I Am More Paranoid Than the Villain – Chapter 8

Competing with Her

The milk tea on your lips is so sweet.

Shen Man listened to the lecture very seriously, taking notes.

Besides the rustling sound of her pen on the paper, she could also hear two girls behind her talking in low voices.

“Shao Qi didn’t come to class again. I wonder where he went?”

“Without him here, I don’t even want to listen to the lecture.”

“Even when he’s here, you don’t listen to the lecture.”

As soon as these words were spoken, the two girls began to laugh and playfully tease each other.

Shen Man scanned the classroom; sure enough, she did not see Shao Qi.

Her gaze fell upon Lin Shu.

Bored, Lin Shu was slumped over her desk, blackening the words in her textbook with a pen.

As if she sensed something, she turned her head and immediately met Shen Man’s gaze.

The two of them made eye contact for a few seconds.

Lin Shu huffed and haughtily¹ turned her head away.

Shen Man chuckled lightly.

The two girls behind her started talking in low voices again.

“The class president election is this afternoon. Who are you voting for?”

“I’m definitely voting for Shao Qi.”

“I wonder if he’s even running?”

“Sigh.”

Listening, Shen Man frowned slightly, tapped the tip of her pen on the desk, and decided to participate in this election.

She had been the class president back when she was in university.

Being the class president allowed her to obtain a lot of information in advance and also to learn about all the students in the class.

Although it was a little tiring, the advantages outweighed the disadvantages.

Shen Man chuckled lightly.

Having been tempered by society for a long time, she now always considered the pros and cons before making a decision, unlike that group of naive students who acted on pure passion.

A class period passed quickly.

During the break, the topic of everyone’s discussion was mostly about the election.

Tan Kai walked up to Shen Man’s desk and asked with a smile, “Shen Man, do you want to be the class president?”

Hearing this, Shen Man smiled and nodded.

“I’ll help you campaign for votes²,” Tan Kai said excitedly.

“Thank you, but there’s no need to go to such trouble,” Shen Man politely declined.

Seeing the two of them talking and laughing, Lin Shu walked over, glared at Tan Kai, and said irritably, “What are you doing here?”

“Shen Man is running for class president. We have to help her,” Tan Kai said with a smile.

Lin Shu gave him a white eye³, then looked at Shen Man with her chin held high, her eyes filled with provocation. “I’m going to run for class president too.”

After speaking, she looked at Tan Kai again. “You can only support me.”

Tan Kai showed a troubled expression.

Shen Man smiled. “If Shushu runs, I’ll vote for Shushu too.”

“I don’t need it.” Lin Shu huffed haughtily and pulled Tan Kai away.

---

The afternoon election soon arrived.

All the students were present, including the class-skipping Shao Qi.

The homeroom teacher stood on the platform, faced the class, and asked with a smile, “Whoever wants to run for class president, please come up to the stage to introduce yourself and campaign for some votes.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the students looked at me, and I looked at you; not a single person went up.

The classroom fell into silence.

Lin Shu glared at Shen Man and was the first to volunteer and walk up.

The homeroom teacher smiled, stepping to the side to applaud. “Let’s welcome student Lin Shu.”

Warm applause rose from below the stage.

Lin Shu, with a confident smile, spoke eloquently on the stage.

Shen Man sat below, watching with a smile on her lips, her chin propped on one hand.

On the stage, Lin Shu wore a red, waist-cinching long dress. Her soft, long hair had been specially curled, and it cascaded down, making her small face look even more exquisite.

Her moist, soft red lips opened and closed, from which a pleasant and melodious voice emerged.

A trace of appreciation appeared in Shen Man’s eyes.

After Lin Shu finished speaking, she bowed to the audience. As she straightened up, she looked toward Shen Man, issuing a wordless challenge letter⁴.

“Does anyone else want to run?” the homeroom teacher asked with a smile.

Shen Man stood up and, under everyone’s gaze, walked toward the stage with light steps.

Lin Shu smiled as if she were watching a good show.

