The Stand-In Alpha Goes Viral on a Dating Show - Chapter 26.1

With Qu Huan watching from the sidelines, Chi Wan’s words suddenly seemed far more credible—or so the other guests unconsciously thought.

Qu Huan, however, looked visibly uneasy. With all eyes on her, she pressed her lips together before murmuring, “Yes… and Miss Ming treats me…”

As she spoke, her cheeks flushed bright red. For a socially anxious person like her, the blush was obviously from embarrassment—but the others didn’t know that. In their eyes, it seemed like something had happened between the two that they didn’t know about.

Mo Wei, who already liked Mingyu, grew inexplicably irritable seeing Qu Huan blush before even saying anything. “Spit it out. Don’t keep us hanging!”

Qu Huan’s intention was to create the illusion that Mingyu was interested in her—so that when the “heart-pounding text” segment came later, Mingyu sending her a message wouldn’t seem strange. But the speech she had rehearsed in her head completely vanished the moment Mo Wei pressured her. Almost instinctively, she glanced at Chi Wan—actually seeking her help.

But that single glance at Chi Wan also drew everyone else’s attention in the same direction.

“How odd, we’re circling back to Miss Chi again,” Mo Wei remarked with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Why don’t you tell us instead, Miss Chi?”

“It’s really nothing,” Chi Wan replied with an easy smile. “When Miss Ming was helping me look for medicine, Miss Qu happened to come over and help as well. During that time, the two of them seemed to… hit it off. Miss Ming even said she’d send her heart-pounding text to the beautiful and kind Miss Qu.”

“What?!” Lu Xin, brash and outspoken, was the first to leap up. She pointed at Qu Huan in disbelief. “Beautiful and kind? There are plenty of beautiful and kind people. What kind of reason is that?!”

Mo Wei’s face also darkened slightly, but instead of believing Chi Wan, she studied her with a probing, guarded gaze. Leaning closer, she deliberately lowered her voice: “Chi Wan… do you think I’d believe that?”

“I know no one will believe it,” Chi Wan said, shaking her head with a look that said, the whole world is drunk, and I alone am sober. “So let’s just wait for the heart-pounding text segment tonight and see.”

“It’s not about believing—it’s about it making no sense!” Lu Xin was practically questioning her own reality.

She, Su Yao, Ruan Xiao, even Meng Lan and Chu Rou—all had known Mingyu for years. And this Qu Huan? She’d appeared out of nowhere and had only known Mingyu for what—several hours? And Mingyu was already smitten?

The thought was so absurd that Lu Xin blurted out, “You and Mingyu have known each other a long time?”

Qu Huan hadn’t expected Lu Xin to suddenly turn to her. Startled, she took a moment to process the question before answering in a small voice, “No… just met her today.”

“Oh, come on. That’s not strange at all,” Chi Wan said with a casual shrug, her tone suggesting she’d seen all sorts of things. “Some people meet for a day and it’s worth more than knowing someone for ten years—or even a lifetime.”

“This kind of bizarre thing, and it happens right in front of me? I don’t buy it!” Lu Xin shook her head so vigorously she could’ve rattled her brain loose.

“You can’t do it because you don’t have the fate for it,” Chi Wan said, giving her a sidelong glance and a knowing smile.

Su Yao remained silent throughout, carefully observing Chi Wan’s tone and expressions. In truth, she didn’t believe for a second that Mingyu would send her heart-pounding text to Qu Huan either.

Chi Wan was just about to field more questions when she felt a soft, slightly thin fingertip poke her arm. She turned—and found it was An Ran.

“You okay?” An Ran asked, looking at the flush still lingering on Chi Wan’s cheeks with concern. After all, she’d read online that if a pseudo-heat didn’t subside, it could turn into a real one.

“I’m fine. A little dizzy, but still clear-headed,” Chi Wan reassured her, giving her fingertip a gentle, comforting squeeze.

“She didn’t give you a hard time?” An Ran’s gaze flicked toward a certain spot upstairs.

Chi Wan immediately understood. In a low voice, she replied, “She tried, but she doesn’t know who she’s dealing with. Don’t worry, I won’t let her push me around.”

She didn’t realize that the moment she said “she tried,” the soft gaze of the little white flower suddenly darkened to something dangerous.

Mingyu… just as hateful as in my last life, An Ran thought quietly. But as another thought surfaced, her eyes grew even more shadowed.

Meanwhile, in her room, Mingyu was replying to a message. She wanted to tell her biological mother how much she despised her own face—how years of whispers about her not being a real daughter, and the existence of Chi Wan, whose profile resembled hers by sixty percent, made her sick.

She had the message typed out, but just before sending it, she hesitated. She was, after all, the dignified daughter of a wealthy family. How could she be forced into such a pitiful state by a blacklisted internet celebrity? Thinking twice, she deleted it completely.

Instead, she opened a photo of her maternal grandmother—the young woman in the picture bore a fifty percent resemblance to Mingyu as a child. Back then, the Ming family patriarch could silence gossip by claiming “it’s just a case of skipping a generation” and because the grandmother’s family was even more illustrious than the Mings—true apex of the social pyramid.

But as Mingyu grew older, the resemblance faded, and the rumors returned in full force. Years ago, her mother had learned where the real Ming family daughter was… but now, Mingyu might not be so lucky.

