The Salted Fish And Protagonist A Ended Up Together - Chapter 37

The sister (the tea master) nodded, gesturing for her to pick it up while she continued roasting the sand pot.

Feeling helpless, Su Shiqiu simply followed her lead, picked up the tasting cup, and took a small sip. Her eyes fluttered closed as if she were savoring the flavor.

Zhang Yunxi’s eyes immediately lit up, and she urged impatiently, “How is it? How is it?”

Su Shiqiu nodded slowly. “I think it’s quite good. Do you want to try?”

Zhang Yunxi nodded like a little chick pecking at grain and took the cup from her hand. Mimicking her movements, she took a small sip. The initial taste was slightly bitter, but the aftertaste held a different flavor. Although she wasn’t fond of tea, Zhang Yunxi found it acceptable.

Holding the cup, she turned to ask Mu Ya, “Yaya, do you want a taste?”

Mu Ya was momentarily stunned but took a sip. Zhang Yunxi turned away, cheering “Oh yeah!” in her heart..this way, Mianmian would definitely share the same cup as Sister Gu.

To make this happen, the moment Mu Ya stopped drinking, Zhang Yunxi hurried to take the cup and hand it to Wang Mo.

Wang Mo looked down at the tasting cup, which still held a bit of the bitter tea, then looked up at Zhang Yunxi with a confused expression. Why is she being so weird today? She didn’t understand, but she accepted it. Wang Mo finished the last bit of bitter tea, and her face immediately stiffened, she almost spat it out from the bitterness.

She looked at the other four in disbelief. Don’t you guys find this bitter? Refusing to believe it, Wang Mo stared intently at Wen Mian, who was about to drink the bitter tea.

Wen Mian had a high tolerance for bitterness, her expression didn’t change at all. This was likely a skill honed in her past life climbing from the bottom to the high ranks as a woman required not only solid strength but also the ability to handle being made fun of or tested with ease. Otherwise, even a small mistake would be magnified and judged.

However, having a high tolerance didn’t mean she liked the bitterness. After a shallow sip, she casually and familiarly handed the cup to the person next to her. Her full attention remained focused on the tea master, who was starting the second stage: the sweet tea.

Gu Man’s eyelashes fluttered, and even her fingertips trembled slightly as she carefully took the cup. The residual scent of sweet strawberries drifted from the rim into her nose. It was faint, and she wasn’t satisfied; her brows furrowed slightly, craving more…

Out of the corner of her eye, Gu Man glanced at the back of Wen Mian’s neck. Her pinkish-white gland was half-hidden by her hair, appearing intermittently as if tempting her to touch it.

Gu Man had always thought her self-control was strong, but at this moment, she realized that when it came to Wen Mian, her vaunted self-restraint was worthless. Her throat felt parched. She forced her gaze away and fixed it on the cup.

Gu Man deliberately tilted the cup to a different angle, avoiding the spot where Wen Mian had sipped, and slowly lowered her head. Her cool, thin lips touched the rim.

The warm tea flowed from her throat into her heart, carrying a hint of strawberry sweetness, she couldn’t taste a hint of bitterness. She drank very slowly, her throat moving with every swallow. In her lowered eyes was a surge of emotion, and her movements were full of cherished care. As she drank, she couldn’t help but steal glances at the focused Wen Mian, her eyes filled with irrepressible tenderness and doting.

Wang Mo’s fingers hanging by her side involuntarily clenched her skirt. She looked away, her peach-blossom eyes dimming.

After finishing the tea, Gu Man gently set down the cup.

Wen Mian was startled when the cup suddenly reappeared in her field of vision. her pupils dilated instantly, and her mind became a tangled mess of threads with no end in sight.

Who did I just hand it to?

To my right… to the right is…Gu Man?!

As soon as the thought occurred, Wen Mian clenched her hands, her breathing becoming hurried. She finished it? Doesn’t that mean… an indirect kiss?!

At this thought, Wen Mian’s eyelashes trembled violently. She tried to hypnotize herself: Relax! Relax! She definitely didn’t touch… the place where I drank.

While comforting herself, she carefully and discreetly glanced at Gu Man, only to see her ears, which were now flushed like rouge. As she looked up further, she was caught by Gu Man. Their gazes locked.

Knowing exactly what was happening but acting innocent, Gu Man asked knowingly, “Why aren’t you looking anymore?”

