Chapter 23: 22.2

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.

*

Early Saturday morning, Lin Shu woke up and created a lot of ruckus in her room.

Shen Man washed up and went out to eat breakfast in her home clothes.

She walks to the door of Lin Shu’s room. Through the half-open door, she sees Lin Shu leaning against the backrest of a chair, doing her skincare routine on her face, neck, and hands.

“Shushu, time to eat breakfast.” Shen Man says.

“I don’t want to eat.” Lin Shu responded in a distracted voice as she applied her face mask.

Shen Man looked and turned back to the living room.

She finished breakfast slowly and read magazines in the living room.

Near noon, Lin Shu came out of her room.

“Shen Man, how do I look today?” Lin Shu asked excitedly as she posed.

Shen Man looked up, and a touch of surprise flashed in her eyes.

The petite girl wore a red dress, revealing her exquisite collarbone and fragrant soft shoulders. A butterfly bow tie at her waist added a trace of playful and cuteness. The extra ribbons flowing down from the bow fluttered with life. Her usually straight hair was specially curled and framed her face, making her already small face appear even smaller. Paired with white star shaped earrings, she had the sweetness of a young woman, without taking away her charm and sexiness.

“Come on, answer me, do I look good?” Lin Shu anxiously urged, her eyes widening like stars in the night sky.”

Shen Man put down her magazine and pursed her lips, with a very serious judging look.

Before Lin Shu started to get angry, she chuckled, “Shushu, you are the most beautiful, no matter what you wear.”

Lin Shu was dissatisfied with this answer, so she pouted and asked Aunt He, “What do you think? Don’t be as perfunctory as Shen Man.”

Aunt He hurriedly started seriously looking at her outfit and praised with a sincere smile, “Miss Lin looks so beautiful in this dress, even better than those stars on TV.”

“Pfft-” Shen Man started laughing on the side.

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Lin Shu frowned in dissatisfaction and frowned, “What are you laughing at?”

“Nothing.” Shen Man shook her head and restrained her smile.

Lin Shu rolled her eyes and grabbed her phone, looking for a well lit area in the room to take selfies.

Aunt He walks over to Shen Man and asks in a low voice, “Manman, when will you leave? Will you come back for dinner?”

Shen Man checked the time and replied, “In another half hour, we will leave. I think we’ll be back late at night, so don’t prepare dinner and go to bed early.”

“Okay, you two should pay attention to safety outside.” Aunt He told me.

Shen Man nods and leaves to change her clothes.

Compared to Lin Shu, who spent a lot of time dressing up carefully, Shen Man only put on some makeup and her smooth straight hair was put down at will. She looked elegant and indifferent.

As she walks out of the door, she coincidentally meets Lin Shu.

They were both wearing exactly the same shade of red.

Lin Shu gloated, “It’s not too late to change now, you know. You can pick anything from my closet.”

“Thank you.” Shen Man said and added, “It’s time for us to go down.”

“Humph.” Lin Shu was annoyed and her proud smile froze.

The two went out, one behind the other.

As soon as they got outside, Tan Kai’s car just arrived.

He wore an expensive tailor made suit and with his freshly gelled hair, he looked even more handsome.

Tan Kai looks at their red dresses and frowns, “Did you both buy from the same brand?”

Though he is usually careless and unbothered, even he knows that wearing the same thing as someone else is embarrassing, especially on important occasions.

Shen Man sat in the back and showed a faint smile, as if she didn’t care at all.

Lin Shu in the co-pilot seat, smiled proudly and asked, “Who do you think dressed better?”

“This…” Tan Kai was troubled. He looked back and forth, but didn’t know how to answer.

“Naturally, Shushu looks better.” Shen Man replied gently.

Tan Kai immediately nods.

“At least you understand.” Lin Shu said arrogantly, but she was unhappy and didn’t feel a sense of victory at all.

She lowers her head and plays with her phone, staying silent.

Tan Kai secretly glanced at Shen Man with undisguised surprise and awe.

Shen Man just smiled politely, then turned her head to look at the scenery outside.

Feeling awkward, Tan Kai pulls on his bow tie and starts the car.

*

Shao Qi’s birthday banquet is held in a private villa facing the sea and surrounded by mountains on the three remaining sides. The scenery was certainly a sight to behold.

There were more females that attended, all dressed up to perfection.

When Shen Man and Lin Shu appeared in clothes of the same color, they immediately attracted everyone’s attention.

People wanted to mock the two, yet they found out they couldn’t pick out their flaws.

The girls wore the same color and similar designs, but they wore it with completely different styles.

One is cold and elegant, the other is delicate and charming. They have become the focus of the crowd.

Lin Shu meets a few young women and soon becomes a part of their group.

