I Struggle to Survive in a Girl Group [Transmigration] - Chapter 51

An Qing snorted coldly, then bit down on the finger by her lips, applying a little pressure and leaving two faint tooth marks on it.

Yu Tingbai didn’t get angry, letting her bite until she was released, then pinched her cheek and asked, “Feeling better now? Can you tell me why you were upset?”

Honestly, with Yu Tingbai being so cooperative, it made her seem like she was being unreasonable.

An Qing glared at her fiercely and snapped, “Why did you leave me to go talk to other girls?”

So that’s what she was upset about? Yu Tingbai was taken aback for a moment, then unconsciously curved her lips into a smile.

She loosened the blanket wrapped around An Qing, letting her regain her freedom, and then fed her another spoonful of ice cream.

“They came over on their own, saying they had something to discuss with me.”

An Qing ate the ice cream offered to her, her eyes squinting comfortably, and her tone softened a bit. “What did they want to talk to you about?”

Yu Tingbai said, “They wanted me to go over to their side tomorrow and create a CP with Chu Ning.”

An Qing: ???

She immediately got angry, grabbing Yu Tingbai’s wrist tightly. “No, I won’t allow it.”

Then she added, a bit aggrieved, “You didn’t agree, did you?”

“Of course not.” Yu Tingbai quickly put down the spoon and sat down by the head of the bed. She held An Qing’s hand and patiently explained, “I didn’t agree. I have Qingqing, and that’s enough for me.”

That’s more like it.

An Qing muttered quietly to herself, then asked in confusion, “Then why were those two so happy?”

Seeing Shu Qingyu and Jiang Ran acting so warmly toward Yu Tingbai, it didn’t seem like the discussion had fallen through at all.

Yu Tingbai smiled mysteriously. “Because I told them I’d arrange for someone more suitable to go over.”

Someone more suitable?

An Qing was taken aback and asked, “Siqi?”

They all knew that Shen Siqi was Chu Ning’s true fan. But Shen Siqi was always a bit scatterbrained, and even her fans often complained that she “just couldn’t flirt.” Could someone like that really have CP chemistry?

Yu Tingbai seemed to have guessed her thoughts and said, “No one else would be suitable. Besides, Siqi likes Chu Ning so much, she’ll definitely be more enthusiastic than anyone. You won’t be able to stop her.”

An Qing thought about it and felt that was true.

She and Yu Tingbai naturally wouldn’t let their girlfriends go create a CP with someone else. Wen Ling and Yi Zhuo’s vibes didn’t match Chu Ning’s either, so it wouldn’t work out.

After considering all options, only Shen Siqi was left.

An Qing pondered and said, “But if we send Siqi, it feels like an unfair advantage.”

Shen Siqi’s skills seemed to be entirely focused on singing and dancing. She was scatterbrained, timid, and a bit slow on the uptake, practically a game black hole.

Wouldn’t that mean “Princess” could win big?

She really wanted to outvote the other team, but she didn’t want to do it in an unfair way.

“You can’t look at it like that,” Yu Tingbai said. “When the audience votes, it’s not just about who wins the games. Usually, whoever has the best variety show presence and makes the audience happiest gets the most votes. If Siqi goes over there and coordinates well, she might even boost their overall votes.”

“Besides, the voting is individual, not team-based. If Shen Siqi drags them down and gets fewer votes, it’ll only lower our team’s average. It won’t affect the ‘Destiny’ team. This variety show is full of uncertainties, there’s no telling what might happen.”

She hugged the person in her arms tightly, gently nuzzling her forehead with her cheek.

An Qing pondered for a moment and found the reasoning sound, there was truly nothing to worry about. So she relaxed, letting Yu Tingbai hold her while feeding her ice cream spoonful by spoonful.

The two of them took turns, sharing bites, and soon finished the entire box.

An Qing sighed contentedly, snuggling deeper into Yu Tingbai’s embrace, and murmured, “I’m sleepy. I want to sleep.”

Lately, she had grown increasingly clingy toward Yu Tingbai. The thought of staying in separate rooms made her reluctant to part.

