The Stand-In Alpha Goes Viral on a Dating Show - Chapter 14

Having a room all to herself—this was, at least for Chi Wan, the only consolation in facing that grueling thirty-day mission.

She honestly felt like breaking down in a storm of tears!

Lu Xin and her group were fuming. Watching Chi Wan not only escape a floral arrangement disaster but even turn the situation to her advantage, their expressions turned as dark as ink.

They had to think of a way to bring her down a notch!

At that moment, Ruan Xiao was still lost in thought, her mind lingering on the strange mark Chi Wan had left on her arm. Suddenly, someone bumped into her shoulder.

“Hey, superstar influencer! Snap out of it, it’s our turn to be on camera. Mingyu needs us,” said Su Yao, cutting into her daze.

At the mention of Mingyu, Ruan Xiao immediately pulled herself together.

Su Yao continued where Lu Xin had left off: “A lot of viewers online are just there for the drama. If we criticize Chi Wan from a professional standpoint—saying she’s not as good as Mingyu—plenty of people will start to question her credibility.”

Of course, Ruan Xiao thought. After all her years as an influencer, she knew very well how easily online sentiment could be swayed. Especially since Chi Wan had rashly stepped in to help

Mingyu earlier—people were already accusing her of trying too hard and embarrassing herself. If she and Su Yao pushed the narrative a little more, public opinion would shift against Chi Wan in no time.

But… why did she hesitate?

She glanced down at the mark on her arm. Frowning slightly, she still followed the others toward the set.

From the corner of her eye, An Ran noticed their movement. Her eyes flickered briefly before she let out a soft gasp, her gaze subtly turning toward Chi Wan to observe her reaction.

“What’s wrong?” Chi Wan’s voice was laced with concern. Her clear eyes locked onto An Ran, scanning her up and down.

“It’s nothing… My finger just throbbed for a second,” An Ran said, shifting the finger covered with a bandage. Then, shyly, she added, “And… I suddenly really want to eat this one dish…”

She bit her lip and didn’t say more.

But Chi Wan had already understood. She set the flower arrangement down on the table and started heading toward the kitchen. As she passed An Ran, she quipped with a teasing blink, “If the lady wants to eat something, of course I have to make it.”

[System Alert]: Host, when do you plan to complete the 30-day mission?

The system’s sudden intrusion startled Chi Wan so much she nearly tripped. “What’s your hurry? I still have a month and a half to finish it!”

[Warning]: Host detected to be slacking off. Begin mission within 5 minutes or bear the consequences!

Those last words were written in an ominous bl00d-red font.

“What’s your problem, system! You’re really overdoing the drama with these effects!” Chi Wan grumbled.

You should be grateful I didn’t project a bloody ghost head to go with it.

Oh, so now I’m supposed to thank you?

Though she complained, Chi Wan turned back around, her footsteps making a sharp 180. As she brushed past An Ran again, she sighed dramatically: “Babe, give me a sec. I need to grab something upstairs—something really important.”

“Babe?” An Ran’s cheeks flushed a deep red. She cast a shy but annoyed glare at Chi Wan. Who’s your babe?!

Unfortunately, Chi Wan, too flustered to notice, was already rushing upstairs. She hadn’t even realized what she’d said.

As Chi Wan reached the second floor, she came face to face with Lu Xin and the others.

“Chi—” Lu Xin had just opened her mouth when Chi Wan shoved her aside without hesitation, muttering, “Move, I’ve got no time for this right now!”

She sprinted up the stairs and disappeared around the corner in a blink.

“…Wow. She’s gotten that cocky now?” Lu Xin mumbled.

Su Yao shot her a look of disdain as if to say, You’re just now realizing?

Chi Wan rushed into her room and dug through the bottom of her suitcase to retrieve a small, soft bundle of fabric. Even though she was alone, she moved like a thief, quickly stuffing the item into her palm. But when she tried to tuck it away, she realized—her dress had no pockets.

Only one solution: throw on a jacket.

She was working way too hard to hide this thing.

But after stashing it, the pocket puffed out awkwardly. She panicked—until inspiration struck: Wait, I have a jacket with an inner pocket!

Humming, “There’s always a solution,” she transferred the bundle into the inner pocket. Now it lay snug against her side. And even though it was psychological, just the thought of that thing pressing against her stomach made her cheeks burn.

She shook her head furiously. It’s not a bra. It’s just a wad of tissue paper. Just tissue. That’s all.

It took a few deep breaths before she calmed down enough to function.

Ready to head downstairs, she opened her door—only to jump back in fright.

“You! What are you doing here?!” she exclaimed.

After a beat, she recognized the figure—it was Mo Wei, the heir to the Mo Corporation.

“I’m here to warn you,” Mo Wei said with a cold, sarcastic smile. “Know your place.”

