I Am More Paranoid Than the Villain – Chapter 120

A Cold Reception

She had been constantly on edge

When it was time to get off work, Shen Man sat without moving.

She leaned back in her chair, her eyes staring coldly ahead.

The phone on the desk rang; it was a call from Lin Shu.

Just as the ringtone was about to end, Shen Man reached out and pressed the answer button.

“Why aren’t you back yet? We’re waiting for you for dinner,” Lin Shu said, displeased.

Her tone then changed, and she asked with a laugh, “You’re not scared of your cousin¹, are you?”

“I just finished up. I’m heading back now,” Shen Man said, her voice cold and indifferent.

“Hurry up. Be here within half an hour,” Lin Shu said in a commanding tone.

Shen Man got up and quickly left the office.

There was no traffic, and she arrived downstairs in less than thirty minutes.

After a moment of thought, Shen Man got out of the car and went upstairs.

She opened the door, and an unfamiliar face appeared before her.

“COUSIN!”² Gao Rou shouted excitedly.

“Mm,” Shen Man responded coolly, lowering her head to change her shoes.

Gao Rou pressed her lips together, the smile vanishing from her face.

Stepping aside, she said in a low voice, “Cousin, sorry to trouble you this time.”

“Mm,” Shen Man was still cold.

Lin Shu leaned against the wall, watching the two of them. She raised a delicate eyebrow and teased with a smile, “Shen Man, this is your cousin, not a stranger.”

“Maybe because we haven’t seen each other in several years, Cousin isn’t used to it yet,” Gao Rou answered hurriedly, trying to ease the awkward atmosphere.

“Is that so?” Lin Shu sneered, disbelief clear in her eyes.

“Mm,” Shen Man nodded and walked calmly to the refrigerator. She took out the ingredients for dinner and turned to go to the kitchen.

Lin Shu’s delicate brows furrowed slightly.

Gazing at that tall figure from behind for a moment, she beckoned Gao Rou to sit down and said deliberately in a loud voice, “You said you and your cousin used to have a good relationship. Even if you haven’t seen each other in a few years, she shouldn’t be this cold, right?”

Gao Rou glanced helplessly toward the kitchen, not knowing how to answer.

She lowered her head without speaking, her hands clasped together nervously.

Shen Man was washing vegetables. When she heard this, her fingertip accidentally dug into her own flesh, and a faint red mark immediately appeared on her fair, delicate finger.

She knitted her brows and, pretending not to have heard, turned the water on full blast to cover the sounds from the living room.

By the time dinner was ready, it was almost seven o’clock.

Seeing Shen Man come out of the kitchen, Gao Rou immediately stood up, wanting to help serve the dishes.

Lin Shu stopped her, saying, “Just stay seated. Let your cousin do it. After all, you’re the guest.”

“Okay.” Gao Rou nodded obediently and stood to the side, her eyes secretly glancing at Shen Man.

Shen Man acted as if she hadn’t seen, calmly placing the food on the table and setting out three pairs of bowls and chopsticks.

Gao Rou sat down reservedly. Looking at the oyster mushrooms³ in the soup, she said in a low voice, “Cousin, I’m allergic to oyster mushrooms.”

“Did you forget about this?” This sentence was spoken very softly.

Lin Shu was close by and heard it crystal clear.

Her delicate brows furrowed slightly as she looked suspiciously at Shen Man. “How could you forget something so important?”

“I’ve been a bit tired lately and wasn’t paying attention while cooking,” Shen Man explained, her expression unchanged. She gave a faint smile. “Your cousin will be sure to pay attention next time.”

“It’s okay, I just won’t eat the oyster mushrooms,” Gao Rou said, waving her hands repeatedly, a clear look of timidity on her face.

Lin Shu impassively observed both of their expressions.

She discovered that even when Shen Man was smiling and calling herself “cousin,” the attitude she projected was still distant and indifferent, while Gao Rou, faced with Shen Man’s coldness, appeared reserved and ill at ease.

The two were said to be relatives, but they didn’t act like it.

At the dinner table, no one spoke.

Shen Man’s expression was placid; she didn’t serve Lin Shu food with her chopsticks as she usually did.

