I Struggle to Survive in a Girl Group [Transmigration] - Chapter 32

Arthur ate for a full fifteen minutes before reluctantly stopping.

He stood up, lazily stretched, then slowly refilled the grave, smoothing the surface to restore it as closely as possible to its original state. After skillfully completing these tasks, he tossed the shovel back into the bushes, carefully hiding it.

Just then, a sudden ringtone pierced the quiet of the empty cemetery.

An Qing was startled, and it took her a moment to realize it was Arthur’s phone ringing.

Arthur pulled out his phone, glanced at the name on the screen, and a look of impatience crossed his face. Frowning, he waited for it to ring several times before answering.

The moment the call connected, his irritated expression vanished, and his tone softened considerably.

“Hey, darling, have you been waiting long?”

He walked leisurely out of the cemetery while smoothly reassuring his wife on the other end of the line: “Alright, I’ll be home soon. I miss you too.”

Ugh! What a scumbag.

He’s not even professional about it. If you’re being kept, you should at least act the part.

An Qing shot a disdainful look at Arthur’s retreating back but didn’t follow.

They had already recorded Arthur’s actions in full with their phones, which would be enough to handle things with Rosa. Once Arthur’s figure disappeared, An Qing and Shen Siqi simultaneously rushed to the bushes and retrieved the shovel.

Yu Tingbai:

Are they really going to eat it?

An Qing hadn’t originally planned to do something so pointless, but after Shen Siqi’s comment, she suddenly became curious about what Arthur had been eating.

So the two youngest women in the group, covered in dirt, began digging up the grave, forgetting their fear entirely.

Yu Tingbai sighed and went over to help.

Many hands make light work, and soon they uncovered a black coffin.

The production team probably hadn’t anticipated anyone digging up the grave, so the coffin was made carelessly. It looked convincing enough at first glance, but upon touching it, they realized it was actually plastic.

An Qing set the lightweight plastic lid aside and eagerly peered inside.

Huh? What’s this?

Puzzled, she reached in and pulled out a finger-length strip. Since the show’s original setup didn’t include any shots of this coffin being opened by the guests hinting at its contents was enough for the audience, there were no realistic bones inside. Instead, it was filled with colorful strips of varying lengths.

After studying it for a moment, An Qing tentatively took a bite and chewed a couple of times.

She’d seen Arthur eating it, so it should be fine, right?

Shen Siqi leaned in curiously. “Is it good? Is it good?”

An Qing swallowed and replied, “It’s alright. Tastes a bit like dog food.”

Shen Siqi took a bite as well. “Hmm, it really does.”

Yu Tingbai:

You two have quite the life experiences.

Rosa was a woman with incredibly strong nerves. After watching the bizarre video they’d recorded of Arthur’s behavior in the cemetery, she actually laughed.

“Is that all? So that’s what it was. As long as he’s not cheating, it’s fine.”

Her casual tone made An Qing almost suspect that Arthur had really just gone to sneak a snack.

“Thank you. I can finally rest easy.”

Rosa took ten gold coins from a drawer and handed them to Yu Tingbai.

Yu Tingbai pocketed the coins, thanked her, and left with her two teammates.

They had no time to deal with Rosa any longer, because just moments ago, Yi Zhuo had called, telling them to hurry to the post office.

It was almost noon, and after running around all morning, they were all a bit tired.

The temperature was gradually rising. Though it was still overcast, there was an indescribable, stifling heat.

Yu Tingbai took off her jacket and tied it around her waist, fanning herself with her hand. A few strands of black hair at her neck were damp with sweat, clinging to her fair skin, and her rosy lips had turned somewhat pale.

But she showed no intention of slowing down, still walking forward at a brisk pace.

I hope she doesn’t get low blood sugar again.

An Qing grew worried and rummaged through her backpack, pulling out a few pieces of candy to offer her.

Yu Tingbai paused for a moment, then reached out to take them.

She deftly unwrapped one, popped it into her mouth, and tucked the rest into her pocket.

