The Salted Fish And Protagonist A Ended Up Together - Chapter 45.1

A smile immediately bloomed on Wen Mian’s face. She hopped over to Gu Man’s side and held out both hands: “I voted correctly!”

The corners of Gu Man’s eyes crinkled. She let out a slow smile and gave her a high-five. “Wenwen is so impressive!”

Wen Mian tilted her chin up proudly and hummed twice. “Of course. Did Manman vote correctly too?”

Gu Man nodded gently. Her fingers brushed a strand of hair from Wen Mian’s temple, winding it once around her index finger, her expression full of softness.

The Voice of Heaven continued: “We will now reveal the players who received zero votes: Wen Mian and Zhao Min. Lu Xueqi and Zhao Min voted for Gu Man, giving her two votes. Gu Man, Wen Mian, and Wang Li voted for Lu Xueqi, giving her three votes. With three votes, Lu Xueqi is elected as the culprit. Once again, congratulations on successfully locking the culprit!”

The group, who had been acting cold and professional, immediately jumped up and pushed Lu Xueqi into the iron cage before high-fiving each other.

“Oh yeah! We did it!”

“Who knew? Mianmian played really well!”

“That’s right. If it weren’t for Mianmian’s last argument, I might have been fooled.”

Zhao Min shuffled over to Wen Mian’s side, smiling as she thanked her: “Thanks, Mianmian! Next time you come, let’s play these kinds of roles again.”

Wen Mian caught a glimpse of Gu Man, who was radiating a chilly aura. Shivering, she waved her hands quickly: “Let’s see the schedule, let’s just see the schedule.”

Zhao Min followed her gaze and immediately understood. She gave a cheeky grin, nodded repeatedly, and made an ‘OK’ gesture. “I get it, I get it.”

Lu Xueqi and Wang Li exchanged a look and said with a smile, “Should we all go get dinner tonight?”

Wen Mian looked at Gu Man, her eyes asking: Do you have time?

Gu Man hummed and said in a low voice, “I do.”

The five of them hit it off and went to a private room for a meal. Finally able to eat well, they chose a grilled fish dish they had all been craving.

The shop owner brought the grilled fish over and said with a smile, “Here you go! Is it still mineral water for drinks?” She seemed very familiar with Wang Li and the other two.

The three of them nodded with bright smiles. “Mineral water is fine, thanks, boss.”

The owner waved her off. “It’s nothing, we’re old acquaintances.” As she turned to leave, Wen Mian called out.

“Um… I’d like an ice-cold Coke, is that okay?” Wen Mian raised her hand politely, piping up.

The owner turned back with a smile and agreed, “No problem. You guys start eating, I’ll go grab your drinks.”

She pushed the door open and left, leaving the five of them alone.

The fish skin was grilled to a charred yellow, the meat was white and delicate, and the golden soup base sizzled with bubbles, releasing a rich aroma. The side dishes were vibrant, a handful of green and red peppers, sweet potato starch sheets cooked until transparent and chewy, green cabbage mixed with shredded carrots, and green Sichuan peppercorns scattered on top. The spicy and numbing scent was overwhelming.

Wen Mian took a deep breath, feeling dazed by the delicious smell.

“It smells so good!” she couldn’t help but exclaim.

Zhao Min smiled proudly. “Of course. I picked this restaurant myself. the three of us come here quite often.”

“The problem is we have to maintain our figures; we can’t eat here every day.” Lu Xueqi patted her stomach, her eyes fixed on the grilled fish.

Wang Li looked at the two who were almost drooling and gave a gentle smile. “Alright, let’s start eating.”

The moment she spoke, Zhao Min, who had been holding her chopsticks the whole time, reached out, grabbed a piece of snow-white fish, and ate it with her eyes squeezed shut in delight. While eating, she didn’t forget to invite the others: “Eat up, Mianmian!”

Wen Mian nodded and took a piece of fish as well. The moment she ate it, her body began to sway happily. She picked up another piece and placed it on the small plate in front of Gu Man, saying softly, “You eat too.”

The corners of Gu Man’s eyes crinkled with pleasure. “Okay. Thank you, Wenwen.” She picked up the fish, slowly savored it, and looked satisfied.

A bite of fish, a sip of Coke. Wen Mian kept eating with her head down, fine beads of sweat appearing on her nose. Chinese friendships are sometimes very simple; after a single meal, the group had grown much closer, laughing and joking with one another.

Wang Li teased with a smile: “If you two really end up together, remember to invite us.”

Wen Mian’s face turned red. She lowered her head and stayed silent, but beneath the table, her hand lightly tapped Gu Man’s arm.

Gu Man glanced down at her before looking up. “We’ll remember.”

This sentence was a formal admission of her feelings for Wen Mian. The other three smiled at each other, especially Zhao Min, who kept winking at Wen Mian.

After the meal, Wen Mian and Gu Man left together.

There weren’t many people around the filming location, so the two of them just wore masks and walked together. The asphalt path was lined with lush, wild grass that swayed gently in the breeze.

Wen Mian stole a glance at Gu Man and smiled softly. “When do you have to go back?”

Stars surrounded a crescent moon, and moonlight sprinkled over the path ahead.

Gu Man answered quickly, “In three hours.”

Wen Mian stopped in her tracks immediately, her expression turning anxious. “Three hours?! Then don’t you have to leave right now?”

Gu Man nodded gently. “I’ll see you back to your hotel first.”

Seeing Gu Man look down at her with such soft eyes, Wen Mian felt her eyes grow moist. Sure enough, she had come just for her.

