The Stand-In Alpha Goes Viral on a Dating Show - Chapter 34.1

After only a few sips of juice, An Ran’s head grew heavy and dizzy. She immediately sensed something was wrong. Not daring to drink any more, she didn’t put the glass down either. Instead, she pretended everything was normal and made her way toward the restroom. At this point, it was far too late to try reaching the second floor.

She had no choice but to turn back toward the restroom. But after only a few steps, her head spun violently. Bracing one hand against the wall, she slowed her breathing and steadied her pace, forcing herself forward.

“Miss An?”

A cool, faintly detached female voice brushed past her ear. To An Ran’s foggy consciousness, it sounded both near and far at once.

Who…?

Could it be the person who tampered with the juice?

Her lashes fluttered as she tilted her gaze upward, dazed and uncertain. The bridge of her delicate nose caught the ceiling light, her lips pressed tight in hesitation, and her lashes quivered faintly as she looked at the newcomer.

That single glance was like a fawn in the forest, about to collapse with an arrow in its side. The image made Shi Yi’s blood surge, her breath catching in her throat.

She flexed her fingers, amused and intrigued. How had I not noticed before? This An Ran is exactly my type of prey.

Since fate had delivered her right into her arms, it would be a shame to let her slip away.

Shi Yi stepped closer—but carefully, never crossing An Ran’s line of safety. She knew well the principle of patience: to approach slowly, never too rashly.

“You don’t look well. Do you need my help?”

Her words were courteous, paired with a perfectly measured smile—the kind few could resist.

“Thank you.”

An Ran’s soft reply drifted out, light as a breeze over a valley of flowers.

That’s more like it. No one ever refused her. The corners of Shi Yi’s mouth curved unconsciously in satisfaction—until An Ran’s next words froze her in place:

“But I don’t need it.”

Thank you, but I don’t need it.

Impossible. Shi Yi was momentarily stunned. For the first time, cracks showed beneath her icy, flawless façade. Drawing a deep breath, she forced composure back into her voice, though it came out stiff:

“Miss An, you really don’t look well.”

“I can manage on my own. But thank you for your concern.”

An Ran’s tone never wavered. Bracing herself against the wall, she kept moving forward. Her slight figure carried a quiet but unyielding stubbornness.

So… a wary prey. That only makes the hunt more interesting, doesn’t it? Shi Yi watched her retreating back, tamping down irritation, convincing herself.

Since becoming a renowned painter, this was the first time she had been treated with such subtle defiance.

She followed leisurely. “Miss An, perhaps you overestimate yourself. Look at your condition—you really worry me.”

An Ran paused. Shi Yi’s heart leapt, thinking she had relented. But then An Ran said softly,

“Yet your insistence on following me… makes me uneasy.”

“What? I make you uneasy? Impossible.” Shi Yi stared at her back, incredulous, as if she had seen a ghost.

“So… please, keep your distance.”

No sooner had An Ran spoken than dizziness overwhelmed her again. Her knees nearly buckled.

“See? With me here, why force yourself?” Shi Yi’s voice quickened with urgency, though her steps remained unhurried, as if enjoying a performance.

She closed in, catching An Ran’s arm and forcing her half against her own shoulder. “Don’t fight it. Lean on me. I don’t mind—in fact, you’re my ideal type.”

Her words recalled her earlier description: a quiet, painting-like woman. Indeed, among all the guests here, only An Ran matched that image.

“Ideal… type?” An Ran’s dazed pupils reflected Shi Yi’s face.

“Yes. So let me help you. Think of it as me trying to please you.” Shi Yi’s frosty face leaned closer, her warm breath brushing An Ran’s ear.

An Ran wanted to struggle, but her body was weak. “Chi… Wan…”

“What? Don’t tell me you’re going to say thank you again.” Those words had already become an aversion. Shi Yi angled her head, trying to catch the whisper.

“Chi…”

The faint syllables were still unclear.

“What?”

She leaned in even closer—close enough to catch the citrus tang of juice lingering in An Ran’s breath.

“Chi… Wan…”

This time it was clear, the murmur carrying both grievance and intimacy.

Chi Wan?

Shi Yi’s smile froze. Her fingers crept up An Ran’s slender neck, forcing her chin upward. “Why… why do you only call out her name?”

“I’m the one helping you! Open your eyes—look closely!”

“Look at me. Look at who I am!”

Each word dripped with spite.

“Shi Yi! What the hell are you doing!”

A sharp voice rang out.

Chi Wan! She had come running up behind them—her mind exploding at the sight of Shi Yi half-embracing An Ran, their faces mere inches apart.

For one terrifying second, she thought they were kissing.

But as she drew closer, she saw Shi Yi’s forceful grip, and An Ran’s frailty. Realization struck—Shi Yi was trying to kiss her against her will!

“You’d take advantage of an Omega’s weakness like this? Aren’t you ashamed?”

Chi Wan dashed forward, tearing An Ran out of Shi Yi’s grasp. Only once she held the small, limp figure in her arms did her heart unclench.

“What nonsense are you spouting? What exactly did I do?” Shi Yi laughed incredulously. Were both of them blind?

“You dare deny it? You didn’t succeed, but you can’t say you didn’t mean it!” Chi Wan glared daggers at her.

“How ridiculous. I’d never stoop to forcing anyone. I only enjoy willing hearts.” Shi Yi pulled out a handkerchief, meticulously wiping her fingers, even between each joint.

“You expect me to believe that?” Chi Wan sneered, not buying a word.

“Don’t look at me like I stole your bride. You’d better get used to it sooner or later.” Shi Yi gave a cold, mocking smile, pivoted on her waist, and sauntered away.

What the hell was that supposed to mean? Chi Wan seethed.

