I Struggle to Survive in a Girl Group [Transmigration] - Chapter 17

An Qing lowered her gaze and gently held Xu Yan’s hand.

Her fair cheeks flushed slightly with nervousness, giving her a genuinely shy appearance.

“Get ready. The director said Yu Tingbai will be here in 30 seconds,” Xu Yan whispered softly.

Thinking about the fate she was about to face, An Qing’s emotions were incredibly complicated.

However, one of the things she was best at was finding joy in hardship, so she quickly found an optimistic angle to console herself.

This prank might not be entirely bad it was a perfect opportunity to test Yu Tingbai’s true feelings and see if there was even a tiny bit of affection for her.

Lately, she had been noticing more and more positive emotional feedback in Yu Tingbai’s eyes approval, recognition, understanding.

Stay optimistic, stay optimistic. What if Yu Tingbai actually liked her a little, only to see her confessing to someone else and turn that affection into resentment? Wouldn’t that make things even worse?

An Qing gave up trying to control the conflicted expression on her face.

“Not bad, you’re getting into character so quickly,” Xu Yan praised her, just as the slightly ajar door was pushed open a crack.

Reacting swiftly, Xu Yan lightly traced her fingertips across An Qing’s palm.

At that moment, An Qing felt like an electrified cat, every hair on her body standing on end. Steeling herself, she spoke, her voice trembling involuntarily.

“Sister Xu Yan, I, I’ve liked you for a long time. Could you, could you give me a chance?”

Though she didn’t hear footsteps, An Qing could feel a gaze fixed intently on her back, sending shivers down her spine.

Now, all she could do was pray that Xu Yan, as a dance mentor, wouldn’t act too well hoping Yu Tingbai would quickly notice something was off and realize it was all just a prank.

But then, to her astonishment, she watched as Xu Yan’s eyes revealed a mix of panic, awkwardness, and confusion before she resolutely pushed An Qing’s hand away.

“An Qing, you’re a wonderful person. I’m sorry.”

Xu Yan’s voice was gentle, tinged with a faint sense of melancholy, as if she pitied the shattered feelings of the young girl before her or perhaps recalled some untold story from her own youth.

What was going on? Weren’t idol stars supposed to be bad at acting?!

An Qing clutched her chest, looking deeply hurt, and struggled to deliver the scripted lines.

“Sister, please give me a chance. I’ll work hard.”

“An Qing, stop,” Xu Yan said softly, patting her shoulder before decisively stepping away from her.

From Xu Yan’s perspective, she could clearly see Yu Tingbai’s expression.

When An Qing confessed her “feelings” to Xu Yan, Yu Tingbai stood frozen for a full half-minute before snapping back to reality. Then, she raised an eyebrow slightly, covered her mouth with her hand, and her eyes flickered uncertainly. It was clear she had stumbled upon some shocking gossip and didn’t know how to react.

Yu Tingbai was known for her calm demeanor, her eyes always carrying a gentle warmth, and she rarely showed emotional fluctuations. For this reason, Xu Yan was very satisfied with her reaction, feeling that the goal had been achieved and she could now gracefully exit the scene.

Xu Yan walked over and stood beside Yu Tingbai, determined to fulfill her role to the end.

“Tingbai, please talk to her.”

Yu Tingbai nodded, a complex emotion flickering in her eyes. “Alright, I understand.”

It’s time to move to another planet and start a new life!

An Qing thought sadly. But according to the script, she still had to slowly turn around, act surprised that her secret crush had been accidentally exposed, and then accept Yu Tingbai’s consolation with a sorrowful expression.

The door was gently closed by Xu Yan with a soft “click,” and everything returned to silence.

An Qing stiffened her body, turned around with difficulty, and tried her best to look surprised.

“You heard everything?”

Yu Tingbai walked unhurriedly to the sofa and sat down. As she moved, her smooth black hair reflected a beautiful sheen under the light. She looked up, her red lips curving slightly, and patted the spot beside her.

“Come sit.”

An Qing stiffened for a moment, then obediently walked over and sat down next to Yu Tingbai.

Yu Tingbai casually picked up a bottle of mineral water from the table, considerately unscrewed the cap, and handed it to her.

“Have some water first. Calm down.”

An Qing had long been so nervous that her mouth was dry. She took the water and took a careful sip. The cool sensation finally brought her scattered thoughts back into focus.

Her fingers curled slightly, leaving a faint crease on the sofa.

She heard Yu Tingbai ask, “What do you like about her?”

Why ask this question? This part wasn’t in the script.

An Qing thought for a moment and began to improvise. However, she was really not good at sweet talk, and after racking her brains, she could only come up with a dry sentence.

“Well… the way she eats is really cute.”

Xu Yan had a round face and was especially fond of the steamed buns from the cafeteria. Gifted with a talent, she could eat two in one bite, like a little squirrel, making anyone who saw her chuckle.

But even though Yu Tingbai wasn’t following the script, the situation was still much better than she had imagined. Earlier, An Qing had planned that if Yu Tingbai showed any signs of wanting to break off their engagement, she would immediately let the other person “accidentally” discover the script in her pocket.

