I Am More Paranoid Than the Villain – Chapter 119

Investigating Her Past

What Are You Afraid Of?

Recently, Shen Man had been busy with a major project, working overtime at the company for half a month straight.

Lin Shu was also exceptionally busy, getting back even later than she did.

Even though the two of them lived together, they only had a brief moment to spend with each other during breakfast.

Before they knew it, it was Friday again.

Shen Man looked at her schedule for the day, planning to get off work on time.

Wen Lan pushed the door open, set down a file, and said, “President Shen, Assistant Tian’s internship period has ended. We’re waiting for your evaluation.”

“Mm, I know,” Shen Man said, placing the file to one side.

Not long after, the phone on her desk rang. It was a call from Tian Yi.

Shen Man waited a few seconds before picking it up and asking, “Chairman Tian, is there something urgent?”

Tian Yi instantly understood the meaning behind her words.

He cleared his throat and said with a somewhat unnatural laugh, “Meiying’s probationary period is over. She has a shy personality, so she asked me to check in for her.”

“I’ve seen that she’s been working very hard during this time. She never mentions any of the hardships of the job to us. She’s a very sensible child.”

Shen Man listened quietly.

Tian Yi could have made Tian Meiying a permanent employee with a single word, but out of trust and respect for her, he was still consulting her opinion.

But the implication, both in and out of his words, was that he wanted Tian Meiying to be directly appointed as the President’s Assistant.

“Although Meiying is my niece, I am absolutely not one to practice nepotism. I believe President Shen should also understand the child’s capabilities,” Tian Yi said tactfully.

“I just looked at the file Secretary Wen brought over. You can congratulate Assistant Tian in advance. Starting tomorrow, she can officially join the company,” Shen Man said, leaning back in her chair. A hint of a smile emerged as she spoke.

“Thank you, President Shen. I’ve troubled you during this time. In the future, I’ll have to ask you to guide this child more. You know I don’t have any children of my own; I hope to have someone to inherit my company in the future,” Tian Yi said happily.

Shen Man understood the meaning behind his words and said politely, “You’re too kind, Chairman Tian. This is all part of my job.”

After hanging up, Shen Man picked up the file.

Gazing at Tian Meiying’s smiling face in the photo column, her delicate brows furrowed slightly.

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After finishing a day’s work, Shen Man got off on time.

She got in her car and sent Lin Shu a message, “Shushu, what do you want to eat tonight?”

“Whatever.” Lin Shu replied in a second.

Shen Man was a little surprised by the speed of the reply.

The corners of her lips curled up slightly. She thought for a moment and asked, “Shushu, are you working overtime tonight?”

“I’m already home,” Lin Shu replied. “Hurry back and cook.”

“Okay.” Shen Man let out a soft laugh and started the car in a pleasant mood.

When she got inside, Shen Man stood in the foyer changing her shoes.

The sound of the TV came from the living room, a woman’s voice screaming at the top of her lungs.

Shen Man walked over and saw it was a movie trailer.

On the promotional poster, the one standing in the center spot¹ was Yin Ruxu.

“With a gold master² like Xia Ke, Yin Ruxu can now be said to be the hottest star of the moment,” Lin Shu said, her expression indifferent.

She was leaning on the sofa, unlike the recent period where her entire being exuded a coldness and an undeniable exhaustion.

Shen Man poured a cup of tea, placed it in front of Lin Shu, and asked with a smile, “Shushu, how are things at your company?”

“Same as always,” Lin Shu said, a smile appearing in her eyes. “Bowing to all sorts of pressure, that old man Lin made Lin Jun a manager in the company.”

“I know this is only temporary. In his heart, that old man Lin still wants his precious son to inherit the company,” she said, then scoffed.

Shen Man saw the disdain in her smile and didn’t press the matter.

She stood up and said, “I’ll go make dinner.”

Lin Shu grunted in acknowledgment, lay down comfortably, and continued watching TV.

After the two finished dinner, Lin Shu sat on the sofa playing on her phone.

Shen Man cleared the dining table.

The phone in her bag suddenly rang.

Shen Man picked it up, saw the caller ID was “Aunt”, and immediately frowned.

The ringing continued, the loud sound echoing in the living room.

Lin Shu looked at Shen Man and asked loudly, “Why aren’t you answering the phone?”

“My hands are a little wet,” Shen Man found an excuse, walking toward her room with the phone.

