I Struggle to Survive in a Girl Group [Transmigration] - Chapter 29

An Qing was awakened by the pattering sound of rain.

Raindrops struck the windowpane,
emitting dull, muffled thuds.

Fortunately, they had been foresighted yesterday and chosen umbrellas, or else they would have been drenched like drowned rats today.

An Qing groggily rubbed her eyes, and before she could clearly see what was in front of her,
she nearly let out a scream.

This was so soft, she had thought her face was buried in the quilt!

Yu Tingbai’s collar was far too low!

An Qing swallowed hard and cautiously tried to shift away,
only to find that the arm of the person beside her was still tightly wrapped around her waist,
rendering her completely unable to move.

Yu Tingbai was sleeping deeply, her complexion rosy and her breathing even.

Wasn’t she supposed to have insomnia? They’d slept together twice now, where was the sign of insomnia?

But during previous events, Yu Tingbai’s listless demeanor and heavy dark circles couldn’t have been fake, could they?

Just as An Qing was puzzling over this, the arm encircling her suddenly shifted.

Yu Tingbai frowned, then slowly woke up.

Seeing the awkward position of the person in her arms, she was clearly startled and immediately pushed An Qing away. Then, perhaps remembering last night’s events and feeling it wasn’t right to abandon someone after achieving her goal, she reached out and pulled her back.

An Qing:
Are you playing with a yo-yo?

Yu Tingbai fell into thought.

Every time she held An Qing, her sleep quality was exceptionally good.

Why was that?

She couldn’t figure it out no matter how hard she thought, so she simply stopped dwelling on it.

She asked, “What time is it?”

An Qing reached under the pillow for her phone and glanced at the screen.

“Six fifty-five.”

They had set the alarm for seven o’clock it wasn’t time yet.

Just then, a soft knocking sound came from outside the door.

“Tingbai, An Qing, are you up?”

It was Shen Siqi.

Yu Tingbai released her arm, got up, and went to open the door.

The person outside was fully dressed and holding a half-bag of bread.

After paying for dinner and the room yesterday, they had only ten gold coins left. To save on expenses, everyone had unanimously decided to eat bread for breakfast today.

Yu Tingbai stepped aside to let the youngest member in.

She asked, “You’re up so early?”

Shen Siqi replied, “Yi Zhuo sent me over first thing to deliver breakfast, saying she was afraid you’d be hungry.”

Yu Tingbai’s lips twitched. “I think she’s the one who’s about to starve to death.”

Shen Siqi didn’t quite understand and hesitantly lifted the bread in her hand.
“Really? Should I take some back for the two of them then?”

“Don’t bother.” Yu Tingbai smiled and took the bread. “Don’t disturb them while they’re having breakfast.”

Shen Siqi didn’t question it further and happily joined her teammates in finishing off all the bread. After applying light makeup, they headed out as planned to search for clues.

The sky was a gloomy gray-white, with thick clouds piled up overhead. Large raindrops pelted the ground, showing no sign of stopping.

Fortunately, the umbrellas provided by the program crew were large enough to comfortably accommodate all three of them.

An Qing volunteered to stand in the middle and took on the task of holding the umbrella.

The small town was still empty and quiet during the day, with no sign of anyone around. They followed the planned route, occasionally knocking on a few doors along the way, but received no response.

“Let’s go in and take a look.”

As they passed by a house with its door slightly ajar, Yu Tingbai suggested.

An Qing stared at the half-open door.

The door was somewhat worn, and with no lights on inside, the crack revealed only pitch-black darkness, making it impossible to see anything clearly.

They had passed over a dozen houses earlier, but only this one was unlocked. Following general logic, they should go in and investigate.

Shen Siqi nervously looked at An Qing, and An Qing nervously looked at Yu Tingbai.

“Alright.”

There was only one flashlight, and it was in Yi Zhuo’s possession. The first thing An Qing did upon entering was tremblingly pull open the living room curtains.

A faint daylight filtered through the window, illuminating the scene inside the room.

An Qing tentatively called out, “Hello, is anyone here?”

No one answered. In the dim room, only the sound of raindrops pattering against the window could be heard, inexplicably stirring a sense of panic.

“I’m logging off now.”

Shen Siqi closed her eyes and buried her face in An Qing’s arm, acting like an ostrich.

What kind of creepy place was this? She really didn’t want to be here, but she also didn’t dare to stay outside alone.

An Qing was also terrified, but her fiancée was right beside her, and she wanted to put on a brave face.

She steadied herself, holding onto Shen Siqi with one hand while the other was held by Yu Tingbai, and mustered the courage to look around.

In the entryway, the shoes were neatly arranged, with the toes pointing toward the living room. A few pieces of clothing were haphazardly draped over the back of the sofa, as if someone had just taken them off and casually tossed them there.

The television was on, its screen emitting a faint glow, but it displayed only chaotic blocks of color, with no program playing. On the floor in front of the TV, colorful building blocks were scattered everywhere. Nearby, a few plush toys lay toppled over.

Someone tugged at her arm it was Yu Tingbai, leading her a few steps toward the kitchen. The countertop was filled with ingredients: washed potatoes, lettuce, and radishes. The stove wasn’t on, but the pot already contained a small amount of water.

