8.

The practice room of the "Venom" group seemed to have become an isolated sweat shop.

The production team gave them only fourteen days to train, which was undoubtedly a huge pressure for them to master a difficult dance piece, complete the positioning, and work together as a team. Every day felt like a race against time.

What initially shocked and even made the other three players despair was the unmatched strength of their captain and center position.

Needless to say, Mi Xi's fifteen years of dance training have given him a preternatural degree of control over his body. The choreography for "Venom" is complex and powerful, with many moves requiring intense core strength and control. He can replicate them almost perfectly after watching a demonstration a few times, even infusing them with his own interpretations, making the movements even more beautiful and captivating. He seems born for this song; every glance and every punctuation accurately conveys the song's dark and alluring spirit.

What surprised them even more was the captain Wuyou.

This seemingly delicate little ancestor, seemingly in constant need of coaxing, transforms into a completely different person once he enters practice mode. His dance foundation is remarkably solid, his movements clean and sharp, with immense explosive power. Unlike Mi Xi's fluid, feminine, and toxic style, his steps possess a wild, aggressive charm. Furthermore, he is an astonishingly quick learner, often catching up as soon as Mi Xi finishes working on a detail. Their occasional interactions, though unplanned, always sparkle with breathtaking brilliance.

"Oh my god...what kind of monsters are these two..." The dance leader of Class B muttered to himself during the break, looking at Mi Xi and Wu You who were still practicing a certain wave connection in the mirror.

"I thought I was here to cling to their thighs," Class C Vocal slumped to the ground, complaining weakly, "Now I realize I can't even reach their ankles..."

By the seventh day of intense, high-pressure training, everyone was showing signs of fatigue. Even Mi Xi's hair was constantly drenched with sweat. Wu You was so exhausted that she didn't even have the energy to act coquettishly or complain. She would often collapse on the floor after practice, pretending to be dead. Only her tearful eyes remained stubbornly bright, refusing to admit defeat.

That afternoon, there was a gentle knock on the door of the practice room.

The "dark horse" student from Class F, who was closest to the door, thought it was a staff member and weakly called out, "Come in."

The door was pushed open, and a tall figure stood at the door against the light.

The man, dressed in a well-tailored dark gray suit, stood tall and straight, his demeanor strikingly cool, a stark contrast to the perspiration-filled, hard-working atmosphere of the practice room. He was also carrying several large food containers emblazoned with the logo of a high-end restaurant.

Wuyou, who was lying on the ground, took a subconscious glance and then suddenly sat up straight. His tearful eyes, which had dimmed due to fatigue, suddenly widened, filled with incredible surprise.

“Pei… Pei Yu?!”

His voice rose in surprise, cracking a little.

Everyone else in the practice room was stunned, including Mi Xi, who stopped and looked towards the door.

Pei Yu's eyes immediately locked onto Wu You, who sat on the ground, her face covered in sweat and looking pitiful. His stern features softened for a moment as he stepped in. Ignoring the surprised or awed glances of the others, he walked straight up to Wu You and squatted down.

"Why are you here?!" Wuyou still didn't react, and her tone was filled with dependence and grievance that she herself didn't even notice. "When did you come back from Korea? Why didn't you tell me!"

Pei Yu reached out and gently wiped the sweat from the tip of his nose with his fingertips. His movements were natural and intimate, and his voice was low and deep: "Just got off the plane. Came to see you." His eyes swept over Wuyou's face, which had obviously become thinner, and his brows knitted slightly. "Are you tired?"

"Nonsense!" Wuyou immediately took advantage of the situation and pouted, "I'm so tired! My legs are almost broken! The food is also tasteless..."

Pei Yu listened to his complaints patiently, then placed the food box in front of him: "I brought some food for you and your teammates."

At this time, the other team members woke up from their dreams and stood up nervously.

"Hello, Mr. Pei!"

"Thank you, Mr. Pei!"

Oh my god! This was Pei Yu, the legendary CEO of AXIS! He was alive! He even brought them food! They were so flattered that they didn't know what to do.

Pei Yu nodded slightly to them, a greeting, his attitude distant but not rude. His gaze then turned to Mi Xi, who was standing in front of the mirror, quietly looking at him.

Their eyes met in mid-air.

Pei Yu's eyes were deep, full of scrutiny and inquiry.

Mi Xi's eyes were calm, and she looked back frankly, neither humble nor arrogant.

In just a moment, Pei Yu withdrew his gaze and looked back at his little fox, rubbing his sweaty hair: "Take a rest after eating, don't work too hard."

Wuyou couldn't wait to open the food box. The exquisite snacks and side dishes inside exuded an enticing aroma. His eyes lit up and he nodded vigorously. Then, as if he remembered something, he picked up a small piece of strawberry cake and ran to Mi Xi as if presenting a treasure.

