The Salted Fish And Protagonist A Ended Up Together - Chapter 5

【Wait, Wen Mian actually knows how to cook? I’m shocked!】

【I’m shocked too. Doesn’t she usually act like a spoiled “rich missy” every day?】

【I don’t get it. What is she trying to do now? Trying to build a “hardworking” persona?】

【Don’t know, don’t care, she’s gorgeous.】

【Agreed. When a beautiful person does anything, it’s aesthetic. It’s a literal feast for the eyes!】

【Yes, yes! I have no principles anymore. I officially declare myself a “visual fan”!】

After cutting the pumpkin, Wen Mian took the rice washed by Su Shiqiu, added water, and started boiling it. Next, she began preparing the lettuce.

Washing lettuce was simple enough. Wen Mian planned to stir-fry it once everyone returned. She glanced at the potatoes sitting nearby, thought for a moment, and decided to leave them be.

Wen Mian stepped out of the kitchen just as Wang Mo arrived carrying condiments, sitting down on the sofa with a weary-looking Song Xue.

Su Shiqiu asked curiously, “What did you guys do to get so exhausted?”

Hearing the question, Wang Mo immediately started venting. “Shiqiu, you have no idea! To get these seasonings, we helped move an entire truckload of goods!”

Song Xue was too tired to cause any trouble; she just stared blankly at the floor.

【How much did they move to end up like that?】

【No, my morals and my sense of humor are fighting. Hahaha…】

【Your laughter is hurting my eyes.】

【You guys should check out the clip a netizen edited; they really moved a lot of stuff.】

【So tragic. I thought Wen Mian and Qiuqiu pulling weeds was bad enough, but there’s always someone worse off. Who knew Gu-jie and Xi-xi’s task would be the easiest?】

【What’s this about Wen Mian pulling weeds?】

【Follow the link, everyone go see for yourselves.】

A portion of the audience, intrigued, rushed off to find out the backstory.

Watching the slight dip in traffic, Director Wang Qiang couldn’t sit still. He shouted out, “A new mission has appeared! Prepare a dinner with no fewer than six dishes. The reward is a ‘Dish Selection Voucher’ for tomorrow!”

Wang Mo’s expression turned kaleidoscopic as she protested, “Director! We only have these few ingredients. How are we supposed to make six dishes?!”

Wang Qiang replied heartlessly, “That is not my concern.”

Wang Mo let out a frustrated scream. Her eyes darted around until they landed on Wen Mian. Her eyes lit up, and she lunged forward, grabbing Wen Mian’s sleeve like a drowning person clutching a lifeline. “Mianmian, how many vegetables did you bring back?”

Wen Mian stumbled back a step and answered, “It’s okay. We should be able to scrap together five dishes.”

Wang Mo patted her chest. “Good, good. With Gu Man’s dish, that makes exactly six.”

Everyone was amused by Wang Mo’s antics, and a gentle smile appeared on Wen Mian’s striking face.

Wen Mian mentally cataloged the vegetables in the basket and made a plan. She asked for everyone’s input: “One dish of spinach, one of lettuce, chili scrambled eggs, pan-fried ham sausage, plus Gu Man’s Big Plate Chicken, and the pumpkin porridge currently cooking. That makes exactly six. How does that sound?”

Zhang Yunxi, who didn’t know how to cook. Su Shiqiu, the “kitchen hazard” and Wang Mo, who was too exhausted to move, naturally had no objections.

Only Song Xue forced her tired body to stand up. “Sister Wen, I’ll help you.”

Wen Mian agreed readily; having an assistant was better than working alone. “Sure. Take a short rest, and then we’ll go wash the vegetables.”

Song Xue almost blurted out, “That would be best,” but remembering her manager’s instructions, she gritted her teeth and said, “I’m fine. If we finish early, everyone can rest early.”

The live stream viewers and her few fans felt both pity and pride.

【Song Xue seems like a nice person.】

【Regardless of her motives, I truly admire her. If I had to cook after moving cargo for that long, I’d rather bash my head against a block of tofu.】

【Upstairs, be a bit kinder to yourself.】

【Yes, our Xue xue is such a good girl. Everyone, please give her a follow.】

【Followed! Don’t let us down.】

Faced with Song Xue’s response, Wen Mian raised an eyebrow. “Alright then, let’s go cook now.”

With that, she took the lead into the kitchen, with a stunned Song Xue hurrying after her.

The kitchen was filled with a delicious aroma. Gu Man was stir-frying chicken pieces, the rising steam moistening her eyelashes.

Wen Mian looked away and walked to the other side to check on the pumpkin porridge, giving it a gentle stir.

Song Xue cautiously approached Gu Man to wash the spinach, trying to strike up a conversation. “Man-man-jie, I didn’t know you could cook! It smells amazing!”

Gu Man glanced at her and nodded. “Mm.”

Song Xue choked on her words but quickly rallied. “Why did you learn to cook, Man-man-jie?”

Gu Man poured in hot water, her voice flat. “No particular reason.”

Song Xue let out an awkward laugh. “Oh, I see.” She turned away, washing the vegetables half-heartedly.

The atmosphere turned cold; for a moment, no one spoke.

Wen Mian looked down while slicing chilies, her ears twitching. It was Gu Man’s voice.

“Need help?”

Wen Mian looked up. Gu Man was standing to her right, neither too close nor too far. She was slightly taller than Wen Mian, and the indifference in her eyes was plain to see when she looked down.

