As Su Xiaobai continued her conversation with Li De, he suddenly received a phone call, which seemed to be related to a woman. While answering, he sneaked a glance at Su Xiaobai, awkwardly mumbling into the phone, trying to avoid talking directly. Su Xiaobai smiled faintly, pretending not to notice the situation. Realizing he was losing face, Li De quickly covered the phone and explained to Su Xiaobai that it was a business matter. He then turned and walked out to another room to finish the call.
Su Xiaobai hadn't drunk much, as the majority of their conversation had revolved around high school memories, most of which were Li De's recollections. Su Xiaobai, having had no involvement in Su Bai's high school life, kept quiet and played the role of a listener.
She wasn't unaware of Li De's feelings toward her, but she had come to see through him. To Li De, Su Bai represented a beautiful dream from his youth, a dream that embodied his innocent hopes and memories, like a fragile, colorful bubble. Even though he liked her, he wouldn't risk shattering that bubble, because it symbolized his youth and was the last remaining piece of that time.
Besides, if something were to happen between them, that beautiful memory would be destroyed. What was once a dream to him would no longer hold the same value, as the things that come easily are rarely as cherished as those that are far out of reach.
Li De was gone for more than ten minutes, probably caught up with the other person on the phone. Su Xiaobai didn't hurry him, as he had already helped her out immensely. She felt embarrassed enough about it and had no complaints about being left alone in the private room.
At one point, the server came to clear the plates, and Su Xiaobai asked for a cup of warm tea to help ease the effects of the alcohol. Her face was flushed, and she could feel the alcohol beginning to take its toll.
In a moment of reflection, she thought about taking advantage of the slightly tipsy feeling to do something. Her thoughts wandered back to the events from a few days ago with Qiao Nan. She recalled the subtle, yet undeniable atmosphere when they were alone in a room together. Her face grew even hotter.
She couldn't help but find herself strange. In her entire life, she had never tried to like anyone. She didn't understand whether this was what people meant when they talked about having feelings for someone—thinking about them constantly, imagining different scenarios with them, and wondering what would happen next.
There were no sudden heartbeats, no explosive emotions, just a persistent thought that kept resurfacing, more often the more she tried to push it away. Day after day, it lingered in her mind, unwavering.
She wondered if Su Bai had once felt this way about Fang Cheng, but if that was the case, then she had made the decision to divorce him to free her from that relationship. If Su Bai ever regained control of this body, she would definitely hate Su Xiaobai for making that choice.
A trace of irritation flashed across Su Xiaobai's face, and she muttered to herself, "It's not my fault. Who told you to avoid things back then? Now that I, Su Xiaobai, am here, I have the right to decide whether to divorce or not. Besides, if I hadn't been running around gathering funds these days, the Su family probably wouldn't have made it through. No matter how much you hate me now, you've lost the initiative. Do you think anyone would have tried to stop you from divorcing? People are so pragmatic. Just look at Fang's family—once trouble hits, they won't even utter a word. When the son wants a divorce, his once-loving in-laws stay silent. Everyone's too busy distancing themselves from the Su family."
Su Xiaobai suddenly felt pity for her grandfather. After all these years, to end up in such an isolated state—abandoned by everyone—was truly heartbreaking. Only now did she realize how fragile human relationships could be. It was clearer than ever who was worth getting close to and who was better off forgotten.
She shook her head and laughed at herself for overthinking things. After all, she had just solved one problem—her grandfather's condition was stable, and he seemed to have come to terms with things. Perhaps it was Su Miao's situation that weighed on his heart, as he still hadn't appeared or sent any word. No one knew where he was hiding right now.
Su Xiaobai took out her phone and scrolled through her contacts absentmindedly. She did this several times before stopping on one particular number that had no name attached. It was a number she had modified later on. She had deliberately left it unnamed to prevent Su Bai from discovering anything. Su Xiaobai didn't want her actions or her relationship with Qiao Nan to become known to Su Bai in the future.
This subtle emotion made Su Xiaobai realize that even though she might be a split personality of Su Bai, she selfishly hoped this would always remain Su Xiaobai's secret.
After inadvertently swiping across the number several times, she finally dialed it.
With a sense of unease, Su Xiaobai held the phone to her ear, listening to the "beep" sound, which felt more anxious and expectant than ever before.
It rang about ten times before someone picked up. But as soon as the voice came through, it shattered her hope. It was the voice of an unfamiliar woman.
If it had been a rougher, more hoarse voice, Su Xiaobai might not have cared as much. But this voice was crisp and clear, like a yellow oriole, obviously from a young girl, probably in her early twenties.
"Hello, who are you looking for?" The voice on the other end asked calmly and unhurriedly, as though it wasn't a stolen phone, which made Su Xiaobai feel even more uncomfortable.
Suppressing her jealousy, Su Xiaobai quickly responded in a neutral tone, "Is Minister Qiao there? I'm his colleague, and I wanted to check on the approval of the previous documents."
The person on the other side didn't seem to suspect anything and replied, "Minister Qiao is taking a shower right now. Would you like me to have him call you back later?"
At this point, there was no need for further questioning, so Su Xiaobai quietly hung up the phone. But as soon as she put the phone down, her face turned pale.
Li De had just finished his call and came back. The woman had kept him on the phone for half an hour, mostly arguing about a breakup fee. This was a mistress that Li De had been seeing outside. They had broken up recently, and he had given her fifty thousand yuan. However, she had spent it all within a few days. Now, she was upset and felt like she had wasted her youth on Li De for two years. She was trying to get more money from him or threaten to cause a scene at his company. Li De, feeling guilty, decided to give her another fifty thousand yuan, but he recorded their conversation just in case she might try to blackmail him later.
