Tai Yu put on airs. The next second, an unfamiliar number called in. Without hesitation, he answered. As expected, it was Lady Ming Fan calling him directly, getting straight to the point:
"Why do you have that painting?"
Tai Yu answered honestly, "I drew it myself. A personal hobby, plus a little creative inspiration."
Ming Fan sounded like she was interrogating a criminal. "You didn't know Vagero before, and you didn't meet him today, yet you drew a portrait of him..."
"Just a sketch." Tai Yu corrected her, then smiled. "Besides, Lady, why are you so certain I've never met him?"
There was a brief pause on the other end before she extended an invitation. "Let's meet."
Tai Yu continued speaking frankly. "I'm on my way to another appointment—an appointment that will decide the future relationship between us, ah, between me and your daughter. My phrasing may be—"
Ming Fan cut him off. "Your negotiations with the Frontier Training Ground? Why aren't you following the Training Ground's arrangements?"
Tai Yu replied, "Miss Xin Rui demonstrated her value to me..."
"But you don't have the fate to obtain it." Ming Fan spoke extremely quickly, yet every word was distinct. "Mister Tai Yu, your file makes it very clear: you have close ties and extensive financial dealings with an illegal cult. You are a target who could be detained and interrogated at any time. What you need most right now is to leave the Red Silicon Star System quickly, before the authorities notice you. Yet your actions show no such reasonable logic. Instead, you're so high-profile it's laughable. So what are you trying to do?"
Tai Yu raised an eyebrow. "I thought clients like me received preferential data protection. But Lady Ming Fan, shouldn't people trust their own intuition?"
That answer kept