I Am More Paranoid Than the Villain – Chapter 127

Planning to Confess

Confess tonight?

After two days in the hospital, the color in Shen Man’s face had clearly improved.

She was leaning against the headboard, a soft cushion supporting her lower back.

Lin Shu sat beside her, a fruit knife in her hand, slowly peeling an apple. Her movements were very careful; she didn’t look very skilled.

“Shushu, be careful with the knife,” Shen Man reminded her.

“I know.” Lin Shu puffed out her cheeks, her little face flushing with a hint of indignation.

Shen Man let out a soft laugh and said no more. She lowered her gaze, quietly watching those slender, delicate fingers clumsily peel the fruit.

For a moment, the only sound in the quiet room was a faint scraping.

Lin Shu kept her head down, her eyes fixed intently on the knife in her hands. She carefully finished peeling it, then held the whole apple out to Shen Man. “Look,” she said happily, “didn’t I do a good job?”

“Yes, Shushu is so clever,” Shen Man said with a smile, taking the apple and biting into it.

Lin Shu raised an eyebrow proudly, her face beaming. She took a tissue, wiped the juice from the small knife, and carefully put it away.

Shen Man slowly ate the apple.

Lin Shu stared unblinkingly at that still-pale face, her bright eyes wanting to speak, yet holding back.

Seeing this, Shen Man put the apple down. She looked at Lin Shu with a gentle expression and said with a soft laugh, “Shushu, what do you want to say?”

“I…” Lin Shu managed one word before biting her lip and lowering her head. Her slender fingers intertwined, then after a moment of hesitation, clenched into fists.

Shen Man waited patiently.

“You…” Lin Shu finally mustered her courage, but just as she spoke, the door was pushed open.

Shen Man looked toward the door, a gentle smile appearing on her face. “Gao Rou, what are you doing here?”

“Cousin¹, I heard you were hospitalized, so I came to see you,” Gao Rou said, holding a bouquet of flowers and looking a bit reserved.

“Thank you, I’m fine,” Shen Man said, her gaze shifting to Lin Shu.

Gao Rou sensed the strange atmosphere. She put down the flowers and looked hesitantly at Lin Shu.

Lin Shu felt their gazes on her, and her expression turned cold. She glared at Shen Man. “What are you looking at?”

Shen Man just shook her head with a light laugh.

Lin Shu pouted, got up, and walked out.

Only the two of them were left in the room.

Gao Rou sat down awkwardly and asked in a low voice, “Cousin, did I come at a bad time? It looks like Lin-jie is angry.” As she spoke, she carefully pursed her lips.

“Don’t overthink it,” Shen Man said with a smile, changing the subject. “How’s work been lately?”

“It’s been great! I managed to pass probation²,” Gao Rou said excitedly, a smile spreading across her face.

“Keep up the good work,” Shen Man said with an approving nod.

Gao Rou felt that the person before her wasn’t as cold as she had been recently, so she boldly asked, “Cousin, I heard you quit your job. What are you planning to do now?”

“You don’t need to worry about me. I have my own plans,” Shen Man said, her eyes filled with confidence.

Gao Rou nodded. She sat quietly for a while longer before getting up to leave.

Lin Shu was standing outside the door. Seeing Gao Rou come out, she reminded her, “She’s still very weak right now. Wait until she’s recovered before you visit her again.”

“Okay, Lin-jie,” Gao Rou replied hastily, her attitude very respectful.

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After recuperating in the hospital for nearly a month, Shen Man was discharged. During that month, Lin Shu had been promoted to chairman of the Lin Clan.

Lin Shu drove Shen Man back to their residence. She sat on the sofa, her expression serious. “I have something to tell you.”

Shen Man poured a glass of water and slowly walked over. She sat down next to Lin Shu and asked with a smile, “What is it?”

Lin Shu pressed her lips together, took a deep breath, and said earnestly, “What did you mean by what you said in the hospital?” Her voice grew quieter toward the end, laced with obvious unease.

“Which part are you referring to?” Shen Man looked up, her beautiful eyes filled with confusion.

Lin Shu choked on her words, her face quickly flushing red. She pouted. “You said ‘my Shushu’…”

“It means exactly what it sounds like,” Shen Man chuckled, her eyes serious. She reached out, took that slender, pale hand, and placed it over her heart. She lowered her voice, her lips parting slightly. “My Shushu is the cutest.”

Hearing that fierce heartbeat, Lin Shu couldn’t help but smile. She settled back down and asked in an Aojiao³ manner, “Is this supposed to be a confession?”

Hearing this, Shen Man leaned in. The distance between them suddenly became extremely close, so much so that they could feel each other’s breath.

A wave of heat washed over Lin Shu’s cheeks, and she tried to pull her hand back.

Shen Man noticed the movement and quickly tightened her grip. She stared into those bright, dark eyes and said earnestly, “Shushu, I…”

She spoke one word, but the rest got stuck in her throat. A tipsy blush spread across her cool face.

“You what?” Lin Shu asked nervously, blinking unconsciously. The heartbeat under her palm grew faster and faster, making her own heart race along with it.

Shen Man lowered her gaze and gave a light cough. After a moment of silence, she said, “I’m a little tired.”

