The Stand-In Alpha Goes Viral on a Dating Show - Chapter 77

Even though Chi Wan had finally found An Ran, unease still gnawed at her. She wanted to know exactly where An Ran was hurt.

She clasped An Ran’s hand, carefully tracing upward along her arm toward her limbs.

“What… are you doing?” An Ran’s wandering thoughts were interrupted by Chi Wan’s movements.

“I want to see where you’re injured.” Chi Wan noticed something was off—An Ran’s posture looked unnatural, and one arm dangled limply at her side.

“Don’t bother, it’s just a minor injury.” An Ran leaned back slightly, as if to dodge her touch.

But the motion must have pulled at her wound, because she drew in a sharp hiss of air.

To Chi Wan, that sound was proof enough she was suppressing her pain. “An Ran, don’t lie to me. The more you pretend like this, the more unsettled I’ll be.”

“I really am fine…” An Ran steadied her breathing, forcing herself to appear calm.

Chi Wan was about to press further when a harsh voice cut her off.

“Enough! Stop talking already, it’s so annoying!”

Several others chimed in loudly: “Can you two stop for a second and look at the situation we’re in?”

Though Lu Xin and the others complained one after another, not once did they realize how genuine Chi Wan’s feelings for An Ran truly were.

No matter how cold Chi Wan had been to Lu Xin and the rest in the past, her exes always harbored a sliver of hope—thinking maybe Chi Wan was just pretending. But now…

Now it was impossible to deny. No one would keep up an act at a time like this. This was real.

Even when being shouted at, Chi Wan merely paused for a heartbeat before going right back to checking An Ran’s injuries, as if she had completely tuned the others out.

Lu Xin and the rest clenched their teeth in frustration, yet in the end, there was nothing they could do.

“Hey! You’re all awake now? Perfect—then the show can begin!”

Suddenly, a harsh beam of light shot through from outside the wall, sweeping across each of their faces one by one, as though examining them.

“What the hell do you want? Money? Is that it?”

Su Yao was the first to shout the question.

Mingyu snapped back to her senses and quickly added, “Is it the Chi family’s collateral branch that sent you? Whatever they’re paying you, I’ll double it!”

“Heh, listen to yourselves—so rich and arrogant.” The man outside chuckled darkly. “Drop the schemes. I’m not here for money.”

“Not for money?” Lu Xin froze. She exchanged glances with the others, and in that instant, a chilling realization seemed to dawn. Their faces drained of color.

Mingyu’s complexion went ashen. Her voice trembled with venom: “Then it’s my life you’re after, isn’t it?”

The man let out a mocking sigh, feigning surprise. “Don’t be so pessimistic. Not necessarily. Honestly, I’m just here for the thrill! As long as you entertain me, maybe I’ll let you go.”

What? Entertain him?

The Omegas’ minds instantly leapt to the worst possible scenarios. Their faces blanched.

“You’re shameless!” Lu Xin spat.

“Ha! What are you imagining? That’s your own dirty misunderstanding!” The man chuckled creepily, then stroked his chin. “Though… that could work too. So then—who’s spending the first night with me?”

At that, the Omegas’ faces grew even paler.

The man smirked deliberately. “What? Wasn’t this your idea to begin with?”

“Do you really have to do this? We can pay you—lots of money!” Su Yao tried once more to negotiate.

“Ugh, how many times do I have to say it? I don’t want your money! I just want excitement!”

His voice rose impatiently as he waved the beam of light, making their eyes spin with dizziness.

“Then what kind of excitement do you want?” Mingyu forced herself to stay calm. At the moment, no one knew his true intentions—gentleness might be the only way to keep him from snapping.

“Simple!” The man spread his mouth in an exaggerated grin, voice brimming with sadistic glee. “A game of life and death! I’ll provide food—and along with it, a weapon. Between Mingyu and Chi Wan, as long as one of you injures the other, you get to eat.”