Recalling the online comments about their relationship, Wen Mian shook her head. “No thanks, we’ve got it.” After a pause, she added, “Thank you.”

Gu Man nodded without a word and walked out of the kitchen.

Seeing Gu Man leave, Song Xue looked anxious. She hurriedly fished the spinach out of the water and huddled next to Wen Mian. “Sister Wen, didn’t you say we’re making ham sausage? I don’t see any here.”

Wen Mian put down the eggs and washed her hands. “There isn’t any here, but I brought some.”

Song Xue was stunned, her voice full of surprise. “You… you brought some?”

Wen Mian nodded. “It’s in my suitcase. I’ll go get it.”

The shock in Song Xue’s eyes was unmistakable. She blurted out, “I’ll go with you.”

Wen Mian glanced at her, feeling helpless. I know you want to get close to Gu Man, but you don’t have to follow me around like a shadow.

“Alright then.”

She walked out of the kitchen and found her suitcase. It was a new, large sized suitcase she had bought considering the approaching summer, meaning it could hold quite a lot.

As Wen Mian came out, the others gathered around. They were thoughtful knowing it wasn’t easy for Wen Mian to cook for everyone, they had taken over all the other chores.

Zhang Yunxi, being the closest to Wen Mian, playfully started massaging her shoulders.

Wen Mian laughed and stopped her. “You should wait a bit. My time has already been booked by Miss Song.”

Su Shiqiu chimed in, “It seems our Miss Wen Mian is very popular! I wonder if you have any time left for us lonely folks?”

Wen Mian hummed thoughtfully and tilted her head arrogantly. “Well, that depends on your sincerity.”

The three looked at each other and burst into laughter. The cheerful atmosphere was infectious, even bringing smiles to the faces of the crew members.

Gu Man, sitting on the sofa reading a script, shifted her gaze slightly toward Wen Mian in the center. The movement was subtle and went unnoticed by the director.

Wen Mian opened her suitcase, causing several gasps of surprise. The curiosity of the live-stream audience was piqued.

【What? What is it?】

【What’s happening?! How dare you block ‘noble’ users from seeing?】

The cameraman seemed to hear the audience’s plea and sensibly zoomed in.

To the shock of the viewers, Wen Mian’s suitcase wasn’t filled with exquisite clothes and jewelry. Instead, it was packed with practical T-shirts and a massive amount of snacks.

【No way, I’m dying. Is Wen Mian this hilarious?】

【Who would have thought? A third-tier ‘black and red’ star has a suitcase full of snacks.】

【Did Wen Mian predict the production team wouldn’t act human and brought her own food?】

【Haha, I think that’s possible.】

Wen Mian rummaged through the snacks, pulled out the ham sausages, and turned to everyone with a smile. “Ham sausages! If you guys want to eat anything else, just ask me!”

Zhang Yunxi looked at her like a long-lost soulmate. “Mianmian, you brought Lao Gan Ma (chili sauce) too?! I brought some as well!”

Wen Mian happily high-fived her. “Great minds!”

Once the ham was found, the rest was easy. It wasn’t long before Wen Mian finished the chili scrambled eggs.

When it was time for the final dish, the lettuce. Gu Man entered the kitchen. She silently added the sliced potatoes to her pot and waited.

Wen Mian was behind her, the sound of water and oil splashing filled the room, creating a rare, harmonious scene.

【I feel like Gu-jie doesn’t actually hate Wen Mian?】 someone suddenly commented.

【Impossible! Didn’t you see our Man-man doesn’t even talk to Wen Mian!】 They completely ignored the fact that Gu Man rarely spoke to anyone.

With six dishes on the table, no one wanted to spoil the mood. They all clapped enthusiastically.

Su Shiqiu sniffed the air, excited. “Mianmian, Man-jie, the food smells so good!”

Zhang Yunxi, her face flushed with excitement, gave a big thumbs up. “Smells great! I can’t wait to eat!”

Wen Mian accepted the praise graciously. “Thank you, thank you. Next time it’ll be my turn to taste your cooking. You better work hard to surpass me!”

Su Shiqiu looked away awkwardly, while Zhang Yunxi and Wang Mo, completely captivated by the food, just nodded aimlessly. “Of course, of course.”

For the first meal, a toast was mandatory. Wang Mo, the former child star with the most seniority, stood up first. “Since we’ve all gathered here, it means we have a special bond. Today, I’ll toast with tea…cheers!”

Wen Mian and the others stood up, raising their cups. “Cheers!”

The drinks in their glasses shimmered under the colorful lights. The live-stream viewers joined in: 【Cheers!】

Director Wang Qiang, seeing the rising traffic, grinned like a weasel eyeing a plate of chicken. He posted a message: Bye-bye to our live viewers! Follow the show and see you at the same time tomorrow!

The viewers were jolted out of the moment, sending reluctant comments.

【How is it over already? I want to see Wen Mian… wait, I mean everyone!】

【Exactly! You should broadcast more when there are this many people. Do you even know how to run a show!】

【My Man-man, my Wen Mian, bye everyone!】

Wang Qiang closed the live stream and looked at the group eating, his eyes gleaming with anticipation for the days to come.

After dinner, everyone sat cross-legged on the sofa, waiting for Wang Qiang to announce the room assignments.

Wang Qiang picked up his megaphone, cleared his throat, and began a long winded speech. “Even though it’s only the first day, you’ve all surprised me. I saw everyone working together to make dinner, striving for points…”

Wen Mian felt herself getting drowsy, her eyes half-closed as she stared blankly at the floor.