Shen Man stood firm and began her speech.

Throughout her speech, her expression was natural and her smile was sweet.

The smile on Lin Shu’s face vanished, and her expression gradually soured.

After Shen Man finished her speech, even warmer applause erupted from below the stage.

Lin Shu felt a sense of pressure, turned to Tan Kai, and said, “I lost the last school flower⁵ pageant. This time, for class president, I must win.”

“Alright, alright, I support you,” Tan Kai hurriedly placated her.

Shen Man walked down from the stage. As she passed by Lin Shu, she revealed a standard smile.

Lin Shu was instantly like a provoked cat, her fur standing on end, and she glared back, unwilling to admit defeat.

After them, no one else ran for class president.

The choice would be made between them.

The students began to vote.

According to the one-vote-per-person rule, each student wrote the name of the person they were voting for on a piece of paper. The papers were then collected, and the homeroom teacher opened them.

A student recorded the votes on the blackboard using the ‘正’ character⁶ tally method.

“One vote for Shen Man, two votes for Shen Man…”

“One vote for Lin Shu… three votes for Lin Shu…”

The blackboard was divided into two sections; the left recorded Shen Man’s votes, and the right, Lin Shu’s.

Shen Man wore a smile, her expression calm, as if she did not care about the result.

Lin Shu’s small face was tense, her fingers unconsciously clasped together, her eyes fixed tightly on the blackboard.

When her vote count surpassed Shen Man’s, she would smile happily; when it was lower than Shen Man’s, she would bite her lip in frustration.

“Shen Man, twenty-two votes. Lin Shu, twenty-two votes,” the homeroom teacher announced from the stage.

Lin Shu wanted to smile in pleasant surprise, but she quickly realized it was a tie, and the corners of her upturned mouth were forced back down.

Shen Man was not surprised by this result, nor did she care.

“Our class has forty-five students. Whoever hasn’t voted yet, please stand up,” the homeroom teacher said loudly, her gaze sweeping over every student’s face.

After a good while, no one responded.

A student said in a low voice, “Shao Qi is asleep. He didn’t vote.”

Hearing this, the homeroom teacher’s face showed a troubled expression. She glanced at Tan Kai and said, “Tan Kai, go ask student Shao Qi to vote. He doesn’t need to write it down; just saying the name is fine.”

Tan Kai frowned, not wanting to move.

All the teachers in the school were afraid of Shao Qi, and their homeroom teacher was naturally no exception, so she passed this task to him.

“Tan Kai, hurry up and go get Shao Qi,” Lin Shu urged in a low voice, her nervous eyes filled with delight.

Tan Kai reluctantly got up, walked over to Shao Qi, and knocked on his desk. “We’re voting for class president. Right now, Lin Shu and Shen Man are competing. Who do you choose?”

Shao Qi lifted his head, his expression icy. He casually pointed in a direction and went back to sleep.

The direction he pointed was right at Shen Man.

Lin Shu stood up in astonishment and questioned loudly, “How could it be Shen Man? Why Shen Man?”

“Student Lin Shu, I’m sorry to say that this time, the class president is Shen Man. Don’t be discouraged; you can run again next semester,” the homeroom teacher soothed her with a gentle smile.

Lin Shu pressed her lips together and slowly sat down, unwilling to accept it.

Shen Man’s brow furrowed slightly.

Shao Qi’s thoughtless action intensified the conflict between her and Lin Shu. Their already strained relationship became even more rigid.

This development, however, unexpectedly aligned with the plot of the original book.

“Student Shen Man, please come up and say a few words to everyone,” the homeroom teacher said with a smile, leading the applause.

Amidst the applause, Shen Man once again stood on the stage.

Lin Shu’s eyes were red-rimmed. Her hands were clenched into tight fists, and she resolutely refused to applaud for Shen Man.

Shen Man said a few words casually and came down.

The homeroom teacher made a few concluding remarks, and the class meeting ended.

There were no more classes in the afternoon, and the students left one after another.

Shen Man sat still.