An Qing couldn’t help but recall those days in Ghost Town Survival, when they had to squeeze onto a single bed due to a lack of coins. Looking back now, those memories felt so sweet,

“After eating sweets, go brush your teeth,” Yu Tingbai said with a smile, patting the lazy girl in her arms. “I’ll go with you.”

An Qing dawdled, refusing to move. Yu Tingbai urged her, “Hurry up. We have to wake up early tomorrow.”

“No,” An Qing whispered.

Even she found herself annoying after saying that. She peeked up at the person beside her, but that breathtakingly beautiful face showed no trace of impatience.

Yu Tingbai asked gently, “What’s wrong?”

An Qing’s heartbeat quickened again. Steeling herself, she blurted out the truth: “Just a little longer, I don’t want you to leave yet.”

Yu Tingbai froze for a second, then quickly broke into a laugh. “Who said I was leaving?”

An Qing: “Then you.”

“I’m staying right here. I’m not going anywhere.” Yu Tingbai brushed her thumb against An Qing’s cheek, her smile widening. “If Qingqing is willing, I’ll be here every day.”

Under the bright spotlight stood two slender figures, casting faint shadows on the polished stage floor.

One was a man, the other a woman both holding microphones with flawless, practiced smiles.

“Welcome to this episode of Girl Group Showdown, brought to you by.”

The female host read from the cue card, her voice as sweet as her smile. Her name was Xu Die, and beside her was her co-host, Ji Sen. Both were highly popular veteran hosts who had been leading Girl Group Showdown for over three years.

The audience seats were packed with young men and women, all craning their necks in eager anticipation.

“Now, let’s welcome today’s two competing groups!”

After the opening remarks, Xu Die got straight to the point. “First, the evergreen of girl groups ‘Destiny’! Please welcome them!”

Cheers surged like waves, filling the entire space. Three stunning women strode onto the stage. For the sake of the games, all three had opted for sleek, sporty outfits, their long hair tied up, exuding a spirited and commanding presence.

Fans’ opinions of “Destiny” could be summed up in one sentence: Silent, they’re beauties; speaking, each one is an entire group. Though the trio was always bickering, their bond was unbreakable.

“Hello, everyone!” Chu Ning announced brightly, and the other two immediately joined in, greeting the audience in unison. “We are ‘Destiny’!”

Thunderous applause erupted from the audience, fans screaming excitedly before finally settling down.

Ji Sen smiled and continued the program. “The other group may be rookies, but I’m sure you’re all familiar with them they are ‘Princess’!”

“Let’s go, let’s go.” Shen Siqi tugged An Qing’s arm and whispered softly.

Their stage positions were always arranged according to their rankings, Yu Tingbai stood in the center, flanked by Yi Zhuo and Shen Siqi on either side, with Wen Ling and An Qing on the outer edges.

The group stepped onto the stage, greeted the audience with practiced ease, and received an enthusiastic response.

Xu Die and Ji Sen took turns introducing the upcoming albums from both girl groups and announced that, as per tradition, the team with the higher average votes after the show aired would receive nationwide promotional opportunities for their new album.

“Next, we’ll move on to the exciting game segment. Today’s indoor session includes three different fun mini-games.”

At this point, Xu Die deliberately paused, winking playfully. “But to balance the numbers, before that, ‘Princess’ needs to select one member to temporarily join ‘Destiny.'”

The audience immediately buzzed with excitement. After all, “Princess” and “Destiny” had never appeared together before, the closest they’d come was attending the same event but walking separate red carpets. Most of the audience were fans of both groups, so the anticipation for this segment was palpable.

Xu Die smiled and prompted Wen Ling, “So, Captain, have you decided who to send for this ‘alliance’?”

She knew exactly how to hype up the crowd, understanding fan psychology perfectly.

As expected, the moment she finished speaking, the venue erupted into unprecedented cheers, with fans shouting various names.

Wen Ling replied calmly, “We discussed it yesterday.”

