I Am More Paranoid Than the Villain – Chapter 136

An Important Matter

The Need for Security

In just over half a month, Shen Man had the entire department wrapped around her finger. Even people from other departments had nothing but praise for her.

Shen Man flew through her probationary period, securing her position ahead of schedule.

Holding a file, she knocked on the door to the chairman’s office.

“Come in,” a cool voice called from inside.

“Chairman Lin, I need your signature on this document.” Shen Man pushed the door open, a smile on her face.

When Lin Shu heard her voice, she looked up at that coolly beautiful face, and her own stern expression softened unconsciously. She tapped her pen against the high-end desk a few times. “Just leave it there,” she said, feigning nonchalance.

“Alright.” Shen Man gave a faint smile and remained standing by the desk.

Lin Shu picked up the file and scanned it quickly before signing her name at the bottom.

“Done.” She closed the folder and pushed it across the desk. “Congratulations on your promotion, Manager Shen.”

“Thank you, Chairman Lin.” Shen Man took the file, the corner of her lip twitching into a smirk as she stared directly at Lin Shu.

Lin Shu’s heart clenched. She clasped her hands together, her expression turning cool again. “Is there something else, Manager Shen?”

“Just a small thing.” Shen Man leaned forward, bracing one hand on the desk.

Then she swooped in and pressed a light, fleeting kiss to Lin Shu’s lips.

Lin Shu’s eyes flew wide open.

By the time she came to her senses, the instigator had already drifted away. The office was vast and silent, making her heartbeat sound as loud as thunder.¹

A blush crept up Lin Shu’s cheeks, her eyes growing shy. A sweet smile bloomed on her face as she mumbled something under her breath.

Shen Man stepped out of the office and ran right into Gao Rou at the corner.

“Biaojie², there’s something I want to talk to you about,” Gao Rou said in a low voice, her expression hesitant.

“If it’s a personal matter, wait until after work,” Shen Man replied, her tone all business.³

“Okay.” Gao Rou nodded quickly and stepped aside to let Shen Man pass.

Shen Man returned to her desk and got back to work.

The morning flew by. When the lunch break arrived, her colleagues all headed out, leaving Shen Man alone in the office.

Gao Rou tapped on the glass door. “Biaojie,” she said, stepping inside, “my mom said she’s coming this Saturday. She’s bringing some local specialties for you.”

“I was wondering if you’d be free?” Her voice grew quieter as she spoke.

Hearing this, Shen Man stopped what she was doing. She leaned back in her chair, thought for a moment, then looked at Gao Rou. “Saturday afternoon. You can bring Auntie over to my place for a visit.”

“Okay!” Gao Rou let out a breath of relief and left with a smiling nod.

Suddenly, Shen Man’s eyelid twitched. She rubbed her temples, trying to suppress the strange unease bubbling up inside her.

---

As the work week came to an end, the atmosphere in the office grew light and cheerful while colleagues chatted happily about their weekend plans.

Shen Man was finishing up one last task when a message popped up on her phone. The contact name was ‘Auntie.’

“Manman, you haven’t been back in years. Your auntie misses you a lot. I’m coming to see you tomorrow.”

Shen Man waited a moment before replying. “Thanks, Auntie. Should I come pick you up tomorrow?”

“No need, Xiao Rou will get me,” Xie Fei replied instantly.

“Okay, just let me know when you arrive,” Shen Man typed.

“Okay, okay, okay.” Xie Fei sent a sticker⁴ that had a strong sense of a bygone era.⁵

Shen Man shut down her computer, grabbed her bag, and left for the day. When she got to the underground garage, she saw Gao Rou.

“Biaojie.” Gao Rou greeted her first, waving with a smile.

“What is it?” Shen Man asked, walking over.

Gao Rou pursed her lips and glanced around to make sure no one else was there. “Biaojie,” she whispered, “I know about you and Chairman Lin.”

Shen Man’s expression sharpened. She raised an eyebrow, prompting her to continue.

“My mom doesn’t know. She’s lived in our hometown⁶ her whole life, and she’s not very accepting of… these things. I think she’s probably coming this time to talk to you about blind dates,” Gao Rou said, her face clouded with worry.

“So you want me to hide it? To play along for now to placate your mom?” Shen Man asked.

Gao Rou nodded honestly. “My mom has been talking to me constantly about your lifelong great matter.⁷ She hopes you’ll get married soon. It would be a huge weight off her mind.”

“I appreciate your mom’s kind intentions,⁸ but I know how to handle this,”⁹ Shen Man said coldly, her voice laced with determination.

Gao Rou blinked, uncomprehending. She wanted to say more, but the words died on her lips when she met Shen Man’s cool gaze. She watched Shen Man’s retreating back, a deep sense of worry settling in her heart.

Shen Man drove back to Lin Shu’s apartment.

She had just finished cooking when she heard Lin Shu’s car pull up downstairs. A moment later, the front door opened, followed by the sound of Lin Shu’s footsteps.

“Shushu, do you have to work overtime tomorrow?” Shen Man asked with a smile, meeting her in the hallway.

“I already finished everything today. I can rest at home tomorrow,” Lin Shu said as she changed her shoes. She looked up. “What’s up?”

“You’re coming to my place tomorrow. My auntie’s visiting,” Shen Man said with a light laugh, a mysterious glint in her eyes.

“Your aunt is coming, so why would I go?” Lin Shu frowned as she walked past.

As she did, a hand shot out and wrapped around her slender waist.

Lin Shu gasped, her eyes widening. “What are you doing?”

