A Sweet Soft Alpha and a Psycho-Beauty Go Viral Online (GL) - Chapter 7

A sharp ache pulsed in Yu Wanyin’s waist. Instinctively, she tightened her hold on Qiao Sanghe—not to pull her closer, but to keep her from moving. It was an unconscious reaction, and by the time she realized how inappropriate it was, she tried to pull away.

Sensing her intention, Qiao Sanghe gripped the hem of Yu Wanyin’s shirt, silently signaling her to stay still. The simple motion only brought them closer, their bodies now pressed tightly together, the intimacy amplifying the rapid thud of their hearts. It was unclear if it was the tension or the proximity, but the faint scent of each other’s pheromones filled the air—strangely familiar and dizzyingly intimate, like something out of a dream.

Time seemed to pause in the dark restroom. Even after the sound of footsteps faded from outside, the silence inside remained thick and still. Only the soft rhythm of breathing and heartbeats could be heard. The warmth of the other’s body was a constant, lingering sensation.

Meanwhile, comments began to pour into the variety show’s livestream.

【They’re so close—they’re literally about to kiss.】

【My heart is racing from just watching this.】

【In that kind of eerie silence, it makes sense to want to hold someone.】

【This hug is so comforting—just melts the fear away.】

【OMG, Wanyin’s ears are so red, they’re practically bleeding from shyness!】

【This is the first time I’ve noticed how slim Qiao Sanghe’s waist is. She looks soft and delicate… must feel amazing to hug.】

【That hug was way too natural. No way they’re just fake dating—they’re totally in sync!】

It took a long moment for Yu Wanyin and Qiao Sanghe to come back to their senses. Without hesitation, they held hands and walked out of the restroom. In this pitch-dark environment, they were each other’s only source of stability. What might have been nerve-wracking alone became bearable with someone by your side.

Though they managed to avoid detection by the staff member in red, they still hadn’t found a clue to help them descend from the 12th floor. After an hour of fruitless searching, they returned to the dorms empty-handed. Clearly, without a specific hint or instruction, escape wasn’t possible.
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The next morning, per the show’s rules, they headed to the cafeteria for breakfast. They carefully reviewed the menu—nothing seemed out of the ordinary. But both of them felt a sense of unease. They had a hunch that if they didn’t pay close attention to the show’s rules, something bad would happen.

Sure enough, not long after breakfast, word spread that another contestant had broken the rules and had points deducted for violating protocol, resulting in solitary confinement. Exchanging a glance, Wanyin and Qiao both understood—they were doing well by staying cautious.

Later, while attending class in the academic building, the classmate who borrowed a book from them the previous day returned it. When Wanyin opened the book, a note slipped out. On it was a list of call numbers from the library.

Her heart skipped. This could be the clue they needed to escape the floor.

Qiao Sanghe took the note and glanced at it, her cool expression unreadable, though her eyes were gentler than usual. She patted Wanyin’s shoulder and said softly, “Looks like your idea to borrow a book was the right one.”

Wanyin nodded. “Because I borrowed a book, we got a lead. When the library opens tonight, we can look for these call numbers.”

The library was only open from 5 to 8 PM. That meant a seven- or eight-hour wait. Still, knowing they had a real clue made time feel lighter, more hopeful.

【Wow, they already found a clue? They’re on a whole different level from the other guests.】

【Everyone else is fumbling while these two are crushing it. Their teamwork is unreal.】

【Honestly, I’ve got a soft spot for smart people. I’m starting to like them more.】

Qiao Sanghe hadn’t had high expectations for Yu Wanyin. She only thought that if Wanyin could handle pressure, that would be enough. But so far, their cooperation had been unexpectedly smooth—perhaps even… ideal.

If it had been anyone else, they likely wouldn’t have matched her rhythm so well. Maybe choosing Yu Wanyin had been the right decision after all. And somehow, in this enclosed environment, their relationship felt closer. The more she looked at her, the softer her heart became.

