I Struggle to Survive in a Girl Group [Transmigration] - Chapter 46

“What’s too late?”

Wen Ling frowned.

A thought seemed to flash through her mind, and her train of thought paused for a moment before she ultimately decided not to dwell on it.

Why overcomplicate things? It’s just troublesome.

Yi Zhuo gave her a knowing look but didn’t continue the topic. She reached out, grabbed her phone from the bedside table, unlocked it, and opened her Weibo comments, scrolling down quickly.

The comments were much the same as usual “Sis, you’re so cool, I love you!”, “Enemies, draw your swords!”, “What’s the point of life if I can’t sleep with Yi Zhuo?” all peaceful and lighthearted.

Wen Ling’s fans really were as laid-back as Wen Ling herself.

Yi Zhuo’s eyes darkened slightly.

Even though she had been trying hard to guide her fans, Wen Ling had still inevitably been hurt. If she had a choice, she would willingly take Wen Ling’s place as the target of public criticism.

After a moment of thought, Yi Zhuo clicked into the “Ice and Fire Love” CP supertopic, found a popular post at random, reposted it, and began typing in the repost box.

Watching her actions, Wen Ling belatedly realized what she was doing.

Panicked, she reached out to snatch Yi Zhuo’s phone. But having just recovered from a serious illness, she had almost no strength. Her wrist was immediately caught firmly, leaving her unable to move.

“Don’t move.”

A moment later, Yi Zhuo released her and continued typing on the screen before hitting “send.”

Wen Ling sighed, picked up her own phone, and opened Weibo. At the very top of her screen, a new post from a special follow immediately appeared.

Yi Zhuo had reposted the CP supertopic post that read, “I’ve always suspected that when Yi Zhuo calls her ‘Captain,’ she’s actually thinking ‘Wife’ in her heart,” and added the caption:

“Captain, love you”

The comments below began multiplying at an alarming rate. Wen Ling tried to refresh, but the system prompted, “Network error, please click to reload.”

Wen Ling: “…”

Well, Weibo had crashed.

Hesitantly, she spoke up, “Maybe you should delete it.”

Before she could finish her sentence, Yi Zhuo’s phone rang.

The caller ID showed her manager, Ye Ming.

Yi Zhuo calmly answered, “Hello?”

Even without putting it on speaker, Ye Ming’s agitated voice came through clearly in the quiet room.

“Yi Zhuo, what are you doing?”

Wen Ling’s heart instantly tightened. Ye Ming had said the company wasn’t planning to arrange any CP promotions for Yi Zhuo just yet, but things had escalated to this point. She didn’t mind for herself, but would Yi Zhuo face consequences because of this?

Yi Zhuo held her hand and retorted, “What did I do?”

“If you’re going to promote a CP, can’t you take it a bit slower? Starting off this strong, what will fans have to look forward to later?”

Actually, after the broadcast of “Ghost Town Survival,” the company had noticed the overwhelmingly positive response to “Ice and Fire Love” and had already planned to arrange CP promotions for Yi Zhuo. But with the new album recording coming up and everyone busy, plus Wen Ling’s sudden illness, they hadn’t gotten around to making specific arrangements yet.

Unexpectedly, Yi Zhuo had taken matters into her own hands, going all out from the start and catching Ye Ming completely off guard.

Yi Zhuo: “?”

After a moment’s thought, she calmly replied, “It’s fine. I can go even bigger later.”

Ye Ming: “…”

She fell silent for two seconds and hung up.

“Don’t overthink it. I’ll handle it,” Yi Zhuo said, setting down her phone and pulling Wen Ling into her arms again. Smiling, she added, “Just focus on resting. Don’t worry about anything else.”

Wen Ling quietly allowed her to hold her for a while before suddenly sitting up and straddling her.

Her fingers gripped the edge of her nightgown, looking as though she was about to undress.

Yi Zhuo gasped sharply and quickly pulled her back under the covers. The image from moments earlier replayed in her mind, and she unconsciously swallowed.

Holding Wen Ling tightly, she said in a hoarse voice, “Don’t do this. I can’t control myself.”