Gao Rou kept her head down the entire time, only taking food from the dish closest to her.

Lin Shu watched their strange behavior, frowning in thought from time to time, and didn’t have much of an appetite.

After dinner, Shen Man picked up her car keys.

She looked at Gao Rou and said, “There are only two rooms here. I’ll take you to a hotel to rest.”

Gao Rou immediately stood up and nodded obediently.

Lin Shu watched quietly, her gaze falling on Shen Man, carrying a trace of sharpness.

“Shushu, is something wrong?” Shen Man’s lips lifted slightly, revealing a faint smile.

“No.” Lin Shu raised an eyebrow, her tone lilting upwards.

Shen Man nodded and turned to walk out.

Gao Rou followed behind. Before leaving, she looked at Lin Shu and said, “Director Lin, sorry for the intrusion. Thank you for your hospitality.”

“Don’t be so formal. After all, you’re Shen Man’s cousin,” Lin Shu said with a smile, deliberately emphasizing the last two words.

Hearing this, Gao Rou let out a small “Ah,” not quite understanding the sentence.

“Let’s go,” Shen Man said, her tone cold.

“Okay, Cousin,” Gao Rou replied hurriedly, quickening her pace to follow.

Shen Man drove Gao Rou to a high-end hotel.

After booking a room at the front desk, she handed the key card to Gao Rou and said coolly, “I’ve booked it for a month. That should be enough time for you to find a job and a place to live. Don’t go to Shushu’s place unless it’s important.”

“Cousin, are you…” Gao Rou clutched the key card, her tone growing weaker, a hint of nervousness in her voice.

Shen Man saw this, thought for a moment, then reached out and patted Gao Rou’s shoulder, saying in a deep voice, “Since you’re here, just focus on working hard. If you run into any problems, you can call me right away.”

Hearing the comfort and encouragement in her words, Gao Rou’s eyes instantly brightened.

She nodded happily again and again. “Cousin, thank you. I’ll work hard and won’t cause you any trouble.”

Shen Man nodded and turned to leave.

She got in the car, opened the window, and let the cool evening breeze brush against her cheeks.

The nerves that had been tense all day finally relaxed at this moment.

Shen Man propped her temple on one hand, gazing at the vehicles coming and going on the road.

After a long moment of silence, she started the car and drove toward Lin Shu’s residential complex.

There was no traffic, and Shen Man arrived in less than half an hour.

She sat in the car for a while before opening the door and going upstairs.

Lin Shu was leaning on the sofa, looking down at her phone.

Hearing the sounds from the entryway, she asked loudly with a laugh, “Got your cousin all settled?”

She deliberately emphasized the word “settled.”

Shen Man smiled faintly, her expression unreadable.

She said calmly, “You really went to a lot of trouble today, picking up Gao Rou and then bringing her over for dinner.”

Lin Shu understood the meaning behind her words.

The corner of her lip curled into a nonchalant smile. “Starting tomorrow, she’ll be my new assistant. It’s only right to take care of a new employee.”

As soon as these words were out, a clear crack appeared in Shen Man’s calm facade.

She frowned and asked, somewhat anxiously, “The company she was interviewing with was yours?”

Lin Shu nodded as if it were a matter of course and retorted, “What, is that not allowed?”

Shen Man’s brows knitted together.

Realizing she had been a bit too emotional just now, she calmed down and said in an even tone, “She’s just a newcomer and lacks work experience. I’m afraid it’s not appropriate for you to hire her as an assistant.”

“It’s fine as long as I think it’s appropriate,” Lin Shu retorted with a look of arrogance, giving Shen Man a strange look. “You seem to be rejecting this cousin of yours. You don’t want her to have contact with me.”

She emphasized the last sentence, a scrutinizing light in her eyes.

“I’m not.” Shen Man denied with a light laugh, her answer very quick.

Lin Shu stared intently at that smile, not missing the slightest change.

Shen Man met her gaze calmly, her dark eyes the same as usual, the smile on her face unchanging.

Lin Shu snorted coldly, got up, and went back to her room.

Watching Lin Shu close the bedroom door, the smile on Shen Man’s face vanished, and her expression turned cold.

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