The Salted Fish And Protagonist A Ended Up Together - Chapter 26

Back on stage, Wen Mian pretended to have just woken up. Feeling her body ache and soften, she snapped her eyes open.

Gu Man walked over carrying a bowl, her voice low and husky. “Want a drink?”

Wen Mian’s eyes still held a lingering trace of charm. She felt a twinge of annoyance, not because of the change in their relationship, but mostly at herself. A dignified CEO, how could you end up on the bottom! More importantly, she was the one who had personally taught Gu Man how to do it.

She resentfully snatched the bowl, took a sip of air, and realized when she spoke that her voice was also incredibly hoarse. “Fine. Since it has happened, let’s be together.”

Gu Man, who had been staring helplessly at the bedsheets, suddenly looked up. Her eyes shone like bright stars as she asked in disbelief, “Really?”

Wen Mian’s annoyance softened significantly. She nodded decisively. “Would I lie to you? On the contrary, you haven’t lied to me, have you?”

Wen Mian said it like a joke, but then she saw Gu Man’s pupils contract and her face flush with panic.

Wen Mian immediately felt aggrieved. She raised her voice, “There really is something?”

Gu Man gripped the corner of her clothes tightly. She glanced up at Wen Mian and let out a soft breath, as if making a final decision, and nodded.

“Wen-wen, I am not from here,” she said.

She didn’t use the name “Mianmian” from the rehearsals instead, she used a new, unheard of nickname.

The two were very close, feeling each other’s breath a mix of sandalwood and strawberry scents, like an exchange of a secret known only to them. Hearing this name, a flicker of surprise crossed Wen Mian’s heart, but she quickly remembered she was acting and immersed herself back into the character.

As her inner thoughts were voiced aloud, Wen Mian’s eyes widened, but she still clung to a shred of fantasy, trying to deceive herself. “I know. You’re from somewhere else.”

Gu Man shook her head, staring into her eyes, and continued, “Wenwen, you know what I mean, I am not from this timeline.”

Wen Mian’s hand suddenly gripped the sheets. She opened her mouth but didn’t know what to say.

Seeing the disappointment on Gu Man’s face, Wen Mian grew anxious and blurted out an emotional comfort: “It’s okay. You have me.”

Like tasting the sweetest candy, Gu Man looked at Wen Mian with joy and pressed her lips into a smile.

She slowly told her story while Wen Mian listened quietly.

Gu Man didn’t know which timeline she came from, perhaps the 1980s of this world. Her family was poor and she wasn’t liked at home, so she was happy to have come here. Of course, the thing she was happiest about was that the first person she saw upon arriving was Wen Mian.

And, she ended up with the first person she met.

After hearing Gu Man’s words, Wen Mian’s heart was no longer as turbulent or rather, she had a premonition and was simply seeing it confirmed. The scientific beliefs she had held her whole life collapsed, but Wen Mian didn’t care, she cared more about the person in front of her.

“So, will you go back?” Wen Mian’s voice trembled slightly. She couldn’t imagine what her life would be like if Gu Man left. Especially since, once she left, she might never find her again.

At those words, Gu Man slowly lowered her head. She shook it, her voice choked with sobs. “I don’t know.”

Realizing Gu Man was crying, Wen Mian immediately became flustered. She dragged her exhausted body over to pull Gu Man into an embrace, comforting her softly. “Don’t cry. We will always be together.”

Leaning into her arms, Gu Man nodded and suppressed her sobs. “Mhm.”

The two officially became a couple. Although they harbored a deep fear of Gu Man leaving, they loved each other with the greatest passion.

A year passed. Wen Mian and Gu Man used all their effort to persuade Wen’s mother, finally getting her to agree to their marriage.

On the wedding day, because Gu Man was from the 80s and loved red, Wen Mian chose a traditional Chinese wedding. Considering Gu Man didn’t like strangers, Wen Mian didn’t invite many people.

Wen Mian wore a bright red robe embroidered with exquisite clouds and hidden patterns. A five clawed golden dragon coiled across it, its head raised arrogantly and vividly, as if roaring.

Wen Mian stood on the stage, quietly watching the heavy carved wooden doors be pushed open.

Gu Man wore a phoenix crown and a ceremonial robe (Xiapei). The crown was made of precious pure gold inlaid with various jewels. The robe was woven from brocade, shimmering as she moved, the phoenix on it spread its wings, its tail feathers glittering as if it were about to fly out of the fabric.

(Of course, these were photos of the clothes Wen Mian had specifically approved for the production, as the outfit she was currently wearing on stage made it difficult for people to stay immersed in the plot).

Gu Man walked slowly from below the stage to stand beside Wen Mian. Wang Mo acted as the Zanzhe (master of ceremonies), holding a blank red book and reading slowly:

“I, Wen Mian, Hereby establish this marriage contract. Two families unite in marriage, harmonizing in one hall…”

Finally, Wang Mo integrated a modern wedding element and asked Gu Man, “Miss Gu Man, are you willing to be with Miss Wen Mian?”

