Chapter 80: The Center of the Fish Pond (15)
Practice outside?
When she heard these words, Su Mingxiu’s waist was still held captive in Suhui’s grip. Her own fingertips rested lightly on Suhui’s shoulder. She opened her eyes slowly, a look of surprise in them as she gazed into those blue eyes at such close proximity.
…She hadn’t expected a negative goodwill rating to cause such a drastic change in Suhui.
Actually, she didn’t mind. After all, she was participating in this show to earn money, not to debut. Her reputation afterwards didn’t matter to her.
But it was different for Suhui.
This career path was the most suitable for her on land. Although Su Mingxiu didn’t know the details of Suhui’s relationship with Neptune Entertainment, it was clear that to survive in the entertainment industry, one couldn’t afford to be surrounded by scandals.
Su Mingxiu didn’t know where her understanding of the entertainment industry came from. But her hand, which had been resting on Suhui’s shoulder, slowly slid down, as if pushing her away.
“No,” Suhui heard her say.
As expected.
A cold glint flashed through the silver-haired mermaid’s eyes. She thought, Does she do this with everyone? … Engaging in ambiguous acts behind the scenes, flirting with others until they’re obsessed, then acting all proper and innocent in front of the cameras, leaving no trace.
Her grip on Su Mingxiu’s waist tightened, crumpling the pink cotton fabric of the trainee uniform. It wasn’t enough, what she really wanted was to leave her mark…
…on the body beneath the clothes.
Sensing that Suhui wanted to leave her fingerprints on her waist, the smile in Su Mingxiu’s eyes deepened. She seemed to enjoy how easily this fish was affected by her every move. So she continued her act: “I’ll practice seriously, teach me again.”
Just as Suhui’s blue eyes were about to unleash a storm, a knock came from the door, accompanied by a familiar voice: “Why is the dance studio locked?”
“Is anyone inside?”
The dance studios provided by the program team were open 24/7 for the trainees to practice at their own pace.
Hearing Pao Tong’s voice, Su Mingxiu, who had been planning to take further advantage of Suhui, couldn’t go too far. She could only pry Suhui’s fingers off her waist and walk towards the door.
Suhui naturally refused to let go, but she couldn’t resist Su Mingxiu’s strength. Her fingers turned slightly red as she watched Su Mingxiu walk away.
As soon as someone else appeared, Su Mingxiu couldn’t wait to push her away.
Great.
She narrowed her eyes, clenched her fists, and watched as Su Mingxiu opened the door and explained to Pao Tong with a smile: “Suhui said she wanted to teach me her secret vocal technique, we were just practicing.”
Practicing?
Pao Tong stared at Su Mingxiu’s moist, red lips, as if she had just drunk something, a faint glistening trace still visible.
She tried to look away, but in the end, she only stared at Su Mingxiu and asked: “I also have a secret technique I can teach you.”
“No, no, no,” Su Mingxiu refused with a smile. “For a newbie like me, it’s good enough to learn one thing at a time. I can’t handle too much.”
Rejected again.
Pao Tong had thought she could take things slow with Su Mingxiu. But now, looking at Suhui’s cold expression in the classroom, she vaguely realized…
Although Su Mingxiu was gentle and seemingly kind to everyone, she wasn’t the type to give everyone the same opportunity.
For example, some things… she would only give to Suhui.
Thinking of this, a hint of disappointment flashed through Pao Tong’s eyes. Did Su Mingxiu like Suhui’s personality? Cold, aloof… like a born princess.
When they were on stage together, Suhui’s presence was exceptionally strong, making one wonder if anyone else was worthy of the center position.
But…
Was it the same with feelings?
Did one have to be dazzling to be noticed?
Pao Tong was so lost in thought that she stood frozen at the door, as if blocking the entrance.
Until Suhui walked to Su Mingxiu’s side and asked: “Do you need to use the dance studio?”
Pao Tong looked at their contrasting hair colors, equally stunning faces, similar heights, and identical trainee uniforms.
She suddenly felt like a third wheel and silently stepped aside.
[Are you seriously backing down? Don’t give up, Tongtong!]
[Pao Tong, out.]
[You should ask them what they were doing inside! I’m so curious!]
Actually, Pao Tong had only taken a small step back, but to Suhui, it was clear that Pao Tong couldn’t be her rival.
Because when it came to Su Mingxiu, she could only advance, not retreat.
Thinking of this, she glanced at the person who had come out with her and said: “Back to the dorm?”
“Yes.”
Su Mingxiu yawned, a faint mist appearing in her eyes. Having stayed up all night to make money, she only wanted to sleep now.
[Wow, what are you two planning to do back in the dorm?]
[Even a workhorse wouldn’t rest like this! Sleep? Get up and practice! Go to the dance studio! (Wuwuwu, what’s the point of this show without your live stream?)]
[Even a master of time management needs sleep?]
The viewers saw her actions and desperately tried to keep her online, but Su Mingxiu didn’t care about her fans’ feelings. She returned to her room without hesitation, leaving the live stream camera outside.
When she woke up, it was already dark outside.
Su Mingxiu thought her roommates had gone out. She opened her eyes and took a moment to gather her thoughts, thinking about the practice she needed to catch up on.
She casually turned over and smelled a faint fragrance. Blinking, she saw the mermaid sitting on the edge of her bed, seemingly having been there for a while.
“You didn’t go to practice?”
“I learned it,” Suhui replied indifferently.
Amazing, such natural talent.
