Mr. Lu, stop being such a jerk. Your wife is your nemesis's white moonlight.

Lu Yiming said he would always protect her.

Lin Wan'er recalled the autumn when she first transferred to Fenghua Middle School.

Maple Blossom is the most prestigious private school in Maple City, divided into a high school and a junior high school. Families who can afford to study here are either very wealthy or very powerful.

There are no secrets in this circle.

On her third day of school, she was cornered by several girls at the corner of the stairs.

"You're the one who had the child with that mistress?"

The one who spoke was the only daughter of a real estate tycoon, who was used to being domineering on campus.

Lin Wan'er huddled in the corner, not daring to speak.

The more she acted this way, the more emboldened the other woman became. The girl grabbed her hair: "Say something!"

Lin Wan'er was in so much pain that tears welled up in her eyes, but she gritted her teeth and dared not cry. She had only been brought back to the Lin family because of her younger brother. In name, she was the second young lady of the Lin family, but in reality, even the servants treated her badly.

Her mother had told her not to cause trouble.

She wouldn't dare provoke anyone. People who dare to cause trouble have someone backing them up; but even if something happened to her, no one would stand up for her.

Just when she thought she couldn't escape this beating, a voice came down from above the stairs.

"What are you doing?"

She looked up, against the light, and saw a tall, slender figure.

The high school student, wearing his school uniform, stood on the steps above, one hand in his pocket, looking down at them. The girls' expressions immediately changed.

"Senior Lu... Senior Lu..."

Everyone in Feng Hua knows Lu Yiming.

Her family background, appearance, and academic performance were all top-notch. Even though she was only in high school, her parents had already involved her in the operation of several family projects.

Everyone knows that Young Master Lu will take over the Lu Group in the future—that enormous business empire that is almost half the size of Fengcheng.

Almost every girl in school had a crush on him. These girls in front of him were no exception.

Lu Yiming was in the high school section, and they usually had to deliberately run over during lunch break to catch a glimpse of him from afar. Today, however, he walked over here on his own.

The girls were too nervous to speak. Lu Yiming spoke again:

"Don't let me see you bullying her again."

The group exchanged a glance, dared not say another word, and slunk away.

Lin Wan'er was still squatting in the corner, trembling all over, and tears finally fell down her face.

Footsteps descended step by step, stopping in front of her. A hand was extended towards her.

"Don't cry."

Through her blurry, tear-filled eyes, she looked up at him. He was backlit, so her expression was obscured; only his hand remained steadily in front of her, patiently waiting.

She hesitated for a long time before placing her hand on his. His hands were large, his palms dry and warm, and with a little force, he pulled her up from the ground.

He sized her up for a moment, as if trying to identify something, and then said, "You're Uncle Lin's... second daughter?"

She nodded.

He didn't have much of an impression of her, but seeing her hunched shoulders and tear-streaked face, he frowned, took out a student card from his pocket, and stuffed it into her hand.

"If anyone bullies you again, show them this. Tell them you're my sister. Understand?"

She froze, looking down at the card in her hand, her fingertips trembling.

That was the first time in her life that someone stood up for her.

She was so weak, like a piece of duckweed, helpless and alone in this world, desperately wanting to grasp onto something, anything at all.

She looked up at Lu Yiming, her eyes timid, carrying a pleading look she herself didn't realize: "Will you protect me forever?"

Lu Yiming was taken aback. He hadn't expected her to ask that. But looking into her red, tear-filled eyes, his heart suddenly softened.

In the prime of youth, how could he understand the weight of the word "forever"? He only thought, how much trouble could it possibly take to protect such a delicate and pitiful little girl?

Young Lu Yiming smiled:

"meeting."

Lin Wan'er remembered the word.

For many years afterward, he did indeed keep that promise.

No matter what she did, no matter how much trouble she caused, he would always smooth things over for her and stand up for her.

People who have experienced hunger will eat as a form of revenge; the same is true for people who have lacked a sense of security.

With the sense of security Lu Yiming provided, Lin Wan'er gradually changed.

She was no longer timid and cowardly; she learned to fight back, dared to face conflict, and even... dared to provoke conflict. Anyway, Lu Yiming would be there to protect her if the sky fell, and she finally lived a life of being pampered, just like other girls.

She naturally assumed that this protection was permanent and would never be taken back.

Even after so many things happened between them, she always believed that no matter what, Lu Yiming would always have a place for her in his heart; no matter what she did, he would never abandon her.

But just now—

Lu Yiming said that they had ended things long ago.

"Yiming-ge," Lin Wan'er murmured again, "you promised you would always protect me..."

"Wan'er," Lu Yiming closed his eyes briefly, "you've grown up. You no longer need anyone to protect you."

How could you go back on your word?

Tears streamed down her face, and she heard her own voice trembling: "Don't you love me anymore?"

"I don't love it."

This time, he answered without the slightest hesitation.

"I'm sorry. When I was little, I didn't understand what love was, which gave you the wrong idea. After I met An'an, I realized what true love is. Before, my feelings for you... were more like taking care of a younger sister."

"younger sister……"

Lin Wan'er repeated it softly, then suddenly smiled.

"I don't believe it," she shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes before she could speak. "I don't believe it!"

They were each other's first love, and they spent the best ten years of their lives together... How could these things be so lightly glossed over with the word "little sister"?

not to mention……

Lin Wan'er lunged forward and grabbed his sleeve as if it were her last lifeline:

"Yiming, when the Lu family was going through its toughest time, the first thing you thought of was protecting me, sending me to Hong Kong to keep me from being implicated—how could you... how could you say you don't love me!"

She gripped it so tightly that the fine fabric crumpled in her palm. She

She looked up at him, her face covered in tears, but her eyes were fixed on him, waiting for him to speak.

Lu Yiming lowered his head and met those bloodshot eyes.

His Adam's apple bobbed heavily.

"Wan'er, it's time to make this clear to you."

He turned his head away, avoiding that burning gaze.

"Back then, the reason I arranged for you to marry into the Pan family was actually... a deal between your father and me."