Discovering a Clue
Feeling that she is different from before
In less than three days, a file was received on Lin Shu’s computer.
It was a thick stack of papers, all related to Shen Man.
Lin Shu sat at her desk, carefully reading every line.
Her elegant brows furrowed tighter and tighter. After a moment of contemplation, she closed the page.
She called Gao Rou over and asked, “Does your cousin1 like to study martial arts?”
“My cousin is a gentle and quiet person; she doesn’t like things like that,” Gao Rou said. She paused for a moment, then added with a sigh, “It’s been a few years, and my cousin has changed so much.”
“If only I could be as mature as my cousin,” she said, an expression of longing and envy on her face.
Lin Shu’s gaze sharpened, and she repeated her question with a heavier tone, “Are you sure she has never studied any form of martial arts?”
“Yes,” Gao Rou nodded affirmatively. “My cousin used to be frail and spent most of her time at home.”
After saying that, she changed the subject and asked quizzically, “Director Lin, why are you suddenly asking about this?”
“It’s nothing,” Lin Shu said with a smile, looking down at her computer. She spoke thoughtfully, “Compared to before, what differences do you see in your cousin?”
“I feel like my cousin has become a completely different person,” Gao Rou said, pondering. She quickly smiled and explained, “It’s been a few years, so it’s only natural that she would change.”
Hearing this, Lin Shu’s expression turned serious.
The information in this file matched the Shen Man that Gao Rou described, but it was vastly different from the Shen Man she had been in contact with. In many ways, they were like two different people2.
“Alright, I understand. You can go. Don’t tell anyone what I’ve asked you,” Lin Shu said in a cold voice.
A flicker of fear went through Gao Rou’s heart. She nodded hastily and respectfully turned to leave.
Lin Shu was the only one left in the office.
Her long, slender fingers stroked the edge of the file. After a long while, she slammed it shut with a thud.
Lin Shu lowered her gaze, picked up her phone, and stared at the two characters for ‘Shen Man’.
She hesitated, but in the end, she didn’t make the call.
For the entire day, Lin Shu’s heart was not present3 at work.
The moment it was time to get off, she immediately shut down her computer and drove home.
As soon as Lin Shu reached the ground floor, she saw that Shen Man’s car was already in its parking spot.
Her eyes narrowed, and she got out of the car with swift movements.
Opening the main door, Lin Shu tossed her bag onto the entryway cabinet with a slap.
She changed her shoes and walked toward the living room, her cotton slippers making loud sounds on the smooth floor.
Shen Man came out of the bathroom and saw Lin Shu’s cold expression. She smiled gently, “Shushu, what’s wrong?”
Lin Shu gave a cold laugh. She sat elegantly on the sofa, crossed her long legs, and raised an eyebrow. “Your cousin said you were physically weak and had a quiet personality since you were a child.”
“I was at my aunt4’s house, so of course I couldn’t be mischievous,” Shen Man replied with a smile. She then asked in return, “Why did Shushu suddenly bring this up?”
“It just came to mind,” Lin Shu said, a slight smile appearing on her face.
“I’ll go make dinner. You rest for a bit,” Shen Man said softly, turning to enter the kitchen.
The tension on Lin Shu’s small face relaxed.
She pressed her lips together and rubbed her brow wearily.
Shen Man quickly finished making dinner.
She brought the dishes to the table and said with a smile, “Shushu, come and eat.”
Hearing this, Lin Shu stood up, her face cold.
She glanced at the dishes on the table, sat down slowly, and said in a frigid tone, “Before you went to university, you had never cooked before, had you?”
“I never did at my aunt’s house,” Shen Man answered with a natural expression, scooping a bowl of rice and placing it in front of Lin Shu. “Hurry and eat.”
Hearing this, Lin Shu lowered her eyes in thought and ate in silence.
Seeing this, Shen Man didn’t say anything more.
After dinner, Lin Shu returned to her room.
She lay on the bed and closed her eyes, her mind replaying all the things that had happened with Shen Man since they first met.
