The Stand-In Alpha Goes Viral on a Dating Show - Chapter 5

The scene of Chi Wan undressing unfolded like a long, slow-motion film sequence.

Her slender, sculpted arm reached behind her back, elbow bending sharply. A soft zip echoed faintly near her ear as the red dress’s zipper slid down. One shoulder strap slipped halfway off, precariously clinging to her round shoulder—closer to the upper arm than the shoulder blade. Her body leaned slightly forward, accentuating the alluring curve of her luminous collarbone.

The tight red fabric over her chest puckered into small triangular folds, hinting at the shadowy hollow beneath. Her skin glowed, smooth and pale like fresh snow. With the zipper undone, the upper part of her dress loosened slightly, revealing her impossibly slender waist—so delicate it looked like it could be grasped in one hand.

“That waist isn’t just a waist—it’s a soul-stealing blade.”

The thought flashed unbidden through An Ran’s mind, and her gaze instinctively turned away. She pressed her lips together, almost annoyed at herself. Why am I acting like some shy teenage girl, seduced by beauty? Out of stubborn pride, she steadied her breathing and continued watching.

It’s not like I’m the only one seeing this—she’s livestreaming, after all.

The zipper slid further down, past her waist. Chi Wan’s hand brushed lightly against the curve of her lower back, and the red dress finally dropped completely from her upper body, pooling around her hips. Beneath it, a simple black one-piece swimsuit clung to her figure.

Though modest in design, the swimsuit did little to hide Chi Wan’s flawless curves. Her recent sweat gave her pale skin a dewy glow—like a white hibiscus blooming after the first summer rain: both seductive and pure.

The livestream screen went silent.

“Whoa, the dress didn’t fall all the way off?” Chi Wan pouted playfully, clearly disappointed. With a slight huff, she tugged the fabric down the rest of the way herself.

As the red dress hit the ground, she distinctly heard the sound of someone gulping nearby.

When did more crew members arrive?

Chi Wan turned to the camera with a teasing smile, loosened her hair tie with one hand, and flipped her jet-black hair over her shoulder. Then, like a mermaid returning eagerly to the sea, she spun around and dove into the lake.

An Ran could still recall the graceful arc traced by her pointed toes just before they vanished into the water.

「Okay, gotta say—even if Chi Wan’s a gold-digger, she’s drop-dead gorgeous!」

「Aaahh!! She’s killing me!! That waist, those hips, those legs—goddess, please crush me!」

「My mom just asked why I’m kneeling on the floor drooling. I had no answer…」

「I can’t take it anymore! My phantom limbs are hard! My health bar’s at zero!」

【Congratulations, Host! Livestream viewership has surpassed 100,000! Main storyline mission complete! Return-to-original-world progress: +2%.】

Though she appeared to be freely swimming, Chi Wan was carefully controlling every movement. She finally let out a sigh of relief.

Why did I suddenly decide to livestream myself swimming? Obviously because the system dropped a new main mission. That’s when she learned the system had two types of tasks: main missions (related to her “revenge heroine” arc), and the utterly deranged side quests, which seemed to be heading deeper into depravity by the day.

Either way, completing her first main mission felt amazing.

Chi Wan glanced at the lakeside. An Ran stood just twenty centimeters from the water’s edge. Her delicate, flawless feet reflected in the water—like a doubled temptation.

Unable to resist, Chi Wan swam toward her and mischievously reached out to grab An Ran’s ankle. One hand gripped the stone ledge for support as she raised herself halfway out of the water.

Her wet hair clung to the side of her face, obscuring half her expression. Droplets clung to her thick lashes, and when she glanced up sideways—

She looked like a siren luring sailors to their doom.

“Miss, the water’s really nice. Want to dip your feet in?” she asked, her voice low and teasing.

As she spoke, her fingertips lightly stroked the top of An Ran’s foot.

Chi Wan had studied medicine. She’d always loved anatomy and reflex zones—so of course she knew how sensitive the top of the foot was. The cool pressure of her fingernail tracing that soft skin caused a ticklish, tingling jolt to shoot straight up into the nerves.

She had no shame, and she used all her knowledge to seduce An Ran into the water. Yet, even as she schemed—she genuinely couldn’t look away from those feet. They were too beautiful… to the point that she was losing control.

But what Chi Wan didn’t know was—An Ran was suffering.

She already had a fixation on Chi Wan’s hands. It had gotten so bad, she’d once fantasized about locking Chi Wan up just to play with those hands all day long. But kidnapping is illegal, she kept reminding herself. She fought hard to suppress her dark urges…

And now, that very temptation had the audacity to touch her first.

Panicked, An Ran tilted her wide-brimmed hat lower to hide her expression. Chi Wan, misinterpreting the motion, thought she was just being shy—especially since her trembling feet now resembled delicate daisies swaying in the breeze: pitiful and adorable.

Chi Wan hoisted herself higher from the water until her upper body was fully exposed. Her long arms reached further, fingers brushing lightly against An Ran’s knees.

“So, mysterious lady without a name… coming in?” she asked.

Every spot Chi Wan touched on An Ran’s body trembled involuntarily. Even her voice shook:

“You… d-don’t…”

“Come on, say yes.” Chi Wan’s fingertips gently tapped her kneecap.

An Ran didn’t answer. So Chi Wan’s fingers slid slowly down her long, straight calf.

An Ran shivered all over. “I… I-I’ll come in… Just stop…”

“Good.” Chi Wan stopped immediately. But before An Ran could breathe a sigh of relief, she felt a sudden loosening at her foot.

Looking down, she realized—Chi Wan had undone the strap of her sandal.

Chi Wan held the thin white strap between two fingers and gave a cheeky smile. Even caught in the act, she remained unfazed, sticking out her tongue. “Just helping you.”

After undoing both sandals, Chi Wan performed a courtly bow, hands together like a courteous gentleman.

Then she pointed to the lake. “Miss, your bath awaits.”

An Ran pressed her lips together, pretending to be reluctant. With Chi Wan’s arm as support, she slowly sat on the stone ledge. But a glint flickered in her eyes. She suddenly wanted to know just what this woman was planning.

Still holding her dress modestly with one hand, An Ran tilted her body sideways and pretended to slip. Given how close they were, her fall would definitely land her on Chi Wan. A normal person’s instinct would be to dodge.

Plus—she was still holding Chi Wan’s phone, the one used for livestreaming. She let the phone slide slightly from her grip, betting that Chi Wan would prioritize saving the stream rather than saving her.

She took a deep breath, ready to fall in. Though her past trauma—dying in the ocean—cast a shadow over her, she still thought the trade-off was worth it.

If this fall reveals Chi Wan’s true, selfish motives—so be it.

That was her plan. But then—

SPLASH—

She heard a strong burst of water, followed by the flash of a shadow under her closed eyelids. Then—her descent abruptly stopped.

A toned, flexible, and surprisingly powerful body caught her, halting her fall like someone had hit “pause” on reality.

“So careless,” a familiar voice chided gently.

An Ran’s eyes flew open.

Chi Wan’s phone had splashed into the lake, sending ripples across the surface. Chi Wan’s voice was soft and amused in her ear, while gasps echoed around the shore.

“Oh my god! They both fell in the lake?! I heard there’s a legend about that place—if an Alpha and Omega fall in together, something deadly happens!”

“Wait, seriously?! Why would they choose this place for filming then?!”

“Calm down! I didn’t mean deadly like that! I meant…”

“It’s a happy thing! Like—if an Alpha and Omega fall in together, they end up… having a baby!”