I Struggle to Survive in a Girl Group [Transmigration] - Chapter 11

“So, Chen, wasn’t I right?”

The dance instructor, Xu Yan, was in her early twenties, lively and talkative.

Excitedly pointing at An Qing on stage, she turned to Jiang Chen as if seeking credit. “Huge improvement, right?”

Jiang Chen felt numb inside. The thought of dealing with Wang Yuanyuan’s unreasonable demands again gave him a headache, but he forced a bright smile. “Absolutely, pleasantly surprising.”

The voting rules for this performance were as follows: 500 audience members would vote for their favorite contestant in each group after their performance. After all performances concluded, they would then vote for their favorite stage overall.

On-site votes would be converted into online votes at a 1:1,000 ratio and added to each contestant’s total. For example, if a contestant received 100 votes today, her total would increase by 100,000.

There were six teams in total, competing in pairs. The winning team in each matchup would earn an additional 50,000 votes per member.

The team with the highest total votes would receive another 50,000 votes per member.

When the results for An Qing’s team came in, Jiang Chen was stunned once more.

Yu Tingbai took first place with 163 votes no surprise there. But An Qing actually secured 132 votes, surpassing Shen Siqi by over 20 votes and landing in second place.

As a contestant rumored to have connections, An Qing’s projected votes had been estimated lower than Shen Siqi’s. Shen Siqi was cute, talented, and popular. If An Qing had performed as poorly as before yet still outvoted her, accusations of favoritism would have been inevitable.

Though such accusations weren’t new, it was best to tread carefully around Shen Siqi’s fiercely loyal fanbase. The fact that An Qing had surpassed her this time suggested she had won over many casual viewers with her stage presence.

How had this happened?

“An Qing has truly transformed, becoming the best version of herself.”

Jiang Chen continued hosting with effortless charm, careful not to let his inner turmoil show.

Standing nearby, An Qing felt a pang of guilt upon hearing the praise again.

She had clearly overthought things earlier, even suspecting that PD Jiang harbored ill will toward her. How embarrassing.

Meeting his gaze, she flashed him a bright smile.

Jiang Chen suddenly felt even more stifled.

The other instructors also praised An Qing’s performance highly, with Xu Yan especially thrilled, as if she had struck gold.

The show’s initial setup had positioned An Qing as a vocalist someone who couldn’t dance or rap, only managing simple singing parts without going off-key.

Yet the fluidity and precision of An Qing’s dance moves on stage had exuded effortless mastery.

Recalling An Qing’s earlier notorious attempts to slack off, Xu Yan concluded she must be a naturally gifted dancer who had squandered her talent before. After experiencing training camp life, she had turned over a new leaf, with recent breakthroughs marking a qualitative leap.

So Xu Yan didn’t hold back her praise, showering An Qing with compliments.

She even emphasized, “An Qing, you’re the most pleasantly surprising performer on this stage.”

An Qing bowed deeply in gratitude, and Xu Yan playfully winked at her.

The vocal mentor, named Moran, was in her thirties and worked at a prestigious art academy in the country. She was an extremely strict woman.

She carried the aloof integrity of a scholar, never accepting favors from anyone and always speaking her mind. In the earlier episodes of the show, she had mercilessly criticized An Qing’s vocals, even sparking a trending topic at one point.

Throughout so many episodes, the only people who could bring a smile to Moran’s face were Shen Siqi, who was exceptionally gifted in vocals, and Yu Tingbai, who excelled in every aspect.

Moran first gave Yu Tingbai and Shen Siqi high praise, then abruptly shifted her focus to An Qing.

“An Qing, I once said that even Siri sings better than you. I take that back now.”

What? How could this be?

An Qing nearly burst out laughing but quickly realized this wasn’t exactly an honor and struggled to suppress her grin.

Moran smiled faintly and said, “You performed very well today. The gap between you and Shen Siqi is now just one Siri away.”

At that, An Qing couldn’t hold back anymore and burst into laughter, successfully setting off the rest of her teammates, who all dissolved into giggles.

The audience below also erupted in laughter, creating an incredibly harmonious atmosphere.

Meanwhile, in the studio, Wang Yuanyuan, who was watching the live performance with everyone else, was utterly dumbfounded. She wasn’t exactly diligent herself she found rehearsals exhausting and had no interest in keeping up with An Qing’s progress.

She hadn’t watched An Qing’s group during yesterday’s rehearsal. After all, An Qing’s performances were consistently terrible, what was there to see?

So, Wang Yuanyuan was completely unaware of the changes An Qing had undergone recently. The moment she stepped off the stage today, she eagerly found a good spot, quietly waiting for An Qing to embarrass herself.

When she saw Jiang Chen and Yu Tingbai praising An Qing before the performance even began, Wang Yuanyuan’s lips curled into a smirk. She couldn’t wait to see An Qing struggle later!

But the outcome completely defied her expectations. Not only did An Qing not drag the team down as usual, but she also flawlessly executed the performance, securing votes second only to Yu Tingbai, and then receiving continuous praise from the mentors??

