A Sweet Soft Alpha and a Psycho-Beauty Go Viral Online - Chapter 33

Although Yu Wanyin’s injury from the incident wasn’t serious, Qiao Sanghe firmly believed the fault lay with the production team. The steps at the recording site had safety hazards, and the staff failed to inspect them properly, which led to the accident.

The livestream clip quickly trended on social media, sparking widespread discussion. Netizens denounced the production team for their negligence, demanding an official explanation and accountability for the guest’s injury.

Under mounting pressure from both public opinion and internal scrutiny, the director of Midnight Fairytale issued a formal apology. They promised to prevent future safety issues and to cover all of Yu Wanyin’s medical expenses. They also offered a public apology to her.

The production team was relieved that Yu Wanyin hadn’t been seriously hurt—any worse, and it might’ve damaged the show’s popularity or even caused delays in broadcasting. The financial and reputational losses could’ve been far greater.

Qiao Sanghe and Yu Wanyin were reasonably satisfied with the production team’s response, though they made it clear there could be no repeat of such safety oversights.

After the incident, the showrunners significantly reduced the risk level in all subsequent activities, ensuring the rest of the variety show carried virtually no physical danger.

The next episode was scheduled to begin filming early the following month. In the meantime, the show halted production to revise the entire event flow and eliminate any potential safety threats.

Meanwhile, the “Refreshing” beverage commercial featuring Qiao Sanghe and Yu Wanyin was airing across major TV networks on a loop. Their joint advertisement could also be seen on billboards at subway stations and open-air plazas throughout the city center.

The campaign was a hit. Their couple-themed ad left a strong impression, and even though they had only just become brand ambassadors, sales of the beverage spiked dramatically following the ad’s release.

Across from the towering building of the Qiu Corporation, Qiu Lan glanced up at the giant screen flashing the advertisement featuring Qiao Sanghe and Yu Wanyin. She stared for a moment, lost in thought.

Though it had been years since she last saw Qiao Sanghe, seeing her face again still stirred a sense of familiarity.

Qiu Lan and Qiao Sanghe had been betrothed since childhood. There were never any real feelings between them, but the engagement was a long-standing agreement between their two families, so neither had ever questioned it too much. Now, however, times had changed—and it was clear that this engagement could no longer be sustained.
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That afternoon over tea, Yu Wanyin noticed that Qiao Sanghe seemed distracted. She had always been highly sensitive to Qiao Sanghe’s emotional shifts. If Qiao Sanghe was upset, she would sense it immediately.

“Qiao Qiao, what’s wrong?” she asked gently, placing her hand over hers. “Is something bothering you? If you’re worried about something, can’t you share it with me? We can face it together.”

Qiao Sanghe’s cool, quiet eyes flickered slightly. Though her expression didn’t change much, her gaze seemed deep in thought. “There is something,” she admitted. “It’s not a big deal, just something I need to handle.”

Yu Wanyin leaned in, concern growing. “What is it? Let’s face it together.”

She used to think she had no right to interfere in Qiao Sanghe’s affairs, but ever since they’d opened up to one another, she knew: no matter what happened, they had to face it side by side. Otherwise, how could she claim she wanted to protect her?

Qiao Sanghe didn’t want to keep hiding it either. Whatever it was, it needed to be addressed—directly and honestly. No one could change her decision anyway.

“You’ll come with me to meet someone,” she said. “Once you’re there, you’ll understand. But I need you to promise me something first: don’t get mad, and don’t misunderstand me. Some things were out of my control.”

Qiao Sanghe avoided eye contact, making it hard to read her expression. But her tone sounded… off.

Yu Wanyin felt that this must be something particularly difficult for Qiao Sanghe. She had never seen her show such hesitation before.

Qiao Sanghe had always been carefree and independent, rarely bound by anything. So what kind of situation could possibly make her look so uneasy?

That evening, Qiao Sanghe said she was meeting a friend and asked Yu Wanyin to come along. She added that there was a misunderstanding that needed to be cleared up.

On the way there, Yu Wanyin kept wondering what it could be. Qiao Sanghe seemed like she wanted to say something several times but kept stopping herself. Finally, after thinking for a long while, she leaned close and whispered into Yu Wanyin’s ear.

Yu Wanyin’s expression changed instantly.

“Fiancée? Wait—you’re taking me to meet your fiancée?”

“Yes.”

Yu Wanyin: “…”

Qiao Sanghe sighed and quickly explained, “There were never any feelings between us. The engagement wasn’t something I wanted—it was arranged by our families. I’ve made it very clear that I don’t accept it. My refusal caused a huge rift, and that’s part of why I haven’t been home in years. It didn’t end well. But now she’s back in the country, and I think it’s time to officially close the chapter on this… mistake.”

She herself had been a passive victim of the arrangement, just like Qiu Lan. Neither of them had a say in the matter—it was all decided by their families.

Although she had long explained that there was nothing between them, that the engagement was just a relic of their parents’ decision, it had never been formally dissolved due to strong opposition from both families.

Now, after all these years, she was no longer the same person. She had someone she loved beside her, and it was time to put an end to this.

To dissolve the engagement within the family circles, her efforts alone wouldn’t be enough.

Qiao Sanghe’s plan was to convince Qiu Lan to speak up and have the Qiu family propose breaking off the engagement. If that happened, the problem would resolve itself.

Yu Wanyin fell silent after hearing the explanation. She didn’t think this matter would be easy to resolve—and she had no idea what Qiu Lan’s stance would be. If Qiu Lan refused to break it off, things would get complicated. She was the key to solving this, and no matter what her thoughts were, they had to start with her.

Qiao Sanghe nudged her lightly. “Why so quiet? What are you thinking? Don’t tell me you’re mad.”

“No,” Yu Wanyin said calmly. “I was thinking about how we can work together to convince Qiu Lan to dissolve the engagement.”

“…Wait, so you’re not even a little bothered that I had a fiancée?”

“Not at all,” Yu Wanyin replied without hesitation.

Qiao Sanghe : “…”

Qiao Sanghe’s expression tensed. Her delicate brows knitted into a glare as she reached over and pinched the soft flesh at Yu Wanyin’s waist, her tone dangerously low.

“You’re not bothered?” Qiao Sanghe asked again.

Yu Wanyin let out a pained squeak, sighing in helplessness. Clearly, that had been the wrong answer. She hurried to explain.

“It’s not what you think. I just believe it’s more important to focus on resolving the issue rather than fixating on the past. I may not have been part of your past—but I will be an essential part of your future. The past is over. What matters now is us—our future.”

Only then did Qiao Sanghe’s expression soften. A gentle smile curled on her lips as she stroked the spot she had just pinched.

“Does it hurt?”

“Not anymore.”

Yu Wanyin’s skin flushed where Qiao Sanghe touched her. Her soft hands were so gentle it tickled—and it was incredibly teasing.