Duan Xiu's admiration for Lou Yu Ming was something only his parents and Ge Bai Tao could perceive. However, she simply assumed Duan Xiu, like other young masters in their circle, merely feared Lou Yu Ming.
Therefore, when Duan Xiu unexpectedly asked her out to dinner, she didn't realize he was there to pry for information.
They agreed to meet at a Western restaurant.
The restaurant exuded an elegant ambiance.
After taking her seat, Ge Bai Tao, without any reservations, asked, "Why did you suddenly want to treat me to a meal?"
Duan Xiu struggled to suppress the smile that threatened to spread across his face.
He simply wanted to share his good news with someone, and Ge Bai Tao was the only person he could consider a "friend," especially since they were currently pretending to be a couple.
However, after a moment of thought, Duan Xiu decided to say nothing. He felt this matter should be kept confidential. It wasn't that he didn't trust Ge Bai Tao; it was just that, relatively speaking, Uncle Lou was more important to him.
Ge Bai Tao found Duan Xiu to be quite peculiar that day.
He seemed excited, a sentiment she had never seen him exhibit before.
But maintaining their status as friends and "couple," Ge Bai Tao, out of concern, asked, "What's wrong?"
Duan Xiu shook his head with a smile.
Great, that was even more unsettling.
Unable to get anything out of him, Ge Bai Tao simply gave up asking. She started complaining about her work, and as she spoke, she became a little embarrassed and added, "My grandfather wants to see you this weekend. Are you free?"
Duan Xiu paused.
Ge Bai Tao forced a smile. "It's fine. If it's inconvenient, I'll explain to Grandpa later."
Truthfully, she was also worried Duan Xiu might slip up. Her grandfather had a sharp eye, and if he saw through their pretense, they would be in trouble.
"I can," Duan Xiu suddenly said. "I can go."
This time, it was Ge Bai Tao who was stunned. "Are you serious?"
Duan Xiu nodded. "Let me know the time, and I'll drive over."
His easy agreement left Ge Bai Tao feeling a bit flustered.
Duan Xiu was in an exceptionally good mood, so much so that he would have unhesitatingly agreed even if she asked to borrow money.
"Thanks!" Ge Bai Tao raised her wine glass for a toast.
Duan Xiu took a sip of red wine and then asked out of the blue, "I have two tickets for a stand-up comedy show. Do you want to go?"
Ge Bai Tao blinked in surprise. "Stand-up comedy? I don't really like it. Do you?"
A fleeting, complex emotion crossed her face, too quick to be noticed.
Duan Xiu replied, "No. They were a prize from a raffle."
Ge Bai Tao smiled. "I didn't know you had such luck. If you're not going, can I have them? Xi Xi has been enjoying watching them lately."
Duan Xiu pretended to be casual. "I've heard you mention that name a few times. Is she your friend? I don't remember meeting her when we were younger."
Ge Bai Tao bit her tongue in annoyance and then decided to be direct. "Forget it, I'll just tell you. Xi Xi is Song Xi, my best friend. If she ever needs any help in the future, please lend her a hand."
The Duan family was one of the most prominent affluent families in City A, so accumulating some connections for Song Xi through him would be beneficial.
Duan Xiu nodded, his eyes holding a hidden depth.
In truth, he had already looked into who Xi Xi was.
She was Zhang Qi's ex-girlfriend and an artist under Ge Bai Tao's company. Beyond that, his investigation hit a dead end.
However, he was now certain that Song Xi and Uncle Lou had some kind of connection.
The last time Song Xi appeared at the mall, Uncle Lou was also there. After dinner, Uncle Lou dismissed him, and as Duan Xiu turned back, he saw a woman sitting opposite Uncle Lou. The woman's back was a familiar sight.
If it had happened once or twice, it could be a coincidence. But just now, he had intentionally brought up stand-up comedy, and Ge Bai Tao had inadvertently revealed something.
And the splash of red he had seen in Uncle Lou's suit pocket was precisely a stand-up comedy ticket stub! No one knew stand-up comedy better than Duan Xiu!
Uncle Lou had previously called stand-up comedy boring, so why would he go specifically for it? He must have been meeting someone, and all signs pointed to that person being Song Xi!
Frankly, Duan Xiu's initial impression of Song Xi was rather good. She was intelligent, spoke her mind, and was quite forthright.
However, she was with Ye Hai at the time, who was the second young master of the Ye family. Then it was discovered she was Zhang Qi's ex-girlfriend, and now she was entangled with Uncle Lou.
Someone who could navigate relationships with several men, and not just ordinary men at that, suggested a woman of considerable cunning and formidable skills.
Therefore, Duan Xiu's opinion of Song Xi had drastically diminished. His greatest desire now was to know if Uncle Lou and Song Xi were actually together!
With that in mind, he decided to focus his attention on Ge Bai Tao.
"Has Uncle Lou been bothering you lately?" Duan Xiu asked deliberately.
"Why bring him up?" Ge Bai Tao sounded slightly annoyed, but she still replied, "We are people from different worlds. It's best if we never see each other again!"
Duan Xiu smiled.
Ge Bai Tao continued, "He's still single but insists on having my grandfather set me up on blind dates. He's so meddlesome."
Duan Xiu seized the opportunity. "Hasn't he found a girlfriend?"
"He has—" her voice abruptly stopped. Ge Bai Tao pouted her lips and said, "No matter who he's found, it's a good breakup. A man like him isn't suited for dating or marriage."
She seemed to be holding back, and from her expression, Duan Xiu had already guessed most of it. His face darkened slightly, and he decided not to pry further.
Ge Bai Tao, being rather oblivious, didn't notice the shift in his demeanor.
After dinner, they walked out of the restaurant one after another. However, Ge Bai Tao suddenly felt a stomach ache, likely due to eating too much.
She hadn't been eating properly lately due to her busy work schedule, and the sudden "binge eating" had been too much for her stomach to handle.
Seeing her turn pale and break out in a cold sweat from the pain, Duan Xiu became serious. "Let's go to the hospital."
As fate would have it, they encountered someone unexpected at the hospital.