I Am More Paranoid Than the Villain – Chapter 45

Because of liking

It’s so good to have you with me

The clamorous sounds of a crowd came from outside the window, the lively atmosphere diluting the winter day’s cold.

Lin Shu tilted her head, half of her face bathed in the sunlight.

The comfortable temperature made her unable to resist happily curling the corners of her mouth, and she said with narrowed eyes, “Bring some fruit over to eat.”

Shen Man stood up from the water, walked to the side of the small table, and picked up the fruit that had been prepared long ago.

She placed the fruit platter in front of Lin Shu, and followed the momentum to step into the water.

Lin Shu felt the water beside her ripple and immediately sat up, staring at Shen Man as if on guard.

Shen Man returned a gentle and harmless smile, and leaned over naturally.

The two people looked at each other for a few seconds.

Lin Shu pouted her lips, turned her head away, and focused on eating the fruit.

Suddenly, a warm breath came from behind her. The next second, a soft and fiery body pressed against her back, scalding her heart until it grew hot and began to beat rapidly.

“Why are you suddenly leaning so close to me?” Lin Shu’s fingers holding the fruit paused, her body slightly tensing.

Shen Man let out a light laugh, reached out her left hand, wrapped it around Lin Shu’s shoulder, her fingertips landing on the fruit platter, and easily picked up a piece of apple.

This movement made the two of them press even more closely together.

Lin Shu’s heart skipped a beat, and all her body’s senses were concentrated on her back. Her fair skin turned crimson, and even her face became extremely red.

“I just want to eat some fruit, that’s all.” Shen Man took a bite of the apple, making a crisp sound, “So sweet.”

While saying this, that pair of beautiful eyes was fixed on Lin Shu, as if looking at some kind of delicious food.

Lin Shu met her gaze for a few seconds, then with a red face, proudly let out a hmph, and turned her head to one side.

Seeing this, Shen Man no longer teased her.

The two people quietly enjoyed the tranquil afternoon time.

The time unknowingly reached five o’clock.

Lin Shu got up and picked up the bath towel at her side to drape over her body.

Shen Man took one look and said with a smile, “Shushu, you like this look as if you’re not wearing any clothes underneath.”

Hearing these words, Lin Shu’s face grew hot. She shot Shen Man a sideways glance and wrapped the bath towel even tighter.

After soaking in the hot spring, the sky was already dark.

The two people returned to the hotel.

After Lin Shu washed up, she looked at the double bed, bit her lip, and hesitated for a while, then asked the waiter to send over another set of bedding.

Shen Man saw the two sets of bedding folded neatly on the bed and said nothing, only revealing a smile that was full of profound meaning.

“What are you smiling at?” Lin Shu sat on the bed and asked with dissatisfaction.

“Nothing.” Shen Man replied with a smile, turning off the light and getting into bed.

Lin Shu lay down, patted the quilt forcefully, and gazed at the pitch-black night. After a long while, she said, “Shen Man, you were really strange today.”

“How was I strange?” The corners of Shen Man’s lips hooked up slightly, her tone revealing a bit of puzzlement.

Lin Shu paused.

After thinking for a moment, she turned over and said very seriously, “Shen Man, we’ll each sleep on our own side. You’re not allowed to come over.”

Shen Man smiled and did not speak.

Lin Shu played on her phone for a while, her eyelids gradually growing heavy.

Seeing that the time had reached twelve o’clock, she gave a yawn and put down her phone.

Before long, the sound of steady breathing arose from beside her.

Shen Man turned onto her side, silently gazing at that indistinct silhouette.

She extended her fingers and slowly closed them, as if grasping the person before her in her hand.

---

This hot spring trip was, on the whole, still a pleasant one.

Returning to the house, Lin Shu placed her suitcase in the living room and lay down comfortably on the sofa.

Shen Man began to clean the house.

Having been unoccupied for only a day, the house was still very clean, and Shen Man finished tidying up very quickly.

She took out fruit from the refrigerator, made a fruit platter, and placed it in front of Lin Shu.

Lin Shu watched the television, and while eating fruit, she asked, “How come Auntie He hasn’t come yet?”

“In the past, she always came on the third day of the new year.” She said, her fine eyebrows slightly furrowed.

“Auntie He had some family matters this year. She already told me she’ll come on the eighth day of the new year¹.” Shen Man said.

“Oh.” Lin Shu responded. After a pause, she glared forcefully at Shen Man, “Something this important, she should have told me. Why did she tell you?”

