I Am More Paranoid Than the Villain – Chapter 140

It’s an Extra Chapter

Yin and Xia Chapter 1

Choosing the One You Like

With two days left before winter break ended, Yin Ruxu arrived at school early to move dorms.

She strolled through campus, taking in the scenery on both sides of the path.

Up ahead, a familiar figure appeared.

Yin Ruxu quickened her pace, calling out a greeting as she went. “Shen Man, Happy New Year!”

Shen Man turned, a faint smile on her face. “Happy New Year. Why are you back at school so early?”

“I’m switching dorms this semester, so I came early to move my luggage,” Yin Ruxu answered with a smile before asking, “What about you?”

“My homeroom teacher asked me to come in for something,” Shen Man said.

“Oh, I see.” Yin Ruxu smiled and, sensing it wasn’t her place to ask, didn’t press the matter.

The two walked side by side.

Yin Ruxu spoke in a low voice, sharing amusing stories from her holiday while Shen Man listened. When they reached an intersection, they parted ways.

Watching Shen Man’s retreating back, an idea suddenly sparked in Yin Ruxu’s mind.

She stood there for a moment before heading toward the dorms.

At this time of day, no one else had returned to school yet.

In high spirits, Yin Ruxu began to pack her things.

It took her several hours to get everything organized. Then, bit by bit, she moved it all to her new dorm by herself. The two rooms were quite far apart, and by the time she finished, her arms were sore from exhaustion. She sat down on her bed to rest.

The new room was a double, renovated only six months ago, so everything looked brand new. There was a bed and a desk on each side, separated by a meter of space, providing plenty of personal privacy.

A satisfied smile touched Yin Ruxu’s lips.

After a short break, she took out a small, clean towel and began wiping down her cabinet.

Footsteps echoed from the hallway, stopping right outside her door.

A familiar voice came from behind her. “Yin Ruxu, so this is the room you moved into.”

Yin Ruxu turned at the sound of the voice. Seeing Shen Man, her face broke into a surprised smile. “Shen Man, what are you doing here?”

As she spoke, her gaze fell on the girl standing behind Shen Man. She had distinct foreign features—a high nose bridge, snow-white skin, and a pair of pale blue eyes as clear and clean as the sky after a rain. She was the kind of person who left a good impression at first glance.

Yin Ruxu offered a friendly smile. “You must be my new roommate, right?”

“Yes.” Xia Ke flashed a grin, her expression soft as she nodded.

A thought seemed to strike Yin Ruxu, and she glanced around the messy room in a panic. “I’m so sorry,” she said, embarrassed. “I just moved my things in and haven’t had a chance to organize yet…”

“It’s fine, it’s fine! Take your time,” Xia Ke said, shaking her head. Her voice was gentle.

Yin Ruxu let out a sigh of relief and offered a sweet smile, extending a delicate hand. “My name is Yin Ruxu. I’m so happy to be sharing a room with you.”

“I’m Xia Ke. You can call me Xiao Ke.” Xia Ke took her hand, and the soft touch made her sigh in admiration. “Your hands are so soft, and they have a light, sweet scent.”

Hearing this, a flicker of discomfort passed through Yin Ruxu. “Thank you,” she said politely.

She immediately withdrew her hand and turned to Shen Man, a questioning look in her eyes.

“This is one of our classmates,” Shen Man explained with a light smile. “She just got back from overseas and will be studying here as an exchange student for half a year. Please take good care of her.”

“Oh, so that’s it,” Yin Ruxu said with a soft nod.

“I look forward to getting to know you,” Xia Ke said, setting down her suitcase. “Let me help you unpack.”

“Okay, thank you for the trouble,” Yin Ruxu replied with a gentle smile.

Looking at that innocent, delicate expression, Xia Ke felt a sudden surge of protectiveness. Shen Man and Lin Shu were both first-class beauties, but Yin Ruxu held her own beside them; her fragile aura made one want to protect her.

“Your name is so beautiful,” Xia Ke said with a sincere smile.

“Thank you,” Yin Ruxu replied politely, lowering her head to continue organizing her things.

Feeling a bit awkward, Xia Ke rubbed her cheek, opened her suitcase, and began to unpack. After a while, they had both settled their belongings.

“I’m going to wash my hands,” Xia Ke said, heading for the bathroom.

Yin Ruxu glanced at the bathroom door, then looked at Shen Man and whispered, “Is she a foreigner? Her Mandarin is amazing.”

“Her father is the chairman of the Xia Corporation. She got those eyes from her grandfather,” Lin Shu, who had been quiet until now, snorted contemptuously.

Yin Ruxu was stunned. “She’s the heiress of the Xia Corporation?”

Realizing her reaction had been too dramatic, she quickly covered her mouth and lowered her gaze. Just then, Xia Ke came out of the bathroom.

Shen Man stood up. “Xiao Ke, are you all set?”

Xia Ke nodded, grabbing her bag from the bed. She checked its contents and said, “I have my ID and all my other documents.”

“Good. I’ll take you to get your door card processed first,” Shen Man said.

The two of them started to walk out. Lin Shu followed behind them, her face cold.

Yin Ruxu watched the three of them leave, a triumphant smile spreading across her innocent-looking face. She sat on her bed, looking at the empty one across from her, and murmured to herself, “Xia Ke, the heiress of the Xia Corporation. She’s a pretty good roommate, indeed.”

After sitting there happily for a while, Yin Ruxu leaned back against her headboard to rest. Her eyelids grew heavy, and she drifted into a deep sleep.

