*Bael's POV*
The estate is completely still at this hour.
Bael sits at his big study desk. There is nothing open in front of him. No paper files, no tablet, no contracts that need his signature. There is only the desk lamp, casting a low, warm circle of light across the dark wood, and the deep silence that only happens when everyone else in the house has gone to bed.
He hears the faint crunch of tires on the gravel driveway before he hears the actual knock.
A moment later, Shen Rui appears at the study door. He is still wearing his work clothes from the day, his tie loosened just a little bit. His face carries that specific, careful neutrality he always uses when he is delivering serious news.
Bael doesn't say anything. He just gestures once toward the empty chair across from the desk.
Shen Rui bows slightly, then walks in and sits down. He opens his notebook, places it flat on the desk, and begins to speak in a very quiet voice.
