The Salted Fish And Protagonist A Ended Up Together - Chapter 12

Wen Mian nodded, glancing at her hand out of the corner of her eye. “Alright then, good luck.”

The viewers in the livestream responded immediately:

• 【Haha, how can you ask if she’s tired? You should ask if she can handle it!】
• 【You guys…!】
• 【Stop right there! Don’t tease our Manman, she has a reputation to uphold!】
• 【Hahaha, no one’s teasing, it’s just funny, hahaha…】

Gu Man set down the heavy water bucket and rolled up her sleeves. Wen Mian picked up the water ladle, leaning over to carefully water the vegetable seedlings.

Once finished, the two were led to the backyard by the elder sister, followed by envious and jealous stares.

Song Xue gripped a seedling too hard, snapping it. It fell to the ground. Zhang Yunxi immediately shouted, “Xuexue, the seedling! The seedling!”

The attention of everyone present and the livestream shifted instantly. Song Xue quickly retracted her gaze, her face turning pale as she squatted down in a hurry. “I… okay!”

Zhang Yunxi smirked inwardly. With me here, don’t even think about pulling any schemes!

In the entertainment industry, no one is truly naive. Seeing Song Xue’s reaction, the others awkwardly turned away. The director, Wang Qiang, waved his hand in dismissal, though he was secretly annoyed. If I’d known, I would’ve just filmed Wen Mian!

The veterans on set ignored her, making Song Xue grit her teeth. Her expression flickered with a hint of malice before turning into a look of pitiable distress the moment she saw the camera. Her eyes reddened instantly, and she lowered her head, standing there silently and helplessly, her hands trembling slightly.

Her fans in the chat were heartbroken:

• 【Wuhu, my Xuexue, don’t cry!】
• 【Tears are pearls, don’t cry!】
• 【It’s all Zhang Yunxi’s fault. Why did she shout so loud? She scared our Xuexue. Doesn’t she know Xuexue is prone to self-blame!】
• 【Um… honestly, I can’t watch this anymore. Yunxi was speaking normally, okay? She didn’t say anything mean!】
• 【Exactly, everyone is talking normally. She’s acting like someone hit her!】

While the livestream erupted in a war of words, the atmosphere between Wen Mian and Gu Man was tranquil.

It was harvest season. The sky was cloudless, and sunlight filtered through the branches, bathing Wen Mian in light. She closed her eyes comfortably, feeling the breeze. Behind her, the courtyard was filled with the fragrant steam of cooking food.

A slight itch tickled her calf. Wen Mian opened her eyes to see a hand, fair as jade, blocking the overhead sun. Looking down, she saw a snow white dog pawing at her pant leg. Her expression softened as she leaned down to pet it.

“What is it? Want to play with big sister?”

The dog flattened itself to the ground, its tail wagging happily while it let out a soft “whimper.” Wen Mian patted its head, and it immediately rolled over to show its belly. She squatted down from her stool and poked its head affectionately. “Why are you so friendly?”

The puppy rolled over, stopping at Gu Man’s feet. It looked up curiously, and upon seeing Gu Man, its tail wagged even faster. Gu Man stared back, hesitating for a moment before finally squatting down and reaching out.

Their fingers brushed, a cool sensation. Wen Mian looked up sharply. They were so close she could see the flawless pores on Gu Man’s face. Surprised by the contact, Gu Man blinked blankly, frozen.

The puppy, noticing the petting had stopped, bumped their touching fingers with its nose, whimpering in confusion.

Like a bolt of lightning, Gu Man snapped her hand back, her eyes darting around. Wen Mian curled her fingers slightly and slowly returned her hand to the dog’s head. The puppy bounded happily again. Under the gentle sunlight, Wen Mian looked down with a soft smile. Gu Man’s gaze drifted back and stayed there.

