The Stand-In Alpha Goes Viral on a Dating Show - Chapter 63

Chi Wan noticed the subtle change in An Ran’s expression, but some inexplicable instinct urged her not to pry.

Almost without thinking, she tightened her grip on An Ran’s hand, as if only by holding on could she feel at ease.

“Congratulations.” The hostess approached with a warm smile. Her gaze lingered briefly on their clasped hands, then on the delicate silver bracelet around An Ran’s wrist. “The bracelet is beautiful. But more enviable is the bond between you two. I wish you both a long and lasting happiness.”

“Thank you.” A blush spread across An Ran’s cheeks—she looked shy.

Chi Wan found herself staring at her profile, and in that moment, An Ran looked so much like a young bride on her wedding day.

Just as the thought crossed her mind, An Ran shot her a bashful glance, her long lashes casting a faint shadow as her eyes softened with affection. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Her voice was soft and sweet, like she had melted a spoonful of sugar in her throat.

“Because you’re beautiful,” Chi Wan replied, her throat tightening as she swallowed, sounding embarrassingly earnest.

“You’re not allowed to stare anymore.” An Ran pouted, pretending to glare.

“But I want to.” Chi Wan bent closer, leaned in toward her face, and even gave a mischievous blink.

Their playful back-and-forth was so childish that the hostess standing nearby couldn’t help but chuckle.

Before long, they stopped outside a massage shop. A sign offered a free ten-minute trial—if satisfied, guests could pay to continue; if not, they could leave immediately.

“Would you like to try?” the hostess asked Chi Wan. Before she could answer, a pretty masseuse stepped forward eagerly.

“Come on, just give it a try. All our therapists are Betas, so there won’t be any… complications.” Her voice was deliberately soft and coquettish, making Chi Wan frown on instinct. She was about to refuse when another masseuse chimed in:

“After the massage, you’ll feel completely relaxed. And even if you continue, our rates are very affordable. Why not give it a chance?”

That’s it! Chi Wan seized on an excuse. “Actually, we didn’t bring any money with us, so—”

“Oh! You two are guests from the dating show, right?” The coquettish masseuse’s eyes lit up. “That’s no problem at all. If you complete the challenge, it’s free.”

“Challenge?” Chi Wan looked around the shop, surprised to learn there was one.

“Mm-hm. The challenge is to stay awake with your eyes open for the full thirty-minute massage. If you succeed, you’ll even win a prize.”

Though she slowed her words for emphasis, her voice still carried that syrupy, artificial sweetness.

“What kind of massage is it?” the hostess asked.

“Just a half-body massage. Guests can change into our special outfits.”

The masseuse looked at Chi Wan expectantly. “And the prizes are really, really good.”

Her expression screamed ‘I’m telling the truth—I’d never lie!’ Chi Wan, reluctant to outright refuse, eventually gave in.

She and An Ran went into the changing room, stripped down to their underwear, and put on the shop’s loose uniforms before lying down on the massage chairs.

“Are you ready? I’ll begin now.”

The coquettish masseuse attended to Chi Wan. With freshly washed hands, she applied lotion, starting from the back of Chi Wan’s neck and working down to her shoulders and spine.

But something felt… off. Chi Wan could swear the masseuse’s fingertips lingered a fraction too long near the spot of her glands.

The uniform was backless, with a protective patch covering the gland area, so there was no way she had been touched directly. Yet, Chi Wan still felt unsettled.

The more she focused on the pressure of the massage, the more it seemed less like therapy and more like… flirting.

Her short nails sometimes grazed over Chi Wan’s shoulder blades, leaving a faint, ticklish sensation. Other times, her fingertips drew subtle circles over pale skin. The movements were discreet—ambiguous. At first, Chi Wan wasn’t sure if she was imagining things.

But then she thought of An Ran being treated the same way, and her chest tightened. She turned to check—An Ran was reclining peacefully under the hands of another masseuse, body loose and relaxed, showing no sign of discomfort.

Am I overthinking this?

Chi Wan wavered, until the coquettish masseuse suddenly leaned down during a pause and blew a breath against her ear.

That unmistakable wisp of air—this definitely wasn’t part of any professional massage!