"Xixi! Try it! It's super delicious!" His eyes were shining, as if the person who collapsed from exhaustion just now was not him.

Mi Xi looked at the cake he handed to her, then glanced at Pei Yu who was not far away and whose eyes seemed casual but were actually focused on looking at her. She paused and reached out to take it.

"Thanks."

Pei Yu's unexpected visit was like a shot in the arm, a pebble dropped into a calm lake. The atmosphere in the "Venom" group's practice room grew more subtle and complex. But there was no doubt that the subsequent training seemed to be re-energized by this unexpected "reward."

————

The exquisite snacks and side dishes temporarily dispelled the fatigue of days of training, and the practice room was filled with the aroma of food and a brief atmosphere of relaxation. Several team members ate cautiously, but couldn't help but secretly glance at the two people in the corner.

Wuyou sat cross-legged on the floor, eating the mango pudding without the cream that Pei Yu had specially brought for him. While eating, he suddenly put down the spoon, raised his head, and glared at Pei Yu who was sitting next to him and watching him eat with indulgence.

"Pei Yu," he called her by her full name, his voice filled with obvious anger and grievance. "Tell me the truth, is there no one left in AXIS? You insisted on having me participate in this show... It's very tiring, you know!"

The more he spoke, the more he felt his words made sense. His eyes widened with tears, trying to increase his momentum. Unfortunately, in Pei Yu's eyes, he looked like a fox cub whose tail had been stepped on and was bluffing.

Pei Yu laughed at his sudden accusation, a gentle ripple spreading across his deep eyes. He reached out and naturally rubbed Wuyou's hair, which was even softer and more fluffy after being dampened by sweat. His tone was full of doting and helplessness: "Little Ancestor, weren't you fine when you were eating just now? Why are you angry again?"

This intimate gesture and address almost made the team member who was watching quietly nearby choke on his saliva. He quickly lowered his head and pretended that he saw and heard nothing.

"Hmph!" Wuyou turned her head to avoid his hand, but she didn't avoid it completely. Instead, she seemed to be comforted by the caress. Her tone softened a little, but she was still relentless, even with a hint of coquettishness. "Brother Pei Yu~" He dragged out the last syllable, and the sound of it made people's bones soften. "Do you just want to see me tired to death to be happy? I don't care, I'm going to tell Uncle Pei that you bullied me and forced me to participate in the talent show!"

He resorted to the ultimate weapon - suing the parents.

Team members: “!!!” You can still do it this way?!

Pei Yu looked at him, his unscrupulous appearance, relying on the support of others to act recklessly. The smile in his eyes deepened, but he deliberately sighed and pretended to be very embarrassed: "Alas! What a pity..."

He drew out his tone and successfully attracted Wuyou's full attention.

"What a pity?" Wuyou asked vigilantly.

Pei Yu moved closer to him, lowered his voice so that only the two of them could hear clearly, and said slowly: "It's a pity, my dad... doesn't seem to know that his precious daughter-in-law secretly ran away to participate in the talent show? I'm afraid you can't sue me for this."

Wuyo: “!!!”

His eyes widened instantly, like a kitten being pinched by the scruff of its neck. His earlier arrogance vanished in an instant, replaced by a trace of guilt and annoyance at having been caught. He was so focused on complaining that he almost forgot that Uncle Pei had no idea he was in China.

"You...you..." Wuyou kept saying "you" for a long time but couldn't come up with anything. Finally, she could only snatch the other unopened box of pudding from Pei Yu's hand in anger and said in a vicious voice, "This one is mine too! Don't take it from me!"

Then she turned around and faced Pei Yu with the back of her head, but the tips of her ears turned red uncontrollably.

Pei Yu looked at his timid appearance and chuckled softly, his chest vibrating, clearly in a very good mood. He stopped teasing him and just gazed at his back gently, saying softly, "Eat slowly, no one's going to snatch it from you."

This intimate interaction, without paying attention to others, filled the entire practice room with a sweet and ambiguous atmosphere that outsiders could not interfere with.

Mi Xi quietly finished his piece of strawberry cake, the sweet taste melting on his tongue. He glanced at the sulking Wu You and the indulgent Pei Yu, then calmly averted his gaze and took a sip from the water bottle beside him.

He seemed to understand where Wuyou's arrogance and willfulness came from.

The other team members who were completely ignored had already been filled with "Oh my God" in their hearts.

So this is how the most powerful royal family works?!

This isn't a talent show at all; it's clearly a bushi romance experience for the president and his young wife!

Pei Yu's visit to the set added a fascinating episode to the daily training of the "Venom" crew, and also gave everyone a more intuitive (and shocking) understanding of the background and favor of Wu You, the "royal family".