I Struggle to Survive in a Girl Group [Transmigration] - Chapter 59

Yu Tingbai’s eyes flickered slightly as she discreetly switched to An Qing’s main account.

She clicked on the first Weibo post and, just as An Qing had said, it was the performance she had been looking for, reposted at 10 p.m. the previous night.

It seemed that after studying the performance yesterday, An Qing had logged into her alternate account to do something interesting and then forgot to switch back.

Though she didn’t have time to read the full article, judging by the title alone, it was clear this was a fanfiction.

“Did you find it?”

An Qing, noticing Yu Tingbai’s prolonged silence, leaned over to look at the phone screen.

“I found it,” Yu Tingbai smiled, openly showing her the performance video on the screen before handing the phone back.

She had memorized the username of An Qing’s alternate account. Once today’s filming tasks were done, she’d find time to explore it further.

How would An Qing write their story?

She was curious.

And a little excited.

An Qing, unsuspecting, casually slipped her phone into her pants pocket.

Just then, the elevator doors opened again, and Wen Ling and Yi Zhuo stepped out.

Yi Zhuo seemed perfectly normal, but Wen Ling’s outfit was hard to describe. She was wearing a vibrant set of clothes with red flowers and green leaves, as if she had torn the cover off a floral quilt and draped it over herself.

Clearly, she had been tricked by the production team. The team leader had really gone all out to complete the wake-up mission.

Fortunately, Wen Ling was naturally beautiful, so even in such an eccentric outfit, she still managed to look somewhat charming.

Wen Ling herself, however, seemed completely unfazed by the clothes. She calmly walked over to An Qing’s stall and asked, “Is there any food left?”

Since the production team wouldn’t let them spend their own money on food, eating the props was surely allowed.

“Yes, there is,” An Qing quickly packed a steamed bun each for Wen Ling and Yi Zhuo. Out of the seven buns the fans had given them earlier, Yu Tingbai had eaten one, An Qing had eaten three, and the remaining two were just enough for the two of them as breakfast.

“Mmm, not bad,” Yi Zhuo, who was also hungry, took a big bite out of her bun and asked An Qing, “Have you both finished your tasks?”

The two nodded. “Yes, we’re done.”

“We’re done too. Let’s go find the production team to claim our rewards.”

The production team had informed them that once the entire team completed their tasks, they could go to a certain room on the first floor to receive their rewards. Wen Ling and Yi Zhuo had come down specifically to regroup with An Qing and the others, never expecting to snag a meal along the way.

It was a spacious, brightly lit room decorated in warm tones. Directly facing the door was a set of cream-colored sofas, and on the coffee table in front of them were various foods.

Xu Die had been waiting there for quite some time. Seeing the group, she smiled and said, “Congratulations on completing the tasks. Now, let’s distribute the rewards.”

An Qing glanced suspiciously at the coffee table, which was laden with soy milk, fried dough sticks, tofu pudding, soup dumplings, congee… and plenty of fresh fruit.

Was the reward for the wake-up task just breakfast?

Xu Die announced, “Given how well everyone completed their tasks, you’ll all receive the highest reward for this round!”

Wen Ling asked, “What is it?”

Xu Die replied, “Ten yuan per person.”

An Qing: ???

What could ten yuan even buy? That was way too stingy!

She pointed incredulously at the food on the table. “Then what’s all this?”

Xu Die smiled. “With the money, you can now buy breakfast from us!”

An Qing: “…”

This show is really something, deliberately trying to keep them from eating their fill?

Xu Die earnestly explained, “Let me introduce this episode’s theme to everyone: ‘Returning to the Countryside.’ After breakfast, we’ll head to the countryside for the rest of the filming. The village is rich in resources, and we’ve arranged many tasks. As long as you complete them well, you’ll be guaranteed food and clothing.”

Yu Tingbai asked, “So how do we win against the opposing team? How is it determined?”

Even though the theme sounded full of love and peace, “Girl Group Showdown” was, after all, a competitive variety show, there had to be a winner and a loser.

Xu Die replied, “After all the game segments are over, the team with the most remaining funds will be the winner.”

Hearing this, everyone’s faces showed understanding. No wonder the production team was so nitpicky, victory was determined by money.

