The Stand-In Alpha Goes Viral on a Dating Show - Chapter 46

Chi Wan and An Ran exchanged a look. This was the first time either of them had ever heard such an outrageous request.

“Can you?” the girl pressed on, hands clasped together, tongue poking out playfully. “Pleaseee! Name your price—hourly, by the minute, anything works!”

“But I can’t,” Chi Wan pointed at An Ran, her tone firm. “Because I already like someone. She’s the one—I’m pursuing her.”

The girl let out a soft “wah,” embarrassed, but when she thought about the situation she was about to face, she couldn’t help but persist. “I’m sorry, I know it’s a sudden ask, but I really need an Alpha to pretend to be my girlfriend.

Otherwise, I’m going to be humiliated later.”

“You can always ask someone else. I’m sure someone would agree.”

Chi Wan flicked her gaze toward the constant stream of people passing across the deck—her meaning clear. Out of so many, surely one would say yes.

“I know there are people who would, but…” the girl smiled shyly, “…I just feel like you’re more my type.”

Still unwilling to give up, she turned to An Ran. “Can I borrow your admirer for just a few hours? Just a few! I promise I’ll return her to you intact, and I swear it’s only for show—I won’t catch feelings. Please?”

Perhaps it was An Ran’s delicate, soft appearance that made the girl assume she was easier to persuade.

Chi Wan’s eyes also shifted toward An Ran, quietly waiting for her answer.

“No.” An Ran didn’t even hesitate. “I can’t lend her to you. Find someone else.”

“Really? What a pity…” The girl drooped her head, looking deflated. Then, remembering Chi Wan had mentioned earning money with makeup skills, she pulled out a mirror, studied her face, and perked up. “If you can’t be my pretend girlfriend, then at least do my makeup, okay?”

“That I can do.” Chi Wan was baffled by how quickly the girl had changed her tune, but since she was dropping the earlier request, it was a good thing. She motioned for her to sit. “What kind of look do you want?”

“Something that says I’m not easy to mess with. Beautiful, but with bite.”

The girl answered without hesitation, as if she’d already planned it. Propping her chin in her hand, she added with a grin, “That’s why I wanted you as my pretend girlfriend, you know. You’re gorgeous, sis.”

“Thanks.” Chi Wan’s reply was flat as her hands moved with steady precision.

But the girl wasn’t done. As she sat there, she chattered on. “Sis, you must be desperate for money, huh? Just waiting for clients to come to you won’t earn much. You should really think about my offer again. Don’t be fooled by how flighty I act—I’m actually a bona fide rich girl.”

Her eyes crinkled with mischief. “If I win this competition, I’ll be super rich. But ugh, why are there so many competitors?”

Then her tone sank into frustration. “I heard there’s news about a long-lost child from the main branch. If that person shows up… my dream of being filthy rich will go up in smoke.”

Chi Wan’s brush stilled for a beat. “Close your eyes—and no talking for now, alright?”

“…Fine.” The girl pouted, lips pressed tight, sulking into silence.

But ten minutes later, her mouth was moving again. “Sis, the foundation’s done, right? I can talk now, can’t I?”

Chi Wan sighed. “You can, but aren’t you tired?”

“I’m under so much pressure, let me vent a little. Worst case, I’ll pay you double.”

She didn’t even blink when offering twice the price. Maybe she really was rich.

Chi Wan and An Ran exchanged a helpless look, forced to listen to the girl’s story.

It was the usual: she had a sworn rival, someone who competed with her in everything since childhood. Both of them, as members of a branch family, had their eyes on the position of family head.

This rival had boarded the ship earlier to discuss business with the Ming family—and, of course, brought her partner along. Rumor had it they were very much in love.

That rival had mocked her too, sneering that with her temperament, no one would ever want her, that she’d die old and alone.

Unable to swallow the insult, the girl decided she had to find herself a girlfriend to flaunt—one beautiful, commanding, and radiant enough to slap her rival in the face. That’s when she’d spotted Chi Wan.

“It’s just too bad you turned me down. Think again, please, sis? I’m begging you.”

Her wide, watery eyes pleaded with them.

But Chi Wan remained unmoved, even exasperated at the girl’s lack of awareness. “I told you. I already have someone I like.”

“But you’re not even really together yet. I only want you to pretend. It’s not like I’m asking you to actually fall in love.”

To her, the request seemed perfectly reasonable. To Chi Wan, her logic was incomprehensible. The atmosphere grew tense.

“Who says we’re not together?”

An Ran’s voice cut through the silence, shattering the stalemate. She, too, was irritated by the girl’s pushiness—always following her own whims, never caring about how others felt. It was shameless. Though admittedly, she had a knack for acting cute, enough to make her less hateful than she ought to be.

“Ah?” The girl froze. “You two are really together?”

“Yes. Thanks to you, we are—just now.” An Ran’s lips curved faintly, the smile cool and edged.

The girl blinked, stunned, before finally bowing her head like someone conceding defeat. She said nothing more.

Chi Wan, however, felt a rush of joy beneath her surprise. Did this mean… An Ran had accepted her?

It was so sudden, it felt like a dream.

But that joy cooled quickly when she caught the lack of warmth in An Ran’s eyes. That “confession” had been nothing more than a convenient excuse to shut the girl down.

Reality settled in, leaving Chi Wan a little disappointed—but she understood. The pushy stranger had forced the situation too far.

Once the makeup was finished, Chi Wan collected double payment, thinking she could finally take a breather. But almost immediately, another woman showed up.

“You did her makeup? Not bad.”

