Time always flies when you’re busy, and in the blink of an eye, it’s already mid-June. The temperature rises by the day, making people feel hot and irritable.

Qin Mingyuan sat in his office, unaffected by the heat. The blazing sun outside the floor-to-ceiling window was bright and glaring, but the cool breeze from the air conditioner neutralized its power.

His slender fingers danced quickly over the keyboard, producing a “clack clack” sound as his gaze followed the text. He swiftly responded to an urgent document.

With a “click,” the document was sent. Qin Mingyuan’s hand fell to the bridge of his nose, rubbing lightly to relieve the soreness and fatigue in his eyes.

Perhaps he had set the air conditioner too low last night while sleeping because he woke up with a dull headache. Throughout the workday, he felt a lingering fatigue.

Whether it was his own body or the original host’s, both were strong and rarely fell ill, but no matter how strong a person is, they’re still human, and discomfort can still strike.

After a few moments of relief, he flipped through the documents on his desk and threw himself back into work. He often ignored such mild symptoms, knowing that a good night’s sleep would usually fix them.

There was a knock at the door. Zhou Yang came in carrying a few folders, placing them neatly at the side of the desk for the boss to approve later.

He pulled out a gilded invitation and handed it over with both hands, saying, “President Qin, there’s a charity gala tomorrow night. The organizers sent an invitation. Would you like to attend?”

Qin Mingyuan paused in his work, took the card, and glanced over its contents.

The gala was to be held at a famous five-star hotel in A City, starting at 8:00 p.m.

Although called a “gala,” it was more like an auction in disguise. The proceeds from the auction would go to charity, with all the funds donated.

In essence, it was just a gathering of wealthy people to spend money.

But most were willing to spend the money anyway. After all, they had more than enough, and in the end, they would walk away with something and a good reputation. A win-win situation.

This particular gala’s proceeds were meant to help physically disabled individuals, funding the establishment of schools for the disabled and providing assistance to those from disadvantaged families who couldn’t work for themselves.

Qin Mingyuan had attended such events a few times before, usually just showing up, spending some money, and leaving. He never really cared about what he bought.

His gaze lingered on the word “disabled” for a moment before he placed the invitation aside, indicating that he would attend. “Go to finance and approve a fifty million yuan donation for the event. It will count as a personal contribution from me.”

The charity auction items were mostly donated, but direct monetary donations were also welcome.

He had never paid much attention to this before. Every year, Qin Corporation donated a large sum to charity—it was a fixed amount, whether out of genuine goodwill or for reputation. The money was spent either way.

“Understood,” Zhou Yang responded, but as he glanced up at Qin Mingyuan, he added, “President Qin, your voice sounds a bit nasal. Are you catching a cold? Should I go buy some medicine?”

Qin Mingyuan shook his head dismissively and continued his work, “No need. I’ll drink some hot water, and I’ll be fine.”

Cold medicine tends to make him drowsy, which would affect his work efficiency. Besides, it was just a minor cold, and drinking more water should help alleviate it.

Seeing that the boss wasn’t keen on taking medicine, Zhou Yang, as his assistant, couldn’t insist. He nodded and left the office.

After Zhou Yang left, Qin Mingyuan massaged his throbbing temples again before getting up to lower the air conditioning.

He then went to the water dispenser, filled a cup with hot water, took a few sips, and felt much better. Returning to his desk, he once again immersed himself in work.

A black Maybach came to a gentle stop. Among the brightly colored sports cars, it seemed quite low-key, and not many people paid it any attention.

Qin Mingyuan sat in the back seat with his eyes closed, trying to rest. He felt his forehead throbbing painfully. The cold symptoms he had hoped would go away by morning were still lingering, if not worsening.

At noon, he had finally given in and taken two cold pills, but they seemed to have had no effect. Now, his head felt like it was about to explode.

“President Qin?” Zhou Yang called out worriedly when he saw that Qin Mingyuan hadn’t moved even after the car stopped. “Are you still feeling unwell?”

Qin Mingyuan slowly opened his eyes. The heat radiating from his body made him instinctively want to loosen his tie, but he stopped himself, remembering he was about to enter the gala. He pressed his hand to his temple and said, “I’m fine.”

Zhou Yang didn’t believe he was fine at all. The boss hadn’t been himself all day. Earlier, when Zhou Yang accidentally touched Qin Mingyuan’s hand while getting into the car, it had been ice-cold despite the summer heat.

Hesitating, Zhou Yang suggested, “Maybe I should attend the gala in your place. You could go home and rest early.”

“No need,” Qin Mingyuan shook his head. They were already at the venue, and it wouldn’t take more than two or three hours. “Let’s go.”

He pushed open the door and stepped out of the car. Straightening his suit jacket and standing tall, there was no hint of illness in his posture.

However, perhaps because he wasn’t feeling well, his aura seemed colder than usual, with a trace of irritation. Some people who recognized him hesitated and didn’t dare approach.

Zhou Yang got out of the car from the other side and jogged to catch up with his boss as they walked into the hotel.

Apart from various wealthy families and businessmen, many celebrities from the entertainment industry were also attending the gala. These people cared more about public perception, using such events to maintain their polished image.

Even outside the venue, Zhou Yang recognized several familiar faces from TV and movies. All of them were dressed in glamorous attire, with meticulous makeup, as if they were walking a red carpet.

It made sense, though. Although the event was officially private, some nosy reporters had caught wind of it and were lurking outside, hoping to catch something newsworthy.

