The Stand-In Alpha Goes Viral on a Dating Show - Chapter 47

Chi Wan tilted her head slightly upward, almost brushing against An Ran’s chin, her soft lips grazing lightly over the fair curve of her neck.

With each fleeting touch, An Ran couldn’t stop the trembling that coursed through her.

“You really are sensitive, An Ran,” Chi Wan muttered.

Her teasing voice carried a low rasp, tinged with laughter, brushing past An Ran’s ear like velvet over skin—soft, but unbearably stirring.

Unknowingly, An Ran’s earlobes had flushed a vivid red. How could Chi Wan be like this!

“Why aren’t you saying anything? Is it that you don’t want to tell me… or is it that you have no secrets at all?” Chi Wan’s lips trailed lower, pressing kisses along An Ran’s neck, leaving behind marks like scattered strawberries. Between each kiss, her voice came muffled and coaxing.

“I don’t have any secrets. Mm—stop!” An Ran’s voice pitched suddenly, breaking.

“Liar.” Chi Wan bit down a little harder, the words brushing against her skin like punishment.

Her fingers traced An Ran’s collarbone, pressing and sliding with just enough force to send tingles rippling through her body.

“I’m not lying, I really don’t,” An Ran insisted, shaking her head and clapping a hand over her lips.

“I don’t believe you.” Chi Wan’s face tilted upward, her lips brushing close to An Ran’s ear. Her husky whisper slid into the shell like molten wine: “You must be lying to me.”

“I’m not—really, I’m not!”

But An Ran’s ears went soft under the warmth of that breath, her body betraying her. An Ran simply couldn’t withstand this kind of closeness.

“Maybe I should give you a hint. For example… do you have a little mole somewhere on your body?”

Chi Wan’s palm glided slowly down her back. Yet before the touch could linger, An Ran flinched violently, her body curling up as if the sensation at her ear had been too much.

“You really are sensitive.” Chi Wan froze, then, realizing, let out a low laugh—only to be met with An Ran’s burning, angry glare.

She suddenly felt she had gone too far. For once, she couldn’t look An Ran directly in the eye. Just as she fumbled for something to ease the tension—

“You—shameless!” An Ran’s voice shook with fury, equal parts mortification and fire.

The moment she felt that strange touch at her back, her mind went blank.

And worse, Chi Wan’s fingertips had already brushed the edge of that forbidden seam.

Humiliation swept her in a wave.

“I’m leaving! I don’t want to see you right now!”

An Ran shoved her away with all her strength, storming off toward her quarters.

“Wait—don’t go, that really was an accident!” Chi Wan scrambled after her, wrapping her arms around her from behind, her voice soft and coaxing. “I swear I didn’t mean it. You have to believe me.”

But at those words, An Ran grew even angrier. She spun around in Chi Wan’s arms, their faces suddenly close, and jabbed her finger hard against Chi Wan’s chest. Her tone was frantic, indignant, and unbearably shy all at once:

“Oh, so when I told you to believe me, you didn’t! You just kept pressing me and pressing me. And now you expect me to let it go? Do you even realize how unfair you’re being?”

“I was just too curious, that’s all.”

Chi Wan rested her head on her shoulder, rubbing against her like a spoiled child. That simple act stripped away An Ran’s anger little by little, until her fury was left scattered and powerless.

But to let her off so easily… that felt far too cheap.

Her gaze roved over Chi Wan, leisurely and possessive, like a monarch surveying her domain. At last, her eyes fixed on those lips—equally soft and full.

Her hand rose, cupping Chi Wan’s sharp jaw, gently tipping it upward. “Chi Wan, I want to kiss you.”

Before the words had fully landed, she bent down and pressed her lips to hers. Chi Wan’s eyes flew wide in shock.

An Ran poured every ounce of leftover anger into that kiss—grinding, biting, tugging—until those naturally rosy lips were swollen and red, like an overripe tomato. Only then did she release her.

When they finally broke apart, a silvery thread clung between them. It slid down the corner of Chi Wan’s lips, and An Ran leaned in to lick it away.

“You’re… really skilled at this.”

Chi Wan stared at her in a daze, finally managing those words in a quiet murmur.

Within An Ran’s dominant kiss, another side of her—one hidden deep within her nature—flared to life. Not the image of a delicate white flower Chi Wan had imagined, but something far more dangerous, and far more alluring.