After smoking a cigarette, Li De came back and noticed Su Xiaobai's expression, thinking that he might have upset her. He was feeling uneasy and quickly switched to a cheerful tone. "Sorry, I got delayed by some business. Big beauty, you're not angry, are you?"
Su Xiaobai could probably guess that Li De had misunderstood her, so she shook her head and took a sip of the now-cold tea. "It's fine. It's not your fault." She then thought about the woman's voice on the phone earlier and realized it sounded sweet and coquettish. If she were trying to act cute with a man, he'd surely be unable to resist.
Moreover, it was particularly strange that the woman had picked up while Qiao Nan was in the shower. Why would there be a woman at his place when he was showering? And why was she allowed to answer his phone so easily?
Su Xiaobai could barely hold back from confronting Qiao Nan, but at this moment, her reason prevailed over her impulse. After all, she had no right to question him. Their relationship wasn't even at the level of friends, let alone anything romantic.
Thinking of this, Su Xiaobai felt a bit deflated.
Li De didn't know what had made her change her mood so suddenly. She had gone from being calm to looking troubled and downcast. Just as he was about to ask what was going on, Su Xiaobai's phone rang again.
At first, she didn't want to answer, but when she saw the number, she immediately became frustrated. Biting her cheek, she debated whether or not to pick it up. She couldn't wait longer than three seconds, fearing the caller might hang up if she didn't answer. So, in a hurry, she picked it up.
Li De silently sipped his tea, watching Su Xiaobai. He was curious to know which person could make the usually composed Su Xiaobai so anxious.
Su Xiaobai answered the phone, cleared her throat, and then calmly asked as usual, "What's the matter?"
On the other end of the line, Qiao Nan's deep, magnetic voice came through, just like the 1984 Chateau Ausone she had tasted earlier—rich in flavor and intensity, leaving a sense of mild drunkenness with just a sip.
"I just saw your number on the call log when I wasn't around, and thought you might be looking for me about something important."
Su Xiaobai frowned slightly, her beautiful eyebrows knitting in displeasure. "Didn't that woman tell you someone called for you?" She had clearly mentioned it was about work, yet the woman hadn't passed the message along.
"She's just from a cleaning service company. She finished cleaning and left, probably forgot about the call," Qiao Nan explained. When he had checked his call log, he too had felt puzzled about the call being answered by someone else, but after realizing it was Su Xiaobai, he felt compelled to return her call to avoid misunderstandings. The slight displeasure in her tone was unmistakable, but strangely, the more he heard it, the more he found it endearing.
After learning the woman was a cleaning staff member, Su Xiaobai's anger subsided a little, though she was still sarcastic. "I didn't know that Director Qiao is such a generous person, so at ease letting a young girl clean for you. If it were me, I wouldn't have the heart to do it. Seeing her so delicate, who could bear to let her clean?"
"You should have said that to her earlier, and now you're blaming me?" Qiao Nan laughed helplessly.
"I won't say it. The reason I called is to ask if your allergy has improved. I still have the prescription I got for you the other day, but I've been too busy to deliver it myself, so I thought you probably don't need it anymore," Su Xiaobai said.
Hearing her voice, tinged with a touch of weariness, Qiao Nan felt a sudden pang of sympathy. In fact, he had known all about the situation with the Su family. The reason he hadn't asked was that she hadn't openly sought his help, meaning she still hadn't fully opened up to him. If he were to offer help now, it would only reopen old wounds, which could have the worst possible effect.
He knew more about her situation than anyone else, including her recent visits to Li De's company and her relationship with Li De's high school classmate. Qiao Nan had already investigated everything thoroughly.
"Where are you now? I'll come pick you up," he asked, but after a long pause, neither of them spoke. Qiao Nan himself felt the question was a bit abrupt.
Su Xiaobai glanced at Li De, hesitated for a moment, then gave him the address.
After hanging up, Su Xiaobai's mood instantly brightened. She seemed like a shy young girl experiencing the thrill of first love. A faint, shy smile appeared on her face, and even Li De, who had never seen her like this, was momentarily stunned.
Su Xiaobai didn't realize it, but at that moment, she was at her most captivating—her allure mingling with an innocence that made her all the more enchanting.
Li De noticed the sudden change in her mood and teased with a smile, "Old classmate, who are you talking to on the phone? I'm curious to see who's managed to win the heart of our aloof beauty from No. 2 High."
Su Xiaobai took a sip of tea and cleared her throat. "Stop guessing. It's just an ordinary friend." After talking to Li De for a while, she saw it was getting late, so she stood up and walked out the door with him. Before leaving, Li De mentioned a charity sale at school next week and, as one of the sponsors, invited her to attend. He also left a convenient address to send the invitation.
Su Xiaobai, having received a favor from Li De before, didn't want to refuse, so she agreed with a smile. In the end, she didn't let Li De take her home. Instead, she stood outside the Peace Hotel, waiting for Qiao Nan.
Before Qiao Nan arrived, Deng Ping and Gan Xin's group coincidentally came out of the hotel. Gan Xin spotted her from a distance. Although she was dressed in a simple shirt and pants, her beauty still caught the attention of several passersby, who couldn't help but glance back at her.
Su Miao, her sister, was usually low-key, and rarely brought her to public events. The one time she did was two years ago at Su Miao's company's founding event, where Su Xiaobai stunned everyone at the company banquet. Having a sister as beautiful as a fairy became a hot topic, and for a long time, people tried to gather information about her, but Su Miao kept her sister hidden. No one had seen Su Xiaobai in the public eye since then.
Coincidentally, one of the people at Deng Ping's table had once worked at Su Miao's company and had recently switched jobs. Today, he was accompanying Deng Ping to get close to him. He immediately recognized Su Xiaobai.
He lowered his voice but made sure others could hear, saying, "Hey, isn't that Su Miao's sister?"