I Am More Paranoid Than the Villain – Chapter 116

Satisfied?

Don’t Make the Same Mistake

Xia Ke’s appointment time was four o’clock in the afternoon.

Shen Man set out from the company at three o’clock.

As soon as she arrived, she saw that Xia Ke’s car was already parked there.

Xia Ke was leaning against the car, staring blankly ahead, looking weighed down by worry.

Shen Man walked over.

She knocked gently on the car door, making a thud-thud sound.

Xia Ke heard the sound and came back to her senses.

Looking at Shen Man, she revealed a hint of a smile, “Manman, you’re here. It’s still early.”

“You came even earlier than I did,” Shen Man said with a smile, a slice of refined light at the bottom of her eyes. “Today is just an ordinary dinner party. Even if the business deal falls through, it isn’t a big deal.”

She dragged out the intonation of the last two words.

Xia Ke looked at those smiling eyes, and her heart tightened.

For a moment, she didn’t know if this referred to the dinner party or implied something else.

She couldn’t help but lower her eyes, avoiding that sharp gaze.

Shen Man smiled, softened her expression, withdrew her gaze, and turned her head to look at the scenery nearby.

Not long after, a car driving toward them appeared in their field of view.

The car stopped not far from them.

The car door opened, and three carefully dressed young women stepped out one after another.

When the last person stood still, her gaze inadvertently swept to the side, and she instantly froze in surprise.

Shen Man looked at that face, which was as gentle and frail as ever, and smiled as she greeted her, “Miss Yin, long time no see.”

“Shen Man…” Yin Ruxu said in surprise, her gaze falling behind Shen Man.

That person only revealed half of her body; her entire face was blocked by someone.

“Xiao Yin, how can you be so ignorant of the rules? You need to call her President Shen.” A middle-aged woman covered in brand-name clothing stepped out of the front passenger seat, keeping a straight face as she scolded.

After she finished speaking, she looked at Shen Man and immediately switched to a smiling face. “President Shen, I am truly sorry, we are late.”

“Director Zhang is too polite; it is we who arrived early,” Shen Man said with a smile, stepping sideways to reveal the person behind her.

Seeing this, Director Zhang immediately walked over and said with an enthusiastic smile, “Miss Xia, you came too. Blame my clumsy eyes for not seeing you.”

Xia Ke gave a cold Mn, her expression stern as she lifted her foot to walk inside.

Director Zhang felt a bit guilty inside. She looked carefully at Shen Man and whispered, “It’s all because these girls were dilly-dallying, causing you two to wait so long. For the sake of their young age, I hope President Shen and Miss Xia won’t take it to heart.”

“Director Zhang, that’s serious talk. You guys go in first,” Shen Man said with a smile.

Her gaze lingered on Yin Ruxu for a second, then quickly moved away.

The moment their eyes met, Yin Ruxu quickly lowered her head.

Her two hands clasped tightly together, the veins on the back of her fair, tender hands bulging out completely.

“Why isn’t President Shen going in?” Director Zhang asked with a smile.

“I’m waiting for someone,” Shen Man said.

Director Zhang reacted instantly, slapping her own forehead with an apologetic smile. “I’ve been so busy I’m confused; there is still another honored guest.”

“President Shen, you go in. I’ll let the others wait here for Director Lin.”

“No need,” Shen Man refused with a smile, her tone leaving no room for negotiation.

Director Zhang understood the meaning within, sensibly stopped persuading, and led the three inside.

Yin Ruxu walked at the very back.

Standing at the door, she paused for a few seconds, then turned back to look at Shen Man.

Shen Man knew she had something to say, so she spoke up, “Miss Yin, why don’t you stay.”

Hearing this, Director Zhang hurriedly rushed to the front, shoving Yin Ruxu, her smile containing a warning. “President Shen has spoken, why aren’t you going over?”

Yin Ruxu nodded obediently.

She walked in front of Shen Man and bowed slightly out of politeness, “President Shen.”

“We are all classmates, no need to be so polite,” Shen Man said with a flat expression.

Yin Ruxu lowered her head uneasily.

