Girl idols are meant to be exploited!

"Is this true... This is too strong..."

Just when everyone was attracted by Xiangzi's performance, a discordant sound suddenly appeared on Su Shi's bass.

At that moment, it was like a puzzle that had been perfectly put together, but suddenly a piece was missing.

She caught up immediately, but her rhythm was slightly off.

The entire song that followed was played in this somewhat "awkward" manner.

Momoka frowned slightly as she played the guitar.

The bass should be the foundation of the entire song, guiding the drum beats and the main melody to resonate in harmony. But Su Shi's performance at this moment is like a loose brick, unable to maintain its footing and unable to support the rhythm.

It’s not that she had any technical problems, but that her performance sounded a bit “soft”, as if she was testing and avoiding, not solid enough and not decisive enough.

After the song ended, Taoxiang couldn't help but say: "It's not right... Su Shi, your rhythm is a little..."

"Ah, I'm sorry."

Su Shi almost subconsciously lowered his head to admit his mistake, "I... I'll adjust it again."

She bit her lip, her fingers clenched the neck of the guitar, and her palms were a little sweaty.

Xiangzi naturally noticed that something was wrong with Su Shi, but she didn't say anything. She just put down her hand silently and waited quietly for the next time to start.

She neither criticized nor encouraged, just remained calm and silent.

After the second and even third attempts, Su Shi's problems still did not improve, and gradually became apparent. Everyone had discovered the reason why she was not suitable.

And the most obvious problem is that she has been "giving in".

The tempo of her playing always lagged slightly behind Xiangzi's changes, as if she was afraid of clashing with him, and she subconsciously made concessions in every paragraph.

It’s not that she can’t play...it’s just that she plays too carefully, as if she’s afraid of stepping into someone else’s territory.

She was afraid that she would disturb Xiangzi, that he would turn around and frown, and that a sound from her would make him dislike her even more.

Renai whispered to An and Subaru, speculating, "Could Suyo-senpai be Xiangzi-senpai's 'ex-girlfriend'? Why does she always seem so cautious, afraid of being disliked by Xiangzi-senpai?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

An He Subaru wordlessly poked Renai's head, then raised his head and looked at Su Shi with a smile on his face, encouraging him: "Su Shi-senpai, you can be bolder and don't be nervous. The more casual you are, the better. Otherwise... we will all be influenced by you."

"……Feel sorry."

Su Shi whispered, burying his head even lower, "I'll try again."

The air in the rehearsal room in the afternoon became increasingly heavy.

As attempts at ensemble failed again and again, everyone's patience gradually wore out.

The drum beats are unstable, the melody is clashing, the rhythm is dragging, especially the bass part. There is obviously no wrong note, but it always sounds awkward, like a river that has deviated from its course and can never keep pace with the mainstream.

At this moment, Su Shi still lowered his head, and his ears were a little red.

Of course she knew her problem, but she also knew that it was not something that could be solved by just practicing once and saying "come on".

She cared too much about that person - Toyokawa Shoko, who was so close to her but now seemed as far away as a mountain.

She couldn't calm down at all while staying beside Xiangzi. Her fingertips were trembling slightly, and the bass in her arms was like a foreign object that she couldn't control at all.

She tried hard to keep up, tried hard to fit in, but every time, she instinctively took a half step back at the last moment, as if there was an invisible wall in front of her, isolating her.

Xiangzi's fingertips rested on the piano keys, her brows finally furrowed. She was silent for a moment, and finally spoke.

"Senior Su Shi..."

She used a deliberate, cold honorific and said coldly, "Could you please stop worrying about me? Be serious."

"It's not that you can't play, you're just afraid of me. Don't be so cautious, and don't let the track change the rhythm to follow me. We are an ensemble, and I don't need you to accommodate me."

Su Shi was startled and looked up at Xiangzi.

This was the first time all day that she looked Xiangzi in the eye.

But she only looked for a moment and then lowered her head again.

"...I didn't...just..."

"you have not?"

Xiangzi chuckled, as if trying to suppress his dissatisfaction. "So, the way you're playing now, are you pretending to be weak, or are you acting out a 'I'm sorry, I was wrong, can you please come back' script?"

Her words were a bit harsh, and even Subaru turned his head away and couldn't help but say: "Xiangzi-senpai, aren't you a little too..."

"I'm not wrong."

Xiangzi said in a cold tone, "If this continues, we might as well just replace him."

The air completely froze at this moment.

Su Shi seemed to be hit hard.

"I just... don't want you to hate me anymore."

She whispered, her voice so low that it was almost inaudible, "I don't want to deliberately accommodate you..."

"So you play like a shadow?"

Xiangzi's tone was still cold, but a flickering emotion appeared in his eyes. "Do you think this kind of concession and shrinking will make me happy?"

Su Shi's hands tightly grasped Beth's. She wanted to say something but swallowed it back.

“…Should I quit?”

She murmured, as if talking to herself.

"It shouldn't be."

