"Ha ha, Ms. Li, we must collaborate someday," Richard Mu said with a hearty laugh.
"Of course, if the opportunity arises," Isabella replied politely, maintaining her composed smile. The prospect of cooperation wasn't just polite talk; in fact, a cosmetics company like Radiant Style could certainly work with Mu Biopharma in the cosmeceutical sector.
Despite Radiant Style's rapid growth over the past four years, its research capabilities were nowhere near that of Mu Biopharma, which had both domestic and international research facilities and labs. Partnering with Mu Biopharma could indeed strengthen their foray into cosmeceuticals.
Ethan, who had just returned, overheard this exchange and quickly inferred that Stanley Wan, Isabella's business partner, had likely facilitated this introduction. While Isabella and Stanley were acquainted through their business dealings, Isabella barely knew Richard Mu. She was aware of his name, but their relationship didn't extend beyond that.
"What are we chatting about here?" Ethan smiled as he approached.
"And who might this be?" Richard Mu turned his attention to Ethan.
"Mr. Mu, Mr. Wan, this is my boyfriend, Ethan Wu," Isabella introduced.
"Mr. Wu, a pleasure."
"Great to meet you, Mr. Wu," the two men said as they shook Ethan's hand.
"Mr. Wu is indeed a striking young man!" Richard Mu laughed.
"Ms. Li, you have great taste! Mr. Wu certainly has an impressive presence—like a man destined for greatness."
Ethan noted the two men's almost excessive enthusiasm. Their warm reception was unusual, as if they already knew who he was, and they didn't seem surprised at all to learn he was Isabella's boyfriend.
"Well, we won't keep you two from your date," Stanley said.
"Ms. Li, enjoy your evening. We'll be on our way."
The two exchanged a few more pleasantries before they departed, not heading upstairs to a private room but instead moving toward the restaurant exit. Observing this, Ethan quickly deduced why their behavior had been so peculiar: they weren't arriving—they were leaving. Evidently, they'd already had dinner on the second floor and were on their way out when they spotted Isabella, prompting them to come over and say hello.
Given that this was a top-tier restaurant where any kind of unusual commotion would attract attention, especially with someone as prominent as Nathan Lou involved, it was likely that Richard and Stanley had already heard some of the rumors circulating downstairs before they had even seen Ethan. They likely had their own speculations about him, though they kept those to themselves.
After they left, Ethan and Isabella sat back down, ready to continue what had been an eventful first "date."
"Do you know those two?" Isabella asked, studying Ethan.
"Richard Mu and Stanley Wan," Ethan replied immediately, accurately naming them even though Isabella had only introduced them by their surnames.
"You really are a professional at information gathering," Isabella remarked, though it was unclear whether she meant it as praise or gentle sarcasm.
"Of course. It's my line of work," Ethan responded with a smile, raising his wine glass.
Isabella picked up her glass as well, and they clinked glasses.
Taking a sip of her wine, Isabella set her glass down and reached for her chopsticks, yet instead of picking up food, she rested her elbows on the table, gazing directly at Ethan.
"Anything you'd like to tell me?" she asked, her curiosity evident.
"About what?" Ethan replied, giving her a deliberately playful smile.
"What did you say to Nathan Lou?" she asked directly, not concealing her intense curiosity. Ethan had surprised her yet again with his unexpected connections.
"Are you sure you want to know?" Ethan smiled as he picked up his phone, typing quickly.
Ding!
Isabella's phone buzzed. She glanced down at it, a bit confused by the face-to-face text.
When she opened the message, her expression immediately changed.
The message read, "His son isn't biologically his. I'll explain later."
After a brief pause, Isabella looked back at Ethan and, without a word, quickly deleted the message. The fact that Nathan Lou's son wasn't his biological child would be groundbreaking news if it leaked, potentially impacting the stock price of Lou's company. Isabella understood why Ethan had chosen to share the information via text rather than discussing it openly in a public setting.
"No wonder he hit her so hard," she murmured to herself, momentarily lost in thought as her mind drifted.
When she finally looked back at Ethan, her gaze held a new intensity.
"Is there anything you don't know?" she asked him.
"Of course, there's plenty I don't know," Ethan replied, smiling. "But I do know a lot. Every person has their secrets, and since gathering information is my profession, I make it my business to understand people's hidden sides—especially those with value. If someone holds no value, I won't bother, but if they do, I make it a point to learn about them. It's just business."
"Then, do you know any of my secrets?" Isabella asked, her tone laced with intrigue.
"Mm-hmm, I do," Ethan nodded, smiling confidently.
"You know all my secrets?" she asked, a hint of challenge in her eyes.
"Yes," he replied without hesitation.
"Then tell me, do I have any secrets I'd want to keep hidden?" she pressed further, genuinely curious about just how much he might know.
"Are you sure you want me to answer that?" Ethan asked, looking directly at her.
Isabella nodded, remaining silent.
"Yes. You do," Ethan replied firmly.
"What is it?" Isabella asked, suddenly curious and slightly apprehensive.
"That would have been about ten years ago. Do you remember that summer, when you were seventeen?" Ethan said, watching her closely. "That summer with the girl who wore her hair in a bun."
Isabella froze, her expression shifting as an old memory surfaced, one she hadn't thought of in years.
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]