I Struggle to Survive in a Girl Group [Transmigration] - Chapter 13

As soon as Jiang Chen finished speaking, the room erupted into chaos.

“The production team is really stirring things up!”

“Do they want to see us tear each other apart?”

“It’s time to test our humanity again!”

An Qing froze for two seconds before realizing just how devious this rule was.

Lower-ranked trainees could pick their songs first, but higher-ranked trainees could freely swap the choices of anyone who picked before them, securing their preferred songs.

Conflicts were bound to arise during the selection process, and it would all come down to how the higher-ranked trainees decided to act. Moreover, if there was an open slot in a desired song but the group included someone they didn’t want to work with, higher-ranked trainees could simply move that person to another group. Lower-ranked trainees would have no say utterly at the mercy of others. It was brutal.

There were four trainees ranked above An Qing, in order: Yu Tingbai, Yi Zhuo, Shen Siqi, and You Shuang.

Shen Siqi was kind-hearted and probably wouldn’t move her nameplate, but the others were unpredictable.

Thinking of Yi Zhuo’s razor-sharp aura and the way You Shuang’s eyes sparkled when she looked at Yu Tingbai, An Qing suddenly felt very vulnerable.

What if, under the combined efforts of these two, her fiancée ended up running off with someone else? What then?

But looking on the bright side, even if Yi Zhuo and You Shuang didn’t touch her nameplate, given all her past misdeeds, Yu Tingbai might not want to be in the same group with her anyway. Wuwu…

As An Qing frowned, lost in thought, Jiang Chen announced, “Let’s take a look at this round’s performance songs!”

The trainees immediately stopped their discussions and focused intently on the screen.

The first song was Childhood Sweethearts, a light, sweet, ancient-style ballad by a famous female singer, depicting the tender love between a pair of childhood sweethearts.

The second song was Prejudice, a fierce critique of societal biases against the younger generation. With its aggressive and unique style, it was an explosive track. Its sharp lyrics also made it highly relatable.

The third song was Your Prisoner, a melancholic love song about someone heartbroken and trapped in memories. It had gone viral early last year and had massive popularity.

As the 15th-ranked trainee began selecting her song, An Qing mustered her courage, about to ask Yu Tingbai which song she wanted, only for You Shuang to cut in first.

“Tingbai, which one are you picking?”

An Qing: !!!

You little minx, I see you eyeing my fiancée!

Gathering intel was crucial. She held her breath and pricked up her ears, waiting for Yu Tingbai’s answer.

Yu Tingbai smiled. “Prejudice, I think. It’s interesting.”

You Shuang immediately chimed in, “I love Prejudice too! Tingbai, want to team up?”

An Qing felt every muscle in her body tense. If You Shuang, as described in the novel, was the type to cling to popularity and marketing, and ended up in the same group as Yu Tingbai, things could get dangerous. Whether An Qing was in the group or not, You Shuang would undoubtedly stick to Yu Tingbai like glue, snatching up every chance to be close to her.

Her relationship with Yu Tingbai had just started to thaw this was the time to strike while the iron was hot. She couldn’t afford to mess up now and lose all her progress.

Yu Tingbai seemed to notice something, her peripheral glance sweeping over An Qing before quickly withdrawing.

She smiled at You Shuang, delivering a flawless response.

“With these rules, who ends up in which group is anyone’s guess.”

At Jiang Chen’s command, the tense and thrilling song selection officially began.

The lower-ranked trainees all wore grave expressions as they cautiously stepped forward, placing their name tags beneath their desired songs, then anxiously watching others make their choices.

If their name tags remained untouched, they secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Those whose tags were moved, however, looked visibly frustrated, though they forced smiles to mask their disappointment, accepting this harsh reality with feigned indifference.

When it was An Qing’s turn to choose, only one spot remained for both “Your Prisoner” and “Prejudice,” while the most challenging song, “Green Plum,” still had three openings.

In previous rounds, trainees had dreaded being grouped with An Qing, but things were different now. She had successfully transformed from a mere “vase” with connections into a skilled contestant with connections. Combined with the buzz from her past controversies, she suddenly became a coveted addition for every group.

“An Qing, consider ‘Green Plum’!”

“How about ‘Your Prisoner’?”

“‘Prejudice’ needs one more join us!”

Without hesitation, An Qing strode forward. She didn’t move anyone else’s name tag, simply placing hers in the last remaining slot under “Prejudice.”

The other trainees who had chosen “Prejudice” erupted into cheers, and An Qing exchanged a few cheerful words with them before returning to her seat, intently watching as others made their selections.

Her palms were sweating with nerves. After all, both You Shuang and Yu Tingbai had expressed interest in “Prejudice” there was still a chance she could be bumped out.

But she had popularity on her side. Her ranking was slightly lower than You Shuang’s, and her recent performance had been solid. You Shuang would likely choose to displace a lower-ranked trainee instead at least, she hoped so.

You Shuang stepped onto the stage, standing with her back to the group in front of the already full “Prejudice” column.

She was going to move someone’s name!

A collective gasp and groans rose from the trainees below, especially those already in the “Prejudice” group, who now looked as if they were facing imminent doom.

“You Shuang, spare me!”

“Don’t take my spot, or I’ll cry!”

“You Shuang, go easy on us!”

“If you’re this torn, why not join ‘Green Plum’?”

You Shuang hesitated internally.

Song selection was a strategic game. If her groupmates were too strong, while it might boost visibility, it could also split the live votes. And if she ended up overshadowed on stage, wouldn’t that be humiliating?

