Category: After I Abandoned the Protagonist [Quick Transmigration]

Chapter 82: The Center of the Fish Pond (17)

In the familiar dance studio…

Su Mingxiu bid farewell to her previous teammates and joined her new group. Calling them “new” wasn’t quite accurate, since everyone present was very familiar to her.

Suhui sat down on the floor beside her, Pao Tong naturally took the other side, and Annie, glancing at Wang Zhi, had a brilliant idea. “How about we sit in a circle? It’ll be easier to discuss.”

Saying this, she sat down directly across from Su Mingxiu.

Wang Zhi and the other members, after exchanging glances, formed a small circle around them. Despite the spacious dance studio, they only occupied a small corner. The warmth of their bodies so close together made Su Mingxiu feel like the air around her had become warmer.

She shifted back slightly. “Hmm… should we spread out a bit? We don’t have to sit so close.”

Pao Tong and Suhui followed her, so Annie and Wang Zhi across from them had no choice but to move back as well. But with such a small distance between them, the difference was negligible.

The black-haired woman leaned towards Suhui, creating a gap of half an arm’s length between her and Pao Tong.

Pao Tong, sensing her moving away, her eyes dimming for a moment, was noticed by Annie, who quickly clapped her hands. “Let’s discuss the style of our song and dance first. What kind of style do you all like?”

Knowing her friend’s intention, Pao Tong spoke first: “Although I’m better at ballads, I also want to try something new. So, maybe a more energetic, audience-friendly style?”

Suhui hadn’t intended to be inflexible, but hearing Pao Tong’s suggestion, she instinctively countered: “This format relies heavily on individual skills. There are no restrictions on our choices, so everyone’s performance might be inconsistent. In this case, I think it’s better to play it safe and choose something we’re good at.”

Annie frowned at her. “But what I’m good at is different from what you’re good at… You and Tongtong are both good at ballads, while I specialize in powerful dance moves. And Wang Zhi’s dance style is more sensual. If we all choose what we’re good at, we won’t be able to work together.”

Wang Zhi instinctively wanted to mediate, but she couldn’t think of anything to say, so she looked at Su Mingxiu, who had the ability to control the situation.

“Uh…” Su Mingxiu thought, She knew this would happen.

Resting her chin on her hand, she made a suggestion: “How about a blind vote? Let’s discuss the general direction first, like whether we want to focus on vocals, dance, or rap, then we vote on each aspect, minority obeys the majority?”

Su Mingxiu’s suggestion was adopted, so they asked the program team for a blank notebook. The following time was spent proposing ideas, voting, proposing ideas, voting. First, they decided on a dance-focused performance, then on a lyrical and sensual style—

“Next is the lyrics and composition.”

Saying this, she paused for a moment. Su Mingxiu realized that the two people in charge of this were Pao Tong and Suhui.

This combination, both in terms of members and the vibe they gave off, was terrifying.

She was silent for a few seconds, then asked Wang Zhi and the other members beside her: “Are any of you good at lyrics or composition? You can join them.”

Wang Zhi looked at the person beside her. The member, encouraged by her gaze, said tentatively: “Then… I can try?”

“Sure,” Suhui said without hesitation.

Pao Tong also smiled. “Welcome to join us.”

They both stood up and prepared to go to the composition room provided by the program team. Su Mingxiu originally wanted to discuss the upcoming MV filming with Annie, but within half an hour, everyone in the dance studio had been pulled away.

Finally, Wang Zhi walked over to her helplessly: “Shouldn’t you… go and mediate?”

Su Mingxiu: “?”

Although she had anticipated disagreements, she hadn’t expected it to happen so quickly.

Did they clash as soon as they left the room?

When Su Mingxiu and her live stream camera arrived, the two people in the composition room were staring at each other. Pao Tong’s eyes were slightly red as she said: “What I meant was, if you don’t know how to use the piano, we can—”

“Who says I don’t know how?” Suhui looked at her calmly. “Just find someone to teach me, and I’ll learn.”

Pao Tong: “…”

But composition wasn’t just about playing the piano. There was also recording, adjusting equipment, and so on. She had known that Suhui wasn’t conventional, but she hadn’t expected her so-called composition skills to be self-taught!

Suhui composed by humming the melody and having others transcribe it. What kind of composition method was that?

Su Mingxiu looked at Suhui with a blank expression, already guessing the problem. Feeling Su Mingxiu’s gaze, Suhui subconsciously retorted to Pao Tong: “Didn’t you also say you could write lyrics?”

“Those two lines are too cliché, why don’t you let everyone see them?”

“Suhui.”

Su Mingxiu called her name directly, her expression slightly cold. She even reached out and pushed away the approaching live stream camera.

No one saw how she did it, but the equipment wasn’t damaged. It was simply pushed to the farthest corner of the room. Even the staff member controlling the camera didn’t react in time.

Pao Tong, hearing Suhui’s words, crumpled the paper in her hand even tighter.

Sensing the disapproval in Su Mingxiu’s tone, Suhui felt a bit unhappy. But she felt she wasn’t wrong, so she insisted: “This is a competition with so many participants, but she’s writing about her own feelings, using the lyrics as a… confession to you.”

Before she could finish, Su Mingxiu covered her mouth.

The live stream viewers didn’t hear everything clearly, but it was enough to shock them.

[As expected, no one can maintain a perfect persona under 24/7 surveillance. Suhui’s EQ… isn’t suitable for a girl group, right?]

[Seriously, if someone criticized my work like that, especially in public, I would definitely flip out and quit on the spot.]

[But Suhui has always been straightforward? And judging from Pao Tong’s reaction, is there something wrong with the lyrics she wrote? I prefer people who are direct, crying and playing the victim card for sympathy is a bit too much.]

[Lol, Su Mingxiu, who’s flirting with everyone, isn’t being criticized, but Pao Tong, who’s just being a bit sensitive, is being called a “tea” (pretentious). You fans are applying double standards?]

[Su Mingxiu flirting with everyone? Please watch the previous episodes carefully, she treats Suhui differently, the others are basically the same to her, how is that flirting? CP fans are angry!]

…

The comments section was even more chaotic than the show itself.

Su Mingxiu didn’t let Suhui finish her sentence. She pulled her out of the room. “I’ll talk to her, Annie, you go and comfort Pao Tong.”

Annie gave her an “OK” sign, motioning for everyone to leave and give them some space. Even the cameras were driven out.

Pulling Pao Tong to sit beside her on the piano bench, Annie wrapped her arm around Pao Tong’s shoulder, her head resting on Pao Tong’s. She lowered her voice and said soothingly: “What’s wrong with you lately?”

“Didn’t we agree to work hard together and debut? What happened? It feels like your focus is elsewhere.”

Through the transparent glass of the composition room, Pao Tong could see the camera still hovering outside. She lowered her head even further, sniffed, and said to her friend: “I…”

“Nini, shouldn’t I… like her…?”

She almost swallowed the last few words, but Annie instantly understood what she meant. The usually cool and collected girl became incredibly gentle when comforting her friend.

“You mean Xiuxiu?”

“Her personality is really attractive, there’s nothing wrong with liking someone, don’t say that.”

“But she and Suhui…”

At the same time…

In the bathroom, farthest from the door, Suhui looked at the ocean outside the window, as if recalling her time in the sea.

Back then, whenever she thought about humans, it was always related to egg-laying. She didn’t understand the hidden rules of human society, nor did she understand why, besides absolute strength, they cared about so many other things…

Oh, right, that word was “persona.”

Thinking of this, she turned to look at Su Mingxiu, who had followed her. “Are you going to scold me? Because I argued with her in front of the camera?”

Her manager at Neptune Entertainment had reminded her that such behavior was inappropriate.

“No.”

Su Mingxiu, thinking about this fish’s personality, felt a headache. But she couldn’t be a conventional authority figure, forcing a child to follow social rules just because they were straightforward.

She herself was a rule-breaker. Otherwise, she would have followed the system’s instructions, flirted with everyone, waited for their goodwill ratings to reach 100, then moved on to the next world.

Instead, she had been carefully avoiding… any unnecessary contact with anyone other than Suhui, preventing them from developing any unwanted feelings for her.

After a moment of thought, she said: “Humans are easily embarrassed. Sometimes, they don’t want others to know who they like. It’s a private matter. It’s impolite to expose it without their permission—”

After a pause, Su Mingxiu added: “I won’t scold you for arguing with her, I’ll only explain how others might perceive it. Whether you want to listen or respect their feelings is up to you.”

Suhui’s blue eyes looked at her, as vast and deep as the sunlit ocean outside the window.

After a while…

Su Mingxiu heard her ask: “So you knew she liked you all along?”

Then, this fish, who didn’t understand subtlety, asked: “What about you? Do you like her?”

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!]

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.

Chapter 79: The Center of the Fish Pond (14)

Hearing her words, Su Mingxiu’s new group members exchanged glances, sensing a strange tension in the kitchen.

