I Am More Paranoid Than The Villainess

Her Paranoia

The news of the male lead’s luxurious birthday banquet spread all over the class.

Gender didn’t matter, everyone wanted to participate.

Lin Shu smiled, arrogantly looking over those excited, eager faces.

A girl comes over to Shen Man and whispers, “Monitor, do you know who Shao Qi invited to his birthday this year?”

Shen Man shakes her head with a blank face.

The girl’s lips twitch in reluctance, then she looks at Lin Shu, her tone full of jealousy, “Look at how pleased Lin Shu is, she’s definitely going.”

“Class Monitor, Shao Qi probably invited you too. After all, he gave you a gift last time.” After saying this, her jealousy grew.

Shen Man smiled faintly and said, “Why don’t I ask Lin Shu for you?”

A sliver of fear appeared on the girl’s face. Not wanting to offend Lin Shu, she urgently shook her head saying, “No, no.”

After that, she ran away.

Shen Man takes a quick glance around the room.

Many girls in the class casted hostile, jealous gazes towards Lin Shu, but she still didn’t change her arrogant ways. On the contrary, her smile became more and more provocative, not taking these people seriously.

Lin Shu’s family has a high status, and she was also given the role of an arrogant and domineering villainess. Of course, she usually acted like a spoiled young lady around her classmates.

In addition, the outstanding second male lead Tan Kai is on her side. Many of her classmates have complaints about her, but they didn’t have courage to show it in front of her.

Meanwhile, Shen Man did not have a problem with Lin Shu’s attitude.

In her opinion, Lin Shu is just a spoiled daughter of a rich family. She seems petty and scheming, but is kind of dumb. Maybe she has a venomous mouth, but she hasn’t done anything out of line.

But as a somewhat kind person in the beginning, Lin Shu ultimately became a hateful villainess, all for the male lead. 

Thinking of her undisguised love towards the male lead, Shen Man frowned.

During this period, she spoiled Lin Shu and gave in to her demands, but she didn’t seem to change Lin Shu at all.

On the contrary, the disgust and resistance Lin Shu had towards her was very clear.

The two’s peaceful relationship depended entirely on her care and tolerance.

Lin Shu was enjoying the jealous looks of the people around her until she felt a strange gaze.

She turned around and met Shen Man’s dark eyes.

Lin Shu’s heart tensed and she glared back.

Shen Man laughed, standing up.

Shocked, Lin Shu’s heart beat faster.

Watching Shen Man sit down next to her, she raised her head high and asked, “Why’re you sitting next to me?”

“I want to sit with you, Shushu.” Shen Man answered with a smile and gentle eyes.

Lin Shu’s eyes flashed, then she pursed her lips and turned her head away.

The classroom suddenly quieted down as everyone looked towards the door.

Tan Kai and Shao Qi made their entrance, shoulder to shoulder.

Tan Kai had a cheerful smile while Shao Qi put on his cold expression.

Shen Man’s eyebrows jumped with a trace of surprise.

Lin Shu was so shocked she directly stood up and watched Tan Kai walking over in a daze.

Tan Kai and Shao Qi  sat down on the two empty seats behind them.

Lin Shu recovered from her daze, blinked, and secretly glanced at Shao Qi. She took Tan Kai’s arm and whispered, “Since when did you have such a good relationship with Shao Qi?”

Shen Man was also curious and looked at Tan Kai.

Since they were rivals in love, the two were like fire and water. Tan Kai usually dislikes Shao Qi and always wanted to compete with him.

Tan Kai awkwardly scratched his head and laughed, “I guess this is just how friendships between guys work.”

With that, he patted Shao Qi’s shoulder.

Shao Qi’s eyes were cold, but he had no intention of moving away either, so he was silently acknowledging this relationship.

Shen Man thought it was incredible at first, then it felt reasonable.

They were two young men, close in age, similar in family background. One is sunny and cheerful, the other cold and independent, it seemed like the perfect friendship.

“Shao Qi’s birthday is coming up, we should help him enjoy it to the fullest this time.” Tan Kai laughed.