Wen Ling replied, “Then don’t control it.”

Since Yi Zhuo had helped her, she felt it was only right to try her best to satisfy Yi Zhuo’s needs. There was nothing wrong with that.

Yi Zhuo patted her gently and said, “No, you’re still sick.”

Wen Ling shook her head. “I’m already better.”

“Absolutely not.” Yi Zhuo gritted her teeth, forcefully suppressing the restless thoughts in her heart. She quickly wrapped Wen Ling up like a silkworm cocoon, then reached out and lightly tapped the tip of her delicate nose.

“I’ll put it on your tab. Once you’re better, you can pay me back.”

Wen Ling, watching her conflicted expression, suddenly found it amusing.

She smiled, rubbing her cheek against Yi Zhuo’s dangling fingertips, and said, “Why are you even warmer than I am?”

“And whose fault is that?” Yi Zhuo was both exasperated and amused, but she couldn’t truly be angry with Wen Ling. Instead, she lowered her head and bit her delicate earlobe as if punishing her.

The tingling sensation sent a shiver through Wen Ling, who tried to push her away but found her fingers immediately clasped.

Soft lips brushed gently against her ear, and then Yi Zhuo’s voice whispered close by.

“Want to repay me?”

Wen Ling nodded.

“Then aside from going to bed, let’s do something else together once in a while.”

A cool breeze drifted through the mountains, and the harsh sunlight was filtered by the lush trees, softening into a gentle warmth that felt comforting rather than oppressive.

The path was paved with bluestone slabs, winding and twisting as it stretched toward the mountaintop. The stones were covered in dark green moss, and in the cracks of the black soil, scattered patches of tender green grass sprouts and unnamed wildflowers swayed gently in the breeze.

“Be careful, the path isn’t easy to walk.”

Yi Zhuo turned around and took the hand of the person behind her.

Both she and Wen Ling were wearing loose T-shirts and wide-leg jeans suitable for moving around. Since Wen Ling had just recovered from her illness, all their daily essentials were stuffed into the bulging backpack on Yi Zhuo’s back.

Wen Ling seemed unaccustomed to being led by the hand, her fingers stiffening for a moment before she finally relented.

They were currently on the back hill of Yi Zhuo’s parents’ countryside home, about a two-hour drive from the company.

Yi Zhuo had originally planned to bring Wen Ling out another time, but the next morning, as soon as Wen Ling woke up, she had completely returned to her usual self. As a gesture of gratitude, she gave Yi Zhuo the choice between going to bed or “doing something else.”

So Yi Zhuo had no choice but to move her plans forward and drive her directly to this place.

Wen Ling didn’t ask for reasons, simply packed a few things and followed her.

The mountain wasn’t very high, and the two of them reached the summit in less than an hour with ease.

Under the pale blue sky, the emerald-green mountains stretched endlessly. At the foot of the mountain, houses clustered together, and occasionally, villagers could be seen moving among them a scene full of vitality.

Standing in the shade of a tree, Wen Ling lifted her hand to remove her mask and breathed in the fresh air deeply, sincerely exclaiming, “This is a wonderful place.”

Since debuting, she had been constantly on edge. Whenever outdoors, she had to face cameras that seemed to penetrate every corner. But at this time, most villagers were working in the fields, and the mountain paths were nearly deserted, so they encountered almost no one along the way, allowing her to relax completely.

“Very few people come here, so when I’m tired, I come here to get some fresh air.”

Yi Zhuo casually propped one long leg on a rock, exuding an effortless, carefree charm. She lifted her head to gaze at the azure sky, the breeze gently tousling her hair, making her look as beautiful as a painting.

Wen Ling withdrew her gaze and asked, “Is this where you grew up?”

She suddenly realized that although she and Yi Zhuo shared an ambiguous bond, they knew nothing about each other’s pasts.

How Yi Zhuo grew up, what her life was like before, what experiences she had been through, Wen Ling had never asked. And since she herself disliked talking about her own affairs, Yi Zhuo had tactfully refrained from asking as well.