Xiangzi's answer was almost immediate.

She looked straight at Su Shi, there was no frost in her eyes, only complexity.

"If you really think this collaboration is important, stand up straight and don't play here timidly like a deserter."

After a pause, she lowered her voice, "...otherwise I will really hate you."

Su Shi suddenly looked up, a hint of shock flashing in his eyes.

These words hurt her more than any reprimand.

She was already trying hard not to be disliked, but this sentence still hit her soft spot.

After a long silence, she finally bit her lower lip and nodded slowly.

"……sorry."

"Don't apologize to me. Don't let me see your lack of professional ethics."

Xiangzi looked at her and said in a slightly cold voice, "Let your bass speak."

After another not-so-smooth ensemble, the rehearsal room fell into a brief silence.

Su Shi lowered his head slightly, with the bass draped over his shoulder, and his bangs on his forehead were wet with sweat.

Her fingers felt numb, but her heart was in turmoil.

In the previous few performances, she clearly tried hard to let go of her hands and feet, but the rhythm was still unstable and the harmony was still uncertain.

She could feel that Xiangzi had lost his patience. Although he did not scold her again, her cold and indifferent eyes were more uncomfortable than any words.

"Everyone has worked hard, let's take a break...!"

An and Subaru seemed unaffected by their emotions and spoke with smiles on their faces, as if to give everyone a reason to catch their breath.

"Ah."

Renai and Momoka also nodded, but they both looked at Su Shi at the same time, wanting to say something but stopping themselves.

Comforting? Not really.

They are not yet that mature.

Blame? Even less appropriate.

After all, she was trying her best.

If I have to say anything, I can only say that they are "incompatible".

The entire rehearsal room was filled with low pressure, making it a little hard to breathe.

Just then, familiar and brisk footsteps suddenly came from outside the door.

"Thank you for your hard work, how was today's rehearsal?"

With a slightly smiling voice, Chihaya Aine pushed the door open and walked in with a few cups of coffee.

"This is a new type of coffee that Mr. Xingchuan recently developed. He's currently conducting research and promoting it throughout the office for free. If you have any feedback after trying it, you can also go to the front desk and fill out the survey form. There will be a reward."

As Aine came in, the air in the rehearsal room finally began to flow again.

Everyone took the coffee from Aine and thanked her with a smile.

Su Shi, who was standing in the corner, breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Ain come in, and a look of relief appeared in her eyes.

Aine was practicing in the practice room next door, and she came over now to see what was going on.

She whispered to Su Shi: "What's the situation now?"

Su Shi lowered his eyelashes, smiled bitterly, and did not answer, but that expression was enough to explain everything.

Aine saw this, sighed softly, and without hesitation reached out to grab her wrist.

"Su Shi, there are some snacks in the tea room. Come with me to get them!"

She "dragged" Su Shi out of the rehearsal room as if she were a kitten.

Shoko Toyokawa, who was standing by, looked at the two men's backs, a complex look flashed across her eyes, and her expression was ambiguous.

……

Of course, Aiyin pulled Su Shi out not just to get some snacks, she mainly wanted to ask about Su Shi's situation.

"Sushi, you and Xiangzi... haven't reconciled yet?"

She asked softly.

Su Shi was silent for a while before whispering, "Xiao Xiang is very cold to me. I feel like she still doesn't want to reconcile with me..."

"how come?"

Aine blinked and said firmly, "If she really didn't want anything to do with you, she wouldn't have come as support, or even come to see you."

“But I play it so badly…”

Su Shi's tone was filled with self-blame. "She's so professional, and I... I don't know how to play just by looking at her."

Aiyin didn't respond immediately, but looked at Su Shi with her head down, and suddenly reached out and gently rubbed her head.

"Stupid Sushi!"

Su Shi was a little stunned by this rub and turned to look at her.

Aiyin said angrily, "You're too repressed. You have so many emotions in your heart, but you don't dare to release them. Music is the best way to release them!"

"I……"

Su Shi bit her lip. "I want to release myself, but when I'm with Xiangzi, I can't help but care about her feelings. I want to start over with her, but I'm afraid of making a mistake... The more I play, the more I become a joke."

Aiyin was also somewhat helpless about this.

She rubbed her forehead in confusion, then suddenly clapped her hands and said simply, "In that case... let's go find him!"

"……who?"

"Mr. Hoshikawa."

Aine said as a matter of course, "This performance, even the support arrangements, were all arranged by him. He must have a way! Even if he doesn't, he will definitely find a way."

Looking at the trust that Aine showed in Hoshikawa Taku, Su Shi could already determine who the person that Aine was referring to as someone she "liked a little bit" was.

As they were talking, the two of them had already arrived at the office.

However, the office was empty, and Aine tilted her head in confusion.

"Mr. Xingchuan is not here? Where did he go?..."

She took out her cell phone from her pocket and sent a message to Hoshikawa Taku's assistant Lupa, asking about Hoshikawa Taku's schedule.