I Struggle to Survive in a Girl Group [Transmigration] - Chapter 8

In the bathroom, warm water cascaded down from the showerhead. An Qing closed her eyes slightly, feeling the exhaustion of the day gradually melt away.

However, her arms ached even more perhaps she had strained her muscles during the arm-wrestling match, too eager and not using her strength properly. Fortunately, she had found some medicated patches in her luggage earlier and planned to apply them after her shower.

An Qing rinsed the shampoo from her hair, then wrapped her damp locks in a towel before stepping out of the bathroom.

As soon as she opened the door, she met a pair of striking, ink-black eyes.

Yu Tingbai sat on the edge of the bed in a nightgown, her long, slender legs exposed. She had already showered while An Qing was eating oden.

Her black hair, now dry, cascaded smoothly down her back, accentuating her flawless, porcelain-like skin.

Yu Tingbai turned her head slightly, her gaze landing on An Qing.

An Qing immediately took the initiative to break the silence. “I’m done showering.”

Perhaps because of what had happened with Wang Yuanyuan earlier, An Qing felt the atmosphere between them was surprisingly pleasant.

Yu Tingbai patted the bed lightly, her red lips parting.

“Come here.”

Her nightgown today seemed slightly ill-fitting as she moved, the neckline slipped, revealing a glimpse of her fair shoulder. The delicate curve of her collarbone caught the light, exuding an alluring glow.

An Qing froze for a moment, suddenly recalling what Yu Tingbai had said in the practice room earlier.

“We’re not in bed save your energy.”

Wait… wait a second.

What did that mean? Was it what she thought it meant?

An Qing’s mind short-circuited, and before she could stop herself, she blurted out,

“I, I’m not ready yet.”

Yu Tingbai paused, then immediately understood. A vein twitched at her temple as she gave An Qing a look reserved for the intellectually challenged. Then, she picked up the hairdryer from the table.

“Come here. I’ll dry your hair for you.”

An Qing blinked in surprise. Her arms were sore, so she hadn’t planned on blow-drying her hair at all. The hairdryer she brought was heavy, and with her thick hair, it would take at least fifteen minutes to dry completely. But she never expected Yu Tingbai to offer help.

Had her efforts finally moved her? This was the perfect opportunity to get closer!

An Qing hurried over and sat down beside Yu Tingbai.

Opportunities like this didn’t come often she didn’t want to hesitate and risk Yu Tingbai changing her mind.

The dorm bed was two meters long, with a ladder to the upper bunk taking up a fair amount of space. The lower bunk only had about a meter of sitting room, leaving almost no gap between the two of them.

An Qing shifted awkwardly, pressing her arm against the railing to avoid getting too close and making Yu Tingbai uncomfortable. She murmured a quiet “Thanks,” then obediently lowered her head.

Yu Tingbai’s bed was soft, the sheets a light blue adorned with cute bear prints.

An Qing stared at the little bears for a few seconds before feeling Yu Tingbai’s fingers comb through her hair, gently separating the damp strands.

Yu Tingbai ran a brush through it a few times, then turned on the hairdryer.

A warm gust of air rushed over her, carrying with it the faint scent of roses whether from perfume or body wash, An Qing couldn’t tell, but it was intoxicating.

Yu Tingbai was very professional, not once tugging her hair or scalding her with the hot air from the hairdryer. Her fingers even occasionally massaged An Qing’s scalp a little.

An Qing squinted her eyes in enjoyment while inwardly scolding herself.

What on earth had she been thinking earlier? How could she have misunderstood in such a strange direction?

There were cameras in the dormitory, after all. Someone as measured as Yu Tingbai would never do anything inappropriate.

Besides, Yu Tingbai was so beautiful there must be plenty of people who liked her. Given their current relationship, even if Yu Tingbai wanted to do something, she definitely wouldn’t choose her.

But now that she thought about it, it was kind of a shame.

An Qing startled herself with her own thoughts, then optimistically consoled herself.

Wasn’t it good to have this kind of mindset? If their feelings ever progressed to that point and Yu Tingbai really wanted something to happen between them, she wouldn’t be at a loss.

“All done.”

The sound of the hairdryer stopped. Yu Tingbai smoothed her hair with a comb, then lightly waved her hand to the side in a shooing gesture.

“Thank you, sorry for the trouble.”

An Qing immediately understood and quickly got up, returning to her own bed and thanking her again. She touched her hair it was almost completely dry and very smooth.

Recalling the pleasant experience just now, she once again let her mouth run ahead of her brain.

“You’re really skilled it didn’t hurt at all.”

Yu Tingbai: ?

An Qing also realized how ambiguous her words sounded and hurried to clarify: “When I comb my own hair, I always pull some out, but you don’t.”

Yu Tingbai didn’t look at her, leisurely taking out a face mask and applying it. She patted her cheeks lightly and said in a neutral tone, “I often groom Wang Nana, so I’ve had practice.”

An Qing:

Alright then. Being able to enjoy the same treatment as Wang Nana was still a step up in status!

A wave of drowsiness hit her. An Qing rubbed her eyes and burrowed under the covers.