After being silent for a good while, she looked up as if she had made up her mind.

Before the words even left her mouth, her eyes were already glistening with fragile tears.

Shen Man was not in a hurry and waited quietly.

“Xiao Ke…” Yin Ruxu called out this name with a hoarse voice. After speaking, she choked up, a trace of a bitter smile appearing on her lips as she corrected herself, “When did Miss Xia come back?”

“That isn’t something you should be concerned about,” Shen Man said indifferently.

Yin Ruxu’s heart seized, and the teardrops in her eyes almost fell.

Shen Man looked at this expression of wanting to cry but not crying, a smile surfacing in her voice. “Miss Yin has followed Movie Queen Sang¹ and played quite a few roles; even Shushu loves watching them usually.”

“If not for Movie Queen Sang’s help, I’m afraid you wouldn’t have the bit of fame you have now, right?”

Hearing the mockery in her words, Yin Ruxu lowered her head in embarrassment.

Shen Man did not continue to dig at her, saying coldly, “Miss Yin had better go in first. You know Shushu’s temper.”

Yin Ruxu heard this and bit her lip.

She turned her body, lowered her head slightly, and the corners of her lips hooked upward in an arc of delight.

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Shen Man waited until nearly four o’clock and saw Lin Shu’s car enter.

She walked over with a smile and knocked on the car window.

Lin Shu opened the door and got out with her bag.

She frowned in confusion, “Why are you here?”

“I’m waiting to go together with you,” Shen Man said with a smile, deliberately softening her voice.

Hearing this, Lin Shu’s heart tightened.

She hurriedly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and said while walking, “Who wants to be with you.”

Shen Man followed behind with a smile on her face.

The two entered the private room.

Xia Ke was leaning lazily in the center of the sofa, holding a glass of bright red wine in her hand, wearing a look of indifference that said ‘strangers do not enter’.

Director Zhang sat nearby, constantly trying to find a topic.

Yin Ruxu and the other two women stood to the side; all three wore looks of obedience.

Seeing Shen Man enter, Xia Ke immediately stood up, a faint smile appearing on her face. “Manman, you came up so late.”

“Had a little something to do,” Shen Man answered with a smile.

Lin Shu let out a cold snort.

“Hello, Director Lin. Thank you for gracing us with your presence.” Director Zhang welcomed her enthusiastically, her face full of smiles mixed with ingratiation. “Please sit, I’ll have them serve the food.”

Hearing this, Lin Shu sat down with a bland expression.

Shen Man sat next to Lin Shu.

Seeing this, Xia Ke sat next to Shen Man.

Director Zhang’s eyes darted around, and she said to a woman beside her, “What are you still dazing out for? Why aren’t you hurrying to toast President Shen?”

After speaking, she looked at the other two, “Don’t just stand there like idiots, go toast.”

Yin Ruxu obediently picked up a glass of wine and stood in front of Xia Ke.

She bit her red lip lightly, her eyes shimmering with a fragile light.

Xia Ke held the wine glass by her fingertips and turned her head to look at Shen Man.

Shen Man smiled slightly and politely refused, “Director Zhang is too polite. Director Lin and I have to drive later, so it’s inconvenient to drink.”

Lin Shu gave a cold affirmative sound.

“It was my lack of consideration; I forgot you two have to drive,” Director Zhang hurriedly said apologetically, then turned to the two toasting women. “You punish yourselves with three cups.”

The two obediently drank the wine.

After they finished drinking, Director Zhang turned her gaze to Xia Ke.

With a somewhat fawning look on her face, she smiled and said, “Miss Xia, you are drinking, so you can’t use that excuse to refuse our Xiao Yin again.”

“Hearing that she could meet Miss Xia, Xiao Yin was excited for a long time, looking forward to today.”

Xia Ke’s lips hooked up, and a mocking look appeared in her eyes.

Her fingers lightly swirled the wine glass, and she said in a voice devoid of warmth, “I heard Miss Yin has appeared in quite a few hit dramas recently. Her popularity is not bad.”