As An Qing looked around, she gradually began to realize something was off.

At first, she thought the town was sparsely populated because something terrible had happened, causing the residents to move away one by one.

But the scene before her seemed like that of an ordinary family, having just returned home from work and school, happily preparing to enjoy dinner together, only to vanish into thin air.

However, upon closer reflection, although the other houses were empty, they showed no signs of decay or age. Could it be that the others had also disappeared just as suddenly?

At this thought, An Qing couldn’t help but shiver.

The person holding her hand seemed to sense something, tightening their grip slightly. A reassuring warmth spread from their palm.

An Qing quietly shared her thoughts with Yu Tingbai, who gave her a surprised look, as if to say, “Even you could figure that out?”

She was, after all, something of a mystery enthusiast no need to underestimate her!

An Qing gritted her teeth, feeling indignant.

Yu Tingbai turned her face away, discreetly hiding the amusement in her eyes.

Shen Siqi, who had kept her eyes closed for a long time waiting for something to happen, grew bolder when nothing did. The three of them walked around the house, took dozens of photos with their phones, and then left. Before leaving, they even swiped a bag of bread and a few apples from the refrigerator.

“I checked the expiration date is in ten hours. We can finish them if we hurry.”

Shen Siqi was overjoyed as she packed the bread and apples into her backpack. Before leaving in the morning, Wen Ling had given her half of the remaining ten gold coins. Feeling the weight of responsibility, she resolved to spend every coin wisely.

“This way, we won’t have to spend money on lunch saving a huge amount!”

An Qing: “…”

What has this variety show done to the naive daughter of a wealthy family!

The three of them continued on their way and, after more than half an hour, spotted a figure around a corner.

Near the entrance of a courtyard stood a slender woman. She was bent over, carefully moving a few potted plants that were exposed to the wind and rain under the eaves.

Their eyes lit up, and they jogged over to greet her.

“Hello, are you a resident here?” Yu Tingbai asked while observing the woman.

The woman wore a well-fitted dress made of high-quality fabric with a beautiful sheen, clearly expensive. Her face was adorned with delicate, light makeup, and her diamond earrings sparkled faintly.

She appeared to be around forty, elegant and poised, with a grace that came from years of refinement. Her well-maintained appearance exuded a timeless beauty.

The woman glanced at Yu Tingbai and asked indifferently, “Out-of-towners?”

They nodded.

The woman then asked, “How did you get here?”

What did she mean by “how did you get here”? What was she implying?

An Qing was baffled, but before she could process it, Shen Siqi blurted out, “We came by plane!”

The woman: “…”

Who said anything about making small talk?

After a moment’s thought, she added, “I haven’t seen out-of-towners in a long time.”

Yu Tingbai pondered briefly and stuck to the original storyline. “We’re lost.”

Remembering how Wen Ling had lost 5 health points the day before when mentioning other residents, she refrained from bringing up the topic of locals versus outsiders.

The woman nodded coldly, showing no interest in further conversation.

As the atmosphere grew awkward, An Qing grew anxious.

She stepped forward and said, “Miss, is there anything we can help you with?”

With so few people in the area, every resident was a potential suspect and crucial to their investigation. Since this woman was part of the setup, she must have a task for them. Completing it could not only earn them money but also uncover some clues.

Shen Siqi chimed in eagerly, “Miss, as long as you pay us, we’ll do anything.”

Yu Tingbai: “…”

Great, that line is bound to go viral.

Both An Qing and Shen Siqi were eighteen-year-old girls with youthful appearances. Their sweet calls of “Miss” delighted the woman.

Unable to suppress a smile, the woman stepped aside, making way for them.

“Come in and talk.”

The interior of the room was understated yet luxurious. Under the soft glow of the crystal chandelier, the rosewood furniture gleamed with an expensive sheen. The shelves behind the sofa displayed numerous exquisite ornaments, exuding an air of wealth.

“My name is Rosa. It seems my husband is having an affair.”

As soon as they sat down on the sofa, the woman dropped a bombshell.

“Cough, cough.”

Shen Siqi, who was drinking tea, choked, and An Qing quickly patted her back.

Yu Tingbai remained composed and asked, “What do you need us to do?”

Rosa replied, “Follow him and find out what he’s really doing outside every day.”

At that moment, footsteps echoed from upstairs, and a tall, slender figure descended.

It was a young man around twenty years old, handsome and dressed in a hoodie, looking full of energy. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing the firm muscle lines on his forearms.

Rosa immediately stood up and went to greet him, whispering something.

“Isn’t this just too immoral? Cheating when your son is already this old?” Shen Siqi quietly whispered to An Qing. Even though she knew it was all part of the plot, she couldn’t help feeling angry after putting herself in the situation.

By then, Rosa had already brought the young man over and greeted everyone with a smile.

“Hello, my name is Arthur.”

“Hello, hello.” Shen Siqi kept her words sweet and then turned to compliment Rosa, “The two of you standing together look just like siblings!”

Upon hearing this, a strange smile flickered at the corner of Rosa’s lips. Calmly and confidently, she linked arms with the young man.

“Let me introduce you this is my husband.”

Shen Siqi: WTF?

She blurted out, “Why?”

Rosa smiled, “Because I am wealthy enough.”