Chapter 108: What's the Cat in the Pan?

Now, it was already ten fifteen, yet the general manager still had not appeared. A few murmurs rippled through the conference room.

"Has General Manager Jian not arrived yet?"

"I don't know. The briefing clearly stated that the meeting would begin at ten."

"Probably something is holding him up. General Manager Jian has always valued punctuality. If there were no pressing matters, he would never be late."

At that moment, a man in his thirties wearing glasses glanced at Wang Yue with a mocking smile. "Manager Wang, since your relationship with General Manager Jian is so close, why don't you give him a call to ask?"

With those words, Ruan Minmin noticed the man deliberately sending her a meaningful glance, as if implying something.

Wang Yue's lips curved into a faint smile. He teased, "Li Heng, cut it out. I'm just an employee. What's the connection between me and the boss?"

Li Heng replied, "What nonsense are you talking? General Manager Jian has always prioritized the design department. He's thought of every advantage for you. How can you be so self-deprecating?"

Someone beside them chimed in, "Exactly. No one's relationship with the general manager is closer than yours. Why don't you go ask him yourself?"

Ruan Minmin silently endured the nauseating sounds of flattery and mutual praise drifting around her.

Who would actually ask? And why bother with such overt flattery?

Xiang Nuan shot her a dark, prickly glance and whispered, "Director, do you know what General Manager Jian went to do?"

"I don't..."

Ruan Minmin was about to answer when she caught Wang Yue's arrogant posture. A mischievous spark ignited in her heart.

She smiled faintly, pulled out her phone, dialed a number, and held it to her ear.

All eyes in the room turned toward her.

Li Heng offered a seemingly kind reminder. "Director Ruan, the general manager despises personal calls during work hours. You should hang up. If he sees it, he'll be furious again."

"I'm doing this for your own good, Director. Don't misunderstand."

He added with a concerned smile, his eyes full of sincerity behind his gold-rimmed glasses.

What was this?

The others exchanged bewildered glances and stared at Ruan Minmin, clearly eager to watch the show.

Ruan Minmin pursed her red lips, then actually set the phone back in her palm and pressed the screen.

No way. She had actually hung up.

Li Heng looked surprised, then chuckled, a trace of triumph gleaming in his eyes.

Wang Yue laughed and prodded, "Oh? I didn't expect Director Ruan to obey Li Heng so readily. Do you two have some hidden agenda?"

"Yeah, yeah. Look at that expression. Director, are you crushing on Li Heng?"

Ruan Minmin raised an eyebrow, turning to the speaker.

His name was Guo Rui.

Ruan Minmin recalled Xiang Nuan mentioning this man earlier. He had been recommended to join the company by Wang Yue, just like Meng Xueying.

It seemed these two were deliberately egging each other on to make her look foolish.

Ruan Minmin remained silent.

Seeing the scene, the others' gazes grew bolder.

Li Heng froze for a moment, then the smile on Ruan Minmin's face took on a hint of flirtation.

That look... Could the director truly be interested in him?

At his height and bearing, Li Heng felt a surge of pride. His spine straightened a fraction more.

"Hah—"

Witnessing the reactions, Ruan Minmin let out a cold laugh. She lowered her gaze to the phone and said coolly, "If you don't come soon, we might as well hold a tea party in the conference room."

Perhaps even a matchmaking event.

Everyone's expressions shifted.

Ruan Minmin's words had instantly frozen the atmosphere in the conference room into an icy silence. They stared at her phone in confusion.

She had hung up the call?

Then who was she speaking to now?

Could it be the general manager?!

"Yeah!"

A low, stern voice, heavy with displeasure, rang out across the entire conference room.

It was indeed the general manager.

Li Heng's face drained of color, leaving him utterly stunned.

The others looked equally pale.

Ruan Minmin slowly lowered the phone and smiled lightly. "Sorry, I forgot to mention. I was just talking to Jian Zhiyan."

"......"

Instant silence fell over the room. Everyone looked timid, nervously bracing for the arrival of that person.

"Um... Director, we were only joking. Please don't take it to heart."

Li Heng's face was deathly pale, his eyes pleading as he stared at Ruan Minmin.

Now that he realized his words had been inappropriate?

Regretting them?

It was too late.

Ruan Minmin offered a sweet smile, her expression innocently pure, yet she said nothing.

The more she acted this way, the less anyone dared to dismiss it.

Then a sharp figure appeared at the conference room door.

Jian Zhiyan wore a cold face, as if he meant to devour anyone who crossed his path. He stood silently at the threshold, staring at the people inside.

Apart from Ruan Minmin lounging lazily against the chair, the others subconsciously straightened their spines, their faces etched with unease.

This had been the most torturous atmosphere the conference room had ever endured.

Although Jian Zhiyan said nothing and opened the meeting as usual, everyone understood that the current calm was merely the lull before the storm.

Li Heng had lost all interest in the meeting. Sweat beaded his forehead in thick layers. He looked both tense and uneasy.

"The meeting will conclude here for today."

Jian Zhiyan's cold voice cut through the air. Everyone glanced at him apprehensively, only to meet his eyes sharp as winter storms.

Ruan Minmin rose first. "Then I suppose I'll head back."

Jian Zhiyan did not reply, but as she passed, he caught her wrist.

What are you doing?

Ruan Minmin turned back in surprise.

At once, every gaze in the room fixed on Jian Zhiyan's grip around her wrist, heavy with meaning.

Only Li Heng's expression darkened further.

He had heard the rumors between the general manager and Director Ruan, but in his daze, he had forgotten them.

Now that he remembered, Li Heng felt a growing dread.

"Go back to your office first. I'll come find you later."

Ruan Minmin shook off his hand, then casually waved the briefing paper in her grip. "General Manager, I have work to do as well."

"Besides."

She paused, then swept her gaze across the others in the room, her tone carrying clear implication as she added, "Besides, don't you have other matters to attend to?"

The others except Ruan Minmin immediately looked guilty.

Jian Zhiyan was furious. He released her wrist and repeated coldly, "Go wait for me."

Ruan Minmin hooked her red lips, her eyes brimming with allure. She casually waved to the others behind her.

Xiang Nuan shrank her neck like a timid quail, scurrying to catch up with Ruan Minmin's steps.

"Hah—"

Xiang Nuan took several deep breaths, as if she had just survived a narrow escape.

Ruan Minmin laughed. "Do you have to be so scared?"