“Thanks to Miss Xia’s praise, they were all just small roles,” Director Zhang said modestly, though her smile couldn’t hide her smugness. “It’s all because Xiao Yin herself is striving; she can play even small roles to the point of entering the wood three fen².”

“Not to boast, but Xiao Yin’s acting skills are beyond words; even the lead actors in the same crew were full of praise.”

“She is indeed good at acting,” Xia Ke laughed with unclear meaning.

Yin Ruxu hung her head even lower, her slender fingers tightly gripping the wine glass. She said softly, “Miss Xia, I toast you a glass. I hope you won’t disdain it.”

After speaking, she downed the glass of wine in one gulp.

Drinking too fast caused her small face to flush red from choking.

Seeing this scene, Xia Ke froze uncontrollably for a moment.

She quickly adjusted her mood and said coldly, “Toasting requires sincerity. How is one glass enough?”

“Miss Xia is right,” Director Zhang chimed in with a smile, turning to whisper instructions to one of the women.

That person quickly brought over a tray with six glasses of Baijiu³ neatly arranged on it.

“I want to see how deep Miss Yin’s sincerity is,” Xia Ke lowered her voice, her upturned lips carrying a sneer.

Yin Ruxu took a deep look, then firmly and decisively picked up a glass of wine.

She finished it in one gulp and continued to the next without pausing.

By the fifth glass, her face was already flushed red, and the fragile space between her brows could not conceal a look of pain.

Xia Ke’s heart tightened, and she wanted to stop it.

The words reached her mouth, but she clenched her teeth and swallowed them back down.

Shen Man was close by and clearly saw every change in Xia Ke’s expression.

Watching Yin Ruxu pick up the sixth glass, she spoke up, “Director Zhang, serve the food. Everyone is a bit hungry.”

“Okay, okay, okay,” Director Zhang hurriedly agreed. Looking at Yin Ruxu, she said, “Quickly take the wine away.”

Yin Ruxu stared straight at the wine glass, held it with both hands, closed her eyes, and drank it all in one breath.

Xia Ke’s mind was shaken, and she almost stood up.

“Miss Xia, I finished drinking. Are you satisfied with this sincerity?” Yin Ruxu tilted her head slightly, revealing a gentle smile.

Xia Ke paused for a few seconds, smiled slowly, picked up the wine glass in front of her, and drank it in one gulp. “I am very satisfied.”

“Thank you.” Yin Ruxu narrowed her eyes happily, her expression as innocent as it was in the beginning.

Xia Ke couldn’t help but be dazed for a moment by this familiar smile.

She steadied her mind and turned her head to stare at the food in front of her.

At the dinner table, Director Zhang enlivened the atmosphere, implicitly and explicitly recommending the people she brought to Shen Man and the other two.

Shen Man handled it calmly without revealing her thoughts.

Lin Shu ate her food as if it was none of her business, paying no attention.

Xia Ke looked preoccupied, occasionally chiming in with a sentence or two.

The meal went on, and it could be considered that both the guests and hosts enjoyed themselves.

“Thank you, Director Zhang, for your warm hospitality. We should get going,” Shen Man said politely.

Director Zhang had drunk quite a bit, and her face was flushed red.

Hearing this, she drunkenly tried to make them stay, “President Shen, don’t be in such a hurry. Let’s have a blast tonight. They are capable of singing and good at dancing, and can accompany you to play to your heart’s content until dawn.”

“No need,” Lin Shu refused coldly, warning Shen Man with her eyes.

Shen Man smiled knowingly and said politely, “Let’s talk about it next time there’s a chance.”

Director Zhang let out a wine burp. Seeing that the two meant to refuse without room for argument, she sensibly stopped trying to keep them.

Lin Shu picked up her bag and stood up, walking out with a look of arrogance.

Shen Man stood up as well. She patted Xia Ke on the shoulder and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, “Xiao Ke, don’t make the same mistake as before.”

Xia Ke’s eyes darkened, and her fingers clenched tightly together.

After a moment of silence, her expression became determined.

Yin Ruxu stood not far away.

Watching the scene of the two whispering intimately, a wave of uncontrollable jealousy surged in her heart.

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