Taking a few deep breaths to calm herself, she adjusted her outfit and slowly descended the stairs.

The dating show had moved on to the next segment: describing your ideal type—or, if you didn’t have one, sharing your wish for joining the show.

On the Omega side—

Lu Xin’s ideal type: an elegant, noble, and intellectual beauty.

Su Yao’s ideal type: a capable, domineering Alpha.

Ruan Xiao’s ideal type: a female elite she could admire.

All three were thinly veiled references to Mingyu.

When it was Mo Wei’s turn, she simply answered, “Mingyu,” prompting gasps from the Alpha guests.

“Wow, so bold! I think I’m falling for her!” gushed entrepreneur Tang Qian, shooting Mo Wei an admiring look.

“Cool! This is the Omega of my dreams—always charging forward without fear!” Gu Lin clutched her chest and collapsed on the sofa. “My muse has arrived!”

Neither Alpha hid their admiration for Mo Wei.

When it was Qu Huan’s turn, she carefully maintained her “Mingyu’s crush” persona, speaking softly: “I’m a slow-to-warm type, so I prefer someone who makes the first move.”

That one sentence made Lu Xin and the other Mingyu admirers feel like they’d just been stabbed in the heart.

Finally, it was An Ran’s turn. She immediately looked at Chi Wan, her gaze lingering for a while before saying:

“I don’t have an ideal type. If I like someone, then whatever she’s like—that’s exactly what I like. My preferences change with her.”

“Wow!” Xia Meng clapped her hands in delight. The other guests were equally surprised—no one expected the pure-faced, quietly composed university student to say something so out of character. Even the livestream chat exploded.

【Oh my god… did anyone else notice she looked at Chi Wan before she spoke? Is this… intentional?】

【So sweet! If Chi Wan really likes White Dress Miss, I feel like they’re destined for the most beautiful mutual love!】

【Calm down! Don’t forget—Chi Wan has no heart. She’s only after money!】

【I just want to know what it felt like when they looked into each other’s eyes!】

Chi Wan actually felt her heart seize up for a moment under that focused gaze.

An Ran herself wasn’t entirely sure what she felt for Chi Wan—only that she did have a budding possessiveness toward her. She had the most beautiful hands she’d ever seen, and Chi Wan seemed to genuinely like her a little.

But Chi Wan also seemed to still hold feelings for some of her exes—and that didn’t sit right with An Ran. She needed to watch her more closely.

After the Omegas, it was the Alphas’ turn. Mingyu, descending the stairs with her graceful stride, naturally went first.

“My ideal type? I hope she’s independent in her career. Otherwise, I haven’t thought much about it. But really, an ideal type is just a reference. I think when I meet her—I’ll just know.” Mingyu’s answer was polished and elegant, confident she’d said nothing wrong.

But to her surprise, Lu Xin and the others stared at her with strange, searching eyes—as though trying to uncover something.

Lu Xin, seeing that Mingyu didn’t seem to care much about Qu Huan, perked right up. She shot Qu Huan a sideways glance that practically shouted, See? You were lying.

Then she turned to glare at Chi Wan. “And you—teaming up with her to trick us?!”

Qu Huan, not used to this kind of direct confrontation, instantly went pale. “I… I…” she stammered, looking all the more guilty.

“Cut it out,” Ruan Xiao said impatiently—she couldn’t stand that pitiful, about-to-cry look. She turned directly to Mingyu and asked, “Mingyu, is it true what Qu Huan said—that you’re picking her as your heart-pounding choice?”

Mingyu’s expression froze. Her gaze flicked toward the ever-composed Chi Wan. She hadn’t expected her to drag this out into the open—now she was well and truly stuck. As for Qu Huan? She didn’t have the scheming ability for this; clearly, Chi Wan was behind it.

In Mingyu’s mind, Qu Huan’s accidental recordings and photos had all been orchestrated by Chi Wan. Qu Huan herself would never dare.

But Mingyu forgot—even a rabbit will bite when cornered. For Qu Huan, the Qu family’s amusement park was her lifeline, now teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. She had every reason to fight back.

“Mingyu? Mingyu?”

When she still didn’t answer, Ruan Xiao grew impatient. “What’s that supposed to mean? Why aren’t you saying anything?”

“No answer? That’s as good as admitting it. Maybe Miss Ming is just shy. If someone suddenly guessed my heart’s choice, I’d be shy too,” Chi Wan said, resting her chin in her hands. She batted her lashes twice, her face blooming with a delicate blush that perfectly played the part of a bashful beauty.

The effect was devastating—her slightly misted brown eyes gazed at you as though you were her entire world.

As though her whole being yearned for you—for your presence.

【Damn it! How is this woman so good at this?!】

【She’s totally putting on a show… but I’ve been hooked!】

【Who are Chi Wan’s exes, anyway, to look at such a beauty and feel nothing?!】

【Probably because they had someone else in their hearts. But still—if you already love someone else, why be with Chi Wan? Think about it. Really think about it.】

Under the flutter of those alluring lashes, Su Yao couldn’t help but blink along, but then her stomach suddenly churned in discomfort. Back when she was dating Chi Wan, it had always been Chi Wan who prepared her three meals a day, and Chi Wan who kept her stocked with stomach medicine.

Since their breakup, she hadn’t thought about those days in a long time. She didn’t know why, but lately those memories kept resurfacing. Was it really just old habits coming back?