I Am More Paranoid Than the Villain – Chapter 38

Waiting for me?

Do not make your own sentiment¹

On the first day of winter vacation, Shen Man still woke up early as usual.

She washed up, went out the door, and saw that Lin Shu’s room door was tightly closed.

Auntie He finished cooking the congee, brought it over, and said with a smile, “Miss Lin will probably sleep in today.”

Shen Man ‘oh’ed, sat down, and slowly ate the congee.

After finishing the congee, Shen Man stood up and walked towards the entryway.

Auntie He hurriedly asked, “Manman, where are you going?”

“I have something to do outside.” Shen Man said, changing her shoes.

When Lin Shu woke up, it was already close to eleven o’clock.

She came out wearing home clothes and yawned while standing at the door of her room.

Seeing Shen Man’s slippers at the entryway, her heart jumped in alarm. She quickly walked to the kitchen and looked at Auntie He with a cold expression, “Where is Shen Man? Did she secretly run back home?”

Auntie He was startled by this angry voice.

She carefully patted her chest and said, “Manman went out early this morning, said she had something to do.”

Seeing Lin Shu frown, she hurriedly added, “She didn’t say what it was, but she didn’t take any luggage, so she definitely didn’t go back home.”

Lin Shu breathed a sigh of relief in her heart, snorted and said, “It’s best that she didn’t.”

Auntie He felt strange upon hearing this, but did not dare to ask more.

Lin Shu returned to her room, sat on the edge of the bed, and took out her phone to call Shen Man.

She called twice but no one answered.

“Shen Man, you dare not answer my call?” Lin Shu gritted her teeth, gripped her phone tightly, and continued to dial.

After a short while, the call connected.

“Shushu, what is…” Shen Man started to ask, but before she could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by an angry voice.

“Shen Man, what did you go do? Not a single sound, not answering your phone, don’t you know to say something before you go out?” Lin Shu shot up from the bed and questioned loudly with anger.

Shen Man frowned slightly, moved the phone a little further away, and said, “I’m outside, I’ll be back later.”

“What are you doing outside? Who are you with?” Lin Shu continued to question, looking like she wouldn’t let it go.

Shen Man let out a light laugh.

“What are you laughing at?” Lin Shu asked, dissatisfied.

“Shushu, the tone you are using right now is just like a little girl in love.” Shen Man said with a smile, her tone peaceful and calm.

Lin Shu’s breath caught, she hurriedly hung up the phone, her eyes staring fixedly ahead, her mind a complete blank.

After a few seconds, she puffed up her little face in annoyance, wanting to refute what Shen Man had just said. She picked up her phone and tapped Shen Man’s number.

The instant she was about to lift it, she quickly had a change of heart and hurriedly long-pressed.

The number was not dialed.

Lin Shu breathed a sigh of relief, threw the phone onto the bed, sat down, and muttered indignantly, “I am not!”

As she spoke, she pounded on a cloth doll to vent her anger, “Detestable Shen Man, you only know how to speak nonsense².”

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Shen Man registered at the school’s driving school office, inquired about some basic matters, and got a general idea in her mind.

Around the time school starts, she will be able to get her driver’s license.

Shen Man walked outside, preparing to see if there were any part-time jobs available nearby.

She was walking on a campus road when she encountered Yin Ruxu at a turn.

“Shen Man, haven’t you all finished your exams? You haven’t gone back yet?” Yin Ruxu asked with a light smile.

Shen Man shook her head, thought for a moment, and said, “Yin Ruxu, I want to find a part-time job during the winter vacation. Do you know of any places that are hiring?”

“A part-time job…” Yin Ruxu said, a trace of difficulty showing on her face, “I know a bar that is hiring. The pay is quite high, but I don’t know if you would be willing?”

“What kind of work?” Shen Man asked with a smile.