Chi Wan clenched her fists, finally unable to ignore it. She gave a quiet but firm warning: “You just blew into my ear. Should I bring this up with your boss?”

The woman froze. In her panic, her hands pressed harder than intended, making Chi Wan wince in pain.

“What’s wrong?” An Ran turned her head at once, concerned.

If the masseuse had stopped there, Chi Wan would have let it go. So she forced a smile and said, “It’s nothing.”

But her attempt to downplay it seemed to embolden the masseuse, as though Chi Wan’s silence was a secret signal. Soon she leaned in again, murmuring coquettishly by her ear:

“Just now… you were protecting me, weren’t you?”

Chi Wan’s brows furrowed in disgust. She opened her mouth to deny it, but the masseuse pressed on:

“So you do feel something for me. I thought you were completely indifferent.”

Her soft fingertips roamed deliberately down Chi Wan’s back. “The moment I saw you, my heart skipped a beat. You can feel it too, can’t you? Here, let me show you…”

Suddenly, Chi Wan felt her hand being caught, guided upward—toward the masseuse’s chest.

Alarm shot through her. She yanked her hand free, bolting upright with fury in her eyes. “What do you think you’re doing?!”

Her outburst immediately drew the attention of everyone in the shop.

“Miss, what’s wrong? Why are you being so harsh? Did I do something wrong?”

The masseuse’s voice cracked as she burst into tears, looking even more delicate.

The other customers stared, their expressions skeptical. To them, Chi Wan must have looked like the type of client who lashed out at service staff without reason.

But that wasn’t the truth at all.

Chi Wan gritted her teeth. “You really don’t know? After everything you said and did?”

“I don’t understand, really. Did I massage you too poorly? Was my service not up to standard?” The masseuse’s tears rolled down her cheeks as she played the victim.

For a moment, Chi Wan was at a loss. Even if she repeated every indecent word and gesture, the woman would never admit it. What could she do then?

Still, she refused to swallow her anger. “Fine. Then explain this—why did you blow into my ear? Why tell me you liked me? Why touch me inappropriately while making suggestive comments?”

Gasps rippled through the room.

“Wait—seriously? She did that?”

“She looks pitiful crying like that… maybe she’s being framed?”

“I’m confused. Who’s telling the truth?”

Was it a case of deliberate seduction, or was Chi Wan lying? The doubt in everyone’s faces was clear.

“Doesn’t this shop have surveillance cameras?” Chi Wan craned her neck, scanning for one.

But of course, the masseuse had chosen a blind spot from the start.

Just as Chi Wan began to despair, An Ran calmly picked up her phone and tapped a few times. Then, without warning, she said, “The cameras can’t see, but that’s fine. I have proof.”

She turned the screen around. On it was a recording—every inappropriate gesture of the masseuse captured in full detail.

“You—when did you record that?!” The woman’s tear-stained façade shattered into panic.

“From the moment my girlfriend cried out in pain.” An Ran walked to Chi Wan’s side, nestling her head against her shoulder. “I know Chi Wan. If nothing had happened, she’d never react like that. So I made sure to keep an eye out.”

Her leaning against Chi Wan looked like nothing more than intimate dependence. But the way her forehead brushed lightly against Chi Wan’s neck—it was comfort, pure and steadying.

And with that small gesture, much of Chi Wan’s suffocating frustration eased away.

“You!” The crying masseuse could only glare, utterly dumbfounded, at a loss for words.

“You’d better be ready to get fired,” another masseuse sneered as she walked over, declaring it from on high.

“No! You can’t fire me! I just lost my head for a moment. Please, it’s my first offense—spare me this once!”

“First offense? Really?”

No one chose to forgive her. From the way she had handled things on video—her practiced movements, her brazen attitude—it was obvious she was a repeat offender.

“An Ran, she touched my back several times.”

Just the thought of that woman’s hands lingering on her back made Chi Wan’s skin crawl with goosebumps.

Seeing her beloved so distressed, An Ran kissed her gently on the forehead in comfort. Then, a sudden thought lit her up: “How about this? Let me give you a massage instead. Would you like that?”

A new memory to wash away the bad one.

“Mhm…” Chi Wan nodded like a spoiled child, letting out a soft hum of reluctant agreement.

An Ran borrowed the room and equipment from the shop. Feeling guilty, the staff readily agreed.

