Chapter 72: The Center of the Fish Pond (7)
Su Mingxiu knew Suhui meant they should be in the same class. But the way she phrased it sounded suggestive.
—She didn’t know if this fish was truly clueless or doing it on purpose.
“Why?”
As if oblivious to the viewers’ reactions in the live stream chat, she continued to ask.
Suhui’s gaze fell on the dazzling pearl on Su Mingxiu’s neck. Her long eyelashes lowered as she replied meaningfully: “You accepted my gift, so of course you have to be with me.”
She didn’t explicitly mention the mermaid pearl, but Su Mingxiu’s fingertips touched the teardrop-shaped pearl on her collarbone, thinking thoughtfully, This gift… is probably different from the ones Annie and Pao Tong gave her.
[Stop it! This is just a normal conversation between friends, can you stop shipping them?]
[But the conversation is really misleading… It’s as if they’ve already exchanged engagement rings, heeheehee.]
[Just mutual support and encouragement between friends, right?]
[But Suhui’s domineering and tsundere attitude, and her tone… she’s a queen! ]
The viewers in the comments section were still arguing about their dynamic. However, in the classroom, Suhui didn’t give Su Mingxiu much time to rest. Seeing her finish her water and looking relaxed, she urged: “Continue?”
As they were talking, a few other members glanced at them discreetly, their gazes focused on Suhui. Su Mingxiu understood their intentions and waved her hand at the mermaid.
“I can learn by myself, why don’t you go help other trainees who need it?”
Suhui looked at her in confusion, as if she didn’t understand how those people were related to her.
Moreover, these people were her competitors. If they performed well, what if Su Mingxiu couldn’t get into the S-class next time?
So the silver-haired mermaid lowered her eyes, pretending not to hear.
Just then, an F-class trainee mustered up her courage and approached Suhui, smiling softly. “Suhui, there’s a move I don’t quite understand, could you teach me?”
Before Suhui could refuse, Su Mingxiu answered for her: “Of course.”
Suhui’s blue eyes immediately turned towards her. After a moment of staring, she finally agreed. But as she stood up, her lips were pursed tightly. She was very concise in her instructions…
Gradually, the trainees who were willing to learn all gathered around Annie and the others, leaving only Suhui and Su Mingxiu.
Being stared at by the fish, enjoying one-on-one tutoring, Su Mingxiu couldn’t slack off too much in front of the cameras. Two hours later, she performed the entire choreography for Suhui—
Pao Tong and the others, who had been practicing on their own while guiding the F-class members, had been paying attention to them. Almost as soon as Su Mingxiu finished, they gathered around.
Annie: “Xiuxiu! I knew you were talented!”
“That’s amazing! Have you really never learned singing or dancing before?” This was Pao Tong.
Wang Zhi applauded her, and the other members followed suit.
Only Suhui frowned. “No emotion.”
Su Mingxiu’s singing and dancing were perfectly in sync with the original, her moves even matching the choreography frame by frame. But the mermaid, with her innate understanding of music and her ability to charm people with her voice and beauty, could tell that something was off with Su Mingxiu’s performance.
It was like… a cold, mechanical imitation.
The original song and dance of Up perfectly matched the theme of the girl group talent show, positive, passionate, and energetic, like weeds breaking through the soil, bathed in the first rays of morning sunlight.
Suhui couldn’t understand their praise for Su Mingxiu. She didn’t think learning a completely unfamiliar song and dance in such a short time was that impressive.
[Teacher Suhui is so fierce, how can she get a wife if she’s like this?]
[She’s like a professor teaching kindergarteners, hahaha.]
[No one’s amazed by Su Mingxiu’s learning ability? She’s never practiced singing or dancing before, yet she learns even faster than these girl group members. Isn’t that terrifying?]
…
Everyone heard Suhui’s comment. Pao Tong tried to mediate: “Emotions can be practiced gradually.”
Annie nodded and chimed in: “Yeah, Xiuxiu, why don’t you practice with me? I used to be a dance teacher, I can teach you.”
Wang Zhi, surrounded by her group members, her smooth, black hair shining under the lights, also said softly: “Why don’t we dance together and see?”
Suhui: “…”
She felt like she was losing ground. Her blue eyes stared at Su Mingxiu, her usually ethereal voice now strangely low: “Who will you choose?”
“Uh…” Su Mingxiu was momentarily speechless, as if the current situation wasn’t chaotic enough. The detailed background information in the translucent boxes above the strategy targets disappeared, replaced by simple Arabic numerals.
Annie: 30. Pao Tong: 40. Wang Zhi: 20.
Her gaze finally landed on Suhui, seeing the big “99” above her head, her expression becoming even more unreadable.
