I Am More Paranoid Than The Villainess

Exercising Together

The third lesson of the day now begins.

Shen Man listened attentively and took notes. She automatically ignored the sight behind her that stuck like glue.

This is the head teacher’s class and as the class monitor, she can’t make any mistakes.

As soon class ended, Shen Man closed her textbook.

Turning to the side, she put one arm on Lin Shu’s table and asked with a smile, “Shushu, why were you staring at me all the time?”

“Who’s staring at you, I was just looking at the teacher.” Lin Shu retorted loudly and with arrogance, she added, “Don’t be so narcissistic.”

“Narcissistic?” Shen Man’s lips twitched, then she deliberately lowered her voice in a playful way, “Then I thought too much.”

“You originally think too much.” Lin Shu scoffed as she picked up her textbook and stood up.

Shen Man watched her sit in another unoccupied seat and smiled, before turning around to review her notes.

A girl next to her noticed and said, “Monitor, you’re so diligent. Whether it’s in class or after class, you’re always studying. Don’t you want to hang out and play?”

Shen Man just smiled and didn’t reply.

Most of the students in this class came from money.

She is the only one who got admitted using her excellent grades.

No background, no connections, and no money.

Studying hard is what she is obligated to do.

Time flies by and all the lessons are finished.

Shen Man put her stuff back into her schoolbag and took out the badminton racquet. She walked over to Lin Shu and asked, “Are we playing badminton now?”

“Uh huh.” Lin Shu responded coldly and then got up, leaving first.

Shen Man followed her from behind and they both walked towards the gym.

*

The atmosphere inside the school gym is lively as always and there were countless students present already.

Some play badminton, some play table tennis, and even some clubs practice dance here.

As Shen Man looked at those young faces filled with vigor and vitality, she revealed a small smile.

Lin Shu walked over to the badminton court and took out her phone to make a call.

Shen Man put her stuff down and started doing warm-up excercises.

After Lin Shu finished her phone call, she noticed Shen Man on the ground stretching out her legs. She commented, “We’re just playing a few casual games, why’re you as serious as in actual Physical Education class?”

As she pressed her legs, Shen Man replied, “If you don’t warm-up, you’ll get injured easily.”

Lin Shu sneered and proceeded to lower her head and play with her phone.

After Shen Man finished warming up, she spotted Yan Jie and Ding Qian.

When Ding Qian and Shen Man’s gazes collided, Ding Qian immediately looked away with a guilty conscience.

Yan Jie just turned her head away and scowled in disdain.

Lin Shu put away her phone and stood up, smiling, “Yan Jie, you and Shen Man play first.”

Yan Jie laughed and answered, “Okay, Sister Lin Shu.”

Lin Shu tilted her head towards Shen Man, smiling proudly, “Yan Jie is a professional Badminton player and once won the Junior Championships. Hope you don’t lose too badly.”

Saying that last sentence, she smiled gloatingly.

Shen Man’s expression was indifferent as she ignored the ridicule.

Picking up her badminton racquet, she stood in the service court.

Yan Jie took her own racquet and the badminton birdie, walking to the opposite side.

She picked up the birdie in her hand with her racquet, deliberately performing a flashy trick to hit it over to Shen Man, and grinned, “I’ll let you serve first.”

As Shen Man listened to those contemptuous words, the corners of her lips curled up ever-so-slightly. She received the birdie and carelessly hit it back over the net.

Yan Jie received it and drove it back hard. The birdie only just brushed over the net and went zooming towards the edge of the court.

It was a beautiful cross-court net shot that most people couldn’t receive.

Lin Shu smiled happily, waiting to see Shen Man mess up.

To everyone’s surprise, Shen Man ran backwards and hit the birdie back with her racquet held out horizontally. With a little flick, the birdie smoothly flew back and headed near the net on the other side.

Yan Jie hurried forward and flicked the birdie over the net.

Shen Man feinted by pretending to hit it back court behind Yan Jie, but then did a drop shot instead.

Yan Jie hurriedly rushed back towards the front, but the birdie had already dropped down to the floor near the net.

For this round, Shen Man had won.

Shen Man twirled her racquet in a circle as easily as she twirled her pen, laughing, “So is this the strength of the Junior Championships winner? Are you sure it’s not the Children’s Championships?”

“You-” Yan Jie started, her face scrunched up in anger. But seeing Lin Shu’s unhappy expression, she gritted her teeth and said, “Don’t be so cocky, I’m just going easy on you.”

“No need, you can show your true strength.” Shen Man curled her lips, there was disdain in her indifferent eyes.