“Alright, which ones would you like to eat? Let me introduce the prices.” Xu Die said, walking toward the coffee table, attempting to make her first sale of the day.

“No need, I’m not eating,” Wen Ling said, then confirmed with the others, “Are any of you eating?”

Since the outcome depended on remaining funds, everyone naturally wanted to save as much as possible. With the team leader setting an example, they were all aware of the need to economize.

So the others chimed in one after another:

“Not eating.”

“Let’s save some money.”

“Anyway, we just ate our fill.”

Xu Die widened her eyes in surprise. “You’ve already eaten? Where?”

According to the production team’s requirements, they should be penniless, right?

An Qing cheerfully explained what had just happened, and Xu Die sighed sincerely, “Lucky you.”

She took out her wallet and handed each person a pre-prepared ten-yuan bill.

Wen Ling glanced at the others and said, “Let’s pool it all together. We’ll spend it as a group.”

With the meticulous Wen Ling in charge of the money, An Qing couldn’t have been happier and quickly handed over her funds obediently.

After collecting everyone’s money, Wen Ling turned to ask Xu Die, “What about Siqi’s team? Haven’t they finished yet?”

The time was 6:15 a.m., and there were still 45 minutes left until the deadline for the wake-up task.

If they exceeded the time limit without completing it, the reward would be calculated based on their progress, and the funds they received would be reduced. If they unfortunately drew an all-or-nothing task and failed to complete it, they wouldn’t get any reward at all.

“They should be almost done,” Xu Die said with a mysterious smile. “Their task seems to be a bit more difficult than yours.”

The bedroom was quiet, with a faint sliver of light seeping through the gap in the blackout curtains. The outlines of the furniture were obscured in the dimness, blurry and indistinct.

A soft “beep” sounded as someone swiped a keycard to unlock the door. The metal doorknob turned, and the dark brown wooden door was pushed open a crack.

A petite figure peeked in, then tiptoed inside, carefully closing the door behind her.

Chu Ning lay on the bed, her sleeping posture wild and unrestrained. Her long limbs were sprawled out casually, her hair disheveled, and her breathing even. The moment the door closed again, she seemed to sense something her wrist, dangling off the edge of the bed, twitched slightly.

Shen Siqi was startled, her eyes fixed intently on the person in the bed. She held her breath, not daring to move a muscle.

Fortunately, the other person merely turned over and fell back into a deep sleep, showing no signs of waking up.

Shen Siqi breathed a sigh of relief and tiptoed slowly toward the bedside.

Yesterday, the task she drew was: “Kiss Chu Ning awake while she’s sleeping.”

The moment she saw the task, her heart sank into despair. Chu Ning’s temper was notorious if she didn’t do it right, she was afraid she might get beaten to death.

But although Chu Ning often seemed fierce, Shen Siqi could sense that around her, Chu Ning deliberately held back her temper, and her tone would soften a little.

Maybe Chu Ning wouldn’t get angry after all. Might as well take a chance.

To avoid waking Chu Ning and failing the task, Shen Siqi deliberately didn’t wear shoes, stepping barefoot on the soft carpet like a cat, making no sound at all.

Soon, Shen Siqi reached the bedside. Chu Ning was lying on her side, facing her, with a bit of distance between her face and the edge of the bed. A few strands of long hair fell, partially covering her perfectly sculpted face.

Chu Ning was really beautiful. When she thought about it, getting to do this task felt like she was the one benefiting.

Thinking this, Shen Siqi flashed a peace sign toward the camera, signaling that she was about to start the task. Then, she gently knelt on the bed and leaned in close.

It’s fine. Once Chu Ning woke up, she could just explain that it was a task.

She would just give a light kiss, just a little one nothing too excessive. Chu Ning was such a good person; surely she would understand.

Shen Siqi first reached out to brush aside the strands of hair that were in the way, then awkwardly pressed her lips against Chu Ning’s cheek.

So soft. Are all girls’ cheeks this soft?

Savoring the pleasant sensation, Shen Siqi felt her face burning. She quickly straightened up, her back tense, ready to deliver the apology she had rehearsed in her mind.

Chu Ning frowned slightly. One second, two seconds, three seconds and then she didn’t wake up?

No way! What should she do now?

Shen Siqi froze.