At these words, a flash of anger rose on Lin Shu’s delicate face. She pouted and glared at Shen Man, forcefully pulling her hand back. “Then you should get some rest.” The simple sentence was spoken while gritting one’s teeth.⁴

Shen Man felt a strange sense of guilt.

Hearing the sound of Lin Shu’s bedroom door closing, she let out a soft breath and relaxed back against the sofa. The spacious, bright living room seemed exceptionally quiet. The simple, elegant curtains rustled as the wind blew through them.

Shen Man glanced at the time; it was almost ten o’clock. She got up from the sofa, preparing to make lunch.

Lin Shu lay on her bed, her eyes filled with indignation and hurt. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got, biting her lip as she repeatedly punched her soft pillow.

After making lunch, Shen Man went to Lin Shu’s door. She hesitated for a moment, then raised her hand to knock. “Shushu, it’s time for lunch.”

Hearing her voice, Lin Shu sat up. She stared at the door for a moment before replying with clear dissatisfaction, “I know.”

Shen Man heard the unhappiness in her tone and instantly understood the reason for it. She didn’t say anything more and turned to serve the food.

Lin Shu quickly fixed her hair and makeup, then walked into the living room with a cold expression. Seeing the table filled with all her favorite dishes, she let out a cute little huff.

Seeing this, Shen Man picked up a tender piece of fish and placed it in Lin Shu’s bowl. She smiled and said softly, “Shushu, you’ve gotten so much thinner from taking care of me lately. Eat more to build your strength back up.”

“I’m on a diet. It’s not because of you that I lost weight,” Lin Shu immediately retorted. After speaking, she picked up the fish and put it in her mouth, chewing it in small bites.

Shen Man chuckled softly and didn’t call her out. Watching the pleased expression on Lin Shu’s face, she said thoughtfully, “Shushu, I need to go back to my place for a couple of days.”

“What are you going back for?” Lin Shu asked hurriedly. She quickly realized her tone was too eager and slowed down. “Your body hasn’t fully recovered yet. If something happens, I’ll still be responsible.”

“I’m just going back to pack some things,” Shen Man said with a smile, a gentle look in her eyes.

Lin Shu wanted to stop her but didn’t want to seem too obvious. She huffed and said coldly, “Do whatever you want.”

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After lunch, Shen Man cleared the table.

Lin Shu sat on the sofa, remote in hand, frequently changing the channel.

Shen Man finished washing the dishes and came out of the kitchen. As she walked, she said, “Shushu, I’m leaving now. Call me if you need anything.”

Lin Shu didn’t answer, her eyes glued to the television screen.

Hearing the front door close, she immediately shot up. She stood there for a moment biting her lip, then sat back down in frustration.

Shen Man drove back to her own house. No one had lived there for a long time, and a layer of dust had settled over everything.

After spending two hours cleaning, Shen Man sat on the sofa and looked around. She thought for a long time, then reached up to rub the bridge of her nose and took out her phone to call Xia Ke.

“Manman, what’s up?” Xia Ke asked, her voice clearly cheerful.

“What’s got you so happy?” Shen Man asked in return.

“I’ll tell you later. What’d you call me for?” Xia Ke asked with a laugh.

“I wanted to ask you…” Shen Man paused, then after a few seconds of silence, continued, “How do you create a sense of occasion?”

Hearing this, it took Xia Ke a moment to understand what she meant. She burst out laughing in surprise. “Manman, are you going to confess to Lin Shu?”

A faint blush appeared on Shen Man’s cool face as a soft ‘En’⁵ escaped her throat.

Xia Ke immediately grew excited and started rattling off all sorts of strategies she’d found online. Shen Man listened, her delicate brows furrowing slightly.

“Manman, so you also end up not knowing what to do when it comes to matters of the heart,” Xia Ke said, laughing endlessly.

For a moment, Shen Man couldn’t think of a rebuttal. She hesitated before asking, “Will this really work?”

“Of course it will,” Xia Ke said with absolute certainty. “Do you want my help?”

“No, thanks,” Shen Man said, then immediately changed her mind. “Actually, you should come. Help me figure things out.”

“Okay,” Xia Ke agreed happily, asking with a smile, “Are you planning to confess tonight?”

“En,” Shen Man nodded, her heart giving a nervous flutter.

“Then I’ll head over right now. An afternoon should be enough time,” Xia Ke said, then hung up and headed out.

Shen Man glanced at the time and went out to buy the necessary supplies. When she returned with her purchases, Xia Ke was just arriving.

“Manman, let me help you with that.” Xia Ke, who had been standing by the car, ran excitedly over to Shen Man. “Manman, have you figured out what you’re going to say for your confession?”

“Let’s set the scene first,” Shen Man replied in her cool voice.

“If you haven’t thought of anything, I can help you,” Xia Ke said, leaning in with a grin.

Shen Man’s face flushed slightly as she carried a large box inside.

Xia Ke followed behind, laughing. She glanced down at the things she was holding and deliberately drew out her words. “Manman, how come I don’t see any roses?”

“The flower shop is delivering them later,” Shen Man answered. After a moment, she asked, “Are we missing anything else?”

“Should be all set,” Xia Ke said, a bright smile shining in her eyes.

Shen Man turned her head away, ignoring her teasing.

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