Yan Jie was now angrier than ever and served the ball with all her strength, but Shen Man still received it easily.

As Lin Shu watched from the side, the smile on her face gradually disappeared. At first she was watching a good show, then she was surprised, and now she became silent.

Who would have thought that Shen Man, a nerd who only knew how to study, would be so good at sports.

“Shen Man is so impressive.” Ding Qian praised in a small voice.

She turned her head and saw the ugly expression on Lin Shu’s face, then hurriedly shut up.

Lin Shu stood up and shouted, “Shen Man, I’ll play against you.”

Shen Man smiled and her eyebrows curved, “Okay.”

Lin Shu took the racquet from Yan Jie’s hand and said to Shen Man, “I’ll change positions with you.”

Shen Man nodded without any objection.

The two switched positions.

Lin Shu began to serve, hitting the ball with great force.

Shen Man easily received the birdie and hit it towards towards the position where Lin Shu was standing.

Lin Shu hit the birdie back lightly.

Shen Man took two steps forward to reach it, and with a little flick, the birdie landed near Lin Shu’s position again.

As for Lin Shu, she didn’t even have to move away from her spot.

After a few rounds, Lin Shu glared at Shen Man, “I don’t need you to go easy on me.”

“Are you sure about that?” Shen Man chuckled, and with a swoosh, the birdie flew across the court.

Lin Shu strode over, but it was too late and she could only watch the birdie land on the ground.

Even angrier, she picked up the birdie and demanded, “Let’s restart.”

Shen Man chuckled and decided to no longer show mercy.

She alternated many light and heavy hitting techniques, making it so that Lin Shu could not reach the birdie every single time.

Panting, Lin Shu had been picking up the birdie from all over the court. Those repeated failures intensified the anger in her round apricot eyes.

Her forehead was covered in fine sweat, dripping down her pale cheeks onto her delicate collarbone.

The white shirt she wore was also soaked with sweat, revealing the color of her underwear.

Shen Man put down her racquet with a smile, “I’m a little tired, let’s take a break.”

Even though she was sweating profusely and struggling to take breaths, Lin Shu still refused to admit defeat, “No, just continue.”

“Then let someone else play with you.” Shen Man smirked, standing aside to drink water.

Lin Shu was unwilling and she glared at Shen Man.

Then, Ding Qian came over with a bottle of water and a dry towel to persuad, “Sister Lin Shu, you are sweating all over. Here, wipe off your sweat first and drink some water.”

Lin Shu stood there for a while and saw that Shen Man had no intention of continuing to play. So, she handed the racket to Ding Qian and sat aside to wipe off her sweat and drink some water.

After Shen Man finished resting, she walked to Lin Shu’s side and said, “You girls can play, I’m going back now.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Tan Kai came over with a basketball, followed by Yin Ruxu.

Lin Shu looked at Tan Kai, then gave Yin Ruxu a dissatisfied look, angrily asking, “Why’s she with you?”

“I met her on the way here and she told me she was looking for Shen Man.” Tan Kai answered truthfully. Noticing Lin Shu’s wet hair, he joked, “Since when did you love sports so much?”

Lin Shu rolled her eyes at him.

Meanwhile, Yin Ruxu walked to Shen Man’s side with eyes full of admiration. With a soft voice, she said, “I saw you play just now, and you’re amazing. I’ve never seen anyone play badminton so well.”

Shen Man smiled and accepted the compliment nonchalantly.

Tan Kai also smiled and praised her, “Shen Man, you really are amazing.”

After he finished speaking, he saw Lin Shu’s dissatisfaction and immediately added, “Lin Shu, you are also amazing.”

“Shen Man, can you teach me how to play badminton?” Yin Ruxu asked in a small voice.

“Okay.” Shen Man agreed with a smile, then looked at Lin Shu.

Lin Shu heard their conversation and turned her head to meet Shen Man’s eyes. She asked, “Didn’t you just say you were going back?”

Shen Man laughed.

Seeing this, Tan Kai smiled and suggested, “Let’s play doubles, I’ll play with Lin Shu and Shen Man will play with Yin Ruxu.”

Lin Shu immediately glared at him and stepped forward, arrogantly demanding, “I’ll play with Shen Man, and you with Yin Ruxu.”

“That’s fine with me.” Tan Kai agreed immediately, turning to Shen Man and Yin Ruxu for any objections.

Shen Man did not speak.

Yin Ruxu blushed slightly and whispered, “I’m very bad, I hope you don’t dislike me for it.”

“It’s okay, we’re just playing casually.” Tan Kai said with a smile, borrowing a racquet from the classmate next to him.

The four stood in their positions and the game began.