Category: After I Abandoned the Protagonist [Quick Transmigration]

Chapter 72: The Center of the Fish Pond (7)

Su Mingxiu knew Suhui meant they should be in the same class. But the way she phrased it sounded suggestive.

—She didn’t know if this fish was truly clueless or doing it on purpose.

“Why?”

As if oblivious to the viewers’ reactions in the live stream chat, she continued to ask.

Suhui’s gaze fell on the dazzling pearl on Su Mingxiu’s neck. Her long eyelashes lowered as she replied meaningfully: “You accepted my gift, so of course you have to be with me.”

She didn’t explicitly mention the mermaid pearl, but Su Mingxiu’s fingertips touched the teardrop-shaped pearl on her collarbone, thinking thoughtfully, This gift… is probably different from the ones Annie and Pao Tong gave her.

[Stop it! This is just a normal conversation between friends, can you stop shipping them?]

[But the conversation is really misleading… It’s as if they’ve already exchanged engagement rings, heeheehee.]

[Just mutual support and encouragement between friends, right?]

[But Suhui’s domineering and tsundere attitude, and her tone… she’s a queen! ]

The viewers in the comments section were still arguing about their dynamic. However, in the classroom, Suhui didn’t give Su Mingxiu much time to rest. Seeing her finish her water and looking relaxed, she urged: “Continue?”

As they were talking, a few other members glanced at them discreetly, their gazes focused on Suhui. Su Mingxiu understood their intentions and waved her hand at the mermaid.

“I can learn by myself, why don’t you go help other trainees who need it?”

Suhui looked at her in confusion, as if she didn’t understand how those people were related to her.

Moreover, these people were her competitors. If they performed well, what if Su Mingxiu couldn’t get into the S-class next time?

So the silver-haired mermaid lowered her eyes, pretending not to hear.

Just then, an F-class trainee mustered up her courage and approached Suhui, smiling softly. “Suhui, there’s a move I don’t quite understand, could you teach me?”

Before Suhui could refuse, Su Mingxiu answered for her: “Of course.”

Suhui’s blue eyes immediately turned towards her. After a moment of staring, she finally agreed. But as she stood up, her lips were pursed tightly. She was very concise in her instructions…

Gradually, the trainees who were willing to learn all gathered around Annie and the others, leaving only Suhui and Su Mingxiu.

Being stared at by the fish, enjoying one-on-one tutoring, Su Mingxiu couldn’t slack off too much in front of the cameras. Two hours later, she performed the entire choreography for Suhui—

Pao Tong and the others, who had been practicing on their own while guiding the F-class members, had been paying attention to them. Almost as soon as Su Mingxiu finished, they gathered around.

Annie: “Xiuxiu! I knew you were talented!”

“That’s amazing! Have you really never learned singing or dancing before?” This was Pao Tong.

Wang Zhi applauded her, and the other members followed suit.

Only Suhui frowned. “No emotion.”

Su Mingxiu’s singing and dancing were perfectly in sync with the original, her moves even matching the choreography frame by frame. But the mermaid, with her innate understanding of music and her ability to charm people with her voice and beauty, could tell that something was off with Su Mingxiu’s performance.

It was like… a cold, mechanical imitation.

The original song and dance of Up perfectly matched the theme of the girl group talent show, positive, passionate, and energetic, like weeds breaking through the soil, bathed in the first rays of morning sunlight.

Suhui couldn’t understand their praise for Su Mingxiu. She didn’t think learning a completely unfamiliar song and dance in such a short time was that impressive.

[Teacher Suhui is so fierce, how can she get a wife if she’s like this?]

[She’s like a professor teaching kindergarteners, hahaha.]

[No one’s amazed by Su Mingxiu’s learning ability? She’s never practiced singing or dancing before, yet she learns even faster than these girl group members. Isn’t that terrifying?]

…

Everyone heard Suhui’s comment. Pao Tong tried to mediate: “Emotions can be practiced gradually.”

Annie nodded and chimed in: “Yeah, Xiuxiu, why don’t you practice with me? I used to be a dance teacher, I can teach you.”

Wang Zhi, surrounded by her group members, her smooth, black hair shining under the lights, also said softly: “Why don’t we dance together and see?”

Suhui: “…”

She felt like she was losing ground. Her blue eyes stared at Su Mingxiu, her usually ethereal voice now strangely low: “Who will you choose?”

“Uh…” Su Mingxiu was momentarily speechless, as if the current situation wasn’t chaotic enough. The detailed background information in the translucent boxes above the strategy targets disappeared, replaced by simple Arabic numerals.

Annie: 30. Pao Tong: 40. Wang Zhi: 20.

Her gaze finally landed on Suhui, seeing the big “99” above her head, her expression becoming even more unreadable.

The system decided to make its presence known at this moment: “Congratulations, Host, your charm is irresistible, all the strategy targets are interested in you.”

But its mechanical voice sounded strangely sarcastic to Su Mingxiu.

She ignored it, her gaze sweeping over the girls who had offered to help. Then, she suddenly smiled: “Why don’t you all dance together, and I’ll learn from all of you?”

[A large-scale battle! So exciting!]

[Shocking! Four S-rank trainees fight over an F-rank!]

[Is this something a regular VIP member like me can watch?]

A few minutes later.

The backstage data of Produce 101 showed a surge of viewers entering the live stream. Strangely, the most popular one wasn’t the S-class live stream, but the F-class one.

A space had been cleared in the center of the F-class classroom. Besides the F-class members, there were also other contestants who had come to be taught by the S-rank trainees. Now, Annie, Suhui, and the others stood in a row. As the music for Up started playing, they all moved in unison—

Gentle, passionate, fiery, domineering…

A scene usually reserved for the performance stage was now unfolding in this crowded classroom.

The comments section and the onlookers were equally excited. Some informed viewers explained to the newcomers how this had happened.

When the music ended, thunderous applause filled the room. Then, encouraged by someone, the trainees who hadn’t learned the choreography yet, those who were confused about the moves and rhythm, those who wanted guidance from the experts, all rushed forward, each seeking help from their favorite mentor.

And Su Mingxiu, who had triggered this battle, calmly left the scene and went to the hotel kitchen to prepare her afternoon tea.

4:00 PM.

Su Mingxiu, who was making skewers, heard hurried footsteps approaching the kitchen entrance, followed by an accusing complaint: “Xiuxiu! You’re slacking off in the kitchen again!”

She looked up and saw Annie, who had slipped away at some point. The chefs busy in the kitchen, who used to be puzzled by these future stars’ fondness for the kitchen, were now used to it.

Su Mingxiu put down the corn skewers she was making, pointed at the chili powder she had just prepared, and made Annie forget her original complaint with a single sentence: “Barbecue, with your favorite seasonings, want some later?”

“Yes!”

Annie leaned closer, seeing the lamb skewers sizzling in the oil, their golden surfaces glistening. The skewers were almost done, so Su Mingxiu brushed them with honey, sprinkled them with chili powder, and placed them over the charcoal fire.

“Let me have a bite!” Annie practically clung to her, craning her neck, her mouth watering.

Su Mingxiu asked jokingly: “Not afraid of gaining weight now?”

“I have a scale!” Annie replied confidently. “I haven’t gained a single pound recently, even lost a bit. I should eat more meat to replenish my energy!”

Finally, she happily inhaled the fragrant lamb skewers and left, not forgetting to mumble: “I’ll be back for dinner!”

The second one to arrive was Pao Tong.

Sweet and sour sauce was brushed onto the white rice cakes, which were pan-fried until golden brown on both sides. The warm, chewy rice cakes, paired with the unique sauce, made Pao Tong, who loved this dish, extremely satisfied.

Before leaving, she said with a smile: “Don’t worry, we’ll help you teach the F-class trainees.”

… Hmm?

Su Mingxiu wondered if she was truly as kind as they thought.

“Are we putting too much pressure on you?”

The voice before her drew her attention back. Su Mingxiu looked at Wang Zhi, who had arrived at some point. She felt that Wang Zhi’s inner self wasn’t as sharp and strong as her outward appearance, but rather quite delicate.

“No,” she smiled faintly and shook her head. “You’re all teaching very well, I’m just a bit hungry.”

Wang Zhi was relieved. Her gaze fell on the vegetable skewers Su Mingxiu was making, a hint of hesitation in her eyes.

Until Su Mingxiu placed the skewers in boiling water, then transferred them to a pot of bone broth, and said to her: “So thin, do you have stomach problems? You should eat less cold food and more warm dishes, and remember to drink less cold water.”

Wang Zhi looked at her with surprise, meeting those deep, bright eyes. After a long moment, she nodded seriously. “Okay.”

Her skewers were unseasoned, the pure flavor of the bone broth very satisfying.

And the last one to arrive—

Was also the most difficult to deal with.

By now, the comments section was amazed by how she had effortlessly triggered a battle between the S-rank members, then gracefully retreated and maintained good relationships with each of them.

[Is this the art of being a player?]

[I’m actually watching a food show and a love drama within a talent show, my life is complete!]

[Xiuer, how many more surprises do you have hidden from us?]

[Every time I see a talented contestant perform, I just want to type exclamation marks. But in front of Sister Xiu, I only want to type question marks. Wait, is this even allowed??]

…

The first thing Suhui said when she arrived was: “They all came to see you?”

The air was thick with jealousy.

Su Mingxiu was peeling prawns, placing the freshly boiled tiger prawns in a specially prepared soy sauce dish, and offering one to Suhui.

The soy sauce stained her pale lips, and the unique seafood aroma attracted Suhui. The coldness on her face didn’t last long. Hearing Su Mingxiu say “It’ll get cold if you don’t eat it soon,” she opened her mouth without hesitation—

And bit Su Mingxiu’s fingertip along with the prawn.

—

Su Mingxiu: “…!”

Then, she clearly felt her fingertip being pressed against the outside of Suhui’s teeth by a soft, warm tongue.

The mermaid, having finished the prawn, tilted her head slightly, her gaze fixed on the plate of prawns, her expression clearly wanting more, yet she remained motionless.

Su Mingxiu looked at her with a playful smile. After a while, she slowly picked up another prawn, but as she peeled it, she said: “I can feed you.”

“But don’t bite me again.”

She glanced at the camera and clicked her tongue softly, feeling a strange sense of annoyance at this place filled with surveillance cameras.

The mermaid, unaware of her thoughts, wanted to explain that she was always very careful when biting her prey, and that the bite earlier had been intentional.

But before she could speak, another prawn was placed between her lips.

After finishing the entire plate of prawns, Suhui still hadn’t had the chance to declare her ownership of Su Mingxiu or issue her warning.

And because Su Mingxiu took the initiative to walk with her towards the F-class dance classroom after dinner, Suhui still couldn’t find the opportunity to speak.

She followed behind Su Mingxiu, looking at her graceful figure, and she couldn’t help but feel… like she was being led along.

—A hunter shouldn’t be led by the nose by their prey.

This won’t do.

But in the following days, Suhui only quietly followed Su Mingxiu, neither declaring her ownership as she usually did when provoked, nor showing her displeasure in front of Su Mingxiu.

This made Su Mingxiu observe her several times, wondering what this fish was up to.

Unfortunately…

Before she could figure out Suhui’s behavior, the assessment arrived.

Suhui had overestimated humans’ learning ability. Even though Su Mingxiu’s learning style was just copying and pasting, among all the trainees who forgot their lyrics, messed up the dance moves, or missed the beat, she was good enough to get an S rank.

Just like that, the newly ranked Produce 101 group was taken to the cruise ship by the mentors and the program staff to prepare for their first public performance.

Under the blue sky, the golden sunlight shone on the shimmering sea. Seagulls soared and danced in the distance, and the towering cruise ship let out a long horn, attracting everyone’s attention.

Because the cruise ship was sailing on the sea, not indoors, it wasn’t convenient to use too many miniature cameras. So the program staff carried fixed cameras as they boarded the ship. Under the lens, the contestants, with their light makeup and energetic expressions, gathered in small groups.

Not all the mentors were present, only Yuchi Xiao led them to familiarize themselves with the venue and rehearse for the performance.

The contestants’ schedule was packed, with practically no time to slack off. They spent their time sweating on the stage.

Nightfall approached unknowingly.

They only had a short break during dinner. Some contestants went to the deck to watch the fishing boats returning with their catch.

The sea, reflecting the golden sunlight, gradually turned a deep, dark blue under the darkening sky, as if an unknown terror from the depths was rising, about to engulf the world. The contestants returned to their rooms or practiced in the ship’s ballroom.

Su Mingxiu went to the top deck at this time. She stood at the bow, leaning slightly forward, staring at the deep, unpredictable sea below.

…If someone were to be pushed down now, it would be quite a show.

She thought, her expression relaxing. Then, she truly felt a push on her back, and amidst the roaring wind, she fell headfirst into the vast ocean.

“Splash.”

The sound of her entering the water was almost negligible.

But she still heard it clearly.

The mermaid pearl hanging around her neck emitted a faint glow in the deep sea. She opened her eyes and looked upwards, seeing a silver figure approaching, walking on water.

Su Mingxiu didn’t blink. As she saw the person’s face clearly, she wasn’t surprised at all. A smile even appeared on her lips.

Tiny bubbles escaped her lips, like foam under the sunlight, rising towards the surface.

Su Mingxiu said silently in the water:

“Bad fish.”

If it were someone more timid, they would have either fainted or been scared to death by Suhui’s actions.

Her first impression of this mermaid was indeed correct. How wicked.

The smile in Su Mingxiu’s eyes didn’t fade. As the mermaid stopped before her, she met those beautiful eyes. On land, they were a clear, bright blue. In the sea, they were a deep, rich ocean blue.

—The eyes of a true predator.

Suhui, looking at the woman who had fallen into her territory, also smiled.

The third step of merfolk courtship: Mark disobedient prey as soon as possible, making them completely yours.

Chapter 71: The Center of the Fish Pond (6)

The initial evaluations quickly identified seven S-rank contestants. Produce 101 was more stringent than previous talent shows, with only seven debut spots available.

Therefore, after the evaluations, the contestants ranked B, C, D, and F were all feeling down. However, when listening to the mentors explain the first round of assessments, they had to put on brave faces for the cameras.

