Pregnant Salted Fish Extra 4 (end)

TL: Hua

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Xu Yanqing was awakened by a piercing phone ring. He lay on the table and slowly reached out to fumble for his phone until he had it in hand.

Suddenly, he sat up from the table, his fair face imprinted with countless fine creases, looking a bit comical and cute.

The phone screen displayed the word “Mom.” Before Xu Yanqing could answer, the call automatically disconnected due to time.

Xu Yanqing sat in his chair, staring blankly as if possessed. His entire mind felt like mush. He clearly remembered transmigrating into the world of the novel, and just a second ago, he was still picking peaches with the Taoist master at the estate.

But this place right now was clearly his university dorm room. On the desk were five test papers he had just finished before transmigrating and the half-eaten sugar tangerines.

Just as Xu Yanqing’s head was filled with complex thoughts, his phone screen lit up again. This time, it wasn’t a call from anyone but an advertisement from a built-in app.

However, this made Xu Yanqing much more alert. He quickly picked up his phone, unlocked it, entered an original novel website, and found the novel called “The Redemption of the Caged Bird.”

The novel website still displayed Xu Yanqing’s controversial comments with other netizens. Struggling to scroll the phone screen, Xu Yanqing read through all the plotlines concerning the Crown Prince and the Emperor, finally leaving a new comment: “The Emperor and the Crown Prince are both pitiable, but unfortunately, the protagonists of this novel are not them.”

It seemed some people hadn’t forgotten their argument with Xu Yanqing yesterday, and they left comments, one by one, with mocking tones.

Xu Yanqing stared at these mocking comments, his eyes uncontrollably welling up with a sour ache. In his mind, he seemed to see the Taoist master’s indulgent smiles, helpless words, and the brat Yin Yuanchen’s spoiled and adorable antics.

Was all of this just a dream, or had he truly been to that world? Everything became unknown. Xu Yanqing used his phone to reply to some of the comments, and one comment in particular caught his attention.

“Actually, the Emperor and the Crown Prince in the novel both have historical prototypes, but this novel has been completely distorted. If you’re interested, you can search related forums.”

“Hey, hey, hey, is the person upstairs talking about Emperor Jingwen and Emperor Jingwu, father and son? According to historical records, Emperor Jingwen was the only emperor in history to marry a male empress.”

“Married a male empress? Wow, this Emperor Jingwen really has the boldness of a Jinjiang male protagonist! I’m going to search for it.”

Xu Yanqing was stunned. The only emperor in history to marry a male empress? He followed the suggestion and searched historical forums. Sure enough, he quickly found relevant historical materials about Emperor Jingwen and Emperor Jingwu.

Emperor Jingwen was indeed the first emperor in history to marry a male empress, and he married the son of his most trusted minister. Furthermore, unofficial historical records stated that Emperor Jingwu was also born from this male empress.

Whether this was true, no one knew. Some historians speculated that Emperor Jingwu was of the same imperial bloodline but was merely listed under the name of this male empress.

There was a lot of information about Emperor Jingwen and Emperor Jingwu, father and son, on the forum, but very little information about the male empress himself. All that was known was his name: Xu Yanqing, and that he was deeply devoted to Emperor Jingwen.

Some portraits of emperors in history were already unbearable to the eyes. Xu Yanqing stared at Emperor Jingwen’s hideous portrait and then thought of the ethereal, serene, and unblemished Taoist master. It was simply unbearable to look at.

However, no matter how much historical data he looked up, when Xu Yanqing lay down in his dorm bed that night, he couldn’t fall asleep. Just the day before, when he went to bed, he could still hold the Taoist master.

The small night-light cast a faint glow. On a hot day, Xu Yanqing wrapped himself tightly in a blanket, and tears uncontrollably dripped down.

The next morning, Xu Yanqing was awakened again by his phone ringing. The caller was still his mother.

This time, Xu Yanqing answered the call. Before he could speak, a burst of hysterical cursing and swearing came from the other end. He was her son, yet her mouth could utter such vicious words.

Xu Yanqing listened numbly as he packed his things. He had a part-time job today and did not have much time to get entangled with her.

Sure enough, after nearly half an hour, the other side finally got tired of cursing. After the call ended, Xu Yanqing locked the dorm door, grabbed his bag, and walked out of the school.

The school was located very close to a film studio, so Xu Yanqing had applied for a part-time job as an extra there right after he started college.