When she woke up, two hours had passed.

Yin Ruxu got up, quickly touched up her makeup, and grabbed her bag to go shopping. After browsing a nearby supermarket, Yin Ruxu was walking out with her purchases when she ran into Shen Man.

“Yin Ruxu, do you have a minute? I need to ask you for a favor,” Shen Man said, her expression grim.

Yin Ruxu smiled gently. “What is it?”

“Xia Ke just arrived and isn’t familiar with the school yet. She needs to buy a lot of things. Could you please help her?”

Xia Ke stood behind her, looking embarrassed.

Yin Ruxu smiled slightly. “Of course, no problem.”

“Then I’ll leave her to you,” Shen Man said before turning and walking away.

Xia Ke looked at Yin Ruxu and blinked. “I think I made her angry,” she said in a small voice.

“You mean Shen Man?” Yin Ruxu asked softly.

Xia Ke nodded, looking a little down.

“You’re overthinking it. Shen Man is very good-tempered; she doesn’t get angry easily,” Yin Ruxu comforted her with a light laugh, the corner of her eye twitching slightly. “She doesn’t even get mad at a young lady like Lin Shu.”

“That’s because she…” Xia Ke started, then caught herself and quickly shut her mouth.

“Because of what?” Yin Ruxu asked, puzzled.

“It’s nothing. Let’s go shopping,” Xia Ke said, shaking her head with a smile, eager to change the subject.

Yin Ruxu nodded and led the way, listing off all the things Xia Ke would need as they walked.

As Xia Ke listened, her eyes brightened. “Ah Xu, you’re so thoughtful!” she said happily. “It’s so rare to find a girl as gentle and beautiful as you.”

“Ah Xu?” Yin Ruxu stopped, tilting her head slightly. A cute, dazed expression appeared on her pure face. “Are you talking to me?”

“Yeah! We’re roommates now, after all,” Xia Ke confirmed with a bright, innocent smile.

Yin Ruxu turned away, avoiding that guileless gaze.

She looked down, thinking for a moment, before a gentle expression returned to her face. “You’re the first person to ever call me that,” she said softly.

“Huh?” Xia Ke was surprised, and a wave of sympathy washed over her. “You don’t have any friends at school?” she asked cautiously.

Yin Ruxu pressed her lips together and shook her head slightly. “I don’t know why, but they all seem to exclude me. No matter how hard I try to fit in, they just won’t accept me.”

“You’re so kind and sweet. They must be bullying you because you’re nice,” Xia Ke said, her tone indignant.

“I don’t know,” Yin Ruxu said, shaking her head sadly before putting on an obedient smile. “Let’s not talk about that. We need to get your things.”

“Okay,” Xia Ke nodded. She wanted to say something comforting, but the words died on her lips.

With Yin Ruxu’s help, Xia Ke quickly finished her shopping.

“Let me help you carry that,” Yin Ruxu offered, taking half of the bags.

“Thank you so much! If it weren’t for you, I never would have finished so quickly or gotten everything I needed,” Xia Ke praised with a genuinely grateful smile.

Yin Ruxu froze, finding it hard to believe that the girl before her was truly the heiress of a wealthy family. In her experience, rich people were arrogant and looked down on people from poor families like her. Someone like Lin Shu, who only offered a few cold taunts, was considered one of the better-tempered ones.

But Xia Ke didn’t have a single trace of arrogance. On the contrary, she was down-to-earth and incredibly easy to get along with.

“Shen Man said you were studying abroad. What made you decide to come back?” Yin Ruxu asked softly.

At this, Xia Ke sighed. “It’s all because of my dad,” she complained. “He said he picked out a fiancé for me.”

“Who is it?” Yin Ruxu asked curiously.

“His name is Shao Qi,” Xia Ke answered.

“Shao Qi?” Yin Ruxu repeated in astonishment, her eyes wide like a startled fawn. “Your fiancé is Shao Qi?”

“Not yet! It’s just my dad’s idea. I haven’t agreed to it,” Xia Ke said, shaking her head firmly. “I refuse to marry a man I don’t even know.”

Hearing this, Yin Ruxu quietly breathed a sigh of relief. “So many people would love a chance to marry Shao Qi,” she said wistfully. “If anyone else found out, they’d all be so jealous of you.”

“I don’t know them, so they can think whatever they want,” Xia Ke said dismissively. Then, her tone shifted as she looked at Yin Ruxu seriously. “What about you?”

“Me…” Yin Ruxu started, quickly lowering her head.

She took a few steps and shook her head slightly. “I’m not…”

Before she could get the word ‘jealous’ out, Xia Ke asked, “Do you like Shao Qi?”

Yin Ruxu stopped dead in her tracks and gave an unnatural laugh. “He’s so outstanding. His future wife will definitely be a young lady from a family of equal standing¹. How could an ordinary person like me ever dare to dream of that?”

Xia Ke frowned, disagreeing. “Family background isn’t important,” she said, full of confidence. “I don’t care about a match between equals. I’m going to choose the person I like.”

Listening to such naive words, a self-deprecating curve formed on Yin Ruxu’s lips. “When you actually face that kind of dilemma in the future, you’ll understand the importance of being with someone from a similar background,” she said in a low voice. “Even if you don’t mind, your parents won’t just let you do whatever you want.”

“I don’t care what they think. If I’m not willing, they can’t control me,” Xia Ke declared proudly, her pretty face filled with defiance.

Yin Ruxu smiled silently and didn’t pursue the topic any further.

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