondering whether to reply, when someone spoke in the work group again. It was their manager.

[Manor - Yang Heyan: Is anyone else in the group free tonight? Please, I need help!]
[Manor - Yang Heyan: Are you all out celebrating New Year's Eve?]

The group was silent. Whether everyone else was busy or not, no one spoke. He watched his phone and played dead, assuming everyone else was just as terrified as he was, fearing that Manager Yang would single them out.

Finally, their boss ended the silence.

[Too Much is as Bad as Too Little: Did you arrive? @Manor-Yang Heyan]
[Manor - Yang Heyan: Yes, yes, I'm in the elevator.]

He was nudged in the arm again.

"He!" Qin Hua said, sounding annoyed. "You're playing on your phone again!"

He calmly tucked the phone away. "What’s happening on stage?"

"They’re starting to pick partners."

As Qin Hua spoke, the host called the woman from their group over and asked her to pick a man from the audience to perform with. She was clearly popular; many men stood up, some even waving their hands to volunteer.

"Me, me, me! Pick me!"
"Can I go up?"
"Beauty, look here!"

Qin Hua was also restless, looking as if he wanted to stand up but felt too embarrassed, until the woman’s wandering gaze landed in their direction.

"Can he do it?" the woman pointed over, her voice soft. "The one in the patterned sweater."

Her voice wasn't loud, but the host held the microphone to her lips, so her words were clearly broadcast throughout the hall. The men’s clamor ceased instantly. Qin Hua slumped back into his seat.

He was stunned. Seeing everyone around him turn their heads and the host signaling for the staff to come toward him, he realized what had happened and stood up to join them on stage.

The makeshift stage wasn't large, but the spotlights were bright, blinding him. He didn't adjust until the other three groups had finished selecting their partners. Standing on stage, the audience was in shadow, and he could barely see any faces. He searched for a while before finding where he and Qin Hua had been sitting. He still didn't know why she had chosen him.

The rest of the process was unoriginal. All four groups chose to sing. The host picked a love song, and they sang a verse each. They couldn't leave the stage after the song; they had to play a few interactive games. He was cooperative throughout, and the host intentionally or unintentionally kept nudging him and the woman together, but He didn't say anything.

During the final game, the woman’s hand accidentally brushed against his. Although she withdrew it like lightning, the host caught it and made a meaningful sound into the microphone. Her face turned bright red, and she didn't dare to look at him.

Since their group ranked last, the penalty was to stare at each other for a minute. The woman pressed her lips together and, after a long moment of building up her courage, looked at him with a flushed face.

He looked back.

Seconds ticked by. Her face grew redder, and her eyes darted around, but He remained calm throughout. His heart was as still as water.

It was true that he had come to the matchmaking event to find a girlfriend. He had never liked men in his life; he had never imagined he would end up in bed with one. He had once tried watching a video of two men, but he felt like vomiting the moment they kissed.

He figured he still liked women. If he could find the right person at an event like this, he could try dating. But it was only the second activity, and he suddenly felt it was incredibly dull, dry, and boring, as if he were chewing on flavorless chicken. He didn't even know why he had gotten on stage to play these games.

He had no interest in that woman, nor any other woman present. He had wasted both his money and his time.

After the staring contest, the host, appearing quite thrilled, had the four groups add each other on WeChat. With the host watching, He couldn't make a scene, so he exchanged contact information. Once off stage, he didn't speak to the woman and strode back to his seat.

The hotel’s central air conditioning was on, and it was warm; everyone had taken off their coats. He followed suit, draping his jacket over the back of his chair.

Qin Hua saw him return, looking sour and unable to even force a smile. With a hint of bitterness, he said, "You’re lucky, easily winning over a beauty."

He didn't sit down; he picked up his coat and put it on. "There are a few more activities later. Give it your all, and you might win a beauty over, too."

Qin Hua sensed something was off. "Why are you putting your coat on?"

He zipped it up. "Brother Qin, I have an urgent matter, so I can't stay with you. Good luck, I look forward to hearing good news from you."

"Don't, man! Didn't we come together? You can't just leave!" Qin Hua panicked, reaching out to grab He, but He dodged him nimbly.

He took out his phone, opened the work group, and scrolled to the message where the manager had tagged him. He held the phone in front of Qin Hua.

"How about I call the manager and you explain it for me?"

When Qin Hua saw the content, he instantly deflated.

Outside, it had begun to snow. The flakes were like goose feathers, dancing and swirling in the night wind. This was a commercial district, and with New Year’s Eve approaching, the shops were open and the streets were crowded and lively, with colorful lights wrapped around the trees.

He pulled up the hood of his down jacket and stood under an eave to call the manager. The manager answered almost immediately, his tone pleasantly surprised. "Xiao He?"

"Manager," He said, "I’m over at the West Hall Plaza, just hanging out with a friend. Did you need something from me?"

The manager apologized, "Xiao He, I wouldn't want to bother you so late, but I’m really short-handed. If you have time, could you come to Jiayi and help me out?"

He certainly had the time, but he had already booked a ride home on his phone.

"Manager, I..."

"The boss said that anyone working overtime tonight gets triple the overtime pay, and the year-end bonus will be doubled as well."

"Manager, I’ve already booked a car. I'll be there right away," He said solemnly.

After hanging up, he immediately changed the destination on his ride-sharing app to Jiayi.

There were many people out for New Year’s Eve, and the snow couldn't dampen their enthusiasm. The car was stuck in traffic for over ten minutes while passing through several commercial areas. By the time he reached the Jiayi building, it was past nine o'clock.

Looking up, most of the office building was dark, but the top two floors were lit up, housing the workers still grinding away. He sighed.

He was already well-acquainted with the security guard on duty. After greeting him, the guard swiped his card to let him up. Once he stepped out of the elevator, he called the manager. This time, he waited a long time before the manager answered.

"Go to the main office and wait for me. I’ll come find you once I’m done." The manager seemed very busy and hung up immediately.

He arrived outside the main office. The door was closed. He knocked for a while, but there was neither an answer nor a sound. He tried the handle. The door wasn't locked; it opened with a turn.

He pushed the door open, only to find someone standing right behind it, reaching for the handle. Without the door’s obstruction, the two of them bumped into each other unexpectedly.

After seeing the other person’s face clearly, He didn't know what came over him, but his heart skipped a beat.

It was their boss.