The Salted Fish And Protagonist A Ended Up Together - Chapter 30

The corners of her lips curled up slightly, and a glimmer danced in Gu Man’s eyes, mirroring the neon lights outside the car window. She typed a quick reply.

[Gu Man: It’s nothing, it’s just…] I miss you a little.

Wen Mian, not understanding the subtext, replied: [Oh.]

She started a new topic: [Are you at home?]

The curve of Gu Man’s smile deepened, her expression softening.

[Gu Man: No, I’m heading to work now.]

[Wen Mian: Understood. As expected of a busy person!]

Wen Mian was just teasing, but Gu Man couldn’t help but reflect further. She paused for a long while.

Seeing that no more messages were coming through, Wen Mian assumed Gu Man had started working and began happily scrolling through a web novel.

Then, a new notification popped up at the top of her screen.

[Gu Man: I can make time.]

After sending it, Gu Man nervously rubbed the edge of her phone, waiting for Wen Mian’s response.

Wen Mian’s brain momentarily short-circuited. Can make time? But why tell me that?

She thought about it and finally sent back a “thumbs up” emoji.

[Mian Mian Loves Sleeping: Impressive!]

Gu Man pursed her lips, not entirely satisfied. However, as her gaze lingered on Wen Mian’s profile picture a sleepy little kitten, her heart softened again.

She brought the phone close to her mouth and spoke slowly into the receiver: “Goodnight… Wen Wen.”

She released her finger, and the voice message, carrying its hidden intentions, was sent to the person curled up far away.

Wen Mian tapped to listen. Gu Man’s voice was low, the end of the sentence trailing off slightly as if she were leaning right against her ear. Wen Mian could almost feel the warmth of her breath.

Hidden beneath her hair, Wen Mian’s ear gave a little twitch, as if brushed by a feather. It felt itchy, and in her flustered state, she accidentally locked her phone.

The burning sensation in her ear wouldn’t fade, turning a bright red. She switched apps and turned the volume up high, the dialogue of the novel characters blared loudly, but the things that usually interested her seemed useless in this moment.

She couldn’t shake that awkward, restless feeling in her heart.

Watching the softened expression of Gu Man in the rearview mirror, Wang Fei sighed heavily. She felt both speechless and bewildered. How did she lose her heart just by participating in a dating show?

She suddenly spoke up, “Manman, what is your current view of Wen Mian?”

Gu Man lifted her eyes, looking a bit dazed, and said naturally, “I consider her a friend.”

Perhaps seeing Wang Fei’s “hard to describe” expression, she asked in confusion, “Is there a problem?”

Wang Fei shook her head. Internally, she thought: I don’t have a problem. I just hope you don’t regret this later.

She glanced back and saw Gu Man staring intently at her phone, waiting for a message. It was a mix of helplessness and amusement for Wang Fei. After all, in the three years she had managed Gu Man, she had never seen this artist show any emotion other than total composure.

Before she could clear the annoying voice from her head, Wen Mian’s phone rang. She patted her chest, covering one eye with one hand while cautiously peeking at the screen with the other. She let out a huge sigh of relief and put her hand down.

She answered the call and asked curiously, “Sister Xu, what’s up?”

Xu Qing’s voice was excited. “Mianmian, you remember the Momo brand reached out to you about being a brand ambassador, right?”

Wen Mian gave an “mm.” “I remember. Did something happen to them?”

Xu Qing choked for a second and quickly spat out a “Phooey, phooey!” to ward off bad luck. She explained, “No, summer is coming up. They want you to shoot for their summer collection. If it goes well, they might even promote you to Brand Spokesperson.”

Wen Mian was shocked for a second but immediately countered, “They wouldn’t be that reckless. A Brand Spokesperson depends more on my popularity/hype.”

Xu Qing felt like a bucket of cold water had been dumped on her. Her feelings were complicated, a mix of pride and speechlessness. “You being like this now… is actually quite good.”

Wen Mian laughed, puffing her chest out proudly. “Of course, I’ve always been good!”

Xu Qing truly hadn’t expected that while Wen Mian was no longer chasing after Gu Man, she had developed a bit of a modesty problem.

Still, it was quite likable. She smiled and continued, “Back to business. I’ll pick you up tomorrow and take you to the ad shoot.”

Wen Mian agreed, then remembered something. Before Xu Qing could hang up, she added, “By the way, I’m not at the apartment. Pick me up at this location tomorrow. I’ll send you the address in a bit.”

Xu Qing replied breezily, “Sure.”

