I Am More Paranoid Than the Villain – Chapter 109

Unwilling to Give Up

You and Her Are on Such Good Terms

Shen Man parked the car at the entrance of a high-end restaurant.

She undid her seatbelt and turned her head to look at Lin Shu, “Shushu, we’re here. Let’s get out.”

Lin Shu gave a casual “en,” then opened the door and got out of the car.

Shen Man had booked a private dining room.

Just as the two sat down, the da da of high heels sounded from outside.

Shen Man looked up, and a figure that was both strange and familiar appeared in her line of sight.

She looked at that pair of pale blue eyes and stood up with a smile, “Xiao Ke, long time no see.”

“Manman, long time no see,” Xia Ke said happily, walking over quickly to give Shen Man a hug.

After speaking, she lowered her head and saw the cold indifference in Lin Shu’s eyes. She said with a smile, “Lin Shu, are you not happy to see me?”

Lin Shu gave a cold snort and averted her gaze.

Xia Ke looked at Shen Man, puzzled, questioning her with her eyes.

Shen Man smiled, her expression placid as she said, “Why don’t you sit down first? The food will be served soon.”

“Alright.” Xia Ke shrugged her shoulders and sat down with a smile.

A server brought the dishes to the table.

Looking at the table full of lavish food, Xia Ke showed an exaggerated expression, “Manman, so much delicious food. I’m truly blessed.”

“Have you never seen the world before?” Lin Shu said coldly.

Hearing this, Xia Ke let out a laugh, her expression turning serious.

Seeing this, Shen Man understood that the lively and cheerful demeanor Xia Ke had just displayed was only a facade.

That pair of pale blue eyes had now grown serious, carrying a dreadful frost.

“Manman, congratulations on getting together with Lin Shu,” Xia Ke said with a smile.

The moment the words fell, she immediately sensed that the atmosphere was not right.

Lin Shu shot Xia Ke a sideways glance and said in a cold voice, “I have no relationship with her whatsoever.”

Shen Man smiled without saying a word.

Xia Ke blinked in confusion but tactfully did not press the matter.

Her gaze fell upon Shen Man’s neck, staring ceaselessly at the golden bell.

“Eat your food. What are you looking all over the place for?” Lin Shu said, dissatisfied.

Xia Ke immediately retracted her gaze and exchanged a look with Shen Man.

Shen Man let out a light laugh and changed the subject, “Xiao Ke, didn’t you say you were bringing me a gift?”

“It’s in my car,” Xia Ke said, quickly explaining, “I was in such a hurry to get here after I got out of the car that I forgot it. I’ll get it for you after we finish eating.”

“Okay,” Shen Man nodded with a smile.

At the dinner table, Shen Man and Xia Ke chatted casually about all sorts of topics.

Lin Shu kept her head down and ate, not responding with a single word, only shooting Shen Man a cold, warning glare whenever the two of them were chatting excitedly.

“I’m done eating.” Lin Shu put down her chopsticks and shot a glare at Shen Man. “Hurry up and finish so we can go back.”

After speaking, she got up and walked out.

Once Lin Shu’s figure had disappeared, Xia Ke looked at Shen Man and asked curiously, “You two are already living together, so how are you still not a couple?”

Shen Man smiled without answering, saying seriously, “Your return to the country this time isn’t just to take over your father’s company, is it?”

Hearing the certainty in her tone, the corner of Xia Ke’s mouth curved into a smile.

She leaned back, resting comfortably against the chair, admitting it with her silence.

A trace of confusion appeared in Shen Man’s eyes as she asked with a smile, “So much time has passed. Are you still unable to let it go?”

After she spoke, she paused, then added, “You’ve had so many girlfriends. You should have let it go by now.”

The smile on Xia Ke’s face gradually froze, and a hint of gloomy anguish appeared on her beautiful face.

Hanging her head, she said in a low voice, “I want to forget, too, but I can’t.”

“And I cannot forget!” she said, raising her head, her eyes filled with a resentful light.

Seeing this, Shen Man offered no more persuasion.

She picked up her handbag from the side and said, “Let’s go, lest Shushu wait too long.”

Xia Ke immediately broke into a smile, stood up, and said, “What stage has your progress with Lin Shu reached?”

“You tell me. I’ll absolutely keep it a secret,” she said, covering her lips with her hand as a guarantee.

Shen Man shook her head with a light laugh and got up to walk out.

Xia Ke followed behind, still unwilling to give up as she continued to ask, “Manman, please just tell me, alright?”

“Shushu and I are currently playing a special game,” Shen Man said, her delicate brows and eyes filled with utter confidence.

“A game?” Xia Ke frowned, full of confusion, “You’re not dating, so what kind of game are you playing?”

Shen Man just smiled and said nothing.

“So mysterious,” Xia Ke said with a laugh, no longer pressing.

The two walked out of the restaurant together.

Xia Ke quickened her pace by a couple of steps, took the gift out of her car, and handed it to Shen Man, saying, “I hope you like it.”

“Thank you,” Shen Man accepted it with a smile.

“Manman, I just got back to the country and have a lot of things to handle. Once I’m done, I’ll ask you out to have fun,” Xia Ke said.

Shen Man nodded, “Okay.”

The sound of a car horn honked not far away.

Shen Man saw that it was her car and said with a light smile, “I should go. Take care of yourself, and don’t be impulsive.”

She deliberately stressed the tone of her last sentence.

Xia Ke understood the meaning behind it and nodded with a smile.

Shen Man got into the car and lowered her head to fasten her seatbelt.

Lin Shu had her arms crossed, her back ramrod straight against the seat. She shot Shen Man a sideways glance and said, “You and Xia Ke are still on such good terms?”

Hearing the faint trace of jealousy in her words, Shen Man nodded with a smile.

Receiving this answer, Lin Shu glared coldly at Shen Man, “Your bond is truly deep, still as familiar as before even after not seeing each other for three years.”

“Xiao Ke and I have always kept in touch,” Shen Man said, starting the car.

Hearing this, a surge of anger rose in Lin Shu’s heart. Her fingers squeezed the seatbelt tightly, and she turned her head to the side.

After a long while, she looked at the scenery outside the window and said, “You could contact her, but you never contacted me.”

Shen Man’s gaze faltered for a moment, and her long, slender fingertips tapped an irregular rhythm on the steering wheel.

Her eyes were focused intently on the road ahead, as if she had not heard that sentence at all.

---

---