She remembered clearly: the task required “kissing the other person awake.” If a kiss didn’t wake her, then the only option was to keep kissing!

Well, the first time is awkward, the second time is familiar.

Shen Siqi leaned in again and kissed Chu Ning’s eyelids.

Chu Ning’s breathing paused for a moment, then quickly returned to its steady rhythm.

Shen Siqi: ???

Chu Ning’s sleep quality was just too good!

This wasn’t working. Steeling herself, Shen Siqi cupped Chu Ning’s face with both hands and planted a determined kiss, putting so much effort into it that her mouth contorted.

Chu Ning shuddered and abruptly opened her eyes.

Even though she had just woken up, her gaze still carried a sharp, lingering intensity.

“Who’s there?”

Shen Siqi flinched in fright. Before she could speak, she felt a strong push and nearly tumbled off the bed.

She let out a startled cry, quickly grabbing the other’s arm, and explained, “Sis, it’s me! It’s a task, just a task!”

Shen Siqi?

Chu Ning sat up, rubbing her temples with a headache. The task she had drawn yesterday was to clean ten guest rooms before 7 a.m. She had finished it last night, thinking she could sleep in today, but it seemed she couldn’t escape being woken up after all.

She had a notoriously bad temper upon waking, but looking at the girl’s wide, timid eyes glistening with unshed tears, she found she couldn’t muster any anger.

Chu Ning sighed and asked, “Couldn’t you have kissed someone else?”

Shen Siqi had intended to say it was required by the task, but then she reconsidered and opted for what she thought would be a more pleasing explanation.

“No, I like you the most, sis. Don’t be mad, okay?”

After saying this, she obediently sat up straight, gazing at the other person with pleading eyes. She was still wearing her nightgown, covered in little pink pig prints, her soft hair cascading over her shoulders she looked utterly soft and gentle.

Chu Ning was taken aback, feeling as if something in her heart had been gently stirred.

She averted her gaze and asked, “What time is it?”

Shen Siqi whispered, “Six ten.”

Chu Ning said, “I’m going back to sleep for a bit. I set the alarm for six thirty.”

With that, she lay back down and soon fell into a deep slumber.

Shen Siqi was utterly impressed by her ability to sleep so soundly. Watching Chu Ning sleep so peacefully, she couldn’t help but yawn.

Since there was an alarm set, it wouldn’t be too much if she sneaked a little nap too, right?

Happily, Shen Siqi flopped down onto the empty space beside Chu Ning, pulled a corner of the blanket over herself, and closed her eyes.

She fell asleep quickly too after all, those without a care in the world sleep the soundest.

Ten minutes later, the door was gently knocked twice.

The two on the bed were already fast asleep, and neither heard a thing.

After knocking three times, Jiang Ran and Shu Qingyu, standing outside the door, exchanged a glance and fell into simultaneous contemplation.

Shu Qingyu said, “Should we go in and check?”

Jiang Ran shook her head frantically. “No, no, no! If the captain gets woken up, she’ll turn into a monster!!”

“That doesn’t seem right,” Shu Qingyu sighed. “What time is it already? Why isn’t she up doing the mission?”

She racked her brains and suddenly had a flash of insight. “Could it be that she’s secretly hiding a girl in there?”

Jiang Ran scoffed disdainfully. “What nonsense are you talking? Even holding the captain’s hand makes her disgusted. How could she just hide a girl in her room?”

Shu Qingyu thought it made sense, but waiting around wasn’t helping. She simply suggested, “Let’s go in together. If we die, we die together!”

Then she remembered something and grumbled resentfully, “Where did Shen Siqi run off to? All day long, it’s ‘sis this, sis that,’ but when it comes to waking her up, she’s nowhere to be found.”

So the two mustered their courage and gently pushed the door open.

“Captain, time to get up for the mission, Holy crap?”

After clearly seeing the scene inside the room, Shu Qingyu and Jiang Ran were nearly scared out of their wits. They fled in panic, quickly closed the door, and then slid down to the floor with their backs against it.

What was going on? Shen Siqi and the captain were sleeping in the same bed?? Under the same blanket??

After a suffocating silence, the two exchanged a glance and spoke at the same time.

“How despicable.”

“We really underestimated Shen Siqi.”