Su Mingxiu, the unwitting cause of this situation, knew that any explanation or attempt to cover things up would only make the atmosphere more awkward. So she simply remained silent, carrying the fried rice towards the dining hall.

With her leaving, it was no longer appropriate for the others to stay in the kitchen, so they followed her out.

Su Mingxiu sat down at a rectangular table with a tray of food. Her group members gathered around her, filling the table, like chicks around their mother hen.

She picked up a shiny spoon with her slender fingers, scooped up a spoonful of fried rice, and ate it gracefully, seemingly unaffected by the previous undercurrent.

At another table behind her, Suhui strode over and pulled out the chair facing away from Su Mingxiu, the chair slamming against the floor with a loud “bang” due to her excessive force, making Su Mingxiu pause mid-meal.

Pao Tong, a step behind, smiled and sat down across from Suhui, as if she had been aiming for this spot with a clear view of Su Mingxiu all along, showing no sign of disappointment at her failed plan.

Annie sat beside Pao Tong and asked from across the room: “Xiuxiu, are you okay?”

Her words seemed to imply that Suhui’s actions had been too rude.

Wang Zhi, sensing trouble from both sides, sat down at the narrower end of the table, her wide field of vision allowing her to observe both tables.

[This is too exciting, all those dating variety shows should learn from this, this is a true Shura field!]

[What Shura field? As adults, of course we want them all! (Smug.jpg)]

[I really want to try the food she made, it’s so captivating that so many beauties are obsessed with her cooking skills!]

[Fight! Fight!]

The comments section was filled with instigators who enjoyed the drama, and the live stream traffic tilted heavily towards this part of the show.

Su Mingxiu, seeing the small dragonfly-like camera flying excitedly back and forth, guessed that their actions had probably created a buzz for the program. But she didn’t want to be part of the drama, so she replied calmly: “I’m fine.”

It’s just that the chair behind her, pressed tightly against hers by Suhui, prevented her from getting up and leaving.

Su Mingxiu could only slow down her eating pace, chewing carefully and slowly. By the time her group members had finished their meals, she had only eaten half of hers.

The girls said goodbye to her and left with their trays. Su Mingxiu hummed in response. As she looked up, she saw a staff member in a corner, out of the camera’s view, working on a laptop.

The screen happened to be facing her, showing colorful lines and charts.

Su Mingxiu felt a sense of familiarity, even an urge to take a closer look. It suddenly occurred to her that perhaps there were other ways to earn money to buy back her family’s restaurant, besides participating in this talent show.

“Can’t finish your food, Mingxiu?”

Pao Tong had sat down beside her at some point, her head tilted, her gaze fixed on Su Mingxiu, as if offering to help her finish the rest.

The black-haired woman looked away, not meeting Pao Tong’s eyes. Instead, she looked down at her plate and replied calmly: “No, I just eat slowly.”

“Have you finished assigning tasks for your group?” Pao Tong asked. “Is there anything I can help with?”

Hearing her friend’s offer, Annie, who had been observing the situation but couldn’t quite understand it, seemed to have a sudden realization. Her gaze shifted between Pao Tong and Su Mingxiu, across the beautiful mermaid.

Then, she chimed in: “Oh, right, Xiuxiu, Pao Tong is a great singer, she’s been winning awards since she was young. She can teach you—”

“No need,” Suhui, who had been eating quietly with her head down, suddenly interrupted.

Her plate was empty, the spoon neatly placed beside it. As she looked up, her blue eyes seemed to have darkened slightly, turning a gloomy greyish blue.

She looked directly at Annie and said, each word clear and distinct: “I promised to teach her singing this morning, so leave that part to me.”

Tsk.

Annie pouted, thinking, You didn’t even know the program’s schedule this morning. Could you have predicted that Su Mingxiu would choose vocals?

[Keep bragging, I dare you. Should I send Su Mingxiu the video of you choosing your group?]

[How jealousy can make a queen tell such a clumsy lie.]

[Faced with another choice, I don’t feel sorry for Su Mingxiu at all, hahahaha.]

…

The choice was once again thrown back at Su Mingxiu, unexpectedly.

She felt the gentle and agreeable facade in Pao Tong’s gaze fade away, replaced by a stubborn determination.

And the chair behind her was still pressed tightly against hers, not loosening for even a second.

She knew she should make a choice now. But the screen of the staff member’s laptop was too distracting. Compared to choosing between these two to teach her singing, she wanted to know what software that was.

So, under everyone’s expectant gaze, Su Mingxiu swallowed the food in her mouth and said unhurriedly: “Thank you, but instead of practicing, I have other arrangements.”

This was a rejection of both offers.

Pao Tong stared at her for a long time, then smiled understandingly. “It’s okay, another time. If you need help, remember to come find me.”

Behind Su Mingxiu, Suhui, hearing the rejection, lowered her eyes again, a hint of self-mockery in her expression.

She knew her judgment of this person was correct—

Fickle, indecisive, wanting to have her cake and eat it too, unwilling to give a clear answer to anyone.

Su Mingxiu didn’t know what they were thinking, but seeing the tense atmosphere dissipate with their departure, she couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

As she walked towards the staff member, she thought: Wang Zhi and Annie’s goodwill ratings haven’t surpassed the friend zone yet, but Pao Tong’s is a bit strange.

That subtle provocation towards Suhui…

She was certain she hadn’t given Pao Tong any misleading signals. It seemed she needed to find an opportunity to subtly make her intentions clear.

Thinking this, Su Mingxiu reached the staff member and asked him about the software in a low voice.

The camera carefully avoided showing the staff member’s face, only his voice was recorded:

“You mean the stock market? Sigh, all the stocks I bought recently are in the red, I shouldn’t have opened it—no, I can’t talk about this anymore, you should go attend to your own matters.”

He remembered that they were filming, so he tried to subtly urge the contestant to do what she was supposed to be doing.

“Stock market?”

Su Mingxiu felt that this term was familiar, and some related knowledge vaguely surfaced in her mind. But she also knew that this wasn’t something the original owner had any experience with.

… It was at this moment that she clearly realized that her memories and experiences had definitely been sealed or erased by some force.

She pretended not to understand the staff member’s reminder and continued: “Can I take a look?”

“No,” the staff member refused without hesitation. “You’re in a closed training camp now, you’re not allowed to access any electronic devices.”

“Not even to earn money and pay off my debts?” Su Mingxiu asked again.

“Ermmm…” The staff member hesitated for a long time. Under her persistence, he finally said: “Why don’t you ask the director?”

[Lol! I knew I would never be disappointed in her live stream. While others are singing and dancing to change their fate, Su Mingxiu is taking the unconventional route!]

[Is she seriously thinking about playing the stock market? Wouldn’t a newbie just lose all their money? Someone stop her, she’s already in debt, she can’t afford to lose everything in the stock market casino!]

[Damn! Why does watching a talent show remind me of my own losses in the stock market?!]

…

Su Mingxiu didn’t know how many viewers’ painful memories her actions had evoked. She simply took the live stream camera and went to find the director.

As she walked, the system felt a sense of unease. It remembered a previous world where Su Mingxiu had been a powerful and wealthy entertainment agent, and she had even enrolled the protagonist in a finance course.

Those money management skills were still ingrained in her instincts. But letting Su Mingxiu earn money and go home to reopen her restaurant was clearly not the system’s intention.

So it quickly intervened: “Warning! Host is not allowed to use other methods to achieve the goal of opening a restaurant!”

[Oh, why?]

[Because I’m the Culinary God System, if you use other methods to earn money and successfully open a restaurant, where would I put my face?]

[Don’t you also have a strategy element? The mission is already so complicated, one more element won’t hurt. From today onwards, you should change your name to the Culinary God Finance Strategy System.]

[…]

The system cursed inwardly, wondering what kind of nonsensical combination of elements this was.

It had erased Su Mingxiu’s memories and chosen an ordinary identity for her in a world with a low level of technological development, a world that couldn’t threaten its existence. How could this person still circumvent its plans with such unconventional methods?

Why?!

Su Mingxiu actually heard the clanging sound in her mind, but she didn’t mind. She had just entered the director’s office with the camera.

Because they were backstage, the live stream camera couldn’t film what happened next. So, after the viewers switched to other live streams, an hour later they found…

Su Mingxiu coming out with a laptop.

She even found a corner, sat down with the laptop, and stayed there until midnight, neither looking at her song lyrics nor practicing in the dance studio.

The content on her laptop screen was blurred out. The viewers initially watched with great interest, but by the time night arrived, they couldn’t endure it anymore.

[It seems like she really wants to make money through stocks…]

[Help, Produce 101, do you even remember that this is a talent show? Someone drag her back!]

[I really want to know what’s on her screen… Do I, as a premium member, not deserve to watch people make money?]

6:00 AM.

Su Mingxiu, having achieved success through incredibly boring stock market operations, had managed to drive away all the viewers from her live stream. She had been sitting in the corner all night and was about to stretch—

As she retracted her hand, her fingertips brushed against something cool.

