The Stand-In Alpha Goes Viral on a Dating Show - Chapter 6
“System! What the hell is going on?! In this ABO novel’s world, are you telling me an Alpha and Omega taking a bath together can result in a pregnancy?! That’s way too casual!” Chi Wan was so shocked, her tongue almost tied itself in knots. She didn’t even know where to look out of sheer embarrassment.
Inside her mind, thunder crashed and lightning flashed. It was a full-blown mental storm.
In her panic, her eyes darted aimlessly—just to give her gaze somewhere to land. It wasn’t until a moment later that she realized where her line of sight had wandered: straight to An Ran’s lower abdomen.
Oh no.
She really had been affected by those people on shore and their nonsense.
【Host! Calm down! Shared bathing between an Alpha and Omega won’t lead to pregnancy. You’re a medical student—how could you even think that!】
“So what if I’m a med student?! Medically speaking, sure, it’s impossible. But I’ve transmigrated into a book! Who knows what absurd mechanics the author came up with here?”
Chi Wan’s inner voice was a frenzied mess, but the system’s clarification did help soothe her nerves a bit.
【This is a standard ABO setting.】
As it spoke, the system flipped to a page detailing the worldbuilding.
Chi Wan scanned the text at lightning speed. Okay. She got the gist now.
“You… your phone fell…” An Ran shifted slightly, looking visibly uncomfortable. Their bodies were pressed too close; damp clothes clung to her like a second skin, especially around her waist.
Chi Wan’s gaze still hadn’t left her lower abdomen—almost as if she really thought there was a baby inside.
“It’s fine, don’t worry. It’s waterproof—and I used my body to shield it.”
Chi Wan gave a cheeky wink, then reached down and—like pulling off a magic trick—retrieved the phone from the curve of her hip.
The phone emerged from the water in perfect working order. The screen lit up as usual, and the live chat barrage was still screaming across it nonstop.
An Ran was stunned. She hadn’t expected something so ridiculous to actually work.
「Ahhh! She’s killing me! I saw a glimpse of her abs up close—gorgeous!」
「Holy crap! In just a few seconds, the live viewership jumped past 500,000! What the heck just happened?!」
「Am I the only one who thinks Chi Wan and this white-dress goddess look amazing together? Even falling in the water spawned some fake AO pregnancy rumors—iconic!」
「Wait a sec. Let’s be real—this is Chi Wan we’re talking about. Is it possible she staged the whole thing? Maybe this white-dress beauty is secretly rich?」
An Ran saw that last comment and her smile faded into something more self-deprecating.
“Secretly rich?” she scoffed inwardly.
But still, Chi Wan’s actions—jumping in, disregarding her phone—had undeniably moved her.
Then again, the phone was totally fine, and the “rescue” just happened to result in her livestream’s viewership skyrocketing. Maybe, like the comment said, she was just a pawn in Chi Wan’s game. A prop.
Chi Wan tightened her arms and lifted An Ran out of the water. The strength in those toned arms startled her. They were powerful, elegant—beautiful, really. An Ran’s heart fluttered.
So what if she’s using me? I only like her hands anyway.
Falling in the lake had led to this close-up moment. That alone made it worth it.
A kind of mutual exploitation, perhaps.
An Ran’s white dress clung tightly to her soaked body. Around her slim waist, the wet fabric was nearly translucent. Chi Wan noticed this the moment she placed her on a rock at the shore. Her gaze sharpened, and she subtly angled the camera away.
“Good girl, don’t fuss. Just a moment.”
She addressed her viewers with a playful smile before bracing both arms on the bank. With a powerful push, she launched herself out of the water, crystal droplets trailing behind her like scattered diamonds. She looked like a mermaid emerging from the lake.
Jet-black hair clung to her slender neck. Water trickled down from the ends, tracing the curve of her collarbone, then dropping into the swell of her chest.