Lin Shu watched her suspiciously, not believing the excuse.

She blocked Shen Man’s path and asked in a cold voice, “Who’s calling? You’re going to take it behind my back?”

As she spoke, she glanced at the caller ID. “What’s there to hide from your Aunt’s call?”

“I was just going to my room to get a tissue,” Shen Man explained with a light laugh.

Under Lin Shu’s intense gaze, she pressed the answer button.

“Manman, Xiao Rou said she wants to come to the big city to develop her career. She’s already submitted her resume, and they’ve asked her to interview the day after tomorrow. She’s bought her train ticket too and will arrive tomorrow. You’re her older cousin³, can you go pick her up and let her stay with you for a few days?” a loud female voice came from the other end of the line.

Even though it wasn’t on speakerphone, Lin Shu heard everything clearly.

“Okay.” Shen Man paused for a moment, then agreed.

“Thank you, Cousin.” A lively voice immediately came from the phone. “Cousin, I’ll arrive at three o’clock tomorrow afternoon. You don’t need to come pick me up, just tell me the address and I’ll take a taxi over.”

“Mm.” Shen Man clutched the phone, her expression darkening.

A good while passed, and she still hadn’t given the address.

Seeing this, Lin Shu smiled and recited an address.

Hearing a different voice, the Aunt was surprised and asked curiously, “Manman, don’t you live alone?”

“I’m Shen Man’s friend. The two of us are living together now,” Lin Shu said politely, a smile in her voice.

“Oh, so you’re Manman’s friend. Her younger cousin⁴ is coming over. If she’s any bother, I hope you won’t mind,” the Aunt said courteously.

“I still have some things to do, let’s talk tomorrow.” Shen Man interrupted their pleasantries and hung up the phone.

Lin Shu raised an eyebrow, leaning against the wall, her eyes sharp. “You don’t seem to like your Aunt and cousin.”

“I don’t,” Shen Man replied without thinking.

Lin Shu sensed something was off with her words and said unhurriedly, “The address I just gave was for my place.”

Hearing this, a flash of surprise crossed Shen Man’s eyes.

Lin Shu caught this expression and laughed with great interest. “You’ve been acting strange since just now. You didn’t even notice I gave the wrong address.”

Shen Man wanted to change the address.

Lin Shu saw her intention and said in a tone that brooked no refusal, “Since she’s your cousin, I naturally have to entertain her properly.”

“She’s my cousin, no need to trouble you,” Shen Man said, her speech faster than usual.

Lin Shu laughed cheerfully. “It’s no trouble at all. I’ll send someone to pick her up when the time comes.”

Shen Man heard this, and her expression instantly turned serious.

Lin Shu wasn’t the least bit afraid and said slowly, “Shen Man, I’m very curious. What exactly are you afraid of?”

“Did that Aunt and cousin of yours bully you when you were a child?”

“I’m going to do the dishes,” Shen Man said, turning to go to the kitchen.

Lin Shu watched that tall back, the corners of her lips turning up.

She rarely got to see Shen Man looking “flustered.” This time, it seemed she had finally gained the upper hand in their duel.

Lin Shu laughed happily and sent a message to her assistant to arrange the pickup.

Shen Man came out after cleaning the kitchen and looked at Lin Shu. “I will make arrangements for Gao Rou’s things. You don’t need to get involved in this.”

“So the cousin’s name is Gao Rou. That’s a nice name,” Lin Shu said with a smile, deliberately ignoring the meaning in Shen Man’s words.

Seeing the unyielding persistence in Lin Shu’s eyes, Shen Man’s face fell.

She said nothing and walked straight to her room.

Lin Shu listened to the sound of the door closing, her eyes lowered in deep thought.

She thought for a long time, then dialed a number. “Help me look into Shen Man’s past.”

“Understood. We’ll have the results for you within three days,” the person on the other end said.

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Shen Man finished her shower and lay on the bed.

The room was pitch black. She lay with her eyes open, staring into the darkness.

This relative, her Aunt, had been all but forgotten by her.

She could deceive complete strangers, but in front of familiar relatives, it was easy to reveal a flaw.

In the book’s setting, the female lead had a good relationship with her Aunt’s family.

She had changed the direction of the plot, but she couldn’t change this blood relationship.

Shen Man seriously contemplated a strategy to deal with this.