However, these reporters wouldn’t be allowed inside. The organizers would only release the names of those participating in the auction afterward. Everything else was kept private because most of the attendees were people of wealth and status, and their privacy had to be protected.

The reporters were bold, but they only pointed their cameras at the celebrities. They wouldn’t dare randomly photograph the wealthy guests. Offending the wrong person and getting blacklisted in the industry wasn’t worth it.

For some of the minor celebrities who managed to sneak in, this was a prime opportunity. Many of them were ambitious, willing to do whatever it took to climb the ladder.

With so many wealthy individuals here tonight, if one of them could find a wealthy patron, their future prospects would be smooth sailing. Even if they couldn’t, a few photos snapped by the reporters could stir up enough buzz to be worthwhile.

In the entertainment world, being infamous was better than being irrelevant. Sometimes negative publicity could be a pathway to fame. Once they gained attention, it would be easy enough to clear their name later.

And Qin Mingyuan, tall, handsome, and eye-catching, had become the prime target of these minor celebrities. With his looks, some thought that even without any benefits, spending a night with him would be a win.

He kept a low profile and rarely appeared in public. Outside of elite circles where everyone knew who he was, most people didn’t recognize the current head of Qin Corporation.

He looked so young that these minor stars assumed he was just another heir from a wealthy family. Rich second generations were easy to charm, and even if they failed, the consequences wouldn’t be too severe.

A stunning woman in a silver, low-cut fishtail dress adjusted her voluminous curls and swayed her hips as she approached. Her figure was indeed attention-grabbing, and some lustful businessmen were already ogling her.

“Sir, it’s my first time attending a gala at this hotel. I don’t know which floor it’s on. Could I accompany you there?” she said, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. Her hand fell gracefully to her collarbone, unintentionally drawing attention to her fair, ample chest.

People with ulterior motives would understand what she meant. Those interested would take the hint and offer her their company.

Unfortunately, Qin Mingyuan was not one of those interested people. He was in no mood, and with his body feeling unwell, his mood was even worse. He didn’t even glance at her as he walked past with an icy aura, his expression forbidding.

Only Zhou Yang politely nodded at her before rushing to catch up with his boss.

The woman, who was rarely ignored so blatantly, frowned, but recalling the man’s cold expression, she didn’t dare approach again. She wanted to climb the social ladder, but not at the risk of being blacklisted.

At that moment, a wealthy second-generation heir, who looked like he spent most of his days indulging in vice, wrapped an arm around her waist. His gaze lingered indecently on her chest. “Sweetheart, that’s the infamous cold-blooded Qin Corporation President. You actually dared to hit on him?”

Hearing the words “Qin Corporation President,” the woman shivered in fear. She leaned into the second-generation heir’s embrace. While she wasn’t familiar with the elite circles, she had at least heard of Qin Mingyuan’s reputation. He was notoriously ruthless. Offending him would ruin her future.

Overhearing the conversation behind him, Zhou Yang glanced at his “cold-blooded” boss and thought to himself, That woman may be beautiful, but too bad the boss is gay. And not just any gay—he’s head-over-heels for the eldest young master of the Yun family. What a pity.

Speaking of which, Zhou Yang wondered if anyone from the Yun family would be attending tonight. While their status in the elite circles was relatively average, they could probably still get an invitation if they wanted.

Apart from the charity aspect, this gala was a rare opportunity to network with the upper echelons of society. The pinnacle of the social ladder—everyone was clamoring to get in.

Zhou Yang’s mind wandered a bit, and before he realized it, his tall, long-legged boss had walked far ahead. He quickly sped up to catch the elevator just as the doors were about to close.

“President Qin, it’s been a while since we’ve seen you at an event like this.”

They weren’t alone in the elevator. Several other company presidents, with whom Qin Mingyuan had previously done business, were there as well.

Although their companies couldn’t compare to Qin Corporation, they were more experienced and older than Qin Mingyuan. Many had worked with Qin Pei in the past.

Suppressing his physical discomfort, Qin Mingyuan politely greeted them.

“Young people like you should get out and socialize more,” said one middle-aged man who seemed to be around Qin Pei’s age, with a meaningful smile. “You’re at the age where you should be thinking about finding a suitable wife for Qin Corporation.”

Zhou Yang glanced at the man and recognized him as President Zheng, who had previously tried to introduce his daughter to Qin Mingyuan. After being rejected, he had even attempted to set up his son. Clearly, he hadn’t given up yet and was subtly hinting at the same thing again, hoping the boss would let go of Yun Yuexian.

Qin Mingyuan didn’t respond, simply nodding as a sign that he had heard.

Seeing that he didn’t take the bait, President Zheng pressed on, “By the way, both my son and daughter are here tonight. They went ahead to the banquet hall. You young people should mingle; I’ll introduce you later.”

Squeezing in wherever you can, huh, Zhou Yang thought, keeping his head down.

The others in the elevator understood the subtext and chuckled good-naturedly.

Just then, the elevator arrived at the designated floor. Without responding to President Zheng’s offer, Qin Mingyuan simply nodded to the group and said, “Excuse me.”

Though they were headed to the same venue, Qin Mingyuan made no effort to wait for them, striding out of the elevator.

“Old Zheng, you should give up. It’s clear President Qin isn’t interested in your children,” another president, who was close to President Zheng, patted him on the shoulder with a laugh as they exited the elevator.

President Zheng sighed, though he bore no grudge against Qin Mingyuan for repeatedly turning him down. After all, with Qin Mingyuan’s status, holding a grudge would be pointless. He just regretted missing out on such a great son-in-law.