The Stand-In Alpha Goes Viral on a Dating Show - Chapter 62

Chi Wan hadn’t even reacted yet when An Ran tugged at her other arm, just enough to make the woman’s movement miss its mark.

“Another one of your exes?”

The sour whisper in her ear made Chi Wan jolt. “No! I’m certain I don’t know her!”

But An Ran’s expression was full of suspicion. She shot her a look and asked, “Then why isn’t she clinging to anyone else?”

“How would I know?” Chi Wan’s head was pounding.

“Hey, don’t go mistaking people. I have a girlfriend.” Chi Wan wrapped an arm firmly around An Ran’s waist, eyes fixed straight on the woman.

Instead of looking embarrassed, the woman smiled. “Is that so? I thought you were single.”

“See? You don’t know me at all. Then why did you say something so strange?” Chi Wan took a step back.

“It was just a joke, no need to treat me like the enemy.” She shrugged carelessly.

An Ran didn’t believe it. “You mean to say you didn’t have even the slightest intention?”

The woman stuck out her tongue. Truth was, she regretted those words the moment they left her lips—because she suddenly remembered this was a dating variety show. How could such a beautiful girl possibly be unattached?

“I’m the companion assigned to guide you two around today,” the woman introduced herself lightly. “Feel free to browse for now.”

Together, Chi Wan and An Ran walked past many shops.

“Come, take a look! Lucky charms that bring blessings—especially for romance! May you and your beloved be together forever!”

“Fresh roast chicken! Cheap and delicious! Free samples—if you don’t like it, you don’t pay!”

Chi Wan stopped in front of a silver jewelry store and spotted a pair of carved bracelets.

“These require completing a challenge to win,” the woman explained, pointing at the signboard. “This shop only sells paired silver pieces to true lovers.”

“So the challenge must be about love then?”

Chi Wan quickly pieced it together. Her eyes fell on the challenge area where a beautifully carved folding screen stood. Its frame was decorated with auspicious patterns, and in the center was a large rectangular cutout veiled with pink gauze.

The first challenge was Identify by the Waist: the Omega would stand behind the screen, revealing only their waist, while the Alpha had to guess which slender waist belonged to their lover.

An Ran shot Chi Wan a glance, then walked behind the screen. With so many contestants lined up, Chi Wan wasn’t confident at all.

Just then, Su Yao appeared at her side, her tone loaded with implication. “What’s wrong? No confidence? Didn’t you two just sleep together not long ago?”

Chi Wan cut her a cold glance, thinking: And what business is that of yours?

That look made Su Yao’s chest tighten with frustration. She couldn’t help but sneer, “Can’t even recognize someone you’ve been in bed with recently? What does that say? That it was nothing but a fling?”

Chi Wan didn’t answer. She simply moved aside, but her disdain was written all over her face.

Su Yao bit down hard, then joined the others behind the screen. At that moment, the cutout was covered by cardboard so the waiting Alphas wouldn’t know where their lovers stood.

To make things more entertaining, the shop had set up lighting and music. When the challenge began, the Omegas were required to sway lightly in time with the music.

Finally, when the numbers were enough, the music blared, the cardboard was pulled away, and under dazzling lights, the sway of delicate waists appeared through the pink veil.

The scene was enough to make the audience’s eyes burn. For fairness, each batch of contestants had roughly the same build.

Chi Wan was truly stumped. Without the gauze, she might have recognized An Ran’s pale skin—but with that half-concealing veil, the difficulty was much greater. At this point, she had no choice but to “follow her instincts.”

Still, there were clues. Shy, bashful An Ran would never twist too dramatically. A waist writhing like a water snake? Definitely not hers.

The shopkeeper quickly noticed couples trying to send signals and shouted through a loudspeaker: “No excessive movements!”

Chi Wan squinted, watching until her vision nearly blurred. Closing her eyes, all she could see were swaying waists. With time about to run out, she finally marked down the number that felt most like An Ran’s.

“Alright, time’s up! Let’s reveal the answer!”

The shopkeeper pulled open the screen, revealing a line of beauties behind it.

Su Yao had deliberately stood right beside An Ran. When Chi Wan looked over, she even lifted her chin in provocation.

No wonder… Chi Wan thought. That’s why I hesitated for so long between their two numbers.

Fortunately, she had chosen correctly in the end!

The second challenge was Omega Picks the Alpha. The Alphas were cloaked from head to toe, standing with their backs to the stage. Every thirty seconds, the lights would go out for ten seconds, during which their positions secretly

shifted.

The difficulty was immense.

Even if one managed to identify their partner, the next blackout would force them to confirm all over again.

Chi Wan’s cloak had sheer fabric below the knees, leaving her calves and ankles faintly visible. It was practically another round of Identify by the Legs.

Perhaps she and An Ran truly shared a bond—because even with her back turned, Chi Wan caught sight of An Ran in the glass door’s reflection. She had been watching her intently, clearly making her final confirmation.

As expected, they cleared the second round as well.

The final challenge placed them in an arena, where only by correctly answering questions about their relationship could the couple move forward.

To enhance the experience, the shop even spun a legend for this place: it was said that long ago, a celestial maiden descended to the mortal world and fell in love with a scholar. Yet fate dictated that mortals and immortals could never truly be together. When the scholar’s life eventually came to its natural end, the celestial maiden refused to return to the heavens. Instead, she chose to remain in the human world, waiting endlessly for his reincarnation.

