The conference room fell silent almost instantly.
You could hear a pin drop.
The next second, everyone in the room exchanged glances, their eyes gleaming with gossipy excitement.
Many began whispering among themselves.
The two who had been chatting earlier even clasped hands, visibly thrilled as they continued their hushed discussion.
"Ahhh! Li Huanyu just messaged the CEO again!"
"Tsk, he really spoils her! Everyone has to mute their phones in meetings, but he never does—just so he won’t miss her messages!"
"The CEO’s about to leave mid-meeting again! What a hopeless romantic!"
"Well, gossip aside, I heard several senior executives are planning to jump ship. The CEO’s mind isn’t on business at all—scandals are flying everywhere, and last quarter’s financial report was terrible!"
"Work can wait! Let’s enjoy the sweetness first!"
Hearing this, Lin Mo took a deep breath, her expression darkening.
Shen Yihan’s bankruptcy was practically inevitable at this rate!
Her cool, unwavering gaze fixed on him.
Jiang Tang had just returned to the conference room with her laptop and sat behind Shen Yihan when the notification rang out.
Her fingers tightened around the device.
Was the CEO really going to leave again?
The balding executive giving the presentation blinked and paused mid-sentence.
Better not interrupt the CEO while he checks his messages!
Shen Yihan frowned as he sensed the shift in the room’s atmosphere.
He was so used to keeping his phone unmuted that he’d forgotten to silence it today.
He had already decided to tone down his high-profile behavior—Xie Guanyan had even warned him.
If the company really collapsed, where would the money to support his sister come from?
Lin Mo’s expression softened slightly when she saw Shen Yihan didn’t immediately check his phone.
Foolish once was forgivable, but not over and over.
Otherwise, she’d seriously start questioning how he’d built such a massive company in the first place!
Shen Yihan twisted the Buddhist beads on his right wrist but didn’t pick up his phone. Instead, he turned to the executive.
Just as he was about to tell him to continue the presentation—
The special notification tone chimed again.
Shen Yihan exhaled sharply, determined to ignore it.
But then, the sound of an incoming call rang out.
This time, he couldn’t resist.
Li Huanyu had never called him before—something urgent must have happened.
He snatched up his phone and answered without hesitation. "What’s wrong?"
A fragile, tearful voice responded.
"Yihan-gege, I got hit by a car… It hurts so much, wuwuwu…"
Shen Yihan’s face instantly tensed. "Where are you? Send me your location—I’m coming right away!"
It was a quiet, lesser-known spot popular for photo ops.
After hanging up, Li Huanyu—wearing sunglasses and a hat—stood up from the ground and glanced at her assistant on the electric scooter. "Hurry up and get that thing out of here!"
She knew Shen Yihan would rush over the moment he heard she was hurt.
She couldn’t stand how the man who’d once doted on her had suddenly grown distant.
This was her last resort—to test whether he still cared!
She’d had her assistant lightly bump into her with the scooter, leaving her kneeling on the ground with bare, scraped knees.
When Shen Yihan arrived, she’d claim it was a delivery rider who hit her but let him go out of pity.
A perfect plan—she’d look compassionate while winning his sympathy.
The assistant, still on the scooter, eyed the faint scratches on Li Huanyu’s pale knees and rubbed his nose.
By the time Shen Yihan got here, those would probably have healed already.
What had gotten into Li Huanyu lately? She used to ignore Shen Yihan completely.
Now she was resorting to acting?
The assistant strongly suspected someone was coaching Shen Yihan—playing hard to get to win her over.
And it was working. Poor Best Actor Gu!
After receiving Li Huanyu’s location and seeing it wasn’t too far, Shen Yihan twisted his beads again and addressed the room.
"I have to leave. Continue the meeting without me—my secretary will brief me later."
Everyone nodded in unison. No one dared object.
A few veteran executives looked like they wanted to speak up but ultimately held their tongues.
They’d tried reasoning with him privately before—it never worked, and they’d only end up annoying him.
Turning a failing business into a thriving empire in just four years took extraordinary acumen.
Men like that didn’t tolerate challenges to their authority.
And this one was ruthless—even his own uncle had been sent to prison.
Who would dare openly criticize him? That was practically suicide!
Staying silent was the wisest move.
Jiang Tang hesitated, opening and closing her mouth before finally staying quiet.
She was just a special assistant—she couldn’t overstep.
Every eye in the room was on Shen Yihan. He was used to such attention, but today, for some reason, he felt an invisible weight pressing down.
The back of his neck even prickled with unease.
He twisted his beads again, suppressing the odd sensation, then turned to leave, long strides carrying him toward the door—
Until a clear, icy voice cut through the silence from behind.
"Shen Yihan! Stop right there!"
