I Am More Paranoid Than the Villain – Chapter 49

Her Thoughts

Subconsciously calling out her name

After breakfast.

The two drove to school.

Shen Man stopped the car, the corner of her eye catching a glimpse of a supercar.

Just as an answer popped into her head, Lin Shu beside her cried out in excitement.

“That’s Shao Qi’s car! He actually came to school today,” Lin Shu said happily.

After saying this, she quickly opened the car door and walked towards the sports car.

Shen Man sat in the driver’s seat, her gaze deepening.

She stared at Lin Shu, not missing a single subtle expression on that small face.

Seeing Lin Shu’s lips curled up in elation, a trace of displeasure grew in her heart.

Quickly, she suppressed this emotion, her expression becoming indifferent.

There was no one in Shao Qi’s car.

Lin Shu pouted in disappointment, turned back, and looked at Shen Man, saying, “Let’s hurry to the classroom, Shao Qi must be in the classroom.”

“Alright.” Shen Man smiled faintly, opened the door, and got out of the car.

Lin Shu walked ahead.

Shen Man followed leisurely behind.

“Shen Man, why do you think Shao Qi would suddenly come to school today?” Lin Shu guessed excitedly.

There was no response from behind her.

She stopped, glaring at Shen Man with dissatisfaction. “Can’t you walk a little faster? I’m talking to you!”

“What?” Shen Man looked up, an expression of confusion on her face.

The excitement in Lin Shu’s eyes was instantly extinguished. She snorted and strode forward.

Shen Man’s lips curved into a pleased, light laugh.

Lin Shu entered the classroom.

Her eyes widened as she looked around, but she didn’t see Shao Qi’s figure.

“Manman, Lin Shu, good morning.” Xia Ke waved at the two, greeting them warmly.

“Good morning.” Shen Man smiled and walked over, sitting down next to Xia Ke and putting down her schoolbag.

Seeing this, Lin Shu’s brows furrowed instantly.

She glared at Shen Man, looking displeased. “What are you doing sitting here?”

“I want to sit with Xiao Ke today. Shushu, you can sit in the back,” Shen Man said with a gentle smile.

Lin Shu choked, shot a glare at Xia Ke, and sat down behind them with her cheeks puffed out in a huff.

“Manman, look at my lipstick color today, is it pretty?” Xia Ke asked happily, lightly pressing her lips together. “Ah Xu helped me pick it out.”

“Yin Ruxu?” Shen Man frowned.

“Yeah.” Xia Ke nodded happily. “Ah Xu is a really good person. She looks so gentle and delicate, absolutely adorable.”

Shen Man smiled without a word, listening quietly.

Lin Shu listened to the laughter coming from the front row.

Watching the two of them chatting as if no one else was around, a nameless anger rose in her heart.

She reached out and poked Shen Man’s back forcefully.

Shen Man turned around, her eyes asking the question.

“Let me see yesterday’s notes,” Lin Shu said as if it were a matter of course.

“Okay.” Shen Man turned to get her notes.

Xia Ke tilted her head.

Her gaze met Lin Shu’s, and she offered a friendly smile.

Lin Shu gave a cold snort and looked away, her face full of annoyance.

Shen Man placed the notebook on Lin Shu’s desk, turned back, and started chatting with Xia Ke again.

The two talked and laughed like the closest of friends.

Lin Shu bit her lip and slammed the notebook hard on the desk.

The clang sound immediately attracted the attention of the two in front.

“Shushu, what’s wrong?” Shen Man asked.

“Nothing, my hand slipped,” Lin Shu said, raising an eyebrow arrogantly, a triumphant smile on her face.

“Be more careful,” Shen Man advised.

With that, she continued chatting with Xia Ke.

The smile on Lin Shu’s face vanished.

Puffing her cheeks, she started folding Shen Man’s notebook, the tips of her fingers making a rustle-rustle sound against the edge.

Seeing this, Xia Ke reminded her, “Lin Shu, you’re going to ruin Shen Man’s notes if you do that.”

“What’s it to you?” Lin Shu retorted, having found an outlet for her frustration, not holding back at all. “This is Shen Man’s notebook, I’ll do whatever I want with it. You don’t need to be so nosy!”

After saying this, Lin Shu stared intently at Shen Man.

Shen Man smiled faintly. “It’s fine, it won’t get ruined.”

Seeing her say this, Xia Ke didn’t press the matter.

Lin Shu let out a haughty scoff, as if she had won.

The classroom suddenly fell silent.

Then, it was filled with all sorts of whispers.

“Wow, it’s Shao Qi! He actually came to class today.”

“So handsome! I haven’t seen him all winter break, he seems even more handsome.”

“If only he could sit next to me.”

Listening to the excited voices of the girls around her, Shen Man’s peripheral vision glanced towards Lin Shu.

