The President's Tender Trap

As time went on, the rift between Su Wan and Lu Ming grew more pronounced. Su Wan's mood had barely improved over the past few weeks, instead becoming increasingly irritable. She began to distance herself from Lu Ming, avoiding being alone with him and even minimizing communication at work.

Whenever Lu Ming tried to talk to her, Su Wan would just give a perfunctory response, her mind preoccupied with the unsettling photo. No matter what Lu Ming said, Su Wan found it difficult to truly engage. The lingering doubts in her heart were like a haze, shrouding her mind and making it difficult for her to regain her composure.

"Su Wan, what's wrong with you today? You look unhappy." Lu Ming couldn't help asking after a work meeting, his eyes full of concern.

"Nothing, I just don't want to talk." Su Wan responded coldly, looking out the window, feeling a sense of guilt in her heart.

"You are always like this. Just tell me if there is anything." There was a hint of helplessness in Lu Ming's tone. He tried hard to understand Su Wan's emotions, but found that he had no idea where to start.

"It's really nothing." Su Wan struggled secretly in her heart. She wanted to tell Lu Ming what she was thinking, but she was afraid that she would reveal her vulnerable side as soon as she opened her mouth.

As time went on, Lu Ming's frustration deepened. He began to doubt his own judgment, sometimes even wondering if he had done something wrong to cause Su Wan to become so cold. He didn't know how to break this deadlock, and his heart was filled with anxiety and confusion.

"What can I do to make you happy?" Lu Ming mustered up the courage to ask after get off work one day, with genuine concern in his eyes.

Su Wan's heart ached, but she remained silent. She knew her indifference had hurt Lu Ming, but she couldn't suppress her doubts. She shut herself off in a small world, letting the outside world gradually fade away.

"I really want to know what I did wrong." Lu Ming's voice was low, filled with grievance and loss. At this moment, he was like a bird trapped in a cage, struggling but with nowhere to escape.

"I just need some time." Su Wan finally spoke, but her tone was full of helplessness and alienation.

"Time? Can time solve everything?" Lu Ming's voice was full of confusion. He didn't understand what Su Wan was thinking.

"I don't know." Su Wan lowered her head, her heart filled with bitterness. She wanted to escape, but she couldn't get rid of the ties of this relationship.

As the days passed, communication between Su Wan and Lu Ming became increasingly rare. Whenever they met in the office, it was always awkward. Lu Ming tried to remain calm, to block out the unpleasant thoughts, but the pain and anxiety within him would not dissipate.

During an important project presentation, Su Wan, feeling down, performed extremely poorly. Her thoughts were muddled, her answers irrelevant, and the team's performance suffered. Watching from the sidelines, Lu Ming felt heartbroken, but he didn't dare to intervene, nor did he know how to help her.

"Su Wan, what's wrong with you today? Your performance is not very good." After the meeting, Lu Ming finally couldn't help but ask, with concern in his tone.

"I'm fine, just a little tired." Su Wan's answer was still cold, as if pushing Lu Ming away.

"If you have any troubles, you can tell me and I will help you solve them." Lu Ming tried hard to convince himself that he must let Su Wan know that he cared about her no matter what.

"I'm really fine, don't ask anymore." There was a hint of irritation in Su Wan's voice, and her mood became more complicated because of Lu Ming's concern.

Lu Ming sighed helplessly and turned away. He felt lost and helpless, as if no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't touch Su Wan's heart. Every day's interaction made him feel exhausted, as if nothing he did could change the status quo.

As the pressure at work continued to mount, Su Wan's mood began to spread to her colleagues. It became increasingly difficult for her to work with the team. Everyone could sense her irritability and anxiety, and they began to gossip about her.

"What's wrong with Su Wan recently? She always seems absent-minded." Colleague Xiao Li whispered in the tea room.

"I don't know either. I heard there are some problems between her and Lu Ming." Another colleague responded with a hint of sympathy in his tone.

"I hope they can resolve it as soon as possible, otherwise our project will be in trouble." Xiao Li sighed, worried about the future of the two.

Meanwhile, Lu Ming struggled to adapt to the situation. He tried to stay focused on his work, trying not to let Su Wan's emotions affect the project. However, his inner anxiety and uneasiness were always there, making it difficult for him to relax.

"Lu Ming, your relationship with Su Wan seems to be a bit off lately?" Zhang Kai couldn't help but ask at a party. He was a good friend of Lu Ming's, and he noticed something was amiss with him and wanted to know what was going on.

"I don't know what happened either." Lu Ming shook his head helplessly, his heart filled with confusion. "She seems to be wary of me and refuses to communicate with me."

"Is there any misunderstanding between you two? I think you should have a good talk." Zhang Kai suggested, wanting to help his friend ease the dilemma.

"I tried, but she always avoided me." Lu Ming felt powerless, his eyes filled with disappointment. He wanted to repair the relationship, but found he had no idea where to start.

A few days later, Su Wan's best friend Lin Xiaoyu found her again, trying to find out the truth. She could see that Su Wan was getting worse and worse, so she decided to stop keeping silent.

"Su Wan, I think you should have a good talk with Lu Ming." Lin Xiaoyu said, with concern in her eyes.

"What to talk about? I don't know what to say." Su Wan's voice was low, and her heart was full of helplessness.

"He has always cared about you. Is it really okay for you to ignore him like this?" Lin Xiaoyu tried to persuade Su Wan, with determination flashing in her eyes.

"I have too many doubts in my heart, and I don't know how to face him." Su Wan's voice trembled, and the struggle deep in her heart made her feel painful.

"Shouldn't the trust between you be resolved through communication? If you don't tell him how you feel, he will never understand." Lin Xiaoyu's voice was gentle, trying to guide Su Wan out of the predicament.

"I know, but I really don't know how to face it." Su Wan's heart was full of contradictions and hesitation.

However, over time, Su Wan's irritability didn't ease, but instead intensified. She began making frequent mistakes at work and even lost her patience and behaved unprofessionally in team meetings. This left Lu Ming perplexed and worried, wanting to help but unable to do anything.

"Su Wan, we need to discuss the progress of the project." Lu Ming tried to communicate with her after a meeting.

"I know, I will take care of it." Su Wan was a little impatient and hardly looked at Lu Ming, but she was secretly annoyed in her heart.

"But we need better cooperation to successfully complete this project." There was a hint of pleading in Lu Ming's tone, wanting to make Su Wan understand the seriousness of the matter.

"I'll try my best." Su Wan's answer was still cold, but her heart was full of helplessness and struggle.

Every exchange left Lu Ming feeling incredibly frustrated. He knew that if this continued, the emotional rift between them would only deepen. Their collaboration at work also became increasingly difficult, team morale suffered, and project progress slowed.

"Su Wan, can you seriously consider what's going on between us?" Lu Ming finally plucked up the courage to ask her this question late one night.

"I need time, really." There was helplessness in Su Wan's voice. The struggle deep in her heart left her with no choice.