Xi Yan pulled up Bai Xuexiao's phone number from his mobile and made the call. It rang three times before it was answered—Bai must have been somewhat busy.
"Hello Mr. Bai, this is Xi Yan," Xi Yan said calmly and clearly on the other end.
"Hello," the voice of Bai Xuexiao was polite and composed, "Do you need something from me?"
"I hope I'm not interrupting your work," Xi Yan said with a light chuckle, testing the waters.
"No, I'm about to finish up," Bai Xuexiao replied from his office, glancing up at the wall clock opposite his desk.
"Here's the thing—I haven't had the chance to treat you to a meal since you drove me home last time. I happened to be passing by your company today, so I thought I'd try my luck and see if Mr. Bai would grace me with his presence," Xi Yan spoke with a tone that didn't come across as too deliberate, striving to appear as natural as possible, "How about we have dinner together tonight?"
