The Salted Fish And Protagonist A Ended Up Together - Chapter 28

A person who feels uncertain will often talk too much, a realization Wen Mian gained clearly from Gu Man.

Wen Mian suddenly felt like laughing. She looked up at Gu Man, the woman before her had trembling eyelashes and eyes cast downward, her gaze fixed on the floor. Her earlobes were a deep red, like spilled rouge.

Even though Wen Mian knew she was doing this on purpose, seeing Gu Man like this made it impossible for her to say no.

She felt a mix of helplessness and annoyance.

When Wen Mian didn’t speak, Gu Man felt a wave of disappointment. If I had known, I wouldn’t have tied it in a dead knot! This apron is useless! Gu Man couldn’t help but blame the apron she was wearing.

After a moment of silence, she decided to give up and started to speak: “Then…”

“Turn around.” Just as she spoke, her words collided with Wen Mian’s.

Gu Man froze for a second, then snapped her head up.

Wen Mian smiled, finding this departure from Gu Man’s usual image both interesting and surprising. Her own irritation quietly faded away.

“Didn’t you say it was tied wrong? How can I untie it if you don’t turn around?” she teased, her tone playful.

Gu Man couldn’t tell if Wen Mian had figured out her little scheme, but…

Gu Man quickly turned her back to Wen Mian, her voice laced with tension. “Is this okay?”

Gu Man’s waist was cinched by the thin strings. It was very slender, yet Wen Mian knew it possessed great strength.

Realizing she was thinking back to Gu Man’s performance on stage last night, Wen Mian’s ears burned. She scolded herself, she usually never paid attention to others. Why was it different with Gu Man? Why did she feel a faint sense of familiarity?

Wen Mian reached out her fingers and slowly began to untie the dead knot Gu Man had made.

Her movements were cautious, fearing she might touch Gu Man’s waist, but because the knot was so tight, contact was inevitable.

Gu Man bit her lip nervously, her breathing slowing down to match Wen Mian’s movements.

She could feel the faint, phantom-like touch at her waist. The warmth of the fingertips seemed to seep through the fabric of her reddish-brown shirt and onto her skin tingling and itchy.

Pheromones carrying a sense of possessiveness began to seep from her gland, slowly and cautiously approaching Wen Mian. They coaxed and lured Wen Mian’s strawberry pheromones out, and the moment they emerged, they entwined tightly, leaving no gap.

Gu Man pursed her lips in frustration, feeling a bit exasperated. She wanted to pull the pheromones back, but how could pheromones that had tasted such sweetness obey her? They remained rebellious, refusing to be withdrawn.

Wen Mian felt a slight numbness at her gland. Confused, she instinctively wanted to reach out and touch it to understand what was happening.

In her distraction, her fingertip accidentally poked Gu Man’s waist. Gu Man’s spine immediately stiffened as she struggled to control the pheromones that were desperate to surge out.

Wen Mian snapped back to her senses, quickly tied a butterfly bow, and took a step back to put distance between them.

She nodded with satisfaction and said, “There, it’s done.”

Gu Man took a moment to compose herself before turning around. The redness on her ears hadn’t faded; instead, it grew hotter.

Even so, she looked Wen Mian in the eye and thanked her. “Thank you, Wen Wen.”

That atmosphere returned, wrapping around Wen Mian like a cocoon. Wen Mian’s heart skipped a beat, and she waved her hand dismissively, trying to dispel the inexplicable vibe between them. “It’s nothing, just a small thing.”

She thought she had succeeded, until Gu Man spoke again. “Then… can Wen Wen help me take a photo?”

Her eyes looked directly at Wen Mian, dragging her back into that atmosphere once more.

Wen Mian’s sharp, animal-like intuition flared, she sensed a hint of danger spreading.

And that danger seemed to be coming from the woman in front of her…

Wen Mian wanted to refuse, but looking at Gu Man’s innocent gaze and her face filled with curiosity, plea, and joy, she lost her fire. Fine, what does it matter?

She didn’t realize this was exactly what Gu Man intended.