She turned her head and looked into those silvery, flowing locks.

It was Suhui.

This mermaid seemed to have boundless energy, always appearing refreshed and energetic. It was the same now. It was hard to tell how long she had been there, and she didn’t look like she had just woken up.

“Why are you here?”

“I said I would teach you how to sing,” the ethereal voice replied matter-of-factly.

Just then, the sun rose, casting a warm, orange glow through the floor-to-ceiling windows, bathing them in light.

Su Mingxiu, her mind still hazy from staring at data all night, was stunned for a moment before she replied: “Okay.”

Then, she was pulled by Suhui to the nearest dance studio. The live stream camera followed them sluggishly, only to be stopped by the closed door.

The few viewers who had just woken up:

—

[What’s going on?]

[What kind of secret technique is this that I, as a VIP, can’t learn?]

Inside the studio, Su Mingxiu was also a bit confused. She hadn’t expected Suhui to close the door. As she was still in a daze, she heard Suhui say: “Practice your vocalization, let me hear.”

The black-haired woman blinked, her face still showing traces of fatigue. But she didn’t refuse. Recalling the vocal mentor’s instructions, she opened her mouth and sang a few notes, but before she could finish the scale—

Suhui interrupted: “Wrong.”

Hmm?

Su Mingxiu looked at her, but Suhui’s shadow fell over her, and then, a cool kiss covered her lips.

As soon as she opened her mouth, Suhui’s tongue darted in.

Suhui pressed her against the ballet barre, her body close to Su Mingxiu’s. Her fingertips traced the skin of Su Mingxiu’s throat, then slowly slid down her body. “Not here…”

Her serious tone made it hard to believe what they were actually doing. “Use this…”

Mumbled words and instructions mingled with their kiss.

Su Mingxiu: “…”

At first, she had been caught off guard by the kiss. Now, hearing Suhui’s words, she finally realized… how this bad fish was teaching her to sing.

A smile flashed through her dark eyes. She deliberately pretended not to understand, prompting Suhui to “teach” her again and again, each time more intensely than before.

The live stream camera was stuck outside the door.

Pao Tong, who had woken up early, was also standing at the entrance of the dance studio at some point.

After a few tries, Suhui realized that Su Mingxiu was taking advantage of her. She whispered in Su Mingxiu’s ear: “If you still can’t learn it—”

“How about we practice outside?”

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.

Chapter 77: The Center of the Fish Pond (12)

Su Mingxiu, who had been half-squatting on the floor, turned around and looked up at the mermaid standing behind her.

Before she could speak, the system, which had been dormant in her mind, suddenly said:

[Host, it is recommended that you agree to her request.]

It had watched helplessly as Suhui’s goodwill towards Su Mingxiu plummeted from a near-perfect 99 to a lonely 0. Suhui was the true female lead, hidden behind the smokescreen of Pao Tong and the others…

The other targets didn’t matter, but if she failed to capture Suhui’s affections, the Tempering System, disguised as the Culinary God System, would have failed its mission.

The system couldn’t help but feel anxious.

[Suhui’s current goodwill towards you is 0. If Host doesn’t try to salvage the situation, your ultimate mission will be considered a failure.]

Tsk.

Su Mingxiu had her own plans, intending to guide Suhui step by step towards understanding what she truly wanted. If, in the end, Suhui only wanted a suitable partner for egg-laying, she would naturally fulfill her wish.

But if Suhui wanted something else, Su Mingxiu would teach her how to express it sincerely.

Now, being interrupted by the system, she felt a surge of annoyance.

Perhaps because she had been silent for too long, the light in Suhui’s blue eyes, which had been filled with anticipation, gradually dimmed, like a sparkling ocean turning gloomy.

She turned and left silently.

Su Mingxiu heard the receding footsteps behind her. She took her hand off a gift box in her suitcase. It was one of the gifts she had just bought, a pair of candy-shaped earrings.

—It was Suhui’s gift.

Annie and the others soon received their return gifts from Su Mingxiu.

The sadness from the performance night had long been healed by a good night’s sleep. So, these gifts were a pleasant surprise for them.

Annie received a new brand of massage device, carefully chosen by Su Mingxiu based on her hidden injuries, after trying out many different models.

And Pao Tong received a cute, golden zongzi charm, which could be used as a zipper pull for her backpack. It was a limited edition collaboration between a famous brand and her hometown’s tourism industry.

After exchanging gifts, the S-rank trainees received a notification from the program team to gather for the filming of the travel variety show.

The filming wasn’t complicated. They just had to cooperate with the main guests of the show and earn their living expenses for three days by working on the cruise ship.

But Annie and the others, who had anticipated a luxurious and enjoyable trip, couldn’t help but sigh.

They should have known, there’s no such thing as a relaxing and fun job.

They quickly composed themselves and changed into their service uniforms to conceal their identities.

The black and white uniform dress had a ribbon tie on the side. After changing, Su Mingxiu bumped into Suhui outside.

Their auras were so outstanding that even in these uniforms, they looked like they were wearing high-end vintage designs from a luxury brand. The cheap fabric seemed to have become high-quality.

Suhui didn’t understand the human concept of “uniform play.” Looking at Su Mingxiu in this outfit, she felt an inexplicable heat rising within her.

Even the area that had been played with earlier felt a strange tingling sensation, making her unconsciously press her legs together.

Her eyes were filled with confusion, not understanding her own reaction. Su Mingxiu looked stunning in this outfit.

Suhui didn’t realize how blatant her gaze was. The mermaid, who didn’t know the meaning of restraint, shamelessly scanned Su Mingxiu from head to toe, looking at the ribbon on her collar, the fabric stretched taut around her waist, the legs beneath her skirt…

Then, her gaze traveled back up.

Until it landed on a ring on Su Mingxiu’s pinky finger.

It was the gift Pao Tong had given her.

At that moment, the lingering heat within Suhui’s body turned into ice, as if she had suddenly swam from the tropics to the freezing Arctic Ocean, surrounded by shards of ice.

Suhui looked away.

Su Mingxiu, who had been about to speak, feeling Suhui’s burning gaze: “…”

Forget it.

She thought, Let her look, it’s not like I’ll lose anything.

The atmosphere between them was strange. It wasn’t until Annie and the others arrived, dressed in the same uniforms, that the tension eased. They chatted and laughed as they walked out. Suhui initially followed them, but gradually, the distance between them widened.

Even though they had the opportunity to participate in the filming of this popular variety show, with their status, they wouldn’t get much screen time. After editing, they would probably only appear for ten minutes or so in the two-hour episode.

Thankfully, they were self-aware and understood the rules of the industry. They knew that being in the same frame as industry giants was already a great opportunity.

Notably, because Suhui was too quiet, she always looked like a beautiful doll in the background. They even wondered if she would have any lines in the final broadcast.

Because of this, Su Mingxiu stared at Suhui for a long time when they returned to their room that night.

She realized that even though this mermaid looked very much like a human, she still couldn’t adapt to the complex rules of human society.

Even though she could sing and dance exceptionally well, in a variety show where personality and character were crucial… she had her shortcomings.

As she watched, she couldn’t help but wonder—

Knowing that this fish is so foolish, what am I even worried about?

Thinking of this, Su Mingxiu suddenly called out to her: “Suhui.”

The silver-haired mermaid, who had been lying on the other bed with her eyes closed, opened her eyes and turned her beautiful face slightly, her noble aura naturally emanating.

“Do you still want a gift?”

She heard Su Mingxiu ask.

The woman’s sincere words made her eyelashes tremble slightly.

Actually, Suhui wanted to ask, Did you not get what you wanted from those people, so you thought of me again?

But what was the point now? Suhui thought angrily, If another mermaid treated her like this, making her feel like a backup option, she wouldn’t agree to be with them!

Suhui knew she should refuse.

She didn’t want to be the last choice.

She didn’t want the leftovers from Su Mingxiu’s suitcase after everyone else had chosen their gifts.

So she said angrily: “Yes!”

As Su Mingxiu took out the gift box containing the candy-shaped earrings, she instinctively looked at Suhui’s ears.

When they fell into the sea earlier, she had already learned that the mermaid’s beautiful earrings were just transformations of their translucent fins.

So, before giving the gift, she asked cautiously: “Do you have pierced ears?”

If not, she had another gift as a replacement.

But the mermaid only looked at the candy-shaped earrings in the box, then reached out and took one.

The beautiful black lotus that had been on her ear disappeared. She pressed the sharp end of the earring into her snow-white earlobe—

A drop of blood oozed out.

Su Mingxiu was completely stunned by her actions, too late to stop her.

Just as Suhui reached for the other earring in the box, Su Mingxiu instinctively closed the lid and pulled her hand back.

Suhui looked up, meeting her gaze. There wasn’t a trace of surprise in her eyes, only a calm question: “Did you change your mind? You don’t want to give it to me anymore?”

