The Stand-In Alpha Goes Viral on a Dating Show - Chapter 43

The music changed to a new rhythm, and Meng Lan left without hesitation.

She had already said everything she needed to say. There was no reason for her to linger any longer.

Perhaps even she couldn’t explain why she had deliberately dressed so similarly to An Ran. But once she turned around, her brows furrowed faintly, her eyes darkened. Just as she was about to take her first step, her wrist was caught in a grip that allowed no refusal.

“For Mingyu… is it worth it?”

Chi Wan’s slightly husky voice sounded from behind her.

“It’s worth it. Even though she’s changed so much from when I first met her, I still know—she’s worth it.”

Meng Lan tried to pull her hand free, but Chi Wan released her first. The warmth left her skin, and to her own surprise, Meng Lan felt a faint, indescribable sense of loss. She wanted so badly to turn her head, to take one more look at Chi

Wan—but reason crushed back the surge of feeling, sending a single message: Leave.

In the struggle between reason and emotion, she stood frozen for nearly a full minute before she finally forced herself to take another step forward.

Chi Wan, however, immediately began searching for An Ran after letting go.

But the dance floor was crowded. The throng was too dense to push through. She was forced into the arms of several different partners in succession. Because of how completely she had covered herself up, each person who danced with her wore a faint look of distaste.

They probably assumed she was hideous.

Chi Wan felt helpless but kept searching for An Ran. Before she could find her, the partner-exchange dance ended, and the next segment of the masquerade was announced—three full minutes of lights out, during which everyone was allowed to kiss anyone they wished.

“There are thirty seconds until lights out! Hurry and find your partner!”

The host’s excited voice rang out. The crowd grew restless, and Chi Wan’s heart skipped nervously. But then she remembered her heavy disguise. Even her own mother wouldn’t recognize her like this. That thought calmed her a little.

Unless, of course, she ran into some shameless pervert with peculiar tastes—otherwise, she should be safe.

But then An Ran crossed her mind, and her chest tightened again.

No—she had to find An Ran.

Yet no matter how hard she tried to move forward, the crush of bodies pressing toward their chosen partners made her feel as though she was treading in place.

“Time’s running out! Ten! Nine! Eight—!”

The final countdown had begun.

When the host shouted “One!”, the entire hall was plunged into darkness. It was so black one couldn’t even see their own hand. Gasps and shrieks echoed through the room.

Almost immediately, the air filled with the wet sounds of kissing. People around her gave themselves over to the thrill of it.

“Dad?”

Mingyu reached out for the familiar figure beside her—but instead of touching her father’s shoulder, her fingers brushed against silky fabric. A shiver ran down her spine. She and her father had stayed close to one another all night, even during the partner exchanges. Her unease—the sense that her long-buried parentage had been exposed tonight—had kept her glued to his side.

Only near him did her nerves settle.

But what she touched was unmistakably feminine. And when she listened closely, she heard her father’s uneven breathing—along with the sloppy sounds of mouths pressed together.

Her father… was kissing a strange woman?

So wantonly?

How could he betray her mother like this?

Disbelief choked her. Not even the excuse of a frivolous social game could soften the blow.

The shock was so great she began clinging to a desperate thought: maybe the man beside her wasn’t her father after all. Maybe it was a stranger.

So she stood rigid, trembling, her eyes straining toward the sound, waiting for the lights to return.

“Thirty seconds left before the lights come back on! If you’re lost in the moment, hurry up and wrap it up!”

The host’s amused voice rang out—then caught in a startled gasp:

“Eh?! You’re trying to kiss me? Sorry, time’s almost up, I’ll have to refuse—no, wait—mmph!”

The host himself was ambushed in the final thirty seconds, kissed against his will. The shocking twist only stoked the guests’ enthusiasm further. Instead of winding down, the frenzy intensified.

The three-minute kiss session stretched to ten.

In the dark, people swapped partners freely—if a kiss was unsatisfying, if chemistry didn’t spark, they simply moved on to someone else.

Mingyu clearly heard another woman join her father, the two of them kissing passionately.

Time seemed to crawl. By the time the lights finally blazed back on, Mingyu’s eyes were bloodshot.

President Ming hadn’t felt this liberated in ages. The ten-minute kiss had siphoned off half his pent-up stress. He even considered dragging the woman before him upstairs to bed immediately.

But with his daughter nearby, he restrained himself. As the lights came up, he instinctively glanced toward Mingyu.

Her dazed, shaken eyes only pleased him more. He had deliberately indulged himself in her presence to reveal another side of himself.

