The Stand-In Alpha Goes Viral on a Dating Show - Chapter 25.2

In truth, Chi Wan hadn’t expected Mingyu’s imagination to be quite so… vivid. But there was no point in arguing over words now—especially since Qu Huan’s demands happened to be something Chi Wan fully approved of.

Qu Huan’s family amusement park was not, in any way, a sound investment. If Mingyu wanted to fund it, she’d have to keep it from the Ming family and pay from her own pocket. And that kind of investment would be a hefty sum.

The heavier Mingyu’s losses, the happier Chi Wan would be. And if Qu Huan ever needed help later, Chi Wan was perfectly willing to play along.

“Oh, right—are you only going to have Miss Ming invest? Don’t you want to pair up with her as a CP on the show? You know, if you two became a CP—”

“Chi Wan, shut your mouth!”

Before she could finish, Ming Yu snapped, anger flaring into embarrassment.

Qu Huan hadn’t considered that before, but the moment Chi Wan mentioned it, her eyes lit up.

That’s right—if she and Mingyu became an on-screen couple, other investors would surely treat the Qu family’s business more favorably out of respect for the Ming family.

【Ding! Main Mission “Dig a Pit for Mingyu” released. Complete it to gain +2% progress toward returning to your original world.】

Well, wasn’t that a pleasant surprise? And the pit was already half-dug—it was just a matter of whether Mingyu would step into it. She’d just need to give it one more push.

“Miss Ming, you’re free to refuse—no problem. But after today, the audio and photos of you threatening me and trying to hit me will be online. Oh dear, who would have thought that the well-bred heiress of a prestigious family could have such a foul face behind closed doors? I imagine Su Yao and the others will be quite disappointed…”

Her tone was laced with pity, but her eyes were clearly those of a predator moving in for the kill. It was a direct hit to Mingyu’s sore spot.

Mingyu had already been irritated by the excessive attention Su Yao and the others gave Chi Wan. If this got out, not only would her reputation suffer, but their favor would inevitably shift toward Chi Wan.

That was the last thing Mingyu wanted.

In the end, she had no choice but to agree to Qu Huan’s two conditions: invest, and form a CP.

Qu Huan was about to cheer when Mingyu’s voice turned icy:

“But whether it’s the investment or the CP, there are limits. I’ll invest only up to this amount. As for the CP, three days at most. Accept, and we have a deal. Refuse, and the moment you post those photos, I’ll make sure your family’s amusement park is completely ruined.”

It was an unmistakable “mutual destruction” threat.

Qu Huan flinched, but Chi Wan shot her a look telling her to stay calm. Then she turned lazily to Mingyu.

“Miss Ming, you’re being far too suspicious of Miss Qu. Of course she accepts your terms. But you should also know—compared to the Ming family, the Qu family is a mere lightweight. If it really comes to mutual destruction, the Ming family will end up losing far more.”

“Chi Wan, how did I never notice you were this sharp-tongued before?” Mingyu’s glare was so fierce it looked like she wanted to swallow her whole.

But Chi Wan showed not a trace of fear—because fear wouldn’t help her now.

“Oh, there’s still plenty you don’t know about me. You’ll have all the time in the world to find out.”

With that, she motioned for Qu Huan to leave with her, leaving the rattled Mingyu alone to cool off.

Just as the door closed, the muffled sound of objects being smashed echoed from inside.

Well now. Chi Wan raised her brows in mild surprise—she hadn’t expected Mingyu’s temper to be quite that explosive.

“Um… did you get the fake heat-suppression pills?” Qu Huan asked quietly, following behind her with an awkward tone.

“No. She never intended to give them to me anyway,” Chi Wan replied without much care.

“Mingyu seems… really unhappy with you?” Qu Huan ventured cautiously.

“She’s unhappy with you now, too,” Chi Wan muttered.

The sudden reply made Qu Huan freeze, and Chi Wan caught the expression perfectly before falling silent.

Inside the room, Mingyu had just managed to collect herself and was about to leave when her phone chimed. The moment she heard the notification, all the composure drained from her face—replaced by something that looked very much like fear.

Her hand trembled as she swiped at the screen, failing several times and cursing under her breath before she finally managed to unlock it.

One glance at the message, and she collapsed to the floor, her phone clattering aside.

It contained only a single line: The family head suspects you’re not his biological daughter.

Why?

Mingyu frantically typed back the question, then tore at her hair in frustration. For nearly twenty years, there had been no suspicion—so why now?

Because at a recent ladies’ gathering, the other society wives once again brought up your looks.

Mingyu’s teeth ground together. “Those gossiping harpies!”

She couldn’t help scrolling through the old cosmetic surgery clinic listings again—but her birth mother’s words rang in her ears:

“Yu’er, promise me—no matter what happens, never get plastic surgery. I suffered so much so you could grow up in luxury. Can’t you grant me this one small wish?

If she ever pushed too hard, her mother would cry and say coldly:

‘Yu’er, if you get surgery, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life. And more than that—you’ll lose me. From that moment on, you’ll have no birth mother.’

Terrified, Mingyu had dropped the matter. When her looks were questioned in her childhood, the Ming family head and his wife would explain she resembled her grandmother—“a case of skipping a generation”—and their confidence silenced the whispers.

But as she grew, the resemblance to her grandmother faded—from five parts alike to barely two. The idle gossip of wealthy women naturally rekindled.

Later, the Ming family head had even commissioned a paternity test. Mingyu never knew what her mother did, but somehow, she passed. It was then she began to suspect her mother had always known where the Ming family’s real daughter was.

But her mother had only said:

“I used to know. But after the adoptive parents of that girl died in an accident, I lost track. She was only nine at the time, and moved away alone. The hair used for the test was taken from her.”

Hearing that, Mingyu had given up searching. Still, there were too many unanswered questions about her past. At one point, she had even considered killing the Ming family’s true daughter.

After all, the dead are the best at keeping secrets.

When Chi Wan and Qu Huan returned to the living room, they immediately drew the other guests’ attention.

Lu Xin’s brows arched. “And how did you two end up together? Where’s Mingyu?”

“Miss Ming was helping me find the pills and got her hair all messed up. She’s fixing it now,” Chi Wan lied smoothly.

And as expected, Lu Xin’s thoughts were steered away. “Did you take the pill then? Your cheeks are still so red.”

“No.” Chi Wan shook her head.

Lu Xin shot to her feet, voice tight with anger. “Why not?”

“Because Miss Ming never gave it to me.” Chi Wan spread her hands with a glance that made Lu Xin squirm.

“Oh, I… I see…” Lu Xin deflated, sinking back into her seat.

Su Yao looked over. “So, she didn’t find it?”

“Mhm.” Chi Wan hummed.

“Then what took you so long?” Lu Xin muttered in complaint.

“But still…” Chi Wan lifted her tone deliberately. “I’m truly grateful to Miss Ming. It’s rare to see such kindness in looking for medicine on my behalf.”

Her expression was one of being deeply moved—so much so that everyone in the room, all seasoned players, could hear the unspoken irony. The truth was clearly nothing like what she claimed.

Just as the group began to suspect there was more to the story, Chi Wan casually gestured toward Qu Huan.

“Miss Qu was there for the whole thing. If you don’t believe me, you can ask her.”