I Struggle to Survive in a Girl Group [Transmigration] - Chapter 10

The Five Gong Live Performance.

An Qing followed behind Yu Tingbai, stepping onto the stage at a steady pace and taking her position.

The blinding spotlight shone down from above, illuminating the youthful and radiant faces one by one.

Screams instantly pierced through the roof.

“Ahhhh Yu Tingbai!!!”

“Yu Tingbai is so beautiful!!”

“An Qing, An Qing is too adorable!!”

“Shen Siqi, look at your mom!!”

An Qing lifted her gaze. Below the stage was an endless sea of glow sticks and cheering banners, like a colorful ocean of fireflies.

Yu Tingbai’s name appeared most frequently on the banners, followed by hers, with Shen Siqi’s not far behind.

An Qing knew that her actual fan count probably wasn’t as high as Shen Siqi’s. The current effect was entirely due to the production team tipping the scales, increasing the proportion of her fans in the audience.

For aesthetic purposes, the lineup was arranged by height. Yu Tingbai, as the center, stood in the very middle, flanked by the slightly shorter An Qing and Chu Qing, with Shen Siqi and Song Rongrong on the outer edges.

Their outfits today followed a dark, gothic Lolita theme, predominantly black, with each member sporting eye-catching elements like a single-eye patch, fishnet stockings, a black veil, and so on.

Yu Tingbai leaned into a sexy style, wearing a black miniskirt paired with garters that accentuated her flawless curves. She had sharp black devil horns on her head, paired with fiery red lips and smoky eye makeup, making her beauty more aggressive than usual.

An Qing’s face was adorned with skull prints, and she wore a cute black lace babydoll dress with a beautifully cinched waist and a fluffy skirt that made her fair, slender limbs stand out, like a delicate black butterfly.

Looking at the lively scene below, An Qing felt a momentary daze.

When was the last time she faced so many spectators?

She couldn’t quite remember.

Singing and dancing were her passions she never imagined she’d be able to reclaim them in this way. A whirlwind of emotions surged in An Qing’s heart; she felt every cell in her body burning, her eyes even growing warm.

The PD of Sweetie 101 was named Jiang Chen. A former idol himself, he was handsome and charismatic, once a top-tier star in his prime, now transitioning into new roles. Over the past few days, he hadn’t participated in rehearsals due to other commitments, so this was An Qing’s first time seeing him.

“Let’s welcome Chu Qing’s team Bloodthirsty Forest! I’m sure everyone has been eagerly waiting for them. Their outfits today are absolutely stunning.”

Jiang Chen, the host for this performance, stood at the center of the stage, following the cue cards to guide the flow, having each member introduce themselves one by one.

The self-introductions had been rehearsed many times. The girls confidently showcased their unique charms some sexy, some cute, some cool, some alluring. The screams from the audience rose and fell in waves, smoothly wrapping up this segment.

As the leader, Chu Qing added a few more formal words, promising to lead the team with dedication and deliver the most dazzling performance.

Just as An Qing thought the segment was over and the performance was about to begin, Jiang Chen suddenly called her out.

“An Qing, I heard from the other mentors that you’ve improved tremendously recently like you’ve been reborn, completely transformed. I’m curious, is that true?”

He handed the microphone to An Qing, his smile flawless, suave and charming.

For some reason, An Qing’s heart inexplicably skipped a beat.

“Say a few words to everyone, An Qing.”

“Brother Chen, you have to help me.”

Just the day before, Wang Yuanyuan had pitifully tugged at Jiang Chen’s sleeve, embellishing the story of how An Qing had arrogantly lectured her at the convenience store. Of course, she conveniently left out the part where she mocked Yu Tingbai and listed numerous other outrageous things An Qing had done in the past.

Jiang Chen and Wang Yuanyuan’s parents had some connections, so the two were somewhat familiar. At his parents’ request, Jiang Chen had been looking out for Wang Yuanyuan since the competition began, though he wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about it. Having watched Wang Yuanyuan grow up, he knew right away that the situation wasn’t as simple as she made it out to be. Still, a little princess like An Qing, who was just as spoiled as Wang Yuanyuan, wouldn’t be hurt by a lesson or two.

Jiang Chen frowned and said sternly, “Didn’t I tell you not to come running to me all the time? It doesn’t look good. I just got back”

“What’s there to worry about? There aren’t any cameras in the mentors’ dorm anyway,” Wang Yuanyuan interrupted, pouting in dissatisfaction. “Brother Chen, just promise me. I’m not asking for anything big just help me put her in her place on stage tomorrow.”

Her eyes darted around before she added, half-threatening, half-pleading, “Otherwise, I’ll tell Uncle Jiang that you stood by and watched while others bullied me!”

“Alright, alright, I got it. You should head back now.”

Jiang Chen rubbed his temples, exhausted from his busy schedule and now having to deal with this troublesome girl. He waved his hand dismissively, signaling for her to leave.

Seeing that her goal was achieved, Wang Yuanyuan didn’t push further and quickly scurried away.

Jiang Chen massaged his temples and leaned back into the soft couch.

Well, it wasn’t like it’d be difficult. He had seen An Qing’s previous performances with her level of skill, finding faults would be a piece of cake.