Once, he had feared that as a legitimate heir of the Ming family, Mingyu would naturally stand against him. But since she now stood at his side, he no longer felt the need to conceal who he truly was.

Mingyu’s eyes darted anxiously. She wanted to run, but her feet felt nailed to the ground. She waited, hoping her father would offer an explanation.

Instead, he only gave her a casual glance. And when he saw her shattered expression, he smiled in satisfaction.

That smile made Mingyu’s heart plummet.

He did it on purpose.

The truth hit her like a cruel slap.

Her father’s kiss-swollen lips felt like countless palms striking across her face.

Meanwhile, in the darkness, Chi Wan had shrunk against a corner wall. She had no desire to take part in such madness. But her avoidance only brought worse chaos her way.

“Ladies and gentlemen! Remember the identity cards you drew when you entered? It’s time to use them! Those who drew the fork are ‘masters.’ Those who drew the food are ‘servants’!”

The host reappeared, lips swollen from his ordeal, and the crowd erupted in laughter.

He waved it off with a grin. “What can I say? Too handsome for my own good. I couldn’t fend off the attention. One guest even slipped a hotel keycard into my pocket. Should I take her up on the offer tonight, what do you think?”

“Go for it!”

“Only an idiot would refuse!”

“Is she pretty?!”

The crowd roared.

“Alright then, majority rules,” the host said, kissing the keycard theatrically before tucking it away. “But don’t be jealous—many of you will have the same chance tonight! Especially if you drew a ‘master’ card. Masters can order their servants to do anything. Unless it’s truly unacceptable, servants can’t refuse.”

Gasps and shrieks of excitement rippled through the guests.

“Gold masters get three servants, silver get two, bronze just one. If multiple masters want the same servant, the higher rank takes priority. But if the rank is the same, then power reverses—the servant gets to choose their master, and can even issue orders in return. Got it? Then let the games begin!”

The host tossed away his mic, flashing his own card—a golden fork.

“Rigged!” someone shouted, but the protest was quickly drowned out by the clamor of masters scrambling to claim servants.

Chi Wan stood dumbfounded. This was nothing but a twisted game of roleplay.

Damn it—I still need to find An Ran!

She remembered clearly: An Ran had drawn a food card. She was a servant.

Chi Wan searched desperately until she spotted her—only to find that An Ran was already being targeted by two people. One was Shi Yi. The other, a stranger.

“Hey! That’s unfair! I saw her first!” the man shouted. He hadn’t been particularly interested at first, but once challenged, he refused to back down.

“Then show your card. I’m bronze. You?”

Shi Yi stepped slightly in front of An Ran, though her eyes kept flicking toward her. That ambiguous kiss in the refreshment room still weighed on her mind. Had she really kissed the wrong person? Or had An Ran simply been pretending? She needed to find out.

The man sneered, brandishing his card. “Silver. Higher than yours. So get lost.”

Shi Yi studied An Ran’s blank expression, frustration tightening her chest. She had no desire to fight further and turned to leave—just as Chi Wan arrived.

“Pretty one, come with me. As your master, I’ll take good care of you,” the man said, licking his lips as he reached for An Ran’s hand.

“Wait—she’s mine too!”

A breathless female voice rang out. The man scowled, ready to mock whoever dared challenge him—until he heard the continuation:

“And I’m silver as well. That makes us even. If you won’t give her up, then the rules say the power reverses. The servant chooses.”

Chi Wan had sprinted over, panting, but her voice was clear and steady.

The man bristled with unwillingness—until the phrase power reverses sank in. No matter the rank, reversal nullified a master’s privileges. He still had two servants to claim elsewhere. Why risk losing everything over one woman?

Yet walking away would bruise his pride. What if this newcomer was bluffing?

He hesitated. Chi Wan’s gaze was unwavering.

“Tch. Fine! Have it your way.” He turned sharply and stalked off.

“An Ran, are you alright? I’ve been looking for you everywhere.” Chi Wan was drenched in sweat beneath her stifling disguise.

An Ran didn’t answer, just smiled softly. That alone said everything.

“Let’s get out of here. This place is chaos—it gives me the creeps.”

Chi Wan grabbed her hand, ready to leave—only for Shi Yi to step in their path.

“I want a word with her. Alone.”

“No.” Chi Wan refused flatly, pulling An Ran protectively behind her.

Faced with Shi Yi’s stunned expression, Chi Wan gave a cold laugh. Persistent as a ghost. If she’s the rival, I can’t afford mercy.

Her brows arched, sharp with challenge.

“You want to speak to her? Shouldn’t you first ask permission from her master—me?”