Chapter 86: The Center of the Fish Pond (21)
After leaving the director’s office, Su Mingxiu happened to pass by the hallway with floor-to-ceiling windows offering a clear view of the ocean. She saw the sunlight piercing through the clouds, casting beams of light onto the blue sea.
Her gaze lowered.
But the figure she had seen earlier was no longer on the shore.
Su Mingxiu, as if sensing something, quickened her pace. She encountered many familiar faces along the way,
But she didn’t even have time to respond to their greetings, hurrying into the elevator and down to the first floor. However, there was no sign of Suhui.
… Could this fish have gone straight back to the sea after talking to the director?
Tugging lightly on the coral necklace around her neck, Su Mingxiu let out a soft sigh. She first asked the staff outside, confirming that Suhui hadn’t returned since going to the beach, then she could only turn back and head towards the shoreline.
The golden sand beneath her feet, the waves lapping gently at her ankles, then playfully retreating.
Su Mingxiu looked at the golden sea, bathed in the setting sun’s glow, and for the first time, felt a sense of helplessness towards this vast ocean. Her intuition told her that the safest course of action was to leave and wait for Suhui to reappear;
Or, to rent a small boat and embark on a month-long voyage, trying to find Suhui’s kin, which would be the safest method.
But she actually wanted to plunge into the waves.
Facing the vast ocean, Su Mingxiu suddenly understood how Suhui must feel in human society, where even the air must feel unfamiliar, dry, and frightening.
[Host, please carefully consider your decision to withdraw from Produce 101. This system does not recommend taking risks for Suhui. You still have other targets to pursue.]
The sea wind howled, drowning out Su Mingxiu’s voice: “Did we… know each other before?”
Su Mingxiu now knew that there was definitely something wrong with her memories, and it was highly likely related to this system. Ever since starting this mission, her emotions seemed to have been sealed away along with her memories, her feelings dull and almost nonexistent.
Only when facing Suhui—
Did she not feel like a mere task executor, a puppet playing a role.
From their first encounter, she had been captivated by Suhui’s unique identity, making her realize that “love at first sight” truly existed. But later, she was constantly influenced by the ultimate mission, leading to misunderstandings between her and Suhui.
Even now, Su Mingxiu didn’t understand why Suhui’s goodwill rating had become negative.
Nor did she understand why Suhui had left the MV filming location earlier.
“Unable to answer your question,” the system played dumb.
Su Mingxiu didn’t mind, thinking to herself, Suhui is like that carefully crafted perfume she wanted to give away, from booking the appointment, to mixing the scents, to bottling the finished product and giving it away. The chances of it not being delivered were incredibly low, yet she encountered such an unexpected accident.
And once that perfume bottle was broken, she could only watch helplessly as the fragrance dissipated into the air, with no way to salvage it.
The sunlight on the sea surface disappeared behind the clouds at some point. Su Mingxiu looked around, trying to find a boat nearby.
Unfortunately, as far as the eye could see, there was only the endless golden beach.
Su Mingxiu tucked her hair behind her ear and walked towards the sea. Just as the water reached her knees, someone noticed her and called out through a megaphone: “Trainee! There’s nothing you can’t overcome! The ocean is beautiful, but it’s not worth burying a young life! If there’s anything troubling you, come back and let’s talk!”
The sound of the megaphone drew the attention of the trainees practicing in the dance studio upstairs. It was almost dinner time, and soon, the windows were filled with curious faces.
Su Mingxiu: “…”
Who’s trying to commit suicide?
She brushed her windblown hair aside and gave the patrolling staff member an “OK” sign. She could only turn back and walk towards the shore, explaining herself briefly to the staff. Out of concern for her safety, they called a car to take her back to the base.
“Teacher Su, you’re clearly not in a good state right now. We’ll give you two days off before the next performance rehearsal. Think carefully about whether you really want to quit the show, okay?”
Mainly because when they signed the contract with Su Mingxiu, no one had expected her to make it this far with her looks and those strange talents. So there was no clause about compensation for withdrawing from the competition.
Now, if Su Mingxiu really wanted to leave, it would be a huge loss for Produce 101.
The assistant director even stuffed the laptop into her arms, his face pained as he said: “This laptop, we’ll give it to you. If you’re feeling down these two days, just look at the money you’ve earned, think about how you still managed to live optimistically when you were poor—”
“I’m not feeling down,” Su Mingxiu emphasized this fact for the thousandth time.
The assistant director nodded repeatedly, waving at her from outside the car window. “We’re looking forward to your return.”
“Uh…”
At the same time, on an anonymous forum…
[Gossip] Let me tell you some inside information about a popular talent show, the one with the innovative format that revived the genre.