Once the call ended and the address was sent, Wen Mian opened her phone to search for “Momo Brand.”

Gu Man hadn’t been wrong, although the Momo brand might have questionable taste in people, they generally received very positive reviews online.

Feeling at ease, Wen Mian turned off her phone and closed her eyes.

The night swayed and the stars danced, weaving a drunken blanket for the full moon.

As the sky turned from black to a misty white and the sunlight grew dazzling, Wen Mian got out of bed.

Soon after she finished washing up, Xu Qing’s call came through.

Wen Mian went downstairs, leaned over to put on her shoes, and jogged out the door.

Xu Qing’s car was parked outside the villa. Wen Mian knocked on the window, and it rolled down.

Xu Qing tossed her head. “Get in.”

Wen Mian opened the door and sat in the back.

Xu Qing glanced at her, her tone a mix of teasing and bitterness. “Reconciled with your family?”

The images of the original host’s mother and sister from yesterday flashed through Wen Mian’s mind. A smile involuntarily graced her lips. She nodded. “Reconciled.”

Xu Qing breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good.” Internally, she thought: This way, President Pei won’t come looking for me, right?

After getting out of the car, Xu Qing led Wen Mian to the shooting location. Wen Mian looked around; the studio was crowded, people were shouting back and forth, and the air was thick with the steam of hard work.

A woman waiting in front of the studio ran over as soon as she saw Wen Mian and Xu Qing.

After inconspicuously scanning Wen Mian from head to toe, the woman gave a satisfied smile. She leaned forward slightly and extended her right hand. “Ms. Wen, Sister Xu, hello. I am your dedicated stylist for today. If you need anything, just let me know. You can call me Isla.”

Wen Mian politely leaned in and shook her hand, releasing it quickly with a gentle smile. “Hello. I’ll be in your hands today.”

Isla’s arm straightened, and her shoulders secretly relaxed. It seems they chose a good brand ambassador this time, the company finally has some vision.

She said, “This way, both of you.”

Leading Wen Mian and Xu Qing to the dressing room, Isla handed a manual to Xu Qing and explained with a smile: “Our theme this time is ‘Exquisite and Aesthetic,’ while remaining comfortable. As our sole ambassador, we’ve selected eight outfits for Ms. Wen.”

As she spoke, she watched Wen Mian’s expression but saw no change in her demeanor.

Slightly surprised, she continued, “Of course, considering your time, we will only shoot three outfits today. One is a Mermaid set, one is an Elf set, these two are mainly to attract consumers and one is a ‘cool/handsome’ style. That one, along with the remaining five, will be for sales. Are you two okay with that?”

Wen Mian flipped through the contract and exchanged a look with Xu Qing. Both shook their heads to indicate no problems.

She looked at Isla and said, “That works. We’ve always been very satisfied with Momo Brand products.”

The two women looked at each other, both seeing a glimmer of satisfaction in the other’s eyes.

Since the Elf set required studio set-up and the Mermaid set required wet hair, they decided to shoot the “cool” style first.

Isla took out her makeup bag and said gently to Wen Mian, “Ms. Wen, you can close your eyes now. Rest assured, my skills are quite good.”

Wen Mian closed her eyes immediately and gave a playful smile. “Then I’ll leave my face to you.”

Isla let out a chuckle. “I didn’t expect Ms. Wen to trust me so much. I certainly won’t let you down.”

Feeling the ticklish sensation on her face, Wen Mian was a bit nervous at first, her back stiff, but eventually, she became drowsy.

After half an hour, she finally heard Isla exclaim, “Done! Mianmian, this face is truly beautiful!”

Wen Mian opened her bleary eyes and looked at herself in the mirror. Her breath hitched. She had always known her face was striking, but this was the first time she had seen it so vividly.

The woman in the mirror looked like a red rose seen through a thin mist. Her eyebrows were natural with a clear “hair stroke” texture, and the upturned eyeliner elongated her fox-like eyes, making them narrow and enchanting. Her lip peaks were sharp, and the colors were rich and bold.

Wen Mian smiled, and the corners of her eyes curled accordingly. The red mole at the corner of her eye sparkled brilliantly.

Wen Mian paused, pulled back her smile, and suddenly asked, “This mole?”

Isla was looking for clothes and replied casually, “Oh, that? It’s to make the eye makeup pop more. Alright, go change first, we still need to do your hair.”

The finger Wen Mian had hovering over the red mole dropped. She stood up and replied, “Okay.”

She took the clothes into the changing room. Within a few minutes, Wen Mian had changed.