Shen Man didn’t want to join in, so she stood in a remote, quiet corner.

From time to time, a few boys come over to talk, but Shen Man acts very distant and polite. 

Then, one boy walks toward Shen Man with a smirk, “You’re School Flower, Miss Shen. I’ve heard from the very beginning that you are gorgeous. Now that I see you today, the rumors don’t disappoint.”

His eyes looked disrespectful and like they were scanning a mere commodity. 

Shen Man frowns.

Then, through the corner of her eyes, she caught a glimpse of a figure in white coming her way.

She recognizes the figure as Yin Ruxu, and a trace of surprise flashes in her eyes.

Yin Ruxu also saw Shen Man, and with a soft smile on her face, she said in a gentle voice,”Shen Man, this is cousin Luo Wei.”

“No one here doesn’t know my name.” Luo Wei smiled arrogantly as he stretched his hand out to touch Shen Man’s shoulder.

Shen Man took a step aside, avoiding him.

A wave of anger rolls through Luo Wei’s face and he walks closer to her.

Suddenly, Lin Shu’s voice came behind him, “Luo Wei, what are you doing?”

Luo Wei turns around and switches into a bright smile, “Look who’s here, it turned out to be Miss Lin! Well, you look gorgeous today.”

“Of course.” Lin Shu smiled proudly. Seeing Yin Ruxu, she sneered in disdain, “Why are you here?”

“I brought her here,” Luo Wei immediately answered.

“Take her somewhere else and don’t let her wander around in front of me. Now my eyes hurt.” Lin Shu sneered.

Luo Wei’s face changed, but he didn’t dare to say anything back. Then, he angrily told Yin Ruxu, “Why are you still here?”

Yin Ruxu bit her lip and looked at Shen Man pitifully, then left with tears in her eyes.

Shen Man just smiled politely and didn’t speak up.

When the two left, she looked towards Lin Shu and smiled gratefully, “Thank you, Shushu, for helping me get out of that situation.”

“Who wanted to help you? I’m just unhappy with seeing a certain someone here.” Lin Shu raised her chin arrogantly.

Shen Man chuckled and suddenly stretched out her hand, brushing it past the girl’s pale pink cheeks.

Shocked, Lin Shu wanted to turn her head to avoid her, but Shen Man’s hand had already moved back. 

With wide eyes, she glares at Shen Man, “What were you doing?”

Shen Man smiles and opens her hand, revealing a broken leaf lying on her palm.

Knowing she made a mistake, Lin Shu awkwardly bit her lips.

Suddenly, the originally lively hall fell silent.

Everyone’s eyes were concentrated on one specific area.

A well dressed middle-aged woman held a handsome young man, smiling brightly..

Shen Man looks over.

Shao Qi’s face is still cold, and hasn’t changed at all even on his birthday.

The middle-aged woman looks around and stops for a moment when her eyes land on Lin Shu. Then she said with a smile, “Thank you all for coming to Shao Qi’s birthday party today. I hope you all have a good time and don’t restrain yourselves. Please enjoy yourselves.”

Though those were polite words, it carried a bit of haughtiness.

The audience gave a warm applause.

Lin Shu applauded happily.

Shen Man had a cold gaze, her hands gently placed together, clapping unenthusiastically.

“Now, at this important junction, Shao Qi will choose a girl to dance with. I wonder who the lucky girl will be?” Shao Qi’s mother laughed.

Shao Qi lowered his head and did not move.

Turning a bit embarrassed, she whispered, “Since you won’t pick, I’ll pick the girl for you myself.”

Then, Shao Qiqi raised his head and looked around with an icy expression, walking towards a direction.

Looking at Shao Qi coming their way, Lin Shu’s excited face turned red. She couldn’t help grabbing Shen Man’s arm and squealing, “Shao Qi must have come here to dance with me. I really want to be the first girl to dance with him.”

Shen Man’s eyes flashed and she silently moved forward, just in front of Lin Shu.

Shao Qi stopped in front of the two and said with a stoic face, “Would you like to take my first dance?”

He said this in front of two people, so it was hard to tell who he referred to.

Lin Shu lowered her head shyly, squeezed her lips together, and shyly nodded.

Shen Man raised the corner of her lips in a small smile and prepared to raise her hand.

Then, a figure stopped in front of her.

Shen Man looks up and sees Tan Kai.

She pauses for a moment, then rotates her wrist to hook her hair behind her ear.

Under a dark shadow, Lin Shu looks up to see Tan Kai was blocking the lights. She asked unhappily, “What are you doing?”

Tan Kai smiles and puts his hand on Shao Qi’s shoulder, saying, “Shao Qi, let’s eat cake first. Then you can do whatever dance this is.”

