I Struggle to Survive in a Girl Group [Transmigration] - Chapter 44

The lunch was exceptionally sumptuous, with a variety of dishes spread across the entire table. The pristine white tablecloth embroidered with roses was spotless, and the gold-rimmed bone china plates gleamed softly. Every dish was a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate, all of which were An Qing’s favorites.

However, since it was her first time dining at her fiancée’s home, An Qing ate with great restraint. Holding her chopsticks elegantly, she picked up a vibrant green vegetable and took small, delicate bites.

“Qingqing, eat more, don’t be shy,” Yu’s mother said with a warm smile as she placed a few pieces of spare ribs into An Qing’s bowl. “Baibai told me you can eat two pounds of ribs in one meal, so I asked the chef to prepare extra.”

Yu Tingbai’s hand, holding her chopsticks, paused briefly, and the corners of her lips curled upward slightly.

An Qing: “…”

Why did Yu Tingbai have to go and reveal everything? Couldn’t she have saved her some face?

The spare ribs in her bowl emitted an enticing aroma, and the thick, glossy sauce seeped into the glistening rice, making her mouth water.

Having been busy all morning, An Qing was already starving. How could she resist such temptation? She immediately abandoned her ladylike demeanor and buried her head in her meal.

Sitting beside her, Yu Tingbai noticed how much she was enjoying the food and occasionally used her chopsticks to add more dishes to An Qing’s bowl. An Qing accepted every offering without hesitation.

Watching the harmonious scene between the two, Yu’s mother couldn’t help but show a faint, relieved smile.

She was well aware that An Qing’s somewhat spoiled temperament had initially made her daughter resistant. She had been worried that the two wouldn’t get along, jeopardizing the engagement. Although the family’s financial crisis had eased somewhat, they were still far from their former stability. Given the Yu family’s current economic situation, having Yu Tingbai marry An Qing was already a stroke of luck.

In truth, after the family business ran into trouble, her greatest concern was that Yu Tingbai’s quality of life would decline, leading to unhappiness. For her daughter’s future happiness, she was determined to push this marriage forward. Even if Yu Tingbai didn’t understand now, she would eventually come to appreciate her mother’s intentions.

Since the two were making progress, she needed to seize the moment to express her stance and add fuel to the fire.

With this in mind, Yu’s mother turned to An Qing and asked, “Qingqing, how are things usually between you and Baibai?”

An Qing swallowed the food in her mouth and nodded obediently. “We’re doing very well.”

She glanced at Yu Tingbai and added, “Well Baibai takes good care of me.”

This topic was truly a bit embarrassing.

Unnoticing of her shyness, Yu’s mother couldn’t resist nagging her daughter again. “Baibai, you’re three years older than An Qing. You should be more tolerant of her. Young girls love to be pampered.”

“You know our family’s situation. You need to work hard and build your career so An Qing won’t have to suffer with you.”

Here we go again.

Yu Tingbai gripped her chopsticks in silence, unable to utter a word.

She truly didn’t understand why her mother always had so many demands of her. She had already worked harder and achieved more than most, yet it never seemed enough to satisfy her mother.

She also didn’t understand why, despite their small age gap, An Qing could be indulged and spoiled while she had to be mature and steady, always the one doing the spoiling.

Why did she have to be perfect?

Yu Tingbai didn’t know what was wrong with herself. Her mother had said similar things many times before, but today, those words felt particularly grating. Perhaps some emotions had been accumulating for too long, eventually crossing a certain threshold and teetering on the edge of losing control.

Her mother was still chattering away: “Our family has run into trouble, yet Qingqing is still willing to stay by your side, supporting you unconditionally. You must cherish her, be grateful, and do more things to make Qingqing happy.”

Yu Tingbai lowered her head, closing her eyes irritably.

For so many years, her mother’s words had felt like chains, wrapping around her layer by layer, nearly suffocating her.

She had long had enough; she didn’t want to hear any of this.

What she yearned for, what she wanted to hear was,

“Baibai doesn’t need to be like this. She just needs to do what she loves.”

Yu Tingbai looked up in astonishment, turning to the person beside her.