An uncontrollable, sharp pain shot through her heart.
Lin Shu opened her eyes, gasping for the oxygen in the air.
After a long silence, the ache in her heart remained.
Lin Shu picked up her phone and dialed Ni Shuang’s number.
Ni Shuang answered instantly, saying with a flirtatious smile, “To what do I owe the pleasure of Eldest Young Miss Lin calling me today? Don’t you need to accompany your great beauty Shen?”
“There’s something I want to talk to you about,” Lin Shu said, her voice low.
Hearing the sorrowful tone on the other end, Ni Shuang immediately became serious and asked with concern, “What happened between you two?”
“Now her words are heard to and her plans are followed5 by you, isn’t this the perfect chance for you to get a hold on her? What else is there to be upset about?”
“If someone you know was different from the person you thought you knew, what would you do?” Lin Shu asked, her mood growing agitated.
“Lin Shu, what are you talking about? I don’t understand,” Ni Shuang frowned.
“I…” Lin Shu said a single word, a wave of frustration welling up inside her.
She took a deep breath and told her the truth. “I investigated Shen Man’s past. The person she is now and the person she was before are like two different people.”
“People are bound to change. Besides, you didn’t know the old her anyway,” Ni Shuang reasoned, then asked with a grin, “Do you like the person she is now or the person she was before?”
“This isn’t a question of liking her or not. I feel like she’s hiding a secret,” Lin Shu frowned, an inexplicable ache in her heart. “I don’t know how to say it, but Shen Man is just… strange.”
“Lin Shu, don’t overthink it. Shen Man is Shen Man. Who else could she be?” Ni Shuang comforted her with a laugh.
“I don’t know.” Lin Shu’s expression was dejected. It felt like something was blocking her heart, making it hard to breathe.
Hearing this, Ni Shuang sighed and said languidly, “Lin Shu, pull yourself together. No matter who she is, she can’t escape from the palm of your hand anyway.”
At these words, Lin Shu’s spirits lifted, and her eyes became resolute. “You’re right. She was the one who hurt me back then. I will absolutely not let her get away.”
“That’s more like it. Teach her a harsh lesson. Let that woman surnamed Shen know that our Eldest Young Miss Lin is not to be trifled with,” Ni Shuang excitedly stirred the fire6.
“Of course,” Lin Shu smiled, her small face once again becoming proud.
After the call ended, Lin Shu’s mood improved significantly.
She opened the door and saw Shen Man standing outside.
“Shushu, are you not feeling well?” Shen Man asked with concern.
Lin Shu let out a haughty snort and walked past Shen Man without a sideways glance7, saying coldly, “I want to eat some fruit.”
“I’ve already arranged it on a platter and put it on the coffee table,” Shen Man replied with a smile.
Before she had even finished speaking, Lin Shu had already spotted the fruit platter.
She sat down leisurely, turned on the TV, and ate fruit while watching a show.
Shen Man stood in the hallway, watching her quietly.
After finishing the fruit, Lin Shu stared at the TV screen and said, “The project our Lin Corporation is collaborating on with your company is nearing its end. It should be completely finished this week.”
“Yes, it is. After it’s done, what does Director Lin plan to do?” Shen Man asked with a light laugh, her expression relaxed.
Lin Shu choked on her words, suddenly remembering that their cohabitation was something she had exchanged by threatening the collaboration.
After a long moment of silence, she said coldly, “Once the collaboration is over, you can leave.”
“Do you really want me to leave?” Shen Man’s eyes narrowed slightly, her tone of voice lower than usual.
“Of course.” Lin Shu raised an eyebrow, an arrogant expression on her delicate face. “That’s what our contract says. Are you planning to stay here and not leave?”
Hearing these words, a surge of anger rose in Shen Man’s heart.
Her face darkened, and her gaze was cold and sharp as she stared at Lin Shu.
Lin Shu met her gaze without fear.