During the National Day holiday, the film studio was particularly crowded. After half a day of busy work, Xu Yanqing looked as if he had been pulled out of water, his fair and delicate face flushed red from the heat.

An extra next to him handed him a bottle of ice water. Just as he was about to speak to Xu Yanqing, he saw Xu Yanqing suddenly stand up as if possessed and bolt in another direction.

“Taoist master…” Xu Yanqing didn’t know if it was his imagination, but he vaguely saw a man in a Taoist robe. His figure was tall and straight, very much like his Taoist master.

But how could that be? He was originally from this world, but the Taoist master only existed in the novel.

Now, waking from that dream, he would never see the Taoist master again. Xu Yanqing stood frozen in place, holding the bottle of iced water, looking like a child on the verge of tears.

“Qingqing?” A cold and distant voice sounded behind Xu Yanqing, with a hint of uncertainty and unconcealable surprise in the other party’s tone.

Before Xu Yanqing could stand up, the man who spoke had already pulled him up from the ground.

Xu Yanqing blinked wearily. The person in front of him was wearing a plain cyan Taoist robe, with a vermilion dot between his eyebrows, just like the demonic monk from the novel.

“Taoist master…” Xu Yanqing thought he had mistaken the person, but in the next moment, his body went limp, and he fainted into the man’s arms.

Yin Yanjun held the pale boy in his arms and wound through the film studio to a room. A young man in ancient costume quickly came forward: “Uncle, this is…”

“Go find a doctor first.” Yin Yanjun’s brow was deeply furrowed with worry. He woke up and found himself a different person. Everything in this world was too unfamiliar, so he planned to find out the current situation before looking for Qingqing.

Yin Yanjun hadn’t expected Qingqing to come looking for him, and in such a disheveled state.

“This student has heatstroke, and combined with intense emotional fluctuations, that’s why he fainted. After some rest, he’ll be fine.” The Yin family’s private doctor gave Xu Yanqing a brief checkup and some medicine, then left the film studio.

“Taoist master.” Not long after, Xu Yanqing woke up from his nightmare, covered in a layer of cold sweat, looking utterly pitiable.

Yin Yanjun was just giving some instructions to his nephew. Hearing the sound from the room, he frowned and quickly walked in, embracing the person and gently comforting him: “Qingqing, don’t be afraid. Qingqing, don’t be afraid. It’s alright now.”

After a long while, Xu Yanqing finally calmed down. He then remembered to ask how the Taoist master had transmigrated.

As for how he transmigrated, it remained a mystery. Yin Yanjun held him in his arms, habitually stroking Xu Yanqing’s cheek, and then explained his current identity.

Yin Yanjun’s current body was twenty-eight years old and an award-winning actor, a type who lived a secluded life, only emerging this time because of his nephew’s persistent pleading to make a cameo appearance.

Under Xu Yanqing’s curious gaze, Yin Yanjun slowly explained, “Chengning is filming a historical drama about Emperor Jingwu, and the role I helped to guest star in is Emperor Jingwen.”

Xu Yanqing blinked, pulling at Yin Yanjun’s plain cyan Taoist robe, and couldn’t help but laugh: “So, Taoist master is literally—playing himself!”

Looking indulgently at the still pale young man in his arms, Yin Yanjun smiled: “Qingqing, why don’t you come and guest-star in a role too?”

With the Taoist master by his side, the tightly strung nerve that had been tense since Xu Yanqing transmigrated back finally relaxed. After he slowly recounted his transmigration to Daliang and back, he nestled into Yin Yanjun’s embrace and fell into a deep sleep again.

Currently, “The Chronicles of Emperor Jingwu” has just begun filming. Yin Yanjun, as the background figure behind his son, didn’t have too many scenes, so he had enough time to wander around the film studio with Xu Yanqing.

It’s unknown how he convinced the director, but in the end, the role of the male empress actually fell to Xu Yanqing, an unknown extra.

As for what it felt like to play himself, Xu Yanqing had completely reverted to his lethargic salted fish state.

His lazy demeanor was heavily praised by the director, so much so that even Xu Yanqing, who had thicker skin than a city wall, started to feel embarrassed.

Sophomore year courses weren’t as many as freshman year, nor as few as junior and senior year, so Xu Yanqing took a few days off after the National Day holiday to finish filming his cameo role.