Other mentors had mentioned that An Qing had been working extremely hard lately, showing noticeable improvement. But Jiang Chen dismissed it outright, privately scoffing at his colleagues’ lack of professionalism clearly, they’d say anything for favors.

So he decided that during the next performance, he’d set An Qing up for a fall.

Before her act, he’d shower her with exaggerated praise. First, it would raise the audience’s expectations, making them think, “That’s it?” when they saw her actual performance. Second, given An Qing’s personality, she’d never know the meaning of humility his compliments would go straight to her head, and she might even spout some outrageous remarks, earning herself another wave of backlash.

Even if things went south later, it wouldn’t reflect poorly on him. After all, he was just the hardworking PD who had just returned from a business trip, genuinely pleased to see a trainee’s improvement and offering a few kind words of encouragement. If An Qing couldn’t live up to the praise, that was on her.

Jiang Chen thought himself a genius for coming up with this plan. So after praising An Qing on stage, he smiled warmly, fixing his gaze on her doll-like face with feigned concern, patiently waiting for her to step right into his trap.

An Qing steadied herself, thinking she might be overanalyzing things. She and Jiang Chen were just minor characters in the story, how could there be any real conflict between them?

She took the microphone, her thin lips parting slightly. “Thank you for your concern, PD. With the help of my teammates, I’ve indeed made significant progress. Please keep your eyes on me.”

The stage lights fell on her silver hair, casting shimmering streaks of radiance.

An Qing spoke with neither arrogance nor humility, then formed a heart with her hands for the audience below, followed by an innocent and adorable wink.

The fans erupted in cheers instantly. The original An Qing had little to offer beyond her looks, so whenever she made good use of her face, her fans were utterly delighted.

The plan was going far too smoothly!

Jiang Chen was laughing maniacally inside, but on the surface, he cooperatively feigned a look of pleasant surprise. “An Qing has always been this confident, hasn’t she? Now, let’s hear from another teammate. Yu Tingbai, what are your thoughts?”

He knew full well about the discord between An Qing and Yu Tingbai, which was precisely why he’d chosen to ask her. If Yu Tingbai undermined her, it would make for great drama. But if she lavished praise instead, then.

“An Qing is already an outstanding trainee. I have full confidence in her.”

Yu Tingbai glanced at An Qing, a faint smile on her lips, her tone utterly sincere.

Just as expected! Yu Tingbai was a wolf in sheep’s clothing!

Jiang Chen’s lips twitched uncontrollably. He couldn’t resist sneaking an encouraging look at Yu Tingbai, silently praising her for playing along so beautifully. With their endorsements and An Qing’s own blind arrogance, she had now been elevated to an impossibly high pedestal one she could never live up to.

The higher the climb, the harder the fall.

At that moment, Yu Tingbai turned her head slightly and flashed him a strangely beautiful smile.

Jiang Chen: ?

Before he could ponder the meaning behind Yu Tingbai’s odd expression, the director’s voice crackled in his earpiece, urging him to move the show along. Choosing to ignore it, he said, “Now, let’s hand the stage over to Bloodthirsty Forest!”

The moment the music began, An Qing slipped into character instantly. Her gaze turned icy, a scornful smile playing on her lips, like a cruel yet beautiful little demon.

“The best hunters appear as prey.”

Her voice was clear, the tail end of her words drawn out slightly, laced with a sweet, tantalizing allure like a kitten’s claws scratching at the heart.

After finishing her part, An Qing turned sharply and walked backward. Yu Tingbai stepped forward, looping an arm around her waist. The two locked eyes for a brief moment before Yu Tingbai released her and began her own verse.

The audience fell silent for a heartbeat before erupting into thunderous cheers.

“An Qing, ahhh!!”

“An Qing is so gorgeous!!”

“Yu Tingbai!!”

“That eye contact just killed me!!”

“So sweet, ahhh!!”

The fans screamed wildly, frantically waving their light sticks for the two until the others’ parts began, gradually calming down.

No wonder everyone praised An Qing’s progress she truly lived up to the hype!

Not just the audience, but the mentors too nodded in approval, their faces alight with satisfaction.

During rehearsals, they’d already noticed An Qing’s astonishing improvement, but no one expected her to perform even better in the actual show.

Recalling how An Qing had initially been utterly clueless, they couldn’t help but marvel inwardly at how transformative this program was turning a hopeless case into someone who persevered, accumulated strength, and stunned the world in one glorious moment.

Jiang Chen stared in shock at An Qing shining brightly on stage, utterly at a loss for how to react.

Previously, when An Qing sang off-key and danced like she was performing military drills, he had felt confident dismissing the talk of “An Qing’s improvement” from others.

He had even prepared himself emotionally, ready to furrow his brows and sigh in disappointment, but now… what was this???

So, all that effort he put into praising An Qing earlier, what was it for? Just to set the stage for her to steal the spotlight now?

Under the dazzling lights, Yu Tingbai turned gracefully, her slender fingers lifting An Qing’s chin as they executed a camera-perfect fake kiss.

In an instant, deafening screams erupted and swept through the audience.

Jiang Chen:

Why is there a singing and dancing segment in the middle of a romantic drama?