The ideal scenario would be having only herself and Yu Tingbai as the top-ranked trainees in the group. Yu Tingbai was someone who prioritized the overall performance over individual spotlight, ensuring balanced screen time for everyone. It would allow for some CP hype without the risk of being outshone.

In her view, only two trainees in the “Prejudice” group posed a threat: Wen Ling, ranked sixth, and An Qing, ranked fifth.

Wen Ling had collaborated with Yu Tingbai twice before, earning strong fan reactions, while An Qing had shown remarkable improvement lately and had been spending a lot of time with Yu Tingbai recently…

Which one to choose?

In the end, the consistently stable Wen Ling seemed like the bigger threat.

You Shuang’s eyes darkened slightly as she reached for Wen Ling’s name tag, while her peripheral gaze swept over the audience below.

Wen Ling was still seated in the corner, next to Yi Zhuo. Just as You Shuang was about to scrutinize the expression on her face, she locked eyes with Yi Zhuo instead.

There was no smile on Yi Zhuo’s face just a cold, predatory stare fixed on You Shuang’s hand, like some ruthless beast.

You Shuang’s fingertips trembled slightly, and she instinctively withdrew her hand before turning her attention toward An Qing.

An Qing seemed extremely nervous, her watery blue eyes wide and round, her thin lips pressed tightly together. She tilted her head back, gazing at the sky with her hands clasped in prayer.

Not the brightest look.

You Shuang thought to herself, but then her eyes caught Yu Tingbai beside An Qing.

Yu Tingbai was lounging lazily in her chair, her long legs stretched out casually. She appeared utterly indifferent to the selection process, not even glancing at the stage. Instead, she was turned toward An Qing, as if plotting something.

The next second, Yu Tingbai reached out and flicked An Qing’s smooth forehead not too hard, but not too gently either.

Startled out of her own little world, An Qing jerked backward, nearly toppling over. Yu Tingbai quickly steadied her chair to keep her from falling.

An Qing puffed up her cheeks, rubbing the faint red mark on her forehead, while Yu Tingbai burst into uncontrollable laughter beside her.

How irritating.

You Shuang narrowed her eyes and made her final decision.

She reached out, took An Qing’s name tag, and placed it under First Love, then stuck her own tag in the vacant spot beneath Prejudice.

The song First Love wasn’t inherently difficult the real challenge lay in the arrangement. Audiences loved explosive, high-energy performances, and a cheerful little tune like this wouldn’t stand a chance without major adaptations. Not only would the composition need tweaking, but they’d also have to add a rap section. Rap was a modern element, and if not executed well, it would feel jarringly out of place.

Training time for the finals was already tight, with pre-show interviews and game segments squeezed in between. Given the option of an easier path, why make things harder for herself? That was why all the other songs were nearly full, while First Love still had three spots left.

Turning around, You Shuang put on an apologetic face and said to An Qing, “Sorry, An Qing, I just love Prejudice too much.”

What you love is my fiancée, isn’t it?!

An Qing felt utterly wronged, but she forced a strained smile and muttered, “It’s fine.”

Next up was Shen Siqi, who strode up and slapped her name tag under Your Prisoner in under five seconds.

Then came Yi Zhuo, holding her name tag in one hand and the other tucked in her pocket, strolling onto the stage with deliberate slowness before stopping in front of Prejudice.

Here comes the drama!

The audience buzzed with excitement again, and even You Shuang tensed up.

Yi Zhuo and Wen Ling had been in the same group for two consecutive performances it was possible they’d collaborate again, something You Shuang had already considered. But her own style didn’t clash with theirs at all, so she shouldn’t be the one swapped out.

As long as she wasn’t moved this time, the next one up would be Yu Tingbai. Earlier, she’d made a point of greeting Yu Tingbai, who likely wouldn’t touch her spot either.

If things went this way, the Prejudice team would have four high-ranking trainees. Yi Zhuo and Wen Ling already had a small but growing fanbase shipping them with just a little effort, she and Yu Tingbai could naturally be seen as a pair too.

As the thought crossed her mind, You Shuang’s lips curled into an involuntary smile.

On stage, Yi Zhuo’s gaze wandered, and she let out a soft “tsk.”

She raised her hand, moved You Shuang’s nameplate to First Love, and placed her own on the now-vacant spot.

What the hell?!

You Shuang’s smile froze instantly as she stared at Yi Zhuo in disbelief.

Yi Zhuo responded with a faint smile, offering no explanation whatsoever.

You Shuang forced a stiff smile, cursing Yi Zhuo a hundred times in her heart.

An Qing was also stunned by Yi Zhuo’s move. There were clearly two low-ranked trainees in the Prejudice group, so why did Yi Zhuo move You Shuang? You Shuang was popular, but she posed no threat to Yi Zhuo at all.

Before she could ponder further, Yu Tingbai had already stepped onto the stage.

Earlier, Yu Tingbai had announced in a calm, measured tone that she wanted to join Prejudice, and many had heard her.

Now, only First Love had one spot left. If Yu Tingbai wanted Prejudice, she would inevitably have to displace another trainee.

In an instant, all eyes in the room were fixed on her. Even Yi Zhuo, who usually seemed fearless, showed a flicker of anxiety on her face.

Yu Tingbai held her nameplate in one hand, lightly tapping it against her other palm twice before turning her head with a radiant smile.

An Qing’s breath hitched.

Was Yu Tingbai looking at her? Or was she seeing things?

“So, I’ll just.”

Yu Tingbai drew out the last syllable, ratcheting the tension in the room to its peak.

She raised her hand and placed her nameplate on the last remaining spot in First Love.

“Let’s go with fate’s arrangement.”