The system decided to make its presence known at this moment: “Congratulations, Host, your charm is irresistible, all the strategy targets are interested in you.”
But its mechanical voice sounded strangely sarcastic to Su Mingxiu.
She ignored it, her gaze sweeping over the girls who had offered to help. Then, she suddenly smiled: “Why don’t you all dance together, and I’ll learn from all of you?”
[A large-scale battle! So exciting!]
[Shocking! Four S-rank trainees fight over an F-rank!]
[Is this something a regular VIP member like me can watch?]
A few minutes later.
The backstage data of Produce 101 showed a surge of viewers entering the live stream. Strangely, the most popular one wasn’t the S-class live stream, but the F-class one.
A space had been cleared in the center of the F-class classroom. Besides the F-class members, there were also other contestants who had come to be taught by the S-rank trainees. Now, Annie, Suhui, and the others stood in a row. As the music for Up started playing, they all moved in unison—
Gentle, passionate, fiery, domineering…
A scene usually reserved for the performance stage was now unfolding in this crowded classroom.
The comments section and the onlookers were equally excited. Some informed viewers explained to the newcomers how this had happened.
When the music ended, thunderous applause filled the room. Then, encouraged by someone, the trainees who hadn’t learned the choreography yet, those who were confused about the moves and rhythm, those who wanted guidance from the experts, all rushed forward, each seeking help from their favorite mentor.
And Su Mingxiu, who had triggered this battle, calmly left the scene and went to the hotel kitchen to prepare her afternoon tea.
4:00 PM.
Su Mingxiu, who was making skewers, heard hurried footsteps approaching the kitchen entrance, followed by an accusing complaint: “Xiuxiu! You’re slacking off in the kitchen again!”
She looked up and saw Annie, who had slipped away at some point. The chefs busy in the kitchen, who used to be puzzled by these future stars’ fondness for the kitchen, were now used to it.
Su Mingxiu put down the corn skewers she was making, pointed at the chili powder she had just prepared, and made Annie forget her original complaint with a single sentence: “Barbecue, with your favorite seasonings, want some later?”
“Yes!”
Annie leaned closer, seeing the lamb skewers sizzling in the oil, their golden surfaces glistening. The skewers were almost done, so Su Mingxiu brushed them with honey, sprinkled them with chili powder, and placed them over the charcoal fire.
“Let me have a bite!” Annie practically clung to her, craning her neck, her mouth watering.
Su Mingxiu asked jokingly: “Not afraid of gaining weight now?”
“I have a scale!” Annie replied confidently. “I haven’t gained a single pound recently, even lost a bit. I should eat more meat to replenish my energy!”
Finally, she happily inhaled the fragrant lamb skewers and left, not forgetting to mumble: “I’ll be back for dinner!”
The second one to arrive was Pao Tong.
Sweet and sour sauce was brushed onto the white rice cakes, which were pan-fried until golden brown on both sides. The warm, chewy rice cakes, paired with the unique sauce, made Pao Tong, who loved this dish, extremely satisfied.
Before leaving, she said with a smile: “Don’t worry, we’ll help you teach the F-class trainees.”
… Hmm?
Su Mingxiu wondered if she was truly as kind as they thought.
“Are we putting too much pressure on you?”
The voice before her drew her attention back. Su Mingxiu looked at Wang Zhi, who had arrived at some point. She felt that Wang Zhi’s inner self wasn’t as sharp and strong as her outward appearance, but rather quite delicate.
“No,” she smiled faintly and shook her head. “You’re all teaching very well, I’m just a bit hungry.”
Wang Zhi was relieved. Her gaze fell on the vegetable skewers Su Mingxiu was making, a hint of hesitation in her eyes.
Until Su Mingxiu placed the skewers in boiling water, then transferred them to a pot of bone broth, and said to her: “So thin, do you have stomach problems? You should eat less cold food and more warm dishes, and remember to drink less cold water.”
Wang Zhi looked at her with surprise, meeting those deep, bright eyes. After a long moment, she nodded seriously. “Okay.”
Her skewers were unseasoned, the pure flavor of the bone broth very satisfying.
And the last one to arrive—
Was also the most difficult to deal with.
By now, the comments section was amazed by how she had effortlessly triggered a battle between the S-rank members, then gracefully retreated and maintained good relationships with each of them.
[Is this the art of being a player?]
[I’m actually watching a food show and a love drama within a talent show, my life is complete!]
[Xiuer, how many more surprises do you have hidden from us?]
[Every time I see a talented contestant perform, I just want to type exclamation marks. But in front of Sister Xiu, I only want to type question marks. Wait, is this even allowed??]
…
The first thing Suhui said when she arrived was: “They all came to see you?”
The air was thick with jealousy.