She added, “Let me put it in terms you’ll understand—people like you, gold-digging internet celebs, aren’t even worthy of appearing in the same frame as Mingyu. It’s an insult to her.”

Chi Wan let out a short laugh. “If I’m so beneath you, why are you eavesdropping outside my door? What does that make you?”

Mo Wei froze. She hadn’t expected this little influencer to bite back, let alone throw such a sharp accusation.

“Move,” Chi Wan said, shoving past her. “As they say, good dogs don’t block the way. So what does that make you?”

Tch. Another Mingyu fangirl. Can’t people just mind their own business?

Chi Wan charged down the stairs—An Ran must be getting anxious by now.

“I’m here! Let’s go,” she called out.

A light breeze seemed to follow her movement. As she passed by, An Ran caught a glimpse of the sweat glistening on her nose.

She ran so hard she started sweating… was it just because I said I wanted something to eat?

An Ran’s mind wandered, her cheeks growing hot again. That “babe” still echoed in her ears.

If only she knew—Chi Wan was sweating not from running, but from the guilt of hiding that thing, plus the bl00d-boiling encounter with Mo Wei.

In the kitchen, Chi Wan instinctively patted her inner pocket to ensure the item was still secure. Satisfied, she started cooking at lightning speed.

By the time everything was done, it was lunchtime. The moment the kitchen door opened, the entire villa was filled with mouth-watering aromas.

“Whoa! That smells amazing!” gasps echoed from the living room.

Before serving, Chi Wan gently held An Ran’s hand and inspected her bandaged finger. “Does it still hurt?”

An Ran’s eyes lingered on Chi Wan’s elegant fingers, then drifted up to her gentle expression. She shook her head shyly.

“If it starts hurting, you have to tell me, okay?” Chi Wan added softly, clearly still concerned.

Once everyone sat down at the dining table, they couldn’t help but inhale deeply at the feast before them.

“Wow! Did you make all of this?” game streamer Xia Meng’s eyes sparkled—she was a total foodie.

“She helped too,” Chi Wan said, pointing at An Ran.

“Wow!” Xia Meng’s gaze now landed on An Ran, just as admiring.

Just then, Mingyu noticed something strange—Ruan Xiao and Chi Wan had both put on long-sleeved jackets, though they hadn’t been wearing them earlier. And weirdly enough, Chu Rou had also changed into one.

Was something going on between these three?

Mingyu’s gaze darkened slightly. “Hey, why the sudden wardrobe change? Is it cold in here?”

“No,” Ruan Xiao quickly replied, flustered. “I got scratched by a cat—not serious, didn’t even break the skin, so…”

“A cat? There are cats around here? What kind? Are they cute?” Xia Meng asked, intrigued.

“Uh…” Ruan Xiao hesitated and instinctively glanced at Chi Wan. Cute? What kind? How is she supposed to answer that?

But staying silent would only make it look more suspicious.

Before she could reply, Lu Xin jumped in, voice loud and clear. “Short-legged cat. Totally not cute. Super aggressive—bites and scratches!”

“Short-legged cat?” Xia Meng blinked.

Before she could process that, Su Yao added with a casual sip of her drink, “It’s just a little wildcat. Kinda cute, but way too feisty. Totally unmanageable.”

“Huh? So which is it?” Xia Meng looked between the two, confused.

“Short-legged! I said it’s a short-legged cat!” Lu Xin snapped.

“Pfft! Wildcat, obviously. What, did you see her stubby legs yourself?” Su Yao smirked.

“I…” Lu Xin faltered, her mind flashing to Chi Wan in a swimsuit by the lake. She couldn’t bring herself to lie.

Su Yao took the win, smiling smugly into her drink.

“So, which one is it?” Xia Meng turned to Ruan Xiao, dying of curiosity.

Ruan Xiao sighed internally. She had no choice now—everything had already been “decided” for her. She just hoped Chi Wan wouldn’t call them out and ruin everything.

Luckily, Chi Wan didn’t say a word.

She breathed a sigh of relief—only to look up and find Chi Wan watching her with an unreadable, teasing smile.

“By the way,” Mingyu suddenly interjected, “I noticed Director Chu Rou also changed into a jacket… and so did Chi Wan. What’s going on?”

The group tensed up.

“They… uh…” Ruan Xiao stammered, completely tongue-tied.

“I wore it because I needed to carry something important,” Chi Wan said calmly, pointing at her pocketless dress. “As for Chu Rou, you’ll have to ask her yourself.”

Her smile hinted at something deeper—almost as if she and Chu Rou shared some private understanding.

Lu Xin and her group immediately panicked. What was Chi Wan implying? Was she trying to say she had an inside connection with Chu Rou in front of Mingyu?!

Chi Wan, meanwhile, caught sight of a quietly shifting camera and the sound of soft footsteps behind her.

She smirked.

Well, well… someone couldn’t sit still.