Of course not.

Before Su Mingxiu could say this, she saw the goodwill rating above Suhui’s head plummet:

From 0…

To -10.

Su Mingxiu: “…”

Su Mingxiu: “?”

Could this thing even go negative?

But, having agreed to accept her gift, what was this foolish fish thinking to cause such a drastic change in her goodwill?

After a moment of confusion, she couldn’t help but ask: “Do you… not like this gift?”

If Suhui didn’t like it, she could just give her something else.

Suhui: “I like it.”

She was the one who asked for a gift, and now that Su Mingxiu had given her one, she should be happy. Suhui tried to convince herself.

But she found that her current mood was even worse than when she had eaten that cold, leftover fried prawn earlier.

Perhaps it was because, back then, she knew that the prawn was specifically for her. But now, with these earrings, she didn’t know who had seen them, or why they hadn’t been given away before.

The merfolk princess, who had the entire ocean to choose from, now, on land, realized that courtship and egg-laying could be so complicated.

Su Mingxiu still held her hand, preventing her from taking the other earring. She said seriously: “Earrings are just everyday accessories, you can change them according to your mood, you don’t have to hurt yourself to wear them—”

“But I don’t want to change them.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, they both froze.

Suhui stared at the woman before her, her icy blue eyes like glass, reflecting Su Mingxiu’s beautiful face.

She suddenly realized that she had never truly taken her eyes off this person, even though Su Mingxiu refused to bear her eggs.

Suhui thought, But I still want to choose Su Mingxiu, what should I do?

All her unhappiness now had an answer. It turned out that she had wanted to possess this person all along. That’s why she had never liked those rivals.

But…

Su Mingxiu’s choice wasn’t limited to her.

Humans were fickle, changeable, and cunning. Even these shiny, beautiful trinkets, who knew how long they could hold their interest? They would change them on a whim…

Suhui thought, Does Su Mingxiu treat them like earrings, changing them according to her mood?

Silence fell over the room again.

Su Mingxiu could only watch helplessly as Suhui took the other earring and put it on her ear in the same way.

The next morning.

Su Mingxiu was awakened by a strange sensation on her neck.

Before she even opened her eyes, her fingertips reached out and touched something cold, hard, and rough against her skin.

She sat up and walked to the small bathroom in the cabin. In the mirror, she saw a new accessory on her neck—

A necklace made of thin red coral branches.

The red coral was the color of pigeon blood, its delicate, irregular branches intertwined, a beautiful design. But…

Against Su Mingxiu’s fair skin, and the way it clung to her neck, it looked more like a shackle than an ornament.

She gently touched the sharp tip of a red coral branch, tracing it with her fingertip. Guessing who was behind this, a smile appeared in her eyes.

—So this is the consequence of -10 goodwill?

Chapter 76: The Center of the Fish Pond (11)

Suhui couldn’t come up with an answer after thinking for a long time. She could only sullenly put the deep-fried prawn into her mouth. The crispy, golden-brown shell crunched between her teeth, staining her lips with a glossy sheen.

A sudden burst of sweetness and a creamy texture surprised her. After a moment, she realized that besides the crispy outer layer, the fried prawn also had a sweet, creamy filling.

And it was incredibly hot.

It was delicious, but after taking a bite, she saw Su Mingxiu chatting with Annie and Pao Tong, talking about playing games in someone’s room later.

Suhui had never heard of these games. She held the prawn skewer, watching as they chatted animatedly. Su Mingxiu even went to the refrigerator and took out a few glasses of sparkling water garnished with mint leaves.

The glasses were handed to Annie, Pao Tong, Wang Zhi, and her friends one by one. The last glass was offered to Suhui, with a hesitant question from Su Mingxiu: “Do you want one?”

As if waiting for her to refuse so she could take the last glass back.

Suhui stared at the pale pink drink, tiny bubbles rising within. The wound on her tongue, which should have been healing, felt even more painful. She couldn’t tell if her regenerative abilities had weakened or…

Or if the prawn was simply too hot.

She stared at the glass in Su Mingxiu’s outstretched hand, watching the bubbles rise. The melted cheese oozed from the fried prawn she was holding, its crispy coating broken.

Suhui had been silent for so long that the others looked over again. Su Mingxiu, seemingly losing her patience, moved her wrist slightly—

The silver-haired mermaid silently took the glass with her free hand. The lychee-flavored sparkling water rolled over her tongue, the cool sensation flowing down her throat. The burning sensation on her tongue, stimulated by the bubbles, throbbed with pain, then turned numb.

The prawn was delicious, and the drink was refreshing. But Suhui didn’t finish either of them, even after the others had finished their conversation.

Just as everyone was about to leave the kitchen, Wang Zhi finally couldn’t help but ask, pointing at the food in Suhui’s hand: “Doesn’t it suit your taste?”

Suhui hadn’t had any good feelings towards Wang Zhi. After all, while pursuing Su Mingxiu, everyone around her was considered a rival.

But now…

Since she had decided to switch targets, the rivalry between her and Wang Zhi no longer existed.

Thinking of this, Suhui looked down at the barely touched fried prawn in her hand. The melted cheese had solidified, making the once-appetizing snack look… messy.

“It’s delicious,” she said. “I just don’t have much of an appetite.”

Suhui put down the glass of sparkling water, which was no longer fizzy, its surface covered in condensation. The mint leaf, once vibrant, had wilted.

She touched her chest with her hand, now wet from the condensation on the glass, and frowned slightly. “Here… uncomfortable.”

Merfolk were natural masters of emotions. From birth, they knew how to discern various human emotions, positive, negative, pleasant, unpleasant…

But that wasn’t enough.

When it came to feelings, Suhui was as innocent as a blank sheet of paper, driven only by her primal instincts, the desire to reproduce ingrained in her genes. She only knew how to claim what she wanted, to mark it as her own. If she couldn’t have it, she would simply move on.

But she had never encountered… something she shouldn’t want, something she couldn’t have. She didn’t know what to do.

She didn’t even know that the feeling she was experiencing now was called grievance.

Wang Zhi looked at her in surprise. After a while, she asked tentatively: “Did you two have a fight?”

She had noticed that ever since returning from the sea, the atmosphere between them wasn’t as close as before… something must have happened during their disappearance.

“No.”

Suhui shook her head, staring at the cold, uneaten fried prawn for a long time, then meticulously finished it and threw the skewer into the trash can.

Hearing this, Wang Zhi didn’t know how to continue with her advice on maintaining good relationships.

So she could only say dryly: “In any case, to maintain a good relationship, you have to be sincere.”

Suhui: “…?”

Her blue eyes were filled with confusion.

Wang Zhi couldn’t find anything else to say. She noticed that Su Mingxiu, Annie, and the others had already left the kitchen, probably starting their game.

So she turned to leave, not forgetting to ask: “Do you want to join the game we talked about earlier?”

Suhui shook her head.

She didn’t understand the game they were talking about. Besides… she should stay away from Su Mingxiu now, right? After all, they couldn’t have offspring together.

After half a day off, the trainees returned to their intense practice schedule.

On the day of the public performance, the lucky viewers who had won the lottery boarded the cruise ship with their invitations. Being able to see their favorite contestants up close made them incredibly excited. Many fans even made banners to support their idols.

Due to equipment limitations, the number of live streams had been reduced. But on the day of the performance, the viewership of the main live stream still increased significantly.

As the contestants put on makeup and changed into their matching stage outfits backstage, their beauty was amplified.

Su Mingxiu’s beautiful black eyes, enhanced by the exquisite eye makeup, captivated everyone who met her gaze, making them feel as if they had fallen into a pool of gentle water, unable to even grasp a single bone.

Pao Tong, with her pale pink hair, had a cute and gentle makeup look, warm and inviting like the girl next door;

Annie sported a cool blue look, her silver skull earrings adding an extra touch of fierceness.

Various styles, sexy, fiery, gentle, cool, and aloof, were all on display in the makeup room, and the live stream viewership skyrocketed!

And Suhui, the center position, had her own private makeup room.

Others assumed it was because of Neptune Entertainment’s strong backing or a pre-arranged agreement with the directors…

Only Su Mingxiu knew that with Suhui’s abilities, she didn’t need such elaborate preparations.

As expected…

Before the performance officially began, Suhui’s appearance was revealed. Her long silver hair was styled in waves, and there were sparkling fragments around her silver-blue eyes…

Tiny scales.

But no one took these scales seriously, they only thought it was a brilliant idea from the makeup artist.

It had to be said, this siren-like makeup was perfect for her ethereal beauty.

Even without the system’s spoilers, Su Mingxiu knew that on this stage, Suhui was the undisputed center, destined to shine and debut.

[Ahhhh, what a night of goddesses descending to earth!]

[I swear this is the best group of trainees I’ve ever seen!]

[Produce 101, be popular!]

[Wang Zhi, you’re the best! I love you!]

[Claiming my Nini!]

