I Struggle to Survive in a Girl Group [Transmigration] - Chapter 20

Chapter 20

The final stage was grand and magnificent, with a massive screen shimmering with flowing colors behind them and countless glow sticks and support banners waving in front.

Standing on the stage, An Qing’s mind drifted to the words Yu Tingbai had spoken before the rehearsal.

They were the last group to compete, and until they took the stage, You Shuang had seemed perfectly normal.

Had she and Yu Tingbai overthought things?

As An Qing’s thoughts wandered, she heard Jiang Chen announce, “Next, please enjoy the performance ‘Childhood Sweethearts’! Let’s give them a round of applause!”

The moment the music started, all distracting thoughts vanished.

The noise and lights from the audience gradually blurred, becoming an illusory backdrop, while the dazzling fiery red in her line of sight felt like the only reality.

Her body grew light and supple, like a wisp of wind or a flake of snow, dancing and blooming freely, scattering brilliance across the stage.

Transparent notes leaped at her fingertips, weaving into a massive crystal cage that engulfed her entirely.

It wasn’t until the thunderous applause erupted that the ethereal, almost surreal sensation slowly faded away.

An Qing wrapped her arms around her teammates’ shoulders, and together they bowed deeply. Their ragged breaths intertwined, and the arms resting on her shoulders rose and fell gently.

In that moment, An Qing realized one thing clearly on this stage, they were one.

As the final group, after their performance, An Qing and the others changed into the unified Sweetie101 uniforms and returned to the stage, anxiously awaiting the final results.

Jiang Chen stood at the center of the stage, with the 15 trainees lined up behind him. The uniforms, primarily in red and white, featured fitted blazers paired with pleated skirts. The fabric was woven with shimmering threads that, under the dazzling stage lights, seemed coated in a layer of silvery stardust.

“I announce that the voting channels are now officially closed,” Jiang Chen said with a smile, reading from the cue card.

“Before revealing the final rankings, I will first announce the name of the debut group.”

“Dear girls, remember before meeting others’ expectations, you must first learn to please yourselves.”

“May you not be trapped by the past, nor fear the future; may you walk the flower path and wield the sword with equal grace; may you be a proud princess and the master of your own destiny.”

“The final girl group formed through Sweetie101 is ‘Princess’!”

The audience erupted into enthusiastic cheers and applause, with countless hands waving glow sticks and banners, creating a swaying, colorful galaxy.

“First, I will announce the rankings from 4th to 1st place, followed by the 5th-place trainee,” Jiang Chen said, winking to heighten the audience’s anticipation.

An Qing couldn’t help but feel nervous. There had been a two-week gap between the finals and the fifth performance, and last week, her ranking had still been fifth. The original host had made too many missteps early on, lacked sufficient skill, and hadn’t garnered much favor with the audience. Although she had worked hard to redeem herself in recent performances, her past controversies meant the production team couldn’t promote her too prominently. She’d likely just scrape by with the last spot in the debut lineup.

Still, just debuting would be enough. The ranking didn’t matter to her being able to do what she loved was already more than she could ask for.

“The trainee in fourth place is Wen Ling! Please share your thoughts.”

Wen Ling seemed a bit surprised by this result, as she had been ranked sixth the previous week. But the girls around her didn’t give her much time to react amidst a burst of cheers, they rushed forward to hug her, and her surprise quickly melted away in the joy.

“Wait for me up there,” Yi Zhuo also hugged her briefly, whispering in her ear.

Wen Ling smiled and stepped forward, bowing first to Jiang Chen and then to the audience. She calmly delivered a few words of thanks and then, following Jiang Chen’s instructions, made her way to her designated seat.

The final debut seats were arranged in a pyramid shape, with the top spot reserved for first place and the two rows below symmetrically holding two seats each. Wen Ling walked to the corner of the pyramid, stopping before the seat marked with the number “4.” She glanced toward a specific point in the crowd and gave a slight nod.

The third-place winner was Shen Siqi, a girl who was usually all smiles but now cried uncontrollably, tugging at the heartstrings of her fans.

She hugged and thanked each person one by one before reluctantly delivering her speech, her eyes red as she made her way to her seat.

Yi Zhuo, who took second place, carried herself with sharp, effortless grace. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, she strode confidently to seat number 2. Standing there, she looked down with lowered eyes, like an unsheathed sword radiant, sharp, and full of heroic poise.

When it came time to announce the first-place winner, Jiang Chen deliberately paused. Within seconds, the audience below couldn’t contain themselves and began shouting Yu Tingbai’s name.

“Yu Tingbai! Center position!”

“Yu Tingbai, Yu Tingbai, I love you!!”

“Bai Bai is absolutely stunning, ahhhh!”

When Jiang Chen finally read out Yu Tingbai’s name as expected, the cheers exploded instantly, nearly lifting the roof. On stage, the crowd surged again as the trainees rushed to hug and congratulate Yu Tingbai, laughter and joy mingling together.

