As Ji Yunhuai listened to Lu Xiaoxiao's question, he leaned back into the soft sofa. A trace of genuine exhaustion crossed his face, but his voice remained as casual as ever. "The bidding? Same old story. A few local power players wanted to team up and drive the price down, pulling petty tricks they couldn't bring out into the open. It was draining... but nothing serious. I could handle it."
He brushed over the past few days of maneuvering as though he had merely dealt with a handful of trivial errands.
For a moment, however, the room fell silent. Only the faint noise of the city drifted in from outside, muted by the height of their floor.
Lu Xiaoxiao did not press him. She simply watched him quietly, waiting in case there was more he wanted to say.
Ji Yunhuai's gaze settled on some point in the air, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the sofa's smooth leather. After a long while, he finally seemed to find the words. His voice was slightly lower than before, carrying a rare note of uncertainty.
"Actually... something caught me a little off guard. It's about Fang Youcheng."
Lu Xiaoxiao nodded slightly to show she was listening.
Ji Yunhuai calmly recounted everything that had happened when Fang Youcheng entered his study that night, including how he had hesitated and ultimately adjusted the air-conditioning vents instead of replacing the documents.
"Before I came to Seacity, I'd already received word that Ji Cheng had put him up to tampering with some crucial documents." Ji Yunhuai's lips twitched into a smile devoid of warmth. "I was prepared. That night... I really was exhausted enough to fall asleep, but I wasn't sleeping deeply. I woke up when he came in."
"...I thought he would do it." Ji Yunhuai stared at