Lin Shu went out with the crowd, but before leaving, she shot Shen Man a fierce glare, her eyes full of stubborn defiance.

Shen Man smiled, then rose from her seat and left.

---

Shen Man returned to the Lin family home and knocked on the door.

Auntie He came to open it and asked with a smile, “Miss Lin? Why didn’t she come back with you.”

“I don’t know, she probably went out to have fun,” Shen Man replied.

“Will she be back for dinner?” Auntie He asked as she closed the door.

“I’ll call and ask her,” Shen Man said.

“Okay, I’ll have to trouble you then,” Auntie He said, a sheepish fear on her face.

Shen Man sat in the living room and dialed Lin Shu’s number.

After a good while, Lin Shu finally answered, her tone unfriendly. “What are you calling me for?”

“Auntie He is preparing dinner. Are you coming back to eat?” Shen Man asked.

“I’m certainly not coming back,” Lin Shu huffed indignantly.

Shen Man chuckled lightly, leaning comfortably against the sofa. “Are you still angry about losing to me?”

“Who’s angry?” Lin Shu retorted, refusing to admit it.

Shen Man laughed again, her voice lowering. “My vote was for you.”

Lin Shu froze. It took several seconds for her to find her voice again. “I don’t want your vote.”

By this calculation, it meant Shao Qi voted for her, but in reality, she was still one vote behind Shen Man.

“Are you coming back for dinner tonight?” Shen Man asked again, her voice full of amusement.

Lin Shu held the phone, not making a sound.

Shen Man continued to give her a step down⁷. “Auntie He said she made your favorite dish.”

Lin Shu finally spoke. “That’s my house. I’m naturally going back. I can’t just let you eat there all by yourself.”

The smile on Shen Man’s face deepened.

After hanging up, Shen Man walked to the kitchen and said with a smile, “Shushu is coming back for dinner.”

Auntie He immediately showed an expression of admiration. “Manman, you’re really something. You can actually handle⁸ Miss Lin.”

Shen Man smiled without speaking and returned to her room.

Shen Man adjusted the air conditioner in her room to a comfortable temperature, changed into a set of homey pajamas, and leaned against the bed playing on her phone.

After playing for a while, she felt her eyes were a bit sore, so she closed them and feigned sleep.

The door was knocked on forcefully. Judging by the sound, it could only be Lin Shu.

Shen Man opened her eyes and got up to open the door.

“Here, this is for you.” Lin Shu was holding a cup of milk tea.

Shen Man smiled and reached out to take it.

“Tan Kai bought it for you,” Lin Shu continued.

The smile on Shen Man’s face froze, and her fingers, which had been about to touch the milk tea, stopped.

Lin Shu frowned. “Why aren’t you taking it? Tan Kai bought it for you specifically.”

“Help me thank him. I’m on a diet, so I don’t drink milk tea,” Shen Man said with a smile.

“If you’re not drinking it, I will,” Lin Shu said. She glanced at Shen Man with a strange look, took a sip of the milk tea, and said, “I think Tan Kai has an interest in you. Why don’t you get together with him, so you won’t have to compete with me for Shao Qi.”

Hearing this, Shen Man let out a soft scoff. She didn’t answer the question, asking instead, “Is the milk tea good?”

“Of course it’s good,” Lin Shu said with a raised eyebrow, not understanding.

Seeing the ambiguous smile on Shen Man’s face, her heart skipped a beat.

Just as she was about to speak, a slender finger caressed her lips.

Lin Shu froze on the spot in shock, completely still.

That finger wiped across her lips, then moved to the other person’s lips.

Shen Man licked the corner of her mouth and smiled with a look of pleasure. “It is pretty sweet.”

“Cough, cough…” Lin Shu immediately choked, her fair little face turning red. Clutching the milk tea, she fled into the wilderness⁹.

Shen Man watched that fleeing back and was lost in thought.

---

Lin Shu returned to her room.

The milk tea in her hand felt like a hot potato. She put it on the desk and didn’t drink any more of it.