Lin Shu smiled happily, opportunistically asking, “Shao Qi, what gift would you like?”

“No need,” he replied with a cold expression.

“But it’s going to be your birthday, how could I come empty-handed?” Lin Shu pressed, the smile on her face fading.

Shen Man looked towards Lin Shu, her brows furrowing.

“Lin Shu, Uncle and Aunt Shao planned the banquet, all we need to do is make the celebration a happy event for Shao Qi. There’s no need for gifts.” Tan Kai laughed.

“Since when did people celebrate their birthday without gifts?” Lin Shu pouted, “Giving gifts means you appreciate the person and want to express your heartfelt emotions. As girls, we’d always expect gifts on our birthdays.”

“We guys don’t really care as long as you attend.” Tan Kai said, nudging Shao Qi with his elbow, “Am I right?”

Shao Qi coldly nodded.

Hearing this, Shen Man laughed and turned to Shao Qi, quietly asking, “Why did you invite me?”

“Yeah, why is she invited?” Lin Shu echoed.

Shao Qi lifted his head and his icy eyes swept across the two, “ It’s my dad’s idea.”

And with that, he put his head on the table and took a nap.

Shen Manqi still had a trace of doubt and continued to ask, “Uncle Shao has never seen me before. How could he invite me to such an important banquet?”

Shao Qi kept his head on the table and didn’t answer.

Shen Man looked towards Tan Kai.

Lin Shu also looked at Tan Kai with her pair of bright apricot eyes, more curious than Shen Man.

Tan Kai shook his head, “I don’t know.”

He thought for a moment and added, “It’s probably because you’re beautiful and kind hearted. Even if Uncle Shao hasn’t seen you yet, he would like you.”

Lin Shu immediately rolled her eyes, “Where do you see she’s beautiful and kind hearted?”

Shen Man smiled and lowered her voice, “Shushu, do you think I’m not good?”

Lin Shu’s heart trembled and she sneered, then fell silent.

Tan Kai yawned and said, “I played video games with Shao Qi all night yesterday. I’m so sleepy, I’m gonna take a nap right now.”

After saying that, he slumped down on his chair comfortably.

Shen Man stared at her textbook, her slender white fingers holding a black pen, spinning it rapidly.

After the end of the lecture, she still hadn’t written a word down.

Lin Shu glanced at her and smiled. With a ‘tut’, she said half in laughter and half in surprise, “It turns out nerds can also have a day where they don’t study.”

Shen Man smiled and raised her brows, as if she were calculating something. She said, “Shushu,  I think there are some things that can be changed.”

Lin Shu didn’t understand what her smile meant and instinctively felt a trace of danger.

She shrank aside and widened the distance between them.

Shen Man lowered her voice and chuckled, “Do you remember I once asked you a question?”

“What question?” Lin Shu frowned.

Shen Man leaned over, her red lips dangerously close to Lin Shu’s tender white earlobe. Like blowing smoke in her ear, she replied, “Why do you like Shao Qi so much?”

“Even though he is so cold towards you, you don’t mind. You can even put down your pride.”

The warm breath spread throughout Lin Shu’s cheeks and neck, making her skin feel itchy. She quickly reached out to cover her cheeks, her pale tender face flushed pink.

Her heart beat faster, and her mind became a mess. She stared at Shen Man vigilantly, “What does that have to do with you? I just like him!”

“Really?” Shen Man hooked her lips in a smirk and her eyes growing deep.

Lin Shu suddenly felt like a rabbit stared at by a wolf, and coldness spread through every inch of her skin.

She wanted to avoid Shen Man’s sight, but she was unwilling to give in. Lin Shu gritted her teeth and glared back fiercely.

Shen Man laughed and sat back in her seat.

In the following lecture, she began diligently taking notes.

Meanwhile, Lin Shu doodled on her book in boredom. She looked to the side and saw Shen Man’s luscious black hair pinned behind her ear, revealing a captivating side profile.

It was an exquisite face, beautiful and pure, appearing completely harmless.