• 【…I don’t know if I should say it, but the vibes are incredible…】
• 【I feel you, sister. This scene is so ship worthy…】
• 【Me too, but I feel like I shouldn’t.】
• 【You guys worry too much. Unlike me, I love this!】

Thus, a CP (Couple Pairing) Super Topic named “Gu Wen for Life” was born, surviving in the cracks of the fandom.

The farmer came out of the house with a hearty smile. “Time to eat!”

Wen Mian turned around. “Let’s go.”

At the table, Wen Mian’s eyes lit up at the feast: pot-stewed chicken, soft potatoes, and corn cakes. There were fresh greens and chestnut braised ribs. She ate with pure bliss, finishing a whole bowl of rice and going back for seconds.

Gu Man watched her silently, the way she narrowed her eyes in satisfaction and how her cheeks puffed out while chewing. Gu Man’s own fingers twitched, feeling a lingering itch, but she quickly looked away.

After the meal, Wen Mian slumped back in her chair, rubbing her stomach, completely disregarding her image. Gu Man thought for a moment, then reached behind her and placed a thermos on the table.

With a happy chirp, Wen Mian sat up, opened the lid, and took a big gulp. Her eyes sparkled.

Wang Qiang, seeing the chat flooded with questions, grew curious. “Mian-mian, what’s in your thermos?”

A mischievous glint flashed in Wen Mian’s eyes. She swirled the thermos. “You want to know?”

Wang Qiang gave a flattering smile. “A little bit.”

Wen Mian put a finger to her lips, her fox-like eyes blinking beautifully. “If you want to know…” she trailed off playfully.

Wang Qiang sighed. He knew how this went. “Fine, what’s your condition?”

Wen Mian pretended to think. “How about… a break this afternoon?”

“A break? Deal!” Wang Qiang agreed instantly, fearing she would change her mind.

Once the deal was struck, Wen Mian held up the thermos. “Actually, it’s nothing special. It’s just Coke.”

“Coke?” Wang Qiang’s voice cracked. He couldn’t believe he had traded an entire afternoon of filming for… soda?

The livestream went wild:

• 【Hahaha, it’s just Coke! I thought it was some secret potion!】
• 【Director, face reality, you can’t beat Wen Mian.】
• 【Is putting Coke in a thermos the new fashion?】

Wang Qiang caught a few comments saying she had added something else. “I saw people saying you put something else in there. What was it?”

Wen Mian replied instantly, “Codonopsis (Dangshen)!”

“Codon… Codonopsis?” Wang Qiang repeated, bewildered.

“Yes! Codonopsis!” Wen Mian looked offended. “What’s wrong with my health recipe?”

“Why… why would you put a medicinal herb in Coke?”

Wen Mian took another sip. “Simple. I’m physically weak; I need a boost.”

Wang Qiang was speechless. “But does it actually work?”

Wen Mian nodded without hesitation. “Of course. A psychological effect is still a good effect!”

The chat collapsed into laughter:

• 【Psychological effects count! As long as I feel better mentally, it works!】
• 【Coke with Codonopsis, health-conscious but delicious. I’ve learned something today!】

Gu Man let out a rare smile, her almond eyes curving upward. The small mole near her eye danced, replacing her usual coldness with a touch of charm. Wen Mian’s gaze drifted toward her, a sweet dimple appearing on her cheek.

Back at the house, Wen Mian collapsed onto her soft bed. While everyone expected her to tidy up, she simply burrowed deeper into the blankets.

“Lying down is the best!” She pulled out her phone, put on an audiobook, and drifted off to sleep.

• 【Alright, wrap it up folks, she’s asleep.】
• 【She’s literally me. I don’t want to do anything at home except rot in bed.】

As dusk fell, Wen Mian stretched and headed downstairs. Zhang Yunxi and Su Shiqiu had prepared dinner.

“You’re awake!” Zhang Yunxi greeted her.

Wen Mian sniffed the air, smiling. “Smells amazing! I thought you said you couldn’t cook?”

Zhang Yunxi rubbed her head. “I really can’t. Some is takeout, some we just learned. The good smell is probably the Creamy Mushroom Soup Sister Gu made.”