But judging by the current direction, it seemed Yu Tingbai had no intention of bringing up their engagement. Of course, someone as poised, magnanimous, and perfect as Yu Tingbai wouldn’t press with questions like “Didn’t you say you liked me?” or “Who do you really love, me or her?”

Moreover, the other party probably didn’t care about this nominal engagement at all and might even be secretly relieved.

An Qing looked at Yu Tingbai’s perfectly sculpted profile and silently thought to herself.

Yu Tingbai nodded thoughtfully, remained silent for a moment, and then suddenly straightened up. She turned to face An Qing and let out a self-deprecating laugh.

That laugh was like a dagger, abruptly slicing open a wound in An Qing’s heart. An Qing looked into those emotionless eyes and suddenly felt that something was off.

“Didn’t you say you liked me?”

Like a thunderclap, it shattered the last shred of An Qing’s rationality.

Yu Tingbai! I praised you for nothing earlier!

What kind of cheesy line is this? How could you say it?!

An Qing was speechless, her brain completely short-circuited. But Yu Tingbai refused to let her off, leaning in closer, step by step, trapping her in the corner of the sofa.

The distance between them suddenly narrowed, their clothes pressed together, lightly rubbing against each other. A few strands of black hair dangerously crossed the boundary, lightly brushing against her wrist.

An Qing struggled to speak, “Y-yes, I did say that.”

The dark, ink-like eyes narrowed dangerously.

“Who do you like?”

No way, no way?

The usually calm and composed Yu Tingbai actually had a moment of emotional loss of control could it be that she really had feelings for her?

Oh my, her damn charm!

“Answer me.”

An Qing saw Yu Tingbai’s slender fingers, resting on the back of the sofa, lightly tapping.

She knew this was a sign of the other’s impatience.

An Qing’s mind raced. If she said she liked Yu Tingbai, she would lose the camera, but if she said she liked Xu Yan, she would lose her innocent life!

So, steeling herself, she reached her hand into her pocket for the script: “I like.”

“You like acting, right?”

Just as the words “I like you” were about to escape her lips, Yu Tingbai interrupted her, instantly changing her expression, a hint of a smile appearing in her beautiful eyes.

“But how much longer are we going to keep acting?”

So she had been found out all along?

Which meant everything Yu Tingbai had said earlier was fake?

An Qing stared blankly at the stunning beauty smiling meaningfully before her. While relieved, a faint trace of melancholy inexplicably rose in her heart.

Seeing her like this, Yu Tingbai’s expression also paused for a moment. The two of them fell into silence, facing each other for a few seconds, the atmosphere eerily quiet.

“What the heck, I didn’t manage to fool Tingbai after all.”

The door was pushed open, instantly shattering the strange atmosphere.

Xu Yan strode in, plopping down on the sofa with an angry huff. Her expression was full of unwillingness as she repeatedly asked, “Why? Was my acting not good enough?”

Yu Tingbai shook her head repeatedly. “Not at all, your acting was great.”

Xu Yan pressed further, “When did you figure it out?”

An Qing felt a light, fleeting gaze sweep over her, and then Yu Tingbai’s calm voice sounded beside her.

“From the very beginning.”

Xu Yan was shocked: ???

She thought An Qing’s performance was pretty good too, so where exactly did they slip up?

Reflecting on the earlier scene, she sighed deeply, then turned her frustration toward An Qing, grumbling, “You’re something else, kid. Turning the tables and pulling a fast one on the production team. I was watching next door and almost believed it thought there was really something going on between you two.”

An Qing:

Be more confident and drop the “thought.”You two have lived together for so long no wonder you have such chemistry,” Xu Yan remarked with a sigh, then continued to press, “Tingbai, tell me, which detail gave it away?”

Recalling the earlier events, a barely noticeable shadow flickered in Yu Tingbai’s eyes, but it quickly faded back into calmness.

The moment she pushed the door open and saw that scene, even though she knew it was fake, she couldn’t help her heart skipping a beat.

She just stood there in a daze, watching the little tail who had been clinging to her lately her fiancée holding someone else’s hand and saying the words she had once said to her.

It was really… annoying.

“Because,” Yu Tingbai leaned back lazily, lifting her eyes to look at Xu Yan, “she doesn’t like you.”

Her arm wrapped around from behind An Qing’s neck, resting on her shoulder, and she pulled her closer into an embrace.

Caught off guard, An Qing tilted sideways, half her face burying into the other’s collarbone. The sensation of soft, smooth skin against her made her entire body freeze.

Yu Tingbai’s voice sounded from above her head, carrying a tone of undeniable certainty.

“She likes me.”

Xu Yan’s eyes widened in shock: “Holy crap, you two!!”

An Qing: ???

Yu Tingbai, what’s gotten into you? What kind of act is this now?

The next second, Yu Tingbai chuckled nonchalantly, returning to his usual gentle demeanor.

“Just kidding.”