[Suhui!! Debut as the center! You’re the only center in Mom’s heart!]

…

The live stream chat was as lively as a festival.

And the Produce 101 trainees lived up to the audience’s expectations, delivering a perfect first public performance.

The stage opened with the mentors’ performances, followed by the trainees’ spectacular show. Even after the performance ended, the excitement didn’t subside—

Yuchi Xiao, on this night, cruelly announced the first ten eliminated contestants.

Everyone’s emotions were stirred.

Even Annie and the others, who were already in the S-class, had delivered a good performance, and had a stable fanbase, were still affected by this wave of sadness.

Many contestants, seeing their own future in the eliminated trainees, had tears in their eyes in front of the cameras.

The calmest among them were Su Mingxiu and Suhui.

One knew she would eventually be eliminated, the other knew she would definitely debut in the center position.

Seeing Su Mingxiu’s calmness, Annie, who had been hugging Pao Tong and sighing about something, let go of her friend and rushed to hug Su Mingxiu’s shoulder, her voice choked with emotion. “Xiuxiu, aren’t you sad?”

Facing the camera, Su Mingxiu replied honestly: “I originally only planned to stay for three episodes. Since I wasn’t eliminated in this round, I’ve already earned my money. Anything beyond this is a bonus.”

“No! You can’t be eliminated!” Annie pulled Suhui over and said firmly: “We have to debut together!”

The hugging group grew bigger. Suhui watched them for a while, then turned and left quietly.

But this atmosphere of farewell still made the others feel insecure, even though they had won the cruise trip and the opportunity to film a popular variety show.

Back in her room, Su Mingxiu seriously considered whether she should buy some return gifts for her friends before the cruise ship docked.

She hadn’t given them anything in return for their gifts.

The next day.

The cruise ship docked.

Su Mingxiu disembarked with the other trainees and returned a few hours later.

Carrying large and small bags, she bumped into Suhui, who was about to leave. Suhui stared at the bags in her hands and asked, her eyes lowered: “Did you buy food?”

“No,” Su Mingxiu, her path blocked, replied unhurriedly. “These are gifts.”

“Is there one for me?”

An impulse made Suhui ask this question.

The black-haired woman looked at her with a playful smile, or rather, she was looking at the goodwill rating above Suhui’s head, which had dropped to a pitiful single digit.

But she still said, “No.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she watched as that single digit turned to zero.

Suhui was stunned for a moment. Only after being reminded to move aside did she remember that she had asked for her gift back, so how could she still have the nerve to ask for a return gift?

But…

She turned around, looking at Su Mingxiu, who was taking out her suitcase and packing. After hesitating for a long time, she still walked back quickly and stood behind Su Mingxiu.

“I… I can give you other gifts.”

“Can you… also give me one?”

For some reason, Suhui was filled with an urge: she wanted a gift from Su Mingxiu.

Chapter 75: The Center of the Fish Pond (10)

The city where the merfolk resided had no specific name. Without a clan member’s guidance, a human would never be able to find this place.

It existed there, yet also seemed to be in a different dimension, a hidden miracle revealed only when a merfolk dispelled the mist before it.

Only small schools of fish, the kind that weren’t even enough to fill the gaps between a merfolk’s teeth, swam leisurely near the city.

That’s why they dared to play around these fierce predators. Larger creatures like squid and octopus, however, were rarely seen.

In the deep sea, a bright silver-blue figure flashed past like lightning. She dove down, picking one hidden shellfish after another from the dark, seaweed-covered rock wall.

Soon, she held a few shells in one hand and a human enveloped in a bubble in the other, slowly rising towards the surface. Her long silver hair danced around her, even more captivating than the most beautiful jellyfish.

But the nearby predators and fish, upon seeing her, quickly turned and fled.

A large splash of white appeared on the surface of the sea—

As they broke through the water, the bubble enveloping Su Mingxiu popped with a soft sound. She slowly opened her eyes, looked around, and habitually reached out to grab a nearby reef rising above the water.

As her body bobbed in the water, a flock of seabirds flew across the blue sky above, and a spout of water suddenly erupted into the air in the distance.

Then came a long, drawn-out sound, far more pleasant than a cruise ship’s horn, echoing through the vast ocean.

Su Mingxiu couldn’t tell what kind of whale it was. Noticing that the program’s cruise ship wasn’t within sight, she raised an eyebrow and looked at the mermaid beside her.

Suhui had also surfaced with her, yet there wasn’t a single drop of water on her hair or face. If it weren’t for the lower half of her body still submerged in the water, no one would have known she had just been swimming in the sea.

Perhaps realizing that even this powerful human wasn’t omnipotent, at least not able to move freely in the water like her, Suhui quickly forgot the humiliation and teasing she had endured in the coral maze.

Those embarrassing memories were buried deep beneath the waves. She easily pried open the shells she had just collected, intending to replenish her energy before searching for the program’s cruise ship. But as she brought the shellfish to her nose, she found the smell too fishy.

So she handed it to Su Mingxiu.

“I’m hungry.”

The silver-haired mermaid said matter-of-factly.

Su Mingxiu glanced at her goodwill rating, which had dropped to 10, and narrowed her eyes. Just as Suhui thought she was about to hear a refusal, the beautiful woman said slowly: “Without cooking utensils or clean water, I can’t make anything delicious.”

Suhui looked around, preparing to find a small island where they could rest. According to her original plan, once she pushed Su Mingxiu off the ship, she wouldn’t let her go back…

But now that her plan to get eggs had failed, Suhui had to return to the show and continue on the path to stardom, so she could access more resources in human society and find a suitable partner for egg-laying.

As the human and the mermaid were playing out a survival scenario on a deserted island, the program staff also discovered that a contestant was missing.

After gathering everyone and searching the entire cruise ship without success, they had to consider the worst-case scenario. The director looked at the vast ocean with despair.

Suhui was the center position for the first public performance and had the backing of Neptune Entertainment. They couldn’t simply announce that she and Su Mingxiu had withdrawn from the competition…

The most urgent task was to find them while keeping the other contestants calm. Thankfully, they had confiscated all electronic devices from the contestants upon their arrival, ensuring that no one had any means of communication. Otherwise, this incident could easily escalate into a PR disaster.

As dawn broke, coast guard ships arrived in the area.

And on the bow of one of the ships stood two beautiful figures, their hair one black, one white, a stark contrast.

The contestants on the cruise ship lined up on the deck, waving and jumping excitedly, as if they were the ones being rescued.

“Xiuxiu!”

“Suhui!”

Su Mingxiu’s grey robe was soaked from the seawater and now covered in a layer of frost after being blown by the sea breeze.

The moment she returned to the cruise ship, she deftly dodged Annie’s hug, whispered something to Pao Tong, who had also come over, and headed towards her room.

Wang Zhi followed her for a few steps, accompanying her to her door. She spoke more than usual, asking through the bathroom door how she and Suhui had disappeared.

Because Su Mingxiu had slipped away quickly, Suhui was the only one left to be questioned by the program staff. Compared to Su Mingxiu’s disheveled appearance, her shimmering silver-blue dress seemed too… relaxed.

Facing the staff and the directors, she calmly repeated her prepared lie: “I saw her standing too close to the railing and wanted to remind her, but before I could speak, I saw her fall. I panicked and tried to grab her… but I fell in as well. After losing consciousness in the water, we drifted to a small island…”

It sounded like a close call.

Pao Tong listened outside for a while, then was pulled away by Annie. After getting far enough away from the directors, she heard Annie sigh with relief: “So that’s what happened. I was so scared, thankfully they’re both okay.”

Really?

The contestants on the cruise ship had been busy practicing for the first public performance and, with the cameras constantly rolling, hadn’t had time to wear their own clothes, all dressed in their trainee uniforms.

Pao Tong clearly remembered that when she saw Suhui earlier, she was wearing the same pink top as her… Why was she wearing such a beautiful dress when they fell into the sea?

“Tongtong?”

Her friend, noticing her thoughtful expression, asked: “What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing,” Pao Tong came back to her senses and smiled at her friend. “I remember that after the re-evaluation, the rooms on the ship are for two people. Suhui happens to be sharing a room with Mingxiu, shall we go visit them?”

The person who came out of the bathroom, drying her hair with a towel, had a calm expression. Although her cheeks were flushed from the hot water and steam,

Her calm, unreadable black eyes made her seem slightly displeased.

Perhaps it was because she had been soaked in seawater for too long, then exposed to the sun and wind all morning. It had taken her a long time to detangle her hair while washing it, which was why she felt a bit irritated. Su Mingxiu thought.

But when she looked up from the towel and saw the small room filled with people, her expression still faltered slightly.

Pao Tong sat on the small sofa, Annie leaned against the armrest, Wang Zhi and her group members stood by the door, surrounding Suhui on the bed in a three-pronged formation.

“What are you doing here?”

Su Mingxiu asked, suppressing the strange feeling in her heart, her voice as gentle as usual.

