Chapter 78: The Center of the Fish Pond (13)
After completing the recording of their public performance, the seven S-rank contestants returned to the Produce 101 program group, just in time for the second round of assessments.
The program team had prepared three categories: rap, dance, and vocal. Each category had three popular, well-known songs for the contestants to choose from, based on their rankings, from highest to lowest.
Of course, groups that were already full couldn’t accept new members. This meant that after the public performance, the lower-ranked contestants had fewer choices.
Among the S-rank members, Suhui naturally had the first pick.
She decisively chose a love ballad in the vocal category.
After her, the other five contestants also chose different songs. If Su Mingxiu also made a different choice, it meant that the S-rank members wouldn’t be collaborating on stage this time.
At the same time, out of the nine songs in total, at least six or seven would have S-rank contestants participating, which was a guarantee of quality… although not absolute, after the first public performance, those with true talent would naturally stand out.
Su Mingxiu had originally planned to choose one of the remaining three songs. But with one vocal and two rap songs left, she hesitated.
It was during this brief pause that Annie, who had already made her choice, waved at her: “Xiuxiu! Come over here! Let’s join forces in the dance group!”
The small, dragonfly-like camera zoomed in on them, carrying the barrage of comments.
[Wow! Are they starting to snatch people already in the S-class?]
[Right, this amazing contestant isn’t very good at rap, and based on her initial evaluation, her vocals are also average. It’s best for her to choose dance. The dance group currently has Annie and Wang Zhi, and although she’s not familiar with the third member, dance would be the most suitable for her, right?]
[The recruitment begins! Go, Wang Zhi! I have a feeling she’ll be a strong teammate!]
[There’s still Suhui and Pao Tong in the vocal group, she could join them too!]
…
As the comments section buzzed with discussion, Pao Tong, who had been chewing pink bubble gum, suddenly blew a large bubble. With a pop, she said: “Mingxiu could also try vocals, your temperament is very suitable!”
Perhaps amused by the contestants’ attempts to recruit teammates, Yuchi Xiao, who was hosting the selection process, suddenly said with a smile: “If you want to try something new, the rap mentor has been looking forward to collaborating with you.”
But there was an inherent difference in popularity between the three categories.
Although vocals were moving, compared to the upbeat rhythm of rap and the explosive energy of dance, they lacked a certain appeal.
Previous talent shows had also proven this point. The most popular contestants usually came from the dance groups.
It all depended on whether Su Mingxiu wanted to play to her strengths or try a new direction.
Although Wang Zhi guessed that Su Mingxiu probably wouldn’t choose her, she still chimed in: “I really want to collaborate with you, will you consider me?”
By now, all the contestants who were close to her had extended an olive branch. Unconsciously, everyone’s gaze turned to Suhui. After all, she was the only one who hadn’t expressed her opinion yet.
But the silver-haired mermaid only glanced at Su Mingxiu at the very beginning, then lowered her eyes and stood there quietly, as if she didn’t care who would choose her group.
Just as everyone was looking at her, Su Mingxiu suddenly made her move. She walked straight towards the remaining vocal group and stood between Suhui and Pao Tong.
Pao Tong was overjoyed by her choice. While the A-rank trainees were making their selections, she leaned closer to Su Mingxiu and whispered: “I’ve heard this song before, it’s amazing! If there’s anything you’re not sure about, you can ask me, or we can practice our vocals together tomorrow morning, how about it?”
Suhui, with her sharp hearing, clearly heard Pao Tong’s words even without paying attention.
She scoffed inwardly.
A mere human, how could she compare to their merfolk clan’s mastery of music? She could even teach others?
So, she leaned towards Su Mingxiu subtly. She thought her movement was inconspicuous, but it was clearly captured by the live stream cameras.
[hhhh Suhui’s entire body is screaming: Ask me! Ask me!]
[Some people were saying they weren’t on good terms before, does this little sister’s behavior look like they’re not on good terms?]
The viewers were still teasing Suhui’s reaction in the comments section. Just then, Su Mingxiu’s reply to Pao Tong rang out:
“Really? That’s great!”
“Uh…” Suhui slowly straightened up.
[Ah! Suhui is angry! Xiuxiu, quickly coax her!]
[The CP I’ve been shipping since the first episode can’t be broken!]
[As long as they’re beautiful, I’m okay with any pairing! A gentle and caring older sister and a cool and domineering queen are also a good match! You understand me, I understand you, women should be together!]
Su Mingxiu was unaware of the complex emotional changes Suhui had gone through during their brief exchange. After finishing her conversation with Pao Tong, she casually glanced to the side—
And saw that the number above Suhui’s head had changed from -10 to…
-15.
“Uh…?” Su Mingxiu admitted that some of her memories were blurry, as if blocked by a mysterious force.
But she knew she wasn’t a novice when it came to relationships. Even so, she found it hard to understand a fish’s way of thinking.
“System, I remember it was -10 just now, right?” She even thought she saw the corner of Suhui’s lips curl upwards when she saw Su Mingxiu wearing her gift.
She rarely doubted her own memory, so she asked the system for confirmation.
“Yes,” the system replied, its tone sounding helpless.