Lin Shu’s earlier gloom was gone, her eyes now fixed excitedly on Shao Qi’s figure.

“Is that Shao Qi?” Xia Ke asked curiously.

“Yeah, he’s the school grass¹,” Lin Shu replied happily, her eyes still glued on Shao Qi.

Shen Man noticed this behavior.

She sneered inwardly, leaned closer to Xia Ke, and said softly, “Shao Qi is very popular. A lot of girls in our class like him.”

“Really?” Xia Ke blinked, her light blue pupils showing a hint of surprise.

From Lin Shu’s angle, the two were practically speaking cheek-to-cheek.

Coupled with Shen Man deliberately lowering her voice, she could only vaguely hear the word “like.”

The excitement on Lin Shu’s face instantly turned cold.

Puffing her cheeks, she looked at them with displeasure. “What are you talking about?”

“Manman is talking about Shao Qi,” Xia Ke answered truthfully.

Lin Shu immediately shot Shen Man a glare.

Shen Man stood up, looked at Shao Qi, and said with a smile, “This is our class’s new student, Xia Ke.”

“Hello, nice to meet you.” Xia Ke stood up and extended her hand toward Shao Qi.

Shao Qi gave them a cold look, walked straight past, and sat in an empty seat in the corner.

Lin Shu immediately broke into a triumphant smile. “Some people just love to engage in self-made sentimentality².”

Xia Ke heard the sarcasm in her words but didn’t get angry. Instead, she asked, “Lin Shu, why do you dislike me? Is it because Manman and I are friends?”

Lin Shu was suddenly rendered speechless.

Shen Man heard this and looked at Lin Shu with a calm gaze.

The air instantly became quiet.

Lin Shu’s lips parted. She was stunned for a good while before she finally found her voice, saying out of shame and anger, “What nonsense are you talking about?”

“Then please don’t dislike me, okay? Let’s be good friends,” Xia Ke said with a smile, her eyes curving.

Before Lin Shu could react, she happily announced, “From now on, the three of us are good friends.”

Lin Shu was stunned and subconsciously looked at Shen Man.

Shen Man smiled faintly.

Lin Shu immediately turned her head away in annoyance, muttering under her breath, “I don’t want to…”

“Shushu, we’re all good friends. Isn’t this nice?” Shen Man interrupted.

Lin Shu bit her lip, swallowing the words that were about to come out.

“Then I’ll call you Shushu from now on, okay?” Xia Ke asked with a smile.

“Call me Lin Shu!” Lin Shu retorted loudly, her small face showing clear anger.

Xia Ke shrugged and said in compromise, “Alright then.”

After a moment, she asked again in a low, persistent voice, “Why won’t you let me call you Shushu? Manman gets to call you that.”

Lin Shu couldn’t answer. She shot Xia Ke a harsh glare and warned, “Don’t you get an inch and advance a foot³.”

Xia Ke smiled and didn’t push it any further.

The bell for class rang.

Shen Man took out her phone, found an angle, and placed it upright on her desk.

The phone’s screen clearly reflected the scene behind her.

Lin Shu was sitting alone.

Her hands were folded together, her head resting on her arms. Her long eyelashes fluttered, and her slightly pouted red lips carried an endless sense of grievance.

Suddenly, a paper note appeared on her desk.

Lin Shu looked up, immediately opened it, and mentally read the words on it, “No class this afternoon. Xia Ke said she’s treating us to milk tea.”

After reading it, she hesitated for a moment before writing a single ‘kay’ on it.

Lin Shu poked Shen Man’s back and tossed the note over.

Shen Man opened the note, looked at the reluctant ‘kay’ written on it, and smiled.

The class period passed quickly.

Xia Ke stood up and walked towards Shao Qi.

The lively classroom quieted down at once.

Pairs of curious and surprised eyes watched Xia Ke.

Xia Ke stood in front of Shao Qi’s desk.

Shao Qi felt a shadow fall over him. He looked up, saw who it was, and spoke coldly, “What is it?”

“My dad mentioned you,” Xia Ke said with a friendly smile, teasing, “You’re even colder than I imagined.”

“I don’t know you well,” Shao Qi said indifferently.

With that, he got up and walked out of the classroom.

Xia Ke gazed at his retreating back, her brow slightly furrowed.

She shrugged helplessly and walked back to her seat.

“What were you doing talking to Shao Qi?” Lin Shu questioned, her face cold.

“Nothing, just getting to know him,” Xia Ke replied with a smile. After a pause, she asked, “Do you like Shao Qi?”

“You…” Lin Shu was momentarily unsure if she was angry or embarrassed, and her fair face turned bright red.

She sat down resentfully, flipping through her book with loud rustles.

Confused, Xia Ke looked at Shen Man with a silent question.