An Qing was jostled back and forth by the crowd and, in the blink of an eye, found herself pushed to the outermost edge.

She blinked, quietly watching Yu Tingbai’s profile for a moment, when suddenly the other girl turned her head.

The next second, Yu Tingbai made her way through the crowd to An Qing’s side, gently wrapping an arm around her shoulders in a polite embrace.

As they parted, An Qing heard Yu Tingbai whisper in her ear, “See you in a bit.”

Yu Tingbai walked up to Jiang Chen and bowed politely. She took the microphone and sincerely delivered her debut speech. But instead of directing her to her seat as he had with the others, Jiang Chen shifted the topic.

“For the trainee debuting in the center position, the program has prepared a special gift. Tingbai, are you looking forward to it?”

Amid the fans’ frenzied screams, Yu Tingbai smiled and nodded.

Soon, a staff member brought a beautifully wrapped gift box onto the stage and stood beside Jiang Chen. Jiang Chen reached out and lifted the lid of the box.

The camera zoomed in, magnifying the contents on the big screen. As the audience got a clear look, sighs of admiration rippled through the venue.

Inside was a dazzling silver crown, grand in design and exquisitely crafted. Dozens of sparkling diamonds adorned the crown, refracting brilliant colors under the lights dreamlike and beautiful, as if straight out of a fairy tale.

The moment Yu Tingbai placed the crown on her head and lifted her gaze to the audience, everyone was struck by her beauty. The crown glittered brightly, yet it didn’t overshadow her in the slightest instead, it served as the perfect complement.

Yu Tingbai gracefully ascended the long staircase like a true princess. Or rather, she was a true princess.

“Who will take the final debut spot? Is everyone excited to find out?”

Jiang Chen smiled as he spoke, skillfully building suspense.

The audience immediately erupted in response.

“Yes!”

“An Qing! An Qing!”

“Go, An Qing!”

“You Shuang!”

“You Shuang, debut!”

Jiang Chen pressed his hands downward, signaling the fans to calm down.

“Then, let’s first invite the two candidates to come forward. An Qing, You Shuang, please ”

Her heartbeat quickened uncontrollably. Even though she knew her debut was practically guaranteed, An Qing still felt a bit nervous. However, You Shuang seemed even more anxious than her, preoccupied and nearly stumbling halfway. An Qing reached out to steady her, and the two stood together at the front of the stage.

“This trainee possesses both beauty and talent, deeply loved by her fans.”

Jiang Chen continued with a few more mysterious remarks before finally revealing the result.

“Let’s congratulate An Qing.”

Cheers erupted once again. An Qing smiled sweetly at the camera, but a faint unease lingered in her heart. The moment her name was announced, that prickling sensation on her back returned.

Steadying herself, An Qing took the microphone handed to her by Jiang Chen and delivered the debut speech she had prepared the night before.

Everything went smoothly, and even as she wrapped up, nothing unusual happened.

Just as An Qing was about to take her seat in spot number 5, a commotion suddenly broke out behind her.

“You Shuang! You Shuang!”

“You Shuang, debut!”

“You Shuang, don’t cry!”

“Rigged! Rigged!”

The shouts from behind rose and fell like surging waves, quickly sweeping across the entire audience. The situation grew increasingly awkward.

Were they trying to ruin the show?

Other fans gradually caught on, and many who disliked An Qing among various fanbases seized the opportunity to join in, loudly chanting You Shuang’s name.

Seeing You Shuang’s reddened eyes, An Qing realized that this situation was likely orchestrated by her in advance, inciting the fans.

But it was difficult to find evidence, and even if she did later, it wouldn’t undo the chaos of this moment.

Even if she couldn’t debut, she was determined to use others for publicity You Shuang truly would stop at nothing.

An Qing’s fans refused to back down and began cheering frantically.

“An Qing deserves it!”

“An Qing, walk the flower path!”

Jiang Chen hesitated, wanting to step in and restore order, but he heard the director’s voice in his earpiece.

“Don’t say anything. The live stream’s popularity is skyrocketing.”

An Qing stood frozen, staring at the impassioned fans below. On the high-definition screen, her bewildered expression was clearly displayed.

The dark, surging crowd resembled a shape-shifting beast, opening its bloody maw and baring sharp fangs at her. Chaotic specks of light flickered amidst the moving crowd, making her dizzy and disoriented.

Then, the beast suddenly fell silent. Astonished gazes converged on the large screen as if witnessing something unbelievable.

Someone called out to her from behind.

“An Qing.”

She turned around.

Yu Tingbai had unknowingly stepped down from her seat and quickly moved in front of An Qing, stopping just half a meter away. She stood blocking the direction of the audience seats.

An Qing stared at her in a daze.

The world fell silent, leaving only each other in their eyes.

The silver crown shimmered with a radiant glow, reflecting the brilliance of her star-like eyes. The bustling crowd behind them faded into a blurry haze in an instant.

In the next moment, the person before her took off the crown and placed it atop her head.

She smiled and said, “An Qing, happy debut.”