Xianyu And Protagonist A Are Together Chapter 26
byReturning to the stage, Wen Mian pretended to have just woken up. Feeling a slight soreness in her body, she abruptly opened her eyes.
Gu Man walked over, holding a bowl, and asked in a low, husky voice, “Want to drink?”
Wen Mian’s eyes still held a hint of allure. She felt annoyed, not so much about the change in their relationship, but more about her anger toward herself—a dignified CEO, how could you be the one on the bottom! Most importantly, she was the one who personally taught Gu Man how to do it.
She snatched the bowl angrily, took a gulp of air, and only realized her voice was terribly hoarse when she spoke. “Fine. Since it’s already happened, then let’s be together.”
Gu Man, who had been staring down at the bedsheet in confusion, suddenly looked up, her eyes shining like stars. She asked incredulously, “Really?”
Wen Mian’s annoyed mood suddenly improved significantly. She nodded decisively. “Why would I lie to you? But what about you? You haven’t lied to me, have you?”
Wen Mian said this jokingly, then saw Gu Man’s pupils constrict and her expression turn panicked.
Wen Mian immediately felt wronged. She raised her voice, “There really is something?”
Gu Man gripped the corner of her clothes tightly with her fingers. She looked up at Wen Mian, let out a soft breath, and nodded as if she had made up her mind.
“Wen Wen, I am not from this place,” she said.
It wasn’t the “Mian Mian” she used during the rehearsal, but a new, unheard-of endearment.
They were very close, close enough to feel each other’s breath mingling—sandalwood and strawberry scents combined, like exchanging a secret known only to the two of them.
Hearing the new name, a flicker of surprise crossed Wen Mian’s mind, but she quickly remembered she was acting and immersed herself in the role.
With her inner thoughts voiced aloud, Wen Mian widened her eyes, yet still clung to a sliver of hope, trying to deceive herself. “I know. You’re from another place.”
Gu Man shook her head, staring into her eyes, and continued, “Wen Wen, you know what I mean—I am not from this time and space.”
Wen Mian’s hand instantly gripped the bedsheet. She opened her mouth, but didn’t know what to say.
Seeing Gu Man’s expression turn crestfallen, Wen Mian immediately grew anxious and blurted out a comfort, “It’s okay. You have me.”
As if she had tasted the sweetest candy, Gu Man looked at Wen Mian with delight, smiling as she pursed her lips.
–
She slowly recounted her story, and Wen Mian listened quietly.
Gu Man didn’t know which time and space she came from. It might have been the 1980s of this world. Her family was poor, and she wasn’t favored at home, so she was quite happy to be here.
Of course, the happiest thing was that the first person she saw when she arrived here was Wen Mian.
And she ended up being with the first person she met.
After hearing Gu Man’s words, Wen Mian’s mood was no longer as turbulent as before. Or rather, she had long had a premonition, but never expected it to be confirmed.
The scientific beliefs she had held for a lifetime collapsed, but Wen Mian didn’t care. She was now more concerned about the person in front of her.
“So, will you go back?” Wen Mian’s voice trembled slightly. She couldn’t imagine what her life would be like if Gu Man left.
Especially—if she left, Wen Mian might never be able to find her again.
As soon as she said this, Gu Man slowly lowered her head. She shook it, her voice choked with emotion. “I don’t know.”
Sensing that Gu Man was crying, Wen Mian immediately became flustered. She dragged her tired body over, pulled Gu Man into a hug, and gently comforted her. “Don’t cry. We will always be together.”
Leaning into her embrace, Gu Man nodded, suppressing her sobs. “Mhm.”
–
The two officially became a couple. Although Wen Mian was terrified of the possibility of Gu Man leaving, they loved each other with the greatest passion.
A year passed. Wen Mian and Gu Man tried their hardest to persuade their mothers until Wen Mian’s mother finally agreed to their marriage.
When the wedding day arrived, because Gu Man was from the 1980s and liked red, Wen Mian chose a traditional Chinese wedding.
Considering that Gu Man disliked strangers, Wen Mian didn’t invite many people.
She wore a long, crimson robe, embroidered with exquisite auspicious clouds and hidden patterns. A five-clawed golden dragon coiled within, raising its head assertively, lifelike, as if roaring.
Wen Mian stood on the stage, quietly watching the heavy carved wooden doors being pushed open.
Gu Man wore a phoenix coronet and a cape of rank. The coronet was crafted from the most precious pure gold, inlaid with various jewels. The cape was woven from brocade, shimmering as she moved. The phoenix spread its wings, its tail feathers sparkling, seemingly ready to fly out.
Of course, this was a photo of the outfit that the production team released and Wen Mian specifically approved, as her own attire made it difficult for the audience to immerse themselves in the plot.
Gu Man slowly walked up from below the stage and came to stand beside Wen Mian.
Wang Mo acted as the officiant (1), picking up the blank red marriage document in her hand and slowly reading.
“Wen Mian and Gu Man,
Hereby establish this marriage contract,
Two families united, one hall harmonized
…”
Finally, Wang Mo incorporated a modern wedding ritual and asked Gu Man, “Miss Gu Man, do you agree to be with Miss Wen Mian?”
Wen Mian’s eyes softened. She turned to look at Gu Man, her face filled with unadulterated joy.
Suddenly, her eyes froze. Gu Man’s figure abruptly dissipated (falling to the ground).