“A relatively high-end and luxurious bar, the main clientele are elites of society and rich young masters. Those people are quite generous with their money. As long as you can provide service that satisfies the other party, you can get a lot of benefits.” Yin Ruxu said in a small voice, and after speaking, she hurriedly explained, “I also heard this from a friend of mine, I haven’t been there.”

“What does ‘service that satisfies the other party’ mean?” Shen Man asked with a frown.

“The main style of this bar is lover-style service, listening to the client’s inner heart like a lover.” Yin Ruxu explained, then added, “But you can rest assured, the customers are all well-behaved and won’t act recklessly.”

“Okay, thank you, where is the address?” Shen Man said.

Yin Ruxu took a business card out of her bag, handed it over, and said with some hesitation, “Are you very short on money?”

Shen Man smiled, took the business card, and did not answer this question.

The bar’s address was right in the city center.

However, the location was relatively remote and not easy to find.

Shen Man walked around the vicinity for a while and finally found the main entrance of the bar.

From the outside, the decor was very ordinary, but upon closer inspection, one could discover the refinement and luxury hidden beneath the surface.

Every part of the design, though it looked casual and simple, was in fact meticulously planned.

At this time, the bar had just opened and appeared very deserted.

Shen Man walked in.

The bartender saw her, looked her up and down, and revealed a hint of an arrogant expression, “This beautiful lady, please show your membership card.”

“I’m here to apply for a job.” Shen Man said, placing the business card on the bar.

The server picked up the business card, glanced at Shen Man again, seemingly not finding it strange, “You look quite good, and your figure is also good. Many customers like your type of university student, pure enough.”

Towards the end, his words carried a hint of teasing.

Shen Man’s expression was calm, and she paid him no mind.

She glanced at the surrounding environment.

The interior decoration was high-end and grand, the layout was reasonable and comfortable, and the lighting and music were chosen just right, creating a soothing and relaxed atmosphere.

It was indeed very suitable for that group of people who are under great work pressure and have money to come here to relax.

A person came over to lead Shen Man to the interview.

Shen Man is not a workplace little white³, and coupled with her good alcohol tolerance, not having stage fright, and being recommended, she easily passed the interview.

From the interviewer, she learned more specific information.

This bar was elegant and quiet, with official business hours from six in the evening to six the next morning.

The people they hired were all handsome men and beautiful women. The customers who came here to spend were mostly men, but there was no lack of women.

Among them, there were many part-time workers, accounting for almost half of the staff.

For Shen Man, this job was quite good.

Shen Man and the interviewer agreed on a start date. She stood up, smiled, and extended her hand, “I will report for duty on time tomorrow.”

“Welcome to the team. I believe you will definitely be able to handle this job perfectly.” The interviewer’s eyes showed a look of appreciation.

Leaving the bar, the sky was already dark.

Shen Man took out her phone and immediately saw three missed calls.

They were all from Lin Shu.

She moved her fingers and called back.

The call connected, and before she had a chance to speak, Lin Shu’s angry voice came from the other side, “It’s so late, why aren’t you back yet? Staying out all night on the first day of vacation, what on earth are you doing!”

“It’s nothing, I’m preparing to go back now.” Shen Man said in a flat tone.

“Hurry up, Auntie He has already made dinner and is just waiting for you.” Lin Shu said irritably, and after speaking, hung up the phone.

Shen Man let out a light laugh and put her phone away.
She looked up at the pitch-black sky.

In the city night, you couldn’t see the stars, only the brilliant and colorful neon lights flickering, bringing a kind of illusory beauty.

The winter night was wrapped in gusts of cold wind, wantonly intruding everywhere, giving people a feeling of desolate loneliness.
A trace of wind poured into her collar. Shen Man felt a little cold, gathered her collar, and walked to the roadside to hail a taxi.

There was some traffic on the road; the driver drove for half an hour before arriving downstairs at the residential complex.

Shen Man paid, opened the car door, and got out.

A gust of wind blew fiercely, and she couldn’t help but shiver, quickly running into the building corridor.

Shen Man entered the house and changed her shoes.

The sound of tap tap footsteps sounded from the side.