Wang Yuanyuan was so furious she nearly passed out, but there was nothing she could do. She could only seethe silently, plotting to go cry to Jiang Chen again that night.

The next team to perform was Huang Xiao’s group. Their song was “The Rivers and Lakes for You,” and they were well-prepared, delivering a solid performance. However, due to the limitations of the members’ individual abilities, compared to the stunning stage of “Bloodthirsty Forest,” their performance lacked impact and felt somewhat flat.

“Bloodthirsty Forest” and “The Rivers and Lakes for You” were the final two competing stages. After they concluded, it was time for the highly anticipated team voting segment.

During the vote-counting break, An Qing and her team returned to the studio, found a corner to sit in, and quietly waited for the results to be announced.

Before they could even settle in, a crowd of trainees swarmed around them.

“Tingbai, your stage was absolutely explosive!”

“You’re definitely winning this!”

Originally, when everyone heard that Yu Tingbai and An Qing were on the same team, they all assumed Yu Tingbai was doomed this time.

A team with An Qing had never taken first place before. With such a liability on board, the members usually just prayed nothing would go wrong, how could they dare hope for more?

But unexpectedly, this time An Qing not only didn’t drag the team down but also performed exceptionally well. The live voting results placed her just below Yu Tingbai, surpassing Shen Siqi to rank second in the team.

As a result, several trainees approached An Qing some genuinely impressed, others simply jumping on the bandwagon to cozy up to her.

“An Qing, you were amazing!”

“Sweetheart, how are you so stunning?”

“I really want to be in your group next time!”

Whether insincere flattery or genuine praise, An Qing accepted it all with a smile. While chatting cheerfully with those around her, she subtly turned her head, casting a sidelong glance in a certain direction.

In the corner of the studio behind her, two beautiful girls leaned against the wall, deep in conversation.

One had blue highlights in her hair, tied into a high ponytail, with a black headband across her forehead. Her gaze was wild and untamed, like a fierce wolf. The other was the complete opposite, her features delicate and refined, her aura elegant, with a faint scholarly air about her.

The ponytailed girl was named Yi Zhuo, ranked second last week, while the other was Wen Ling, ranked seventh. An Qing noticed them because she knew that, barring any surprises, these two would be the remaining members of the final five-member group.

Yi Zhuo had been a rapper for years and was exceptionally skilled. Perhaps due to her complex upbringing, her beauty carried an aggressive edge, mixed with a hint of rebelliousness, driving fans wild. Her popularity remained consistently high, fluctuating between second and third place since online voting began.

Wen Ling, on the other hand, came from a family of scholars both her parents were university professors. She had been deeply passionate about music since childhood, bordering on obsession. Though her appearance was gentle, embodying the classic Eastern beauty, her personality was anything but weak. She had her own convictions and stubbornly defied her parents’ wishes to participate in this survival show.

This performance had placed them in the same group. Despite their starkly different styles, their chemistry on stage was unexpectedly electric, creating a mesmerizing effect.

Seeing that they didn’t seem interested in mingling with others, An Qing withdrew her gaze.

The moment An Qing turned back, Yi Zhuo lifted her eyes, watching her retreating figure.

She asked the person beside her, “Did you hear about An Qing arm-wrestling someone the other day?”

Wen Ling thought for a moment before nodding in recognition. “I did.”

“Interesting,” Yi Zhuo chuckled ambiguously. “An Qing isn’t just practicing hard now, she’s also learned to stir up CP rumors for clout. Wasn’t she the one who used to look down on that kind of thing?”

As she spoke, she tilted her chin slightly.

Wen Ling followed her gaze and saw An Qing whispering something into Yu Tingbai’s ear. Yu Tingbai smiled faintly in response, then reached out to adjust the crooked silk bow on An Qing’s back.

Wen Ling remarked, “Maybe she’s had a change of heart.”

No sooner had she spoken than the rankings for two more teams were announced.

By now, most of the team rankings had been revealed, leaving only the first and second places. The remaining two teams were Yu Tingbai’s group with Bloodthirsty Forest and Yi Zhuo’s group with Flowing Fire.

The tension in the room had reached its peak, and Yi Zhuo’s emotions were also fluctuating. She leaned in close to Wen Ling’s ear and whispered, “Then what about you? What about your CP with Yu Tingbai ”

At that moment, Jiang Chen’s voice came through the studio microphone, clear and resolute.

“The team taking first place is’Bloodthirsty Forest’! Congratulations!”

Yi Zhuo’s words were cut short, while Wen Ling remained expressionless.

She said, “It doesn’t matter.”

Yi Zhuo raised an eyebrow and tapped her right hand twice over her heart, half-joking and half-serious. “Wen Ling, is there nothing in here? What are you thinking about?”

“I was thinking.” Wen Ling pursed her lips, a soft ripple of warmth appearing in her clear eyes. “At its core, shipping CPs is no different from eating dog food.”

Successfully derailed, Yi Zhuo replied, “Huh? That’s actually true.”