“Meeting the parents, of course,” Shen Man murmured, her breath like an orchid.¹⁰

Lin Shu’s heart skipped a beat. The words tumbled out of her mouth. “M-meet the parents? I haven’t…”

“You don’t need to prepare anything. Just come with me tomorrow,” Shen Man chuckled, her tone leaving no room for argument. She leaned down and pecked Lin Shu on the lips. “My parents are gone,” she said with a pleased smile. “Auntie is my only elder. She’s the closest thing I have to a parent.”

“I…” Lin Shu opened her mouth, but a pair of soft lips cut her off.

“Shushu, it’s settled,” Shen Man said, smiling happily as she licked her lips.

Lin Shu’s face was beet red, her heart pounding in her chest. She shot Shen Man a glare and stalked toward the dining table. “Whatever you want!”

Shen Man followed, a smile playing on her lips.

After dinner, Lin Shu went to take a shower. She had just taken off her clothes when the bathroom door opened, revealing a slender figure standing in the doorway.

“Shushu, let’s shower together,” Shen Man said with a grin. Before Lin Shu could protest, she walked right in and locked the door behind her.

Lin Shu bit her lip and crossed her arms over her chest.

Shen Man raised an eyebrow, her gaze bold and naked as it roamed over her.

Lin Shu looked down, then after a moment’s hesitation, she dropped her hands. She turned her back and started showering, pretending the other person didn’t exist.

Shen Man slipped out of her clothes. Her pale skin looked even whiter under the light. Hearing the rustle of fabric, Lin Shu glanced back over her shoulder and couldn’t help but swallow hard.

Shen Man moved closer, their bodies pressing together. Under the warm spray of the shower, the air between them grew hotter.

They spent an hour messing around in the bathroom, leaving Lin Shu’s face flushed a deep crimson. Beneath the towel, her skin was a beautiful porcelain-white, tinged with pink.

“To the bedroom.” Shen Man threw on a bathrobe, not even bothering to tie the belt.

“More?” Lin Shu blinked, her voice slightly hoarse. “We have to see your auntie tomorrow.”

“It’s fine. Our appointment is for the afternoon, so we have plenty of time today,” Shen Man purred, her voice low and impossibly seductive.

Lin Shu’s face grew even redder, but she didn’t refuse.

By the time they were finished, Lin Shu was drained of all her strength. Her body was covered in red marks, the love bites on her neck especially dark.

“You were so rough. I don’t know if these will even fade by tomorrow,” Lin Shu said, puffing out her cheeks petulantly.

“It’s okay,” Shen Man murmured, her eyes filled with a sated smile.

Lin Shu pouted, closed her eyes, and quickly fell asleep.

Shen Man smiled tenderly and gently pulled the covers over her. Gazing at that quiet, sweet sleeping face, she whispered, “Shushu, I’ll give you all the security you want.”

Lin Shu’s nose twitched, and she turned over, snuggling into the warm body beside her.

Shen Man couldn’t help but smile, pressing kisses to her sleeping face.

---

When Lin Shu woke up, her body still felt sore. She opened her eyes and realized it was already noon, her mind snapping into focus.

She shot up in bed and rushed to wash up.

Finished, Lin Shu sat at her vanity, staring at the marks on her neck. After thinking for a long time, she stuck an adhesive bandage¹¹ over them.

“Shushu, my auntie is already at Gao Rou’s place,” Shen Man said with a smile, leaning against the doorframe. When she saw the patch on Lin Shu’s neck, the smile in her eyes deepened. “Shushu, why are you covering it?”

“You’re knowingly asking,”¹² Lin Shu snapped, her face flushing with a mix of anger and embarrassment. “We have something important today, and you still did that to me last night. Are you deliberately trying to make me look bad in front of your auntie?”

“How could someone as beautiful and cute as Shushu ever look bad?” Shen Man’s eyes curved into crescents as she coaxed her. “Are you hungry?”

“I’m not hungry,” Lin Shu said with a pout, walking quickly toward the door. “Let’s go. We shouldn’t keep your auntie waiting.”

“No rush. You should eat something to tide you over,” Shen Man said softly. “I made red date and lean pork congee.”¹³

At the mention of the congee, Lin Shu’s stomach let out a loud grumble. She immediately glared at Shen Man. “Don’t you dare laugh!”

Shen Man nodded at once, raising a hand to cover the grin spreading across her face.

Lin Shu let out a haughty¹⁴ huff and went into the living room. She had just picked up her bowl when she heard Shen Man’s voice beside her.

“Eat slowly, there’s no hurry,” Shen Man said, sitting down. Her face was wreathed in smiles, her clear eyes seeming to see right through everything.

“I know.” Lin Shu’s red lips were set in a pout, but she slowed her movements. She was anxious, though, and still ate the congee faster than usual.

Shen Man saw it all but said nothing, a smile playing on her lips.

When Lin Shu was finished, Shen Man got up to wash the dishes.

Lin Shu wiped her mouth, then took out her lipstick and a compact to touch up her makeup. Looking at the very conspicuous bandage on her neck, she thought for a moment and gently peeled it off. The marks Shen Man had left on her last night had already faded quite a bit. They were still noticeable, but it looked better than wearing a large bandage.

Lin Shu took a deep breath, pressing a soft hand to her chest. Her heart had been racing since she woke up. Now, just thinking about ‘meeting the parents,’ every nerve in her body tensed up. Even her fingers were trembling slightly.

“Shushu, let’s go,” Shen Man said with a light laugh as she came out of the kitchen.

Lin Shu nodded, her expression grim, her bright eyes filled with visible nervousness and unease.

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