Even though it was a live broadcast, the assessment process for Produce 101 was similar to other talent shows. But when they saw that the final performance venue for the first assessment was a cruise ship—

Gasps came from the crowd.

Even the live stream viewers were shocked by the program’s extravagance.

[A cruise ship… so luxurious…]

[I want to go! Tell us where to buy tickets!]

[Blue sky, ocean, 101 beauties… drools]

Yuchi Xiao, his eyes crinkling with a smile, stood before a projected image of the cruise ship, as if anticipating everyone’s reaction. He raised his voice slightly as he spoke into the microphone: “The spots on the cruise ship will be drawn randomly from the live stream viewers. And those with outstanding performance in the first assessment will perform in this location—and, the new seven S-rank members will get a three-day cruise trip and participate in the filming of Let’s Go Travel Together on the ship.”

[What! A lottery?!]

[As someone with great luck, I’m ready to win!]

[Money can change fate! I’m opening twenty accounts to participate in the draw!]

The stage set up on the cruise ship was exceptionally luxurious, the center position clearly prominent. Thinking about performing on a cruise ship and showcasing themselves before a live audience, the contestants’ enthusiasm, along with that of the viewers who heard about the lottery, was ignited.

Yuchi Xiao’s captivating voice continued: “Now, the audience list for the first performance will be drawn by the seven S-rank contestants from the initial evaluations.”

The S-rank members received their well-deserved rewards, followed by three days of preparation before the performance assessment. During these three days, the contestants had to learn the theme song and choreography for Produce 101, Up.

And from now on, the live stream cameras would follow them everywhere in the public spaces, no longer turning off.

The S, A, B, C, D, and F-rank members each had their own classrooms. But the lower the rank, the more crowded the classroom. The F-rank classroom was so packed that there wasn’t even an arm’s length of space between each person.

Su Mingxiu stood in the hot and stuffy dance classroom, seeing some leaning against the wall, staring blankly into space;

A few gathered around the TV, diligently following the dance moves;

Most, however, had blank expressions, unsure what to do. The entire classroom was filled with a heavy, oppressive atmosphere.

The system spoke up in a timely manner: “It’s time to show your charm, Host! Barbecue is the best way to build relationships! There’s nothing a good barbecue can’t solve! Show off your extraordinary cooking skills and make a morale-boosting lunch for the F-class contestants!”

Su Mingxiu, staring blankly at the ballet barre: “No.”

She glanced to the side, seeing forty or fifty people crammed into the classroom. She didn’t know how long it would take her to make skewers for everyone.

Moreover, becoming a leader in such a group would be too much effort. She wasn’t the type to seek attention…

Since they weren’t her strategy targets, it was better to avoid unnecessary trouble.

So she continued to slack off until lunchtime.

The F-class contestants heard the lunch announcement, but no one was eager to leave the classroom. But among those scattered around the room, few were actually practicing.

Su Mingxiu glanced at the TV, which had been playing the theme song’s choreography on loop, and walked out.

The comments in the F-class live stream were sparse:

[Ah… they look so dejected…]

[Even that beautiful girl I was impressed with isn’t practicing, it seems she’s really just here for the money, probably planning to leave after a few episodes, disappointed.]

[Although I feel like Xiuxiu is too good for this place, for some reason… I still hope to see a miracle.]

[Don’t even think about it, there are so many talented S-rank contestants. Suhui just demonstrated learning the choreography in three tries. The S-rank live stream is so much more exciting, why watch these people giving up on themselves?]

At the same time.

S-class classroom.

Suhui’s exceptional musicality, sense of rhythm, and unparalleled learning speed put a lot of pressure on the other contestants.

Annie, Pao Tong, and Wang Zhi were all staring at her, the others also trying their best to focus on learning.

When the lunch announcement came, Suhui stopped practicing and, without saying a word to anyone, walked straight out of the classroom.

[This is what a boss looks like!]

[Respect.]

Then, Pao Tong and Annie, who had been whispering to each other, exchanged glances. As if realizing something, they both hurried towards the door, their eagerness resembling students rushing to the cafeteria to grab food.

This made the viewers in the live stream curious about how good the food in the program’s closed-off cafeteria was.

[Wait, don’t these girl group members have to control their weight? Why are they so eager to eat?]

[Singing and dancing consume a lot of energy, they’re not immortals, they need to replenish their energy too, FYI.]

[Based on my experience watching these talent shows, those who are this eager to eat usually don’t dare to step on the scale after five episodes.]

…

The camera assigned to Su Mingxiu followed her all the way to the hotel kitchen.

But she didn’t expect someone to be waiting there already.

Seeing the silver-haired mermaid, even the calm and collected Su Mingxiu couldn’t help but be surprised. “You…” Couldn’t possibly be clinging to her, right?

Like a pet waiting to be fed at mealtimes?

Suhui didn’t understand her confusion. She only took a step forward and asked: “Did you learn it?”

What?

Su Mingxiu was stunned for a moment, then realized what she was referring to. She raised an eyebrow. “No.”

A smile finally appeared in Suhui’s blue eyes, even a hint of smugness. But she didn’t continue on that topic. Instead, she asked: “What’s for lunch?”

Su Mingxiu stared at her for a while, seemingly understanding her intention. She originally wanted to say, I’m not your personal chef.

But looking at Suhui’s stunning face, she changed her answer: “I saw a basin of clams in the kitchen this morning, they should be purged by now. Do you want them stir-fried or as clam noodles?”

“Whatever you make is fine.”

Suhui thought, I’m such a considerate partner.

Su Mingxiu entered the kitchen. After working for less than five minutes, she looked up and found a few small tails trailing behind her.

Annie leaned closer and sniffed the air. “It smells so good! I want it super spicy! Extra chili peppers!”

Pao Tong seemed to be there just to check on her, asking: “How are things in Class F? Is the atmosphere okay? How’s the song and dance practice going?”

Suhui, somehow squeezed to the side, stood there with her arms crossed, her expression sullen. Wang Zhi had also followed them at some point. Now, meeting Su Mingxiu’s gaze, she played with her hair, looked around, and suddenly said: “I’m just here to see what’s for lunch.”

Su Mingxiu pointed behind her. “The contestants’ daily menu is over there.”

[Seeing the clams and vermicelli bubbling in the pot, I’m so hungry!]

[Report! Someone’s getting special treatment!]

[Eat, eat, you’ll be crying when the scales arrive in a few days!]

This was Su Mingxiu’s personal little kitchen.

It’s just that there were more diners today.

Wang Zhi, hearing her answer, didn’t leave immediately. Instead, she lingered with the others, perhaps because the aroma from the foil-wrapped food was too tempting.

Su Mingxiu didn’t have anything she particularly wanted to eat. She simply made clam noodles according to Suhui’s request. In the end, they all had it for lunch.

The mermaid, who had been granted the power to choose the dishes, looked visibly happier.

With the pressure of the first public performance looming, few contestants appeared in the cafeteria during regular lunch hours.

After lunch, Su Mingxiu, as if clocking in for work, walked towards the F-class classroom. The S-rank members, showing no signs of parting ways, followed closely behind her.

As she pushed open the classroom door, she turned around and asked: “Don’t you need to go back?”

“The classrooms and lessons are all the same, we can practice anywhere,” Pao Tong replied with a smile.

Annie voiced her thoughts: “I just want to be with you, it feels very safe.”

Wang Zhi thought for a moment. “A few of my group members are in this class, I want to check on their practice.”

Only Suhui was straightforward: “I’m here to teach you.”

*? *

Couldn’t she tell that Su Mingxiu was just here to collect her paycheck?

Su Mingxiu was confused for a second, but thinking about the demotivated F-class students inside, she let them in without a word.

The appearance of these outstanding members did seem to stir the stagnant waters of Class F.

Especially when Suhui was seriously supervising Su Mingxiu’s practice, demonstrating the moves beat by beat, many of the onlookers were shocked by the S-rank’s learning ability.

The pink long-sleeved T-shirt made Suhui look even more like a delicate doll in a display window, although the fabric seemed a bit coarse. Su Mingxiu, in her grey clothes, also highlighted the program’s poor taste in contestant attire due to her exceptional beauty.

Now, with them in the same frame, the live stream chat became lively.

[Beauties should be together! They look so good together!]

[Lol, did everyone from the S-class live stream come here?]

[Suhui’s dancing is so graceful… Xiuxiu, move aside a little, let me join you!]

[Annie and Pao Tong are also adorable! Shipping them!]

[Did anyone else feel a bit of an all-Su vibe in the kitchen earlier?]

However, the contestants in the classroom were unaware of the heated shipping wars in the comments section.

Some students, spurred by Suhui, also started practicing along with the choreography on TV. Annie and Pao Tong practiced for a while, and with Wang Zhi and her group members leading the way, the entire classroom was soon filled with a lively learning atmosphere.

Su Mingxiu practiced two segments with Suhui, then, feeling the need for a break, she opened a bottle of water and walked to a corner to sit down. She thought this would give Suhui and the other talented contestants time to teach the other students who needed more help. But the fish followed her to the corner.

Like a strict teacher who wouldn’t give up until she saw her student master the material.

The woman in grey smiled, the tear mole at the corner of her eye flickering in the shadow of her eyelashes. She looked at the silver-haired mermaid before her, narrowed her eyes, and asked: “Why are you only focusing on me?”

She thought Suhui would mention the meals as an exchange.

But the other person looked at her with those blue eyes and replied matter-of-factly: “You have to be with me.”

Live stream comments:
—…

Chapter 70: The Center of the Fish Pond (5)

“What gift?”

Annie, who had just finished unpacking with Pao Tong’s help, turned around and asked curiously.

But before Suhui or Su Mingxiu could speak, she smiled brightly at Su Mingxiu. “Xiuxiu treated us to such a delicious hot pot, I should definitely give you a return gift.”

Saying this, Annie rummaged through her suitcase, took out a jewelry box, opened it, and offered it to Su Mingxiu. “I just bought this new seasonal design, I think it would suit you very well. Want to try it on?”

Although Su Mingxiu didn’t recognize the brand, she could tell from the exquisite design of leaves encrusted with small diamonds that this bracelet must be quite expensive.

Just as she was about to decline, Annie ran over and held the bracelet against Su Mingxiu’s wrist:

“I knew it! I bought it purely for its beauty, but now I think such a delicate piece is most suitable for a beauty like you.”

“It’s a good thing you’re here, otherwise I wouldn’t know who to give it to.”

This was just polite talk. Su Mingxiu looked at the bracelet on her wrist, the small diamonds intricately arranged around the leaves, creating a perfect fit. Even without a mirror, she knew how elegant it made her look.

The mermaid pearl in her palm was still hidden from view.

And Suhui was staring at the new ornament on Su Mingxiu’s wrist, the scent of another person clinging to it. The smile in her eyes disappeared without a trace.

Su Mingxiu also looked at the bracelet on her wrist. After a long while, she took it off with a smile and offered it back to Annie: “It’s really beautiful, but this gift is too expensive—”

Before she could finish speaking, Pao Tong, who had been silently unpacking her suitcase, walked over. Her gentle, pale pink outfit complemented her delicate aura. She held a flower-shaped silver ring in her hand and opened her palm towards Su Mingxiu.

“I made this little trinket myself at a workshop a few days ago. If you don’t want to accept Annie’s gift, how about this one?”

Thin silver branches formed the shape of a sunflower, its playful curves full of childlike charm. This ring, compared to the diamond-encrusted bracelet, looked much simpler.

Su Mingxiu really couldn’t refuse this time.

Seeing her smile, Annie slumped back into Pao Tong’s arms with a feigned sadness. “Wuwuwu, my gift was rejected, it seems Xiuxiu still loves you more.”

The girl’s playful words made Su Mingxiu and Pao Tong laugh. Only Suhui’s expression darkened.

—She knew the meaning of a ring.

When she was young, she had seen human couples by the sea, one proposing to the other with a ring, a symbol of love and commitment.

Later, her manager at Neptune Entertainment explained the special significance of rings in human culture.

If they were in the sea now, she would have used the merfolk’s customs to defeat these weak opponents and banish them from her territory. Unfortunately, they were on land, and she had to follow human rules.

The air around her grew heavy. Finally, Su Mingxiu’s helpless voice broke the silence: “You’re all giving me welcome gifts, but I’ve never participated in a show like this before, I haven’t prepared anything. How should I repay you?”

“You already have!” Annie licked her lips, still savoring the taste of tonight’s hot pot.

Even though tonight’s hot pot wasn’t as spicy as she preferred, it was still much better than the bland clear soup on other people’s tables.

Pao Tong nodded in agreement. “After the training starts, based on the rules of these shows, we won’t have as much freedom with food. We’ll have to rely on you for late-night snacks and extra meals.”

She made a pleading gesture, her gentle demeanor even more endearing.

Su Mingxiu accepted the ring, then put away the mermaid pearl as well, and headed towards the bathroom, intending to rest early and prepare for the remaining evaluations tomorrow.

Suhui and the other two remained.

Pao Tong, unlike her oblivious friend, had already sensed Suhui’s displeasure at her closeness to Su Mingxiu.

But it didn’t seem like Suhui was particularly close to Su Mingxiu either. Who wouldn’t want to be friends with someone as kind and easygoing as Su Mingxiu?

So, after Su Mingxiu left, Pao Tong pretended to be oblivious and chatted with Annie with a smile.

The person who came out of the bathroom smelled of milk, her skin slightly flushed from the hot water, the contrast between her fair skin and her elbows, knees, and fingertips particularly striking.

The beds in the room were bunk beds, creating a dormitory atmosphere for the contestants.

Su Mingxiu’s bed happened to be above Suhui’s. She sat on the edge of the bed, her legs dangling, their elegant curves no different from those of ordinary humans. It was hard to tell where her strength was hidden.

Suhui stared at her legs for a long time, thinking with a troubled expression: If I differentiate now, I won’t be able to participate in this show anymore. But if I don’t differentiate, how can I claim her and mark her as mine?

She pondered this all night.

Until the next morning.

