I Am More Paranoid Than the Villain – Chapter 33

Don’t Have Delusional Thoughts

You smile so cunningly.

Coming out from the male lead’s house, the rain had already stopped.

Shao Qi personally escorted them to the doorway. Looking at Shen Man, his indifferent face held a trace of shyness, “You are welcome to come to my house to play next time.”

“Okay,” Lin Shu waved happily.

Shen Man sat to one side, her brow slightly furrowed.

Today’s game had caused her to unintentionally gain the male lead’s favorability.

If the plot really proceeded as it originally did, things would become troublesome.

“Shen Man, why do you have such a serious expression?” Lin Shu asked.

“It’s nothing,” Shen Man answered absent-mindedly.

Hearing this, a trace of anger suddenly rose in Lin Shu’s heart. She leaned over, stared at Shen Man, and warned in a low voice, “Don’t think that just because you can play games, you can get Shao Qi’s affection. I won’t let you.”

Shen Man smiled, reached out, and put her arm around Lin Shu’s shoulder, saying in a small voice, “Shushu, you really are… a headache.”

“However, you also make me more and more interested.” This sentence was almost a whisper in her ear.

Lin Shu’s earlobes burned. She glared angrily at Shen Man and forcefully pushed her hand away, “Listen well, I absolutely will not let you succeed!”

“Is that so?” Shen Man’s lips curved into a smile, her eyes full of confidence.

Tan Kai got into the car.

Seeing the tense, swords-drawn-and-bows-bent¹ atmosphere between the two, he asked in confusion, “What’s wrong with you two? Weren’t you fine just a moment ago?”

“It has nothing to do with you,” Lin Shu said angrily.

Shen Man smiled without speaking.

Tan Kai was puzzled. He started the car and said with a smile, “Shen Man, how are you so good at games? I’ve never seen you play before. Did you play often before university?”

Hearing this, the smile on Shen Man’s face paused for a moment, but she quickly recovered her natural expression and said, “I played a little in the past.”

“Then you’re really amazing. Your grades are good, you can fight, and you also know how to do everything like drinking, singing, and gaming. Looking at your gentle and weak appearance, it’s really unimaginable that you know how to do so much,” Tan Kai praised with a smile, his tone sincere.

Shen Man smiled but did not speak.

Unintentionally, she had unexpectedly exposed so much.

Fortunately, however, these people did not understand the original owner, so she hadn’t given herself away.

Lin Shu hmphed, unconvinced.

Tan Kai smiled teasingly, “Lin Shu, if you want to learn gaming, you can have Shen Man teach you. With her skills, carrying you² is absolutely no problem.”

“I don’t want her to teach me.” Lin Shu glanced at Shen Man and turned her head away arrogantly.

Shen Man let out a light laugh.

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Tan Kai dropped the two of them off downstairs.

He handed an umbrella to Shen Man, gave her a serious look, and said nervously, “Do you like playing games with Shao Qi?”

Shen Man understood the meaning behind his words and revealed a slight smile, “I still prefer playing with Shushu. Things like gaming, you boys get along better playing together.”

Tan Kai immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Lin Shu pouted, “Who wants to play with you?”

“Didn’t Shushu say we are friends? If we’re friends, we should play together.” Shen Man’s eyes curved into crescents, her smile pure and harmless.

Lin Shu choked, pushed open the door, and looked at the heavy rain outside. She frowned and said arrogantly, “Hurry up and come hold the umbrella for me!”

Shen Man smiled, got up, and walked over holding the umbrella, saying, “I thought Shushu would run inside all in one go³.”

“I’m not stupid enough to get soaked in the rain and let you hold the umbrella alone,” Lin Shu hmphed. Her shoes landed on the wet ground, her brows tightly furrowed. “Rainy days are so annoying.”

“Strolling in the rain can actually be a romantic thing,” Shen Man said, her face beaming with a smile.

Lin Shu immediately rolled her eyes at her.

The two walked shoulder to shoulder, sharing one umbrella, heading for the building hallway.

A drop of rain dripped from the edge of the umbrella, landing right on Lin Shu’s hand.

