The Salted Fish And Protagonist A Ended Up Together - Chapter 38.1

As if on cue, the moment the words left her mouth, a misty drizzle began to fall from the sky.

Gu Man immediately moved closer to her, shielding the top of Wen Mian’s head with her hand, her voice low and gentle. “Let’s go back first.”

Wen Mian hummed in agreement. She didn’t want to get soaked and ran back toward the courtyard.

Fortunately, they weren’t far; they returned to the small courtyard in less than a minute.

The moment they entered, Gu Man spoke up immediately: “Go upstairs and take a shower.”

A smile touched Wen Mian’s brow. She pointed at her clothes and said, “With just this much, I still need a shower?”

Gu Man looked Wen Mian up and down. A few tiny water droplets had landed on her clothes, barely visible if one didn’t look closely.

She looked up, her eyes meeting Wen Mian’s seriously, and nodded firmly. “You need to.”

Wen Mian’s eyes crinkled as she burst into laughter, her body shaking. The corners of her eyes flushed with a peach-blossom pink, as if one could breathe in the sweetness inside.

She nodded dotingly, her tone rising at the end, “Fine, I’ll go. But you have to go too.”

Gazing at Wen Mian’s eyes filled with mirth and a hint of moisture, Gu Man nodded. “Okay.”

The two of them walked upstairs, their hands on their respective doorknobs.

Wen Mian turned her head, happening to meet Gu Man’s gaze. With a synchronized push of their wrists, they opened their doors at the same time.

The warm water gently rinsed her body, washing away the chill brought by the raindrops.

Wrapped in a bath towel, Wen Mian waited a moment before changing into fresh clothes and walking out.

Gu Man, standing nearby, immediately met her, her brow slightly furrowed. “If you don’t dry your hair, you’ll catch a cold.”

Wen Mian looked up at her and asked with a smile, “Then why haven’t you dried your hair?”

Gu Man froze, instinctively touching her still-dripping locks. She shook her head slightly. “I’m fine, but you’re not.”

Wen Mian pouted in disagreement. “Why are you fine and I’m not? Anyway, if you don’t dry yours, I won’t dry mine either!”

Her tone was firm and stubborn.

Gu Man slowly curled her lips into a smile and nodded dotingly. “Alright. I’ll dry yours first, and then I’ll go back and dry mine immediately.”

Wen Mian hummed. “That’s more like it!”

Then, realizing what Gu Man had said, she froze. She stared at Gu Man in disbelief, pointing at her own nose. “You… you’re going to dry my hair for me?”

Gu Man tilted her head. “Is that not allowed?” Her eyes dimmed, and her tone became dejected.

Wen Mian was dazed for a good while, but she couldn’t bear to see Gu Man look like that. She nodded slowly. “Well… okay then?”

A sly light flashed in Gu Man’s eyes. Her demeanor shifted instantly from disappointment to a mix of calm and intense excitement.

Realizing she had been tricked, Wen Mian didn’t feel angry at all. She pushed open her door, looked back at Gu Man, and instructed, “Come in. We might as well dry our hair together.”

The door opened fully for Gu Man. First came a wave of sweet strawberry fragrance, mingled with a hint of Wen Mian’s own sandalwood scent.

The strawberry scent was pervasive, so rich that it felt as if the entire hallway were filled with her smell.

Gu Man didn’t even have time to see the layout of the room before she quickly averted her gaze.

The gland at the back of her neck began to heat up. A rouge-like red stained the corners of her eyes, including the small mole beneath her eye.

It was a sign of an impending Rut breakdown…

The muscles in Gu Man’s throat moved several times, yet she still felt a parched, burning dryness. Her eyes gradually became bloodshot.

Despite the overflowing strawberry pheromones, Gu Man felt it wasn’t enough. She fought to keep her head turned, to not look at the soft patch of skin on the back of Wen Mian’s neck.

Don’t… don’t scare her!

That was the only thought left in her mind. Her breathing became rapid, and her suppressed body bowed slightly at an angle.

Not hearing a response, Wen Mian stared at her in confusion. Seeing Gu Man’s slightly hunched posture, she frowned in worry. Without thinking too much, she reached out to support her. “What’s wrong?”

The bloodshot veins in Gu Man’s eyes grew more prominent. She quickly avoided Wen Mian’s hand, though her movement was still gentle.

Panting softly, Gu Man shook her head. “It’s nothing. I’m just sorry… I can’t dry your hair anymore.”

Staring at her rejected hand, Wen Mian was stunned. But hearing Gu Man’s words, she quickly recovered. “There’s no need to apologize. There will be other chances. It’s just… what is really wrong with you?”

Her tone was filled with anxiety. She looked at Gu Man in a panic, her eyes slowly turning red.

Gu Man gave a gentle smile to soothe her worries. “It’s just my Rut… it’s a bit uncomfortable. I’ll go back first. Remember to dry your hair.”

For a moment, Wen Mian wanted to scold her. She almost laughed through her tears, but her voice carried a sob and a sense of urgency: “Why are you still talking about that at a time like this? Go back and rest!”

Gu Man hummed in agreement. She forced herself to stand straight and shuffled back to her room one step at a time. Her pace was a bit slow, fearing that moving too fast would make Wen Mian worry even more.

Even so, the moment she closed the door, she still blamed herself for making Wen Mian cry.

After several heavy gasps, Gu Man buried her face in the pillow. Her semi-wet hair fell randomly, touching her skin with an icy sensation.

Not enough! Still not enough! I want…

Her eyes were filled with bloodshot veins, and the flickering light in them was dark. The cycle of clarity and delirium was the most agonizing.

In a brief moment of hazy clarity, Gu Man’s trembling fingers fumbled through her suitcase and found a suppressant.

The hand holding the suppressant shook violently. Gu Man bit her lower lip hard, her movements carrying a trace of urgency and ruthlessness.

The cold medicine was injected into her arm, and a bead of blood escaped her bitten lip.

“Ha… ha…” After two gasps, Gu Man flipped over to lie flat on the bed. Her slim-fit clothes rode up with the movement, revealing cold, pale skin.

She covered her flushed face with her hand, her chest’s rising and falling gradually calming down.

On the other side, Wen Mian stared at Gu Man’s closed door, her brow still tightly knit.

She turned on the hairdryer. The “whirring” sound filled her ears, drowning out any potential sound from Gu Man.

Her movements became unintentionally frantic. She wanted to dry her hair quickly, she wanted even more to know how Gu Man was doing.

Before long, Wen Mian irritably unplugged the hairdryer and tossed it aside.

She picked up her phone, nervously stroking its matte case. Her eyelashes fluttered like wings, and her face was a mask of indecision. Is she okay now? Should I…can I…ask her now?

Finally, she made up her mind and dialed the number, one eye closed and the other staring tensely at the screen.

Ring… Almost instantly, the call was answered.

“WenWen…” Gu Man’s voice came through, cool yet raspy, like sandpaper brushing against her ear.

Wen Mian gave a small “uh,” suddenly not knowing what to say.

Perhaps sensing Wen Mian’s embarrassment, Gu Man spoke first: “I’m fine. I just took a suppressant.”

“Suppressant?” The heart Wen Mian had been holding in her throat eased slightly, but then she frowned. “Does it… does it hurt?”