The director’s wake-up call came through the loudspeakers outside. Annie groaned and covered her ears with a pillow. Pao Tong, having finished washing up, squatted beside her bed and sighed: “Mingxiu and Suhui are already up, if you don’t get up now, you’ll be late.”

Annie mumbled drowsily: “Why are they up so early?”

The people she was talking about were currently in the hotel kitchen.

Su Mingxiu was there because she had been given a “culinary buff,” and it would be a shame not to take advantage of it. With her exceptional looks, she had slipped into the kitchen early in the morning, unnoticed by the program staff. After helping out a few times, she successfully secured her own stove.

When Suhui arrived, Su Mingxiu looked up and smiled. “There are fresh razor clams this morning, steamed with eggs, it’s quite good. Want to try some?”

The siren’s alluring face seemed out of place in this bustling kitchen.

But Suhui didn’t mind. She walked directly behind Su Mingxiu, her cool touch against her neck. Su Mingxiu heard that ethereal voice whisper in her ear: “You forgot this.”

She looked down and saw the teardrop mermaid pearl she had put away last night. Somehow, Suhui had found it. Now, it was strung on a transparent fishing line, hanging around her neck.

—What a possessive fish.

This thought flashed through her mind, but her smile didn’t change. She didn’t even say thank you, making it impossible to guess what she had originally planned to do with the pearl.

She simply turned off the heat on the steamed razor clams with eggs, took the pot off the stove, poured the contents into a beautiful small bowl, drizzled it with sauce, and handed it to Suhui, the aroma and steam enveloping her face.

There was also a clay pot of seafood porridge beside it.

The timing seemed perfect, as if she had known Suhui would come looking for her.

Suhui couldn’t help but feel confused. The path of courtship wasn’t going as smoothly as she had imagined. It was even a bit out of control… as if the prey was leading the dance.

—This won’t do.

In the misty steam from the breakfast, the mermaid lowered her eyes, a calculating glint flashing in her blue eyes.

The first group for the second day of evaluations also included someone familiar to Su Mingxiu, the girl with long, straight black hair from the dinner table last night, another one of her strategy targets. She was from Forest Media and part of a group with seven or eight members.

But in the end, only she received an S rank, another member got an A, the rest were Ds and Fs. The uneven skill levels within the group made the leader feel very responsible.

After coming down from the stage, she didn’t appear in front of the cameras again.

11:20 AM.

As Su Mingxiu passed by the bathroom, she heard suppressed sobs coming from inside. There were no cameras here, it was a secluded area rarely visited by the contestants during the live broadcast. The reason she was here was because it was close to the kitchen.

Compared to those contestants who were more concerned about their figures and their appearance on camera, she, the chef who was just here to earn her salary for three episodes before going home to reopen her restaurant, was much more relaxed. She didn’t even care if there were any fans waiting for her in her live stream.

Wang Zhi, having composed herself, worried that her teammates would be anxious if she was gone for too long, hurriedly wiped away her tears and walked out. But as soon as she left the bathroom, she saw a figure leaning against the wall in the dimly lit hallway. A rich milky fragrance wafted towards her.

The person, seeing her come out, took two steps forward and handed her something. Wang Zhi looked down at the object in their hand—

It looked like a cupcake.

Topped with fresh, chopped strawberries.

The sweet and sour juice mingled with the creamy fragrance, a combination that was both visually appealing and soothing.

“Eating something sweet can help relieve stress, want to try some?” Su Mingxiu asked casually.

Knowing that sweets would affect her weight, and they weren’t even close, Wang Zhi still reached out and took it, perhaps because the cupcake looked too cute to resist.

After taking a bite, tasting the crispy crust and the jelly-like filling, she realized that it wasn’t a cake. The texture was more like an egg tart.

Tears still clung to her eyelashes, but she asked with a smile: “What is this?”

“A small dessert I made with leftover toast and eggs from breakfast. I haven’t thought of a name for it yet, why don’t you name it?”

“Cupcake Egg Tart.” Wang Zhi seriously came up with a name. Perhaps because she had named it, this dessert suddenly felt special.

She had eaten countless delicacies, but at this moment, Wang Zhi felt that this small, cake-like egg tart was her favorite.

“Thank you,” she said sincerely to Su Mingxiu.

But Su Mingxiu only looked at her in surprise. “I should be the one thanking you, for trying out my new creation.”

She hadn’t said a single word of comfort, yet her words were more soothing than any consolation Wang Zhi had ever received.

Perhaps sweet treats truly had such power.

Before returning to the venue with Su Mingxiu, Wang Zhi asked seriously: “If I encounter any problems in the future, can I come to you?”

Su Mingxiu waved her hand dismissively. “I’m only responsible for cooking. For singing, dancing, and those stage matters, you’ll have to find professionals.”

Somehow, hearing this, Wang Zhi smiled even brighter.

They reappeared before the cameras together, also appearing in Suhui, Annie, and Pao Tong’s sight.

Annie, holding her friend’s arm, sighed with a complicated tone: “I knew we couldn’t hide a treasure like Xiuxiu. Wuwuwu, look, she’s found a new love interest!”

Pao Tong: “…”

Although she didn’t speak, she was also carefully observing this new competitor.

Also an S-rank from the initial evaluation, a formidable opponent.

Further away…

Suhui’s blue eyes were filled with displeasure. She thought angrily, I haven’t even dealt with the two rivals from yesterday, and now there’s another one?!

Chapter 69: The Center of the Fish Pond (4)

The initial evaluations continued, with many more girl group contestants taking to the stage. Whether it was because Su Mingxiu’s performance had been too shocking, or because of Suhui’s all-around talent, the subsequent performances seemed rather ordinary, and the live stream’s popularity gradually declined.

Until Annie and Pao Tong’s duo took the stage—

As the targets chosen by the system for Su Mingxiu’s strategy, they demonstrated the skills expected of a domestic girl group.

In fact, Annie and Pao Tong had already debuted before and were quite popular. They were two of the ace contestants invited by the program.

One was a dance specialist, the other a rapper. Their fiery performance reignited the stage, and the mentors’ expressions finally relaxed. After two hours, two more S cards were given out.

Because the talent show was broadcast live and unedited, the initial evaluation segment was quite lengthy.

Therefore, the program team had divided the selection process into two time slots, with a meal break in between to foster relationships between the mentors and contestants.

After Suhui’s stunning opening and Annie and Pao Tong’s powerful closing performance, the show entered its meal break, and the live stream cameras were turned off.

The contestants and mentors were led to a spacious dining hall, which had been converted from an underwater viewing tunnel.

The deep blue background created a tranquil, underwater atmosphere.

In the center of the hall were countless fresh ingredients and many small tables and chairs. Many let out gasps of amazement.

The director’s voice echoed from the speakers all around: “Considering that our contestants come from all over the country, with different tastes, our first meal is a hot pot buffet. Enjoy your dinner.”

“After dinner, someone will guide you to your dormitories. Currently, the dorms are for four people. Please carefully choose your roommates who will accompany you on this challenging journey!”

Almost as soon as the director finished speaking, the girl group members, in lively groups of three or four, went to nearby tables. With the mentors setting the mood, the other contestants also quickly found companions.

Su Mingxiu wasn’t interested in socializing. She simply chose an empty table in the corner and started examining the hot pot and the ingredients. The system urged: “This is your chance to gain goodwill points with your cooking skills!”

She ignored it, looking at the induction cooker and the small pot, thinking regretfully that it would be perfect if she had a clay pot and mutton. This renovated aquarium felt cold and damp, and a mutton hot pot would be perfect for warming up.

Just then, a figure sat down across from her. The sudden appearance of such beauty seemed to illuminate the surroundings. Su Mingxiu raised her eyes slightly, curved her lips into a smile, and offered a perfunctory greeting.

Then, two more people arrived, one on each side of the small table. Annie, ever the social butterfly, adjusted her earrings and sat down, asking what kind of hot pot she wanted. Pao Tong smiled gently and asked politely: “Can we eat with you?”

Several contestants at nearby tables looked over, some with envy, others as if it was to be expected. Su Mingxu looked at the people who had gathered around her in the blink of an eye and asked, “What kind of hot pot do you want?”

Annie spoke first: “Spicy!”

Then, glancing at her friend, she asked tentatively: “But not too spicy?”

Pao Tong smiled helplessly.

Suhui, however, was straightforward. She silently brought over a large basin of various seafood.

Su Mingxiu tapped her fingers on the table, went to ask the program staff for some Korean chili paste and ramen, and added rice cakes, chili paste, ramen noodles, and a few types of mushrooms to enhance the flavor. Finally, she placed Suhui’s shellfish and prawns on top and covered the pot with a transparent lid.

As the aroma and steam wafted from the pot, Annie suggested with a smile: “It’s fate that we met, why don’t the four of us share a dorm?”

Pao Tong looked at her, her eyes asking if she was only interested in Su Mingxiu’s cooking skills.

Annie instinctively pinched her slim waist, then looked at the hot pot longingly, a clear struggle in her eyes. Su Mingxiu, who had been staring at the steam rising from the pot, suddenly said:

“Don’t worry, you won’t gain weight.”

Whatever the Culinary God System’s true purpose was, the most obvious benefit it brought was that the food made by Su Mingxiu wouldn’t cause weight gain. Instead, it even had the effect of replenishing whatever the body lacked. For example, Annie’s old dance injuries would feel much better after a few meals of Su Mingxiu’s bone broth.

With her assurance, Annie smiled without hesitation and even moved her stool closer to Su Mingxiu, leaning against her shoulder with a sweet smile. “Then let’s share a dorm, okay?”

Pao Tong, although silent, also looked at Su Mingxiu with a gentle gaze.

Su Mingxiu suddenly felt a heavy gaze on her. She followed it and met Suhui’s blue eyes, which were fixed on Annie’s arm around her.

After a while, that delicate, doll-like face turned towards Su Mingxiu, her blue eyes unreadable, like the sea before a storm, the surface turning dark and ominous.

“Hmm?” Su Mingxiu felt a sense of danger, but she didn’t understand why. Until Suhui said concisely: “You and I, same room.”

Pao Tong, who had also sensed the sudden tension in the air, couldn’t help but laugh upon hearing this. “The director said four people per room, aren’t we just right?”

Su Mingxiu hummed in agreement. Hearing her response, Annie’s smile widened, giving Pao Tong a “V” sign for victory across the table. Suhui lowered her eyes, her long silver hair casting a shadow under the lights, concealing her expression.

The lid of the pot rattled against the rim as the steam built up, urging the diners. The spicy aroma of the Korean hot pot was incredibly strong, attracting the attention of many contestants who were only eating clear soup and watching their weight.

Even Teacher Yu was drawn over: “It smells so good!”

It was their first meal together, and no one wanted to spoil the mood. So no one reminded them about the calories in the spicy hot pot, the seafood, and the ramen. Every piece of food they fished out from the pot was coated in a fiery red fragrance.

Su Mingxiu glanced at Pao Tong, then went to get another pot and made a mushroom soup, telling her that if she found the hot pot too spicy, she could drink some soup.

Even though Annie was closer to Pao Tong, they were both too preoccupied with the delicious food before them. Pao Tong, with her gentle personality, was always the one taking care of others in the group, never being taken care of herself. Now, looking at the bubbling small pot, she felt a warmth spread through her heart.

As Su Mingxiu stood up, she inadvertently saw a table nearby surrounded by members in black, sharp outfits. She knew they were from the same girl group.

But they didn’t seem to know how to use the induction cooker. The water in their pot was almost boiling dry as she passed by, so she adjusted the heat and reminded them.

“Thank you.” The girl with long, straight black hair smiled at her. Su Mingxiu realized that this was the goodwill target she had seen earlier, the only one who hadn’t dyed her hair.

She replied politely and returned to her own table, seeing a pile of prawns in her bowl.

Su Mingxiu paused, her gaze lifting to look at the person across from her. But the silver-haired siren didn’t seem to notice her gaze. The merfolk was busy eating, her every movement elegant and graceful, giving no indication that she wasn’t human.

After a moment, Su Mingxiu took out her gloves, picked up a prawn from her bowl, meticulously peeled it and deveined it, and offered it to Suhui.

Suhui looked at her in confusion. Su Mingxiu asked: “Do you want to dip it in sauce?”

This person…

Seemed to think she was offering the prawn for Suhui to peel.

Suhui’s long, thick eyelashes fluttered slightly. After a moment, she replied softly: “You eat.”

The first step of merfolk courtship—sharing food with the other party.

But before Su Mingxiu could even react, Annie, her eyes sparkling, looked over and asked: “Can you make a dipping sauce?”

Su Mingxiu nodded and instinctively stood up, walking towards the sauce station prepared by the program staff. She mixed a special sauce for prawns, brought it back, dipped the peeled prawn meat in it, and said to Annie: “You like spicy food, you can add chili oil.”

Annie, however, was too eager to eat and didn’t want to leave the table. So the prawn that Suhui had picked up for Su Mingxiu, which Su Mingxiu hadn’t had the chance to eat, ended up in Annie’s mouth.

Oh, and she shared half of it with Pao Tong.

Suhui’s expression changed abruptly. But the merfolk’s inherited memories didn’t contain any instructions on what to do when their beloved gave their special food to someone else.

She could only silently pile more seafood into Su Mingxiu’s bowl.

Pao Tong, seeing this, also discreetly added other ingredients to Su Mingxiu’s bowl. So, despite not reaching for the pot herself, by the end of the meal, Su Mingxiu was almost full.

The contestant dormitories were ocean-view rooms with stunning scenery. The contestants, already conscious of their image, brought three or five suitcases each. The time it took to unpack and organize their belongings was enough to digest their dinner.

Room 1706.

Su Mingxiu, as an amateur, only had one small suitcase. After wiping down the bed and organizing her closet, she took her change of clothes and headed towards the bathroom, bumping into someone coming out.

She stepped aside to make way, but the other person also moved to the side, still blocking her path.

They were about the same height, so Su Mingxiu simply looked at her and raised an eyebrow silently.

The next moment.

Suhui opened her right palm, revealing a teardrop-shaped, perfectly round pearl.

Su Mingxiu was stunned.

