The Stand-In Alpha Goes Viral on a Dating Show - Chapter 8

Chi Wan didn’t speak. She merely lowered her eyes and after a moment, hugged her arms to her chest, subtly shivering to express how cold she felt.

Faced with such a display of vulnerability, Lu Xin grew visibly uncomfortable—especially seeing the water droplets running down Chi Wan’s damp hair, trickling over her jade-white shoulders, and bursting into delicate splashes. It felt like each drop was tapping directly on her heart.

“Ahem. As long as you behave, we won’t make things hard for you,” Lu Xin said, frowning slightly, annoyed at how quickly she’d softened.

But the moment she caught sight of Chi Wan’s bright, glistening eyes, her internal conflict dissolved all at once.

“Come on, I’ll take you to get changed.” Lu Xin said.

“Great, thank you.” Chi Wan replied.

Chi Wan’s lips curved into a beautiful smile.

Lu Xin instinctively reached out, wanting to take her hand and walk together—but halfway through, she hesitated. It suddenly dawned on her: She’s my ex. Why am I trying to hold her hand?!

Awkwardly retracting her hand, she caught Su Yao giving her a cold, piercing look, along with a seemingly casual remark:

“By the way, those clothes—I picked them out.” Su Yao said.

The tone was light, but Lu Xin noticed that Su Yao’s eyes were locked on Chi Wan as she spoke.

Chi Wan heard the comment but acted as if she hadn’t. She simply looked toward Lu Xin, clearly waiting for her to lead the way.

Lu Xin couldn’t help but feel a surge of smugness and threw a cocky glance at Su Yao: See? Even your Su Yao charm can fall short.

Basking in her moment of triumph, she pivoted and led Chi Wan toward the dressing room.

As Chi Wan exited the private conversation area, she waved toward An Ran, who had been waiting nearby. Seeing An Ran still standing with her head lowered, Chi Wan trotted over and playfully tugged on her sleeve. “Come on, let’s go get changed!”

Watching Chi Wan skip toward someone else so cheerfully, Lu Xin’s smile faltered, her rising spirits quickly sinking. It was as if she could hear Su Yao scoff beside her—See? You’re really not that special after all.

Frustrated, Lu Xin couldn’t help raising her voice. “Chi Wan, are you coming or not?”

“I’m coming,” Chi Wan replied with a beaming smile, taking An Ran’s hand and walking back.

Hmph! Let’s see if you’re still smiling once you see what’s inside that dressing room! both Lu Xin and Su Yao thought bitterly.

Once they arrived at the dressing room, Lu Xin still wore an eager, gloating expression. The moment the door opened and Chi Wan laid eyes on the clothes inside, both Lu Xin and Su Yao secretly watched her face for a reaction.

Chi Wan, already mentally prepared, widened her eyes in mock surprise. She had come here with her two exes for three reasons: to size them up, because her original self definitely would’ve gone with them, and to be ready—she had backup clothes just in case.

Still, the outrageous selection of outfits in the room was enough to blind her.

Bunny girl, fox girl, leopard-print temptress—was this a cosplay zoo or what?

The only normal piece of clothing was a light-colored dress. It stood out awkwardly among all the bizarre costumes, as if screaming pick me! out of desperation.

Wasn’t this just another malicious trick?

Chi Wan, familiar with the original plot, knew this “normal” dress was a signature outfit often worn by the rich heiress Mingyu. It wasn’t an exact copy, but close enough.

Anyone who’s seen Empresses in the Palace knows why Zhen Huan lost the emperor’s favor early on—she wore Pure Consort’s old clothes!

Chi Wan could already picture herself walking into the filming of Endless Heartbeats, only to be accused of copying Mingyu’s style if she wore this.

Worse yet, since Su Yao and Lu Xin had designed the whole setup, the dress was most likely a knockoff.

The malice behind it disgusted her.

An Ran, though hidden under a wide-brimmed sunhat, could still see everything inside the dressing room. With her memories from a past life, she clearly remembered Mingyu wearing that exact dress during the show’s recording.

But Chi Wan didn’t know that. An Ran was curious—how would she handle this?

Her eyes lingered on the girl in the swimsuit, who stood calmly and confidently despite the circumstances. She found herself unconsciously admiring Chi Wan’s long arms and delicate hands.

The red mark Lu Xin had left on her wrist earlier had mostly faded, but a faint imprint remained—like a pink plum blossom blooming on flawless white skin. If only I had left that mark instead, An Ran thought.