In the course of that eternal waiting, the celestial maiden transformed into a sacred “Tree of Fate,” blessing all lovers destined to meet beneath its branches.

The moment Chi Wan heard the tale, she instantly knew the final destination must be the Tree of Fate.

To make the story more convincing, the shop had even invited an elderly woman dressed in ancient robes to narrate it aloud, as if to lend the legend a sense of authenticity.

Since only Chi Wan and An Ran had passed the first two stages, the old woman’s gaze fixed directly on them as she spoke.

Chi Wan couldn’t shake the feeling that the woman’s eyes were like a thin veil draped over her, probing her in a way that made her deeply uncomfortable.

Paired with the story of a love doomed by the divide between the mortal and the immortal, Chi Wan couldn’t help but wonder—had this woman somehow seen through her?

She wasn’t a celestial being, true, but she was not entirely of this world either.

On the other side, An Ran felt it too. Not that the woman’s gaze seemed tangible, but rather that her voice seemed to pierce straight into the heart, stirring up the deepest insecurities.

An Ran lowered her eyes. She had avoided facing this thought for a long time, but now the fear within her rose wave after wave.

She had long suspected that the Chi Wan standing before her was no longer the same Chi Wan she knew in her past life. Personality-wise, the difference was stark—as if they were two completely different people.

So… was this Chi Wan truly still Chi Wan?

At first, An Ran thought it might be the butterfly effect of her own rebirth, or perhaps Chi Wan, too, had been reborn.

But after spending time closely with her, her intuition told her otherwise. It wasn’t rebirth—it was as if someone else, someone who knew everything about the original Chi Wan, had stepped into her place.

If that was the case… then the Chi Wan she once knew—would she ever return?

And how long could this current Chi Wan remain by her side?

If one day she was to vanish completely… where in the world could An Ran possibly find her again?

That thought hit her hard, and An Ran suddenly realized how little she truly knew about Chi Wan—so little it terrified her.

Yet when the quiz board appeared before them, the questions were all so ordinary—“What’s her favorite food?” “What color does she like best?”

With each perfect answer, the two of them drew closer and closer, until finally, the Tree of Fate came into full view.

It was a breathtaking sight—a great tree, its trunk draped with countless red ribbons of prayer.

And then, Chi Wan appeared within her line of sight.

An Ran had never felt such urgency. She all but flew into Chi Wan’s arms, the force of her embrace making Chi Wan stagger back several steps before managing to steady herself.

The shop clearly thought the scene of an Omega running into the arms of her Alpha was beautiful, because at that moment, an elegant, fitting piece of background music began to play.

“Congratulations, you are the first couple to complete the challenge! As a blessing to your love, our shop presents you with a pair of silver bracelets.”

“You may place them on each other’s wrists beneath the witness of the Tree of Fate.”

Under the tree, Chi Wan opened the jewelry box, gently took An Ran’s wrist, and slid the silver bracelet onto her with reverence.

Her posture was solemn, her gaze unwavering. The sight was so moving that many viewers online were brought to tears.

— WanAn CP is definitely real!

— They truly love each other! Wishing them forever together!

— Where’s the Civil Affairs Bureau? Just let them get married on the spot!

When it was An Ran’s turn to place the bracelet on Chi Wan, her fingers trembled so badly that she laughed nervously at herself, as though embarrassed by her own reaction.

“What’s wrong with me? It’s not even a ring, why am I this nervous?”

An ran’s voice quivered as she added, “But it feels like… like once I put this on you, you’ll be bound to me forever.”

She lifted her gaze, teary and desperate. “Chi Wan, you won’t suddenly run away one day… will you?”

At that, An Ran’s voice broke, and she began to sob uncontrollably.

The sight of her tears jolted Chi Wan, who rushed to comfort her, suddenly flustered. “Hey, hey… what’s wrong, darling?”

“I’m just scared you’ll leave… or disappear altogether,” An Ran whispered through her tears. Her fragile insecurity made Chi Wan’s heart ache with tenderness.

Lowering her head, Chi Wan pressed her lips softly against An Ran’s trembling eyelids, kissing away the tears.

“Don’t be silly. How could I ever leave you? Even if I did run away one day, I’d drag you along with me.”

Her voice was gentle, coaxing, full of quiet devotion.

“You promise? You won’t lie to me?” An Ran asked, her nose red, gazing up at her.

“I promise. I’d never lie to you.”

Chi Wan’s lips brushed her forehead in another kiss—this one full of reverence, as if she was sealing her words with the weight of her heart.

“Alright then… I’ll believe you. For now.”

— Their love is so beautiful I’m crying!

— An Ran looks even prettier after crying!

— Chi Wan dotes on her so much. I want a girlfriend like that too!

After completing the challenge, their photo—wearing the bracelets beneath the Tree of Fate—was added to the shop’s “Couples’ Wall.”

Chi Wan had thought An Ran might dislike their picture being displayed publicly, but to her surprise, An Ran seemed delighted.

Holding hands tightly, An Ran wished only to stay with Chi Wan forever. The entire way back, she refused to let go, their fingers interlaced.

“Chi Wan, you…”

More than once, she tried to voice the question in her heart—Who are you, really? But each time, fear of the answer kept her silent.