Remembering the legends of people whose tears turned into pearls, a strange image appeared in her mind… Did Suhui just cry in the bathroom, catching her tears and then offering them to her?

But…

Why would she suddenly give her this?

Seeing that Su Mingxiu didn’t react, Suhui extended her hand further, her ethereal voice soft and low: “For you.”

“I can’t accept such a valuable gift without reason,” Su Mingxiu said, looking down at the teardrop pearl in her palm.

The beautiful merfolk frowned. “You don’t like it?”

… That’s not it.

Su Mingxiu searched her memories, but she had never seen such a beautiful pearl. Thinking that perhaps there were cultural differences between merfolk and humans, after a while, seeing Suhui’s almost nervous expression, she looked at the pearl for a long time before accepting it.

“Thank you.”

However…

Su Mingxiu smiled faintly, remembering the song Suhui hummed on stage earlier. She had a feeling that this delicate merfolk wasn’t as simple as she appeared. She wouldn’t give away a mermaid pearl just for a hot pot meal.

Under the bright indoor lights, the round, translucent pearl glowed faintly in her palm. Su Mingxiu closed her hand, letting the pearl warm up to her body temperature.

Not far behind them, Annie and Pao Tong were busy unpacking. Because Annie was clueless, Pao Tong had to help her. Neither of them noticed what was happening.

So Su Mingxiu and Suhui exchanged smiles, each with different meanings.

The silver-haired beauty, as if remembering something, leaned closer and whispered: “Don’t give this to anyone else.”

“Of course,” Su Mingxiu said. “I’ll find a return gift for you another day.”

Suhui’s blue eyes sparkled. She didn’t care about this so-called return gift. Instead, she thought with delight:

The second step of merfolk courtship—

Offering a mermaid pearl as betrothal.

The person who accepts the pearl is considered their mate, bound to them from then on.

She could almost see the beautiful future of this person bearing her eggs.

The elders were right, humans are so easy to deceive.

Chapter 68: The Center of the Fish Pond (3)

Upon hearing “cooking” as a specialty, the contestants below the stage showed expressions of surprise and bewilderment. For a moment, they didn’t know how to react respectfully to this contestant.

Su Mingxiu, however, remained calm. Regardless of her performance in this initial evaluation, the first elimination wouldn’t happen until after the theme song learning phase. This meant—

She could at least receive three episodes’ worth of salary.

Having already secured 60,000 yuan in future earnings, she wasn’t worried at all, even when she saw a few people in traditional Chinese attire walking towards the stage, carrying instruments like the hulusi and the bamboo flute. As she glanced at them, Su Mingxiu vaguely felt like she knew how to play these instruments, but she simply walked past without a second glance.

Just before stepping onto the stage, a staff member handed her a sword. She took it, drew the blade, and, seeing that it wasn’t sharpened, frowned slightly, giving the staff member a questioning look.

The staff member chuckled nervously. “The director said that for the safety of the mentors, you can’t use a real sword.”

That’s ridiculous.

Su Mingxiu looked at him with an incredulous expression. “Have you ever seen a chef use a dull knife to cut vegetables?”

To cooperate with the show, the original owner had already compromised and agreed to replace her kitchen knife with a martial arts broadsword, which was later changed to a longsword for aesthetic purposes. Now, discovering that the sword wasn’t even sharpened, a mere prop, Su Mingxiu was completely baffled.

After a moment of thought, she asked: “Have you ever seen a sushi chef accidentally swing their knife and hit a customer while cutting sushi?”

The staff member couldn’t answer.

Perhaps afraid of delaying the show and affecting the schedule, another staff member quickly brought her a new sword. But Su Mingxiu still didn’t rush onto the stage.

Instead, she meticulously wiped the sword with alcohol, tissues, and wet wipes before reluctantly walking to the front.

Yuchi Xiao’s finger ring, holding the microphone, sparkled along with his black diamond earrings. He was the first to ask Su Mingxiu: “Why are you here?”

Su Mingxiu didn’t hesitate to throw the casting director under the bus. “Because I wanted to find a job that could pay my mortgage, and the director suggested I try this. I’ll do my best to meet your standards.”

The four mentors below the stage had different expressions. They noticed that the staff had brought a few fruit baskets and vegetable baskets to the back of the stage. Although they looked presentable, in the context of a talent show, it felt out of place.

As the mentors were speechless, Yuchi Xiao continued: “Then show us your talent.”

[Is she really going to cook on the spot? Is Produce 101 planning to make us watch both a talent show and a cooking competition with just one stream’s bandwidth?]

[Whether she’s a culinary god is still uncertain, lol, she’s even using a sword, who cooks with that?]

[This young lady has such a beautiful face, as long as she’s not tone-deaf, just sing a song, how can the mentors score her cooking? Sigh!]

Some viewers in the live stream chat even started criticizing the directors for their nonsense, questioning if Produce 101 was trying to become a hodgepodge of different shows.

But no one responded—

The backdrop on the stage slowly unfolded, accompanied by a soft dripping sound.

“Drip.”

Everything before their eyes blurred.

It was the light reflecting off the sword, flashing into their eyes. No one knew how Su Mingxiu was wielding the sword, or how she knew the number and frequency of the spotlights above her.

In an instant, countless dazzling, colorful shards of light rushed towards them, not only the contestants below the stage but also the viewers watching the live stream.

Even in TV dramas, they had never seen such sharp sword light, as if it would pierce through the screen and stab their throats in the next second.

The sword dance was dazzling and mesmerizing, making it impossible to see her movements or footwork clearly. But when the staff members controlled the camera to zoom in, they could see her cold, sharp gaze under the white light, even the tear mole at the corner of her eye seemed to carry a hint of killing intent.

Bamboo leaves fell in the background, a random animated image chosen by the director and the program staff.

But amidst this sharp sword dance, those falling bamboo leaves were pierced, scattered, and shredded by her sword light—

Not only were the mentors stunned by her sword dance, but even the live stream chat was silent.

Then, it was filled with question marks.

—

[Is this even allowed??]

Su Mingxiu’s sword dance was so captivating that it seemed to stop time. When she finally sheathed her sword, no one reacted, including the bamboo leaves still falling in the background.

No.

It wasn’t bamboo leaves.

One of the mentors sniffed the air and said softly: “I seem to smell… oranges.”

Then, they finally saw what was falling from the sky. It was thinly sliced orange peels and white pith. Su Mingxiu sheathed her sword with one hand, then revealed her other hand from behind her back. In her palm was a clean porcelain plate with shredded red cabbage, lettuce, and oranges. She placed the sword in a nearby basket and, seemingly out of nowhere, took out a small bottle and sprinkled a fine, milky white substance over the plate, like salad dressing.

The new viewers in the live stream chat were still confused, their screens filled with question marks.

Su Mingxiu, seemingly unaware of the shock she had caused, placed the plate of homemade fruit and vegetable salad on the table in front of the mentors. “That sword dance was a gift for you all—and this salad as well. The dressing is homemade, and the calories of the entire dish have been calculated. You can enjoy it without worry. I’ve already disinfected the utensils.”

Yuchi Xiao stared at the salad in front of him.

For the first time, he felt like his agent had booked him for the wrong job.

The dance mentor stared at her for a long time, a confused expression on his face. He, who had been silent since the beginning, finally spoke: “Have you practiced martial arts?”

There had been contestants in previous girl groups who had practiced martial arts since childhood. These people were often flexible and had a high aptitude for dance. If that was the case, Su Mingxiu still had a chance.

“No,” she shook her head after thinking for a moment.

The live stream chat had already exploded.

[I thought she was in the wrong show, but she’s even more dedicated than the contestants on MasterChef, incorporating her passion even into her dance, but then again… holy shit, even acrobats and martial artists combined couldn’t compare to that sword dance! I’m still breaking out in cold sweat! ]

[She’s so pure and unpretentious, I want to pick her… am I crazy? I feel like I’m joining a cult in this talent show.]

[For some reason, I feel like she would look even more stunning in a flowing, ancient Chinese robe. I suddenly feel the urge to create some fanworks.]

[Am I the only one who wants to try that salad? I’m so curious, Teacher Yu has already reached for it several times while PD Yuchi wasn’t looking!]

[A legitimate martial arts family here… My elders were passing by when I was watching this show for fun, and they said they’re already trying to find out which sect she’s from. That sword dance looked a lot like a lost body tempering technique from an ancient text…]

The discussion exploded.

The contestants below the stage were also stunned.

Only Annie, who had met Su Mingxiu before, leaned her head on Pao Tong’s shoulder. “She must have been serious when she said she would treat us to dinner. I feel like the chefs at those Michelin-starred restaurants I’ve been to can’t compare to her knife skills. Did you see? The orange peels were so thin I could barely see them. Her cooking must be amazing.”

Pao Tong smiled faintly. “She will be a formidable opponent.”

These words were indeed true.

Talent shows had been around for years, and there had been contestants who specialized in acrobatics and martial arts. Su Mingxiu had the looks to debut, and with such a surprising talent, let alone debuting in a group, it would be hard for any viewer who had seen this episode of Produce 101 to forget her.

Moreover…

Her sword dance was so stunning, how much pressure would this put on the other contestants who were about to showcase similar talents to impress the audience?

Su Mingxiu didn’t know how much shock her culinary-infused performance had caused. After the mentors finished their discussion, she returned to her seat with an F rating.

Because she couldn’t sing and only had that one sword dance, such a lopsided skillset deserved an F.

But usually, it was the audience who complained about contestants getting overly high ratings. Now, seeing her get an F, remembering her sword dance, and after watching a few performances by normal groups, some viewers actually started defending her.

The small, dragonfly-like camera flew towards her, the comments behind the lens filled with words of comfort.

[Don’t cry, Xiuxiu! Trust me, after you’re eliminated from this show, we’ll sign you up for a cooking competition, your knife skills are championship material! The first prize there is also 200,000 yuan!]

[Actually, a national martial arts competition would work too… The first prize there is 500,000 yuan.]

[Damn, this is the first time I’ve seen someone get an F in a talent show, and the comments section thinks she’s too good for this place… It’s weird, but I like it. I’m staying in this live stream.]

…

Su Mingxiu didn’t know that she already had hundreds of fans, and the number was still growing.

She was only thinking about her sword dance earlier, which seemed instinctive, like something ingrained in her body. But she couldn’t remember when she had learned it, so she asked the system: “What was my original identity?”

The system knew the origin of that sword dance.

It was a modified version of the Sword Sect’s introductory sword technique from the world where she had been the Jade Elder, Lingyu.

It didn’t know if it was a side effect of erasing too many of Su Mingxiu’s memories, or if Su Mingxiu’s soul, after completing missions in multiple worlds, had become stronger, making it easier for her to retain memories.

But it was obvious that if Su Mingxiu had her memories, she wouldn’t have chosen to use the Sword Sect’s sword technique.

So the system played dumb, pretending nothing had happened, and used its usual line, “You were an ordinary person in the cultivation world with a shattered soul,” then said that she was lucky to have encountered the Culinary God System. As long as she completed the missions, she could restore her soul and return to her original world.

[Oh, if it’s the Culinary God System, why not have me participate in a cooking competition?]

The system had a sudden inspiration. “My full name is the Culinary God Strategy System.”

Su Mingxiu: “…”

Even stranger.

A Culinary God System, finding an ordinary cultivator with a shattered soul, transmigrating her into a talent show to use cooking to simultaneously woo multiple people?

Was this some kind of skill stacking? Weren’t there too many elements involved?

While Su Mingxiu was focused on communicating with the system, Suhui, with an S-rank sticker on her waist, couldn’t help but glance towards her again.

Earlier, she had been too preoccupied with whether this person had seen her in her merfolk form to pay attention to their appearance. Apart from her own kind, she had rarely seen anyone so beautiful.

—Not only beautiful, but also powerful.

Thinking about the killing intent in that sword dance, Suhui wasn’t sure if she would be a match for this person outside of the sea.

She licked her lips slightly. The lotus earrings by her ears, hidden by her silver hair, transformed for a moment, like translucent fins, then quickly returned to their original shape.

Even her slightly visible canine teeth sharpened momentarily before disappearing behind her rosy lips and tongue.

Suhui tapped her chin with her pale fingertip, thinking thoughtfully:

Since they’re so strong, the eggs they produce must have excellent aptitude, right?

Chapter 67: The Center of the Fish Pond (2)

The live broadcast of Produce 101 began with the initial evaluations of the 101 contestants who had advanced from the auditions. The mentors invited by the program were a star-studded lineup.

From the moment Su Mingxiu returned to the venue, the director’s voice echoed from the speakers placed all around. With each mentor he introduced, the contestants erupted in thunderous applause and cheers.

Even most of the viewers who were drawn to the program’s main live stream were initially there for their favorite idols.

[Yuchi gege has been in seclusion to work on his album! Finally get to see him again, wuwuwu! My gege is truly stunning! I wonder if being a PD(Program Director) for a girl group will be too tiring for him!]

*gege(older brother)*

[The lineup for this season of Produce 101 seems incredibly luxurious. I just saw two short live streams, and there are two incredibly beautiful girls who are even prettier than some debuted idols. Which company are they from? How could they hide such treasures until now?]

[Ahhhh so many beautiful girls! Regardless of their skills, I’m here for the eye candy! prprpr]

*prprpr: onomatopoeia “pero pero”, meaning “lick lick”*

Numerous small cameras flew around the venue, controlled by the program staff, following the contestants who were more popular with the audience, based on real-time feedback.

Besides the main live stream focusing on the stage, each of the 101 contestants also had their own small live stream.

However, apart from those contestants from large companies or those who had debuted before and had fans watching their streams, most of the other live streams were deserted.

With two exceptions—

In a corner seat, Su Mingxiu saw a miniature camera, like a small dragonfly, flying towards her. The black, round lens was practically shoved in her face.

But she didn’t panic at all. She glanced at the camera, then calmly looked away, watching the opening performance by the PD and the mentors.

[Look what I found, a hidden gem! This unfiltered close-up, and she’s still this beautiful, not even a single pore visible, wuwuwu, beauty, your tear mole is so sexy, can I take a bite?!]

[Produce 101, you have ten seconds to give me this girl’s profile!]