“Give me the phone,” Wen Mian said, holding out her hand.

A smile instantly flickered in the corners of Gu Man’s eyes. She nimbly and quickly pressed the phone into Wen Mian’s palm, terrified that Wen Mian might change her mind if she waited a second longer.

Truthfully, Wen Mian regretted it the moment she agreed. Taking a photo was one thing, but taking a photo of a bow she had tied…

It felt a bit too intimate. She felt out of place, her heart a tangle of faint shyness and sweetness that was buried under other emotions, unnoticed.

Gripping the phone, she noticed it still carried Gu Man’s body heat, scorching and entirely at odds with her cold exterior.

Wen Mian’s fingers hovered. After a long pause, she asked, “The password?”

Gu Man answered quickly, “220624.”

Wen Mian entered it, wondering: Is it a birthday? It feels so familiar.

Once the phone was unlocked, she quickly took a photo and handed it back. “Is this okay?”

Gu Man looked at it for a few moments. The way Wen Mian tied the bow had her own unique touch, the two “ears” drooped, with the right one slightly larger than the left.

Her eyes softened as she nodded. “It’s great. Wen Wen is so kind,” she said softly, almost like she was acting spoiled.

Wen Mian stepped back and leaned against the door again. She still wasn’t used to the name “Wen Wen,” especially since every time Gu Man said it, it sounded exceptionally intimate and lingering.

After all that time, Gu Man finally started washing the dishes. Wen Mian went back to looking at her phone, but she couldn’t focus, her gaze kept drifting toward that butterfly bow.

Once the dishes were done, Gu Man was reluctant to take off the apron and walked out with Wen Mian.

By now, everyone was up and sitting on the sofa, trying to wake up.

Wang Qiang was away for some reason. Zhong Li clapped her hands and said, “Breakfast is ready, everyone can go eat now.”

Zhang Yunxi yawned and followed listlessly behind Su Shiqiu.

As the others went to eat, Wen Mian stayed behind quietly, checking her phone and thinking about her plans for the next two days.

She first sent a message to her two mothers: I’m free for the next two days. Want to meet up?

There was no reply yet, they were likely busy.

Wen Mian exited the chat and saw a message from Xu Qing.

[Xu Qing: What time is your flight?]

Wen Mian sent her the booking page and replied: No need to come, I can just head home myself.

[Xu Qing: It’s not safe for you alone. I’ll drive you back; we can also discuss your future work schedule.]

Since it involved work, Wen Mian didn’t refuse again.

[Mian Mian Loves to Sleep: Alright then, thanks for the trouble.]

She saw Xu Qing reply: No problem, it’s what I should do. Wen Mian didn’t reply further. She opened her stock app and sold off one of her holdings.

The group finished breakfast quickly, looking very much forward to the end of this leg of the journey.

Zhong Li didn’t waste time either, announcing: “The first week of ‘First Heartbeat of Love’ live stream has come to a perfect end! Everyone remember to get some good rest, and we look forward to seeing you all again on Monday!”

Wen Mian clapped along with everyone else, a bright smile on her face.

Since the airport was a distance away, Zhong Li called for a dedicated minibus to take everyone there.

Wen Mian didn’t get carsick, so she chose to sit in the very last row, leaning her head against the window to watch the scenery.

Wang Mo immediately wanted to sit next to her but was pulled away by Shi Yuezhi to sit with her instead.

Zhang Yunxi, of course, sat with Su Shiqiu.

When Gu Man boarded and saw the seating arrangement, she secretly let out a breath she had been holding. She stepped forward and took the seat right next to Wen Mian.

Sensing movement, Wen Mian glanced over. Seeing it was Gu Man, she immediately sat up straight, her back tensing as if facing a great enemy.

However, Gu Man didn’t speak. She just looked out the window as if admiring the view, though she occasionally stole glances at Wen Mian.

Seeing that Gu Man wasn’t saying anything misleading, Wen Mian relaxed slightly, but she stopped looking outside and focused on her phone.

The bus trundled toward the airport as the fields slowly receded.

