I Am More Paranoid Than the Villain – Chapter 54

Cold Treatment

You should coax Miss Lin more

The sound of the engine stopped.

The inside of the car instantly became quiet.

Lin Shu unconsciously slowed her breathing.

All the sounds in her ears seemed to have been stripped away, leaving only the ‘thump-thump’ of her heartbeat, which felt like it was exploding in her mind, stimulating every single nerve.

Shen Man’s face was grim.

Her slender fingers gripped the armrest, the tips grinding against the genuine leather seat.

Faced with an infuriated interrogation, her usual tactic was to point out the other party’s loss of composure from the position of a superior.

Or she would get out of the car as if nothing had happened, leaving the other person space to cool down.

But at this moment, she sat in her seat, completely still.

With a ‘click’, Shen Man’s seatbelt was unfastened.

Lin Shu’s heart tightened, and the chamber of anger and grievance in her chest was breached in that instant.

She straightened her back, pressing it tightly against the seatback. She opened her lips, wanting to speak, but not a single syllable came out.

“Shushu.” Shen Man leaned over, her eyes calm and deep.

Lin Shu pressed her lips together, her body unconsciously leaning back.

An invisible pressure spread between the two of them.

“Do you know, right now you’re very much like…” Shen Man’s lips curved, a hint of a smile in her slow, deliberate voice.

She reached out and lifted a strand of the young woman’s beautiful, soft hair, her slender fingers stroking it as if enjoying the sensation.

Lin Shu didn’t move an inch.

Almost holding her breath, her round almond eyes stared warily at that excessively beautiful face as she blurted out, “Like what?”

“Like a little girlfriend who loves to get jealous.” Shen Man breathed out like an orchid¹, the smile in her eyes filled with deep, doting affection.

Lin Shu’s small face instantly turned bright red.

Her mind went blank for a moment, and she shouted without thinking, “What nonsense are you talking about? I’m a straight girl, I would never like a woman like you who plays with feelings.”

“Is that so?” Shen Man raised an eyebrow, the corners of her upturned lips forming a half-smile.

Her expression turned serious. Staring into those nervous almond eyes, she slowly began to speak, “Since you don’t like women, then why have you never refused my advances, or even going to bed.”

“What straight girl would sleep with a woman without any psychological pressure.” As she said this, her eyes grew cold.

Lin Shu’s heart trembled, her fingers clutching the seatbelt tightly.

She used too much force, and the strap dug into her shoulder, a trace of pain rising from her delicate skin.

She was completely unaware of it, all her attention focused on the face drawing near.

“Shushu, speaking of playing with feelings, you’re much better at it than I am!” Shen Man reversed the attack, laughing self-deprecatingly.

Her cool voice was laced with an inescapable sorrow.

Lin Shu’s heart felt as if it were being scraped across the tip of a knife, again and again, throbbing with an unspeakable pain.

She opened her lips, a thousand rebuttals in her heart, but by the time they reached her mouth, they had turned into a pale mumble.

“I know you are the Lin family’s precious eldest daughter. You’re never short of handsome men or beautiful women. I’m just a country bumpkin with no status, perhaps I should be eternally grateful.” Shen Man sat back in her seat, her proud face becoming self-deprecating.

It even carried a hint of despair.

Lin Shu couldn’t speak, her pearly white teeth biting tightly on the corner of her rosy lip.

“Miss Lin doesn’t need to pity me, I’m not so pathetic as to kill myself.” Shen Man gave a desolate smile and restarted the car.

The clamor of noise poured into her ears.

Lin Shu’s ability to think gradually returned.

She turned her head, stared at the person in the driver’s seat, pursed her lips, and said seriously, “Every time we went to bed, you forced me, and my cooperation was only…”

“Was only what?” Shen Man scoffed.

“It was only because I didn’t want you to tell anyone about it.” Lin Shu said loudly, her voice growing firmer toward the end.