An Qing had set down her chopsticks, her tone unusually serious and her expression unusually solemn. She looked at Yu’s mother, her blue eyes exceptionally clear.

“If she doesn’t do well, if she fails, she still has me.”

Happy people are often carefree, while unhappy people tend to overthink.

In truth, An Qing had vaguely sensed Yu’s mother’s strictness and harshness before. Combined with the fragments of the original plot she remembered, it wasn’t hard to understand why Yu Tingbai, despite her privileged upbringing and smooth-sailing life before the family’s troubles, still carried so much unhappiness and heaviness in her heart.

Hearing Yu’s mother’s words today and observing Yu Tingbai’s reaction, she finally felt she could empathize.

Yu Tingbai was already outstanding, yet her mother remained unsatisfied. When her daughter worked hard to meet her demands, she didn’t feel satisfied or offer encouragement. Instead, she believed her daughter could do even better and would then set new expectations.

Growing up in such a high-pressure, demanding environment, anyone would inevitably feel anxious and find it hard to relax.

Thinking of this, An Qing even began to feel a bit sorry for Yu Tingbai.

Yu Tingbai pressed her lips together, forcibly suppressing the turbulent emotions surging within her.

Yes, this was what her family of origin had never given her but what she had always longed for.

Pure, unconditional love.

Love given simply because she was herself.

Love that wouldn’t change, regardless of how well she performed or how she acted.

Even if An Qing’s words were false, or if she had spoken out of momentary impulse and would change later, in this very moment, Yu Tingbai was willing to believe.

She heard An Qing continue, “Just because I’m younger than Baibai doesn’t mean she has to give in to me. She works hard too, and we should take care of each other.”

An Qing grinned at Yu’s mother, who was stunned into silence, and blinked.

“Mom, am I right?”

“Right, of course you’re right.” Yu’s mother finally snapped out of her daze, realizing that An Qing was expressing concern for her daughter, and she couldn’t help but feel overjoyed.

In truth, her strict demands on Yu Tingbai had only one purpose: to ensure her daughter could lead a better life. Her intentions were good, but for some reason, her daughter seemed to be growing increasingly resistant to her, and their communication had dwindled.

Though she couldn’t quite understand why, seeing the sweet smile on An Qing’s face and the tender look in her daughter’s eyes as she gazed at An Qing, she felt the weight in her heart finally lift, and she relaxed even more.

So Mother Yu served An Qing another bowl of soup and changed the subject with a smile, “Qingqing, how far have the two of you progressed?”

“Cough, cough.” Caught off guard, An Qing choked on a grain of rice.

“Mom, don’t ask questions like that,” Yu Tingbai frowned, quickly reaching out to pat An Qing’s back.

Mother Yu said, “What’s there to be afraid of? We’re all family here. Besides, I’m just concerned.”

“Mom, don’t worry!” Seeing that Yu Tingbai was about to be nagged again, An Qing blurted out in a panic, “We’ve done everything we should have the rice is already cooked!”

This time, Mother Yu was stunned. She hadn’t expected An Qing to be so blunt. She had assumed the other party would say something like “planning to bring her home” or “preparing to get engaged.” But this… wasn’t so bad either.

Yu Tingbai: “…”

She was about to say something, but her hand, resting on the table, was suddenly held, preventing her from speaking.

A soft, warm sensation transmitted over, so comforting it made her momentarily dazed.

“Don’t worry, Bai Bai and I are doing great, and in the future. things will only get better.”

Yu Tingbai found it strange why her usually picky mother was so satisfied with An Qing.

The TV was playing their episode of “Survival in the Ghost Town.” Her mother and An Qing sat together on the sofa, chatting while snacking. Wang Nana dozed quietly at their feet, creating a harmonious and joyful scene.

In just half a day, An Qing had seamlessly integrated into the family, becoming a natural part of it.

Happy times are always fleeting, and before they knew it, it was time for bed.

Since An Qing had confidently declared that the two of them had “done everything,” Mother Yu didn’t bother preparing a guest room. Instead, she happily arranged for them to share Yu Tingbai’s bedroom.

When she entered the room, An Qing even wondered for a moment if she had walked into the wrong one.