The unspoken “I do” was forever lost.
–
Gu Man stepped off the stage, and Wen Mian’s thoughts returned. Beside her, Wang Mo was still speaking.
Afterward, a recording took over.
After Gu Man disappeared, everything seemed to return to normal. Everyone present suddenly lost a segment of their memory.
They didn’t understand why they were attending a wedding. Even more confusing—they were attending Wen Mian’s wedding? CEO Wen was getting married?!
Looking at the confused crowd (still represented by Wang Mo), Wen Mian didn’t even have time to grieve. She offered a casual explanation—that Gu Man was gone—and forced herself to see everyone off.
After comforting her mother, Wen Mian rushed home. With a bang, she pushed open the door.
The familiar scent and objects were gone. In an instant, the world seemed to have erased all memory of Gu Man, not even leaving Wen Mian a single photograph.
Wen Mian frantically searched for anything related to Gu Man, but it was all in vain. No one remembered her, and they even thought Wen Mian was hallucinating.
Over time, Wen Mian almost started to doubt if everything was just her imagination.
But whenever she reminisced, the stirring in her heart couldn’t be faked.
Life is still long, Wen Mian looked up at the sky. Man Man, I will always be on the road searching for you…
–
The story finished. Although the props and costumes couldn’t be changed as easily as in a TV series, everyone present was silent.
The live stream was filled with wailing.
[No, why does it have to be this ending? I refuse!]
[Wuwuwu, who came up with this terrible plot?! Come out and take a beating! I’m going to cry myself to death!]
[Exactly! Didn’t they say it was a CEO novel? This is clearly a tragedy!]
[Wuwu, who lied to me? I’m so miserable!]
[I finally understand why Wen Mian wore that outfit. Wuwuwu, it was part of the design!]
[I almost thought Wen Mian just liked wearing it, but then they hit me with this twist!]
The viewers in the live stream cried until their eyes were red, and the audience on site was no exception, especially Zhang Yunxi, whose eyes were swollen.
She roughly wiped away her tears and choked out, “No one told me to bring tissues! Damn it! This is so painful…”
Having just emerged from the scene, Wen Mian’s eyes still held a lingering flush of red, and her pupils seemed veiled by a layer of mist.
She gave an embarrassed, shy smile, the mist in her eyes sparkling with tiny lights. “I was thinking of giving you all a surprise. How was it? My acting wasn’t bad, right?”
Zhang Yunxi sniffled, unhesitatingly giving a thumbs-up, her voice full of praise. “It was excellent! I was completely engrossed. It would have been even better if it wasn’t a bad ending!”
Wang Mo’s usually cheerful face was quiet now. She approached Wen Mian and Gu Man, her voice still slightly hoarse, but she remembered her task and interviewed them. “So, Mian Mian, where did the inspiration for the creation come from?”
Yes, although it was a performance by three people, the entire script was written solely by Wen Mian.
“Creative inspiration?” Wen Mian thought for a moment, pausing for a while before saying, “I forgot, too. It probably just popped up suddenly. I felt it was good, so I wrote it down directly.”
Although she said this, for some reason, Wen Mian’s peripheral vision secretly glanced at Gu Man beside her. Gu Man had returned to her usual calm expression, only the slight redness at the corners of her eyes revealing her recent emotional breakdown.
Perhaps it was because she always looked like this that Wen Mian chose this final ending? Wen Mian’s thoughts were muddled.
Wang Mo nodded and praised her profusely. “Mian Mian is truly amazing! Writing a script in such a short time and displaying such exquisite acting skills—it really makes me and the audience here look at you with new respect!”
Her thoughts returning, Wen Mian withdrew her gaze and looked at Wang Mo, waving a hand. Her tone was humble, but the smile on her lips couldn’t be hidden. “Just average, it was everyone’s effort. I didn’t expect to receive so much love. I will work harder next time.”
After interviewing Wen Mian, Wang Mo began interviewing Gu Man. “Man Man, how did you feel about this performance?”
Gu Man’s eyes softened, and a faint smile played on her lips. She looked directly at Wen Mian, her voice very low, like a lover’s whisper. “Very good, especially her.”
Everyone knew who “her” referred to.
Wen Mian’s gaze uncontrollably drifted toward her, meeting her watery eyes. The surface of the water was calm, seemingly without danger, but the inner waves firmly entangled Wen Mian’s gaze, making her unable to move.
She could feel her breath hitch, the heat in her ear tips was obvious, and alarm bells rang constantly in her heart, as if reminding her of something.
The wind in the fields blew, stirring their hair. The sky was gradually darkening, and the stage lights shone even brighter, softly enveloping the two of them.
–
The audience on site was not close enough to feel the tension between the few people, but the viewers in the live stream could see it clearly.
Gu Man’s rational fans screamed, but still held back from saying anything too excessive!
[Ahhh! I’m done for! Is Man Man’s “her” referring to Wen Mian?]
[Although I don’t want to admit it, who else could it be?]
[You can tell just by that look, but I want to know how Man Man suddenly got along so well with Wen Mian?!]
[Me too! What exactly happened in the two days I missed the live stream?!]
The visual fans were shocked and drooling over the faces of the two in the same frame.
The CP fans frantically screenshotted and posted them in their groups. They pinched their legs hard with one hand and covered their mouths with the other, suppressing the screams and joy in their throats.