“You mean I looked experienced, don’t you?”

An Ran leaned closer, her warm breath brushing over Chi Wan’s sore, reddened lips, making them sting. “Do you think I’m experienced?”

“I…” Chi Wan started, her gaze clear but tangled in conflict. “I don’t know.”

An Ran suddenly smiled. She kissed the tip of her nose, her expression soft and almost reverent. “I’ve never been in love. You’re the first.”

She left a feather-light kiss before drawing back just enough, her eyes steady and unwavering. “Do you understand now?”

“I understand.” Chi Wan nodded. So what she meant was—her skill wasn’t practice, but instinct.

“Do you believe me?”

Her lips brushed Chi Wan’s ear, feather-soft, electric.

“I believe you,” Chi Wan replied without hesitation, her hand coming up to rest on An Ran’s shoulder. “But… I still want to know. Do you have a mole there?”

An Ran froze. There—wasn’t that exactly where Chi Wan had touched?

The memory rushed back, and heat flooded her face. The humiliation of that accidental squeeze burned anew.

Seeing An Ran retreat back into shy embarrassment, Chi Wan finally breathed easier. She had been smothered under An Ran’s sudden forcefulness, and it was a relief to see her soften again. But still—her pride wouldn’t let her surrender completely.

“Tell me—do you?”

She stepped in closer, slipping one foot between An Ran’s legs.

“How would I know about that?”

An Ran gritted her teeth, her cheeks burning red.

“Then… would you mind if I take a look—” Before the last two words could leave her mouth, her lips were suddenly sealed by another’s.

“Mind. Don’t say it again.” Though she said no, her voice trembled with a pleading edge, as if she truly couldn’t take any more of this teasing.

“…Alright.” Realizing she wouldn’t get anything out of her, Chi Wan finally let it go.

Some secrets, it seemed, could only be uncovered on one’s own.

【Host! Don’t forget—you still have a mission to obtain an identical pair of panties!】

The system’s chipper reminder made Chi Wan’s eyes brighten. Right—there was still that task. When the time came, she’d kill two birds with one stone: complete her mission and uncover An Ran’s little secret.

She didn’t necessarily believe that An Ran’s body held the kind of secret the system required. But until things became clear, she’d have to test, probe, and stumble forward one step at a time.

“Well, well, some people still have time to flirt and make out. Haven’t you made enough money yet?”

Ruan Xiao had just rounded the corner when she caught sight of the two entangled figures. A closer look confirmed it: Chi Wan and An Ran, wrapped together like lovers.

A gold-digger like Chi Wan, doting on An Ran so openly? If Ruan Xiao hadn’t already memorized each guest’s background, she might have thought An Ran was some hidden heiress instead!

She had always thought Chi Wan was only putting on a show with An Ran, never expecting that, in private, the two of them would be this close.

A sourness rose unbidden in Ruan Xiao’s chest, and she couldn’t stop herself from spitting out spiteful words.

“Don’t come crying to the other guests for scraps when you can’t earn a penny and can’t even feed yourselves!”

“That won’t be your concern, Miss Ruan. Just mind your own business.” An Ran’s brows arched prettily as she shot back.

Chi Wan followed right after, wrapping her arm around An Ran’s shoulders with natural intimacy. “Exactly. Even if we lived on love alone, it’d still be our choice—nothing to do with you.”

In that moment, Ruan Xiao felt like nothing more than some unwanted extra, and her fury burned hotter. She stomped her foot, then spun on her heel and left.

Being an influencer, she wasn’t worried about money. With fans on board the yacht, all she had to do was take a few photos to make quick cash.

Xia Meng, an e-sports streamer, was paired with Lu Xin and busy carrying others in games to rank up and earn money. Gu Lin was designing and altering clothes for the cruise guests.

Shi Yi painted portraits for them—her name alone had people lining up, fighting for her work, until her corner was practically overflowing with guests.

Su Yao, Tang Qian, Mo Wei, Mingyu, and Qu Huan pooled their business connections, drafting proposals for entrepreneurs to make money.

Everyone had a way to profit. Only Chi Wan and An Ran seemed utterly carefree, as though the task meant nothing to them.

Then again, it made sense. With Chi Wan’s reputation as the internet’s most hated figure, and An Ran being nothing but a broke student, what money could they possibly earn? They must have already given up.