An Ran’s eyes followed that trail of water involuntarily. Her breath hitched. She yanked her hat brim down to block her view and forcibly cut off her own thoughts.
Chi Wan walked barefoot on the sand, picked up her red dress from the shore, then made her way back to the quiet, sheltered An Ran.
“This is my dress. Hope you don’t mind.”
She draped it over An Ran’s shoulders, raised an eyebrow in playful challenge, then returned to the water. In the still, windless lake, she looked back over her shoulder like a mischievous fox.
An Ran clenched the red fabric around her shoulders involuntarily. Her calves, curled beside the stone bank, tensed as she watched Chi Wan swim toward her again.
“Now, pretty lady,” Chi Wan smiled, “let’s finish what we started.”
At some point, the camera had tilted back toward them.
「Chi Wan, you little minx! Finally remembered we exist! Hurry up—I wanna see!」
「Blacklisted Fan just tipped 20 roses and 5 gems with a message: My anticipation is through the roof!」
Hidden beneath the brim of her hat, An Ran let a small, knowing smile curve her lips. It was tinged with mockery.
If Chi Wan wants to play pretend, I’ll go along for the ride.
She curled her legs slightly, feigning bashfulness. Thigh, foot, and bent knee formed a soft, tempting arc. Her voice turned demure and uncertain.
“Maybe… maybe we shouldn’t…”
“Shhh. Don’t say no.” Chi Wan pressed a finger to her lips.
“Just enjoy it.”
「Oh my god, I’m dying!」
「Mommy! I wanna enjoy it toooo!!」
「Y’all wake up! That’s a classic player line! Aaaah!」
Just as Chi Wan dipped An Ran’s perfect, delicate feet back into the lake, a group of women approached from the far end of the shore. The sun was glaring, making it hard to see clearly. Chi Wan couldn’t tell if they were passersby or fellow cast members.
One woman suddenly froze, eyes widening. She muttered something, then bolted toward them.
“Mingyu!”
She shouted as she ran, voice tight and panicked like her heart had been seized. Even from her tone, the urgency was unmistakable.
Mingyu?
Chi Wan’s heart skipped a beat.
The original host had been a stand-in for a wealthy heiress—Mingyu.
Chi Wan glanced at the angle the woman was coming from. From there, she would only see her side profile.
And that was the one thing the original host shared most closely with Mingyu. It was even written in the book.
Clearly, this newcomer was one of the original host’s exes.
Before she could get too close, another woman in a dark blazer dress stopped her.
“Look closer. That’s not Mingyu. That’s Chi Wan.”
“What?!” The first woman halted, stunned, her eyes full of disbelief.
“Take another good look. Who is she, really?”
The suited woman leaned in, her voice laced with subtle malice.
“You dated Chi Wan, didn’t you? Can’t even tell a knockoff from the real thing? Or… did you start falling for the substitute? If that’s the case, stop fighting me for Mingyu. You’ve already betrayed her.”
“You—! Don’t push it!”
The athletic-looking woman, Lu Xin, straightened her jacket and glared at Chi Wan in the lake like she was filth.
“Only she could pull something so shameless. Clinging to a woman in public like that!”
“Exactly. Chi Wan always acts like she can’t live without women. Disgusting.”
The CEO-type woman, Su Yao, sneered, then smiled slowly.
“But I’ve got an idea… one that’ll fix her. Lu Xin, you in?”
“What’s the plan?” Lu Xin asked, teeth clenched.
They were still too far away to be heard, but Chi Wan could guess easily enough. Being mistaken for a lost love? Yeah, people would be furious.
Meanwhile, she continued holding An Ran’s ankle—still unwilling to let go.
When she saw the two exes approaching with fire in their eyes, she simply cupped her palm, scooped up some water, and poured it gently over those flawless, snow-white feet.
“They… might be here for you,” An Ran said softly, voice muffled beneath her hat.
Chi Wan paused, then gave her a soothing smile.
“It’s okay.”