The Salted Fish And Protagonist A Ended Up Together - Chapter 32

Gu Man tilted her head slightly, shaking it in confusion. “No… it’s a little bit warm. Maybe I should turn down the air conditioning.”

Wen Mian let out a chuckle, her beautiful figure trembling slightly with mirth. “I’m not hot, but as for you. I’m not so sure.”

Her gaze fixed on Gu Man’s ears; her meaning was unmistakable.

Gu Man’s eyelashes fluttered. She lightly touched the tip of her ear with her finger, it was burning.

She froze for a moment, her throat bobbing as she stared blankly at Wen Mian.

Wen Mian raised an eyebrow and nodded, leaning forward to get closer to Gu Man. She whispered softly, “After all, if you aren’t hot, why are your ears so red? Isn’t that right, Gu… Man?”

She dragged out the name “Gu Man,” her voice carrying a hint of huskiness as she blinked seductively.

The two were very close, their breaths intertwining. Wen Mian’s low murmur accompanied her warm breath, sending a flush spreading across Gu Man’s cheeks.

By the time Wen Mian retreated to a safe distance, Gu Man looked like a blooming camellia, vibrantly red. Her usual indifferent expression had vanished, her eyelashes fluttered violently like butterfly wings as she stared bashfully at her bowl of wontons.

Wen Mian was startled. Was she… really this easy to embarrass?

For some reason, Wen Mian felt her own body beginning to heat up. That warmth crawled up from her heart, flooding her cheeks with the color of rouge.

For a moment, both of them stared bashfully at their bowls.

The living room fell silent, yet the atmosphere remained entwined. The scent of sandalwood and strawberries melded together, filling the space to the brim…

The silence lasted until Zhang Yunxi came downstairs rubbing her eyes. Her nose twitched as she looked around, and she quickly ran to Wen Mian’s side, leaning down to sniff the rich aroma of the oatmeal porridge.

“Wow! It smells so good! Mianmian, is there any left?” Zhang Yunxi nearly drooled.

Wen Mian glanced at Gu Man from the corner of her eye, only speaking once she saw Gu Man nod. “There’s still some. Besides the porridge, there are wontons. You can cook some for yourself.”

Zhang Yunxi nodded and excitedly hugged Wen Mian, shouting loudly, “Mianmian, you are my goddess! I love you so much!”

Wen Mian stiffened. This time, her gaze was fixed entirely on Gu Man. The veins on Gu Man’s forehead were bulging, her hands were gripping the edge of the bowl tightly, and her eyes were like frozen ice, staring dead at Zhang Yunxi with an uncontrollable, surging jealousy.

Wen Mian quickly spoke up, “I didn’t make this. Gu Man made it. Hehe, you should thank her.”

Zhang Yunxi straightened up. “Sister Gu made this?”

She turned to look at Gu Man and was startled by the icy stare. Although she really should thank Sister Gu, but… wasn’t that look a bit too terrifying?

After a long pause, Zhang Yunxi thanked her tremulously: “Sister Gu is so kind. The food smells wonderful!”

Seeing Zhang Yunxi separate from Wen Mian, the ice in Gu Man’s eyes gradually thawed. She nodded in response. “You’re welcome. The ingredients are in the kitchen.”

Hearing “food,” Zhang Yunxi’s eyes immediately lit up. She no longer cared about how cold Gu Man’s gaze was and happily ran toward the kitchen.

While she was boiling the wontons, the other guests came downstairs one after another. Zhang Yunxi simply prepared enough for everyone.

After breakfast, Zhong Li stood up and began announcing the task: “Good morning, everyone! Today we are going to experience stand-up paddleboarding (SUP). Is everyone excited?”

Wen Mian nodded supportively. “Excited! So, what time are we heading out?”

Zhong Li: “We’re going right now. Everyone, please go get ready.”

The group hummed in agreement and went upstairs to change.

Wang Mo walked side by side with Wen Mian, asking curiously, “Mianmian, want to be on the same team later?”

Wen Mian glanced at Gu Man out of the corner of her eye, sounding a bit hesitant. “Let’s see how the production team arranges it. There’s a new guest here, after all.”