She spaced out for a moment, and when she snapped back, Chi Wan had already picked up the only decent-looking dress.

An Ran wasn’t particularly surprised—figures, she thought.

After all, when unaware of traps, most people naturally gravitate toward whatever seems most beneficial.

But just as she stifled a yawn out of boredom, Chi Wan suddenly walked over with the dress in hand.

“Here, you wear this,” Chi Wan said with a smile, holding it out in front of her.

An Ran froze. Under her hat, her gaze sharpened. She stared at Chi Wan’s face, trying to decipher her intentions.

Oblivious to An Ran’s inner turmoil, Chi Wan leaned closer and whispered, “This is the only normal one here. And you’re so shy—it’s better if you wear it.”

An Ran narrowed her eyes, mind racing. She’s doing this… for me?

She hesitated only briefly before reaching for the dress—but Lu Xin and Su Yao immediately stepped forward.

“Chi Wan, we picked that out specifically for you. You’re really just going to give it away?”

An Ran paused, intrigued, waiting to see what Chi Wan would do. Surely she would regret it.

But Chi Wan just laughed softly and raised her voice:

“She’s not just anyone.”

Everyone froze. Even Lu Xin and Su Yao looked stunned, glancing back and forth between the two girls.

“Hurry and get changed,” Chi Wan added, stuffing the dress into An Ran’s arms and gently pushing her toward a nearby changing stall. She even opened the door and nudged her inside before closing it with a wink.

The soft click of the lock echoed, and inside the booth, An Ran cradled the dress and couldn’t help but smirk slightly.

Just what are you up to, Chi Wan?

Feels like you’re trying to get me out of the way…

After An Ran disappeared into the booth, Chi Wan turned back. Her unpredictable behavior had already thrown Lu Xin and Su Yao into disarray.

Now, wearing a knowing smile, Chi Wan walked toward them, and Su Yao could feel her palms growing damp—like something was spiraling out of control.

“President Su,” Chi Wan said sweetly, “I’ve thought about what you said… but I still feel pretty upset. Could I get a comforting hug?”

The beauty, soaking wet and dressed in a swimsuit, tilted her head, stretched out her arms, and asked for a hug—so innocently and seductively that even an Alpha couldn’t resist.

Especially with those eyes—completely focused on Su Yao, as if no one else existed. Lu Xin might as well have been invisible.

Su Yao felt an embarrassing pang in her chest. She was moved. She even thought she heard herself gulp.

She couldn’t help opening her arms.

As Chi Wan stepped into her embrace, her damp body pressed against Su Yao’s, who felt the humid warmth seep through her clothes. Something inside her tensed, though she couldn’t quite say what.

But the moment the front of her clothes was completely soaked, realization struck: Now I’ll have to change too.

After pulling away from the embrace, Chi Wan cheekily stuck out her tongue and flashed a peace sign.

Serves you right. That’s what you get for scheming against me. Karma, babe.

Lu Xin didn’t grasp the full scope of what had just happened. All she knew was that she’d been completely overlooked. As one of the two exes, watching Su Yao get a loving hug while she got nothing was maddening.

“Chi Wan, I talked to you too, you know!” she snapped, her jealousy barely contained.

“But I only wanted to hug President Su,” Chi Wan said with a sly squint and a teasing glance at Su Yao.

Su Yao, still reeling from the recent stunt, somehow felt her earlier irritation melt away.

“Why? What’s wrong with me?!” Lu Xin fumed, lips pressed tight in defiance.

“Come closer, and I’ll tell you,” Chi Wan beckoned with a mischievous wave.

Su Yao instantly knew she was up to something again—this time targeting Lu Xin—but she didn’t stop it.

Lu Xin marched over. “Fine! Let’s hear it!”

“I just wanted to say…”

Chi Wan lowered her voice dramatically. As Lu Xin focused on listening and dropped her guard, Chi Wan suddenly shoved her hard against the dusty wall.

A dull thud rang out from the impact, followed by Chi Wan’s teasing smirk and glinting eyes.

“You’re such a fool. I just wanted to mess with you a little.”

[Ding! Congratulations, Host! You’ve completed the main mission: Minor Revenge on Two Exes. Progress toward returning to your original world: +1%.]

“All right then,” Chi Wan clapped her hands. “Now the three of us all need to change.”

She blew a playful puff at her palm, her lips curved in satisfaction.