The Stand-In Alpha Goes Viral on a Dating Show - Chapter 25.1

The balcony was dim, the sheer curtains swaying in the breeze. Through the shifting fabric, the graceful silhouette of a woman emerged. She held the phone to her ear, her expression tangled with conflicting emotions.

“Yes… I understand. I’ll make sure to get close to the eldest Miss of the Ming family. Please don’t worry.”

Downstairs in the living room, Lu Xin kept glancing toward the staircase, her expression growing increasingly anxious. She leaned in toward Su Yao and whispered,

“Hey, why aren’t they back yet? Do you think Chi Wan is up there saying something to Mingyu?”

“Hey! Don’t give me that deadpan look—answer me!” Lu Xin elbowed her impatiently.

Su Yao was already irritated, her face set in a stony refusal to engage. But after Lu Xin’s repeated pestering, she finally snapped, her voice cold and sharp:

“What’s the point of asking me?!”

“I just wanted you to help me figure it out. No need to bite my head off. Anyway—there’s another Omega guest who’s gone missing. I think she works as an amusement park planner? Her family owns an amusement park?”

Lu Xin rambled on, recalling that shortly after Chi Wan and Mingyu went upstairs, another Omega guest had received a phone call and hurriedly left.

What was her name again? Lu Xin propped her chin on her hand, trying to remember—when suddenly, someone sat down beside her. Along with the newcomer came a wave of lilac-scented perfume.

“You’re the famous influencer, the extreme sports enthusiast Lu Xin, right? I’m a fan.”

The newcomer was an Alpha guest—the fashion designer Gu Lin.

“Oh? You like me?” Lu Xin always preferred to cut straight to the point when it came to flirtation.

Gu Lin was caught off guard but kept her composure. “For now, I’m just a fan. Several pieces in my fashion line were actually inspired by your videos.”

Lu Xin, eager to distract herself from whatever was happening between Chi Wan and Mingyu upstairs, smiled. “So what you’re saying is, I should be charging you an inspiration fee?”

Gu Lin’s gaze shifted slightly. “I wouldn’t mind. In fact, maybe we could work together long-term.”

Like many who came onto dating shows, Gu Lin had her own agenda. She didn’t expect to find true love here. As an Alpha, her aim was to build business connections—chief among them with Mingyu, the Alpha daughter of a wealthy family.

But her real target was Omega guest Mo Wei, whose social standing could give her business the biggest boost. Su Yao, Ruan Xiao, and Lu Xin followed in her personal ranking, with Lu Xin at the bottom.

Why start from the bottom? Because she didn’t want to tip her hand too soon—better to move quietly, like a hunter lying in wait.

She also knew another Alpha guest shared her goals: entrepreneur Tang Qian.

Sure enough, Tang Qian couldn’t stay still. Carrying a drink, she walked over to Su Yao.

“President Su, may I sit here?”

Tang Qian’s face was all smiles, her tone slow and soothing—pleasant enough, until you spent too much time with her and started to sense the falseness beneath.

It wasn’t that she meant to be insincere; rather, she’d learned to keep a polite distance from others. But with the first round of “heart-pairing” happening tonight, she didn’t want to miss her chance.

In her mind, Mo Wei wasn’t the top pick. That spot belonged to Su Yao. She’d seen Su Yao’s interviews—Su Yao seemed easier to read than Mo Wei, more predictable. And she believed they’d share more common ground, making for better business opportunities later.

For the sake of her career, if they genuinely liked each other, she’d have no problem marrying Su Yao. Su Yao could be an excellent partner, both in business and at home.

Su Yao’s mood, however, was already dark after Lu Xin’s endless interruptions. And now another person had come to bother her. Still, she kept her composure, nodded slightly, and allowed it.

Tang Qian didn’t sit too close. She set down a fragrant drink, sliding it toward Su Yao with a polite smile.

“President Su, have a sip. I heard it can lift your mood.”

“Alcohol?” Su Yao’s tone was unreadable as she loosened the top button of her shirt. She was already simmering inside and had no interest in pouring alcohol on the fire.

“Not really—just three percent alcohol at most.” Tang Qian’s smile deepened.

Ordinarily, one doesn’t slap away a smiling face, but right now the last thing Su Yao wanted to see was another smile. She shot Tang Qian a look and said dryly,

“Don’t you get tired of smiling all the time?”

She almost added a sharper comment—that the constant grin had warped Tang Qian’s once-elegant jawline, making it square and hard, like a man’s. Not attractive.

But the words “not attractive” caught in her throat. Her mind, unbidden, drifted to the question: What is attractive, then? And Chi Wan’s face flashed in her thoughts over and over.

She hadn’t eaten much that evening, her appetite soured by everything going on. Now the familiar ache of her chronic gastritis was creeping back. Pressing a hand to her stomach, she glanced up at the staircase with quiet resentment.

Why hasn’t Chi Wan come back yet? Did she say something to Mingyu?

Tang Qian hadn’t expected such bluntness from Su Yao. Her smile froze; she was left questioning reality.

Wasn’t President Su always the picture of elegance in interviews? Since when was she so impatient—and so unceremoniously cutting?

Still, Tang Qian wasn’t ready to retreat. She softened her tone and played the vulnerable card.

“Well, there’s no helping it, is there? In business, if you’re not smiling… should I be crying instead?”

She saw no problem with an Alpha showing weakness. If it evoked an Omega’s sympathy, she’d even shed real tears. Catching a flicker of softening in Su Yao’s gaze, she pressed on.