“Isn’t it all the same?” Shen Man asked back with a smile.

Lin Shu puffed up her cheeks, unable to think of a retort for a moment.

“Shushu thinking seriously looks so cute.” Shen Man said with a teasing smile.

Lin Shu immediately shot her a white-eyed glance, lay down again to eat fruit, and watched the commercials on the television with keen interest.

The phone at her side rang.

Lin Shu picked it up and saw that it was from Ding Xi.

“Lin Shu-jie, Happy New Year. Do you want to come out for a walk today?” Ding Xi asked.

“No need. I just went to a hot spring yesterday. I don’t feel like moving at all today.” Lin Shu said lazily.

“Did you go by yourself?” Ding Xi asked in surprise.

“No.” Lin Shu said, glanced at Shen Man, and then added, “I went with Shen Man.”

“Shen Man came over so quickly?” Ding Xi asked, following the topic.

“She didn’t go back. She spent the New Year here this year.” Lin Shu said.

“So that’s how it is.” Ding Xi showed an expression of sudden realization, “No wonder Lin Shu-jie sounds like she’s in a good mood. It turns out you had someone with you.”

“I’m not happy because of her!” Lin Shu hurriedly retorted, her face visibly turning red.

Her overly agitated emotions attracted Shen Man’s attention.

Shen Man looked over, her line of sight meeting Lin Shu’s.

Lin Shu gave an aojiao (tsundere) hmph and said into the phone, “I’m not talking to you anymore.”

“Who called?” Shen Man asked.

“What’s it to you!” Lin Shu answered irritably, stood up, and walked towards her room.

Just as she reached the corner, her wrist was grabbed.

Lin Shu subconsciously turned her head, and the next second, she was met with a cool and detached face.

She was cornered against the wall, unable to move.

Shen Man tightly pinched that slender wrist and pressed her body closer.

Their lips were almost touching.

She tilted her head slightly, let out a breath, and said with a light laugh, “Shushu, I want to know who was calling you just now?”

The extremely close face brought with it a pressure that could not be ignored.

Lin Shu’s heart pounded, and her first reaction was to escape.

She hurriedly suppressed the fear in her heart and glared back angrily.

Shen Man licked her lips, slowly moved closer, and breathed against the girl’s fair and tender earlobe, saying in a steady tone, “Shushu, if you don’t tell me, I’m going to have to kiss you.”

“Don’t… mhm mhm…” Before Lin Shu could finish her words, her delicate and soft lips were already covered.

Shen Man kissed her for a moment, then proactively let go, once again staring into that pair of almond eyes, and asked, “Shushu, who was it?”

Lin Shu bit her lip, turned her head to the side, and said unwillingly, “It was Ding Xi.”

Hearing this name, Shen Man smiled and released her hand.

Lin Shu immediately ran towards her room.

The moment she closed the door, Lin Shu paused.

She stood for a few seconds, then ran out, glared at Shen Man, and questioned aggressively, “On what grounds do you get to manage my affairs?”

“Because I like…” Shen Man said with a smile, her drawn-out tone making it seem as if she hadn’t finished her sentence.

Lin Shu froze all at once. After being stunned for a moment, she shouted loudly, “Who wants you to like them!”

After speaking, she forcefully slammed the room door shut.

Shen Man listened to the loud bang sound, a pleased smile hooking the corners of her lips. She stood by the door and said, “Shushu, I’m going downstairs to buy groceries.”

Lin Shu sat on her bed, her face flushed red, and did not reply.

A sound of footsteps came from outside.

A moment later, it was the sound of the main door closing.

Lin Shu came out of her room, gazed at the empty living room, her eyes flickered, and she reached out her fingers to press against her lips.

She could seemingly still feel the sensation of being kissed, tingly and numb, which spread into her heart.

Lin Shu bit her lip, touched her wildly beating heart, and turned to go back to her room.

She lay on the bed, trying to empty her mind, but Shen Man’s words ‘I like’ automatically echoed in her ears.

She had always known that Shen Man liked women, but she had never thought about who Shen Man might like.

With a personality as awful as Shen Man’s, there surely were no girls who liked her.

As Lin Shu thought this, the gloominess in her heart eased a little.

When Shen Man returned from buying groceries, it was just in time for dinner.

She made three dishes and a soup, and without needing her to call for her, Lin Shu had already smelled the aroma and was sitting in the living room.