She tilted her head and met a pair of angry almond eyes.

“Shushu, what’s wrong?” Shen Man asked with a light smile.

“What were you busy with today? I didn’t see a shadow of you all day.” Lin Shu asked with a cold little face.

“Is Shushu concerned about me?” Shen Man finished changing her shoes, asked back with a smile, and walked to the living room to sit down.

“Who is concerned about you?” Lin Shu followed behind, retorting loudly, “You live in my house, so I have the right to manage you. Speak quickly, where exactly did you go?”

“I went to find a job.” Shen Man leaned comfortably against the sofa.

“Find a job?” Lin Shu frowned suspiciously, “What are you looking for a job for?”

“Naturally to earn money. I am not a thousand gold young lady from a wealthy family like Shushu, who doesn’t lack money to spend.” Shen Man said with a smile, a bit of teasing in her tone.

Lin Shu snorted proudly, quite satisfied with this answer.

Auntie He brought out the dishes.

Seeing Shen Man, she immediately said happily, “Manman, you’ve finally returned. Miss Lin has been worrying all day…”

“Who was worried about her?” Lin Shu quickly interrupted, sat down, and said impatiently, “Don’t talk while eating.”

Shen Man laughed, walked over and sat down.

The two ate their meal in silence.

Auntie He tactfully turned and went back to the kitchen.

Lin Shu took two bites of food, secretly glanced at Shen Man, with an expression of wanting to speak but hesitating.

Shen Man looked up, glanced at her, and said with a smile, “Shushu, what do you want to say?”

Lin Shu paused, and asked in a stiff tone, “What kind of job did you find? Where is it?”

Shen Man thought for a moment and told her the truth.

“I’ve heard of this bar, the threshold is quite high. You’re not from this circle, how did you find it?” Lin Shu frowned and asked curiously.

Shen Man smiled and lowered her head to eat.

“If you don’t want to say, then don’t. It’s not like I’m dying to know.” Lin Shu snorted haughtily, picked up a piece of meat, and chewed it forcefully.

Her eyeballs rolled, and an idea immediately surfaced in her mind.

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Shen Man officially started work.

The bar had a variety of clothing available, which could be changed according to the customer’s needs.

“Today is your first day of work. Follow and learn the rules and techniques. Just wear a simple cat-ear maid outfit. The customers who come here are all rich and have taste. Be a little clever, and you’ll quickly find your own clients.” The supervisor said.

Shen Man nodded with a receptive look on her face.

The supervisor gave her a suitable outfit.

Shen Man changed into it in the changing room.

“Your temperament and figure are very good. You can pull off both the pure student look and the sexy maid outfit. Who knows, you might find a client today.” The supervisor said with a smile.

“Thank you for your compliment.” Shen Man smiled obediently and politely.

Arriving in the main hall, there were already quite a few customers drinking here.

Shen Man noticed that the servers weaving through the crowd were all dressed differently.

There were sexy and charming styles, simple and innocent styles, and also the cool and beautiful queenly style. The one thing they all had in common was that these servers were all very beautiful.

“Table three needs a bottle of wine, you go deliver it.” The supervisor said.

Shen Man skillfully carried a bottle of wine over.

After two hours, she had already delivered many bottles of wine. When many customers saw her, their eyes revealed a stunning gaze.

But these people were not in a hurry at all, showing no intention of insisting that she be the one to deliver the wine.

Shen Man understood.

The people who came here to play were all used to seeing all kinds of beauties. Beauty alone was not enough to win these people over.

Shen Man looked around, and her gaze fell on a man drinking away his sorrows⁴.

She observed for a while, took a bottle of mid-priced wine from the bar, and walked over with a smile on her face.

The man felt a shadow over his head.

Without lifting his head, he said, “Don’t disturb me.”

Shen Man did not back down.

She gently placed the wine on the table and said softly, “Sir, are you troubled by something? Perhaps I can help you with that.”

