The Stand-In Alpha Goes Viral on a Dating Show - Chapter 11

“Anything’s fine. I’m not picky with food.”

An Ran spoke softly, a shy smile playing at the corners of her lips.

That gentle, timid smile almost melted Chi Wan’s heart. She felt a sudden urge to roll up her sleeves and cook the most delicious feast in the world just to see An Ran smile again.

If only she had the talent to cook! Ugh!

Chi Wan forced herself to maintain a calm and composed façade, replying with an assured, “Alright, got it,” even though internally she was completely panicking.

She could’ve just faked a stomachache and asked Xiao Baihua to cook instead. An Ran’s innocent nature meant she’d surely agree. But the words wouldn’t come out. She had no pride left to say something like that.

If worst comes to worst… she would just have to do it herself! Clenching her teeth, Chi Wan pulled out her phone, prepared to follow an online recipe and cook on the spot. As long as the food was edible, she couldn’t guarantee the flavor.

Just as she was about to start, the system finally pinged.

[After review, the original host’s cooking skills can be temporarily granted to you. However, an additional side quest must be completed: engage in five minutes of intimate contact with the antagonist. Deadline: within 30 minutes. Do you accept?]

Intimate contact? What kind of intimacy are we talking about?! Chi Wan’s head ached.

[For example, using your mouth for something… and it needs to be extra affectionate. You’ll have to figure it out, Host!]

Looking at the fresh ingredients in front of her and An Ran’s expectant gaze nearby, Chi Wan had no choice but to agree under pressure.

[Ding! Transmitting host’s cooking skills… Transmission complete. See you next time!]

As the system chimed, her mind suddenly cleared. The previously confusing piles of food ingredients now made perfect sense. She instinctively knew what paired well, how flavors balanced, and how to present dishes attractively.

Interesting. An Ran quickly noticed the subtle shift in Chi Wan’s demeanor. Though she had tried to hide it, Chi Wan had looked a bit flustered at first. But now, her gaze was focused and calm.

“Sis, help me rinse these veggies? Thanks!” Chi Wan said with a smile, then happily started cleaning the rest.

An Ran watched her pick up a ripe tomato—vivid red and juicy—cupped delicately in her snow-white hands under the flowing water. Droplets slid down her skin, glistening before merging with the glossy surface of the tomato. The water pooled in her palms before slipping through her fingers in a crystal stream.

The scene was almost too beautiful. An Ran found herself entranced, so much so that she didn’t notice the sudden sharp pain in her fingertip.

The intensity of her gaze caught Chi Wan’s attention. She figured An Ran must really love tomatoes. Grinning, she lifted the tomato and wiggled it teasingly in front of her. “Looks good, huh?

Want a bite?”

“Yeah… I really do.”

An Ran’s voice came out low and hoarse. Only then did she snap out of her daze, startled by how absorbed she’d become. But the heat in her eyes hadn’t faded—it lingered on Chi Wan’s hands.

Slightly embarrassed but without regret, she thought: Yes… I really want to taste those hands.

“Huh? Your voice sounds hoarse. Are you okay?” Chi Wan placed the damp tomato into An Ran’s palm. As their fingers touched, she felt a gentle tug and something oddly warm and wet.

She looked down—and her expression changed instantly. “Sis, you’re bleeding!”

Looking closely, she found the culprit: a vegetable with sharp, prickly skin.

“It’s nothing, just a small cut,” An Ran replied nonchalantly.

But when Chi Wan’s warm fingers brushed against her cool palm earlier, she couldn’t help but squeeze lightly in return, her fingertip pressing over Chi Wan’s polished nail.

It was such a subtle motion—she hadn’t expected Chi Wan to notice.

When Chi Wan turned to her, An Ran had feared she’d been caught. But it turned out she was just reacting to the bl00d.

To An Ran, it was a mere scratch. Nothing to fuss about.

But Chi Wan gently cupped her hand with deep concern. Her warm breath lightly fanned over the wound, tickling the skin and sending a strange tingle through An Ran’s body.

“This isn’t a small wound. Does it hurt?”

Chi Wan genuinely felt uneasy seeing the bl00d bubble up. Without thinking, she leaned in, parted her lips, and took An Ran’s fingertip into her mouth.

The moment her cold, pale fingertip entered the warmth of Chi Wan’s mouth, An Ran’s pupils dilated, and her brain momentarily shut down.

What… what is she doing?!

An Ran stared at Chi Wan like she was a completely unfamiliar person, her gaze dark and unreadable.

But Chi Wan was distracted by the system’s sudden notification and didn’t notice. Otherwise, she’d never have mistaken An Ran for a pure-hearted little flower.

[Ding! Side quest “Intimate contact with the antagonist for five minutes” initiated. Countdown: 4 minutes, 30 seconds. Tip: Increasing intimacy level may significantly reduce completion time!]

Chi Wan blinked. Just putting her finger in her mouth counted as “intimate”? Then what if… she licked it?

The thought popped into her head—and with her usual curiosity, she acted on it.

Her warm tongue lightly traced over the bleeding wound, and she immediately felt An Ran tremble. Not just the finger in her mouth—her whole body shivered like a daisy swaying in the cold wind.

“Don’t… don’t do that…”

An Ran tried to push her away, but her voice was so soft and watery it was barely a protest. She couldn’t believe how sensitive she was.