“Just came to check on you two,” Pao Tong said first, Annie quickly echoing her.

Wang Zhi, however, looked at Su Mingxiu with concern and a hint of suspicion. “Are you really okay? I just heard from Suhui that you two fell into the sea from such a high place…”

Su Mingxiu’s gaze shifted to the mermaid sitting on the bed.

She vaguely guessed that Suhui’s explanation might have raised their suspicions. But Su Mingxiu didn’t want to reveal Suhui’s true identity, so she simply replied: “Yes, I’m fine.”

Hearing her answer, the others knew that even though there were still some unanswered questions, since the people involved didn’t want to talk about it, they had no reason to pry.

Because of this incident, the program team decided to enhance the security and safety measures on the cruise ship, so they gave the trainees half a day off.

They all planned to make good use of this rare opportunity to relax during the talent show. Pao Tong suggested with a smile: “Let’s stay in this room and keep you company tonight, okay?”

Annie patted her chest and said with lingering fear: “I was so worried when I heard you were missing! I was so scared something bad had happened. Now that you’re okay, my heart is still pounding—”

As she spoke, she winked at Su Mingxiu, hinting for her to comfort her.

Wang Zhi, however, seemed to realize that it wasn’t appropriate for so many people to crowd in this small room. Just as she was about to excuse herself, she heard Su Mingxiu say: “I’m a bit hungry, is there anything you want to eat?”

So they once again flocked to the cruise ship’s kitchen, like they had done in the hotel kitchen before.

Since they had half a day off, they even helped Su Mingxiu with the cooking. Annie, who had no experience in this area, obediently squatted down and washed the vegetables.

Pao Tong and Wang Zhi, one responsible for chopping vegetables, the other for preparing the ingredients. Although they were clumsy, they were diligent and responsible, asking Su Mingxiu whenever they were unsure about something. In the end, the dishes turned out quite well.

Suhui only waited to eat, but for some reason, she felt uncomfortable just standing there. She didn’t understand what this oppressive atmosphere was. She looked at Su Mingxiu: “I… should I do something?”

“No need,” Su Mingxiu replied without looking up. “Go do your own thing.”

Suhui looked at the prawns frying in the wok, stood there sullenly for a while, then actually turned and left, seemingly intending to return only when the food was ready.

Seeing her leave, the other three exchanged glances, then turned their gazes towards the beautiful figure standing by the stove.

They vaguely felt that the relationship between Su Mingxiu and Suhui had changed.

But they couldn’t tell if it was a sign of closeness or distance.

Back in their room…

Suhui sat on the bed, her legs dangling, swaying them back and forth like she usually did when sitting on a reef.

Even though she had decided to find a new, suitable partner for egg-laying, she felt an inexplicable unease in her heart.

Suhui couldn’t find a reason after thinking for a long time. Finally, she attributed it to the frustration of choosing the wrong target.

She decided to immediately check if there were any suitable humans on this ship for her to have offspring with.

Thinking of this, Suhui got up and walked out. As she opened the door, she heard cheers from outside. It turned out that Yuchi Xiao, the mentor, was playing games with everyone to lighten the mood and foster camaraderie among the trainees.

Yuchi Xiao, he’s quite handsome too.

And judging from the reactions of the people around him, their admiring gazes, his status in human society must be quite high.

Thinking this, Suhui joined the other trainees. Perhaps because she was usually cold and aloof, and her skills were exceptional, the other trainees felt a mix of envy, jealousy, and even fear towards her. Unconsciously, they made way for her, putting her in the center.

Yuchi Xiao smiled at her warmly and charmingly, leaning closer to say something—

Before Suhui could hear him clearly, she sniffed the air.

She detected another scent hidden beneath the strong fragrance of Yuchi Xiao’s perfume.

Suhui casually turned her head and saw another trainee nearby, a girl who had also received an S-rank during the initial evaluation but only got an A in the recent test.

Yuchi Xiao’s scent… was on her.

Although it was faint, Suhui still caught it.

Facing Yuchi Xiao’s sexy and gentle smile, seeing the beautiful rings on several of his fingers, but his ring finger, which symbolized commitment, bare, Suhui suddenly lost interest.

She felt that all humans were cunning.

They had already mated with someone else, yet they were still trying to charm others.

Suhui excused herself and left the crowd. Then, she detected complex scents on several high-status, respected human males.

It seemed that human males weren’t reliable.

So she thought of Su Mingxiu again. Although Su Mingxiu was also kind to others, at least she hadn’t tricked anyone into laying eggs… And, and she had only Su Mingxiu’s scent on her before.

After wandering around the cruise ship, Suhui ended up back in the kitchen.

Annie, Pao Tong, and the others were gathered around Su Mingxiu, chatting and laughing, holding skewers of fried food that smelled incredibly delicious.

Seeing her approach, their chatter ceased. Suhui walked to Su Mingxiu’s side, just in time to see prawns being deep-fried in the wok.

She leaned closer to Su Mingxiu and opened her mouth: “Ah—”

“Eat it yourself.”

Su Mingxiu scooped up a prawn, drained the oil, and placed it on a plate for her.

Suhui let out an “Oh.” Before reaching for the prawn, she suddenly remembered something and asked: “You fed me before, why not now?”

Hearing this…

Annie and the others looked over, their gazes shifting between the two.

But the other person involved remained calm, replying without blinking: “The situation is different now.”

Suhui’s blue eyes blinked. She wondered in confusion:

… How is it different?

Chapter 74: The Center of the Fish Pond (9)

In the cold depths of the ocean, within the red coral structure, a human unleashed a storm of passion.

The silver-blue tailed mermaid had initially tried to resist Su Mingxiu’s strength. But after realizing that she couldn’t break free with her tail, her tail emitted a white glow, and she attempted to transform her tail into human legs, hoping to use the flexibility of her limbs to escape.

Just then, Su Mingxiu grabbed the tip of her tail, her grip tight as she warned: “Don’t transform.”

Suhui’s long, silver hair fell messily around her face, and she desperately tried to hold back her tears.

Because the terrifying human chef before her had just thoroughly examined a mermaid’s physiological structure, the scales near that area still bore faint traces, glistening with moisture.

A mermaid’s transformed legs weren’t as powerful as their tail. Without the protection of scales, her skin was incredibly delicate. Now, caught in the midst of her transformation, the grip on her tail sent a sharp pain through her.

Even the translucent fins behind her ears drooped slightly.

Before coming ashore, none of her kind had told her that human chefs could be so terrifying. If she had known, she would never have provoked this one.

Thinking of this, she even started resenting the lessons her manager at Neptune Entertainment had given her, thinking, Why didn’t they give her a specific warning about such a terrifying profession?

Making her fall into such a trap.

Suhui leaned against the edge of the bed, sniffling. She was indeed looking for a strong partner, male or female, but the kind that could lay eggs, the kind that could produce strong offspring.

Now, Su Mingxiu wouldn’t let her differentiate, and she was a female herself. Even if she was strong, Suhui knew that two females couldn’t produce offspring.

This won’t do.

Thinking of this, Suhui desperately held back her tears, afraid of dropping more mermaid pearls for this ill-intentioned human to collect.

If Su Mingxiu collected all her pearls, and her scent was still on them, she wouldn’t be able to find another mate.

Their merfolk clan also valued monogamy and amicable separations.

Suhui didn’t want to be a scumbag fish.

At least not like Su Mingxiu, who had accepted her gift and was still flirting with other contestants, even making delicious food for them.

Her lips, swollen from the kisses, parted slightly. Her usually ethereal voice, like the melting ice of a snowy plain, was now hoarse, yet even more alluring: “Give… give me back my pearl…”

Hmm?

Su Mingxiu raised a single eyebrow, surprised by her request. Her palm was still resting on that special scale, which had become soft and slightly warm from the moisture.

“You want back a gift you already gave away?”

Although she didn’t know the significance of a mermaid pearl to this little fish, she sensed something from Suhui’s request.

Suhui’s voice was hoarse and breathy as she explained: “I gave it to you because I liked you and wanted to have eggs with you. But now, you won’t let me differentiate, and you’re a female like me, we can’t have eggs, we can’t be together.”

Wow. Su Mingxiu hadn’t expected the merfolk’s obsession with reproduction to be so strong.

She narrowed her eyes slightly, looking at this bad fish who had tried to seduce her with her own self-serving rules, and now, with her plan foiled, wanted to break up.

Tsk.

She wondered who had taught her this.

“When you wanted to be together, you forcefully claimed me, dragging me, an ordinary human, into the deep sea, bringing me to this godforsaken place;” her fingertip traced a scale, moving downwards casually, “now that you’ve changed your mind, I have to obey as well, little fish?”

Suhui’s tail involuntarily curled upwards, her fingers crumpling and tearing the fabric beneath her, her eyes welling up with tears. But she stubbornly kept her eyes wide open, refusing to let them fall.

Her long, thick eyelashes trembled from her efforts: “What… what do you want?”