Wen Mian bit her lip. Looking at Gu Man’s innocent face, she wished she could beat her… or rather, pull her into a hug. You obviously know what I mean, and yet you ask!

She gave a heavy huff in her heart, crossed her arms over her chest, and gestured toward the cup on the table. “You finished it?”

Gu Man nodded and asked back, “Didn’t you mean for me to finish it?”

Wen Mian was choked for words. She nodded speechlessly. “I! You?… Yes, yes. Was it good?”

Gu Man hummed. “Sweet. Very delicious.”

Wen Mian was puzzled. Sweet? Was there something wrong with my sense of taste? Why did mine taste bitter?

Before she could figure it out, the tea master finished the sweet tea, which contained a bit of brown sugar, milk fans (rushan), and cinnamon. Wen Mian took a small sip and nodded with satisfaction, her eyes crinkling. This is sweet. This is good. She held it in her palm, gently stroking the cup, and finished it slowly, not daring to put it down again.

After the three courses of tea were finished, Wen Mian couldn’t quite describe the flavor, but just like the third course, it left a lingering, profound aftertaste.

The tea master looked at them gently and said softly, “The three courses of tea are finished. I wish for all of you to be like these teas: first bitter, then sweet, and finally, full of aftertaste.”

Wen Mian smiled. “Thank you, Teacher.”

The six of them returned to their room, where six traditional Bai ethnic dishes had already been served. The Nuodeng ham was salty and savory, the Xizhou Baba was crispy and soft, the sour cabbage fish was appetizingly spicy… Zhang Yunxi gasped, her mouth watering. After eating and drinking their fill, they took the car back to the small courtyard.

Wen Mian stepped forward and approached Gu Man. “Want to go for a walk together?”

The corners of Gu Man’s mouth curved into a smile, and she nodded slightly. “I’d love to. As long as you invite me, I will always go.”

Wen Mian’s ears felt hot. She felt helpless, she hadn’t expected that one day she would get used to Gu Man’s words. She nodded with a hint of doting, “Let’s go then.”

Leaving through the entrance, the two walked slowly around the courtyard. The bluestone path was uneven, and small trees were planted nearby. There was a light breeze, the weather was beautiful, and the moon hung high, casting its glow over them.

Wen Mian looked down at the road, stretching her arms back and leaning forward slightly as if she were flying. Gu Man kept her hand hovering behind her, quietly protecting her. After playing for a while, Wen Mian suddenly straightened up, turned back to Gu Man, and asked softly, “When the dating show ends, what do you plan to do?”

Gu Man suddenly paused, her fingers curling up.

Wen Mian wasn’t in a hurry for an answer. She waved her hand. “You don’t have to answer me now.”

Gu Man stared at the feigned casualness in her eyes, and a thought began to flicker in her heart.

After the walk, Wen Mian waved goodbye to Gu Man and returned to her room. She sat on a stool, let out a breath, took out her loungewear, and went into the bathroom.

As the warm water showered down, Wen Mian gradually closed her eyes. Regarding the question she just asked Gu Man, she didn’t make Gu Man answer not because she didn’t want one, but because she hadn’t found the answer herself. After the show, could they really stay the same as they were now?

She turned off the shower, wrapped herself in a towel, and stepped out.

In the room next door, Gu Man’s face was flushed. She was looking at her phone, her breathing rapid. It was a magazine photo of Wen Mian sent by Xie Yun.

Her long, ice-blue curly hair was draped casually, adorned with light blue diamonds and shimmering glitters like crushed stars. Blue scales were painted on her forehead, and tiny diamonds sparkled at the corners of her eyes. Her slender, pale fingers, wrapped in a cold-toned crystal chain, rested gently against her cheek. The chain connected to the silver-white princess dress she wore. Her delicate collarbones, glistening with water droplets, were captivating, hidden under a layer of hazy gauze.

Behind her was a deep blue sea covered in silver, light blue, and dark blue diamonds. She wore matching blue contact lenses, gazing quietly into the lens looking like a piteous deity, or perhaps a god looking indifferently upon the world. Another photo showed her as an elf in a green dress, moving freely through the forest with lively eyes.

Three photos, three styles but all of them made Gu Man’s heart leap. Her heartbeat was like a derailed train about to burst from her chest.