She didn’t fall asleep until the sky was nearly light.

Lin Shu woke up full of energy.

Seeing Shen Man’s door tightly closed, she walked over, knocked, and said loudly, “Shen Man, it’s time to get up and make breakfast.”

Shen Man heard the voice and answered.

Lin Shu could hear the heavy sleepiness in her voice and said with a laugh, “Sounds like you didn’t sleep well last night. You don’t have to make breakfast; I’ll eat at the office.”

Shen Man sat up, rubbing her aching temples.

She opened the door, but Lin Shu was already gone from the house.

After a quick wash-up, Shen Man drove to the company.

There was some traffic on the road. Shen Man tapped her fingers on the steering wheel, waiting for the red light to turn green.

A message popped up on her phone. “Cousin, our train might be delayed. I’ll message you when I arrive.”

“Okay,” Shen Man replied instantly. “I’ll come pick you up.”

“Thanks, Cousin. Won’t that be too much trouble for you?” Gao Rou asked.

“No,” Shen Man said, her concise words tinged with distance.

Gao Rou looked at the black text and felt a sense of unfamiliarity.

Many things she wanted to say were stuck on the tip of her tongue. After hesitating for a moment, she sent a smiley face to end the conversation.

She was sitting nervously in the waiting room when a call from an unfamiliar number suddenly came in.

Gao Rou answered it and asked, puzzled, “Hello, who is this?”

“I am Director Lin’s assistant, responsible for picking you up this afternoon,” the assistant said, her voice carrying a hint of arrogance.

“Who is Director Lin?” Gao Rou asked, confused.

“You submitted a resume to our company, how can you not even know who Director Lin is?” the assistant retorted, a little angry.

Gao Rou was stunned. After a moment, she finally reacted and said excitedly, “Excuse me, has your esteemed company decided to hire me?”

“I’m not clear on that. I’m only responsible for picking you up,” the assistant’s tone became impatient.

“Okay, thank you,” Gao Rou thanked her respectfully and politely.

“Director Lin said to keep this a secret from your cousin and give her a surprise. When you arrive, you absolutely must not tell your cousin,” the assistant said, almost as a warning.

Gao Rou instantly understood that this “Director Lin” was the person from the phone call last night.

She obediently agreed.

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Shen Man sat in her office, her brow twitching. She had a bad feeling in her heart.

With something weighing on her mind, she wore a cold expression all morning, and her efficiency in handling company affairs was much slower than usual.

“President Shen, is something on your mind?” Wen Lan asked with concern.

“It’s nothing.” Shen Man took a sip of tea to ease her anxiety.

She put down her teacup and said in a heavy voice, “Wen Lan, go pick someone up this afternoon. After you get her, take her to my residence.”

“But President Shen, you don’t live there right now,” Wen Lan said, somewhat surprised.

After speaking, she realized she had misspoken and quickly corrected herself, “Understood, President Shen.”

“Here are the keys. Tell her I’m very busy and don’t have time to look after her, and that she should move out after she finds a job,” Shen Man said in a cold voice, placing a set of keys on the desk.

Wen Lan’s confusion deepened, momentarily unable to understand if this person was important to Shen Man or not.

She picked up the keys and tactfully refrained from asking more questions.

Having arranged everything, Shen Man breathed a small sigh of relief.

She focused her mind and continued to handle her work.

Time passed without notice, and it was four o’clock in the afternoon.

Shen Man realized the time, her heart tightened, and she immediately called Wen Lan.

“President Shen, I didn’t see the person you mentioned, and her phone is turned off when I call,” Wen Lan said, the sound of a noisy crowd in the background.

“The train she’s on might be delayed,” Shen Man said.

She quickly opened her chat with Gao Rou. The last message was still that smiley face.

“President Shen, I asked the station staff. This train departed on time and arrived on time,” Wen Lan said loudly.

Just as Shen Man was about to speak, a message came from Lin Shu: “I’ve already picked up your cousin. Make a few of your specialty dishes tonight and give your cousin a proper welcome.”

Seeing this message, Shen Man’s eyes darkened.

She spoke coldly into the phone, “No need to wait. Come back. Someone has already picked her up.”

“Understood, President Shen,” Wen Lan said.

Shen Man put down her phone.

She pressed her temples with both hands and let out a soft sigh through her nose.

Things were developing in the direction she least wanted to see.

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