After changing back into her own clothes, An Ran had Chi Wan lie down. She rubbed lotion into her pale, delicate hands and began to smooth them over Chi Wan’s body.

Though she wasn’t a professional, An Ran poured her heart into it, and the result was nothing short of blissful.

As her warm palms stroked gently over her skin, the unpleasant memories seemed to fade away, one by one.

Especially with each kiss that fell along the way—from the side of her neck down her spine—like butterflies alighting briefly, delicate and full of affection.

An Ran’s palms lingered, tracing the heat of Chi Wan’s skin and the soft curves of her waist. As she kneaded and smoothed, her skin grew even glossier, more supple. And when An Ran lifted her palms, her skin seemed to spring back with a faint elasticity, glowing under the fluorescent light, so enticing she couldn’t resist leaning down to kiss it again.

She suddenly thought—Chi Wan looks delicious.

Chi Wan closed her eyes in comfort. As lovers, she could sense the subtle shift in An Ran’s intent. But instead of unease, it filled her with reassurance.

The kisses falling on her back deepened—first brushing lightly, then lingering in soft, teasing sucks.

Though desire stirred, An Ran still kept herself under control. It wasn’t easy—she had to grit her teeth to manage it.

Just as Chi Wan was drifting into drowsy slumber, she heard An Ran’s soft whisper at her ear: “Chi Wan, who’s the one you like?”

“Mmm? You, An Ran.”

Half-asleep, nearly falling into dreamland, Chi Wan answered on instinct, even thinking it was part of a dream.

“And what do you most want to do right now?”

Another question slipped in, just before sleep pulled her under.

“…A secret…”

Her reply came with a hint of a snore, as if she wanted to know An Ran’s secret, but was too sleepy to finish.

Yet when An Ran heard that, she thought Chi Wan was being guarded, unwilling to say more. She had no choice but to let it go.

The truth was, An Ran’s real purpose for asking was because she herself was finding Chi Wan’s body more and more tempting. But for an Omega to say such things aloud—it felt far too improper.

On top of that, she still had one more question. She crouched down, touched Chi Wan’s nose with her fingertip, and asked softly, “Chi Wan, my lingerie… is it really gone?”

“Mmm? It’s gone.”

At the word lingerie, Chi Wan’s brain pinged awake like a radar. Though groggy, she half-opened her eyes. But sleepiness still weighed her down, and her mouth worked faster than her mind. Luckily, since she had turned it over to the system, it was indeed gone—so her answer wasn’t technically wrong.

“…Whew.” An Ran let out a faint sigh of relief, pressing her nose lightly before murmuring almost to herself: “Then why do I still feel like you secretly hid it?”

“No…” Chi Wan mumbled.

“Even if you did hide it, I wouldn’t be angry. Honestly, I’d be surprised, but… I’d probably think it means you really love me.”

Touching Chi Wan’s cheek, An Ran’s thoughts turned shy and a little absurd. If Chi Wan had done such a thing, she might actually find it endearing. Still, just entertaining that idea made her feel oddly embarrassed.

“Go to sleep. I’ll stay here with you.” An Ran kissed her shoulder tenderly.

Elsewhere—after the two of them had left the Tree of Fate—a few guests who also liked Chi Wan arrived there, only to find that the red ribbon with their names on it had vanished.

“That’s strange. Was it taken away, or just blown off by the wind?”

They muttered among themselves, secretly pleased. If it was the latter, it meant heaven itself didn’t approve of Chi Wan and An Ran’s relationship.

That would mean they were destined to break up—leaving a chance for someone else.

But judging from what her exes had done to her in the past, none of them were the type to wait patiently.

In truth, after being rejected by Chi Wan again and again, Su Yao and Lu Xin were already bitter, even nursing destructive urges. Mo Wei, proud and ambitious, only wanted to lock things down quickly. As for Meng Lan and Chu Rou, their feelings for Chi Wan had shifted long ago, though they refused to admit it.

Even Ruan Xiao didn’t want An Ran and Chi Wan to stay together—after all, it interfered with her ability to use Chi Wan’s popularity to boost her own livestream.

They all hoped the “WanAn CP” was fake. And if it wasn’t—then they’d do whatever it took to make it fake.