Shen Man couldn’t help but laugh. She brought the food to the table and said, “Shushu, our time for two is ending tomorrow.”

“I really hope that time today could be a little slower, that way I could spend a little more time alone with Shushu.” She said, the regret on her face hard to conceal.

Lin Shu’s hand trembled, and the piece of meat held in her chopsticks fell onto the table.

She immediately showed a displeased expression, picked up another piece of meat and placed it steadily in her bowl, and said without raising her head, “I don’t want to spend time alone with you at all.”

“Is that so?” Shen Man raised an eyebrow, a look of disbelief on her face, and said with a smile, “I like it very much, you know.”

“I don’t like it!” Lin Shu retorted loudly, her small face filled with anger, poking at the rice grains in her bowl with her chopsticks, “I hate the most…”

“Hate what?” Shen Man immediately asked.

The words on the tip of Lin Shu’s tongue got stuck. She put the meat into her mouth and chewed on it forcefully.

“Eat slower, be careful not to choke.” Shen Man said with concern.

As soon as her voice fell, Lin Shu was choked into a coughing fit.

Shen Man immediately passed over a glass of water and a napkin.

Lin Shu took the glass, took a sip, and finally stopped the uncomfortable feeling of choking.

She placed the glass on the table and glared angrily at Shen Man, “It’s all your fault that I choked.”

“It’s my fault.” Shen Man said good-temperedly.

“It was your fault to begin with.” Lin Shu raised her volume, her round eyes glistening with an aggrieved mist.

Shen Man nodded along with her words and asked in a soft voice, “Are you feeling better?”

Lin Shu wiped the teardrops from her eyes and nodded with her mouth puffed out.

Shen Man revealed an indulgent, light smile.

Lin Shu’s face turned red, and she lowered her head, eating her meal seriously.

After finishing dinner, Shen Man went to wash the dishes.

Lin Shu did not watch television and went directly back to her own room.

After Shen Man finished tidying up the kitchen and came out, she did not see Lin Shu’s figure and walked over to knock on Lin Shu’s door.

Lin Shu happened to be playing on her phone. Hearing the knock, she waited a moment, then got up to open the door.

“Shushu, rest early.” Shen Man said with a smile, her expression gentle.

“Got it.” Lin Shu pouted her lips, her fingers pressed against the side of the door, and asked haughtily, “Is there anything else?”

“Goodnight.” Shen Man said with a wave, her smile gentle.

Lin Shu slammed the door with a bang.

The smile on Shen Man’s face did not change. She turned and went back to her room.

She lay on the bed, pondering the arrangements for the near future.

In half a semester, Lin Shu would leave this place and go far away to study abroad.

She still had half a year’s time to change everything.

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On the morning of the eighth day of the new year, Auntie He arrived.

Shen Man was in the kitchen making breakfast. Hearing a sound from the entryway, she walked out and saw Auntie He, and said with a smile, “Auntie He, Happy New Year. Why did you come so early?”

“Manman, Happy New Year.” Auntie He showed a happy smile, glanced at Lin Shu’s room, and lowered her voice to say, “Has Miss Lin not gotten up yet?”

Shen Man shook her head.

Auntie He put down her things, deliberately lowered her voice, and said with a smile, “Thanks to you being here to accompany Miss Lin this time, I was able to stay at home for a few more days.”

“You’re too kind.” Shen Man gave a light smile, “I see you probably took the night bus over. You should go rest for a while first.”

“I’m not tired.” Auntie He hurriedly shook her head, her face full of gratitude, “Manman, you go rest. These are things I should be doing in the first place.”

Shen Man could not refuse and nodded with a smile.

Auntie He changed into her apron and entered the kitchen.

Shen Man followed behind, stood by the door, and watched Auntie He busy herself.

“Manman, it’s so good to have you here. Every Spring Festival is a time when Miss Lin is in a bad mood. With you here this year, Miss Lin at least won’t be lonely by herself.” Auntie He said with emotion, a hint of sympathy in her eyes.

Shen Man smiled.

“In previous years when I came on the third day, I was always worried and fearful. Only this year is my heart at ease.” Auntie He said while busying herself.

“If only you could stay with Miss Lin forever, that would be great.”

Hearing these words, Shen Man’s eyes flickered slightly. Her slender fingers tapped gently, intermittently making a ding-dong sound.

She let out a laugh that was full of profound meaning and turned to walk out of the kitchen.

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