It was as if she was giving herself a pep talk.

Hearing this answer, Shen Man’s heart seized up.

She had anticipated that with Lin Shu’s proud nature, she wouldn’t admit it easily.

But to actually hear this foolish yet clever defensive line from Lin Shu’s mouth, a flame of anger ignited uncontrollably in her chest.

The atmosphere in the car froze to ice point.

With a cold face, Shen Man drove to the apartment building.

She opened the car door, got out by herself, and then walked toward the building entrance without looking back.

“Shen Man!” Lin Shu shouted angrily from behind.

Shen Man turned a deaf ear.

She entered the elevator and pressed the close button.

The floor number, one, remained unchanged for a long time.

The elevator doors were pried open.

Lin Shu stood outside, her small face furious.

The two locked eyes.

Shen Man coolly averted her gaze.

Lin Shu snorted haughtily.

Entering the elevator, she stood at the furthest point from Shen Man.

Inside the cramped space, the two were like strangers, neither saying a word.

Lin Shu stared at that tall figure, grinding her teeth in resentment.

The elevator doors opened.

Shen Man was the first to exit.

She turned her head, looked at Lin Shu, her expression as cold as if she didn’t know her.

Lin Shu arrogantly turned her head away, fiddling with her hair.

Shen Man’s fine brows furrowed, and she walked quickly to the apartment door.

She took out her key, twisting it twice before the door opened.

She went straight in and quickly changed her shoes.

Lin Shu stood outside the door, watching with a cold little face.

Only after Shen Man had finished changing her shoes did she enter.

Auntie He, seeing their unusual state, asked with concern, “Miss Lin, what happened? Manman seems to be in a very bad mood.”

“How should I know?” Lin Shu replied in an unfriendly tone, glancing at Shen Man’s room, the anger in her eyes undiminished. “Teenage girls are always capricious, who knows what she wants to do.”

After saying this, she returned to her room with a cold little face.

Auntie He stood on the spot, dumb as a wooden chicken².

The word ‘capricious’ was much more suited to Lin Shu.

From her understanding of Shen Man, Shen Man would absolutely never do anything willful.

Much of the time, she felt that Shen Man was overly mature, her way of handling things was shrewd and skillful, lacking the liveliness and cuteness a girl her age should have.

Auntie He couldn’t understand it. She sighed and continued with her housework.

When evening came, she had finished preparing dinner, but there was no one in the living room.

Auntie He looked left and right, hesitated for a moment, then walked to Shen Man’s door.

She knocked and said, “Manman, come out for dinner.”

“I’m not hungry.” Shen Man opened the door, her voice as gentle as ever.

But one could clearly hear her unhappiness.

Auntie He felt a pang of fear and asked tactfully, “Manman, did you have a fight with Miss Lin?”

Shen Man chuckled lightly, “Auntie He, don’t overthink it, I’m fine.”

“Manman, I know, you’ve always had a calm and mature personality, you’ve always been the one tolerating Miss Lin.” Auntie He said earnestly, her words full of affirmation.

“Even a clay figure has three parts of a temper³. After a long time, anyone would reach their limit.”

Shen Man lowered her eyes, listening quietly.

This line of persuasion was old and conventional, but at this moment, it was unexpectedly comforting.

“You know what Miss Lin’s temper is like, prouder than a peacock, and the quills on her body are more numerous than a hedgehog’s.” Auntie He said in a small voice, secretly glancing at Lin Shu’s room.

Hearing this description, Shen Man couldn’t help but smile, “She is indeed very much like a hedgehog.”

“You, don’t hold it against Miss Lin. She just has a child’s temper. If you go along with her, no matter how big the issue, she’ll have forgotten her anger by the next day. If you don’t go along with her, she’ll hold a grudge forever.” Auntie He lowered her voice, a trace of fear mixed with her helplessness.

Seeing that Shen Man’s expression had softened, she continued to persuade, “We are all lodging under another’s fence⁴. It’s best to just do our own thing well and not make Miss Lin unhappy.”