Wang Mo nodded, full of energy. “Alright then! I’ll go change first. See you in a bit!”

She ran upstairs, not forgetting to wave to Wen Mian.

As soon as Wang Mo left, Gu Man caught up and asked in a low voice, “Do you want to be on a team with her?”

Wen Mian was stunned for a second, then shook her head. “No, but it depends on the production team’s arrangement.”

Gu Man looked thoughtful, staring at Wen Mian silently for a few seconds until Wen Mian closed her door, before heading to her own room.

As female celebrities, they were all quite sensitive to UV rays, so they barely left any skin exposed, wrapping themselves up tightly.

The drive led them to a lake where the water was clear and clean, rippling with pale blue waves.

Just looking at it made one’s mood improve significantly.

Zhang Yunxi and Wen Mian huddled together, Zhang Yunxi whispering while munching on fries, “Mianmian, how’s your swimming?”

Wen Mian thought about it. Her swimming was actually quite good, she had specifically learned it once to secure a contract for a client.

Thus, she tilted her head up proudly. “Pretty good! If you have any trouble, you can come to me!”

Zhang Yunxi let out a sigh of relief, quietly letting go of the hem of Wen Mian’s shirt she had been clutching. “That’s good. I’m not a great swimmer. If I fall in, you must come save me!”

Wen Mian clapped her hands and agreed readily, “Of course, don’t you worry!”

Gu Man watched the proud tilt of Wen Mian’s chin from the side, her expression full of softness.

The live stream audience was healed by this scene.

• “Such a heartwarming scene, the two babies are so cute!”
• “The bestie duo is so precious, you can tell who the ‘bottom’ is at a glance.”
• “You… how am I supposed to respond to that?”
• “Haha, don’t be scared, it’s not like we haven’t seen it before. Speaking of which, what is Wen Mian’s pheromone scent after her differentiation? I don’t think I’ve heard it mentioned?”
• “Now that you mention it, I’m curious too! What is it?”
• “No idea, it hasn’t been leaked.”
• “Hehe (rubs hands together), doesn’t that mean only they know…”

The online discussion suddenly veered off-topic, with everyone envious of their beautiful lifestyle.

Zhong Li silently looked away, it was almost too much to watch.

She spoke up: “Is everyone ready?”

“Ready!” the group shouted in unison.

Zhong Li nodded and introduced the coaches to them. “These are the coaches we’ve hired for you. They will teach you how to get on the board and then help divide you into groups.”

Wen Mian nodded to the coach in front of her, giving a bright smile. “Hello, coach.”

Her voice was soft, almost sounding like she was acting spoiled, which made Gu Man’s heart itch.

Gu Man unconsciously touched her earlobe before speaking, “Coach, sorry to trouble you.”

The coach nodded gently and began explaining the safety precautions.

Once finished, she looked around and clapped her hands. “Everyone seems to be standing in good spots, so let’s just group up as you are.”

Wen Mian turned her head and met Gu Man’s eyes, Gu Man was the one closest to her.

Wang Mo’s ears instantly drooped. She rushed over to Wen Mian, saying reluctantly, “Then Mianmian, we’ll team up next time.”

At the same time, another voice spoke up: “Production team, can I use that special privilege?”

Zhong Li looked away from the live stream comments and toward Mu Ya, who looked serious.

Zhong Li then looked at Gu Man, who remained cold and distant, seemingly unaware of the “danger” approaching.

What was she supposed to do? This show couldn’t afford to offend either of these “Big Buddhas.” If she had known, she wouldn’t have agreed to that request!

Zhong Li’s mind raced, trying to think of a solution. At worst… at worst, she’d just have to offend Mu Ya. After all, the other two clearly had feelings for each other, someone jumping in now was just asking to be criticized.

Before Zhong Li could think of a plan, Zhang Yunxi asked first, “Privilege? Ya Ya, you have a privilege?”

Mu Ya smiled and nodded. “Yes. Since I arrived a few days late, the production team gave it to me as compensation.”

Zhang Yunxi realized what was happening and leaned in toward Mu Ya, blinking curiously. “What is it, what is it?”