“You see, even my smile can rub people the wrong way—imagine if I cried. President Su, do you think I’m unlikeable? I’m worried I won’t get a single ‘heart’ message tonight.”

The hint was obvious.

If Su Yao didn’t already have someone in mind, she might have sent a message out of courtesy. But that wasn’t going to happen.

Reading her expression, Tang Qian’s heart gave a jolt.

So she already has someone in mind? Who—Chi Wan? Mingyu? Shi Yi? Gu Lin? Surely not that airheaded Xia Meng?

She ran through every Alpha guest in her head and concluded she had little chance—except perhaps more than Chi Wan, which gave her a touch of comfort.

But then she caught An Ran’s gaze and froze.

Right… there’s still An Ran. And she’s been with Chi Wan most of the day. If she sends her ‘heart’ to Chi Wan, she might not care what others think.

Tang Qian suddenly couldn’t sit still. Still, she had to exit gracefully.

“President Su, I think I may have disturbed you. I’m just in a tricky stage—my business is growing, but my love life is… well, not. If someone did choose me tonight, I think I’d be over the moon.”

With that, she left. Passing by An Ran, she struck up casual conversation.

“You know, I have a close friend who graduated from your university. She always says the school’s culture is very proper—that’s a good thing.”

Her words were tactful, but the implication was clear: If you choose Chi Wan, you’ll face gossip.

Worried that An Ran might be too young or inexperienced to catch her meaning, Tang Qian added plainly,

“I heard you and Chi Wan went to the same school? What a coincidence. Maybe you could talk to her more—after all, no one likes being constantly criticized online. Sometimes I read the nasty comments, and even I can’t take it.”

An Ran barely responded, which made the conversation feel pointless. Still, because An Ran’s back was to the others, Tang Qian could pretend they were getting along. Otherwise, it would look like she was talking to herself—and that would raise eyebrows.

Just as she was about to leave, An Ran lifted her gaze.

Her eyes were like shards of ice—deep, cold, and merciless, like an abyss swallowing light. The sight sent a chill racing down Tang Qian’s spine.

“A-An Ran…” Her voice trembled. Why are you looking at me like that? It’s terrifying.

Her legs went weak, yet her mind refused to accept it.

Impossible. She’s just a college student—how could she have such a terrifying gaze? I must be imagining things.

When she looked again, An Ran’s head was bowed, her demeanor perfectly docile.

Tang Qian let out a long, shaky breath, as if she’d just escaped a predator.

After Tang Qian’s failed attempt with Su Yao, Gu Lin saw no reason to push her luck. But still—what was taking Qu Huan so long on the phone?

Gu Lin knew the truth: the Qu family’s amusement park had been struggling for years, nearly on the verge of shutting down. Qu Huan, a socially anxious planner, wouldn’t have joined this show otherwise.

She never would have guessed that timid, shy Qu Huan would sneak to Mingyu’s door… to eavesdrop.

Inside, Mingyu was already furious. She raised her hand to slap Chi Wan across the face—

—when suddenly, the door cracked open, and a soft click sounded.

Mingyu froze. She rushed to the door, yanked it open, and barked in a low, harsh voice,

“Who’s there?!”

The woman outside looked just as startled. Mingyu’s sharp gaze swept her from head to toe before she said coldly,

“You?”

“Y-yes, it’s me.” Qu Huan had no idea where her sudden courage came from—maybe it was the thought of her family’s failing business, maybe it was the reminder of her elders’ instructions. She glanced at the incriminating evidence saved on her phone, then shut her eyes and said firmly,

“I recorded everything just now.”

Understanding flickered in Mingyu’s eyes. “You want to negotiate?”

“Yes. I won’t… I won’t make it public.” Qu Huan was stammering, but the excitement of possibly saving her family’s business made her giddy. “But you have to invest in my family’s amusement park!”

“Miss, you seem to have forgotten about me.”

Chi Wan’s tone was dry, almost amused, as she watched the scene unfold.

“Huh?” Qu Huan didn’t understand what Chi Wan had to do with any of this. In her mind, Chi Wan was a nobody—and if the recording was leaked, it would only benefit her.

“Ah, I see. You’ve never thought much of me,” Chi Wan said, her eyes flicking toward Mingyu as she leaned back, ready to watch the fireworks.

“Miss Qu, was it? The way I see it, that recording of yours might not be as damaging to Miss Ming as you think.”

As soon as Chi Wan’s words fell, Mingyu’s expression froze. That was all the confirmation Chi Wan needed—she had guessed correctly.

“I—I also have a recording!” Qu Huan gritted out.

“Oh? And when exactly did you start recording?” Chi Wan asked, still smiling, watching it all unfold like a spectator.

“From the moment she started threatening you!” Qu Huan decided to just throw all caution to the wind.

“Mhm, I’d say that’s quite a bargaining chip. Now it just depends on whether Miss Ming is willing to accept your terms.”

Perhaps it was Chi Wan’s leisurely, almost mocking attitude that stung Mingyu the most. She clicked her tongue coldly, her gaze dark as it swept over the two of them.

“You two are working together, aren’t you? One of you deliberately lured me into saying those things, while the other hid outside the door taking photos and recording?”

Qu Huan was stunned speechless. She was about to deny it outright, but Chi Wan stopped her, smiling as if it was nothing.

“If that’s what Miss Ming says, then so be it.”