Actually, she could have been faster, but she was afraid of smearing her makeup, so she changed much more slowly.

When she came out, Isla curled Wen Mian’s hair into large waves that draped down her back. Black hair, red lips, she was extraordinarily radiant.

Finally, after putting on misty gray colored contacts, Wen Mian turned her head to look at Xu Qing. The sudden visual impact made Xu Qing gasp.

Wen Mian softened her eyes in satisfaction. As she walked out of the makeup room, one person let out a low squeal of surprise, drawing everyone’s attention.

Behind her was a flurry of chatter.

“Wen Mian’s face… she’s even prettier than on the livestream!”

“I wish I had a face like that.”

“In your dreams. Even with my thick skin, I wouldn’t dare suggest that. You’re bolder than me.”

“What did you say! Looking for a fight?”

The photographer’s eyes lit up, staring intently at Wen Mian as inspiration flooded in. “Yes, yes, yes! That’s the feeling!”

Wen Mian stood on the platform. She wore a bright red leather jacket over a black camisole, showing a bit of her waist. On the bottom were loose, grey-black jeans with a skull belt buckle. The whole look was cool, sharp, and effortless.

Since it was her first time shooting professional photos, Wen Mian was a little uncomfortable, and her poses were somewhat stiff.

The photographer’s wide smile dropped. She peeked out from behind the camera, looked again, and said, “No need to be so nervous. Just pose naturally.”

At these words, Wen Mian grew even more unsure of where to put her gaze.

The photographer frowned and let out a long breath, mentally reciting: It’s her first time, her first time.

She thought for a moment and then said, “It’s actually very simple. Think of it this way like a CEO in a negotiation. You’re afraid of losing, so your aura must be powerful, or…”

Before the photographer could finish, Wen Mian’s gaze shifted. She looked at everyone with a cold, disdainful expression. The veins on her forehead tightened slightly, and her brows knit together, looking somewhere between angry and helpless.

The photographer’s hand trembled as she shouted, “That’s it! That’s the disdainful, ‘looking down on everyone’ look!”

Her hands didn’t stop moving click, click, click…she took many photos.

After that, Wen Mian became more relaxed. Time flew by like the wind, and it was soon noon.

After a casual lunch, they got back to work. The three sets of clothes were finished quickly.

After removing her makeup, Wen Mian collapsed into a chair and wailed, “I’m so tired!”

Having spent the day together, Isla had figured out Wen Mian’s temperament. She teased with a smile, “So, will you come back next time?”

Wen Mian kept her eyes closed and replied, “Digging a hole for me? I won’t fall for it. Of course I’ll come! This is the place to be!”

Isla laughed heartily. “Deal! With a face this beautiful, I wouldn’t have the heart to only do your makeup three times!”

Wen Mian opened her eyes and stood up. “We’re heading out then. Bye!”

Isla waved. “Bye, see you next time.”

Wen Mian and Xu Qing left together. After working for so long, all Wen Mian wanted at this moment was a meal full of carbohydrates to satisfy herself.

She cast a cautious glance at Xu Qing and sighed inwardly, abandoning the idea of going to a street stall. “Sister Xu, thank you for staying with me for so long. Come on, dinner’s on me.”

Xu Qing was stunned for a moment, then laughed. “You’re treating me? How about I treat you instead?”

Wen Mian shook her head with firm refusal. “No way. Since I’ve earned money, I must be the one to treat you!”

Seeing the determination in Wen Mian’s eyes, Xu Qing finally agreed. “Alright, you treat me. Let’s consider it a celebration of our Mianmian’s first paycheck.”

With a curl of her eyes, Wen Mian opened a navigation app. She chose a Chinese restaurant, as her “Chinese stomach” wasn’t accustomed to Western food.

Xu Qing followed the GPS to the address and arrived shortly.

Stepping into the restaurant, they saw a central pillar carved with a five clawed golden dragon standing in the middle of the lobby, surrounded by lush greenery. Crystal pendants emitted a warm yellow glow, making them feel as if they were in a traditional garden.

Xu Qing’s pupils contracted. She had heard many times how good this place was, but this was her first time inside. It truly lived up to its reputation as the most luxurious Chinese restaurant.

She leaned in toward Wen Mian and whispered, “Mianmian, doesn’t a place like this require a reservation?”

Wen Mian froze. It was as if a giant mallet had struck the little person inside her head…damm it, she forgot.

She headed toward the service desk and replied, “Let me ask first.”

Walking up, Wen Mian found a staff member and asked, “Hello, are there any private rooms available right now?”