There’s a contestant who’s a player, juggling multiple people. But one of them, taking things too seriously, quit the show after being dumped…
Then, this player, whether out of genuine feelings or just acting, also announced her intention to withdraw from the show today, and she even tried to jump into the sea…
Anyway, she was just pulled back, and now, not only is she openly taking a break, but she’s also receiving special attention from the mentors.
1st Floor: Just say it’s Produce 101.
2nd Floor: You mean X, right? Lol, her fans are still bragging about her graduating from a top university, being the most academically qualified contestant.
And they even call her the most talented idol… Talented or not, with her player behavior, I wouldn’t be a fan even if she was a genius.
3rd Floor: Wow, learned a new tactic from this green tea (two-faced person). She’s afraid that the real reason for the other contestant’s withdrawal would affect her reputation.
So she pulled this suicidal act to gain sympathy. Just wait, when she returns to the competition, her fans will definitely defend her, saying, Our sister is already depressed, what more do you want from her?
4th Floor: Isn’t the OP’s anti-fan vibe a bit too strong? Just because someone posts some fake news, they’re automatically an insider now?
I can also claim to be a staff member and say that SS (Su Mingxiu and Suhui) is real, I heard them break the bed last night.
5th Floor: Seriously, everything can be shipped now? Delusional CP fans are everywhere. Jumps over a fire basin for good luck.
6th Floor: Waiting for updates. If someone really withdraws from Produce 101, and X returns to the stage later, then the OP’s gossip is confirmed. Her live stream is currently closed.
And SH’s live stream is also on hiatus, so the OP’s gossip is already 50% credible.
7th Floor: Even if X and SH both withdraw, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s because of X’s player behavior. Isn’t this just making up stories?
8th Floor: I’ve always said X is a bad person, but none of the returning fans listened, most of them are still CP fans. Seriously, X’s face is trouble, she clearly relies on her looks, so playing the field is probably normal for her, right?
And who knows, maybe her “amateur” persona is all fake. These days, who can debut in a talent show without any background? Do you really believe she’s an amateur?
9th Floor: It’s said that anonymous forums are breeding grounds for trolls, and today, I’ve truly seen it. X’s popularity during the live stream was quite good, and her skills are also decent, but here, everyone thinks she’s not good enough to debut, calling her a “troublemaker,” why don’t you post a picture and let us see what a “good citizen” looks like?
…
The post gained traction, and with Su Mingxiu and Suhui’s live streams currently suspended, coupled with Produce 101‘s current popularity, the rumors quickly spread.
But because Su Mingxiu didn’t have a team, no one informed her about this. As for Suhui…
Neptune Entertainment also adopted a laissez-faire attitude towards these rumors. In other words, despite the outside commotion, their lives weren’t affected at all.
Su Mingxiu returned to the original owner’s apartment and saw a thin layer of dust on the furniture, undisturbed for a while. Even the sunlight streaming through the window seemed dim.
After cleaning, she went to check on the restaurant that had been temporarily closed, according to the original owner’s memories.
Compared to the relatively modern three-bedroom apartment, the restaurant showed its age. The characters on the signboard were painted and peeling. The kitchen wall near the stove was stained black from years of cooking over high heat. The tables and chairs also looked old. No wonder the competitor’s complaint had resulted in its immediate closure by the inspectors.
Even though the tables and chairs were polished and well-maintained, what good was it?
This restaurant’s style was outdated.
Su Mingxiu looked through the door at the bright and modern dining hall of the rival restaurant across the street. Her gaze met that of the bored employee sitting by the door, holding flyers, then she calmly looked away.
As she cleaned the restaurant, observing the environment and planning the renovations, the system nagged her repeatedly, reminding her not to quit Produce 101, threatening her with dire consequences if she didn’t raise Annie, Pao Tong, and Wang Zhi’s goodwill ratings to 100.
“Are you dying tomorrow?”
Su Mingxiu, holding a broom, finally snapped after being constantly harassed.
System: [?]
“My life is long, is participating in this show the only way to raise their goodwill?” Su Mingxiu was confident in her cooking skills, enhanced by the system, and wasn’t worried about Annie and Wang Zhi’s goodwill ratings.
As for Pao Tong—
She couldn’t bring herself to be a scumbag just to get 100 goodwill points.
Su Mingxiu’s relaxed attitude displeased the system. Actually, it didn’t matter if Su Mingxiu didn’t max out Pao Tong and the others’ goodwill, as long as she completed the main mission of tempering the protagonist.
But…
Seeing that she was now planning to focus on her career and seriously pursue a relationship with Suhui, the system guessed that Suhui wouldn’t be suffering from unrequited love for much longer.
This wouldn’t do!
Her goodwill rating hadn’t even reached -100 yet! She hadn’t even realized that human love was a lie! If she received sweetness so easily and headed straight for a happy ending, what was the point of tempering her?
