The President's Tender Trap

Su Wan sat by the window, clutching the open book in her hands, unable to focus. Sunlight streamed through the curtains, casting shadows on her face, seemingly reflecting the complex emotions she felt at the moment. Li Yan, the name was like a thorn, deeply embedded in her heart, constantly ripping at her nerves. She recalled a momentary subtle change in Lu Ming's expression during their previous conversation, a moment that made her compulsively want to uncover the mystery.

"Who is she? Why do you treat her so differently?" Su Wan kept asking herself. Li Yan's smile was like a gentle breeze, then instantly turned into a dark cloud, obscuring the clear sky in her heart. The more she thought about it, the more upset she became. Finally, she decided to talk to Lu Ming. But what followed was endless hesitation and fear.

"If I ask, will it upset him?" she muttered to herself, her mind tangled in a tangle of questions. Su Wan knew that Lu Ming was a reserved and sensitive person, and he never seemed to bring up Li Yan's affairs. Whenever he mentioned Li Yan, he would become somewhat silent, his eyes revealing an elusive emotion. That complex mix of emotions made Su Wan uneasy, fearing she would touch upon his deepest pain.

"Should I really ask?" Her thoughts swirled in her mind, but she ultimately chose to avoid it. However, the doubts in her heart grew like weeds, growing stronger and stronger. She didn't want her silence to create a rift between them, but she didn't dare to lift the seal easily.

Just as she was hesitating, Lu Ming appeared in her sight. He approached and smiled. At that moment, Su Wan's heartbeat quickened, as if all her doubts were swept away by his smile. However, when she saw the tenderness in his eyes, she also felt a sense of distance, which made her feel even more uneasy.

"What are you thinking about?" Lu Ming sat down and looked at her gently.

"Nothing... nothing." Su Wan quickly averted her gaze, feeling a surge of unease. Her voice stuttered, fearing that a single carelessness would allow Lu Ming to discover the secret in her heart.

"Are you really okay?" Lu Ming frowned slightly, looking a little worried.

Su Wan's heart tightened, and she finally mustered up the courage to ask the question she wanted to know most: "Lu Ming, can you...can you tell me about Li Yan?"

Lu Ming's smile froze instantly, and a complex emotion flashed in his eyes. Su Wan's heart tightened, as if she had touched a knot deep in his heart. She couldn't help but regret why she mentioned this name at this time?

"Li Yan..." Lu Ming whispered the name, as if recalling something, his expression gradually becoming heavy. At this moment, Su Wan's inner tension and anticipation intertwined, unable to control herself.

"She was my old friend." Lu Ming finally spoke, his voice low and slow, as if every word was squeezed out from the bottom of his heart.

"Friend?" Su Wan was slightly stunned, and a sense of inexplicable loss rose in her heart. She had thought that Li Yan should have a more special place in Lu Ming's heart, but she didn't expect that she was just an ordinary friend.

"Yes, she was my high school classmate." Lu Ming continued, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes. "She was very outstanding, with excellent academic performance and a cheerful personality. She always made people around her smile."

"Then...what is your relationship?" Su Wan couldn't help but ask, but she was a little worried in her heart, afraid that this question would make Lu Ming unhappy.

"We had a good relationship and participated in many activities together." Lu Ming's voice gradually became low. "But later, due to some things, we gradually drifted apart."

"What's the matter?" Su Wan mustered up the courage to continue asking.

Lu Ming was silent for a moment, as if pondering the question. His gaze gradually grew deep, as if he were recalling past events he didn't want to mention. "Something happened to Li Yan's family; her parents divorced. She was in great pain during that time. I wanted to help her, but I didn't know how."

Su Wan was slightly shocked. It turned out that there was such a story behind Li Yan. She suddenly felt a pang of heartache. It turned out that the girl she had always envied was also under tremendous pressure and pain in her heart.

"So you... didn't keep in touch?" Su Wan asked cautiously.

"Yes." Lu Ming's voice remained low, as if he was expressing an unresolved issue. "I don't know how to comfort her. Sometimes I even wonder if I didn't give her enough support, which is why she chose to leave."

Su Wan felt a pang of pain in her heart. The self-blame in Lu Ming's voice made her heartache. She wanted to comfort him, but she didn't know how to start.

"You care about her a lot." Su Wan finally said this, with a complex emotion intertwined in her heart.

"I... just hope she can be happy." Lu Ming's voice trembled slightly, and there seemed to be a hint of regret in his memories.

"You really care about her." Su Wan's heart tightened, but she tried to force a smile on her face, trying to hide her inner turmoil.

"I just think that friends should support each other." Lu Ming lowered his head, seemingly unwilling to look her in the eye.

At that moment, Su Wan felt like a heavy stone weighing down her heart, heavy and helpless. She finally understood that Li Yan was more than just a friend to Lu Ming, but an unforgettable memory. That feeling was like a deep scar, engraved in Lu Ming's heart, lingering.

"If you have the chance, would you like to find her?" Su Wan asked with courage, but she felt a little uneasy in her heart.

"I don't know." Lu Ming's voice was so low it was almost inaudible. "Sometimes I think, maybe I should give her a chance, let her know I still care about her." Su Wan's heart tightened. Lu Ming seemed even more distant. She tried hard to close the distance between them, but found that the knot in her heart seemed even more difficult to untie.

"Will you remember her forever?" she couldn't help asking.

"Yes." Lu Ming's answer was like a knife, cutting through the peace in her heart.

Su Wan felt a heavy weight settle in her heart, realizing that no matter how hard she tried, she could never replace Li Yan's place in Lu Ming's heart. A wave of loss washed over her, yet she refused to let it spread. She wanted to understand him, yet she also felt an invisible barrier widening between them.

"I...I think you can also go find her, maybe you can reconnect." Su Wan said tentatively, feeling a little uneasy.

"I don't know." Lu Ming's voice was still low, as if he was thinking about something. He looked out the window at the blue sky, as if he was searching for something.

At this moment, Su Wan felt an invisible pressure, as if her mood had also become dull along with Lu Ming's heavy heart. She wanted to tell him how she felt, but she didn't know how to start. She knew that the knot between them would not be untied overnight.

"I just hope you can be happy." Su Wan could only say this in the end, but she felt a sense of helplessness and regret in her heart.

"Thank you, Su Wan." Lu Ming turned his head, his eyes flashing with warmth, as if lighting a glimmer of hope in her heart.

Su Wan smiled slightly. Although her heart still felt heavy, she knew that she played an important role in this relationship. Although the unresolved knot in her heart was still buried deep, it also made her more determined to move forward.