Her phone rang.

Seeing it was a call from Tan Kai, Lin Shu answered and said, “I’m home. What’s up?”

“Did Shen Man drink that milk tea? Did she like it?” Tan Kai asked nervously.

Lin Shu was taken aback. Her lips now seemed to be able to recall the feeling of that finger stroking them.

Her little face flushed red, and she said vaguely, “She didn’t drink it… no, wait… she drank it.”

“So did she drink it or not?” Tan Kai asked anxiously.

Lin Shu frowned, not knowing how to answer. She pursed her lips and said, “I’m never running your legs¹⁰ for you again. If you want to give someone milk tea, go deliver it yourself.”

Hearing the unhappiness in her voice, Tan Kai thought for a moment and said, “Does she not like it?”

“Tell her not to feel pressured. We’re all classmates, so drinking a cup of milk tea is no big deal.”

“I’m not telling her. If you want to say it, say it yourself,” Lin Shu pouted, wiping her mouth forcefully.

That cup of milk tea was left untouched on the side.

Lin Shu was playing on her phone when her door was knocked.

“Shushu, it’s time for dinner,” Shen Man said, knocking from outside.

“I know!” Lin Shu responded loudly, her voice carrying a trace of annoyance.

Shen Man smiled and went to the kitchen to help Auntie He serve the dishes.

The food was on the table by the time Lin Shu had washed her hands and sat down.

Shen Man sat down, looked at the green vegetables on the table, and said, “Shushu, eat more vegetables. I stir-fried these.”

Lin Shu had intended to refuse, but hearing the last sentence, she tentatively picked up a piece with her chopsticks.

The crisp and refreshing taste stimulated her palate, and a satisfied expression couldn’t help but appear on her face.

Seeing this, Auntie He said with a smile, “Manman’s cooking is even better than mine. Whoever ends up with Manman in the future will have real mouth fortune¹¹.”

“Auntie He, you’re telling a joke,” Shen Man said with a light laugh, her gaze turning to Lin Shu.

The vegetables in Lin Shu’s mouth suddenly became hard to swallow.

She chewed a few times, swallowed with difficulty, and refused to take any more from that bowl of vegetables.

The atmosphere at the table instantly turned cold.

Auntie He didn’t know what she had said wrong and gave an awkward laugh. “You two eat slowly. I’ll come clean up when you’re done.”

Lin Shu didn’t speak, just lowered her head to eat her food.

“Okay,” Shen Man replied.

The two of them finished dinner in silence and then returned to their respective rooms.

After showering, Shen Man lay comfortably in bed, found a post online, and sent it to Lin Shu.

Lin Shu opened it and saw it was a post with educational information about les aspects.

Her finger slid lightly across the screen, her expression changing from a casual glance to utter astonishment, and finally, her little face turned bright red.

It was as if the door to a new world¹² had been opened for Lin Shu. Her fingers trembled slightly as she typed, “Why did you send me this post?”

“I like women. From now on, don’t try to set me up with other people, and you don’t have to worry about me competing with you for Shao Qi,” Shen Man replied.

Lin Shu was instantly delighted and sent Shen Man a voice message. “Well, that’s great. You said it, so you can’t take it back. From now on, stay far away from Shao Qi. Don’t use your position as class president to take the opportunity to get close.”

Shen Man’s lips curled into a half-smile as she typed with one hand, “You can rest completely assured. I won’t be moved by any boy.”

Lin Shu sent a smiley face emoji back.

Shen Man then added, “You should take a good look at that post. It might be useful for you.”

“Thanks, but I don’t need it,” Lin Shu replied directly.

Shen Man stared at this reply, her long, slender fingers tapping gently on the phone screen.

Tap after tap, making a ‘thump, thump’ sound.

She quietly watched as the sky outside the window grew darker bit by bit.

A silvery-white moon rose silently, its light shining into the room, falling upon Shen Man’s cool and detached face.

That pair of eyes held a coldness that belonged to an adult.

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