The system suddenly felt like it had shot itself in the foot. It felt that its disguise, besides deceiving itself, hadn’t changed anything.
But it didn’t dare to push Su Mingxiu too hard. After all, its disguise was still intact. It couldn’t have a kind and gentle Culinary God Strategy System resort to electric shocks to force the host to complete the mission, right?
So it worried, its worries turning into coding to vent its frustration.
Disturbed by the clanging and banging sounds in her mind, as if her brain was undergoing renovations, Su Mingxiu finished cleaning the restaurant. She had originally planned to make a nice dinner to reward herself.
But after half a day of chores, she only wanted to buy instant noodles from the convenience store.
She acted on this thought, but as she stood before the brightly lit shelves, looking at the classic braised beef noodles, for some reason, she also grabbed a pack of shrimp and fish cake noodles.
“Beep.”
At the checkout counter, Su Mingxiu also grabbed a carton of milk and a sausage.
“Hello, your total is…” The cashier’s sweet voice rang out, then stopped abruptly. She was stunned by Su Mingxiu’s beauty up close, feeling like her workplace had suddenly brightened, the world becoming more vibrant.
Su Mingxiu’s beauty, already stunning on camera, was even more striking in the real world, a completely different dimension. Her long eyelashes and the alluring mole at the corner of her eye were captivating.
The cashier stammered for two seconds, then blurted out: “You… aren’t you filming a show? I-I’m watching your talent show, I really like you, I’m your fan, g-good luck with your debut!”
Actually, the trainees had already met their fans during the public performance. Sometimes, when they went out for other schedules, they would even see fans and fansite masters holding banners outside the base.
Su Mingxiu looked at her and smiled faintly. “Thank you for your support, but there’s no need to vote for me anymore.”
Huh?
The cashier was stunned for two seconds, nodding blankly, then realizing what Su Mingxiu meant.
There weren’t many customers in the convenience store at this hour, after school and work. So Su Mingxiu didn’t rush her. Instead, she looked at the finger cots on the shelf beside her.
… Should she buy a box?
After a while…
“Welcome.” The store’s automated greeting was triggered by the sound of her footsteps as she left.
When Su Mingxiu stepped out of the convenience store, it was completely dark. The city had entered autumn, and away from the seaside, the change in temperature was more noticeable. The air against her face was cool.
Carrying a plastic bag, she went to the restaurant to make sure she had locked the door, then walked home leisurely. But as soon as she opened the door with her key, she stopped.
There was a faint…
…smell of seawater lingering in the air.
Especially since she had mopped the floor with disinfectant this afternoon, the lingering scent of seawater was even more noticeable.
As if a visitor from the sea had secretly entered her home while she wasn’t looking.
Her eyes narrowed slightly. After a brief pause, she bent down to change her slippers, then walked to the coffee table in front of the TV, carrying the bag, and filled the kettle with water. While waiting for the water to boil, she leaned back on the sofa and closed her eyes to rest.
Perhaps because of the day’s events, Su Mingxiu fell asleep amidst the humming of the kettle.
Only when her breathing became even, under the bright living room lights, did a figure, still carrying the scent of seawater, approach her and look at her closely.
Her silver hair now reflected a faint blue glow. If Su Mingxiu had opened her eyes now, she would have recognized that the color was identical to Suhui’s tail.
Suhui had originally planned to return to the sea and never come ashore again.
But she couldn’t help but feel unwilling, wanting to see who Su Mingxiu would eventually end up with. So, when Su Mingxiu tried to walk into the sea, she had been watching from the depths nearby;
After Su Mingxiu was persuaded to return to shore, she had followed her all the way here unconsciously.
In Suhui’s mind, Su Mingxiu’s promiscuous behavior was definitely to choose the most suitable partner, or to achieve some other goal. So she was certain that Su Mingxiu would stay on Produce 101.
But…
She hadn’t expected Su Mingxiu to leave as well.
Suhui told herself not to have any more illusions about this woman, but she couldn’t help but be drawn to Su Mingxiu’s strange behavior, a lingering thought in her heart making her restless, as if giving herself a sliver of hope, yet also wanting to see the truth with her own eyes so she could finally give up.
She had been standing before the sleeping person for so long that when a voice reached her ears, she didn’t react at first.
“Enjoying the view?”
Suhui instinctively tried to answer, but as she opened her mouth, she met Su Mingxiu’s open eyes. She immediately stepped back, only to fall into Su Mingxiu’s outstretched arms, her waist pulled down. She fell into the person’s embrace on the sofa.
Su Mingxiu gasped, her chin hit by Suhui’s elbow, her words caught in her throat. She could only tilt her head back, her arms tightening around the slippery fish.