“What does a university student who hasn’t even graduated know?” The man sneered lightly and continued to drink.

Shen Man sat down.

The man looked up, stared at her for a moment, and laughed, “Are you new here?”

Shen Man nodded with a light smile and said, “I know a little about company operations.”

“Is that so?” The man didn’t believe these words, but he didn’t mean to drive her away either. He took a sip of wine and said, “Then tell me, what things do you know.”

Hearing this, Shen Man’s eyes revealed a confident smile, and she spoke with assurance and eloquence.

The man went from being indifferent at the beginning to gradually becoming attracted, and finally, a light of hope appeared in his eyes. He looked at Shen Man and said eagerly, “Do you really have a way to help me get through this difficult time?”

“Of course I can, but I have my conditions.” Shen Man said, her pure face showing a maturity that did not match her age.

After his joy, the man quickly calmed down and became suspicious again, “On what basis should I believe you?”

Shen Man smiled slightly, not surprised by the man’s reaction, and said in a slow and methodical manner, “You are currently anxious about your company’s crisis and can’t think of a good solution for the time being. Why not choose another path?”

The man seemed to be persuaded.

He knew very well in his heart that he shouldn’t trust a stranger, but the maturity, temperament, rationality, and wisdom that Shen Man displayed made a trace of hope emerge in his heart.

He was indeed helpless right now and would soon face the fate of being acquired.

“This is my phone number. If you have considered it clearly, you can contact me.” Shen Man said with a smile, handing over a piece of paper. She stood up and said, “Today’s wine is on me.”

The man looked up in astonishment, unable to believe that these were words a server would say.

He took the piece of paper, put it in his pocket, and continued to drink.

Shen Man left with a light smile.

As soon as she reached the bar, the supervisor called her out and said, “Your performance just now was not bad, but you must learn to choose the right person.”

“Thank you for your reminder, I will pay attention next time.” Shen Man nodded humbly.

After working until midnight, Shen Man got off work.

Changing back into her own clothes, she took out her phone; there were no missed calls.

Shen Man pressed her lips together, for a moment unable to describe the feeling in her heart.

She took a taxi back.

A lamp was left on in the entryway, and the orange-yellow light made the surroundings warm.

Shen Man changed her shoes gently, walked to the living room, and poured a glass of water.

She took a sip and heard a click; it was the sound of a room door being opened.

Shen Man put down the teacup, turned her head, and looked over.

Lin Shu was standing not far away in her pajamas, looking full of energy.

The loose pajamas made the young girl’s figure appear even more petite, and her somewhat fluffy hair added a touch of cuteness.

That pair of almond eyes was as bright as stars, sparkling under the light, extremely beautiful.

Shen Man took another sip of tea.

The warm tea flowed down her throat to her heart, and then spread to every cell.

Her cold body instantly warmed up.

“Shen Man, why did you come back so late?” Lin Shu pouted, sat down on the sofa, and looked at the wall clock, “It’s almost one o’clock.”

“Sorry for waking you up. I’ll probably be coming back around this time from now on.” Shen Man said, finishing the rest of the water in one gulp.

A wave of heat immediately rose from her body, and she casually took off her coat.

“Sigh, you are truly pitiful, having to work so late at night.” Lin Shu said, without a trace of sympathy on her face.

Shen Man smiled, did not answer this topic, sat down and said, “Shushu, why aren’t you asleep yet?”

“I’ll sleep when I want to sleep, it’s none of your business.” Lin Shu said with a proud look on her face.

“Are you waiting for me?” Shen Man continued to ask, her expression leisurely.

Lin Shu was taken aback, puffed up her face, and abruptly sat up from the sofa, “Who is waiting for you? Don’t make your own sentiment.”

After speaking, she quickly ran back to her room. Before closing the door, she turned back to glare at Shen Man, “You just wait for me!”

Shen Man heard the fierceness in her words, smiled slightly, raised her eyebrows, and revealed an expectant expression.

Lin Shu snorted and slammed the door shut.

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