Shen Man just smiled without saying anything, lowering her head to organize her own notes.

Xia Ke looked from side to side. Seeing that Shen Man had no intention of talking to her, she turned to chat with the student in front of her.

The morning passed quickly.

Xia Ke packed her textbooks and said with a smile, “Manman, I’m going back to the dorm for a bit. You guys wait for me at the milk tea shop.”

“Okay,” Shen Man nodded.

Lin Shu placed her schoolbag on the desk, making a clang sound.

Shen Man stood up, slinging her own bag over her shoulder, and asked with a smile, “Shushu, what’s wrong?”

“Shen Man, why do you have to hang out with Xia Ke?” Lin Shu pouted, looking unhappy.

“Xiao Ke is great. She’s kind and enthusiastic. Besides, I’m the class monitor, so I should take care of the new student,” Shen Man said as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Hearing the praise in her words, Lin Shu’s mood soured even more.

She tossed her schoolbag to Shen Man and strode out.

Carrying Lin Shu’s bag, Shen Man followed behind at an unhurried pace, a smile on her lips.

She could tell that Lin Shu was sulking because of Xia Ke’s two blunt remarks.

The fact that Lin Shu could be cornered by Xia Ke’s words also meant that Lin Shu’s feelings for the male lead were fading.

At the very least, during the class that the male lead attended today, Lin Shu hadn’t been sneaking glances at him as frequently as before.

---

At this time of day, the milk tea shop had a fair number of people.

Most were girls, discussing the latest trends. Bursts of laughter occasionally punctuated the soothing background music.

Lin Shu found a seat by the window.

She ordered a cup of milk tea and said with some impatience, “Why is it so noisy today?”

“Is it?” Shen Man asked in return, looking around. She smiled and said, “I feel like it’s about the same as usual. Neither empty nor noisy.”

Hearing this, Lin Shu immediately glared at Shen Man, pouted, and said, “You’re different from other people. The more girls there are, the more you like it, right?”

Shen Man heard the sarcasm and jealousy in her words, and her smile became more cheerful.

Seeing that she didn’t deny it, Lin Shu grew even more sullen and lowered her head to play with her phone by herself.

Shen Man’s fingers tapped on the table, making a rhythmic thump-thump sound.

She chuckled and said mysteriously, “Shushu, do you know why Xia Ke came to our school?”

“And specifically to our class,” she added, deliberately emphasizing her tone.

Lin Shu’s curiosity was instantly piqued.

She put down her phone, her big, round eyes full of confusion. “Why?”

“I think you should be able to guess,” Shen Man said with a cryptic smile.

Lin Shu frowned.

After thinking for a moment, her frown deepened, and she asked with some disbelief, “Could it be… related to Shao Qi?”

Shen Man nodded, a look of approval in her eyes. “Shushu is so smart. So, what do you plan to do?”

“Xiao Ke is a strong competitor. She’s good-looking, has a good family background, and is a likable, nice girl.”

After saying this, she stared intently at Lin Shu.

Lin Shu’s heart skipped a beat, and she suddenly felt a sense of urgency, as if she couldn’t breathe.

Her mind was a chaotic mess. There were many things she wanted to say, but when she opened her mouth, not a single sound came out.

“Your milk teas are ready.” The server came over and placed the drinks on the table.

As if saved, Lin Shu quickly picked up her milk tea, lowered her eyes, and started drinking on her own.

Shen Man saw this evasive behavior, smiled, and didn’t press her further.

The music in the milk tea shop became more cheerful, breaking the strange, tense atmosphere between them.

Xia Ke walked into the milk tea shop with another person behind her.

Watching the two of them walk over, Lin Shu snorted with disdain. “Weren’t you treating just the two of us? Why is she here too?”

“I happened to run into Ah Xu, so I invited her over,” Xia Ke explained with a smile.

A trace of embarrassment appeared on Yin Ruxu’s face, and she said in a small voice, “I should probably go, so I don’t bother you all.”

“It’s fine, we’re all friends,” Xia Ke said, pulling Yin Ruxu’s wrist to have her sit down.

Lin Shu immediately turned her head away in disgust.

Yin Ruxu kept her head down, her fingers twisting together nervously.

Feeling the awkward atmosphere, Xia Ke cast a pleading look at Shen Man.

Shen Man smiled faintly and moved her chair closer to Lin Shu’s.

Lin Shu immediately glared at her.

“Shushu, is the milk tea good?” Shen Man asked with a smile, her slender fingers resting on Lin Shu’s arm, tapping irregularly.

Lin Shu suddenly felt an itch where she was being tapped.

She unconsciously lifted her arm and said irritably, “The milk tea at this shop has always been good.”

The atmosphere instantly relaxed.

