Chapter 81: The Center of the Fish Pond (16)
“Hard to please?”
Suhui repeated her words, not understanding what she meant, even suspecting she had misheard.
Had Su Mingxiu ever tried to please her?
During her time at Neptune Entertainment, Suhui had watched some movies and TV shows with her manager, observing how human couples interacted. The so-called “coaxing” involved giving the other person gifts they liked, apologizing for one’s behavior, and then making promises.
Had Su Mingxiu ever given her anything?
The candy-shaped earrings she was currently wearing? She had practically demanded those, Su Mingxiu hadn’t offered them sincerely.
Apology? Even more unlikely.
Su Mingxiu never seemed to think she only needed to be good to Suhui. Even when making a simple dish, she always considered everyone’s taste.
And Suhui was just one of the many people she cared for.
As for promises…
Suhui lowered her eyelashes, looking at the woman pressed beneath her. Her black hair spread out like expensive silk, her deep eyes more beautiful than the finest obsidian in her collection.
But this stunning person wouldn’t even give her a single insincere, fabricated lie.
Let alone a promise.
Suhui suddenly didn’t want to think about it anymore. So she repeated her previous question: “Can I continue collecting my tuition fees now?”
“Uh…” Su Mingxiu’s eyes flickered with changing emotions. In the end, she didn’t push Suhui away, only saying with a smile: “Alright, go ahead.”
Suhui claimed her kiss, stealing the air from her mouth and lungs. Su Mingxiu didn’t resist, accepting her completely.
Even as the hem of her trainee uniform rode up, revealing her slender waist, she remained relaxed, her posture one of complete acceptance and tolerance towards Suhui.
The silver-haired mermaid, fulfilling the thought she had earlier before the mirror, left cool kisses on the hidden, secret places beneath Su Mingxiu’s clothes.
Her cool fingertips also traced the fabric of Su Mingxiu’s shorts. The trainee uniform wasn’t made of high-quality material, the top and shorts both simple designs. If she exerted even a little force, Su Mingxiu’s shorts might not be wearable anymore.
But… Suhui hesitated.
She was like a player addicted to an unknown adventure game, eager to obtain the final reward, yet also worried that the treasure chest before her was the last one she could find.
If she opened it now…
What other rewards could she claim?
The apex predator of the sea, accustomed to the vast ocean and its boundless resources, driven by her predatory instincts, had somehow learned restraint in the midst of her desires.
This delicacy was unique. If she claimed this reward now, without prolonging her satisfaction, would Su Mingxiu still give her what she wanted next time?
Or, was her current effort even worthy of such a reward?
Suhui hesitated.
She struggled against her instincts, not even knowing why she suddenly didn’t dare to continue.
Su Mingxiu naturally sensed her change. She hadn’t expected Suhui to stop after she had already offered herself up—
She narrowed her eyes slightly. “What, don’t you… know how?”
She couldn’t possibly have to teach Suhui this, right?
Suhui didn’t understand the mockery in her words, only hesitating. They remained silent for what felt like an eternity, then footsteps approached from outside.
Su Mingxiu: “…”
She sighed softly, never telling the foolish fish what kind of opportunity she had missed.
Before the dorm door opened, Su Mingxiu kicked Suhui off the bed with her foot and sat up.
“Click.”
The door opened. Annie, a towel around her neck, her short hair messy and wild, walked in. Seeing Su Mingxiu, her first words were: “You finally woke up.”
Then: “Eh? I thought you didn’t sleep on the lower bunk?”
Su Mingxiu sat cross-legged on the bed and replied slowly: “Yeah, I fell off the upper bunk in my sleep earlier, and Suhui let me lie down on her bed for a while.”
“Ah, are you okay?” Annie asked without thinking, sitting down on the edge of the bed, her voice full of concern.
Suhui frowned.
Animals were territorial, rejecting any intrusion, especially this person.
So she leaned against the bed with a blank expression and said to Annie: “Get up.”
“Oh, oh, sorry,” Annie stood up, but she didn’t leave. Instead, she half-squatted before the bed, looking at Su Mingxiu. “Are you feeling unwell? Do you need me to ask for a leave of absence for you?”
“No need.”
Su Mingxiu didn’t tell her that she had stayed up all night and was catching up on sleep during the day. She glanced out the window, feeling that it was getting late, and got out of bed, preparing to find something to eat in the kitchen, then get ready for the second public performance.
Suhui instinctively followed her. Annie, who had originally planned to come back to take a shower, hadn’t figured out the situation between the two earlier. Now, seeing them leave together, she instinctively followed: “Are you going to dinner?”
“I’ll come with you.”
Suhui, who hadn’t decided whether to open the treasure chest, was interrupted by Annie’s arrival and forced to choose not to.
Now, she felt a bit annoyed. Seeing Annie follow them, although she hadn’t learned the human term “third wheel,” she already found her presence bothersome.
So she suddenly said on behalf of Su Mingxiu: “No.”