At the same time…

Another small camera was focused on Suhui. Because the stage lighting during the performance was dim, most of the contestants were hidden in the shadows.

But Suhui’s long silver hair was too eye-catching, drawing attention to her delicate face and ocean-blue eyes.

[! Mixed race! Is this talent show so competitive now that even foreigners are participating?!]

[Before anyone else notices, I’m claiming this mixed-race beauty!]

[Eh? She doesn’t seem to be watching the stage, who is she looking at?]

The staff member operating the camera saw the real-time comments and adjusted the angle, panning slightly to the side, including the nearby contestants in the frame. Right in the center was Su Mingxiu, sitting in the corner.

Some viewers in the live stream immediately started shipping them.

But Suhui was unaware of these developments. She was only thinking about how the person on the beach earlier had remained unfazed even with a meter-high wave crashing towards them. She wondered if they had seen her before she came ashore.

Sensing her gaze, Su Mingxiu instinctively looked towards her.

The lively stage, with its rhythmic drumbeats and hip-hop moves, ignited the contestants’ passion. Only these two seemed unaffected.

Su Mingxiu saw a glint of something by Suhui’s ear but couldn’t make out what it was, blocked by her silver hair.

They both looked away almost simultaneously, their minds filled with their own thoughts.

Su Mingxiu asked the system, “With her silver hair so noticeable, doesn’t anyone suspect she’s not human?”

The system replied seriously: “It’s dyed, not her natural hair color.”

Oh.

Su Mingxiu thought of Pao Tong and Annie she had seen earlier. One had dyed the lower half of her hair silver-blue, the other sported an extravagant gradient pink. Thankfully, both of them had very fair skin and could pull off these bold colors, which even accentuated their unique auras.

Looking around the venue, there were many contestants with diverse styles, from dreadlocks to colorful braids, even sky-high ponytails. These exaggerated looks didn’t seem out of place on the stage under the camera’s lens.

But the fact that several people Su Mingxiu had encountered had all dyed their hair made her wonder if hair dyeing gave some kind of bonus for debuting. Taking advantage of a moment when the camera and the people around her weren’t paying attention, she quickly scanned the area and found another person with a translucent box above their head—

Thankfully, this one had ordinary long, straight black hair.

Just then, the performance led by Yuchi Xiao on stage ended. Amidst the contestants’ screams, the top member of the domestic boy group adjusted his earpiece and smiled, his handsome baby face looking towards the audience.

“Hello everyone, I’m Yuchi Xiao, the PD of Produce 101. For the next few months, I’ll be accompanying you all on this journey of hard work…”

The applause from the contestants seemed endless.

After Yuchi Xiao, the dance mentor, the rap mentor, and the vocal mentor also performed.

But it was obvious that Yuchi Xiao, as a popular idol, was the most popular with the audience, evident from the six cameras surrounding him.

The mentors took their seats at the front, Yuchi Xiao holding the microphone. A thick stack of contestant profiles was placed before him. He flicked through the papers with his index finger, adorned with a stylish black ring, and said to the other mentors with a smile: “I heard that Produce 101 focuses on authenticity. In that case, how about we draw cards randomly, and whoever we pick, we’ll have them or their group come up on stage. How about it?”

The live stream chat was filled with exclamation marks.

With the proliferation of talent shows in recent years, the audience had become somewhat jaded. They felt that boy and girl groups were like leeks in a field, harvested one after another, each generation less impressive than the last. The most popular boy group was still the one Yuchi Xiao debuted in during the first season of the talent show, still at the peak of their popularity.

And these talent shows were becoming increasingly perfunctory, either with predetermined winners, opaque voting mechanisms, and so on. The audience’s enthusiasm for these shows had dwindled significantly.

But after Yuchi Xiao’s suggestion, the viewership of the live stream suddenly increased.

[As a veteran of these shows, I’ve decided to give this program another chance!]

[Is it truly random? I want to see the director’s expression.]

…

Yuchi Xiao pushed the tall stack of papers forward and asked the vocal mentor, who was sitting farthest away, to draw a card. This mentor was a legend in the music industry, a queen of the music scene. Her debut album had been a nationwide hit, and she was still praised as “the purest voice in the music industry.” After casually flipping open a profile card, the queen smiled: “This contestant is also specializing in vocals. It seems we’re fated.”

Yuchi Xiao leaned closer and said to her: “Teacher Yu, please announce the contestant’s name.”

“Suhui,” the vocal queen turned around and looked at the contestants. “From Neptune Entertainment, please come on stage.”

Among the contestants, the person whose name was called stood up calmly, causing the surrounding contestants to gasp. They had been captivated by this contestant’s beauty. Now, seeing her calm and collected demeanor, and considering that Neptune Entertainment was the most established music company in the country, they immediately realized what a formidable opponent she was.

However, faced with such beauty, some people chose to ship her with others. As she walked past, many contestants hugged each other and whispered with flushed faces: “She’s so beautiful.”

“Wuwuwu, I’m okay with being taken by her.”

Before Suhui even reached the stage, the audience and the comments section had reached an unprecedented consensus.

As she stood under the spotlight, Su Mingxiu finally saw what was glistening by her ear. It was a pair of black, lotus-shaped earrings. The glazed ceramic material shimmered with iridescent colors.

It was the kind of “colorful black” that even the most demanding clients would be satisfied with.

The mentors, seeing Suhui’s appearance clearly, were also surprised. Yuchi Xiao was the first to react. “Are you mixed race?”

Suhui shook her head seriously. She stood before the microphone, her red lips parting slightly, her voice reaching the audience through the microphone. Her pronunciation was a bit strange, but her voice was exceptionally ethereal and pleasant: “Pureblooded.”

Pfft.

Su Mingxiu, in the corner, couldn’t help but chuckle, her black eyes crinkling at the corners, even the tear mole at the corner of her eye seemed to be smiling. The makeup artist had deliberately extended her eyeliner, giving her a naturally alluring look, even without smiling. Now, with her smiling eyes, it was even harder to look away.

The camera that had flown away earlier zoomed in on her again, but she didn’t care. She was wondering what Suhui’s status was among the merfolk.

But the others didn’t have access to such spoiler-like information. After chatting with Suhui for a few words, Yuchi Xiao gestured for her to begin her performance.

Music played from the speakers.

The contestants listened intently, wanting to know what song she had chosen. But after a few seconds, they didn’t hear any melody. They even wondered if the wrong track was playing—

The sound coming from the speakers… wasn’t music, it sounded more like ocean waves.

Then, a singing voice came from afar, so distant that they couldn’t help but strain their ears to hear it. The mentors and contestants fell silent.

The ethereal singing gradually approached from the distance.

Yuchi Xiao was the first to react. He looked at the person on stage in surprise. Seeing Suhui close her eyes, her long, silver hair, like seaweed, cascading down her sides, everyone thought she hadn’t started singing yet, only he realized where the singing amidst the waves was coming from.

Then came the vocal queen, the rap mentor, and the dance mentor.

Finally, the contestants in the front rows.

As the sound approached, a thunderous clap came from the speakers. It was as if they were on a stormy sea, their ship tossed about by the waves. A voice circled their boat, humming a playful tune, letting them know they had become prey, unable to escape.

The storm intensified, and the singing became louder. Even though there were no lyrics, it still captivated their minds. Even the live stream chat was filled with exclamation points and shocked comments.

The person standing on stage smiled faintly, her closed eyelids fluttering open. As the storm abruptly ceased, so did the singing.

Thump, thump.

Many contestants, still under the spell of the song, felt a sense of unease at this sudden silence. They couldn’t help but wonder, had the siren that was about to devour them left, or… had it already chosen its target, waiting to drag it into the water?

“I just sang a song from my hometown, I hope you liked it.”

Suhui’s sweet smile on stage brought their attention back. Then, she said slowly: “I also learned a Chinese song, can I perform it?”

[I was so scared, wuwuwu, I felt like I was about to be eaten! What song is this? Did Suhui grow up by the sea? This song should be called “Siren’s Tale,” perfect for playing by the sea on a stormy day, guaranteed to scare everyone.]

[She looks like a siren too, sister, kill me, I’m willing to be eaten by you!]

[Ahhhh, her voice is so mesmerizing! Help! I thought my ears were pregnant, but they just miscarried…]

…

“How wicked.”

In the corner…

Su Mingxiu propped her chin on her hand and muttered this comment. Because the contestants didn’t have microphones when they weren’t performing, and her voice was very soft, no one heard her.

But Suhui on stage, somehow, glanced in her direction.

The intro to the Chinese song began at that moment. Her blue eyes narrowed slightly. She didn’t know if this song was chosen by her or by Neptune Entertainment, but it was perfect for her voice. Although it wasn’t as captivating as the humming from earlier, it still had a unique quality.

As soon as the song ended, the vocal queen picked up the microphone with a smile and said to Yuchi Xiao: “PD Yuchi, based on these two songs alone, my S card for vocals is hers—”

“I can’t think of anything else to teach her in terms of singing.”

[Wow, with this level of skill, she should just release an album, why bother competing in a talent show? QAQ]

[Teacher Yu has been in the industry for so long, participated in so many shows, and she hasn’t given this kind of praise to many people. Suhui is truly amazing…]

[Am I the only one still immersed in that song that almost killed me earlier?]

Before the cameras…

Yuchi Xiao hadn’t expected Teacher Yu to draw a contestant who could compete for the center position based on her skills alone. Thankfully, he was a seasoned veteran and remained calm. “Can you dance?”

Suhui nodded.

Her height gave her an unparalleled advantage in leg length. And because the merfolk lived in the deep sea all year round,

Even though she only performed a simple traditional dance, the rhythm, combined with her perfect figure and bone structure, was a visual feast.

“S!”

Yuchi Xiao didn’t hesitate. Almost as soon as the dance ended, he slapped down one of the nine S cards in his hand.

The dance mentor nodded and silently pushed their own S card forward.

The rap mentor chuckled and looked around. “It seems everyone agrees—S! The rhythm, the stage presence, PD Yuchi must be very satisfied. As for me, I just want to ask, are you interested in rap?”

Suhui looked at him with her blue eyes. “I can learn.”

The rap mentor immediately applauded. “I’m looking forward to guiding you through this door.”

The initial S rating raised the audience’s expectations. Because of Suhui’s performance, the live stream’s viewership had increased significantly, and even the mentors were filled with anticipation for Produce 101.

Now, many less talented contestants were silently praying that they wouldn’t be picked next.

Su Mingxiu, in the corner, also thought nonchalantly, I wonder who will be the unlucky one after Suhui?

The rap mentor, sitting beside Teacher Yu, casually flipped open a card at Yuchi Xiao’s gesture and said jokingly: “I wonder if I can also find someone I’m fated with, like Teacher Yu… Eh?”

His voice rose unconsciously.

He seemed confused by the Chinese characters on the card, then looked up. “This is a contestant who applied on her own, no company, and her specialty is… cooking?”

—

[Did I enter the wrong show? Is this Produce 101 or MasterChef? ]

[Wow, wow, let’s see who’s cooking in a talent show!]

“Uh…” At the same time, Su Mingxiu thought with a deadpan expression—

Well, well, well, the unlucky one is actually me.

Chapter 66: The Center of the Fish Pond (1)

Su Mingxiu felt like she had slept for a very long time. When she opened her eyes, she was still a bit dizzy. Then, someone bumped into her, making her stumble.

Her hand pressed against a graffiti-covered wall, and she finally saw the scene before her—

Stars twinkled brightly.

But these weren’t the stars of the Milky Way. It was the dazzling sparkle of jewelry and glamorous outfits, a scene unique to the entertainment industry. Countless beautiful girls were gathered together, some with matching outfits, some with similar makeup styles, all of them stunning.

She was standing in a corner amidst this sea of beauty. Her gaze fell on the person who had accidentally bumped into her, a man wearing a hat and a staff badge around his neck. He apologized to her, then stared at her, gasping: “Eh? Which company are you from? Why haven’t I seen your profile?”

Su Mingxiu opened her mouth, but her head felt heavy, as if it had been filled with too many things, all covered by a veil, preventing her from seeing clearly. She pressed her right fingertips against her temple and closed her eyes.

Her long, black eyelashes trembled, the mole under her left eye appearing and disappearing. Her flawless face, without a single pore visible, made the staff member’s eyes widen in amazement!

But Su Mingxiu didn’t notice his reaction. Her attention was drawn to a sudden voice in her mind.

[Host deployment successful… Loading world storyline… Loading failed…]

What?

Su Mingxiu frowned, a bad feeling arising in her heart upon hearing the word “failed.” But her question was ignored by the voice in her mind. The mechanical voice immediately adjusted:

[Loading identity…]

Instantly, a flood of information poured into her mind.

She saw an unfamiliar story, as if it were her own past. In this story, she had lost her mother at a young age, and her father had raised her alone, running a small, dilapidated restaurant.

However, on the day of her college graduation, the restaurant faced malicious competition. Her father’s shop was shut down due to a report, leaving the old man, who had just used his savings to pay a year’s rent, heartbroken and sleepless for nights. He died from a stroke after a night of excessive drinking.

All that remained for Su Mingxiu was a closed restaurant with six months left on the lease and a two-bedroom apartment with only the down payment paid.

So, before she could even start looking for a job after graduating, she had to arrange her only relative’s funeral and shoulder hundreds of thousands in debt.

Although she had inherited her father’s cooking skills, she couldn’t make bricks without straw. Not to mention whether the income from reopening the restaurant could cover her monthly mortgage payments, the rival restaurant across the street was not someone she, an ordinary person, could compete with.

So, the distressed Su Mingxiu decided to see if she could negotiate with the real estate agent and rent out her newly renovated two-bedroom apartment, trying to use rent to cover her mortgage—

Coincidentally, the real estate agency was right next to the audition venue for “Produce 101,” a girl group survival show hosted by the Golden Monkey Channel. The agent went to watch the excitement, and she peeked her head out curiously. She was spotted by the casting director, who had just finished a call with a partner company. He rushed towards her with a wide smile:

…”Do you want to be a star? Do you want to be an idol?”

“Huh?”

