The Salted Fish And Protagonist A Ended Up Together - Chapter 46.1

The door opened. Wen Mian stepped inside. Perhaps exhausted by the long day, the people at the table didn’t even bother looking up at first.

Wen Mian bowed deeply and introduced herself: “Hello everyone. I am candidate number 163, Wen Mian. I am auditioning for the role of Xiao Lingyi. My chosen scene is ‘Defending the City’.”

At the sound of Wen Mian’s voice, Director Cheng looked up immediately, her gaze fixed on her.

The moment she saw Wen Mian’s face, a flicker of satisfaction flashed in Director Cheng’s eyes. Though she had seen many of Wen Mian’s videos online, seeing her in person was a different level of stunning.

The woman before her had skin like cream, striking and vivid features, and perfect proportions.

Director Cheng nodded and gestured. “Begin.”

Wen Mian hummed in acknowledgment and recalled the details of the scene. The moment Xiao Lingyi defends the city is also the moment she marches toward her death. At that point in the story, she is terminally ill and physically frail.

Yet, she forces her broken body to stand and hold the city against foreign invaders. As she famously said even if she must die, she will die with value, she will leave her name in the annals of history.

As the memory settled, Wen Mian’s gaze shifted instantly. Her face suddenly looked weathered and exhausted, her frame appearing gaunt. The veins at her temples pulsed with strain.

She struggled to keep her spine straight. Beads of sweat broke out on her forehead, dripping one by one onto the floor. Though her body had clearly reached its limit, the fire burning in her eyes was incredibly bright, it was like a haunting, chilling ghost-fire.

She gripped the spear beside her. Her voice was raspy but unshakably firm: “Soldiers! Foreign enemies invade, and our people are terrified. For them, and for the loved ones you hold in your hearts… follow me to battle!”

The judges were captivated the moment she spoke. Not a single person blinked, they stared at her, mesmerized.

Through her performance, they were transported to a crumbling city surrounded by the smoke of war. Dark clouds seemed to press down on them, heavy and suffocating.

For a moment, it was as if the Xiao Lingyi from the book had stepped into reality. When she spoke that final line, the corners of their eyes reddened involuntarily. It was the ache of knowing a hero’s tragic end but being unable to change her fate.

Only when Wen Mian bowed again and said, “Wen Mian has finished her performance,” did they snap back to reality.

Surprise and joy danced in Director Cheng’s eyes. Unable to contain her excitement, she leaned across the table and shouted, “It’s you! You’re the one!”

A producer next to her nudged her under the table and whispered, “Keep it professional.”

Realizing her slip, Director Cheng leaned back into her chair and cleared her throat. “Go back and wait for the notification.”

Wen Mian nodded. “Thank you, Director Cheng. Thank you to all the producers.”

She turned to leave, a faint smile touching her lips. But the moment she opened the door, she wiped the expression away and stepped out with a serious face.

Xu Qing peered at her expression anxiously. Seeing no smile, she sighed in disappointment but quickly forced a grin to lead Wen Mian away.

The other waiting actresses, seeing Wen Mian’s somber face, assumed she had failed. They breathed a collective sigh of relief. Of course, they thought, how could she have possibly passed?

It wasn’t until they were back in the car that Xu Qing looked at Wen Mian through the rearview mirror and offered comfort. “It’s okay if you didn’t pass. We have other opportunities.”

Wen Mian shook her head gently, a smile spreading across her face.

Xu Qing was stunned for a moment, then burst into a huge grin. Her voice was frantic with excitement. “What do you mean? You passed?!”

Wen Mian finally answered, “There’s a seventy percent chance.”

Xu Qing erupted into a loud laugh, slapping her thighs. “Good! Good! I knew you could do it! I’m taking you out for a feast to celebrate right now!”

Wen Mian was about to agree when her phone buzzed. She looked down to see a message from Gu Man.

[Gu Man: Is the audition over?]

Wen Mian raised an eyebrow. Gu Man certainly knew a lot.

She quickly typed back: [It’s over. How about you? Still busy?]

Gu Man didn’t reply with words. Instead, she sent an address.

Wen Mian blinked, wondering: What does she mean? Could it be…

The faint hope became reality with the next message: [Celebrating for you.] Four simple words that made her heart race.

Wen Mian felt like her heart was about to leap out of her chest. Her palms were damp as she gripped her phone case.