As he spoke, he draged Shao Qi back in the opposite direction.

When Shao Qi’s mother saw this, her well-maintained face flashed with anger, but she still put on a smile, “Tan Kai, what do you mean by this? It’s not too late to eat cake after dancing.”

“Auntie, my stomach’s been empty since this morning so I’m really hungry. I’ve always remembered how the cakes from your house are so delicious, can you let me eat some first?” Tan Kai laughed.

The smile on her face cracked.

In front of so many people, she couldn’t let Tan Kai lose face, so she gritted her teeth and ordered the housekeeper to push the cake over.

Shao Qi stoically cut the cake, but he showed a shallow smile when he bowed his head.

Shen Man notices his expression.

She suddenly realized that this was a play created by the male lead and second male lead.

Although the purpose of the two wasn’t clear, they also indirectly helped her achieve her goal, which was preventing Lin Shu from dancing with a guy.

The maids distribute the slices of cake.

Shen Man only took a small bite, then put it aside.

In order to maintain her figure and show off her perfect proportions, Lin Shu hadn’t eaten anything since early that morning.

Since she was so hungry, she finished the cake in no time.

“Shen Man, don’t even think about dancing with Shao Qi!” Lin Shu whispered threateningly.

“If you don’t dance with him, I won’t either. But if you still insist, then you’re going to fight for it.” Shen Man chuckled.

“You…” Lin Shu choked on her words. She takes a sip of juice and let out her breath, “Why do you always have to go against me?”

Shen Man smiled meaningfully and did not answer her question.

Before everyone finished their cake, Shao Qi’s mother loudly declared, “Now, Shao Qi shall continue choosing his partner.”

As soon as she finished speaking, several bodyguards gathered around Tan Kai.

Shao Qi looks at Tan Kai, who just shrugs his shoulders helplessly.

Shao Qi’s aura grew colder. He walks straight to Shen Man and says, “Please dance with me.”

Shen Man smiles and raises her hand.

But right before her hand landed on his palm, a pale hand grabbed hold of her.

Shen Man turns her head.

She sees Lin Shu’s angry face.

“Why is it her?” Lin Shu asked as she squeezed Shen Man’s hand, “You’re supposed to dance with me!”

“I’m sorry, but the person I asked is her.” Shao Qi answered coldly and his gaze still on Shen Man.

Shen Man smiles happily and expresses her willingness to accept.

“No way! She can’t dance with you.” Lin Shu forcefully says with gritted teeth.

“But I want to dance right now.” Shen Man smiles gently.

A string snapped in Lin Shu. In the eyes of the two, she pulls Shen Man, and angrily demands, “You really want to dance so much, huh? Then I’ll dance with you!”

With clenched teeth, she says, “Since you don’t let me get what I want, I will never let you succeed.” 

Shen Man smiles as her eyes flash with success. She adjusts her grip and holds Lin Shu’s hand.

From afar, only two girls dressed in red could be seen and it was hard to distinguish the two.

Seeing that Shao Qi had not moved for a long time, his mother raised her voice and urged, “Shao Qi, why don’t you quickly invite your partner?”

“She doesn’t want to.” Shao Qi turns around and answers indifferently.

Angry, his mother blamed Lin Shu for not understanding the situation.

Not wanting to lose face, she looks around and shouts, “If you would like to dance with Shao Qi, please come here.”

In no time, many girls ran over excitedly.

Shen Man noticed that even Yin Ruxu was among them.

“What are you looking at? I won’t let you go there.” Lin Shu smiles proudly, like a victorious kitten.

“Then Shushu needs to compensate me with a dance.” Shen Man smiles and leaned over Lin Shu’s ear to add, “If you let others touch you, I will…”

She trails off.

Lin Shu’s heart beat faster.

Slowly, the heat went through her back, to her neck and then through her face, dying it a brilliant red.

She takes a step back, but her ear still seemed to burn from the warm breath of another person. Her face was burning and her heart pounded in her head.

Shen Man laughs, thoroughly enjoying the view of a blushing girl.

Soft, soothing music was being played in the ballroom, and petals drift down to the floor from all directions. The shades of red decorating every corner filled the room with romance.

In an instant, everything became soft and beautiful.

Lin Shu is stunned, surrounded by this romantic event. She subconsciously reaches out to catch a rose petal.

Suddenly, something tugged her waist and brought her into a warm embrace.

“Shushu, it’s time to dance.” Shen Man whispers softly, her dark eyes full of tender emotions.

She was beautiful and touching under the petals falling down from above.

Lin Shu froze.

Before her brain finally reacted, her body had already danced along with the music.

The two of them held their hand, their pale slender interlocked, as if they were meant to be together.

