Chatting for a while longer, Zhao Lei suddenly announced, "Oh right, I want to introduce you to a girl. She's the younger sister of Han's high school classmate and close friend. She's four years younger than us, a local, works in finance at her uncle's company. About 162 cm tall, very cute and pretty. I'll send you her number and WeChat. We can arrange a meeting for you two tomorrow or the day after."
Ken was taken aback and quickly objected, "Let's not do that. A four-year age gap isn't really suitable, is it?"
"What's unsuitable about four years? It's perfectly fine. Her parents mentioned they want someone more mature. I've already told them about your situation, and they have no issues. I've met the girl; she has a great personality, very bright and lively. Her family background is excellent too—she already owns two properties and has her own car…"
"That's… I'm really not looking to start a relationship right now," Ken interjected hastily. In his current state, focused on basic survival, the idea of dating was unthinkable. He couldn't even share a meal with someone, let alone navigate the many unresolved questions about his own condition.
Zhao Lei, however, would hear none of it. Waving a dismissive hand, he declared, "Not looking to start? Nonsense! You're thirty! And you're not looking? Did shaving your head mean you're actually planning to become a monk? If so, let me know which temple, I'll donate some incense money! And who was it who asked me to help find a girlfriend before? Now I'm introducing you to such a high-quality match, and you're being all coy? Forget it, I'll set it up for the evening after tomorrow. If you dare not show up, don't bother coming to our wedding either!"
Wang Han gently patted her fiancé's arm, chiding, "Mind your tone!" She then turned to Ken with a conciliatory smile. "My classmate is a childhood best friend. We grew up together, and her sister often hangs out with us too, so we know her very well. She's a wonderful girl. Just meet her, get to know each other, treat it as making a new friend. It's not like you have to be together or get married immediately. Whether it works out depends entirely on your mutual feelings. If there's no spark—whether she isn't interested in you, or you aren't interested in her—no amount of pushing from us outsiders will matter."
With things put that way, Ken could hardly refuse again. In truth, he was deeply grateful to Zhao Lei. He had already figured out that Zhao Lei's insistence on meeting today wasn't solely to introduce his fiancée, but also to let Wang Han assess Ken firsthand, to determine if he was suitable to be introduced to her friend's sister.
He could easily imagine the scenario: when Zhao Lei learned that Wang Han's friend had a pretty younger sister ready for a setup, he would have immediately recommended his perpetually single friend. Wang Han had surely seen recent photos of Ken—the ones where he looked like a weary man in his forties—and was likely hesitant, fearing her friend might complain later. Ken could guess Zhao Lei's persuasive spiel to his fiancée: 'My friend might not look like much, but he's a genuinely good guy. You'll see once you talk to him. He's highly capable, sharp, earns a good salary, bought a place here on his own, has no bad habits—doesn't smoke or drink—he'll make a great partner someday…'Hence, Zhao Lei needed this meeting for Wang Han to vet Ken. The exchanged glance between the couple before bringing up the topic confirmed his suspicion.
While this was Ken's speculation, based on his understanding of his friend, he was confident it was close to the truth. This wasn't the first time Zhao Lei had tried to set him up.
People often say the match someone sets you up with reflects their perception of you. The women Zhao Lei had introduced were, objectively speaking—if one set aside subjective feelings and compared just looks, age, and various conditions—always seemingly out of Ken's league.
Take this girl: four years younger, a local from a wealthy family, cute and pretty (Ken knew if Zhao Lei said she was cute and pretty, she genuinely was). Typically, a girl like this looking for a setup would aim for a local from a similar background, a promising young professional, or someone handsome and charming. Compared to that, Ken, the older programmer, didn't quite fit any of those molds.
After another ten minutes or so, Ken excused himself and left, stopping by the front desk to settle the bill on his way out.
Once he was gone, Wang Han looked at her fiancé. "Your friend doesn't seem like someone who dislikes socializing or crowds. He was quite humorous and seemed open. Why do your classmates think he's aloof?"
Zhao Lei shook his head. "It's not that he can't; he just doesn't like to. When he's with me or our other roommate, he's lively and fun. But in a big group, he clams up. I think he just can't be bothered to engage with people he doesn't like or isn't familiar with. Sees it as unnecessary effort."
"He looks quite different from the photos you showed me, though," Wang Han mused. "In those, he looked wilted, lethargic, and much older. Today, even though his clothes were still a bit… well, plain… his overall vibe was much better. Was it the haircut and glasses?"
"Probably the exercise too. His gut's gone, and he stands taller."
Wang Han nodded, then couldn't help adding with a slight sigh, "Still, I have my doubts Na-na will be interested. That girl is incredibly picky. Last time, she met that guy her own age—handsome, tall, studied abroad in the UK—and she stopped seeing him after just two meetings."
"Which proves she doesn't judge solely by appearance. Maybe she and Ken will hit it off? You never know with chemistry. Besides, I'm just the matchmaker. No guarantees on the outcome," Zhao Lei said with a shrug.
On his way home, Ken stopped to buy a pair of plain black-framed glasses. He realized that without glasses, his changed appearance felt too drastic. Perhaps that look could be useful if he ever needed to avoid recognition. For now, wearing glasses helped mitigate the unfamiliarity brought by his "transformation" and baldness, preventing people who knew him from focusing too much on the sudden change.
He also needed to buy new clothes. It was inevitable that as his physique continued to change, his current wardrobe would become increasingly ill-fitting.