Leaning back comfortably against the sofa, her eyes were filled with triumph. “Shen Man, why don’t you take a look at the expression on your face right now?”
“You look like an abandoned puppy,” she said, then began to laugh happily.
The expression on Shen Man’s face grew even colder.
She stood there for a moment before turning to go back to her room.
Watching the door close, the smile on Lin Shu’s face instantly turned to ice.
She threw the remote control aside and grabbed a nearby throw pillow, hugging it tightly.
The thrill of revenge and a persistent, unshakable sense of unease intertwined deep within her, torturing her every nerve.
Lin Shu let out a heavy sigh and covered the spot over her heart with her hand.
The warmth from her fingers seeped into her heart, temporarily calming her chaotic thoughts.
Shen Man returned to her room, opened her computer, and checked the progress of the collaboration.
She picked up her phone and called the person in charge of the project.
“President Shen, how may I help you?” the person in charge asked respectfully.
“What’s the earliest the project with the Lin Corporation can be completed?” Shen Man asked, her voice cold.
“It can be completely finished this Friday. We’ve already settled it with the Lin Corporation,” the person in charge said confidently.
“Can it be extended?” Shen Man’s brows drew together.
Hearing this, the person in charge was stunned, but still answered dutifully, “The date has already been set. If we change it now, I’m afraid we’ll face liability for breach of contract.”
“Mm.” Shen Man hung up the phone, her face expressionless.
She rubbed her brow, thinking over Lin Shu’s series of abnormal behaviors today.
Lin Shu had probably already started to suspect her.
This wasn’t good news, but it wasn’t bad news either.
Shen Man looked up, gazing at the already familiar face in the mirror.
She pulled at the corners of her mouth, and the person in the reflection revealed a standard smile—polite but distant.
“Why am I afraid of her finding out?” Shen Man asked herself silently.
“Probably because I care,” an answer surfaced in her heart.
Shen Man let out a self-deprecating smile.
She had played with this relationship, only to end up creating an emotional cage that trapped Lin Shu, and also trapped herself.
The collaboration proceeded as scheduled.
On Friday morning, the collaboration was officially concluded.
“President Shen, it was a pleasure working with you. I look forward to our next collaboration,” Lin Shu said with a smile, extending her hand for a handshake.
Shen Man held that delicate little hand, her thumb stroking the smooth back of it as she smiled and said, “Thank you, Director Lin. I very much look forward to my next collaboration with Director Lin.”
Lin Shu gave a polite smile, withdrew her hand without any reluctance, and left with her team.
Shen Man gazed at that elegant departing figure, her eyes growing deep.
The people beside her sensed her displeasure, and their celebratory mood instantly cooled.
One by one, they stood to the side, not daring to speak.
Shen Man looked down at Lin Shu’s signature at the end of the document.
She reached out a finger, tracing the name, and suddenly said, “We can still collaborate with Director Lin, right?”
“Yes, we can. Director Lin was very satisfied with this collaboration,” one person answered quickly.
Hearing this, Shen Man revealed a smile and said, “Everyone, go out and celebrate tonight. I’ll reimburse all expenses.”
“Thank you, President Shen!” everyone cheered softly.
One person asked, “President Shen, are you going?”
“I have something else to do. You all have fun,” Shen Man said, getting up to walk out.
Hearing this, the others became even happier.
Even after walking some distance, Shen Man could still hear the laughter coming from the room.
Her expression was indifferent as she arrived at the underground garage.
Just as she got into her car, she received a text message. It was from Lin Shu: “The contract is over. President Shen should be leaving now, too. I hope that when I get back tonight, President Shen will have already moved all of her things out.”
After reading the message, Shen Man’s eyes narrowed, her face darkened, and an irrepressible surge of anger welled up in her heart.
She suppressed her emotions and typed out a single word: “Okay.”
Lin Shu looked at the word. She should have been happy, but she found she couldn’t smile at all.
The thrill of victory transformed into a sense of gloom that filled her heart, turning into a faint bitterness.
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