The thought alone filled Ruan Xiao with secret delight, and she went around telling people Chi Wan and An Ran had quit.

But not long after, someone approached Chi Wan. Miss Mo—tall, elegant, and yet oddly hesitant—stood before her. After a moment’s pause, she pulled a thick stack of cash from her purse, easily tens of thousands.

“Do my makeup. Just fill in my brows. This money is yours.”

Chi Wan couldn’t help but laugh. “Miss Mo, where did you hear about my ‘dire straits’? Is this your way of sneaking me money?”

“So what if it is? You helped me before, after all.”

Mo Wei sat right down in the chair, motioning impatiently for Chi Wan to get on with it.

“Well, if money comes knocking, there’s no reason to turn it away.” Besides, Mo Wei didn’t seem nearly as disagreeable as before.

Chi Wan began shaping her brows, when suddenly Mo Wei murmured in a low voice:

“If you agree to be my contract girlfriend, I can give you more money than you could ever spend in a lifetime.”

Chi Wan froze in surprise. So, Miss Mo still hadn’t given up on the idea of keeping her?

The first time Mo Wei had heard her friends bring it up, she hadn’t thought much of Chi Wan. The second time, when she mentioned it herself, it was just to crush Chi Wan’s sharpness, born out of a conqueror’s impulse. But this third time… there was a trace of sincerity in it.

Mo Wei realized she was more and more intrigued by Chi Wan. And since Chi Wan clearly needed money, wasn’t this the perfect arrangement—mutual benefit, both sides satisfied?

But once again, Chi Wan refused.

“Sorry, Miss Mo. I already have someone in my heart. Please don’t make things difficult for me with such requests.”

Her hands moved faster, and almost at the very same moment her words fell, she had already finished the brows.

“All done. You can go now.”

She plucked up the wad of bills and held it out, palm up—a gesture to see her out.

“Already? That fast?”

Mo Wei, stunned, grabbed a mirror to inspect. She had planned to nitpick some flaw, to stretch out the session. But with Chi Wan’s skill, there wasn’t a single fault to find.

Frustrated, Mo Wei bit her lip. “You really won’t reconsider?”

“She doesn’t need to.”

An Ran’s voice cut in as she walked over. Mo Wei hadn’t even noticed her before—her voice earlier had been so low. But now that she was speaking openly, An Ran heard every word, loud and clear.

“You’re not Chi Wan. You don’t get to decide for her.”

Mo Wei shot her a glare, suddenly certain that it was because of An Ran that Chi Wan’s rejections were so firm.

“She does get to. She’s my girlfriend now—and someone I care about very much.”

Chi Wan laced her fingers tightly with An Ran’s, their hands fitting together seamlessly.

Mo Wei’s eyes darkened as she stared at the interlocked hands, her own fists clenching at her sides.

“Regret doing my makeup? If so, you can take your money back.”

Chi Wan tilted her chin at the cash. After all, she had said from the start—if the client wasn’t satisfied, she wouldn’t charge.

“No need. I’m not that cheap.”

Mo Wei lifted her chin proudly, threw Chi Wan one last glance, and said, “Just don’t be the one regretting.”

She took a few steps, then abruptly turned back. “If you do regret, come find me anytime. But my patience is limited—miss your chance, and it’s gone.”

With that, she strode away on clicking heels.

“You really are popular, aren’t you?” An Ran tightened her grip on their joined hands, her gaze deepening. Why did so many people have to try and steal her away?

“Maybe it’s just my charm.” Chi Wan smirked. “Though… could you ease up a little? You’re hurting me.”

At that, An Ran loosened her hold, but her chest still felt unsettled.

“Don’t let them lure you away,” she murmured, tugging lightly at Chi Wan’s collar, her eyes flashing with warning.

Otherwise… I don’t know what I’d do.

Her possessiveness for Chi Wan had already seeped into her very bones—impossible to erase.

“And you too. Don’t let Shi Yi or the others get to you. Don’t even look at them.”

Chi Wan wasn’t at ease about rivals either—especially Shi Yi, who had once even tried to steal a kiss.

“As long as you don’t look, I won’t look.”

An Ran whispered softly at her ear, lashes lowered to veil the fierce possessiveness burning in her eyes. As long as you don’t betray me, I’ll never betray you.