Yi Zhuo tilted her head and smiled at her. “I lived here for twelve years.”

Wen Ling asked, “What happened after that?”

A flicker of surprise crossed Yi Zhuo’s eyes. After all, Wen Ling never pried into others’ private matters. The sudden question filled her with irrepressible joy. Perhaps, to Wen Ling, she was just a little more special than the other members.

She answered earnestly, “Later, my parents divorced and sent me to live with relatives in the city. I spent a few years depending on others, and after that, I went out on my own to make my way.”

In just a few sentences, Yi Zhuo summarized the hardships of those years, but her tone remained calm, as if she were recounting someone else’s story.

Wen Ling felt a pang of sadness, her fingers curling slightly at her sides. Just as she was about to speak, Yi Zhuo added, “Let’s not talk about these unhappy things. Come on, let’s go over there.”

Then, her hand was taken once again.

Yi Zhuo led her a short distance to a somewhat dilapidated pavilion. The brick-red stone pillars were peeling with faded paint, and the round table and stone stools in the center were weathered, covered in a thick layer of dust.

“Wait here for a moment.”

Yi Zhuo stepped briskly into the pavilion, carefully wiped the table and stools with tissues, and then spread clean newspapers over them.

She then took out a large thermal lunchbox and a thermos from her backpack and beckoned Wen Ling. “Come and eat.”

Inside the lunchbox were neatly arranged sandwiches cut into small pieces, each with different fillings, creating a colorful and appetizing display.

Yi Zhuo poured a cup of hot tea from the thermos, handed the chopsticks to Wen Ling, and urged, “Eat quickly.”

Wen Ling picked up a piece of sandwich and took a bite. The tender, juicy beef and the runny fried egg blended perfectly, infused with a rich black pepper aroma. The fresh lettuce was crisp and refreshing, making the combination utterly satisfying without any greasiness.

When she woke up that morning, Yi Zhuo was already gone from the room. At the time, she thought Yi Zhuo had just gone to prepare breakfast, never expecting she had also made lunch.

After slowly finishing one sandwich, Wen Ling asked, “What time did you wake up this morning?”

Yi Zhuo thought for a moment and replied, “Six o’clock.”

Wen Ling took a sip from her cup it was her favorite honey lemon tea, both sweet and tangy.

She said, “Don’t do this in the future. It’s a rare holiday you should sleep more.”

From Yi Zhuo’s reaction, it was clear the other person must have woken up before six. But she didn’t want to put pressure on herself, so she deliberately gave a later time.

Yi Zhuo responded with a noncommittal smile, pointing to another sandwich in the lunchbox. “Try this one shrimp and scrambled eggs. It’s delicious.”

Wen Ling did as suggested and took a bite. Just as Yi Zhuo had said, the flavor was surprisingly delightful. The shrimp was savory, the eggs soft and tender a perfect combination.

Yi Zhuo watched her. “Eat more. You’ve lost weight recently.”

Half an hour later, most of the food in the lunchbox was gone. Yi Zhuo was very pleased, contentedly packing it away before taking out a small container of freshly cut fruit.

Wen Ling silently observed her movements, then suddenly asked after a moment, “When you said yesterday, ‘do something else,’ did you mean,”

Did you mean hiking and having a picnic at the mountaintop, enjoying the breeze?

“I just wanted you to spend time with me. What we do isn’t important.”

Yi Zhuo opened the lid, and the sweet, fresh scent of the fruit instantly filled the air.

She pushed the fruit toward Wen Ling, who didn’t stand on ceremony and picked a piece that looked appealing, popping it into her mouth.

Yi Zhuo watched her eat for a while before suddenly asking, “Captain, can I ask you out again in the future?”

Wen Ling paused mid-action and looked up at her.

It wasn’t an unreasonable request, but the usually bold and assertive person had softened her tone, holding her breath as she waited nervously for an answer.

Fine, it’s not a big deal.

If I refuse, Yi Zhuo will probably be upset, and if she’s upset, things might get even more complicated.

So Wen Ling nodded. “Sure.”