She hadn’t slept at all last night and had trained all day today she was completely exhausted.

By the time Yu Tingbai finished her face mask and went to turn off the lights, An Qing was already fast asleep.

She had wrapped herself tightly in the blanket, leaving only her fair little face exposed. Her long, thick eyelashes fluttered slightly with each breath.

Yu Tingbai turned off the light and stood by the bed, staring at the sleeping figure in the darkness for a few seconds.

After a moment, she silently mouthed, “Thank you.”

At 5:30 in the morning, the alarm went off on time.

An Qing groggily rolled over and struggled to extend an arm from under the blanket to turn it off. The moment her skin met the slightly cool air outside the covers, the hairs on her arm stood on end.

She retracted her hand, rubbed her eyes, and took in the scene in the room.

The lights were off, leaving the room dim. Yu Tingbai stood by the balcony door, lifting a corner of the curtain to look outside. She was already fully dressed, seemingly preparing to go out.

Hearing movement behind her, she turned around and greeted An Qing calmly.

“Awake?”

An Qing made a noise of acknowledgment and sat up. Her silver hair was a mess as she swiftly put on her clothes, trying to strike up a conversation.

“Where are you going? I’m heading out too we can go together.”

After saying this, she paused for a second, realizing something was off. How could she say “we can go together” when she didn’t even know where Yu Tingbai was going? Had she lost her mind from sleep deprivation?

Fortunately, Yu Tingbai didn’t press the issue and answered her question in an even tone.

“I wanted to go for a run, but it’s snowing.”

Snowing?

An Qing perked up and hurried to the window. Sure enough, the world outside was a vast expanse of white, with large, soft snowflakes falling freely. Everything in sight was blanketed under a thick layer of snow, its edges softened, contours blurred.

Just then, the door was pounded violently, followed by Shen Siqi’s voice, an octave higher than anyone else’s.

“An Qing! Yu Tingbai! Come out and play in the snow!”

An Qing’s spirit was instantly captivated, itching to dash outside. But then she reconsidered spending time with her fiancée was the priority. Tentatively, she asked the person beside her, “Want to go? If you don’t, then I won’t either ”

“Let’s go.”

With a swift motion, Yu Tingbai pulled open the curtains. Bright snowlight poured through the window, illuminating a patch of ground outside.

She dug out two sets of hats and gloves, then directed An Qing, “Grab two washbasins.”

Soon, An Qing understood the importance of the basins.

By the time the three of them reached the field, seven or eight figures were already there, bundled up tightly, leaving only their eyes exposed. The girls wielded various tools, engaged in a chaotic battle indiscriminate attacks, targeting whoever was within reach.

The air was crisp, the snowlight brightening the dim sky. The snow beneath their feet crunched with each step, mingling with laughter and shrieks that echoed freely across the open field.

Shen Siqi, brimming with excitement, charged forward, brandishing her washbasin. She hadn’t gone far before she slipped and fell with a splat. Unfazed, she got up, brushed off the snow, and quickly joined the fray.

An Qing watched, her fingers itching to join. She turned to the person beside her. “Shall we”

Before she could finish, a basin of cold, fluffy snow was dumped over their heads, drenching them both.

Then came the sound of hurried footsteps as the two successful ambushers ran off, laughing.

“You just wait!”

An Qing’s competitive spirit flared. Without another thought, she took off in pursuit.

She scooped up a thick layer of snow with her basin and, moving like the wind, quickly caught up to the two ambushers. With a decisive flip of her basin, vengeance was hers.

An Qing flashed a triumphant smile, only to be hit square in the forehead by a snowball thrown by another girl.

She froze for two seconds before retaliating swiftly.

By the time the battle neared its end, only two philosophical questions remained in An Qing’s mind, Who’s hitting me? And who am I hitting?

Time slipped by. After 6:30, the trainees began to retreat, ready to change into dry clothes and dive into the day’s training.

As An Qing searched for Yu Tingbai, her foot slipped unexpectedly, sending her tumbling onto her back.

The world flipped abruptly before her eyes. Vast stretches of pale blue filled her vision, while pristine snowflakes landed on her lashes, melting quickly from her body heat.

An Qing shifted, her arms aching. Deciding against moving further, she simply spread her arms and lay quietly in the snow.

Footsteps approached. She turned her head and saw Yu Tingbai walking toward her. She looked a little worse for wear too her long hair damp, the ends frozen, her nose red from the cold yet she was still breathtakingly beautiful.

Truly the female lead, stunning even from unflattering angles.

Yu Tingbai stopped in front of her. Just as An Qing thought she might step on her face, Yu Tingbai suddenly bent down and lay beside her, shoulder to shoulder.

No one spoke, simply basking in the comfortable silence after the cathartic release.

The two of them lay together like that for a while before An Qing broke the quiet first.

“Do you exercise every morning?”

The person beside her paused briefly in their breathing before responding with a sound of acknowledgment.

An Qing turned her head to look at them. “I want to go too. Will you take me with you from now on?”

About three seconds later, she got her answer.

“Okay.”