This newcomer exuded a strong, elegant air, the very picture of a domineering older woman. Yet her eyes appraised Chi Wan like merchandise.

She sat down uninvited. “Do mine. Better than hers. Price is no object.”

When Chi Wan didn’t immediately move, her brows knitted. “What? Didn’t you hear me?”

“I said price is no issue. Why are you still standing there?”

Chi Wan chuckled, snapping her makeup case shut. “True, price isn’t a problem—but I don’t want your business. That’s all.”

“What? That’s absurd! You did hers, didn’t you?”

She shot to her feet, jabbing a finger toward Chi Wan’s face, ready to curse her out.

But before she could, Chi Wan pressed down firmly on her shoulders. “I’ll choose who I work on. That a problem?”

The woman’s eyes blazed. “Who do you think you are?”

Chi Wan released her, and only then was she able to stand again.

“You dare look down on me?” she snarled. “Do you know who I am? With my status, I could crush you in an instant!”

Seeing Chi Wan remain unresponsive, the woman raised her hand, ready to slap her. But Chi Wan intercepted it with ease, her tone calm and faintly mocking:

“Miss, lashing out at people the moment you’re displeased—don’t you think that’s a rather poor habit?”

“You just wait! Aren’t you nothing more than some makeup artist on a yacht? Let’s see how I ruin your business!”

After throwing out her threat, the woman stormed off, the sharp clack of her heels echoing with every step.

“So this is the so-called ‘archnemesis’ she mentioned?”

Once the woman’s figure had completely vanished from sight, Chi Wan curled her lip and muttered to An Ran in disdain.

“If I didn’t already have someone in my heart, just for the way she carried herself just now, I might have agreed to pretend to be her girlfriend.”

The thought of that woman’s arrogance still made Chi Wan’s chest feel tight with irritation.

But An Ran was reminded of something else—the sweet-looking girl earlier had mentioned that her rival was here for a business negotiation.

If she remembered correctly, that rival’s business partner was…

An Ran’s gaze instantly cooled, her expression sharpening as a plan took shape. She pulled out her phone, tapped quickly, and within seconds a short message was sent.

“Chi Wan, don’t let it get to you.”

An Ran poked Chi Wan lightly on the shoulder, her eyes carrying a mischievous glint: Watch me get even for you.

【Ding! Main Quest: “Uncover An Ran’s Hidden Secret.” Mission success will grant +30% progress toward returning to the original world.】

Thirty percent?!

That much?

Chi Wan was stunned. The flutter in her chest from An Ran’s touch vanished instantly, replaced by the jolt of the system’s message.

Up until now, every main quest had only ever boosted her progress by a few percent—five at most.

But now it had multiplied several times over!

Just what kind of secret was An Ran hiding?

“Chi Wan? Why aren’t you saying anything? Are you still upset?”

An Ran shifted in front of her, carefully studying her expression. When she saw Chi Wan’s pupils shrink, as though jolted by some invisible force, her worry only deepened.

Yes, that woman’s attitude had been outrageous and insulting—but An Ran knew Chi Wan wasn’t so fragile as to be shaken by words alone.

Yet when Chi Wan caught the full weight of An Ran’s concerned gaze, her heart softened. She leaned into An Ran’s embrace, feigning sorrow.

“An Ran, the way she spoke… it was just so infuriating.”

Her fluffy head rubbed against An Ran’s neck. Unable to help herself, An Ran reached out and stroked her hair.

“Don’t be angry. She won’t be riding high for long.”

“How can you be so sure?” Chi Wan asked, curiosity piqued. An Ran’s tone carried such certainty—combined with the system’s quest—that Chi Wan couldn’t shake the feeling that something about her had changed.

“I…” An Ran hesitated, unable to reveal the truth. She hastily offered an excuse instead. “Just a guess. Call it intuition. Do you trust my instincts?”

“I do.” Chi Wan’s reply was soft. She nuzzled closer, voice trembling just so: “But I still feel awful. Can’t you comfort me?”

“Should I sing you a song?” An Ran suggested cautiously after a pause.

“No…” Though Chi Wan truly longed to hear her sing, right now there was something else she wanted more. “When I’m upset, I like hearing other people’s little secrets. An Ran, do you have any?”

The hand stroking her hair froze. A flicker rippled through An Ran’s eyes. Why would Chi Wan suddenly ask that? Did she discover something?

Her uncharacteristic silence only tightened the knot in Chi Wan’s chest. So she really does have secrets after all…

“I do,” An Ran admitted at last, her voice low.

“Then… will you tell me?”

Chi Wan tilted her head up, breath brushing against the curve of An Ran’s neck. From this angle, she spotted a tiny, unobtrusive mole just beneath her jawline. A sudden thought struck her.

Would something like that count as a secret? Probably not—given the size of the reward, it has to be something bigger. Still… I want to know.

“What kind of secret?” An Ran’s fingers resumed their gentle motion through her hair, even as she told herself to stay calm. Maybe Chi Wan is only teasing. Don’t let yourself slip.

“For example… something about your body.”

“Your body.”

Her lips parted, voice husky, her warm breath feathering over An Ran’s jaw, laced with a hint of intoxicating allure.

“You…” An Ran’s cheeks burned crimson before she even realized it. She cursed herself inwardly—how could she ever have thought Chi Wan suspected the truth? Clearly, the girl was just… being far too bold.

“Hush, don’t scold me.”

Soft lips pressed against hers, gentle but unyielding. Chi Wan whispered, “I just couldn’t help myself.”

“So, Sister An Ran… will you satisfy my curiosity?”

“Tell me… the secret about your body.”