The Stand-In Alpha Goes Viral on a Dating Show - Chapter 28.1

[The young lady’s shy now!]

[That move—hiding the jar at her chest—shocked my entire family!]

[Hehe, Chi Wan noticed! She was just glancing left and right—was she looking for the wishing jar?]

[So! The wishing jar really was the gift Chi Wan prepared!]

The livestream promptly flashed up the gift list. Viewers were surprised to see that many pairs had actually chosen each other’s gifts—was this fate or what?

Some of the guests who discovered the “mutual selection” couldn’t hide their smiles. Xia Meng even shyly walked over to Lu Xin.

“Wow, we actually picked each other’s gifts. What a coincidence.”

Lu Xin only smiled faintly, but the awkwardness on her face was unmistakable. She couldn’t exactly admit that it had been a fallback choice.

Mo Wei strolled over to Chi Wan, giving a cold little laugh.

“Were you influenced by your stingy exes? You actually prepared such a cheap gift—it’s ridiculous.”

She had expected that saying this in front of everyone would make Chi Wan bristle with embarrassment. Instead, the other woman only let out two smug little hums, shooting Mo Wei a sidelong glance and saying pointedly:
“So what if it’s ridiculous? So what if it’s cheap? As long as someone likes it, that’s all that matters. Some people shouldn’t call grapes sour just because they can’t have them.”

Mo Wei froze. Something about Chi Wan’s tone felt… off. Almost as if she knew something.

Could it be… when they were picking gifts earlier, the Alpha side could see?

The thought made Mo Wei’s chest tighten in guilt. She abandoned the verbal sparring and went straight to the director to ask.

Chi Wan, relieved to see the nuisance remove herself, turned toward An Ran. With a bright-eyed smile, she bumped the other woman’s shoulder.

“I saw it, you know. Aren’t you cold like that?”

“It’s not like I put it all the way inside,” An Ran replied instinctively—then immediately felt her cheeks heat up even more. She fanned herself with one hand, groaning softly. “Honestly… can’t you just forget that moment?”

“Oh—” Chi Wan belatedly realized she had just brought up exactly the wrong thing.

“Sorry. I’m just… really happy.,” Chi Wan muttered.

The quiet, offhand confession made An Ran’s face flush again. Flustered, she turned away, leaving Chi Wan with only a hasty view of her back.

Shi Yi had been quietly watching them. After a moment, she walked over to Su Yao, holding up the “bracelet” and asking bluntly,

“This is actually an anklet, right? On a perfect ankle, it really would look gorgeous.”

Su Yao hadn’t expected Shi Yi to pick up on her taste so easily. She smiled knowingly.

“You look…” Shi Yi started—but then noticed that even under foundation, Su Yao’s complexion was unnaturally pale. She was about to ask, when Su Yao shushed her.

“It’s nothing. I’m fine.”

Shi Yi was momentarily taken aback. It was as if Su Yao knew exactly what she was going to say—yet her tone made it clear she didn’t want Shi Yi’s concern. Or rather… that the concern she wanted wasn’t from Shi Yi.

That thought made Shi Yi notice Su Yao’s gaze flick, discreetly, toward Chi Wan.

Following her eyes, Shi Yi first admired Chi Wan’s well-shaped feet—only to realize, with a small jolt, that An Ran’s were even more perfect. She glanced down at the anklet in her hand, recalling her earlier words about her “ideal type,” and found herself wondering: was this coincidence… or inevitability?

Meanwhile, Su Yao saw Chi Wan still chatting away with An Ran. A flicker of disappointment crossed her eyes. She straightened, deciding she wouldn’t keep punishing her stomach—she’d just go upstairs and get her medicine.

But just as she turned, a lazy voice called out,

“Hey.”

One simple word—but enough to make her stop willingly. She turned to find Chi Wan looking at her.

“President Su, you don’t look too well. Old problem acting up?”

Chi Wan sauntered over, giving her a once-over. Su Yao assumed she was just here to gloat—when suddenly, something dropped into her arms with a soft thud. A small white bottle, arcing neatly into her hold.

She glanced down. Familiar packaging—stomach medicine.

“You really are a steel-nerved woman,” Chi Wan drawled. “Letting your stomach hurt for this long… not taking your body seriously at all. Next time, don’t think I’ll get your medicine for you. I might just let you suffer.”

Her words were mock-scolding, but she brushed Su Yao’s shoulder lightly, smoothing out a wrinkle in her blazer.

“Remember that.”

Then she turned, taking An Ran by the hand as they walked away.

From behind them came a faint murmur:

“So you still care about me… If… back then… would it have been different?”

The trailing note all but dissolved into the air, the hazy tone betraying the speaker’s mood.

[Ding!] ‘Increase Ex’s Guilt’ progress: 1/5. Slim Waist effect +1%. Go on, give it a squeeze—your waist is definitely firmer than before!

Chi Wan instinctively glanced down at her waist, hand halfway up to squeeze—when she heard:

“You seem awfully concerned about her,” An Ran remarked, watching her closely.

“No, I’m not.” Chi Wan would never admit it—not when it was true.

To An Ran, though, the hasty denial reeked of cover-up. Hmph. Walking next to me, but thinking about someone else… Scumbag.

“Hmm… I don’t see it.” Chi Wan gave her waist a squeeze—no noticeable change. She looked at An Ran.

“How about you test it for me?”

It sounded like a desperate shot in the dark—but Chi Wan was starting to suspect the system’s “beauty upgrade” wasn’t as reliable as advertised.

“Test what?” An Ran asked blankly.

“My waist!” Chi Wan blurted—then caught An Ran’s stunned look and quickly backpedaled. “Uh—I’m kidding, don’t take it seriously.”