Wen Mian’s gaze was soft. She turned to look at Gu Man, her face filled with pure joy.

Suddenly, her eyes froze. She saw Gu Man’s figure abruptly vanish (falling to the floor).

The unspoken “I do” could never be heard.

Gu Man exited the stage. Wen Mian’s thoughts returned to reality, with Wang Mo still speaking beside her.

Then, a recording took over the scene.

After Gu Man disappeared, everything seemed to return to normal. Everyone at the scene suddenly lost a segment of their memory. They didn’t understand why they had come to a wedding. More confusingly, it was Wen Mian’s wedding? President Wen was actually getting married?!

Looking at the confused crowd (still represented by Wang Mo), Wen Mian didn’t even have time for grief. She gave a random explanation “She’s gone” and forced herself to see the guests off.

After comforting her mother, Wen Mian rushed home and pushed the door open with a bang.

The familiar scent and belongings were gone. In an instant, it was as if the world had erased every memory of Gu Man, not even leaving Wen Mian a single photograph.

Wen Mian searched desperately for anything related to Gu Man, but it was all in vain. No one remembered her, they even thought Wen Mian was hallucinating. Over time, even Wen Mian almost doubted if it had all been a fantasy.

But every time she reminisced, the throbbing in her heart could not lie.

“The rest of my life is very long,” Wen Mian looked up at the sky. Manman, I will always be on the road searching for you…

The story ended. Although the props and costumes couldn’t be changed like in a TV drama, the audience on-site was silent. The livestream chat, however, was a scene of total chaos.

【No! Why this ending? I don’t agree!】

【Waaaah, who wrote this plot?! Come out so I can hit you! I’m crying to death!】

【Exactly! I thought this was a CEO story? This is clearly a tragedy!】

【Who lied to me? I’m so heartbroken!】

【I finally understand why Wen Mian wore those clothes. It was all a setup!】

【I almost thought Wen Mian just liked wearing that, but it was for this twist!】

The livestream viewers had red eyes, and the live audience was no exception, especially Zhang Yunxi, whose eyes were swollen. She wiped away her tears and choked out, “No one told me to bring tissues! Bastards! This hurts…”

Just stepping out of the scene, the corners of Wen Mian’s eyes were still tinged with red, and her pupils seemed covered in a layer of mist. She gave a shy, embarrassed smile, the mist in her eyes sparkling. “I just wanted to give you a surprise. So, how was it? My acting wasn’t bad, right?”

Zhang Yunxi sniffled and gave a big thumbs up without hesitation. “It was great! I was totally immersed. It would’ve been better if it wasn’t a ‘BE’ (Bad Ending)!”

Wang Mo, usually lively, was now quiet. she approached Wen Mian and Gu Man, her voice still raspy, but she remembered her task. “Mianmian, where did the inspiration for this come from?”

Indeed, while the three performed together, the script was written entirely by Wen Mian.

“Inspiration?” Wen Mian thought for a moment. “I forgot. It just popped into my head, and it felt right, so I wrote it down.”

Despite saying that, for some reason, Wen Mian glanced sideways at Gu Man. Gu Man had returned to her usual calm expression, only the slight redness at the corners of her eyes betraying her recent emotional collapse.

Maybe because she’s always like this, I chose that ending? Wen Mian’s thoughts were a mess.

Wang Mo nodded and praised her profusely. “Mianmian is truly amazing. To write such a script in such a short time and show such exquisite acting, you’ve really impressed me and the audience!”

Returning to her senses, Wen Mian looked at Wang Mo and waved it off modestly, though she couldn’t hide her smile. “It was alright. It was everyone’s hard work. I didn’t expect it to receive so much love. I’ll work harder next time.”

After interviewing Wen Mian, Wang Mo turned to Gu Man. “And Man-man, how did you feel about this performance?”

Gu Man’s expression softened, a shallow smile gracing her lips. She looked directly at Wen Mian, her voice low like a lover’s whisper.

“It was very good. Especially her.”

Everyone knew exactly who “she” referred to.

Wen Mian’s gaze drifted uncontrollably toward her, crashing right into Gu Man’s watery eyes. The surface of the water was calm, appearing safe, but underneath, the waves were turbulent, locking onto Wen Mian’s gaze so she couldn’t move.

She felt her breath hitch, her ears burning hot. Alarm bells rang in her mind as if warning her of something.

The wind blew across the fields, ruffling their hair. The sky grew dark, and the stage lights shone even brighter, softly enveloping the two of them.

The live audience wasn’t close enough to feel the tension, but the livestream viewers saw everything clearly. Gu Man’s rational fans were screaming, though they tried to stay composed.

【Aaaah! I’m dying! Does Man-man’s “her” mean Wen Mian?】

【I don’t want to admit it, but who else could it be?】

【You can tell just by that look! But I want to know how Manman and Wen Mian suddenly got so close?!】

【Plus one! What happened in these two days that I missed the stream?!】

Visual fans were stunned by their faces in the same frame, while CP (Couple) fans were frantically taking screenshots, pinching their legs and covering their mouths to stifle their screams of joy.