I Am More Paranoid Than the Villain – Chapter 114

Changing Principles

Leaving a Red Mark on Her Neck

The office fell silent for a moment.

Lin Shu leisurely finished her tea, then set the cup down heavily on the table.

Thud! The sound echoed loudly in the spacious room.

Shen Man’s focus returned.

Her gaze fell on the slender, elegant hand for a moment before she smiled and said, “I’m very satisfied with the proposal, Director Lin. You can coordinate the follow-up details with our project manager.”

“Understood,” Lin Shu replied nonchalantly.

Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she rose gracefully to her feet.

A tall, slender figure stopped in front of Shen Man, casting a shadow over her.

Shen Man looked up and met a pair of ice-cold eyes.

“President Shen, I hope you understand your place.” Lin Shu reached out, tilting up that delicate chin, her soft fingertips rubbing it casually.

Shen Man’s eyes narrowed, and she subtly tightened her jaw.

“Remember, you are not to be ambiguous¹ with anyone,” Lin Shu said in a low voice, leaning in close.

Her warm breath ghosted across Shen Man’s fair neck, sending a ticklish sensation over her skin.

Suddenly, Shen Man felt a sharp pain on her neck.

She instinctively raised a hand to cover the stinging spot.

Lin Shu straightened up, a triumphant smile in her eyes.

She licked her red lips and warned, “You’d better remember that, President Shen.”

With that, she walked out, her expression smug.

Shen Man sat on the sofa, her gaze deepening.

Her slender fingers gently touched the spot where she’d been bitten. After rubbing it for a moment, she stopped.

Her once-pale fingertips were now stained a vivid, beautiful red.

Shen Man stared at the red smudge for a moment, a faint smile playing on her lips.

She picked up a tissue and slowly wiped the red from her fingertips.

A knock sounded at the door.

Shen Man tossed the tissue into the trash can, but before she could speak, the person outside had already barged in.

“President Shen, that Miss Lin is just too arrogant! She has no respect for anyone…” Tian Meiying said, her tone accusatory.

But when she saw the lipstick mark on Shen Man’s neck, she froze in shock, the rest of her words caught in her throat.

“Assistant Tian, has no one taught you not to barge into my office without permission?” Shen Man’s expression turned cold, her fine brows furrowing as she stared at Tian Meiying.

A jolt of fear went through Tian Meiying, and she quickly lowered her head. “I’m sorry, President Shen… I was just in a hurry.”

“Be more careful next time,” Shen Man said coldly. “If there’s nothing else, please leave.”

Her words were polite, but they carried an undeniable sense of pressure.

Tian Meiying bit her lip, aggrieved, tears welling up in her eyes.

Shen Man was unmoved. She sat down in her office chair and lowered her head to deal with her work.

Tian Meiying secretly clenched her fists, a flash of resentment in her heart.

“President Shen, you’re busy. I’ll see myself out,” she said, her voice choked with emotion.

Shen Man simply grunted in acknowledgment without looking up.

Hearing the door click shut, her expression softened, and she threw herself back into her work.

The morning passed quickly.

Wen Lan came in carrying a takeout container, placing it on the desk. “President Shen, you should take a break and have some lunch.”

“Mm, alright.” Shen Man paused her work, opened the container, and smiled when she saw the food. “Today’s looks pretty good.”

“Thank you, President Shen,” Wen Lan said, standing before the desk with a hesitant look on her face.

Shen Man glanced at her, unwrapping a pair of chopsticks. “Secretary Wen,” she asked in a light tone, “what could possibly have you so flustered?”

“I…” Wen Lan couldn’t help but lower her head. Her eyes inadvertently fell on the red mark on Shen Man’s neck. “President Shen, your neck…” she asked, surprised.

“A cat bit me,” Shen Man said flatly.

“President Shen, should you go to the hospital? It’s bleeding,” Wen Lan said urgently.

Only after the words were out did she belatedly realize there were no cats in the office.

“It’s nothing serious.” A small smile touched Shen Man’s lips, her eyes filled with amusement.

She picked up her chopsticks, selected a piece of hong shao rou², and began to chew slowly.

Seeing this, Wen Lan took a closer look and realized it was a lipstick mark.

A possibility flashed through her mind, but she stopped the words on the tip of her tongue. After a moment’s hesitation, she said, “President Shen, I have something to take care of this afternoon. I was hoping to leave two hours early.”

“What is it?” Shen Man asked, looking up.

“It’s a personal matter…” Wen Lan said, looking troubled as her fingertips unconsciously drew circles.

Shen Man noticed the gesture and didn’t press further.

She smiled. “Alright, I understand.”

“Thank you, President Shen.” Wen Lan let out a small sigh of relief. “I’ll finish all my work before I go,” she said earnestly.

“You don’t have to push yourself so hard. Some things can be handed over to Assistant Tian,” Shen Man said, her words carrying a hidden meaning.

Wen Lan understood.

She thought for a moment before saying, “Assistant Tian is still a recent graduate, after all. She doesn’t have experience with many things…”

“She’ll only gain experience if you give her things to do,” Shen Man interrupted, her expression serious. “Chairman Tian sent her here to gain experience, not to act like a young miss.”

“She needs to do the work that’s assigned to her. If she doesn’t want to, then we can end her probation period early.”

“But Chairman Tian…” Wen Lan reminded her urgently in a low voice. “She is his niece, after all. Not many people in the company dare to give her orders.”

Shen Man frowned at her words.