Although Yin Yanjun’s role had a few more scenes, he was ultimately still a background figure for his son. So, a few days after Xu Yanqing’s scenes wrapped, his cameo journey also ended.

“So, are you planning to pursue me again to be your boyfriend?” Xu Yanqing transferred all the money he received from the crew to his mother’s bank account, then put down his phone and smiled at Yin Yanjun.

Yin Yanjun raised a finger and rubbed the young man’s nose bridge, his tone gentle and warm: “As you wish, Qingqing.”

Whether as an emperor or an ordinary person, his Taoist master was always so gentle and considerate. Xu Yanqing leaned in and kissed Yin Yanjun’s lips: “Why don’t I pursue you this time, Taoist master?”

When it came to pursuing a boyfriend, Xu Yanqing was very serious. He researched a lot online and even stayed up late to make a plan.

In the end, he realized that none of those pursuit plans were quite suitable for his Taoist master. Besides, they had even had a child together.

However, the salted fish was rarely this diligent. Everything a boyfriend should have, his boyfriend couldn’t be missing.

Every morning, he would give his dear boyfriend the most thoughtful wake-up service. However, the salted fish brand wake-up service system had a slight problem; it only lasted for three days before turning into a pre-class inquiry service.

Every lunchtime, he would eat with his dear boyfriend. This was no pressure at all for the salted fish. It was just that his Taoist master hadn’t told him in advance that Professor Yin from the school was his dear boyfriend’s father.

Of course, Professor Yin was completely devoted to his wife, not at all like the extravagant and unfaithful former emperor.

Thus, their two-person meals eventually turned into four-person gatherings, thanks to Mrs. Yin’s efforts. The location also changed from the school’s open cafeteria to a private small restaurant outside the campus.

Then there were the nightly phone calls before bed. However, because he lived in a dorm, Xu Yanqing was considerate of his “single dog” roommates’ feelings and very thoughtfully didn’t rub it in.

His mother would call him at first, but as Xu Yanqing’s visits home became less frequent, her calls also became less frequent.

One day, while Xu Yanqing was having dinner with Yin Yanjun, she called again: “I’m getting married. Don’t send me money anymore.”

Perhaps his mother had come to terms with things, or perhaps the man she was marrying had cured her lifelong insecurity. So, she called him calmly, letting go of her past and freeing her son, whom she had always tormented.

“Congratulations.” Xu Yanqing said these words and hung up the phone. He transferred all the savings he had accumulated during college to her, with the memo “Happy Wedding.”

It seemed there wasn’t much sadness. All the grievances had been healed by the gentle and warm Taoist master and the mischievous and clingy brat in the Daliang world.

“Taoist master, let’s get married!” Xu Yanqing’s eyes curved into crescent moons. He held out his hand, revealing two simple plain rings: “But unfortunately, I’m a pauper now and don’t have money to buy you a diamond ring.”

Yin Yanjun was amused by the young man. He raised his hand, took the rings, put one on Xu Yanqing’s finger, then extended his own hand to Xu Yanqing.

The severe hand-fetish patient held Yin Yanjun’s hand, lingering for a long time, finally placing the other plain ring on the Taoist master’s long and fair finger.

Three years after “The Chronicles of Emperor Jingwu” aired, the retired Best Actor posted a picture on Weibo, which immediately sent him to the top of the trending topics.

“Ahhh, I knew it! My OTP is real! Emperor and Empress, hurry up and get married! I want to give my wedding gift!”

“Wuwuwu, a lifetime series! Is there a screenwriter who can write a script for our emperor and empress? Just let the Best Actor and Yanqing play them!”

“Others can only ship couples based on plot, but we can ship real people AND history! That’s amazing!”

“Wedding gift +1”

“Wedding gift +10086”

“Wedding gift + ID number”

When Xu Yanqing opened his phone, the top trending topic was the Taoist master’s line, “No matter in ancient or modern times, I love you.” The second trending topic was “I’m giving a wedding gift to the Emperor and Empress.”

Lazily nestled in Yin Yanjun’s arms, Xu Yanqing smiled, his eyes curving. Yin Yanjun lowered his head and left a kiss on the young man’s lips.

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Hua: The last extra. Finally manage to dump all the chapters i’ve been saving today. Thx u for reading and support the author if u cannn muahhh (ʃƪ˶˘ ﻬ ˘˶)