Mu Ya moved away from her subtly and replied softly, “I can choose one person to team up with.”

“Then who do you want to choose, Ya Ya? How about me? I really want to be on a team with you, I didn’t think I’d get the chance!” Zhang Yunxi’s tone was excited.

Mu Ya’s smile couldn’t help but stiffen. After a long pause, she nodded with difficulty, feigning joy. “Of course. I really wanted to be on a team with Xixi too.”

Zhang Yunxi giggled and pushed Mu Ya forward. “Then it’s settled! This is great, my dream came true!”

As she was pushed to the shore, the suppressed feeling in Mu Ya’s heart finally relaxed, and her expression returned to normal.

Once they stopped, Zhang Yunxi didn’t forget to give a secret “OK” gesture behind her back, shouting, “Paddleboard, I am here to conquer you!”

She seemed to have completely forgotten about her original partner.

Su Shiqiu walked helplessly to Wang Mo’s side. They exchanged a look, both seeing the dissatisfaction in each other’s eyes.

Finally, Su Shiqiu spoke first, “We’re a team?”

Wang Mo glanced at Wen Mian. She and Gu Man were looking at the lake together, the wind gently blew Wen Mian’s hair against Gu Man’s face. Gu Man’s expression was soft, showing none of her usual “keep away” demeanor.

Wang Mo lowered her eyes despondently for a second, but immediately looked up again, agreeing energetically, “Sure! I want to see if Xixi is better or if I am!”

Zhang Yunxi had just cautiously climbed onto the paddleboard, gripping the edges tightly. Despite being clearly terrified, she immediately talked back when she heard Wang Mo: “Of course Xixi is better! Just you wait to lose!”

Wang Mo’s interest was piqued, and she retorted, “Stubborn words are useless, this depends on real skill.”

Sweat broke out on Zhang Yunxi’s forehead, but she remained defiant, firing back, “Then let’s see who has the real skill!”

Hearing the two bickering, Wen Mian let out a laugh, her features as beautiful as a painting.

She turned to Gu Man and sang out in a coaxing tone, “Shall we, Ms. Gu Man?”

Gu Man’s eyes softened as she looked at her, playing along in a low voice, “Certainly, Ms. Wen Mian.”

The viewers in the live stream went wild, grabbing onto whatever was nearby.

• “Ahhh! So sweet!”
• “I’ve already thought of their wedding vows!”
• “Sister, you’re bold. I’m different, I’ve already brought the Civil Affairs Bureau to them.”
• “Haha, same. These two just need to change clothes and they can go get married.”

The internet was buzzing with joy, and people were already frantically editing those two lines into various videos to post online.

Because it involved Gu Man, the videos went viral instantly, drawing massive attention.

Meanwhile, in a coffee shop, a director was clutching her hair in frustration, screaming internally: Why can’t I find the right actors for these roles?!

She took a huge gulp of coffee and opened her phone to distract herself. She happened to scroll past this video. Her eyes lit up, she had an idea.

Wen Mian was unaware of the online storm. At that moment, she looked at the palm Gu Man had extended toward her. After a brief daze, she decisively slapped her hand onto it. “Then let’s go!”

Gu Man’s eyelashes fluttered violently and her throat bobbed. She looked down at Wen Mian’s fair, translucent hand and gently squeezed her fingers shut.

The warmth from their palms transferred, the heat on the back of her hand gradually turning scorching. Wen Mian could even feel a trace of moisture, though she couldn’t tell whose it was.

Neither of them looked at the other. Instead, they tacitly avoided eye contact, staring only at their interlaced hands. Ambiguity rippled through the air, accompanied by a flush of red at the tips of their ears.

The shy, sweet atmosphere didn’t last long, soon interrupted by a light cough.

“Ms. Wen, Ms. Gu, it’s time to get on the paddleboards,” the coach interjected, breaking the tension.

Like an electric shock, Wen Mian snapped back to reality. She looked up and jerked her hand away, awkwardly unsure of what to do. “O-okay.”

One hand was left hanging in mid-air, it trembled twice before slowly curling into a fist.