Su Mingxiu was peeling prawns, placing the freshly boiled tiger prawns in a specially prepared soy sauce dish, and offering one to Suhui.
The soy sauce stained her pale lips, and the unique seafood aroma attracted Suhui. The coldness on her face didn’t last long. Hearing Su Mingxiu say “It’ll get cold if you don’t eat it soon,” she opened her mouth without hesitation—
And bit Su Mingxiu’s fingertip along with the prawn.
—
Su Mingxiu: “…!”
Then, she clearly felt her fingertip being pressed against the outside of Suhui’s teeth by a soft, warm tongue.
The mermaid, having finished the prawn, tilted her head slightly, her gaze fixed on the plate of prawns, her expression clearly wanting more, yet she remained motionless.
Su Mingxiu looked at her with a playful smile. After a while, she slowly picked up another prawn, but as she peeled it, she said: “I can feed you.”
“But don’t bite me again.”
She glanced at the camera and clicked her tongue softly, feeling a strange sense of annoyance at this place filled with surveillance cameras.
The mermaid, unaware of her thoughts, wanted to explain that she was always very careful when biting her prey, and that the bite earlier had been intentional.
But before she could speak, another prawn was placed between her lips.
After finishing the entire plate of prawns, Suhui still hadn’t had the chance to declare her ownership of Su Mingxiu or issue her warning.
And because Su Mingxiu took the initiative to walk with her towards the F-class dance classroom after dinner, Suhui still couldn’t find the opportunity to speak.
She followed behind Su Mingxiu, looking at her graceful figure, and she couldn’t help but feel… like she was being led along.
—A hunter shouldn’t be led by the nose by their prey.
This won’t do.
But in the following days, Suhui only quietly followed Su Mingxiu, neither declaring her ownership as she usually did when provoked, nor showing her displeasure in front of Su Mingxiu.
This made Su Mingxiu observe her several times, wondering what this fish was up to.
Unfortunately…
Before she could figure out Suhui’s behavior, the assessment arrived.
Suhui had overestimated humans’ learning ability. Even though Su Mingxiu’s learning style was just copying and pasting, among all the trainees who forgot their lyrics, messed up the dance moves, or missed the beat, she was good enough to get an S rank.
Just like that, the newly ranked Produce 101 group was taken to the cruise ship by the mentors and the program staff to prepare for their first public performance.
Under the blue sky, the golden sunlight shone on the shimmering sea. Seagulls soared and danced in the distance, and the towering cruise ship let out a long horn, attracting everyone’s attention.
Because the cruise ship was sailing on the sea, not indoors, it wasn’t convenient to use too many miniature cameras. So the program staff carried fixed cameras as they boarded the ship. Under the lens, the contestants, with their light makeup and energetic expressions, gathered in small groups.
Not all the mentors were present, only Yuchi Xiao led them to familiarize themselves with the venue and rehearse for the performance.
The contestants’ schedule was packed, with practically no time to slack off. They spent their time sweating on the stage.
Nightfall approached unknowingly.
They only had a short break during dinner. Some contestants went to the deck to watch the fishing boats returning with their catch.
The sea, reflecting the golden sunlight, gradually turned a deep, dark blue under the darkening sky, as if an unknown terror from the depths was rising, about to engulf the world. The contestants returned to their rooms or practiced in the ship’s ballroom.
Su Mingxiu went to the top deck at this time. She stood at the bow, leaning slightly forward, staring at the deep, unpredictable sea below.
…If someone were to be pushed down now, it would be quite a show.
She thought, her expression relaxing. Then, she truly felt a push on her back, and amidst the roaring wind, she fell headfirst into the vast ocean.
“Splash.”
The sound of her entering the water was almost negligible.
But she still heard it clearly.
The mermaid pearl hanging around her neck emitted a faint glow in the deep sea. She opened her eyes and looked upwards, seeing a silver figure approaching, walking on water.
Su Mingxiu didn’t blink. As she saw the person’s face clearly, she wasn’t surprised at all. A smile even appeared on her lips.
Tiny bubbles escaped her lips, like foam under the sunlight, rising towards the surface.
Su Mingxiu said silently in the water:
“Bad fish.”
If it were someone more timid, they would have either fainted or been scared to death by Suhui’s actions.
Her first impression of this mermaid was indeed correct. How wicked.
The smile in Su Mingxiu’s eyes didn’t fade. As the mermaid stopped before her, she met those beautiful eyes. On land, they were a clear, bright blue. In the sea, they were a deep, rich ocean blue.
—The eyes of a true predator.
Suhui, looking at the woman who had fallen into her territory, also smiled.
The third step of merfolk courtship: Mark disobedient prey as soon as possible, making them completely yours.
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