Su Mingxiu thought for a moment, vaguely grasping Suhui’s train of thought. Just as she was about to turn around and ask if she could seek guidance from Suhui, she heard Pao Tong speak: “That necklace you’re wearing today is so beautiful, it suits you so well. I’ve never seen that design before, when did you buy it?”
Actually, many people had been staring at Su Mingxiu since she arrived today. The contestants all wore the same uniform and didn’t dare to be too flashy in front of the cameras, afraid of annoying the viewers. Their makeup was light, and their accessories were small and simple.
Now, the most eye-catching person, besides Suhui with her silver hair, was Su Mingxiu with the red coral necklace.
“I didn’t buy it,” Su Mingxiu said, her right fingertips touching her neck, trying not to look at Suhui. She smiled meaningfully. “A little one gave it to me.”
…
[Little one?]
[As everyone knows, this talent show is a closed training camp, the contestants usually don’t have access to the outside world, so… which of the remaining ninety contestants is this ‘little one’?]
[Let’s simplify, simplify the scope. Everyone Su Mingxiu has interacted with since joining the show is in the S-class! First, we eliminate Pao Tong!]
[I have a bold guess…]
[Could it be Suhui? I feel like this coral necklace… is something she would give.]
While the viewers in the live stream chat were playing detective, Suhui, who had also heard the answer, didn’t look very happy.
All her attention was focused on the words “little one,” so she didn’t notice the tone Su Mingxiu used.
Little one?
Was she saying that she was still young, not an adult?
But in the ocean, this person clearly knew she was an adult… Calling her this now, was it because Su Mingxiu intended to treat her as a minor and not pursue a romantic relationship with her?
As these thoughts swirled in her mind, Suhui’s expression changed rapidly, the number above her head also fluctuating, but not like waves, but rather…
Slowly, slowly decreasing.
All the way down to -30.
Su Mingxiu: “…”
She was now absolutely certain that she couldn’t keep up with this fish’s train of thought.
After a long selection process, the groups were finally formed, and all the ten-member teams went to their designated practice rooms.
With only a week left until the second public performance, they had to choose a group leader and a center position for each group.
Su Mingxiu had originally planned to continue slacking off, but she was unexpectedly nominated as the group leader. Receiving the group leader’s badge, she had a feeling that her plan to coast through the competition would have to be postponed.
To everyone’s surprise, they had assumed that with Su Mingxiu’s skills, she would definitely run for the center position. But she didn’t make a move, instead seriously considering her vote among the other candidates.
Meanwhile, Suhui, Annie, Pao Tong, and Wang Zhi were all successfully elected as the center positions for their respective groups.
After the parts were assigned, the mentors assigned by the program team entered each practice room to give guidance. Time flew by, and soon it was lunchtime.
Su Mingxiu, never willing to mistreat her stomach, was the first to leave the classroom. But the members of her group, having heard about her cooking skills, were torn between the new song and lunch.
Someone took the lead, and in the end, they all followed her out.
By the time Annie and the others arrived, there was no space left around Su Mingxiu.
“Xiuxiu is so popular—”
Annie said with a slightly sour tone.
Pao Tong chuckled beside her, her meaning unclear. “Whoever ends up with her will have to keep a close eye on her.”
Wang Zhi only smiled without saying anything.
Suhui, who always made a grand entrance, suddenly added: “Who can keep an eye on her?”
[Eek, I smell jealousy!]
[Doesn’t this scene look like four exes meeting at the same time, seeing Su Mingxiu with a new love interest?]
[It’s clearly four current partners meeting up, wanting an explanation, only to find out she has other fish in the sea!]
[Damn, I’m getting excited from reading these comments!]
Su Mingxiu suddenly felt a chill down her spine.
She had originally planned to make a large batch of fried rice, seeing the crowd. But now, turning around and seeing the four of them, then looking at her current group members surrounding her, she suddenly felt a strange sense of guilt.
After the fragrant fried rice was distributed, Pao Tong stirred the rice with her spoon, looking at the diced sausage, peas, corn, carrots, and shrimp. She commented, her meaning unclear: “Mingxiu seems to always like a variety of ingredients.”
Annie, unsure if she understood Pao Tong’s implication, replied: “Yeah, I’ve never seen her make just one flavor.”
Wang Zhi scratched her chin lightly, as if wanting to diffuse the tension but not knowing how. So she could only say: “But everything she makes is delicious?”
“If it wasn’t delicious, how could she capture the hearts of so many… diners?” Suhui said, looking at the bouncy shrimp in her bowl, a faint shadow in her blue eyes.
She emphasized the word “diners,” her tone implying something else.
But judging from their goodwill ratings, Su Mingxiu could clearly sense—
Pao Tong, at 70 points, was fanning the flames; Annie, at 65 points, was simply agreeing; Wang Zhi, at 60 points, wanted to mediate.
And…
Suhui, at -40 points, the only one affected, was angry.
Su Mingxiu: “…”
For some reason, she suddenly wanted to extract the system from her mind and beat it up.
As she remained silent, Suhui, sitting among her “exes,” looked at the new faces surrounding Su Mingxiu, a sudden thought popping into her mind:
There’s no way to keep an eye on a human like this.
I need to find a chain, lock her up, make sure she doesn’t see anyone else from the moment she wakes up to the moment she closes her eyes, only then can she truly belong… to me.
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