The chill of the rainwater startled her.

“Shen Man, how are you holding the umbrella? I’m almost soaked!” Lin Shu stopped and yelled, her cheeks puffed out.

“If you get a little closer to me, you won’t get wet,” Shen Man also stopped and said in a calm tone.

Lin Shu glanced over.

There was still a small gap between the two of them. She hesitated and did not move.

Seeing this, Shen Man reached out, put her arm around the young girl’s fragrant shoulder, and pulled her into her embrace.

Unprepared, Lin Shu stumbled, her upper body falling into Shen Man’s arms, and her hands subconsciously hugged Shen Man’s slender waist tightly.

“This way, you won’t get wet,” Shen Man laughed lightly.

Lin Shu’s heart skipped a beat.

She shot her an angry glare, lowered her head, and followed Shen Man’s pace forward.

Upon entering the hallway.

Lin Shu immediately pushed Shen Man away, tidied her hair, and walked forward with her head held high and in wide strides.

Shen Man closed the umbrella and followed behind with a calm expression.

The elevator had not yet arrived.

Lin Shu waited for it with a cold expression on her face.

Shen Man stood to the side, her eyes lowered, staring at the rainwater dripping down from the umbrella.

Drip after drip, it spread into faint wet marks on the floor.

Shen Man watched silently for a moment, then raised her head and stared at the young girl’s exquisite side profile, her expression serious. “Shushu, do you like Shao Qi that much?”

Her questioning voice was low and deep, as if carrying a faint, lingering affection.

Lin Shu’s heart skipped a beat, and she did not give an affirmative answer right away.

Tucking the neat strands of hair behind her ear, she said in a fierce tone, “What business is it of yours!”

Shen Man laughed lightly, her cool and detached face revealing a maturity and sexiness that did not match her age.

She leaned close to Lin Shu’s ear and said in a lowered voice, “Tell me, is there a possibility of changing your current way of thinking?”

Lin Shu frowned.

She took a step to the side, dodging the breath that fell upon her ear.

The two looked at each other, neither speaking.

With a ‘ding’, the elevator arrived, empty inside.

Lin Shu immediately stepped into the elevator, pressed the floor button, and arranged her hair while facing the mirror.

Shen Man stood in front and pressed the close-door button.

The two still did not speak.

The elevator door opened.

Shen Man walked out first, holding her hand up to block the door, and looked at the girl still fiddling with her hair inside, saying with a smile, “Shushu, we’ve arrived.”

“I know.” Lin Shu gave her hair one last touch, and pretending that nothing was amiss, walked out with a proud expression.

Just as they reached the door, it was opened from the inside.

Auntie He looked at the two of them and asked, “Did you two get wet? I’ve boiled some ginger tea.”

Lin Shu ignored her, quickly changed her shoes, and hurried back to her room.

Shen Man took off her shoes and said with a smile, “Thank you for your hard work.”

“What hard work is there in this? It’s all what I should be doing,” Auntie He said happily, turning to go to the kitchen.

Shen Man touched the soaked spot on her shoulder and went back to her room to change her clothes.

She came out, sat on the sofa, and leaned back comfortably.

Auntie He brought over a bowl of ginger tea, glanced at Lin Shu’s room, and asked in a low voice, “Manman, what’s wrong with Miss Lin today? She seems to be in a very bad mood.”

“It’s probably because of the rain,” Shen Man replied with a relaxed expression, picked up the tea, blew on it, took a sip, and revealed a pleasant smile.

Auntie He found it strange but did not dare to ask more.

She returned to the kitchen to continue with her work.

Shen Man sat quietly, drinking the ginger tea slowly.

She finished it before the ginger tea turned completely cold.

She pressed her lips together, feeling a slight sourness in her teeth, and got up to walk to the refrigerator.

She opened the refrigerator, looked around, and finally took out an apple.

Shen Man took a bite of the apple. The crisp, refreshing, and sweet taste spread through her mouth, washing away the spiciness and sourness of the ginger tea.

She gazed ahead, thinking about Lin Shu’s reaction today.