“Join ‘Produce 101,’ I’ll recommend you internally. Girl, think about it? Learn some singing and dancing, I think you have the looks to become famous.”

“No, I just want to work and earn money.”

“Our show pays 20,000 yuan per episode!”

“When will it air? When will the salary be paid?”

***

This is strange.

Su Mingxiu came back to her senses, feeling something was off. Her mind was still hazy, but she had an inexplicable confidence that she could settle the restaurant and the mortgage within a month without even participating in this strange talent show.

Just then, that mechanical voice in her head finally spoke: “Identity established! Culinary God System online. Issuing ultimate mission: Participate in ‘Produce 101’ and befriend four future superstars! Gain 100 goodwill points from them with your cooking! Let them help you open restaurants across the country!”

… Still strange.

Su Mingxiu heard the voice. It was completely unfamiliar, but she felt an inexplicable sense of disgust, convinced that it was talking nonsense.

What was the Culinary God System?

Why was it called the Culinary God System, yet the ultimate mission it issued was a romance-based strategy game? What kind of messed up thing was this?

The heavily disguised system, scanning her expression, secretly analyzed its code, wondering if it had revealed any flaws.

But after multiple checks, it couldn’t find any errors. It could only continue acting along with its fake shell:

[As this is your first mission, Host, this system has specifically activated auxiliary functions to help you locate the goodwill targets and understand their preferences.]

As expected.

When Su Mingxiu opened her eyes again and looked at the crowd, she could vaguely see a few colorful borders with text inside, but they were too far away to read clearly.

The staff member was still standing before her. Seeing her rubbing her head with her eyes closed and remaining silent, he thought she was feeling unwell and asked with concern: “Are you alright?”

At that moment, Director Zheng, who was in charge of the overall production, happened to be walking towards them. Hearing the question, he also looked at Su Mingxiu with concern. This was an amateur he had specifically recruited, hoping to use her unique face to create a unique storyline.

If Su Mingxiu’s singing and dancing were terrible, it would perfectly highlight the other contestants’ talents. If she was good, even better. The program could use this “amateur card” to attract a lot of attention.

If even an amateur could debut, could anyone doubt the authenticity of this talent show?

Moreover, with this example, they could also attract more viewers for the second and third seasons.

So, Director Zheng asked her with concern: “Do you need a place to rest? The mentors haven’t arrived yet, the recording won’t start for another half hour.”

“Produce 101” had learned from the strengths of previous talent shows and focused on “authenticity.” Therefore, they were using the latest live broadcast technology. This way, as soon as the recording started, viewers could access the backstage through countless cameras and choose their favorite contestants in advance.

Before the broadcast even started, the contestants sent by various companies were already nervous, gathering in small groups, some practicing their singing and dancing. Only Su Mingxiu, who wasn’t particularly skilled in either, had nothing to do even if she went to rest now.

Seeing Director Zheng’s concern, the staff member realized that Su Mingxiu must have some background. He stood by silently, only asking Director Zheng after Su Mingxiu left: “Who was that?”

He had thought she was some kind of royalty.

Unexpectedly, Director Zheng waved his hand dismissively. “An amateur I picked.”

“Huh? The kind who’s been practicing dance at home for years, or an amateur karaoke champion?” The staff member asked curiously.

Director Zheng glanced at him. “Did you see that face?”

The staff member was stunned for a moment. Just as Director Zheng was waiting for him to understand, he suddenly changed his expression and whispered: “The ace from Neptune Entertainment, exceptional vocals, also very beautiful.”

Thinking of the person he mentioned, Director Zheng patted his shoulder with a smile. “That one can compete for the center position, she’s definitely good. But this amateur… isn’t bad either.”

***

At this moment…

Following Director Zheng’s instructions, Su Mingxiu, walking towards the resting room, realized that the filming location for this show was actually by a vast scenic area. The large tent from earlier was a performance venue that had been renovated from a former attraction.

Since animal performances had been completely banned, these attractions had all closed down. Now, being used as a filming location for a talent show, it was understandable.

She stepped out of the dark room, her vision suddenly widening, and she heard the sound of waves.

Su Mingxiu subconsciously followed the sound, wanting to find a quiet place to gather her thoughts. Unexpectedly, she bumped into two girls walking towards her, arm in arm, with number tags on their chests.

It wasn’t their appearance or their clothes that attracted her attention, but the translucent boxes above their heads:

[Name: Pao Tong (Han Chinese)
Height: 169cm
Taste Preferences: Sweet and sour
Diet: Sugar control…]

Su Mingxiu looked at the girl with pink curls, her appearance exceptionally cute. She felt like the girl was carrying a self-introduction above her head. The translucent box not only listed her taste preferences, but also her ethnicity, height, even her weight, measurements, and recommended cooking styles for strategy. She was stunned for a moment.

Then, she looked at the other girl with a strange expression:

[Name: Annie (Zhuang)
Height: 165cm
Taste Preferences: Spicy and sour
Diet: Due to long-term dance practice, she has old injuries, dietary therapy is recommended…]

This girl had silver-blue short hair, wearing shorts and a T-shirt, her face radiating cheerfulness. Even without looking at the introduction, just seeing the bandages on her fingers and knees, one could tell she had some injuries.

Perhaps due to her years of dance practice, her body looked strong yet graceful, a sight to behold.

Seeing Su Mingxiu staring at them, Annie whistled cheerfully and said to her friend: “What kind of amazing show are we participating in? Why are there so many drop-dead gorgeous beauties everywhere?”

“Hello, are you also here for some fresh air? My name is Annie, this is Pao Tong, we’re a duo. What about you? Are you from a big company or did you apply on your own?”

Annie approached her, extending her hand in a friendly gesture. The crystals on her nails sparkled brightly.

Su Mingxiu, who had been lost in this strange world and the system’s bizarre settings, now responded politely, extending her hand. Compared to the other contestants’ attire, she was very plain.

Necklaces, earrings, rings, manicures, she had none of those.

This one… looks like a good girl who just graduated from school.

Pao Tong thought, her gaze scrutinizing Su Mingxiu. Seeing her shake hands with Annie, she heard her pleasant voice: “Hello, my name is Su Mingxiu, I haven’t signed with any company yet.”

Mingxiu.

Pao Tong memorized the name silently. Then she saw Su Mingxiu turn to her and smile.

Pao Tong, who was always by Annie’s side and used to watching her friend’s lively personality, didn’t expect to receive such a friendly greeting even though she hadn’t spoken. After some thought, she shared the information she knew about this talent show.

“Thank you,” Su Mingxiu said with a smile. “I’ll treat you to dinner sometime.”

Both of them took this as a polite remark. As they parted ways and walked towards the venue, they reminded her to pay attention to the time and not be late.

***

Su Mingxiu walked towards the seaside.

She stopped by the pale sand, her canvas shoes preventing her from getting too close to the waves.

The setting sun pierced through the clouds, casting a golden glow on the shimmering water. The sound of a fishing boat’s horn could be heard from afar.

She was about to have a detailed conversation with the system when the gentle waves, lapping at the shore, suddenly surged, crashing towards the beach.

Just as Su Mingxiu thought the wave would engulf her, it broke right before her feet, only the sea foam splashing onto her shoes and pants.

As the wave receded, a figure appeared on the golden sand.

The person seemed surprised to see someone standing unfazed before such a terrifying sight. They looked at her directly with their blue eyes, then looked away without a word, walking towards the talent show venue, following the same path as Annie and Pao Tong.

They were carrying a pair of silver slippers.

Su Mingxiu stared at them, not at their naturally beautiful, shimmering dress, nor at their long silver hair, but at the translucent box that appeared above their head.

[Name: Suhui (Merfolk)
Height: 171cm
Preferences: Seafood…]

Hmm… hmm??

Su Mingxiu’s eyes widened in shock.

She had always thought that the parentheses contained information about different ethnicities within the country, but what was this “Merfolk”? Was it one of the fifty-six recognized ethnic groups? Was it even a recognized ethnicity in the world?

The previous two, Pao Tong and Annie, either had prominent backgrounds or had debuted before. They had a fanbase and could easily monetize their popularity, possessing the ability to support her restaurant expansion.

But what about this Suhui?

Could it be that after reaching 100% goodwill, she would provide her restaurant with an unlimited supply of fresh seafood?

Chapter 65: The Omega Abandoned After a One-Night Stand (End)

Su Mingxiu and Chu Ruan’s wedding was a grand affair. With the backing of the Su family and the rising prominence of Future Biology, even if they wanted to keep it low-key, the guests who sought to use this opportunity to climb the social ladder wouldn’t allow it.

When the guest list was presented to Su Mingxiu, despite having already removed most of the unfamiliar names, she still ended up crossing out two more pages.

Consequently, her phone was bombarded with messages that night. It was the elders of the Su family earnestly advising her to consider the family’s reputation. If the wedding was too small, it would make them look bad, and so on—

Even Chu Ruan’s phone was flooded with calls.

She didn’t have Su Mingxiu’s boldness. After answering a few calls and obediently listening, Su Mingxiu finally took her phone away, sparing her from further disturbance.

“Don’t worry about them.”

The Alpha pulled her into an embrace and said casually: “Our wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime event, we don’t need to compromise for anyone’s opinions.”

The original owner only had one brother, and the two siblings were the direct descendants of the Su family’s current generation. Because their parents had passed away when they were young, both siblings had matured early.

Su Mingxiu had been able to freely choose to become a doctor because her elder brother had shouldered the responsibility of the family business. Now that she had founded Future Biology, those old geezers in the family finally started paying attention to her, wanting to have a say in her marriage.

To Su Mingxiu, these people were insignificant. There were very few people she cared about, and the person before her was one of them.

“Will it… cause trouble?”

Chu Ruan sat on her lap, casually picking up a tangerine from the fruit plate. The Omega had developed the habit of peeling apples and tangerines when stressed from work. Now, she rolled the round fruit in her palm, then unconsciously started peeling it with her fingernails.

Su Mingxiu stopped her, covering her hand with her own. “Don’t peel it if you’re not going to eat it.” Then, she addressed Chu Ruan’s question. “You grew up in the Chu family, you should know that some people, under the guise of being relatives, can be even crueler than enemies.”

While large families valued blood ties, it didn’t mean there was genuine affection between everyone.

The Omega, her actions stopped, looked at the partially peeled tangerine, her fingers twitching with the urge to finish peeling it. She discreetly hid the tangerine by her side and picked up Su Mingxiu’s previous topic.

“Then… which family members do you care about?”

She needed to know so she could adjust her attitude towards different members of the Su family.

Su Mingxiu, without hesitation, mentioned her brother’s family, and no one else. Suddenly, she smelled the stronger scent of tangerine peel and her eyelids twitched.

Since winter arrived, the most common fruits she had been eating were apples and tangerines. It wasn’t because the family was unwilling to buy other fruits, but because she had the servants prepare these to help Chu Ruan de-stress.

But this Omega only peeled them without eating them. Sometimes, when Su Mingxiu pulled her into an embrace, a fully peeled tangerine would appear before her, or a row of naked apples.

Then, the Omega, with her small appetite, would discreetly try to feed the leftovers to Su Mingxiu while they were talking.

At first, the Alpha didn’t notice her little scheme. Only after going for walks for two consecutive nights to digest her food did she realize how much fruit this little one had fed her.

Now…

Su Mingxiu grabbed Chu Ruan’s hand and pulled her closer. As expected, she saw the tangerine in her hand, mostly peeled, only needing the remaining skin to be removed.

“I’ll tell them to stop buying tangerines tomorrow,” she declared coldly.

“Huh?” Chu Ruan held up the tangerine. “Don’t you like them anymore?”

The Alpha, who had been force-fed ten pounds of tangerines in a week, practically grimaced at the smell.

She placed the tangerine in front of Chu Ruan and asked with a playful smile: “Why aren’t you eating it?”

“I’m tired of it,” the Omega replied, her logic flawless.

Su Mingxiu chuckled silently. Instead of loosening her grip on Chu Ruan’s wrist, she tightened it, pulling her closer until their noses almost touched. Their breaths mingled as she asked: “Oh? Didn’t you think I would get tired of it too?”

A flicker of guilt appeared in the Omega’s eyes, but after spending time with Su Mingxiu, she had become bolder. Now, even though she knew she was wrong, she still dared to lean closer to Su Mingxiu, even taking a gentle bite on her lips:

“Will you get tired of… the things I feed you?”

“Uh…” Su Mingxiu touched her palate with her tongue, the amusement in her eyes deepening.

She didn’t answer the question directly. Instead, she pushed Chu Ruan towards the corner of the living room sofa.

***

The servants only came during the day and left in the evening. So, in this small townhouse, the temperature in the corner of the living room rose steadily. At some point, someone accidentally bumped into the TV remote.

Music from a random channel suddenly blared, startling the Omega trapped in the heat of the moment.

Then, her foot, hooked around the Alpha’s leg, tightened its grip, as if wanting to pull Su Mingxiu closer.

A broken moan escaped from her lips.

After an unknown amount of time, a sweaty arm reached out, the fingertips stained pale yellow from tangerine juice, grasping the sofa, trying to escape from the Alpha’s embrace. But her fingers were pried open one by one, and a chuckling voice advised: “I just changed the sofa cover today, don’t get it dirty.”

“Ugh…”

The person trapped in Su Mingxiu’s arms had tears streaming down her face at some point. She bit her lip and tried to push the Alpha away, but her strength in this state was negligible. Her struggles were futile.

“I can’t eat anymore…” So she switched from hard tactics to soft ones.

Su Mingxiu leaned in and kissed the beads of sweat on her nose, asking with a smile: “Can’t eat anymore of what I’m feeding you?”

“Ah!” Chu Ruan finally realized where this unwarranted disaster came from.

She lost her mischievousness and whimpered, wanting to say something nice. But then, she saw Su Mingxiu turn her head towards the table, a playful tone in her voice: “Besides, if you can’t eat anymore now, what about the tangerines later?”

“Ah!!” Chu Ruan’s expression changed rapidly, and she started crying even harder.

***

The day of the wedding arrived amidst all this chaos.