She had been inside Yu Tingbai’s room in the villa before. Its overall style was soft, filled with many cute plush toys, giving it an almost childish vibe.

But the room before her now had a cold, rigid color palette, dominated by black, white, and gray. At a glance, everything was stark and angular, with no decorations or stuffed animals in sight.

A bookshelf took up an entire wall, piled high with books, along with numerous trophies and framed certificates. Everything was spotless, clearly well-maintained.

“Is this the dorm room of a top student?”

An Qing walked over to the spacious desk and flipped through the books on it in surprise. She found a variety of genres, many with annotations, and couldn’t help but feel a bit inferior.

Hesitantly, she looked around and asked, “Don’t you like fluffy things? Why are there no toys here?”

Yu Tingbai walked over, glanced at the desk, and noticed a few new books added since she last left. It was likely her mother’s doing.

“Those are for children,” she said flatly. “People have to grow up eventually.”

This was probably another one of her mother’s sayings.

Many things from childhood are etched into one’s bones, subtly influencing a person’s entire life. The way Yu Tingbai decorated her own room could be seen as compensation for what she missed in her childhood.

But some things, once missed, are gone forever no matter how hard one tries to make up for them.

An Qing thought this, and her heart ached. After a pause, she spoke up.

“People grow up, but you don’t have to act like an adult all the time.”

She turned around, shaking her head at her fiancée with a smile.

“When you’re with me, you can be a child. We huh?”

With a clatter, Yu Tingbai swept all the books off the table with a wave of her hand.

Suddenly, her feet left the ground as Yu Tingbai lifted her and placed her on the desk.

Slender fingers brushed against her face, and dark, ink-black eyes were now inches away. Their breaths mingled, and the air around them grew heated in an instant.

Yu Tingbai curved her lips into a gentle smile and replied to her earlier words, “Alright.”

Then, she lifted her chin and kissed her deeply.

The unfamiliar softness on her lips caught An Qing off guard, sending a shiver through her entire body. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around the other’s neck, her fingers curling slightly from nervousness.

Yu Tingbai was like a gentle invader, domineering yet tender as she cupped the back of her neck, patiently and meticulously kissing her, leaving her no room to escape or retreat.

An Qing responded to the kiss with inexperience, her hair disheveled, her breathing ragged, and a faint shimmer of tears quickly welling up in her blue eyes.

It wasn’t until she was kissed into a daze that the other finally released her, seemingly reluctant to stop.

Yu Tingbai intertwined their fingers and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek.

“Qingqing, I really like you,” she whispered, her lips gently grazing her ear, sending tingles down her spine. “Will you be my girlfriend?”

An Qing’s face flushed crimson all the way to the tips of her ears. Struggling to steady her trembling voice, she mustered what little reason she had left to remind her, “I’m your fiancée, how, how could I be downgraded?”

Deep down, she knew why. Although Yu Tingbai had agreed to keep their engagement, she probably never took her nominal fiancée seriously. Thankfully, the system only required maintaining the engagement, allowing her to survive until now. Sob,

Shouldn’t she be angry? But in this moment, she couldn’t muster any anger at all.

Yu Tingbai paused for a moment before realizing and let out a soft chuckle. “Ah, right.”

An Qing glared at her. “You’re still laughing.”

She wanted to sound fierce, but her body had melted into a puddle, and no matter what she said, it carried a coquettish tone, completely devoid of threat.

“Alright, I won’t laugh. It’s my fault,” Yu Tingbai suppressed her smile and coaxed her gently. “Qingqing, punish me. Do whatever you want.”

“Really?” An Qing’s eyes sparkled instantly. “Then I’ll punish you by never leaving my side.”

She tightened her arms around Yu Tingbai’s neck and emphasized, “No matter what happens in the future, you can’t leave me.”

Seeing the other remain silent, An Qing grew anxious and urged her, “Well? Say something!”

This was a matter of life and death could she stop keeping her in suspense?

“Alright, it’s a deal,” Yu Tingbai said, seeing her urgency, and couldn’t resist lowering her head to plant a soothing kiss on her hair.

She smiled and said, “But Qingqing, for me, that’s not a punishment at all.”