Shen Siqi was also feeling a bit hungry and immediately spoke up, “Tingbai, give me one. I want some too.”

Yu Tingbai refused mercilessly, “No.”

Shen Siqi: ???

Feeling wronged, she tugged at An Qing’s sleeve to complain, “An Qing, look at her.”

An Qing was equally puzzled.

What’s going on now? Although the remaining candy in her bag wasn’t abundant, there were still a good thirty or forty pieces, enough to last them for several days.

Unable to figure out Yu Tingbai’s reasoning, An Qing simply chalked it up to her being tired.

She took two more pieces of candy from her backpack and handed them to Shen Siqi, soothing her minor grievance.

“What do you think could either Rosa or Arthur we met today be the deceased?” Yu Tingbai suddenly spoke up, changing the subject.

An Qing’s thoughts returned to the plot.

On the surface, Rosa seemed wealthy, living a life of comfort and privilege, with a handsome young husband, Arthur already the picture of a life winner.

But her husband had a terrifying secret habit behind her back, he would go to the cemetery alone to eat corpses. And based on Arthur’s behavior, he wasn’t just eating any corpse; he would pick and choose extensively in the graveyard before targeting specific ones. It was truly bizarre.

What was the reason behind Arthur’s strange obsession? Could it be that he was the deceased, which would explain his eerie actions?

However, Rosa showed no surprise upon learning of Arthur’s behavior, only worrying about whether he was cheating. That was also suspicious.

An Qing pondered and said, “I think regarding these two, we need to clarify their relationship status and also figure out the purpose behind Arthur’s corpse-eating. Of course, the two might very well be closely connected.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Yu Tingbai’s face once again showed a look of surprise, glancing at her with an incredulous expression.

She might as well just mock me outright.

An Qing gritted her teeth, puffing her cheeks in annoyance, and ignored her gaze.

Yu Tingbai curved her lips into a smile and praised her, “Well analyzed.”

Though Shen Siqi hadn’t followed her reasoning at all, she looked at An Qing with admiration, “An Qing, An Qing, you’re amazing! Being a pro is just different!”

An Qing couldn’t hold back her smile and brightened up again.

As they chatted, they soon arrived at the post office.

The metal door was slightly ajar. With a push, a creaking sound squeezed out from the gap.

The lobby was spacious, filled with the smell of ink from printed materials. Directly facing the entrance were two service counters, both unmanned.

A floor-to-ceiling bookshelf took up almost an entire wall, filled with thick, countless newspapers. The tiny black characters were densely packed, making one’s eyes blur at first glance.

By the window stood a square wooden table with two matching benches. Wen Ling and Yi Zhuo sat on one of them, turning their heads simultaneously to greet the newcomers as they entered.

An Qing and the others walked over to the table and sat on the opposite bench.

Shen Siqi opened her backpack and handed each person a bread roll and an apple a perfunctory lunch. With their tight budget, they had already developed the good habit of frugality.

As they ate, they first exchanged the information they had gathered that morning.

After all this time, they had searched the entire town, entering every accessible house, and had discovered a total of seven townspeople.

There was Nancy, whom they had encountered the previous night with her sharp teeth, and her mother, Shirley, along with the irritable male head of the household, Cole.

Today, the group had encountered four more people: a couple, Rosa and her young lover Arthur; a self-proclaimed psychic, Christine; and her bedmate, Beth.

Among these seven individuals, one had already died.

Yu Tingbai reached out and flipped through the messy stack of newspapers on the table, asking, “Any findings?”

Wen Ling nodded and handed over one of the newspapers.

The newspapers here were clearly not very formal, with chaotic layouts and all sorts of random content. It was less like a newspaper and more like a local gossip pamphlet for residents to pass the time.

The date was April 7th, and in the most eye-catching section, a headline stood out: “The Most Effective Blessing Site in History Witch Spirit Mountain.”

Yu Tingbai’s heart stirred slightly as she quickly skimmed the article with the two beside her. The report’s general content was that not far from Dreamy Town lay a place called Witch Spirit Mountain, where townspeople had, for generations, gone to pray for divine blessings. Over the centuries, it had become a tradition.