“Wen Wen, do you feel reluctant to leave?” Gu Man suddenly spoke, her voice low and husky.

“Huh?” Wen Mian replied instinctively, turning her head to look at Gu Man.

Gu Man’s expression was cold, but the words coming out of her mouth were the complete opposite of her aura. She said, “I feel a bit reluctant.”

Wen Mian sensed what she might say next and immediately tried to offer comfort. “Everyone will be back in two days.”

Gu Man shook her head, not following the path Wen Mian expected. She said, “I’ve never felt like this before…”

And all of this is because of you, Wen Wen. I really look forward to seeing you again.

Gu Man didn’t say those last words out loud. She simply looked into Wen Mian’s eyes, conveying her feelings through her gaze.

Her stare carried a heat she wasn’t even aware of. Wen Mian turned away, avoiding her eyes, and switched to a lighter topic. “Speaking of which, where are you flying to this time?”

Gu Man thought for a moment and replied, “Qingjiang.”

Wen Mian: “For work?”

“No, going home,” Gu Man answered, then asked, “Where is Wen Wen going?”

Wen Mian smiled. “Same as you. Going home.” After saying it, Wen Mian realized, had she really started thinking of that place as home?

But that wasn’t her home, and she didn’t have a home. Wen Mian lowered her eyes, and the light in them faded into darkness.

Gu Man sensed the drop in Wen Mian’s mood almost instantly. Her fingertips lightly tugged at the corner of her shirt, her heart flooding with a mixture of helplessness and heartache.

She searched her mind desperately for something to make Wen Mian happy, only to realize she had nothing. In this world, she rarely paid attention to others and never participated in social activities, work occupied her entire life.

Beads of sweat broke out on Gu Man’s forehead as she began trying to invent jokes in her head.

This one won’t work, it’s not funny! This one isn’t great either…

With every joke she came up with, Gu Man immediately rejected it. She couldn’t help but turn to look at Wen Mian, and then she froze.

Wen Mian’s head was tilted against the seat, her eyes slightly closed and her expression peaceful. She wore no makeup, appearing like a lotus flower emerging from the water, her long eyelashes casting a soft shadow beneath her eyes.

The sunlight streamed in through the car window. Sensing the brightness, she shifted her head restlessly, turning to face Gu Man’s side.

The world went quiet. Wen Mian’s shallow breaths brushed against Gu Man’s earlobe.

Gu Man’s ear turned bright red in a flash. Her pupils contracted, and her gaze darted around frantically, finding nowhere to rest.

Next came the sound of her own heartbeat. Thump! Thump! Thump… It was exceptionally loud in the silent world.

Gu Man held her breath and pressed her hand firmly over her heart, trying to hypnotize herself. Stop beating! Stop it! Don’t beat so hard! You’ll wake her up…

It was useless; instead, the vibration intensified, making her entire chest tremble.

Finally, Gu Man gave in and felt a sense of release. She placed one hand in front of Wen Mian’s face to block the incoming sunlight, while the other rested in front of her with a touch of helplessness.

She didn’t turn her head to lean against Wen Mian, she simply watched her quietly from the corner of her eye, enjoying the stillness and feeling her own heartbeat.

The car eventually came to a halt. Zhang Yunxi stood up cheerfully and shouted, “We’re finally here! I miss my bed so much!”

Startled, Gu Man immediately retracted her hand and looked away, though the flush on her ears wouldn’t fade for a long time.

Wen Mian opened her eyes groggily, her gaze still clouded with sleep. Feeling a gust of wind pass by her face, she looked up in confusion. There was nothing there, and the car window was shut tight, surely the wind couldn’t have blown in?

Suddenly realizing something, Wen Mian looked up at Gu Man. What met her eyes were Gu Man’s reddened ears and, further up, her flickering, unstable gaze.

Wen Mian understood. A sweet feeling welled up in her heart, and she gave a soft smile. “Thank you… Gu Man.”

Perhaps because she had just woken up, her voice was soft and gentle, her tone rising slightly as she said the name, as intimate as a whisper in the ear.