Although Lin Shu did not answer her question, it was obvious that her resolve had already loosened; she did not like the male lead as determinedly as she had at the beginning.

This was good news.

Shen Man’s lips curved into a light smile.

Lin Shu came out of her room and, seeing this expression, said in a grumpy tone, “Sitting there all by yourself, what are you smiling about? So cunningly.”

“Am I?” Shen Man raised an eyebrow, her expression innocent and pure.

Lin Shu hmphed.

She opened the refrigerator, took out a bottle of milk, and with a peng, forcefully closed the refrigerator door.

She twisted open the milk bottle, took a drink, turned her head, and stared coldly at Shen Man, saying through gritted teeth, “Don’t you dream!”

Shen Man understood the meaning of these words, her expression not changing in the slightest.

She accurately threw the apple core in her hand into the trash can and said with a laugh, “Shushu, I’m not dreaming.”

Lin Shu did not like this smile that seemed to have everything under control.

It was as if she were prey that would eventually be tamed by a resourceful hunter.

Lin Shu shot Shen Man a dissatisfied glare and returned to her room with the milk.

Shen Man’s smile grew even more cheerful.

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The weather gradually turned cold.

Before they knew it, it was December.

Shen Man had put on a sweater and switched to a thick overcoat.

Lin Shu was still dressed thinly in a simple dress and a trench coat.

No matter where she went, she was a beautiful sight.

After Friday’s class was over.

Shen Man walked on campus with her schoolbag on her back.

She ran into someone head-on. She looked up, smiled, and greeted, “Yin Ruxu.”

“Shen Man, what a coincidence. Want to go get a cup of milk tea?” Yin Ruxu smiled gently.

Shen Man nodded.

The two walked to the milk tea shop.

As Shen Man entered the door, the first thing she saw was Lin Shu sitting by the window.

This time it was only Lin Shu and Ding Xian, the two of them sitting and drinking milk tea.

Shen Man finished ordering.

She walked to Lin Shu’s side and said with a smile, “Shushu, is anyone sitting here?”

Ding Xian shook her head.

Lin Shu immediately glared at Ding Xian, and the words ‘someone is’ got stuck in her throat, unspoken.

Shen Man sat down with a natural expression, glanced at Ding Xian, and asked, “What are you two talking about?”

“We were talking about going to the amusement park this weekend,” Ding Xian answered obediently. After speaking, she immediately lowered her head, not daring to meet Shen Man’s gaze.

“Why did you tell her?” Lin Shu said unhappily.

“Shushu, we’re good friends. Why didn’t you call me when you were going out to have fun?” Shen Man said with a smile.

Lin Shu bit her straw, choked by the words ‘good friends’ and unable to speak.

She thought for a moment and finally came up with a rebuttal, but the corner of her eye caught sight of Yin Ruxu walking over, and she immediately turned her head to the side.

Seeing this action, a wronged expression appeared on Yin Ruxu’s delicate face.

She stood to the side, carefully and nervously, without sitting down.

Seeing this, Shen Man reached out, took Yin Ruxu’s arm, and said in a gentle voice, “No one is sitting here, you can sit.”

“Okay…” Yin Ruxu glanced at Lin Shu and sat down hesitantly.

Lin Shu shot up with a ‘teng’, her eyes fixed on Shen Man’s fingers, her fair little face flushed red with anger.

She wanted to say something, but meeting Shen Man’s smiling gaze, she gritted her teeth and sat down hard again.

The chair let out a piercing ‘creak’ under her weight.

Instantly, many people in the milk tea shop looked over.

Lin Shu hmphed disdainfully, suppressed her anger, and sucked hard on her milk tea.

Ding Xian was so frightened by her sudden anger that she dared not speak.

Yin Ruxu did not want to ask for trouble, so she sat there quietly.

Shen Man laughed and said, “Shushu, we are all friends. Why don’t we go to the amusement park together?”

“If you’re not willing, then Yin Ruxu and I will go by ourselves.”

“Then let’s go together!” Lin Shu said with a cold laugh.

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