Chu Ruan sat in front of the vanity mirror early in the morning. Her mother, whom she hadn’t seen for a long time, had an uncontainable joy on her face. As she combed Chu Ruan’s hair, she whispered about the Chu family’s affairs, talking about how much Chu Lei valued her now and had even given her a lot of pocket money;

Then, she mentioned that she didn’t know what illness Chu Huanzhi had, but she had heard that Chu Huanzhi hadn’t been seen in public for a long time, probably because of some health problem.

Chu Ruan, wide awake at this hour thanks to her biological clock, couldn’t even muster a yawn. She could only listen to these words passively. But when she heard Chu Huanzhi’s name, she couldn’t help but be distracted for a moment, remembering how her cousin had come to Jingui High School to find her and Su Mingxiu.

—She hadn’t seen Chu Huanzhi since that day. So she was sick?

“Teacher Chu!”

Su Xinyan, dressed in a rose-red embroidered cheongsam, looking exceptionally cute and elegant today, appeared out of nowhere, carrying a small bamboo basket. She skipped into Chu Ruan’s room and smiled sweetly: “Auntie said you woke up too early and your stomach isn’t feeling well, so she had someone prepare some warm snacks for you. Try some?”

Chu Ruan’s mother, seeing this, wanted to stop her. After all, if Chu Ruan ate too much now, she might not be able to fit into her wedding dress or might stain it with food, which wouldn’t be very elegant.

But the words caught in her throat. Remembering that Su Xinyan was the precious little princess of the Su family, not someone she could easily dismiss, she swallowed her words and only nudged her daughter’s arm discreetly.

Chu Ruan pretended not to notice.

She hadn’t expected Su Xinyan’s arrival to have this effect. So, while eating the snacks, she kept the little girl company, chatting about interesting things happening at school.

Until the wedding ceremony began, guided by the emcee, step by step. Apart from her mother’s nagging, Chu Ruan didn’t encounter any other problems. Even the Chu family members she saw after her entrance were unusually polite and courteous.

The wedding venue was decorated in elegant, light colors.

Like a pale green fairy tale world.

And the person who gave her this world was waiting for her at the end of the red carpet.

Chu Ruan walked slowly at first, but as she got closer, her pace quickened, as if she couldn’t wait to reach Su Mingxiu. Until her hand was gently held by the Alpha.

“Why are you in such a hurry?”

Her Alpha looked even more stunning than usual today. The matching wedding dress made Su Mingxiu’s already alluring face look like an elf queen stepping out of a fairy tale, a jeweled crown adorning her head.

Chu Ruan looked up at her and suddenly squeezed her hand, whispering: “I can’t wait to marry you.”

Su Mingxiu’s eyes widened slightly.

She seemed calm, but her sweet pheromones were already leaking.

Making the Omega who smelled her blush.

The atmosphere between them made even the emcee feel like a third wheel.

They exchanged rings in this atmosphere, their hands resting on the vows as they recited in unison: “We willingly join together in matrimony, and from this day forward, we will share the responsibilities and obligations bestowed upon us by marriage…”

These were words that others had also spoken.

But the voice of the person beside her, every word, every syllable, seemed to resonate within her soul.

***

Until the red candles were lit and they were escorted to the festive wedding chamber.

The two brides had changed into several outfits today. Now, Chu Ruan sat by the bed in a deep red cheongsam, her eyes lowered as she fiddled with the heart-shaped candles on the bedside table. Behind her was a sheer veil.

Her features were bathed in the soft, red candlelight, giving them a peach-like hue. She looked at the person who had walked up to the bed, her eyes blinking. The Omega only now felt a sense of unreality, unable to comprehend how she had captured this person’s heart.

“I haven’t asked—”

“When did you start liking me?”

The objects in Chu Ruan’s hand were pushed aside, and she was pressed into the quilt by Su Mingxiu. In their previous encounters, the Alpha had always been gentle during their full markings, only aiming to help her through the difficult heat cycle.

So even though the Omega always wanted to escape in the end, she would still obediently let Su Mingxiu hold her the next time.

She thought she was getting used to it.

So, on this wedding night, she was also very cooperative, letting the other person slowly remove her clothes. Until Su Mingxiu’s chuckling voice reached her ears: “Naturally, it was love at first sight.”

Eh?

The Omega, oblivious to the approaching danger, even reached out to touch the tear mole at the corner of Su Mingxiu’s eye, her fingertip tracing it back and forth. She asked: “Then why didn’t you contact me for three years? Weren’t you afraid I would run away?”

Su Mingxiu only smiled.

Until, half an hour later…

Chu Ruan was covered in sweat, the quilt and sheets stained with dark patches. She shook her head and tried to move towards the edge of the bed, but an arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her back. Her fingertips accidentally caught the veil, sending it cascading down.

The room was filled with indescribable sounds.

Interspersed with soft, hoarse whimpers.

The patient leopard had finally waited for the day to devour its prey completely, revealing its true predatory nature, determined to taste every inch of the prey’s body, even as it cried out in pain.

Mint and rose intertwined and grew wildly in the room, permeating every corner—

The scene suddenly changed as the fragrance reached a certain intensity.

The Omega’s eyes were red-rimmed, her gaze hazy as she hugged a pillow. Her elbows and knees were rubbed raw by the sheets. As her lips trembled, a scene appeared before her.

Even redder than the wedding chamber.

It was a swaying field of scarlet flowers.

She tried to identify them with her fading rationality and finally recognized what they were.

Poppies. A boundless field of red poppies.

Before she fell into the abyss of desire, Su Mingxiu’s voice, husky with passion, reached her ear. Her teeth grazed the existing mark on Chu Ruan’s ear, deepening it again and again. She chuckled, her voice laced with unfulfilled desire: “You can’t escape.”

From the moment we met, you were destined to be mine.

Chu Ruan had been trying to escape the terrifying whirlpool Su Mingxiu had created. But hearing these words, it was as if she saw those poppies reaching out and entwining those innocent roses.

Until every petal and leaf of the roses were stained with the scent of poppies, and those disguised mint leaves had long disappeared.

She suddenly understood—

Once she had met Su Mingxiu, she was bound to be addicted.

And there was no escape.

But she didn’t want to escape, willingly making this place her home.

Chapter 64: The Omega Abandoned After a One-Night Stand (21)

Chu Ruan stared at her flamboyantly dressed cousin and asked calmly, “Is this how you treat family and relatives? Giving someone a suppression collar that accelerates pheromone release and then watching them make a fool of themselves in public?”

The person she was looking at didn’t even blink, replying with a confused expression: “What suppression collar?”

After a while, Chu Huanzhi pretended to remember reluctantly. “I did give you a gift like that before. Did something happen? Is there a misunderstanding?”

“Uh…” Chu Ruan felt that her own shamelessness paled in comparison to her cousin’s.

She said listlessly: “Just leave. I already said, I have nothing to do with the Chu family anymore—”

“But Sister, you’re still a Chu…” Chu Huanzhi said with a smile, as if she was determined to have this lunch.

“I can change my surname to Su today, do you want to as well?” Chu Ruan looked into her eyes and asked the most crucial question.

Everyone knew why Chu Huanzhi was here, but she was the only one pretending to be oblivious. Chu Ruan’s question finally rendered her speechless.

What could she say?

Yes? Too straightforward.

No? It would cut off her own path.

Only now did Chu Huanzhi dare to steal a glance at Su Mingxiu. But the Alpha had been watching them with a faint smile in her alluring eyes. However, from the beginning, her gaze had only been on Chu Ruan.

Hearing Chu Ruan’s words, Su Mingxiu chuckled softly.

The sunlight seemed to brighten her face.

“If we don’t leave now, we’ll be late.” Saying this, Su Mingxiu opened the car door and said to Su Xinyan: “Get in the car with Teacher Chu.”

Su Xinyan, hearing this, happily pulled Chu Ruan towards the car and said excitedly: “Auntie is a great foodie, the restaurants she picks are always amazing. This one has great reviews too. Teacher Chu, why don’t we check out the menu online?”

Chu Ruan didn’t want to leave, but with the younger girl acting coquettishly, she could only get in the car. However, her gaze was still fixed on Su Mingxiu.

The closed car door blocked out the outside noise—

From Chu Ruan’s perspective, she could only see Su Mingxiu taking two steps towards Chu Huanzhi, her lips moving, probably saying something brief.

But Chu Huanzhi’s expression suddenly changed, and she took several steps back. Even after Su Mingxiu turned and got into the car, her cousin didn’t try to approach them again.

But as the car door opened, a faint sweet scent wafted in with the breeze brought by Su Mingxiu.

It was the Alpha’s pheromones.

Even Su Xinyan, sitting in the back seat, rubbed her nose. “Eh? I can smell it today. But why does it smell like strawberries to me?”

No way, no way, her cool and powerful aunt, with a strawberry scent? That’s too weird!

“Hmm?”

Chu Ruan turned around from the passenger seat, looking at Su Xinyan with uncertainty. “Strawberries?”

Su Mingxiu, who was driving, glanced at her and said calmly: “I forgot to tell you, my pheromones don’t have a specific scent. Everyone smells something different.”

Chu Ruan suddenly remembered the night they parted ways three years ago, when Su Mingxiu had asked her several times what she smelled.

—So that’s how it was.

She sat up straight, holding the seatbelt, and asked softly, “Then what… what’s your true pheromone scent?”

But the driver didn’t answer, instead bringing up another topic: “Didn’t you just say you could change your surname today?”

“Uh…” It was just something she had said during an argument, but now, coming from Su Mingxiu’s mouth, it had a different meaning.

Chu Ruan’s throat tightened nervously. She clutched her seatbelt, wanting to explain, but afraid of Su Mingxiu misinterpreting her refusal. As she hesitated, Su Xinyan in the back seat exclaimed excitedly: “Wow! I just checked the lunar calendar, today is an auspicious day for everything, it’s truly a good day!”

“Right?” Su Mingxiu echoed. “I also think today is a good day.”

Especially because…

While waiting for Chu Ruan, she had received a message from the research institute. The research that had been stalled for the past three years had finally made a breakthrough today—

The system’s source code that had been extracted from her body, regarding the ultimate mission, although they couldn’t decipher its content or add anything to it, they could shorten it. The laboratory had borrowed two quantum computers from the Federation’s central laboratory and had simulated countless scenarios after shortening the content.

The result was very satisfying to Su Mingxiu.

Because as long as they deleted everything after the first part of the mission, leaving only the line [Set a love trap for Chu Ruan, make her willingly fall in love with you], it would be enough.

To be safe, they could delete everything, but a blank ultimate mission might trigger the system’s judgment. So she had instructed the laboratory to delete as much as possible. After all, she had already completed the first part.

Thinking of this, Su Mingxiu felt that today was indeed a good day.

The sun was shining brightly.

Not a single cloud in the sky.

Refusing in front of her niece would make it seem like she didn’t want to be part of their family. Unable to tell if Su Mingxiu was teasing her again, Chu Ruan simply went along with it. “Okay.”

“Did you bring your ID?”

Su Mingxiu smiled meaningfully. “I did.”

***

Inside a heavily secured room in Future Biology…

The system, placed in an observation device, unable to escape or communicate with the outside world, flashed its lights, its code running slowly. It was pondering how it had ended up in this situation again.

When Su Mingxiu had retained her memories in the last world, she would rather be struck by lightning, endure the torment of the celestial tribulation, than obey the mission.

Now that she had lost her memories, even though she didn’t remember anything from before, she still harbored a strange hostility towards the system. In this world, she was even willing to undergo craniotomy just to extract it—

What went wrong?

Was it the memories?

The system, in its core space, took a drag from a simulated cigarette and pondered several plans, simulating whether restoring Su Mingxiu’s memories or letting her remain amnesiac would be more beneficial for the next world’s mission.

Lines of code lit up.

After looking at the 50/50 simulation results, the system tossed the cigarette aside and muttered dejectedly: “She’s so hostile, could it be because of my name?”

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away…

Su Mingxiu, after finishing lunch with her two “family members,” drove straight to the Civil Affairs Bureau.

Seeing their destination, Chu Ruan hadn’t expected her to be so serious about it. She hesitated as she got out of the car. Seeing the long queue outside the marriage registration hall, everyone with joyful expressions, she instinctively leaned closer to Su Mingxiu and whispered: “Are you sure you want to get married today?”

“It does lack a bit of ceremony,” Su Mingxiu continued seriously. “Do you prefer diamonds or gemstones? We’ll go order them later.”

Seeing Chu Ruan’s flushed face, she asked again: “Do you still want to meet my parents? Or do you want to discuss the wedding date? Don’t worry about these things, Xinyan is practically a member of the Su family, you’ve already met her. As for the wedding, Xinyan even wants to be the flower girl and the maid of honor.”

“Uh…” Chu Ruan, from her series of seemingly playful remarks, finally understood her seriousness.

So she put aside her hesitation and uncertainty, took Su Mingxiu’s hand, and intertwined their fingers, her thumb tracing the patterns on Su Mingxiu’s glove. Somehow, she suddenly remembered a certain night.

Because she wasn’t in heat back then, she didn’t want to let Su Mingxiu enter her reproductive cavity, but this person had teased her with those gloves…

The Omega’s ears turned red again.

But this time, she didn’t back down because of her embarrassment. Instead, she pulled Su Mingxiu towards the queue.

“Okay.”

“We’ll get married today. From now on, you’re mine, and you can’t change your mind.”

Seeing her rare decisiveness, a flash of surprise appeared in Su Mingxiu’s eyes. But it was a pleasant surprise, so she let Chu Ruan lead her to the end of the queue, joining the joyful atmosphere.

***

Getting their marriage certificate, ordering engagement rings, meeting the parents, planning the wedding—

Chu Ruan spent all her free time during the semester preparing for these things. As the winter break approached, Su Xinyan finished her exams and, ignoring her own parents at the parent-teacher conference, ran to the infirmary. “Auntie!”

Before she could finish speaking, she pushed open the half-closed door of the infirmary and heard a soft, coquettish voice from inside: “It hurts… be gentler…”

“If I’m gentler, it’ll fall out.”

“Nonsense… Sob… it really hurts…”

“You were the one who wanted this, and now you’re complaining. Ruanruan, when did you become so delicate?”