But that pair of dark eyes, sometimes their depth is frightening.

Lin Shu shook her head, trying to eliminate that scary image from her mind.

Shen Man noticed her movement and set down her pen, “Huh?”

Feeling inexplicably guilty, Lin Shu hurriedly lowered her head and pretended to be writing.

After a nice nap, Tan Kai woke up to find the two girls sitting in an awkward atmosphere.

He reached out a hand and tapped Lin Shu’s back, “What happened to you two?”

Lin Shu turned around in annoyance, “Mind your own business, go sleep.”

“I already finished sleeping,” Tan Kai chuckled, pulling Lin Shu to chat with him. He mysteriously asked, “Do you know who else will go?”

Lin Shu was intrigued by his secrecy and urged, “Who else?”

Shen Man also set down her pen and silently eavesdropped from the side.

Tan Kai listed some names, male and female.

After listening, Lin Shu pouted, “How come these women are coming too?”

“They’re all heirs and heiresses who do business with the Shao family. It’s normal for them to be invited.” Tan Kai answered with a smile.

Still dissatisfied, Lin Shu muttered, “Now there’s more annoying people.”

“What?” replied the puzzled Tan Kai.

Lin Shu turned her head away and didn’t bother to explain.

Shen Man understands.

If the heiress of a wealthy family attends, she would be a formidable enemy for Lin Shu.

This grand birthday banquet isn’t just something for the male lead to simply celebrate.

*

In Lin Shu’s excitement, the male lead’s birthday draws closer and closer.

Lin Shu looked at the word ‘Friday’ on her phone and smiled happily.

Shen Man sat on the sofa reading magazines, looking up at the person next to her from time to time.

When Lin Shu made eye contact with her, she proudly raised her eyebrows in joy and laughed in delight, “Shen Man, are you going to the birthday banquet in your cheap clothes?”

Shen Man looked down at her clothes.

A plain long skirt and small white sneakers, ordinary and cheap. When she wore this to school, it was mostly her aura that saved her image.

But for such a grand occasion, it is definitely not appropriate to wear casual clothes.

Unfortunately, there were no suitable clothes in her wardrobe either.

Lin Shu smiled with increasing joy, “I knew it, you’re so poor you definitely can’t afford new clothes.”

Shen Man smiled, with no trace of embarrassment on her face. She calmly said, “Shushu, you seem to have a lot of clothes. Would it be okay for me to borrow a set?”

“Don’t even think about it!” Lin Shu firmly refused.

Now Shen Man is a little embarrassed.

The grander the occasion, the people would try to ‘keep up with the Joneses.’ Her identity compared to those wealthy heiresses is like the distance between heaven and earth, an ugly duckling mixed in a crowd of white swans. If her clothes are too cheap, they would coldly ridicule her.

Lin Shu looked at her from the side without any desire to help. 

Shen Man put down her magazine and lowered her eyes, trying to quickly figure out a solution.

Then, the doorbell rang.

Shen Man glanced at Aunt He, who was cooking in the kitchen, and went to open the door.

Outside stood a woman in a work uniform.

There was a name badge with the woman’s name, as well as the name of the company. She carefully held an exquisite box in her arms.

The woman took the lead in speaking and smiled enthusiastically, “May I ask, is Miss Shen Man present?”

Shen Man glanced at her with brows furrowed in doubt, nodded, and asked, “What can I do for you?”

“This is a gift from a gentleman. Please sign to receive it.” The woman handed over the box and placed a pen on top of it, “Please sign here.”

Shen Man quickly signed the package and took it inside.

Lin Shu saw the logo on the box and ran over in a hurry, asking in surprise, “Who gave you such a valuable gift?”

“Who knows.” Shen Man chuckled as she opened the box.

A luxurious red evening gown reflected in her eyes, along with a pair of matching high heels and a note.

Shen Man took the note, which had a familiar handwriting.

“Many thanks to Student Shen Man, for taking care of Shao Qi these days. This is a small gift from my heart, I hope you can accept it.” The sender, Shao Qi’s father.