Gu Man clutched her heart, her eyes reddening. The room was filled with the heavy scent of sandalwood pheromones. Want… want strawberry pheromones. Want WenWen…

With only that one thought left in her mind, Gu Man used all her strength to control herself so she wouldn’t run straight to Wen Mian’s room. She took several deep breaths before she could barely suppress the leaking pheromones.

Gu Man frowned, realizing that her rut had arrived early. Struggling, she opened her suitcase, found a suppressant, and injected it into her tensed upper arm. Even as the needle pierced her skin, she didn’t flinch. The suppressant gradually took effect, and the sandalwood scent faded.

However, a trace of the leaked pheromones had already drifted out from under the door, floating into Wen Mian’s room and surrounding her as she slept. Wen Mian’s nose twitched; she nuzzled into her blanket, and the corners of her mouth curled up as she fell into a deeper sleep. Outside the window, the stars were like those in her magazine photos, filling the entire sky.

When she woke up again, Wen Mian rubbed her eyes. Her nose twitched, and she felt a bit confused. Why do I smell sandalwood?

She walked dizzily to wash up. By the time she came out of the bathroom, the scent had vanished. A hallucination? Wen Mian frowned and walked out of the room. After eating the breakfast prepared by Gu Man, she curled up on the sofa to watch a movie.

Soon, the others came downstairs and gathered around the table for breakfast. Once everyone was finished, Zhong Li spoke: “Good morning, everyone. Today we are going to experience the famous Dongba characters and Luge (alpine sliding).”

Wen Mian’s eyes widened with anticipation.

The Dongba character experience was simple; the production team had invited a teacher to the courtyard. Dongba characters are the only living primitive pictographic scripts in the world today, known as the “living fossil of writing development.” The writing was very cute, and everyone had fun learning.

At noon, they went to eat authentic Bai ethnic stone plate barbecue and “Eight Bowls.” The morning passed by in a flash.

The six people rested in the small courtyard. Wen Mian sat outside soaking in the sun, sunlight drenching her body as her hair danced lightly with the breeze.

Gu Man sat quietly beside her, neither too close nor too far. She was afraid that getting too close would trigger her rut again, but she was unwilling to be too far away, so she chose this middle distance.

Wen Mian, however, found it increasingly strange. Unlike before, when Gu Man used to cling to her constantly, Gu Man had kept her distance since early morning.

Stealing a glance at Gu Man out of the corner of her eye, Wen Mian suddenly spoke, “Are you feeling unwell?”

Gu Man’s gaze froze for a moment. She shook her head to clear Wen Mian’s confusion. “No… it’s my rut.”

Wen Mian sat up abruptly, her voice filled with surprise as she blurted out, “Rut?”

The moment the words left her mouth, she realized…of course, she had transmigrated into an ABO world, ruts were perfectly normal.

She expressed some concern, “Then that means you are uncomfortable. How about you rest in the courtyard this afternoon? I’ll stay with you.”

Gu Man chuckled, staring directly at Wen Mian’s face as if trying to etch this scene into her memory. “Don’t worry, I’ve injected a suppressant.”

Wen Mian let out a breath and nodded, but worry still lingered in her eyes. “If you feel unwell, you must tell me.”

Gu Man gave a soft “Mm.”

The fans in the livestream were heartbroken, wishing they could force Gu Man to rest immediately.

【ManMan, please don’t push yourself like you do when filming. You should rest during your rut.】

【Agreed. Filming is hard enough as it is. Just relax during the variety show!】

【Plus one. But wait, I remember ManMan’s rut isn’t supposed to be for another month?】

【It must be because she’s too tired and it came early. Poor ManMan.】

【Am I the only one thinking this, Gu Man is so cool. She’s so calm during her rut. I don’t even dare to see anyone during mine.】

【Me too. And she’s sitting so close to an Omega, yet her expression hasn’t changed at all.】

【Impressive. No wonder she’s a superstar.】

After resting a while longer, the six of them headed to the Luge site. Luge is a gravity fueled mountain activity with two different tracks: one slow and one fast.

Wen Mian’s eyes curved as she chose a track in a heartbeat. “I choose the fast track. What about you guys?”

Zhang Yunxi raised her hand along with her. “I’ll try the slow track first, and then the fast one next time.”

Su Shiqiu and Mu Ya nodded, choosing the same as Zhang Yunxi. Gu Man and Wang Mo chose the fast track with Wen Mian.