Forcing down the chaotic thoughts in her heart, Wen Mian walked along a straight line on the road, stretching her arms back and walking on her tiptoes. “Then… I’ll see you in ten days?”

“Yes, see you in ten days,” Gu Man promised. She walked half a step behind Wen Mian, quietly watching her back. The warmth in her eyes was unmistakable, making even the cool night feel tender.

Neon lights flashed outside the car window, reflecting in Wen Mian’s eyes and turning them into a pool of shimmering light. After dropping Wen Mian off at her hotel, Gu Man stood in the night to say goodbye.

“Go on in,” she said softly.

A flash of reluctance appeared in Wen Mian’s eyes. She nodded with a slumped head. “Then I’m… going in. Bye-bye.”

Gu Man looked down at the soft crown of her head. Her fingers twitched, but she ultimately kept them at her side. “Goodnight. Sweet dreams.”

Wen Mian looked up slightly, then turned to leave. As she entered the lobby, she couldn’t help but turn back to look at Gu Man.

Gu Man was still standing in the same spot. She gave a small smile and mouthed, “Go ahead.”

A wide smile spread across Wen Mian’s face. She waved her arm, then cupped her hands around her mouth like a megaphone and shouted, “Safe travels!”

Gu Man lowered her head, the corners of her mouth curling slightly.

Wen Mian went back to her room and quickly turned on the lights. Without stopping, she went straight to the window and looked down. In the hazy night, a taxi was driving further and further away, carrying the person she deeply missed.

The night passed. By the time Wen Mian woke up, it was already 9:00 AM. The first thing she did was check her phone for messages. There was one from Gu Man.

[Gu Man: Arrived safely. Remember to eat breakfast after you wake up.]

The timestamp was 3:00 AM.

Wen Mian smiled, pulled back the covers, and replied while washing up: Yes, I’ll listen to our Best Actress Gu. Going to eat breakfast now. Her tone was full of teasing.

She thought Gu Man would be asleep and wouldn’t reply, but a message came back the next second.

[Gu Man: Just woke up?]

Wen Mian frowned slightly and stopped brushing her teeth: Why aren’t you asleep yet?

Gu Man laughed softly to herself: Going to sleep now. You go eat.

Wen Mian was satisfied: Good. Get some proper sleep.

After washing up and finishing breakfast in the dining hall, Wen Mian took a taxi to the airport. By the time she got home, it was 1:00 PM. She clamored for a meal and finished eating.

Since it was her first day back, Xu Qing gave her half a day off. Wen Mian spent the afternoon relaxing in her room. Summer days always made one sleepy, and Wen Mian slowly closed her eyes, falling into a dream.

It was the same two girls again. Wen Mian watched them laughing, playing, and growing up together. As she watched, Wen Mian couldn’t help but smile. She thought the two could be together forever, but she hadn’t expected another woman to step in when they were eighteen.

Watching from the side, Wen Mian saw “her” looking dejected, and she felt her own heart ache in response. Fortunately, the two didn’t drift apart because of that person.

Wen Mian saw the woman with straight hair speak softly to “her”: “…you are my everything. We will always be together, right?”

Inexplicably, Wen Mian seemed to see her lips move, the small mole at the corner of her eye blinking along with her words. Wen Mian nodded uncontrollably, her voice carrying a hint of a sob: “Of course we will always be together.”

The moment the words left her mouth, the person in front of her broke into a brilliant smile and lunged forward to embrace “her,” her voice excited and joyful: “That’s wonderful…”

The person held “her” by the waist and spun “her” around and around, laughter spilling from her throat. Infected by her joy, Wen Mian’s eyes curved into a smile, her face radiant.

But the happy days didn’t last long; misfortune arrived quickly.

When Wen Mian opened her eyes again, she felt a sharp pain in her wrists. She looked around quickly and realized she was tied to a chair. The whistling sea breeze blew her hair into a mess, her lip stung, and she could taste rust in her throat.

A cold sensation touched her temple. Wen Mian looked up, trying to see who was pointing it at her. But she seemed to have suddenly lost her sight, everything before her was a hazy blur, as if covered by a thick layer of pixels.

“My dear niece, look who this is. You wouldn’t want her to die, would you?” a sinister voice whispered in her ear.

Wen Mian turned her head and finally saw the woman not far away. She was wearing a black trench coat, the hem fluttering in the sea breeze. She threatened coldly, “You wouldn’t dare.”

“I wouldn’t dare? What wouldn’t I dare to do, my dear little niece? You’ve pushed me this far, is there anything I wouldn’t do!” he roared grotesquely. He shoved the muzzle of the handgun against Wen Mian’s temple, causing a jolt of pain.

Wen Mian moved her bound hands. The rope was tied very tight, sinking deep into her flesh and already soaked with blood, staining the fibers a dark purple-black. Wen Mian looked up helplessly. Just as she was about to think of a way out, she was suddenly expelled from the body.

The events that followed seemed shrouded in mist. Wen Mian saw “her” fall into the sea, instantly and heartlessly swallowed by the water.

So… so painful…

Wen Mian suddenly clutched her chest, feeling a sense of suffocation as if wrapped in an airtight cocoon, unable to breathe. Tears began to spill from her eyes, and her face turned bright red from the strain.

Her soul felt like it had nowhere to land, drifting aimlessly. Wen Mian watched with her own eyes as the woman who had lost “her” turned cold. She heartlessly and cruelly sent her so-called relatives to prison.