“President Shen, we all work for Chairman Tian. He dotes on his niece. If we offend her, I’m afraid it will be difficult for us to last long in this company,” Wen Lan advised softly.

Shen Man let out a cold snort. After a moment of contemplation, she said, “Go on with your work.”

At that, Wen Lan understood the topic was closed.

She put aside her attempts at persuasion and said, “Yes, President Shen.”

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After finishing lunch, Shen Man cleaned up the food containers.

She leaned back on the sofa and took out her phone to text Lin Shu. “Shushu, have you had lunch?”

“Thank you for your concern, President Shen. I’m eating right now.” Lin Shu sent back a picture of a delicious-looking meal.

Across the table sat another person, dressed with a thousand charms and a hundred graces³.

Even without zooming in, Shen Man could tell it was Ni Shuang.

She typed, “Shushu, you didn’t go to work this morning?”

Lin Shu didn’t reply.

She pouted slightly and set her phone aside.

Seeing this, Ni Shuang smiled charmingly and said in a soft voice, “Lin Shu, are you chatting with Shen-jiejie⁴?”

At her words, Lin Shu shot her a cold glare. “Her name is Shen Man.”

“‘Shen Man’ sounds so distant. ‘Jiejie’ is much more intimate,” Ni Shuang said with a flirtatious raise of her eyebrow.

Lin Shu ignored her, took a bite of food, and said coldly, “Did you ask me out today just to talk about Shen Man?”

“Of course not.” Ni Shuang shrugged, the smile vanishing from her face in an instant.

Seeing her expression, Lin Shu asked teasingly, “What’s wrong? Kicked an iron plate⁵?”

“I’m already so upset, and you’re laughing at me,” Ni Shuang said, feigning wiping away tears and forcing a sob.

Lin Shu’s laughter grew louder. She took a sip of tea and adopted a comforting posture. “Don’t cry. Tell me what happened.”

Ni Shuang let out a delicate huff and dabbed at her non-existent tears with a tissue.

She tossed it aside and said, frustrated and annoyed, “This straight girl is so infuriating! A great beauty like me, like a flower, like jade⁶, and she had the heart to leave me waiting outside half the night.”

“She truly doesn’t know how to cherish the fragrant and treasure the jade⁷,” she said, her face flushing with anger.

Lin Shu watched her with amusement.

Her face was a mask of pure gossip as she retorted with a smile, “Didn’t you used to say you’d absolutely never touch a straight girl? Why have you changed your life’s principles this time?”

Ni Shuang was struck speechless.

Seeing Lin Shu’s smug look, she gritted her teeth. “I refuse to believe I can’t take her down with my charm.”

Lin Shu remained noncommittal.

She took a bite of food and offered a reminder, “Just be careful you don’t play around and end up losing yourself in the process.”

“How could that be possible!” Ni Shuang raised a confident eyebrow, her charming expression tinged with arrogance. “I don’t lose.”

“Is that so?” Lin Shu’s lips curved, her eyes filled with disbelief.

Ni Shuang felt she was losing ground.

After a pause, a bright smile appeared on her face, and she said in a tone that brooked no argument, “Let’s change the subject. You’re spending the whole day with me. We’re going shopping after we finish eating.”

“Alright, alright,” Lin Shu agreed lazily.

She picked up her phone to arrange her afternoon schedule.

“Lin Shu, if you skip a day of work for me, don’t you think your dad will have something to say about it?” Ni Shuang asked, propping her chin on her hands with a seductive smile.

“He’s too busy keeping his wife and son happy to have time for me,” Lin Shu said, her tone flat.

“Have you gotten over the fact that your dad remarried behind your back?” Ni Shuang asked, her eyes full of curiosity.

“Do you think that’s possible?” Lin Shu’s expression turned cold, and she shot her a look. “Even if the little three is made the official wife, it doesn’t change the fact that she was a homewrecker.”

“But that cheap didi⁸ of yours has a claim to the inheritance now,” Ni Shuang reminded her. “If I remember correctly, he should be graduating soon.”

“Knowing how biased your dad is, they’ll definitely get a huge piece of the family fortune.”

Lin Shu’s mood soured as she listened.

She glared at Ni Shuang. “Do you still want me to go shopping with you or not?”

“Okay, okay, I’ll stop,” Ni Shuang quickly dropped the subject, raising her teacup. “My mistake. I’ll punish myself with a cup.”

“My darling, you have a big heart, don’t hold it against me,” she said, winking at Lin Shu.

“Drink up,” Lin Shu ordered coldly.

Ni Shuang downed the tea in one go, choking twice. She frowned and said, “This tea is really bitter.”

Lin Shu laughed. “I told you to drink the tea, not eat the tea leaves.”

Ni Shuang laughed along with her, then said in a wheedling tone, “You have to drive me home after we’re done shopping.”

“The hotel?” Lin Shu raised an eyebrow.

“Nope. The same place you picked me up last time,” Ni Shuang said with a sly, triumphant smile. “After I waited outside so pathetically for half the night, her heart finally softened.”

“You really are skilled at using the bitter meat plan⁹,” Lin Shu said, her tone half-mocking, half-amused.

“Appropriately showing weakness can yield unexpected results, you know,” Ni Shuang said, drawing out her words with pointed meaning. “The more delicate a woman is, the more she can provoke people’s pity.”

“A sharp, steady woman like Shen Man probably prefers the delicate and lovely type, don’t you think?”

Lin Shu gave a cold snort and lowered her head to eat.

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