“It means she plans to compete with you for your wife,” her system whispered.

“Hah! As if she could steal her just by wanting to.” Chi Wan poked An Ran’s cheek in frustration. “Hey, remember to send me a heart-throbbing message tonight.”

“Mmm?” Half-asleep, An Ran rubbed her head against Chi Wan’s shoulder.

“A heart-throbbing message. To Chi Wan.” Chi Wan repeated it like a spell, watching her dazed, adorably stubborn expression.

An Ran blinked, then murmured, “To Chi Wan?”

“Yes, to me.”

Chi Wan thought she had finally gotten through—only for An Ran to frown faintly and mutter,

“No! I won’t! Not to her!”

【Hahahaha!】 Her system howled with laughter.

What, you’re happy seeing me eat dirt? Chi Wan huffed, pinching An Ran’s nose. “You stingy little brat! Drink cold water!”

She won’t even send me one little message!

“Honestly, how did you get yourself into this state? Weren’t you fine just before?” Chi Wan muttered, taking in her drowsy look. She couldn’t stay angry.

“You really are trouble… Looks like I’ll have to watch you all the time.” She fussed, checking An Ran’s pulse and eyelids—then stiffened. Something wasn’t right. It felt drug-induced.

What had happened? Was someone targeting An Ran, or had she simply stumbled into it by chance?

As Chi Wan held An Ran close, acting as her human pillow, hurried footsteps approached.

“C-Chi Wan?!”

It was Qu Huan. Chi Wan blinked in surprise, then noticed her guilty, anxious glance at An Ran. In an instant, she understood.

“It was you? You drugged her?” Chi Wan was dumbfounded. The timid, socially anxious Qu Huan doing something like this?

But then she remembered Qu Huan eavesdropping outside Mingyu’s room, sneaking photos… Perhaps she had underestimated her.

“I… it’s not exactly like that!” Qu Huan stammered, panicked. “Yes, I handed her the juice, but only because I bumped into her—I gave it as an apology gift. But I didn’t put anything in it!”

“You’re shaking.”

“Eh?” Qu Huan froze. “Wait—you believe me?”

She had thought she’d need to explain herself endlessly. But Chi Wan not only believed her after a few words—she even showed concern?

“I…” Qu Huan couldn’t hold it in any longer. She burst into sobs, aggrieved yet oddly touched.

“Crying? Can you just answer first?” Chi Wan was at a loss before the flood of tears. “Besides—more footsteps are coming!”

“Eh?!” Qu Huan’s crying cut off in her throat. Hesitating, she admitted, “They… they’re probably here for me.”

“They?” Suspicion flared in Chi Wan’s mind. But she knew this wasn’t the place to linger—especially not in this compromising scene:

An Alpha with a bad reputation, holding an unconscious Omega, while a third girl bawled beside them.

It looked exactly like some scumbag drama.

“I should go. You know I can’t—” Chi Wan faltered. But when their eyes met, Qu Huan seemed to understand.

She nodded quietly. “I get it.”

Chi Wan hadn’t expected her to be so sensible. She was about to leave quickly when Qu Huan suddenly wiped her tears, stepping forward to help hold An Ran.

“You must be tired. Let me help.”

“…This isn’t what I meant!” Chi Wan gawked. Was she… trying to steal her away?

But before she could question it, Qu Huan leaned in and whispered shrewdly:

“No time to waste. There’s a janitor’s closet up ahead. You can hide with An Ran there.”

Chi Wan’s heart was still pounding wildly from the sudden turn of events. At Qu Huan’s words, she froze, startled, and glanced over in surprise.

“So… I should thank you first?”

Once she had dragged An Ran into the corner, Qu Huan quickly pulled the door shut. The cramped space was nothing more than a storage closet for mops and cleaning supplies—barely enough for one person, let alone two.

Chi Wan had no choice but to press tightly against An Ran so they could both fit inside.

But this closeness was torment for both of them. With every line of An Ran’s figure pressed flush against her, there was no escaping the soft, perfect curves beneath the fabric. Chi Wan had always known An Ran had a good figure, but she hadn’t realized it was this good—baby face, killer body!

And An Ran wasn’t even fully conscious. Guided only by instinct, she shifted uncomfortably, rubbing or pushing back whenever she felt crowded.

“Mm! Please, don’t move around,” Chi Wan pleaded. She was only a pseudo-Alpha—if things got out of hand, it would be disastrous. “If it really comes to that, you’ll have to run out and borrow an inhibitor for me.”

She pinched An Ran’s nose in exasperation, only for An Ran to suddenly lift her head and—snap!—bite down on her fingertip. Not hard enough to break the skin, but grinding her teeth against it like she was gnawing on a teether.

“You think this is a chew toy?!” Chi Wan gritted her teeth, slowly pulling out her reddened finger.

Just as she managed to free it, a sharp sting flared across her collarbone.

“Ahh!”

“Hhss—” Chi Wan gasped in pain.

She instinctively wrapped an arm around An Ran’s waist, pinching a certain full curve in retaliation. “Open your mouth!”

An Ran furrowed her brows, but her eyes stayed shut.

“I said open up!” Chi Wan’s hand slid up along her waistline. “Fine, then I’ll tickle you!”

An Ran’s lashes drooped; clearly displeased, she clamped her lips even tighter.

“You—! Don’t you realize you’re biting somewhere really sensitive? Couldn’t you at least pick a different spot? Bite my arm instead, alright?” Helpless, Chi Wan shoved her forearm toward An Ran’s mouth.

But An Ran didn’t budge.

“Look at you, even standing on tiptoe like that. Aren’t you tired?” Chi Wan tried reasoning with someone half-unconscious.