“I want to help you.”

Su Mingxiu smiled at her, a dazzlingly beautiful smile. The mole at the corner of her eye became blurry in Suhui’s tear-filled vision, the emotions in her eyes unreadable.

Suhui suspected she had misheard. This hateful chef, who had trapped her on this small bed and tormented her so mercilessly, was saying she wanted to help her?

“Help…” with what?

Understanding her question, Su Mingxiu’s eyes crinkled with a smile. Her gaze lowered, looking at the area covered by Suhui’s beautiful scales.

“Look, you’re such a foolish fish, even if you hadn’t met me, you would still be the one laying eggs in someone else’s hands, but you’re so narrow here…”

She leaned closer, her warm breath carrying the rest of her words into Suhui’s ear. Then, she saw the beautiful fins layered behind Suhui’s ears, imagining the black lotus pattern they usually formed. She couldn’t help but kiss them.

To her surprise, Suhui, despite being a mermaid, didn’t have the fishy smell of a creature that lived in the sea. Instead, she had a faint, sweet fragrance.

After hearing her words, Suhui didn’t understand at first. Then, seeing Su Mingxiu take off the mermaid pearl from her neck and press the glistening white pearl against her soft, warm scales, her eyes widened in shock and fear. She propped herself up on her elbows, trying to crawl away from this dangerous bed.

She tried to refuse, her voice panicked, but the person who heard her protest only looked at her with feigned confusion:

“Didn’t you want me to return it to you? Why are you running?”

After a while, Su Mingxiu’s gaze swept over the scattered gold and silver jewelry on the floor, some of them seemingly ancient. She suddenly realized something. “Ah, do you like… crawling?”

She smiled, pressing down on Suhui’s shoulders, pinning her to the bed. “Not now. The floor is too rough. If there was a carpet, you could do as you please.”

“Ah!” Suhui wanted to curse at her, but she hadn’t learned any curse words in Chinese. After all, she was going to debut as a star, and Neptune Entertainment wouldn’t tolerate an artist who used foul language.

She cowered and tried to dodge, but there was no escape. She had no choice but to take back the gift she had given earlier, using her own body.

But…

Perhaps as a price for her change of heart, the tears that had welled up in her eyes finally overflowed, rolling down her cheeks.

Almost as soon as they left her eyes, they transformed into glistening white, teardrop-shaped pearls, unique and beautiful, just like the gift she had given away.

Su Mingxiu also saw the mermaid pearls falling from her eyes. Before Suhui could make a sound, she chuckled and said: “I know, these are definitely not gifts for me, don’t worry, I’ll collect them for you—”

Hearing her gentle, amused voice, Suhui trembled, a shiver running down her spine. She felt like she had encountered a demon from legends.

Only a demon could inflict pain with a smile.

Those fallen mermaid pearls ultimately met the same fate as the original gift, nestled closely together in that narrow, hidden place.

Knowing that the more she cried, the worse her fate would be, Suhui still couldn’t control herself. After all, she was just a young mermaid who had just come of age, with no experience in these matters, as innocent as a blank sheet of paper. How could she possibly resist Su Mingxiu’s teasing?

She shook her head repeatedly, pleading in her beautiful voice, but the cold-hearted human remained unmoved, only putting the last mermaid pearl back in its original place before saying slowly: “Alright.”

“I’ve returned your gift.”

Looking at Suhui now, where was the smugness of the one who had lured her here? Her cheeks and eyes were red, her long silver hair tangled around her neck and shoulders, her lips bitten raw. She looked so pitiful… as if she was the one who had been deceived.

She lay limply on the messy, collapsed bed, like a discarded doll. She heard the person behind her, their voice still calm and composed, just like when they first arrived: “It should be dawn by the time we get back.”

“I’ll be going now.”

Su Mingxiu didn’t seem worried about finding her way out of this beautiful, winding maze built of red coral, with no passages for humans.

Sensing her intention to leave without hesitation, Suhui reached out and grabbed her, her elbows and fingertips now slightly red. “No… don’t go…”

She commanded, her voice choked with sobs.

If she let this person leave, how could she retrieve those mermaid pearls?

Su Mingxiu leaned closer, following Suhui’s pull. “Something else?”

Suhui, her face flushed, voiced her request.

“What?”

Su Mingxiu pretended not to hear.

So the mermaid repeated her request, her voice trembling.

Su Mingxiu responded with a soft “Okay,” then pried Suhui’s fingers off her wrist one by one. “You don’t need my help with this.”

She asked casually: “Didn’t you really want to lay eggs? Then you should know what to do.”

Merfolk were also intelligent creatures. They possessed inherited memories from birth. Now, Suhui, having learned about human etiquette and shame, understood the implication in Su Mingxiu’s words. Her face burned with shame, and she shook her head repeatedly.

“Too embarrassed now?”

The alluring woman leaned closer, carefully examining her tomato-red face. “When you were forcing someone else to bear your eggs, why weren’t you shy?”

Vaguely…

Suhui felt that Su Mingxiu was angry.

But her muddled mind couldn’t decipher human emotions clearly. Her current defeated state triggered her primal instincts—

If a loser wanted to survive, they could only beg for mercy from the victor in the most humble way possible.

She knew Su Mingxiu didn’t understand the merfolk’s customs, so using their ways wouldn’t work. Helpless, her eyes welled up with tears of fear and desperation.

But she didn’t dare to cry anymore.

She couldn’t “eat” anymore.

So she could only look up at the person by the bed with teary eyes, the only one who could help her, and also the culprit who caused her misery:

“Please… please…”

Her voice trembled as she struggled to speak clearly: “I… I won’t make you bear my eggs anymore…”

“If you did something wrong, you have to apologize,” Su Mingxiu said, one hand resting on the edge of the bed, her aura still pressing down on Suhui.

Suhui struggled to recall the knowledge she had learned. After a while, she replied with a whimper: “I’m sorry…”

The beautiful person sat down on the edge of the bed, her legs dangling. This relaxed posture made Suhui breathe a sigh of relief, thinking that she had been forgiven.

Until Su Mingxiu looked down at her and said calmly: “Okay, I accept your apology.”

“But there has to be a punishment for wrongdoing—”

“Try your best first. When you’re too tired, I’ll help you.”

Chapter 73: The Center of the Fish Pond (8)

According to Suhui’s plan, a human’s frail body, falling from such a high cruise ship, should have lost consciousness. She could then take the unconscious prey back to her territory.

By the time Su Mingxiu woke up, there would be no escape.

But… this human was stronger than she had imagined.

Although her plan went slightly awry, Suhui wasn’t worried. After entering the water, the pink shirt provided by the program team for the S-rank members had been discarded in the vast ocean.

Now, her seaweed-like silver hair floated around her chest, and below her waist was an incredibly beautiful, long silver-blue tail. Her translucent fins, thin as cicada wings, spread out gracefully.

She waited patiently for Su Mingxiu to run out of breath and be forced to surface for air. Then, she would still have ways to tease this fickle human.

Thinking of this, her silver-blue tail swayed gently in the water, a picture of leisure and contentment.

Su Mingxiu watched her, seeing that she only stayed in front of her without taking any further action. She wasn’t worried either. Feeling the air in her lungs dwindling, just as it was about to run out, she pressed the mermaid pearl around her neck between her lips.

Surprise flickered in the silver-haired mermaid’s eyes.

She hadn’t expected this human to know that mermaid pearls could repel water.

This way, she wouldn’t be able to wait for Su Mingxiu to drown. Thinking of this, Suhui quickly swam closer. Her soft yet powerful waist leaned forward, and she cupped the woman’s face with her hands, her lips pressing against Su Mingxiu’s.

Su Mingxiu accepted her initiative, but as the mermaid’s tongue darted into her mouth, she captured the cool pearl along with it between her teeth.

The water-repelling membrane extending from the pearl kept the salty seawater out. And the air they exchanged formed tiny bubbles, rising towards the surface.

Suhui hadn’t gained control, nor had she retrieved the pearl or seen this human in a state of distress. Unconsciously, all her attention was focused on regaining control. Her silver-blue tail swayed in the water, the currents carrying them further and further away.

Until Su Mingxiu ended the kiss.

The mermaid’s usually pale lips were now stained with a vibrant color. Held in Su Mingxiu’s embrace, her melancholic blue eyes flickered with confusion, then quickly lit up with excitement as she realized they were far away from the program’s cruise ship.

Her voice, unimpeded by the water, reached Su Mingxiu’s ears. It lacked the ethereal quality it had on land, but it was still pleasant to hear.

“Do you want to go back?”

According to Suhui’s plan, Su Mingxiu would have fallen unconscious after being pushed off the ship. Then, she could have taken Su Mingxiu away without anyone knowing. When Su Mingxiu woke up, she would tell her that she didn’t know who pushed her, that she had anxiously revealed her true form to save her—

Humans loved the “repaying a life-saving debt with one’s body” trope. Even if Su Mingxiu was unwilling, she wouldn’t be able to escape the fate of bearing her eggs.