“I understand, thank you.” Shen Man’s lips curved into a light smile, her expression becoming natural.

Auntie He smiled happily, “You’re the most sensible one, just give in to Miss Lin more.”

Shen Man didn’t respond.

Her fingers pressed against the edge of the door as she said faintly, “I’m not hungry, you can go call Shushu for dinner.”

Auntie He was taken aback and tried to persuade her tentatively, “Manman, are you still cross with Miss Lin?”

Shen Man smiled and shook her head, “I have something to take care of. Please leave some food for me, I’ll eat later.”

“Okay, okay.” Auntie He quickly agreed and turned to knock on Lin Shu’s door.

Lin Shu came out.

Glaring at Shen Man’s door, her small face was filled with displeasure, “What about her? Why isn’t she coming out to eat?”

“Manman said she has something to do and will eat after she’s finished,” Auntie He said with a polite smile.

“What could she possibly have to do?” Lin Shu snorted disdainfully, not believing this excuse at all.

Auntie He stood to the side with a smile, not daring to chime in.

Lin Shu sat down.

She glanced at the dishes on the table and immediately frowned, “Why is it meat again? It’s meat every single day, I’m sick of eating it.”

“Can’t you ever change things up?”

Auntie He knew this was displaced anger and didn’t dare to argue.

She quickly said, “Miss Lin, what would you like to eat? I’ll go buy it now.”

“Forget it.” Lin Shu pouted, reluctantly picking up a piece of meat with her chopsticks and placing it in her bowl.

Auntie He quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Lin Shu ate a little, then put down her chopsticks.

Auntie He stood to the side, asking cautiously, “Miss Lin, is it not to your liking?”

“You know, yet you still ask,” Lin Shu replied coldly.

Having been rebuffed, Auntie He efficiently cleared the table.

Lin Shu sat on the sofa to watch TV.

With the remote in her hand, she flipped through all the channels twice in just one minute.

The sounds from various channels constantly echoed in the room, always flashing by in an instant.

Auntie He glanced over quietly and sighed in her heart.

She took the dishes to the kitchen and set aside the food Shen Man was to eat.

She dawdled in the kitchen for half an hour, only daring to come out when she heard the living room had gone quiet.

Shen Man’s door opened.

Auntie He’s eyes lit up, and she immediately walked over with a smile, “Manman, are you hungry? I saved some food for you, you can eat now.”

“Alright.” Shen Man nodded.

Auntie He happily brought out the food.

Shen Man’s expression was normal as she ate slowly.

Auntie He stood for a while, then couldn’t help but say, “Manman, Miss Lin didn’t have much of an appetite today, she only ate a little.”

“I made all her favorite dishes. Usually, she never says anything, but today, she was just finding fault with everything, she didn’t even want to watch TV.”

Listening to this, the corners of Shen Man’s lips lifted.

Seeing this expression, Auntie He took the opportunity to say, “Although Miss Lin has a bit of a temper, she truly sees you as a friend and cares about you from the bottom of her heart.”

“If it were anyone else, Miss Lin would have kicked them out long ago.”

“Oh,” Shen Man responded in a way that was neither salty nor bland, her cool face showing no expression.

Auntie He couldn’t figure her out for a moment and braced herself to continue persuading, “If Miss Lin is unhappy, none of our days will be easy. Manman, you’re the most sensible one, just submit to being soft⁵, and give Miss Lin an apology.”

Shen Man smiled habitually, not responding.

She picked up a piece of meat and said, “This meat today, you’ve stewed it a bit too long.”

“Is that so?” Auntie He’s heart tightened, and she didn’t dare to persuade any further. “I’ll be more careful next time.”

After she finished speaking, she tactfully turned and went to the kitchen.

Shen Man ate her dinner alone, in silence.

There was not the slightest intention of apologizing in her eyes.

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