As soon as she spoke, both Su Mingxiu and Annie looked at her, especially Annie, who asked straightforwardly:
“Why?”
She looked around. “Are you two… planning some kind of couple time?”
Having left the dorm, their live stream cameras followed them. Annie’s words caused an uproar in the live stream chat.
The director backstage: “…”
He lit a cigarette with a worried expression, wondering why, even though he had transitioned from a dating variety show to a talent show, this program was still filled with romantic subplots. Did the viewers even remember that this was a talent show?
[Wooo, what kind of couple time? Tell us!]
[It’s not that I’m seeing things, sisters, don’t you think Suhui and Su Mingxiu are acting strangely? Today, Suhui went to Su Mingxiu’s class to learn her dance, and just now, they went back to their room early. What are they doing?]
[Petition to install cameras in their dorm!]
[No need for a petition, I’ll tell you, they did it, for real, I was under the bed.]
…
Suhui thought about the term “couple time,” finding it very pleasing to the ear. Human culture was truly vast and profound.
Thinking this, she was about to nod when Su Mingxiu interrupted her with a smile: “What are you talking about? I’m just a bit tired today and don’t want to think about what to eat, so I’m planning to just eat in the cafeteria. Aren’t you afraid of gaining weight? Are you sure you want to eat with us?”
What?
Both Annie and Suhui were stunned.
They hadn’t expected Su Mingxiu, who loved cooking so much, to not want to cook today. The program’s cafeteria had been only serving fruit and vegetable salads recently, ever since they caught a few trainees hiding snacks and gaining weight.
And the salad didn’t even have any dressing.
The more Annie thought about it, the worse her expression became, especially after having experienced that taste at lunch. She could still taste the grass on her tongue.
She silently took a step back.
“I… would rather starve to death, become nothing but skin and bones, than step foot in the program’s cafeteria again. Goodbye.”
Suhui still followed Su Mingxiu, but she emphasized: “I don’t eat grass.”
Su Mingxiu, still walking, turned to look into Suhui’s blue eyes, a hint of amusement in her own. “Oh? But didn’t you enjoy eating seaweed that one time?”
“Seaweed is fine, land plants are not.”
“Why? Because they’re not salty enough?”
[This conversation is so childish, hhh.]
[Suhui seems so naive and easy to trick, I suddenly want to take her home!]
[Seeing this, I think the dynamic between them is pretty clear now.]
As the viewers discussed in the comments section, they arrived at the cafeteria. Because Su Mingxiu liked to cook for herself, everyone from the cafeteria ladies to the chefs knew her.
Seeing that she wasn’t going into the kitchen today, one of the aunties asked with a smile: “Eh? Chef Su, not cooking today?”
Su Mingxiu smiled and replied: “Yeah, I haven’t tried everyone’s cooking after being here for so long.”
“Ha,” the auntie waved her hand dismissively. “This can’t be called cooking. These young, pretty girls are exhausted every day, and your boss won’t let us cook, only giving them these vegetables, it makes my heart ache just looking at them.”
[Produce 101, you’re so bold, even broadcasting this… aren’t you afraid of being criticized?]
[As expected, all those “celebrities who never gain weight” stories are fake. Real training camps just don’t let trainees eat, you’re truly something else.]
Su Mingxiu, hearing the auntie’s words, waved at the staff behind her, signaling them to move the camera away, in case the director came and caused trouble.
The next moment, the live stream switched to a long shot. Su Mingxiu chatted with the auntie at the window for a while, then still entered the kitchen.
Ten minutes later, she came out with a plate of sashimi and a bowl of salad. She handed the sashimi to Suhui and sat down at a table in the corner with her salad.
Suhui sat across from her, took a bite, and found that the fish wasn’t fresh. She said to Su Mingxiu with a disappointed tone: “There’s a kind of fish that’s very delicious…”
Unlike humans, merfolk didn’t give different names to different types of food. So Suhui couldn’t name the fish, but she remembered its appearance and described it in detail.
Su Mingxiu ate her salad, seeing that Suhui was talking more than usual, realizing that her mood had improved. She let out a silent sigh of relief, but she didn’t interrupt, only listening quietly.
So Suhui, under her gaze, finished describing the fish’s appearance. Enjoying the way Su Mingxiu’s deep black eyes were focused solely on her, her mood improved unconsciously.
After finishing her description, she suddenly added:
“How about… I catch one for you next time?”
—
[Catch?]
[I just searched, it’s a deep-sea fish, are you sure you want to use the word ‘catch’, dear?]
[So cute, does Suhui know how to fish or use a net?]
[Being able to casually give away such a rare accessory, with such a unique aura, it seems like Suhui comes from a wealthy family, I wonder if her family owns a fishing fleet?]
It was a good thing Su Mingxiu couldn’t see the comments section. Otherwise, she would have definitely replied: No, her family owns the five oceans.
What seven continents? Please, those are just the merfolk’s backyard.
“Okay,” she replied cheerfully.