Xia Ke laughed happily, raising her milk tea. “I’m so happy to have met you all as friends. I hope we can all get along harmoniously in the future and become best friends who can talk about anything.”

Yin Ruxu showed a gentle, weak smile and also raised her cup.

Lin Shu hugged her own milk tea, making no move.

Shen Man glanced at the three of them, then looked at the watch on her wrist and said, “I have something to do back at school. You all take your time.”

“Alright then,” Xia Ke said, her voice tinged with unconcealed regret.

Shen Man stood up, grabbed her schoolbag, and walked out.

Lin Shu followed closely behind.

Yin Ruxu watched them leave, biting her lip, her expression soft and fragile. “Was it because of me that I ruined everyone’s mood?”

“I shouldn’t have come,” she said, lowering her head, her tone full of self-blame.

“It has nothing to do with you,” Xia Ke quickly reassured her. “Don’t take it to heart. Shen Man and the others really had something to do.”

Yin Ruxu looked up, her delicate features looking pitiful.

Xia Ke’s heart immediately softened, and she offered many more words of comfort.

---

Shen Man walked towards the school.

Lin Shu quickened her pace to catch up, complaining with a pout, “Why are you walking so fast? You don’t even know to wait for me.”

Hearing this, Shen Man turned back with a smile. “Shushu, I really do have something to do. Why didn’t you stay and have milk tea with them?”

“I don’t want to be with those two annoying people,” Lin Shu said resentfully, taking a sip of her milk tea.

“You dislike them, yet you’re drinking the milk tea they bought for you,” Shen Man chuckled.

Lin Shu was suddenly choked up. She bit her lip, her face full of grievance. “Don’t laugh at me!”

Shen Man suppressed her smile.

Just as she was about to speak, she saw two boys walking towards them.

Lin Shu’s eyes lit up, and she greeted them, “Tan Kai, what are you guys doing here?”

“Lin Shu,” Tan Kai called out her name with a big laugh, walking over. “Shao Qi wants to change his major and asked me to discuss it. Do you guys have any good suggestions?”

“Why does he suddenly want to change his major?” Shen Man asked, looking at Shao Qi.

Shao Qi’s gaze was fixed coldly elsewhere.

“The reasons are quite complicated,” Tan Kai said with a troubled expression. Seeing the confusion still on their faces, he smiled and said, “Let’s not trouble you with this. Just pretend I never said anything.”

He finished and looked at Lin Shu. “I heard the new student is a great beauty?”

“What does her beauty have to do with you?” Lin Shu retorted irritably. “Don’t tell me you’re thinking of transferring back?”

Tan Kai quickly shook his head. “I was just asking casually. She’s definitely not as pretty as our great Miss Lin.”

Only then was Lin Shu satisfied. A smile appeared on her face as she looked triumphantly at Shen Man.

Shen Man smiled lightly and said, “Sorry, we can’t help. He can choose based on his own interests and hobbies.”

“Okay, thanks, we’ll get going then,” Tan Kai said with a smile, waving at them.

Shen Man’s delicate brows furrowed slightly as she stared at Shao Qi’s departing figure.

Lin Shu followed her gaze, and her face immediately darkened. “He’s already far away, what are you still looking at?”

“Shushu, Shao Qi is changing his major. Will you be sad to see him go?” Shen Man asked, her cool eyes becoming serious.

Lin Shu was suddenly stunned.

Shen Man waited for a moment, but when no answer came, her lips curved. A trace of sorrow tinged her cool voice. “I understand now.”

After saying that, she strode forward.

An unexplainable panic rose in Lin Shu’s heart.

She hurriedly chased after her, asking with both anger and rage, “Make it clear, what do you understand?”

Hearing this, Shen Man suddenly stopped, turned around, her expression completely serious.

Lin Shu’s heart skipped a beat. She widened her eyes, meeting Shen Man’s gaze, unwilling to show weakness.

“I know you like Shao Qi,” Shen Man said, her tone calm.

But within those dark eyes, a sad light swirled.

Lin Shu froze completely.

Her lips parted, and she retorted without confidence, “So what if I do?”

“It’s nothing.” Shen Man shook her head, the smile that curved her lips carrying an indescribable self-mockery.

She looked at Lin Shu seriously.

Lin Shu unconsciously averted her gaze.

A flash of annoyance crossed Shen Man’s eyes. Her slender fingers gripped the strap of her schoolbag tightly, but her tone still carried a sorrowful emotion. “I’m going to the office now. You can still go find Shao Qi and stop him from transferring.”

With those words, she strode forward.

Lin Shu stood rooted to the spot, a sense of grievance welling up in her heart. She subconsciously called out Shen Man’s name.

Shen Man didn’t stop, continuing forward without a backward glance.

Lin Shu bit her lip, her heart a tangled mess.

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