A petal fell down just at their clasped fingers. It then beautifully drifted around them and slowly fell to the ground.

Lin Shu couldn’t help watching its movements.

Shen Man chuckles, “Shushu, you have to pay attention while dancing with me, otherwise…”

“Ah…” Lin Shu exclaimed, as her body spun around.

The skirt of her red dress lifted up and opened in a beautiful curve, like a blooming rose, soft and delicate.

Lin Shu was intoxicated in this beautiful dance and had no energy to think about other things.

Shen Man smiled with satisfaction.

Soon, the music ended.

Lin Shu gasps for air, her cheeks painted red.

Shen Man stands aside with a relaxed look and a smile.

“How are you so good at dancing? I almost couldn’t keep up.” Lin Shu asked in surprise and disbelief.

Shen Man casually grabs a falling rose petal and places it near her nose. “If it’s with Shushu, I’d naturally have to perform my very best.”

Her gaze was frivolous and she seemed deep in her emotions as she seductively sniffed the rose petal.

All the rose petals falling from the sky couldn’t compare to her gentle smile.

Lin Shu stares at her, heart thumping in her chest.

She then shakes her head, quickly recovering from her stupor and says angrily, “Don’t be cocky.  I didn’t lose to you.”

Shen Man smiles and lets go of her fingers. The rose petal drifted to the ground.

After a moment, Lin Shu’s expression suddenly changes, and she stares at Shen Man with a strange look, “Do you often dance with other girls?”

“Is Shushu jealous?” Shen Man questions while appearing happy.

“Who’s jealous? I’m just casually asking” Lin Shu snorted, walking to the side for a sip of juice.

Shen Man looks at her back with a deep gaze.

The other people dancing gradually stopped.

Shao Qi’s mother quickly said a few words and left with a gloomy face.

There was no trace of Shao Qi.

The lively birthday banquet suddenly became a little awkward.

Everyone looked at each other in consternation, but couldn’t figure out the current situation.

The bodyguards around Tan Kai also withdrew.

Tan Kai walks to the two girls and laughs, “I’ve finished eating my cake. Let’s go back.”

“We’re going back so soon?” Lin Shu was puzzled and looked around for Shao Qi, “Where’s Shao Qi?”

“He probably went back to play video games.” Tan Kai replies.

“Video games? But today is his birthday, shouldn’t he be celebrating with everyone here?” Lin Shu asks in surprise and confusion.

“Don’t worry about this, I’ll send you back first.” Tan Kai smiles, seemingly in a good mood.

Lin Shu on the other hand, was still lost in confusion.

Shen Man understood what happened a bit more and laughs, “Shushu, we finished dancing and ate the cake already. It’s time to go back.”

She intimately puts her arms around Lin Shu’s shoulder.

The warm breath that suddenly hit her face caused Lin Shu to panic and subconsciously move aside.

However, she stumbled on her feet and almost fell on her side.

Shen Man hurriedly grabbed her soft body, her hands around Lin Shu’s thin waist, caressing it a bit. With a smile, she says, “Shushu, be careful.”

Lin Shu’s waist was ticklish and she couldn’t help laughing, “Shen Man, you…”

She looked up to complain and saw Shen Man’s calm, gentle eyes. Lin Shu froze.

Shen Man used some force and helped Lin Shu up. Half hugging and half holding the girl’s body up, she smiles, “It’s time for us to go back.”

She says those words gently, with no room for refusal.

Lin Shu’s heart skipped a beat and she obediently let Shen Man lead her out.

Tan Kai drives the two away.

Shen Man and Lin Shu sit side by side in the backseat of the car, one on the far right and one on the far left.

Tan Kai thought it was strange and asked, “What’s wrong, Lin Shu? You don’t seem to be very happy.”

“I ended up dancing with a girl, how can I be happy?” Lin Shu replies in annoyance.

Shen Man chuckles, her legs crossed. The red skirt covers part of her legs, accentuating her proportionate white calves, “I think you were happy.”

“I think you two danced very well, unfortunately I didn’t record it.” Tan Kai said with regret.

Lin Shu immediately glared at him, “You don’t even understand it!”

“I do at least know about dance.” Tan Kai replies with a smile.

Lin Shu didn’t want to talk nonsense with him anymore. She stares at Shen Man and looks at her snow-white skin.

When Shen Man looked back with laughter in her eyes, Lin Shu’s heart skipped a beat and she quickly turns around.

Shen Man chuckles and changes her posture, fixing her skirt as well. She leans over to Lin Shu and whispers in a coaxing tone, “Shushu, are you still angry with me?”

Lin Shu didn’t respond. She turned her head arrogantly, avoiding the warm breath next to her ear

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