“Doesn’t sound like a joke to me.” An Ran’s eyes narrowed. “How exactly do you want me to test it?”

Chi Wan had been ready to insist it was a joke—but then thought, Wait, this could be a chance to get closer to her. Especially after noticing Shi Yi’s earlier glances at An Ran.

Leaning closer, she suggested cautiously,

“Just… feel if my waist is stronger than before.”

An Ran blinked, eyes dropping—unavoidably—to Chi Wan’s midsection. Stronger? How was she supposed to test that?

After a moment’s thought, she reached out and gave it a gentle squeeze. There was firmness, and elasticity—a trim curve.

“Seems… kind of strong?”

“‘Kind of’?” Chi Wan groaned.

The next second, An Ran’s fingers pressed harder. A faint shiver rippled through Chi Wan’s slim abdominal muscles, making her reflexively bend forward.

An Ran felt it too—that responsive tremor under her fingertips—and for a heartbeat, she drifted into thought.

“Well?” Chi Wan was actually a little nervous now.

An Ran smiled faintly. “Hard to say. Maybe we should try… other methods.”

Both of them pulled out their phones and searched: How to test waist strength?

The answers were varied—but the most upvoted ones read:

#Easy—just bite it#

#Firmness equals strength#

#Everyone knows lips and teeth are highly sensitive#

B… bite it? They glanced at each other, both faces betraying the same awkward thought: their relationship was nowhere near that stage.

“No problem, I’ll just… bite my own waist later. Hahaha.” Chi Wan covered her embarrassment with a loud laugh.

Yep. This was definitely awkward. Even An Ran dropped her gaze, saying nothing.

As they passed the restroom, Chi Wan suddenly remembered the quick, vanishing figure she’d seen earlier. She paused.

“An Ran, I’m just going in for a moment.”

She pointed to the restroom sign—and, in truth, was also glad for the excuse to escape the tension. Before An Ran could answer, she slipped inside.

The outer section and washbasin area were unisex; only the stalls at the very back were divided by gender. At the middle row of mirrors, she spotted Ruan Xiao hurriedly reapplying lip liner.

The woman had wiped off her original lipstick with a wet tissue and was now tracing from the lip line outward—but whether from nerves or haste, her hand trembled even more.

Another failed attempt, and she let out a discouraged sigh—only to glance sideways and realize Chi Wan had been standing there for who knew how long.

“What are you doing here?” Ruan Xiao said.

The mark on her arm earlier made her instinctively wary of Chi Wan’s proximity.

“Why so jumpy? This is a public restroom—if you can be here, I can too.” Chi Wan stepped over to the sink, washing her hands at a leisurely pace. Her hands were beautiful to begin with; under the play of water, they were mesmerizing.

Ruan Xiao’s eyes were drawn to them. Seeing that Chi Wan really was just washing up, her guard eased.

“Honestly, rotten-tomato red isn’t your color.” Just as Ruan Xiao was starting to relax into the sound of running water, Chi Wan spoke.

Ruan Xiao was startled, but before she could react, she was drawn in by the content of Chi Wan’s words.

“How about it? Want to try coral? It’s brand new and still sealed.”

Chi Wan, having just washed her hands and dried them with a tissue, suddenly—like performing a magic trick—pulled a lipstick from the inside pocket of her coat. She smiled at Ruan Xiao like an angel offering a gift.

“But… you know I can’t put it on myself.”

Ruan Xiao tightened her grip on her skirt. Honestly speaking, even their past as exes was already awkward enough. To make matters worse, she had once treated Chi Wan as a stand-in, only to coldly discard her afterward. Now, to ask Chi Wan to help her apply lipstick—well, even for someone like Ruan Xiao, whose moral bottom line had never been particularly high, it still felt a little too shameless.

What’s more, she had noticed where the lipstick had come from—Chi Wan’s inner pocket. She still remembered Chi Wan saying that was where she kept important things.

The shade Chi Wan was wearing didn’t match this lipstick, and it was still sealed. Only a fool wouldn’t know who it was meant for.

Sure enough, she soon heard Chi Wan chuckle softly as she tore open the delicate packaging.

“I know you can’t, which is why I came here. Otherwise, I could’ve just kept it and walked away, don’t you think?”

Chi Wan’s words cleared up Ruan Xiao’s doubts. So… she really did come here for me?

Not long ago, when they’d been picking out gifts, the scene had been vivid—Mo Wei, Lu Xin, Su Yao, An Ran, and even herself had all been tempted to claim it.

Yet now, the owner of the gift everyone had coveted was saying it was meant just for her. In that moment, Ruan Xiao actually felt flattered—almost dizzy with surprise.

“Don’t move.” Chi Wan picked up the lipstick and leaned in toward her lips.

Ruan Xiao’s vision filled with Chi Wan’s face, impossibly beautiful and growing closer and closer.

Thump. Thump. Her heart began to pound wildly, like a startled deer.

She wanted to run from this inexplicable loss of control, but when she instinctively shook her head and leaned back, Chi Wan cupped her face. Her tone was gentle yet firm.

“Don’t move. If it smudges, what will you do?”

The thought of having to face people afterward kept Ruan Xiao rooted to the spot, trying her best not to move a muscle.

It felt like forever, though it must’ve only been seconds. When she finally heard, “Alright, all done,” she let out a breath of relief. Her knees almost gave way, and her only thought was how dreamlike the whole thing felt.

“Legs gone numb?” Chi Wan quickly caught her, saving her from collapsing to the floor in the most embarrassing way possible.

“Thanks.” Once the numbness passed, Ruan Xiao forced herself to remain composed and practically fled.