If one made a sincere wish at the shrine on Witch Spirit Mountain, as long as the desire was strong enough, any wish would be granted. Legend had it that April was the most auspicious month, so every year at this time, many tourists traveled from afar specifically to pray there.

An Qing flipped the newspaper over and over but couldn’t discern anything noteworthy. Unable to hold back, she asked, “What’s so special about this news?”

Wen Ling didn’t answer but handed over another newspaper.

“We’ve looked through nearly a month’s worth of newspapers. This one has the most recent date.”

The date was April 12th, and the headline bore a shocking line:

“Minibus Plunges Off Cliff, Passengers Still Missing”

At the top was a photo of the accident scene: the guardrail on the mountain road had been smashed open, leaving a huge gap, with twisted metal looking horrifying.

The article detailed the cause of the accident.

A group had chartered a minibus to go to Witch Spirit Valley for a family blessing. However, the driver had an unexpected matter that day and couldn’t take them to the prayer site. One of the young men volunteered to drive instead. Unfortunately, on the way back, the brakes inexplicably failed.

The vehicle crashed through the guardrail at a curve and tumbled down the cliff. A roadside camera had faithfully recorded everything.

The report also mentioned that the town had immediately dispatched a rescue team, and the rescue operation was currently in full swing. So far, the identities of seven passengers had been confirmed through surveillance footage, but they had yet to be found. If anyone encountered them, whether alive or dead, they were urged to contact the police immediately.

At the bottom of the news article were seven black-and-white photographs.

The people in the photos were the very same individuals they had just encountered not long ago.

Their hollow gazes seemed to pierce through the paper, staring straight at them.

Weren’t these the seven NPCs they had just gathered?!

An Qing felt a chill run down her spine. Instinctively, she leaned back abruptly, nearly jumping out of her chair.

But Shen Siqi had already screamed before her and tightly grabbed her arm, preventing her from “taking off.”

Across from them, Wen Ling and Yi Zhuo remained remarkably calm. They even picked up the newspaper to study it more carefully.

Recalling the lofty image she had built in Xiao Mang’s heart, An Qing forcibly suppressed her fear. She pinched her thigh hard, forcing herself to calm down.

Then, something suddenly occurred to her. Last night, when they were about to sleep, Yu Tingbai had said she was a little scared and wanted to hold her while sleeping. It seemed Yu Tingbai’s courage wasn’t all that great either. Although Yu Tingbai appeared composed most of the time, it was probably just a front.

An Qing turned her head to observe the person beside her.

Sure enough, Yu Tingbai was frowning slightly, her long eyelashes lowered, and her body seemed to tremble faintly.

She looked fragile and beautiful, evoking a deep sense of pity.

An Qing’s protective instincts surged instantly. She leaned in and whispered, “Are you scared? If you are, I can hold you.”

Perhaps it was her imagination, but An Qing thought she saw a look of pity for the foolish on that flawless, stunning face. However, the expression quickly faded, replaced by a faint smile.

Yu Tingbai nodded and said, “Alright.”

As she spoke, Yu Tingbai wrapped her arm around An Qing’s neck from behind, resting it on the back of the chair. Then, she naturally leaned her head against An Qing’s shoulder, finding a comfortable position.

A warm, fuzzy sensation spread across her neck. An Qing quickly straightened her posture to make it more comfortable for the other person, while silently thanking the program team for giving her the chance to let her fiancée lean on her.

After all, since arriving in the town, she had often failed to remain composed. Now, she finally had a chance to redeem herself and show her fiancée how steady and reliable she could be!

Just as An Qing was happily reflecting on this, a soft voice whispered in her ear.

“An Qing, aren’t you scared?”

An Qing feigned composure and nodded. “Of course not. I’m the kind even ghosts fear, hahaha.”

“Is that so?” Yu Tingbai let out a soft sigh near her ear and murmured, “Then next time, could you not pinch my thigh? It hurts quite a bit.”