After a long pause, she typed: [Okay, I’m coming now.]

Wen Mian looked up at Xu Qing, who was waiting for her response, and said softly, “Sister Xu, just drop me off at this location.”

Xu Qing looked at the map on the phone and was bewildered. “Drop you off? Didn’t we say we were celebrating?”

Wen Mian looked down and smiled. “It’s fine, I’ll go by myself.”

Suddenly, Xu Qing caught the look of pure satisfaction on Wen Mian’s face. A realization struck her, and her voice turned sharp. “Is it Gu Man?”

Wen Mian nodded, confirming her guess. “It’s her.”

The car went silent. After a long moment, Xu Qing slowly used her hand to push her dropped jaw shut. She nodded blankly. “Alright then. I’ll take you there.”

The restaurant Gu Man chose wasn’t far, and they arrived quickly.

Wen Mian put on her mask and thanked Xu Qing. “Thanks, Sister Xu. Next time is on me.”

Xu Qing waved her off. “Don’t worry about it. Go have a nice meal with Gu Man.”

“I will,” Wen Mian replied with a smile as she hopped out of the car.

Xu Qing drove away quickly, but her mind was reeling. Suddenly, she thought of Wang Fei and gritted her teeth. No wonder she suddenly added me and kept talking to me. It turns out her ‘master’ wanted to steal my ‘master’!

Seething with frustration, Xu Qing found a place to park, pulled out her phone, and angrily blocked Wang Fei’s contact.

On the other side, Wen Mian was in high spirits as she skipped toward the private room.

Hearing the door open, Gu Man immediately stood by the entrance, waiting for Wen Mian to enter.

The moment Wen Mian stepped inside, the fragrance of flowers swirled around her nose.

Wen Mian’s eyes lit up. She stared at the bouquet in front of her, it was a vibrant, bright yellow that instantly boosted one’s mood.

She took a light sniff of the delicate scent and smiled softly.

“WenWen, good afternoon,” Gu Man said warmly.

Wen Mian looked up, her eyes sparkling. “Movie Queen Gu, good afternoon!”

They sat down together. Wen Mian toyed with the flowers for a while longer before setting them aside.

The restaurant staff soon entered to serve the dishes and then left quietly.

Once they were alone, Wen Mian turned curiously to Gu Man. “How did you know I was auditioning today?”

Gu Man placed some food on Wen Mian’s plate and answered softly, “Wang Fei and Xu Qing are good friends. She told me.”

Wen Mian nodded in realization, then blinked mischievously. A sly light flashed in her eyes, making her look like a proud kitten. “Weren’t you afraid I wouldn’t pass?”

Gu Man shook her head slightly. She looked Wen Mian directly in the eye with a serious gaze. “I believe in you. And even if you hadn’t passed, we would still be having this meal. Meeting you, WenWen, is never for a simple reason… it’s because I am uncontrollable when it comes to you.”

Wen Mian’s face turned bright red. She felt as if she had stepped into a steamer, heat was rushing through her body.

She waved her hand awkwardly, trying to cool herself down, but it was useless. Even the corners of her eyes were tinged with a soft red, looking like the most vibrant clouds at sunset.

It took a long time for Wen Mian to suppress her shyness. “I see,” she whispered.

Seeing the soft smile on Wen Mian’s face, Gu Man’s own expression softened. She stopped speaking and quietly continued to serve her food.

After the meal, feeling pleasantly full, Wen Mian slumped back in her chair like a satisfied little animal, all her “claws” retracted.

“Gu Man, when are you leaving?” she asked suddenly.

“One o’clock,” Gu Man replied, glancing at the delicate white watch on her wrist.

“One o’clock?!” Wen Mian gripped the arms of the chair and sat up abruptly. “What time is it now?”

Gu Man answered obediently, “Twelve o’clock. I have to leave now.”

Wen Mian let out a disappointed “Ah,” her head drooping. But after a second of sadness, she rallied and looked at Gu Man happily. “Then I’ll see you off at the airport.”

Joy flooded Gu Man at those words. She couldn’t help but smile, murmuring to herself: “WenWen is going to see me off?”

The end of her sentence tilted upward, and the smile in her eyes broke through her usual cold demeanor.

“Yeah. Why? You don’t want me to?” Wen Mian nodded proudly, crossing her arms and looking at Gu Man with a mock frown, as if she would pounce and bite her if she dared to refuse.