Suhui also smiled faintly. It was the first time Su Mingxiu had seen her smile since their private encounter.
Even her goodwill rating…
…increased slightly.
Only -60 now.
Su Mingxiu finally saw a glimmer of hope, feeling that this fish… wasn’t as difficult to please as she had imagined.
Suhui also felt that Su Mingxiu had been very well-behaved recently, not only following her instructions, letting her teach her the song and dance, but also showing her special attention when they were with others.
Until the second public performance, when Su Mingxiu’s stage presence amazed everyone.
Her singing was so good, the love ballad so moving and heartfelt, her stage presence so captivating, that she won third place overall.
Suhui was first, Annie second.
Many viewers noticed that Su Mingxiu’s singing sounded a lot like Suhui’s. Even the vocal mentor praised her profusely on stage, saying she was exceptionally talented.
And when Su Mingxiu’s score was announced, Suhui’s applause was the loudest among the contestants. Despite her cold and aloof makeup and aura,
Her gaze, fixed on Su Mingxiu on the screen, her applause so enthusiastic, was even more intense than when she had won first place herself.
—Anyone could tell how much she cared about Su Mingxiu’s performance.
Pao Tong, Annie, and Wang Zhi also had smiles on their faces. When Su Mingxiu’s score was announced, Annie gave her a hug, and Wang Zhi gave her a thumbs-up.
Pao Tong looked at her with a complicated expression. Although she congratulated Su Mingxiu with a smile, there were too many emotions in her eyes.
Looking at the “99” above her head, Su Mingxiu couldn’t help but feel a sense of melancholy.
And beside her, Annie’s goodwill rating was 95, Wang Zhi’s was 90, and Suhui’s… had recently become -20.
It felt like she was very close to completing her mission.
Su Mingxiu thought about the system’s ultimate mission, feeling that she might not even need to stay until the third public performance, she could probably retire soon.
Thinking of this, she instinctively looked towards Suhui. The silver-haired mermaid also met her gaze. Just as she was about to try and understand Su Mingxiu’s expression, Yuchi Xiao on stage was already announcing the next part of the show—
The elimination of the bottom twenty contestants.
And the top seven would have their own MV filmed, also with a water-themed concept.
Then, the content of the third assessment… was free team formation, ten people per group, with the remaining contestant randomly assigned to an existing team. But all teams had to create their own songs and choreography.
This series of announcements not only shocked the contestants but also the viewers, who didn’t know whether to cry or be amazed by the difficulty of the third assessment.
No girl group talent show had ever had such a demanding assessment… asking the contestants to create their own songs and dances? Write their own lyrics and compose their own music?
The MV filming for the popular contestants was completely forgotten—
Annie immediately grabbed Pao Tong and Su Mingxiu and said without hesitation: “Let’s form a team together!”
She had originally wanted to try rap in the next round, but with this level of difficulty, who would want to challenge themselves?
It was better to win this round first!
Su Mingxiu raised an eyebrow, not answering immediately. She turned her head and saw Suhui walking towards them, pushing past the crowd surrounding her: “I want to be in your group.”
Her tone was unquestionable.
Annie looked at her and suddenly said: “I can do the choreography.”
Pao Tong’s eyes crinkled with a smile: “I can write the lyrics.”
Suhui, thinking about the training she had received at Neptune Entertainment, said casually: “I can compose the music.”
Wang Zhi and her team were watching them from afar, seeming hesitant.
[This is a powerhouse team…]
[If the other S-rank contestants also join, I’ll die happy, what a luxurious lineup!]
[Su Mingxiu: Let me think about what I can do, hhhh.]
Su Mingxiu, who had inadvertently triggered another Shura field: “…”
She had originally wanted to use this opportunity to collaborate with her friends or Suhui, but thinking about how they were all center positions, each with their own strong opinions, she wasn’t sure what would happen if they were all in the same team.
It was highly likely that 1+1 would be less than 0.
And when conflicts arose within the team, Su Mingxiu didn’t want to be the mediator. She had finally managed to reduce Suhui’s negative goodwill rating.
So, she raised an eyebrow slowly. “But I can’t do anything, so—”
“Who said that?” Annie wouldn’t let go of this treasure.
Pao Tong smiled and put her hand on Su Mingxiu’s shoulder. “Be confident.”
Suhui looked at her seriously. “You can cook.”
As soon as she said this…
The lively atmosphere of team formation suddenly cooled down. The contestants from other teams looked over in shock.
Although they had known that Su Mingxiu’s main profession was a chef, after seeing her performances in the past two rounds, were they really only interested in her cooking skills?
[hhh I’m speechless.]
*hhh – short for “hahaha” for Chinese speaking people. Equivalent to “23333”*
[Suhui’s words are truly profound.]
[As the ancients said, an army marches on its stomach. Good logistics are crucial for victory.]
[Am I the only one excited to see who will be the center for the next performance? Popcorn, sunflower seeds, and a small bench ready, let the battle begin!]
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