I Am More Paranoid Than the Villain – Chapter 113

Deliberately Making Things Difficult

She Was Nothing But a Plaything

The meeting room door was ajar.

From where she stood, Shen Man had a clear view of the scene inside.

Lin Shu sat ramrod straight on the sofa, her legs crossed, revealing a pair of fair, slender calves.

Her exquisite, beautiful face was a mask of arrogance, and her bright eyes held undisguised disdain.

Tian Meiying stood to one side, her body slightly bowed.

Her hands were clasped tightly in front of her, as if trying to restrain her anger.

“This tea you made is awful,” Lin Shu said with disgust, setting the cup down heavily on the table. “As an assistant, you can’t even make a decent cup of tea. I have no idea why they even hired you.”

Seeing Tian Meiying about to retort, she gave a contemptuous smile and continued, “Oh, I forgot. You got in through connections, so you don’t actually need any skill.”

“YOU’VE GONE TOO FAR!” Tian Meiying shouted in anger.

“What’s going on?” Shen Man spoke up, her timing perfect.

She pushed the door open and walked in, feigning ignorance as she looked between the two women.

At the sound of her voice, Tian Meiying’s expression immediately turned to one of pure grievance.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she said, her voice choking, “President Shen, all the other clients have praised my tea. Only Miss Lin finds fault with everything.”

“I really don’t know how I’ve offended you, Miss Lin. If I’ve done something wrong, I apologize.” As she spoke, she bowed deeply to Lin Shu and said, “I’m sorry.”

Lin Shu watched this clumsy performance and let out a scornful sneer.

Tears instantly streamed down Tian Meiying’s face as she cried, her voice full of hurt, “Miss Lin, I may not have your family background, but I’ve always worked hard. Please don’t just dismiss the effort I’ve put in.”

With that, she began to sob even louder.

Lin Shu took in the scene, then lifted her chin and looked coldly at Shen Man. “President Shen, you’ve been watching all this time. Hasn’t it occurred to you to get me a new cup of tea?”

“Of course. I’ll go right now,” Shen Man replied agreeably.

She bent down, picked up the teapot, and wiped away the drops that had splashed onto the table.

Seeing this, Tian Meiying’s eyes went wide with disbelief.

She pointed a finger at Lin Shu, her voice a mixture of shock and indignation. “You… How can you speak to President Shen in that tone? She’s not your pet…”

Realizing she had misspoken, she hastily corrected herself. “President Shen, that’s not what I meant…”

“Assistant Tian, you can go now,” Shen Man said calmly as she stood up.

Tian Meiying met those frigid eyes, and a jolt of fear shot through her. She scurried out of the room.

Lin Shu snorted contemptuously.

Arms crossed, she leaned back comfortably on the sofa and said arrogantly, “President Shen, you’re not a pet, that’s true. You’re nothing but a plaything.”

She drew out the last word, her tone laced with a subtle, mocking amusement.

A chill entered Shen Man’s eyes. Her slender fingertips gripped the teapot tightly.

Lin Shu tilted her head slightly, her gaze meeting Shen Man’s defiantly.

Their eyes locked for several seconds.

Then, Shen Man gave a faint smile. “I’ll go make the tea.”

She turned and left, pulling the door shut behind her.

Hearing the thud of the door, Lin Shu’s perfectly straight shoulders instantly slumped.

Her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would burst from her chest.

---

Shen Man stood in the break room, her expression thunderous.

A colleague came over to get some water and, upon seeing Shen Man, quickly lowered her head in greeting. “President Shen.”

Shen Man acted as if she hadn’t heard, her gaze fixed intently on the teacup in her hand.

The colleague was so intimidated she didn’t dare to breathe. She stood frozen in place; to advance was not an option, nor was to retreat.¹

The moment Shen Man left, the woman let out a long sigh of relief.

Forgetting the water, she hurried away.

Shen Man returned to the small meeting room.

She poured a cup of tea, placed it in front of Lin Shu, and, her expression back to normal, smiled and said, “Director Lin, please, enjoy.”

Lin Shu picked up the cup with an air of superiority and took a small sip.

“It’s acceptable, I suppose,” she said grudgingly. “President Shen’s tea is certainly better than an assistant’s.”

Shen Man smiled and sat down beside her.

Looking at the documents on the table, she said, “As I recall, this collaboration was arranged with your company’s manager. Why has Director Lin come in person today?”

“What, you’re not happy about it?” Lin Shu retorted, her delicate eyebrows shooting up. “Does President Shen think a director like me isn’t qualified?”

Shen Man instantly heard the sound beyond the strings² in her words and chose not to argue.

---

---