Ji Wenzhong's calm question made the hearts of the other two men in the room clench.
Ji Cheng's heart leaped into his throat. He stared hard at Fang Youcheng's profile, his eyes full of warning and urgent insistence, while his hands at his sides involuntarily tightened.
Fang Youcheng felt as though he had stopped breathing.
The old man's gaze was not sharp, but it carried a quiet insight that seemed to see straight through to his deepest fears and struggles. He opened his mouth, but his throat was too dry to make a sound.
He could feel his father's gaze beside him, almost scorching through him. That silent pressure weighed on his shoulders like a mountain.
Time seemed to stretch. Those few seconds of silence felt as long as a century.
At last, he lowered his eyes, avoiding Ji Wenzhong's gaze-and, in doing so, Ji Cheng's expectant look as well. His voice was barely audible:
"I... I'm not quite sure."
"Not sure?" Ji Wenzhong raised an eyebrow slightly. His tone remained steady, yet the tension in the air suddenly intensified.
"Fang Youcheng!" Ji Cheng snarled almost immediately, his voice slightly distorted by his effort to suppress his anger. "What are you saying? Didn't you tell me yourself back then? You said you saw it clearly when you were sorting the documents! Why are you suddenly saying you're not sure?!"
"Don't be afraid. Don't hold back just because Ji Yunhuai is my son! Let me tell you, precisely because he's my son, I need to know about his mistakes promptly as his father. Only then can I guide him properly and keep him from making a grave mistake in the future!"
As he spoke, he frantically signaled Fang Youcheng with his eyes. His meaning could not have been clearer: *Change your