Shu Qingyu and Jiang Ran immediately turned to look, while Chu Ning only tilted her head slightly, clearly indifferent about who would join their side.

Wen Ling said, “Siqi, you go.”

“Alright, I’m off. Don’t miss me too much.” With that, Shen Siqi cheerfully dashed over to stand beside Chu Ning, as if afraid Wen Ling might change her mind if she hesitated.

Xu Die: ?

I haven’t even told you to go yet?

Shen Siqi, completely unaware, stood happily in place.

They had briefly discussed this matter yesterday. As soon as Wen Ling asked, “Who’s interested in going?” Shen Siqi eagerly raised her hand. “Captain, I’ve never asked you for anything”

Wen Ling bluntly called her out, “You begged me for an extra half-hour of sleep this morning.”

Shen Siqi: !

She straightened up seriously. “If you agree to let me go this time, you can sleep with me for half an hour.”

Almost immediately, Yi Zhuo gave her a light tap on the head. “You wish.”

Shen Siqi shot her a puzzled look but quickly refocused on the alliance matter. “Captain, send me. I’ll definitely foster good relations between the two groups.”

At that moment, Yu Tingbai also spoke up, “Let her go. Think of it as letting her have some fun.”

She paused, then added, “It wouldn’t be suitable to send anyone else.”

Though Shen Siqi didn’t quite grasp why it wouldn’t be suitable, she had achieved her goal and didn’t dwell on it, automatically assuming she was the most fitting choice.

“It seems our little Siqi is quite proactive. Before I could even react, she teleported over.” Xu Die joked, “Siqi, why don’t you greet ‘Destiny’?”

This was quite an interesting little segment, different girl groups with distinct styles reacted differently to outsiders. When faced with overtures from temporary teammates, some groups would warmly welcome and try to win them over, while others chose the path of mutual teasing and a love-hate dynamic.

After all, the votes earned by temporary teammates would still be credited to their original group. So, to them, Shen Siqi was merely a tool to facilitate the game and balance the numbers.

They weren’t worried about Shen Siqi performing poorly or intentionally causing trouble either, because audience votes weren’t heavily influenced by wins or losses. Based on past experience, such behavior would only lower her personal vote count.

Under the leadership of their captain, Chu Ning, “Destiny” had long grown into a highly distinctive girl group, exuding an unyielding, audacious aura. Given what their fans knew about them, it was inevitable that “Destiny” would choose the path of confrontation.

Shu Qingyu and Jiang Ran thought the same way, so they remained silent, quietly waiting for the other party to initiate a greeting so they could put her in her place.

As for the idea of creating a CP (couple pairing), they could put that on hold for now. Coming on too strong from the start would diminish the variety show’s entertainment value. Besides, based on their impression of Shen Siqi, she didn’t seem to fit the criteria they had discussed the day before at all.

Shen Siqi turned around and looked at the three women standing before her, all noticeably taller than her.

Shu Qingyu and Jiang Ran had already struck their poses, turning their faces away with an air of aloof elegance, not even glancing at her.

The audience held their breath, all eyes fixed on Shen Siqi.

From what they knew of Shen Siqi, she was a soft, cute, and timid girl who cried easily. Would she end up bullied to tears right from the start?

Just thinking about it made them, want to see it happen!

But Shen Siqi tilted her head, completely unfazed. With a sweet smile, she stretched out a hand toward Chu Ning and said in a sugary voice, “Sister, I’m here.”

Chu Ning stiffened.

Her two teammates beside her burst into silent laughter inwardly. Shen Siqi really had no fear, choosing to address Chu Ning directly? Did she not know what kind of demon “Destiny’s” captain was? And calling her “sister”? Did she really think Chu Ning would respond,

“Mm, welcome,” Chu Ning said, shaking her hand gently, her voice softening noticeably.

Shu Qingyu: Huh?
Jiang Ran: Ha?

Chu Ning withdrew her hand and, under her teammates’ stunned gazes, reverted to her usual icy tone and expression.

“What are you standing around for? Aren’t you going to greet Siqi?”