But Suhui struggled.
“Ugh… don’t move, you hurt my chin.” Su Mingxiu, finally catching this fish again, afraid of scaring her away with her words or actions, could only hold her tight and feign weakness gently.
Suhui stopped struggling.
But at such close proximity, the scent of seawater on her hadn’t intensified, it was still that faint, alluring fragrance.
After a moment of silence, Suhui suddenly said, “Let go of me.”
Su Mingxiu naturally didn’t want to. She still wanted to make a deal with this fish. Seeing Suhui carefully move her arm away from her chin, trying to push herself up from the sofa,
As if…
…she was injured somewhere.
So Su Mingxiu loosened her grip slightly, but not enough for Suhui to escape. She didn’t even care about the red mark on her chin. Following Suhui’s movements, she looked down.
“What’s wrong? Are you injured?”
Since leaving the sea, only sea creatures could have injured Suhui.
Could it be that another mermaid came looking for a fight in such a short time?
Thinking of this, Su Mingxiu raised her gaze, even reaching out to brush the hair away from Suhui’s face, her gaze scrutinizing, as if trying to see what had happened to this fish during their brief separation.
“I’m not injured.”
Suhui only said this, her blue eyes fixed on Su Mingxiu. “Why did you stop filming?”
The black-haired woman’s pale fingertips happened to be resting on Suhui’s neck. Hearing her question, she only opened her palm, gently holding the back of Suhui’s neck, even caressing it slightly. “I want to be in a relationship, but I can’t while I’m on the show, so I quit.”
“Uh…” Suhui felt a pang in her chest, the pain in her abdomen also intensifying. But she stubbornly stared at Su Mingxiu and asked: “With who?”
“With you, of course. Besides you, there’s no one else I want to be with.” There was a lingering helplessness in Su Mingxiu’s eyes, making her words, which should have been a heartfelt confession, sound more like indulgent pampering.
After a pause, she corrected herself. “Oh, not a person, a fish.”
“Ah!” Suhui felt like she was hallucinating.
Had she been away from the sea for too long?
No, she had just returned to the sea this afternoon and even met her mother, who was passing through the area. She had learned that there was still a part of her inherited knowledge she hadn’t received and had just completed it.
As she was lost in thought, Su Mingxiu, seeing that she hadn’t responded for a long time, asked patiently: “Is there anything else you want to ask me, or tell me?”
“Yes.”
Reminded by her words, Suhui remembered the new knowledge she had received from her mother that afternoon. She pursed her lips, trying to ignore Su Mingxiu’s earlier words, and said with feigned indifference, looking down at Su Mingxiu: “Because of you, I can’t differentiate now.”
Because of Su Mingxiu’s actions in the sea, her body had registered that she had already engaged in reproductive activity as a female, so she could no longer differentiate into a male.
Not only that…
Something even more terrifying had happened. She couldn’t return to the show anymore.
Thinking of this, and how Su Mingxiu always smiled at everyone else, casting her net wide, Suhui felt even more resentment towards this human. Thinking this, she lowered her head and bit Su Mingxiu’s tear mole.
This fish seemed to always enjoy leaving her mark in prominent places.
Su Mingxiu gently stroked her back, lying relaxedly on the soft sofa, letting Suhui bite her, her touch comforting and gentle.
She even apologized good-naturedly. “I’m sorry, it’s my fault.”
“You have to take responsibility.”
Suhui said, lifting her head after leaving her mark on Su Mingxiu’s face.
Su Mingxiu hadn’t noticed before, but now, seeing that Suhui’s goodwill rating was rapidly rising from the negatives, she realized that this fish was indeed easy to please. She nodded patiently and agreed.
Then, she heard Suhui say: “I’m pregnant.”
“Uh…”
“Huh??” Su Mingxiu’s mind went blank, as if she didn’t understand what this fish was saying.
As Su Mingxiu was in a state of shock, Suhui silently added in her mind, Although it’s a false pregnancy, I’ll only lay eggs, there won’t be any baby merfolk hatching.
But so what!
Even infertile eggs require responsibility!
So she said to Su Mingxiu with conviction: “The eggs are yours, so you have to take responsibility for me, and for the eggs in my belly.”
Su Mingxiu: “?!”
C-can she even get pregnant like this?
Her expression was blank with shock. After a long while, she thought, This mermaid can switch genders, so getting pregnant from just a touch… isn’t that hard to believe?
But doesn’t this violate the laws of biology?!
Su Mingxiu’s worldview was crumbling, her rationality on the verge of collapse. But she still managed to reply: “Okay.”
Fine.
Pregnant, then pregnant. Raise them, then raise them again.
She just wondered if there were any textbooks on how to raise baby merfolk.
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