Xu Jingli noticed the awkwardness spreading through the room, so he cleared his throat. His simple action only put everyone further on edge. Sensing this, Lu Fang decided to step in.
"Relax, he's not going to bite," Lu Fang said, trying to diffuse the tension. Unfortunately, this only made things worse.
Realizing his mistake, Lu Fang smiled and added, "Just treat us as equals while we're here. There's no need to be so tense. In fact, President Xu has generously offered to pay for everyone's dinner, so feel free to order anything you like without hesitation."
Hearing that, the atmosphere began to ease, and people visibly relaxed. Conversations slowly resumed, and the room started to feel less suffocating.
Through it all, Xu Jingli's gaze remained fixed on Chen Mumu. She, on the other hand, did everything she could to avoid looking in his direction. Her eyes darted around the room, focusing on anything and everything except him.