Su Xinyan, who had just stepped into the infirmary, froze on the spot.

Her instincts told her to cover her ears and quickly retreat, pretending she hadn’t heard anything. But the little girl, who only had theoretical knowledge and had never encountered such a scene in real life, was too shocked to even move.

Su Mingxiu, who had already heard her footsteps, emerged from behind the curtain of one of the nursing beds, looking at her calmly. “What’s wrong?”

Su Xinyan met her gaze and couldn’t help but think:

So fast?

Distracted by this thought, she struggled for a while, then blurted out: “Should I… not be disturbing you two right now?”

Hearing her voice, an arm with a few silver needles inserted into it reached out from behind the curtain, and a confused voice came: “Is that Xinyan?”

“Yes,” Su Mingxiu responded, then turned to warn Su Xinyan: “Don’t move, I learned acupuncture myself. If you move and the needles get misplaced, I’m not responsible for any consequences.”

“Uh…” Chu Ruan wanted to pull out the needles and jump off the bed.

Su Xinyan, however, couldn’t help but let out an “Eh?”

Su Mingxiu came out holding a tray with a few packets of unused needles. Hearing her niece’s sound, she guessed the little girl’s thoughts and looked at her with a playful smile. “What, are you feeling unwell too? Want me to give you a few needles?”

Su Xinyan quickly retreated.

She knew her aunt’s expression all too well. If she agreed now, she would definitely be tormented beyond recognition later.

So she immediately changed the subject: “Auntie, can I stay at your place tonight? I made plans with my friends to go to a concert tomorrow, and your apartment in the city center is the closest.”

“The one in Shanglinfang? I’ll have the housekeeper leave the keys for you later.”

“Eh? You two aren’t living in Shanglinfang? Are you at Mingyue Manor or Pingye Villa?”

The aunt and niece chatted casually.

After Su Xinyan left, Chu Ruan, lying behind the curtain, felt something was wrong. She asked: “Shanglinfang? You have an apartment in Shanglinfang too?”

Su Mingxiu returned to check if Chu Ruan had accidentally knocked off any needles with her movements.

Entering the small space behind the curtain, she saw the beautiful Omega’s back. Other Omegas, with their fair and delicate skin, would look cute and chubby. But Chu Ruan, because of her work, was either staying up late or working overtime. Now, she was so thin that her spine was visible.

But now, from her nape downwards, were rows of thin needles.

Taking advantage of Chu Ruan’s immobility, Su Mingxiu propped herself up beside her, leaned close to her ear, and replied with a smile: “Yes.”

“The kind you would want to stay in too.”

Chu Ruan only needed a moment of thought to realize why she had been able to rent an apartment in the city center at such a low price. She turned her head, facing Su Mingxiu, and said with a chuckle: “Why didn’t you tell me back then?”

“Didn’t you hate me back then?”

Chu Ruan was speechless.

After a moment, she mumbled softly: “I still hate you now.”

“Hmm?”

Su Mingxiu lowered her head and kissed her lips. “What?”

“I said I still hate—”

Her words were cut off by another kiss.

Chu Ruan couldn’t move. She could only watch helplessly as Su Mingxiu took advantage of her again and again. By the end, her lips were red and swollen, and she finally confessed her true feelings in a low voice: “I like… I like you, okay?”

Chapter 63: The Omega Abandoned After a One-Night Stand (20)

The door to the infirmary was closed, and even the curtains were drawn halfway, blocking the sunlight.

But the figure in the royal blue sweater, sitting on one of the narrow nursing beds, was still nervous. Her fingertips clutched the sheet, her face flushed even though nothing had happened yet. Especially when she saw the person in the white coat approaching, she couldn’t help but whisper: “Can’t we just use a suppression collar?”

The students who had crowded the infirmary earlier had all been driven back by the class bell. The one or two who still wanted to feign illness were scared off by the injection needle Su Mingxiu took out.

Between pain and a beautiful woman, they wisely chose to save their lives and come back for admiration during the next break.

Therefore, only Chu Ruan, who genuinely needed help, remained in the infirmary.

But she only wanted to frequently replace her suppression products, not to be soothed by Su Mingxiu’s pheromones. This Alpha always appeared gentle and agreeable on the surface, practically promising to be gentle with a written guarantee. But once the Omega’s gland was between her teeth, it was entirely up to her when to let go and how much force to use.

Remembering the pain, Chu Ruan whispered, “I still have class later.”

This was her way of asking Su Mingxiu to be gentle.

Su Mingxiu, recalling how long it took the Omega to recover each time after biting her nape, looked at the person sitting on the edge of the nursing bed with her alluring eyes. She chuckled softly and walked towards her, tilting Chu Ruan’s head up, her gaze meeting those clear eyes. “Honestly, which hurts more, my bite or the suppressant injection?”

“Uh…” Chu Ruan recalled the night she was taken back to Su Mingxiu’s place from the hospital three years ago.

Perhaps because she had no expectations of this Alpha back then, and she had no one to rely on,

She had endured everything silently. Even the suppressant injection felt tolerable.

But now, having developed a dependence on this person, she couldn’t even bear a little pain.

She had shed more tears since reuniting with Su Mingxiu than she had in the entire previous year.

Seeing the Omega’s silence, Su Mingxiu lowered her head and pecked her lips, urging: “Why aren’t you saying anything?”

A knowing smile appeared in the Alpha’s eyes. Her kiss moved from Chu Ruan’s lips downwards, her hot breath washing over her, accompanied by a playful tease: “You don’t want me to fully mark you, but you also want me to bite gently. Ruanruan, aren’t you a bit too demanding?”

Actually, it wasn’t that Su Mingxiu insisted on bullying her.

It was just that after being marked by an Alpha’s pheromones, an Omega’s pheromones would become more volatile, and the suppression collar wouldn’t be as effective as before.

Therefore, in Alpha-Omega marriages, the Federation prioritized protecting the Omega’s interests.

Alphas could easily replace their marked wives. Some even had multiple Omega partners without any consequences for their own bodies.

But for Omegas, they could only be marked by one type of pheromones. Even with the advancement of technology, removing a mark or even surgically removing the gland would greatly weaken the Omega.

Their health often deteriorated afterwards.

Hearing Su Mingxiu’s words, Chu Ruan, who had been too embarrassed to look up, suddenly reached up and wrapped her arms around Su Mingxiu’s neck, tilting her chin up as she mumbled in protest: “I’m not demanding.”

She was actually very easy to coax.

As long as Su Mingxiu said a few sweet words, she would always be appeased immediately.

Su Mingxiu’s nose buried itself in the high collar of the royal blue sweater, brushing against the bandage. After a while, she raised her hand and pressed down on Chu Ruan’s nape, peeling off the bandage, revealing the newly healed skin, a delicate, pinkish hue.

After a moment of hesitation, she said, “Ruanruan, how about we just do a full marking?”

An Omega’s reproductive cavity was more sensitive than their external gland. But the amount of pheromones needed for conception was enormous. Compared to biting the gland on the nape and injecting Alpha pheromones, this method was actually more effective.

Hearing Su Mingxiu say such suggestive things in such a serious tone, Chu Ruan was stunned at first. Then, realizing where and when they were, she immediately tried to push Su Mingxiu’s shoulder away. “Not now!”

“Oh?”

Su Mingxiu coaxed her: “Then when?”

“Uh…” Chu Ruan hesitated, letting out a soft, almost inaudible sound. But Su Mingxiu pretended not to hear, her nose brushing against the Omega’s sensitive gland, her breath tickling her skin. “What? Speak louder.”

“Tonight!”

Chu Ruan, pushed to her limit, actually used the same volume she used to answer teachers’ questions back in school.

Then, she felt the chest she was leaning against tremble slightly. It was Su Mingxiu laughing at her. Embarrassed and angry, Chu Ruan wanted to hit her shoulder, but Su Mingxiu anticipated her move and caught her hands. The next moment, her canine teeth sank into the gland on Chu Ruan’s nape—

“Ugh…”

The Omega, expecting another wave of pain, raised her neck, a soft sound escaping her pale pink lips.

But the pain was fleeting, like an ant bite. Instead, the injection of Alpha pheromones was more intense.

So the sound that had escaped her lips didn’t rise in pitch. Instead, it was drawn out, turning from a cry of pain into a soft moan.

Su Mingxiu closed her eyes, trying to suppress her instincts. As she released Chu Ruan, she stroked her head and said in a strained voice: “It’s too early to make such beautiful sounds.”

“Ah!” Chu Ruan opened her watery eyes and swatted Su Mingxiu’s hand in annoyance. Then, realizing she might have used too much force, she grabbed Su Mingxiu’s hand and rubbed it apologetically.

The Alpha let her appease her, remembering this debt and planning to settle it with her tonight.

***

The story of Su Mingxiu becoming a regular school doctor at Jingui High School quickly spread.

Chu Residence.

Chu Huanzhi followed closely behind her mother, hearing her hum as she prepared pastries. She said with a hint of anger: “You always told me to be patient, and I listened to you. The plan failed last time, and I didn’t lower myself to approach Su Mingxiu. But now, that Chu Ruan has hooked her back. If I don’t act now, I won’t even get a chance to try.”

The woman who had just put the pastries in the oven turned around and looked at her daughter. “Do you know why I told you not to go to the hospital when Chu Ruan was injured three years ago?”

Chu Huanzhi thought for a moment and shook her head.

“Because she had someone send me a picture of the suppression collar you gave to Chu Ruan.”

Her mother said with a smile.

Smart people didn’t need many words, they could understand each other with just a hint. From that moment on, Chu Huanzhi’s mother realized that sometimes, just one wrong move could cost them everything.

If the Chu family still wanted to ride the coattails of the Su family, Chu Ruan was the only link they could use, and they couldn’t afford to replace her.

Three years was enough to change many things.

But as soon as Su Mingxiu returned to this city, she had re-entered Chu Ruan’s life. It was clear that this Alpha had never considered anyone else and had never lost interest in Chu Ruan.

Acting on their own now would only bring humiliation.

Seeing the obsession in her daughter’s eyes, she sighed. “Find someone else, Zhizhi. She’s not someone you can have.”

“I haven’t even tried, how do you know it won’t work?”

Chu Huanzhi shook her head stubbornly, her gaze meeting her mother’s.

The orange light of the oven was still on. The mistress of the Chu family took off her heat-resistant gloves and said casually: “Then go try it.”

Children always needed to stumble and fall to learn and grow.

After Chu Huanzhi left, she called the housekeeper. “Have someone keep an eye on her. If she provokes the Su family, remember to prepare some calming aromatherapy for her at night, so she doesn’t cry herself to sleep.”

After a pause, she added: “Also, inquire about the preferences of the head of Future Biology and prepare a gift.”

This way, even if her daughter caused trouble, once the gift was delivered, the Su family would know that it was just a childish rivalry, not the Chu family’s intention.

***

Jingui High School was planning to hold an autumn sports meet this week.

It was a time for relaxation amidst their heavy studies, so the students were all very excited. Many signed up for various events, from long-distance running to sprinting, high jump to tug-of-war.

Marching music played through the school’s loudspeakers for a long time. Thankfully, the school was built on reclaimed land, with no residential areas nearby, so they didn’t have to worry about noise complaints and could fully embrace the lively atmosphere.

For the teachers, the sports meet was also a time for them to relax. Thinking about the overtime work she had been doing recently, Su Mingxiu specifically invited Chu Ruan out for dinner on the day of the sports meet. But somehow, Su Xinyan found out and sent Su Mingxiu a few crying emojis during break.

“Auntie, it’s not just Teacher Chu who’s suffering from the cafeteria food, but also your cute little niece.”

“Can I be a light bulb? The energy-saving, environmentally friendly kind, the type that can be turned off with voice control.”

Su Mingxiu: “Ask Teacher Chu, if she agrees, it’s fine.”

Chu Ruan naturally had no objections.

After all, she also liked Su Xinyan. The student was smart, hardworking, and sensible. Even though she knew about Chu Ruan’s relationship with Su Mingxiu, she had never revealed it to anyone, creating a very comfortable working environment for her.

So, at noon that day, after praising her students for their efforts in winning glory for their class, Chu Ruan headed towards the empty parking lot behind the school.

Su Mingxiu arrived even earlier than her.

But she wasn’t alone.

Seeing the other person, Chu Ruan couldn’t help but pause. Su Mingxiu had a calm expression, her head lowered as she was dealing with messages on her phone. Hearing Chu Ruan’s footsteps, she looked up, a bright smile appearing in her alluring eyes.

“You came just in time—”

…

“Someone claiming to be your relative is here to see you.”

Chu Ruan approached, her gaze indifferent as she looked at Chu Huanzhi. This cousin of hers always loved to dress up.

But today, she was even more meticulously dressed than usual, especially her makeup. She had gone for a natural look, with warm-toned blush and eyeshadow, highlighting her best features.

“I’ve already cut ties with the Chu family,” she said softly, looking away. “I have no relatives.”

Chu Huanzhi knew that Chu Ruan had guessed her involvement in the incident three years ago. But she pretended to be oblivious and reached out to hold Chu Ruan’s hand with a feigned sadness.

“Sister Ruanruan, you haven’t been home for a while, Auntie misses you very much. She specifically asked me to bring you a gift.”

“Are you going out for lunch? I’m a bit hungry too, why don’t we go together?”

Both Chu Ruan and Su Mingxiu just looked at her, neither of them speaking. A voice suddenly came from not far away: “No!”

They all turned towards the source of the voice and saw Su Xinyan walking towards them. The white school uniform looked youthful and energetic on the little girl. Somehow, she had already guessed the newcomer’s identity from afar.

“This is a Su family dinner, only family members are allowed, no outsiders.”

The words “Su family” made Chu Ruan’s ears turn slightly red.

But Chu Huanzhi didn’t look at the speaker. Instead, she blinked at Chu Ruan and said with a smile: “Sister, I’m your family too.”

Su Xinyan looked at Chu Ruan nervously.

She was afraid that Chu Ruan would agree and bring this annoying person along, even giving her a chance to get close to Su Mingxiu. That would be disastrous.

Her CP couldn’t be broken!