Su Mingxiu was about to praise her when she heard the mermaid ask in her pleasant, yet cold voice: “How long are you planning to stay in bed?”
“The mentor in charge of your song taught new content today, hurry up and get up, I’ll teach you.”
“Uh…” Su Mingxiu’s mind went blank for a moment before she realized what Suhui was talking about.
“You not only learned your own part but also mine?”
Her elbow was still resting comfortably behind her head. Even lying down, she had a unique aura, like a queen reclining on a luxurious bed.
Very little of the setting sun’s light could reach the bedroom. The dim atmosphere created a hazy ambiance. Suhui saw Su Mingxiu’s long eyelashes lower, almost covering the tear mole under her left eye.
She suddenly reached out and brushed Su Mingxiu’s eyelashes aside, making the person lying down open her eyes and look at her in surprise.
The shadow under her eyes lightened, making the tear mole even more prominent.
Suhui stared down at her for a long time, then suddenly leaned in without a word. Just as she opened her mouth, her lips were stopped by a fingertip—
“No.”
She heard Su Mingxiu’s voice, hoarse and gentle, stopping her.
Another rejection.
Su Mingxiu had rejected her when someone was outside earlier. Now, with no one to disturb them, she was still being rejected.
Suhui’s long silver hair slid down her shoulder, brushing against Su Mingxiu’s black hair spread out on the wrinkled sheets. She maintained her leaning posture, feeling the desire that had just surged within her being blocked by that slender fingertip, but it didn’t subside…
Instead, it intensified, waiting for the moment to erupt.
They remained motionless, only staring at each other. After an unknown amount of time, Suhui suddenly moved.
She grabbed Su Mingxiu’s fingertip, pressed it into the quilt, leaned in, and, with more force than she had originally intended, captured the delicate skin under Su Mingxiu’s eye between her teeth.
Her tongue traced the tear mole, circling it repeatedly.
The orange light of the setting sun shone halfway through the window onto the wall, but it seemed hesitant to approach, as if shy of the increasingly heated scene in the room.
Suhui vaguely heard a soft sound from the person beneath her.
Like a sigh, or perhaps a chuckle.
In the mirror, the alluring person’s neck was adorned with a red coral necklace. A small, red bite mark at the corner of her eye hinted at the passionate events that had just transpired.
Even her exposed skin was flushed with desire, making one wonder how many more marks were hidden beneath her clothes.
A cool hand slipped under the pink shirt. Su Mingxiu, a playful smile on her lips, caught Suhui’s wrist. Even after such a passionate encounter, her voice sounded calmer than when she had just woken up:
“That’s enough.”
She looked at the person embracing her from behind in the mirror, feeling that her indulgence towards this fish had reached its limit. She added: “Teacher Suhui, you’re collecting tuition fees before even starting the dance lessons?”
Of course, it wasn’t that she couldn’t let this fish take advantage of her a little…
But…
Seeing the bright “-70” above Suhui’s head, Su Mingxiu suddenly felt that her sacrifices had been in vain.
The more this fish took from her, the lower the goodwill rating went, making her wonder what Suhui was thinking.
Was she not happy enough?
Or did she simply not like it?
If she didn’t want to do this, why did she keep approaching her again and again?
“Tuition fees?” Suhui repeated her words, her greyish-blue eyes darkening even further.
So Su Mingxiu had let her leave those marks as a form of payment, wanting her to teach her how to dance?
Thinking of this, she felt a tightness in her chest.
But Suhui only blinked slowly and said: “Alright, I’ll teach you.”
Annie and Pao Tong were still in the dance studio and hadn’t returned, so Suhui took advantage of the empty dorm and, with no live stream cameras to interfere, “diligently” taught Su Mingxiu how to dance.
But the dance lesson only lasted for half an hour.
Su Mingxiu felt like her entire body had been touched by Suhui’s cool palms. The mermaid’s body temperature was like ice that couldn’t be melted, no warmth could be found.
She pushed away the hand that was trying to slip under her clothes again, feeling that her patience had reached its limit. She took a deep breath to calm herself down, then spoke: “I’ve learned it, thank you for your enthusiastic guidance, Teacher Suhui.”
But as soon as she finished speaking, she was pushed onto the nearest bed. It wasn’t her own bed.
She tilted her head and smelled that faint fragrance again, unlike anything an ocean creature should have, not a hint of the salty sea.
Because they were practicing dance, the lights in the room were on, and the full-length mirror by the door had been moved closer. Now, under the bright lights, the mirror reflected their absurd actions, hidden under the guise of “teaching.”
She saw the silver-haired woman sitting on her waist, her slender waist bending down, a flash of pale skin visible in the mirror.
Suhui’s blue eyes stared down at her: “Can I continue collecting my tuition fees now?”
As she spoke, Su Mingxiu vaguely saw the goodwill rating above her head fluctuate, the number seemingly about to increase again.
So Su Mingxiu cupped that beautiful face in her hands, her voice laced with an unknown emotion. “Foolish fish.”
She asked: “Why are you so hard to please?”
She had already indulged her, letting her bite and touch, but the goodwill rating didn’t increase at all, instead plummeting further into the negatives.
Even Su Mingxiu, who considered herself very patient, couldn’t help but feel frustrated by Suhui’s bizarre negative goodwill.
What would it take to make this fish happy?
If she couldn’t coax her…
Su Mingxiu looked away, then at the mirror again. She couldn’t help but think, I’m almost at my limit.
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