Lin Shu came over and saw the sender’s signature. She stared at Shen Man with wide eyes, “Why did Uncle Shao give you a gift?”

“He said it was a token of thanks.” Shen Man placed the note back and closed the box.

She put it in a small cabinet, then sat on the sofa and continued to read magazines.

Lin Shu stood still, staring at the box with flames in her eyes, like she wanted to burn it to ashes.

After furiously looking at it for a while, Lin Shu turned her pupils to Shen Man and let out a smile. She runs over to Shen Man excitedly, “Didn’t you want to borrow a dress just now?”

Shen Man turns her head towards her with an eyebrow raised.

“Give me this dress in exchange and you can choose anything from my closet.” Lin Shu said happily.

Shen Man smiled and fiddled with the page of her magazine with slender fingers. Rubbing the edge of the page, she slowly replied, “Thank you for your kindness, but I don’t need to borrow a dress anymore.”

“Are you really not going to borrow?” Lin Shu gritted her teeth and stared at Shen Man angrily.

“Uh-huh.” Shen Man gave a light nod.

Lin Shu sneered and ran back to her room.

After hearing the slam of a door, Shen Man closed her magazine, her eyes falling on the gift box.

She can’t return this gift. She is bound to attend the male lead’s birthday banquet.

If Lin Shu had a better attitude and pleaded a bit more, she might have followed this eldest lady’s wish.

However, with Lin Shu’s arrogant temper, she could never resort to begging.

Aunt He comes out of the kitchen with their dinner and says with a smile, “Manman, ask Miss Lin to come over for dinner.”

Shen Man nodded, and walked over to Lin Shu’s room and knocked, calling, “Shushu, it’s time to eat.”

Lin Shu opened the door, the annoyance from before wiped from her little face. With a proud smile, she looked at Shen Man with high confidence, “I don’t care about your dress.”

“That’s great. Come and have dinner, Aunt He cooked your favorite soup.” Shen Man smiled indifferently and ignored her provocation.

After dinner, Aunt He brings over some cut fruit.

Lin Shu comfortably laid on the sofa, watching TV and eating fruit on the side. She looked very leisurely.

Shen Man glanced at her as she took the gift box, and returned to her room.

This gown seems tailor-made, since when she put it on, it felt very suitable for her.

The heels also fit very well.

Shen Man took off the gown and changed into her comfortable pajamas.

She can probably guess that Shao Qi’s father ‘understands her’ very well. Aside from her height and measurements, he most likely investigated other things thoroughly.

If she meets such a person in the workplace, she would be sure the other party has a purpose, and fight back without restraint.

But it happened in a novel, not to mention the male lead’s father never made an appearance. At the moment, she couldn’t see his real intention.

Is it really because she is the class monitor that he thanked her?

Shen Man frowned.

She has experienced all kinds of lies and coercion in the workplace, so she was a little unaccustomed to the ‘simplicity’ of these people.

So far, amongst the people she had contact with, Yan Jie is the worst.

But Yan Jie’s only plan is to just destroy her books.

She thinks this kind of petty trick is naive and funny, it couldn’t do her much harm.

As for the main characters, the male lead is cold, doesn’t speak, and often skips classes. If he ever does attend class, he would sleep, keeping a low profile.

If it wasn’t for that overly attractive face, he would basically have no sense of existence.

The second male lead is warm and cheerful. He hangs out with the boys in his class all day long. Most of their topics were about basketball and video games.

He’s very popular and is great at hanging out with girls too, as well as students from other classes.

Lin Shu is like a little princess who loves to look her best. She dresses herself up beautifully every day, attends school on time, and goes back home until dark.

In class, she zones out or plays on her phone. After class, she makes plans to hang out with her female friends.

Except for the fact she is spoiled and arrogant, everything else is pretty nice.

If you make her mad, she would only glare at you at most. After she cools down, she would be a great friend to hang out with.

These main characters are the simplest amongst the people she’s met.

The campus life is also much easier than the work setting, even better than her original school days.

Shen Man smiled and threw these complicated thoughts into the back of her mind.