…Now, only the beginning of her plan had succeeded. To regain control, she had to find another way.

If Su Mingxiu begged her to return to the cruise ship, she could force her to lay eggs before leaving…

Although this wasn’t the best plan, it didn’t matter. For merfolk, the means didn’t matter as long as they achieved their goals.

Su Mingxiu saw a flicker of cunning in her beautiful eyes, a glint of mischief.

“What if I do? What if I don’t?”

Her voice also reached the mermaid’s ears.

Suhui was stunned.

But she quickly made up her mind. She wrapped her arms around Su Mingxiu’s waist, and her beautiful tail swayed powerfully in the water, churning the calm currents—

Su Mingxiu was instantly pulled down into the deeper depths.

Where even light couldn’t penetrate.

Apart from the tight grip around her waist and the occasional flash of silver in the water, she could barely see anything around her. She didn’t know what creatures were swimming nearby, nor did she know which way was up or down, left or right.

She pursed her lips and, under the pressure of the deep sea, tightened her embrace around the mermaid.

Suhui’s movements were stopped by a sharp pain in her waist. As she paused, a faint light ahead made Su Mingxiu open her eyes. She looked towards a magnificent underwater city in the distance.

Eight giant statues stood outside the city, their imposing presence amplified by the dim light refracting through the water.

And the city itself radiated a brilliant rainbow glow, making it hard to imagine how rainbows could be captured in such deep waters. It was like a scene from a fairy tale, full of fantasy.

As Su Mingxiu looked at the underwater city, Suhui was looking at her waist, where it connected with her tail. More precisely, she was looking at the finger marks on her side.

A look of shock flashed through her ocean-blue eyes.

Merfolk were incredibly strong. In the sea, even whales and sharks were part of their diet. As apex predators of the ocean, they rarely got injured, unless it was from fights with their own kind.

… This human could actually make her feel pain?

Remembering how Su Mingxiu had handled the seafood in the program’s kitchen earlier, her knife swift and decisive, Suhui, who was half-fish, suddenly felt a chill.

Su Mingxiu looked away and saw Suhui thoughtfully caressing her waist. She also saw the marks on Suhui’s side and instinctively apologized: “Sorry, did I hurt you?”

But perhaps because of the mermaid’s mischievous nature, or perhaps because she still had the pearl in her mouth, her apology lacked sincerity, sounding like a casual dismissal.

As she spoke, she was also wondering how she could possess such strength. Could it be that…

Su Mingxiu’s expression changed slightly.

She asked the system: “Are mermaids… considered food?”

The system knew what she was thinking, but it couldn’t possibly tell her that it was because she had successfully completed missions in several worlds, and her soul, now stronger, could affect her physical body.

So it vaguely recited a passage from an ancient text about the properties of mermaid flesh.

Now, Su Mingxiu’s gaze towards Suhui became even more peculiar.

Suhui: “…”

So strange.

Why did she feel so cold, even in her familiar ocean?

Su Mingxiu was eventually brought to the merfolk’s underwater kingdom by Suhui.

As they swam closer, the other merfolk they encountered stopped and bowed slightly—

“Are you of high status here?”

She asked.

Suhui raised her chin slightly. Although her expression didn’t show much pride, her arrogance was evident.

Then, she replied: “My mother is the previous clan leader of the merfolk.”

Oh.

Su Mingxiu raised an eyebrow, thinking, This is a bit tricky. If she taught this bad fish a lesson and then escaped, wouldn’t she be hunted down by the entire merfolk clan after returning to land?

She looked at the beautiful mermaid with regret, her disappointment obvious.

Suhui couldn’t help but stop and ask her: “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Couldn’t she admire a dish she couldn’t eat?

Su Mingxiu calmly looked away, her gaze sweeping over the swaying seaweed and the beautiful red corals. She didn’t answer Suhui’s question, instead asking: “Why did you bring me here?”

“Don’t you humans value ambiance when dining?” Suhui no longer hid her identity, clearly distinguishing between their races.

“Dining?” Su Mingxiu repeated the word slowly, her tone deliberate.

Her initially indifferent gaze suddenly brightened. “So you’re planning to eat me?”

Since falling into the sea, Suhui hadn’t seen a single trace of fear in her eyes. Therefore, the words that had seemed so certain earlier now came out with a hint of hesitation: “Not eat.”

It’s mating.

Under Su Mingxiu’s amused and probing gaze, the originally imposing silver-haired mermaid suddenly sounded a bit defensive: “It’s… to have you bear my eggs!”

“Oh?” Su Mingxiu, hearing such an absurd statement, wasn’t angry at all. Instead, she asked good-naturedly: “How?”

Suhui, not realizing that the rhythm of the conversation had shifted back into Su Mingxiu’s hands, obediently answered: “As long as I differentiate into a male merman, you can—”

“I suggest you don’t,” Su Mingxiu interrupted her with a smile, her fingertip touching Suhui’s delicate cheek. “You’re so beautiful, if you become a male, I won’t be so gentle.”

“What?” Suhui didn’t understand what she meant.

The woman, her long black hair swaying like seaweed, raised her eyebrows slightly, a sharp glint appearing in her alluring eyes: “Do you know what happens to those ugly, inedible fish when they fall into human hands?”

“Hmm?”

“They are sent to the chef’s chopping board, to be studied and prepared into delicious dishes.”

As she spoke, Su Mingxiu’s gaze swept down Suhui’s body. Suhui finally understood where the chill she had been feeling came from. This woman was thinking about how to eat her!

Thinking about all the seafood she had handled in the past, Suhui couldn’t help but gulp, instinctively retorting: “Even if I become a male, I’ll still be beautiful.”

These words sounded weak, like begging the chef before her not to put her on the menu.

Su Mingxiu didn’t comment.

At the same time, Suhui held onto a sliver of hope: after differentiating into a male, her strength would greatly increase. Once she tricked this human into her room, it would be her turn to call the shots.

So they continued swimming forward, each with their own thoughts.

Until they stopped in front of a coral nest.

Calling it a nest was an insult. This large, naturally formed red coral, carved and polished, looked like an exquisite work of art, a stunning architectural masterpiece worthy of an award in the human world.

The passage was too narrow and long, clearly not designed for humans. So Su Mingxiu let Suhui wrap her tail around her waist and carry her inside.

But as soon as they entered, the water pressure decreased significantly, revealing that this was indeed a… maze specifically designed for humans.

In this place where humans could breathe freely, the mermaid, skilled in manipulating water, enveloped herself in a water sphere.

After entering the magnificent room, filled with jewels and treasures, Suhui sat down on the bed, dispelled the water sphere, and swayed her tail as she said: “Once inside, without a merman’s help, humans can’t escape.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Su Mingxiu walked up to her, her lips pressing against Suhui’s again, concealing her amusement: “Do you really have to do this?”

Suhui had missed her last chance. She heard Su Mingxiu’s firm reply: “Yes, you’re not getting away.”

… Alright then.

Su Mingxiu thought.

Ten minutes later—

The silver-blue tailed mermaid was pinned down on the soft, narrow bed designed specifically for humans to lay eggs.

And the person holding her down traced the skin of her waist and abdomen with their fingertips, as if conducting a serious study.

But those warm human fingertips made her tremble uncontrollably.

Suhui couldn’t help but thrash her tail, the bed creaking under the strain. But the human on top of her wasn’t affected at all. She even said unhurriedly: “Don’t move.”

As she spoke, Su Mingxiu’s fingertips touched the scales on Suhui’s tail. Each beautiful silver-blue scale was hard and sharp, even emitting a translucent glow under the light of some unknown jewels in the room.

“So beautiful,” she praised sincerely.

But the mermaid, hearing her compliment, wasn’t filled with her usual pride. Instead, there was a hint of fear in her blue eyes. She couldn’t understand why she couldn’t break free from this person’s grip.

Just then—

That burning sensation on her lower back, tracing the patterns of her scales, touched a certain spot, making her tail thrash again.

The bed collapsed, and they both fell. But this didn’t help Suhui escape Su Mingxiu’s control.

“Eh?”

The person on top of her poked that particular scale with her fingertip, seemingly oblivious to Suhui’s violent trembling. She asked curiously: “What’s this?”

Suhui bit her lip and glared at Su Mingxiu, her blue eyes filled with the surprise of being at a disadvantage, the frustration of being subdued by a human, and the panic of her plan backfiring.

She didn’t answer. Su Mingxiu continued to ask on her own: “Could this be… where you female merfolk lay eggs?”

Suhui’s face flushed slightly, probably from anger.

But this anger only made her beautiful blue eyes even more alluring, sparkling with tears.

Su Mingxiu’s right fingertip moved from the scale to Suhui’s eye, wiping away a tear. As she leaned closer, her breath completely enveloped the mermaid beneath her: “Don’t cry yet—”

She said: “I haven’t even started bullying you.”