The idea that she could genuinely like someone—that was something Qiao Sanghe had never imagined.

She had always been aloof, prone to pessimism and negativity, never letting herself imagine the best of anything. And yet here she was—her heartbeat quickening when Yu Wanyin got close. Maybe Wanyin was more special than she looked. Maybe she’d only glimpsed a fraction of who she really was.

And now… she wanted to know more.

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By noon, it was time for lunch, and they headed to the cafeteria again.

The menu read: braised prawns, poached choy sum, scrambled eggs with tomato, steamed pork, stuffed tofu, shredded pork with green pepper, and spicy diced chicken. Most contestants were already starving. The show had been filming since 7 AM and many had skipped breakfast. Hunger had peaked, and most forgot about the need to be cautious.

After a quick glance, most guests felt the dishes matched the menu and began eating, relieved.

Qiao Sanghe was about to do the same when Yu Wanyin gently stopped her. “We can’t eat this meal. One of the dishes is different from what’s listed. If we eat this, we’ll likely get penalized. What do you want to do?”

Qiao looked puzzled. “What’s wrong with it?”

Wanyin pointed to the menu. “The menu says poached choy sum, but what’s being served is Chinese kale. They look nearly identical, but they’re not the same. Choy sum is light green, while Chinese kale is darker with a bluish hue. The leaf shapes are different too. Trust me.”

After a moment of thought, Qiao nodded. She had no reason not to believe Wanyin. She herself had never cooked a meal in her life, let alone been to a vegetable market—of course she wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between similar greens.

Wanyin, on the other hand, clearly had more life experience. It was one of the reasons she stood out.

“I trust you.”

Meanwhile, the other contestants had already started eating. When they overheard Wanyin’s observation, some hesitated, but most were too hungry to care.

“No way. That’s choy sum. Don’t scare yourself.”

“Yeah, just eat. If you don’t want yours, we’ll take it.”

Seeing that the cafeteria food was off-limits, Wanyin and Qiao headed to the on-campus shop and bought two instant noodle cups. Qiao watched as Wanyin skillfully prepared them.

For the first time, she began to doubt whether this was actual food.

Wanyin offered an apologetic smile. “This is all we’ve got for now. Try it. Hopefully the show doesn’t mess with the menu again, or we’ll have to fend for ourselves.”

Qiao sniffed the noodles. They smelled decent, but she was used to extremely refined meals and had never eaten something like this before. Her brows furrowed. “I don’t think I can eat this.”

【Qiao Sanghe is so spoiled. Seriously? She’s rejecting cup noodles?】

【She’s such a diva. I’m starting to get annoyed with her.】

【Wow, I was just starting to like her… and now this.】

【Wait, she was right about the kale? Crap… does that mean the others are getting penalized?】

Seeing Qiao hesitate, Wanyin offered gently, “How about… I feed you? If you don’t eat, you’ll get low bl00d sugar.”

She remembered the manager, Sister Han mentioning that Qiao Sanghe had a history of hypoglycemia. It was something she needed to watch out for.

Qiao paused, then nodded. “Alright.”

Wanyin picked up a bite of noodles with her chopsticks and held it to Qiao’s lips.

Qiao took a small bite and realized it wasn’t as bad as she’d imagined—actually, it was quite decent. She was about to reach for more when Wanyin leaned in with a tissue, gently wiping the corner of her mouth. The soft pressure of the paper against her lips, and Wanyin’s pretty face so close to hers, made her heart flutter.

Her lips felt suddenly dry.

She stared at Wanyin, her gaze darkening.

Yu Wanyin had been mesmerized watching Qiao eat—she was like a doll, beautiful and elegant, like an angel. Every move she made was graceful and alluring.

And then, the angel leaned in.

Her cool, slightly chapped lips suddenly pressed against Wanyin’s—

—and kissed her.