Embarrassed, she bit her lip, trying to silence herself. But the shameful, breathy whimpers still escaped her lips.

“Mm… stop…”

Annoyed and ashamed, she stared at Chi Wan, who remained entirely focused. Frustrated with herself, she raised her other hand and pressed it over her lips, trying to muffle every sound.

Chi Wan noticed the increasing tremble. So An Ran’s this sensitive of an Omega…?

She wondered—if she touched her leg, would she tremble just as adorably?

Why was she even thinking that right now?!

[Ding! 5 seconds left… 4… 3…]

[Side quest complete! Host has unlocked cooking skills for two days!]

Because Chi Wan had escalated from merely holding the finger to licking it, the mission time had been shortened to three minutes. And since the wound was quite deep, she had to keep going until the bl00d stopped.

To prevent An Ran from pulling away, she had gripped her wrist firmly, not letting her escape.

When she finally released her, An Ran’s face had turned pink, her watery eyes glaring at her in a mix of shame and frustration.

“Sorry, I got carried away,” Chi Wan apologized quickly, worried An Ran might storm out in anger.

And An Ran did want to run away—to get far, far from Chi Wan and this mortifying moment. But a glance outside showed that the cameramen were still filming the other guests cleaning. No one had come into the kitchen yet.

She also caught a glimpse of her reflection in the kitchen mirror—flushed cheeks, misty eyes, lips slightly parted… It was all too suggestive.

She couldn’t leave now. So she turned her back to Chi Wan and tried to calm her burning thoughts.

But her mind kept drifting back to how tightly Chi Wan had gripped her wrist, how her fingers had tensed… It had been unexpectedly sexy.

Realizing she was still dwelling on it, An Ran scowled to herself. If it wasn’t for the time and place, she would slap herself. Had she really been single for so long that she was this desperate?

Still, no matter how desperate—she needed to choose the right person!

Chi Wan, with all her exes? Definitely not a safe bet!

Thinking this helped An Ran regain her composure. She glanced outside again. The camerawoman Meng Lan was gone—and so were Chi Wan’s ex-girlfriends.

Her eyes scanned the rooms until she spotted a small crack in the storage room door. Through it, she saw the hem of a pink skirt—clearly Ruan Xiao’s.

Oh? What are those exes scheming now? An Ran narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

Meanwhile, inside the storage room, Lu Xin leaned against the wall, looking impatient. “Hey, Meng Lan, why did you drag us all in here for? I still have floors to mop!”

“I have something important to show you,” Meng Lan replied, handing over her phone.

“Never noticed before, but Chi Wan looks stunning in that swimsuit show!”

“Seriously! That waist, those legs—perfection!”

“No wonder she had so many hot exes. Her looks are top-tier!”

“Hmph! So shallow! Just because she’s pretty, people forget she’s a gold digger?” Ruan Xiao scoffed and rolled her eyes.

“But she did look amazing in that swimsuit,” Lu Xin muttered, recalling the scene at the lake, her lips twitching slightly.

The others turned to stare at her.

“What? Why are you all looking at me like that? It’s creepy!”

“If you know it’s creepy, then spill—whose side are you on?” Ruan Xiao snapped. “Still not over Chi Wan? If so, just go after her. Why hover around Mingyu like some two-timing jerk?”

Just as Lu Xin and Ruan Xiao were about to fight, Su Yao stepped in to stop them. Meng Lan followed up with her plan.

“Listen, the real priority is ruining Chi Wan’s public image. Chu Rou and I have agreed—since she refuses to accept the role we assigned, we’ll reduce her camera time and collect all her worst moments off-screen. Then we’ll leak them.”

“That’s hard to capture naturally though,” Ruan Xiao frowned.

“Then we make it happen,” Meng Lan smiled coldly. “We all know she still has feelings for us. We’ll use that to create ugly scenes. Ruan Xiao, you’re experienced online—you know how to play this.”

Ruan Xiao’s eyes lit up. “Got it. I’m in.”

Though Lu Xin hesitated, fearing the consequences, she eventually agreed. If Chi Wan’s image stayed clean, her own past as a stand-in might be exposed. That would ruin her chances with her real crush.

Su Yao agreed as well. She was selfish at heart—only interested in what benefited her. If it didn’t help, she wouldn’t bother.

Once the plan was settled, Meng Lan sent the details to Chu Rou.

Upon reading them, Chu Rou pressed her temples. Looks like she needs to take action herself—perhaps seduce or mislead Chi Wan a few more times.

For some reason, the memory of Chi Wan cornering her against the wall still made her heart race.

You dared tease me? Next time, the roles will be reversed, Chi Wan. Hunter and prey—let’s switch.

Back in the kitchen, An Ran had quietly observed everything. She immediately noticed when the others returned from the storage room—some with calm faces, others clearly conflicted.

She could roughly guess each of their attitudes toward Chi Wan from those tiny expressions.

[Ding! Friendly reminder: time is almost up to complete the side mission “Leave a hickey on any ex.” Please act quickly!]

[Your dream body is closer than ever!]

The system’s abrupt announcement nearly made Chi Wan cut herself. But she didn’t have time to hesitate. She didn’t care about rewards—but she definitely didn’t want to find out what “forced execution” meant.

Whatever it is, I am not letting the system decide!

Without another word, she dropped everything and rushed out of the kitchen.