“Well? Isn’t that simple enough?”

What?! What kind of twisted game was this?!

Lu Xin and the others froze in shock. “We’re not playing!”

“Okay, suit yourselves.” The man shrugged, indifferent. “You can refuse. As long as you’re prepared to endure hunger and thirst.”

He looked smug, as though he had already won.

This wasn’t his first time playing such a game. No one had ever held out. Because even if they did, they’d still die. In the end, it was always better to gamble.

“Then what about me?”

Mingyu suddenly spoke, her eyes flickering with a dark, unreadable light. She had to survive—no matter the cost.

“Oh, you? Easy. You can attack Chi Wan however you like. As long as someone gets hurt, there’s a reward.”

The man’s excitement was palpable, his hands rubbing together in anticipation. “So then—who’s ready for breakfast today?”

No one answered. He wasn’t disappointed. It was always like this at the start.

People just needed time to convince themselves—time to abandon the so-called dignity of humanity in exchange for survival.

Whistling cheerfully, the man placed a tray of sumptuous food at the window. “Oh, I know you all said you wouldn’t eat, but I still prepared it. Just looking at it can be satisfying, right?”

Damn it! If they hadn’t seen it, maybe they could’ve endured.

But the moment the aroma wafted into the filthy, suffocating room, stomachs began to growl in chorus.

“Damn it! I’m starving!”

Lu Xin cursed aloud, then tried desperately to hypnotize herself. I’m not hungry. I’m not hungry…

“Once the food gets cold and loses its taste, it’ll be easier,” Chu Rou whispered in consolation.

Instinctively, everyone curled tighter into the shadows at the far end of the room, as if distance could weaken the temptation.

If not for their restraints, they probably would have rushed to the window already.

But how long could they endure?

For the first time, the room fell into a suffocating fog of doubt and despair.

Would they really—just for a single meal—turn on one another?

And between Mingyu and Chi Wan, only one could be chosen…

Too cruel. Too impossible a test.

Suddenly, she felt an overwhelming envy for Mo Wei. Since Mo Wei wasn’t here, she naturally didn’t have to make such a cruel choice.

The expressions on Lu Xin and Su Yao’s faces shifted—first tangled with hesitation, then sliding into irritability and anger, and eventually settling into a cold, eerie calm.

In the end, there was only numbness left in their eyes, as though they had steeled themselves, abandoned some last shred of humanity.

The first day dragged on endlessly. At every mealtime, the man would bring food, letting its aroma fill the entire room, and then stand leisurely by the window, smiling as he watched them wrestle with their hunger and sanity.

Sometimes, he even ate right in front of them, chewing loudly and deliberately.

For people starving, such torment was beyond cruel.

At first, they turned away in disgust, cursing him through gritted teeth. But as time wore on, their faces hollowed with hunger, drool gathering at the corners of their mouths.

“Please… just let me have a little. It smells so good…” By noon of the second day, someone finally broke, begging through tears.

She pleaded as she inhaled the sweet scent of food, but the more she breathed it in, the emptier her stomach felt—like quenching thirst with poison.

On her face was an agonizing mix of craving and despair.

“You want to eat?” The man’s lips curled into a mocking smile. “Then you know what you have to do.”

“I’m willing to give you my body,” she said with both shame and resolve. “You can do whatever you want.”

“Oh? You want to sleep with me?”

The man sneered, then burst into raucous laughter. “Miss, do you not understand human speech?”

That derisive laugh burned Lu Xin’s cheeks red.

She had wrestled with the choice for so long… only for him to respond like this.

“Don’t be naïve. You know as well as I do—there’s only one way to earn food.”

Narrowing his eyes, the man slowly unclipped something from his belt and tossed it in front of her.

“Here. Today’s weapon.”

Lu Xin gasped sharply when she saw the long blade lined with barbs.

“T-this… this is too—” She stopped herself at the darkening look on his face, shut her mouth, and after a moment of silence, asked softly, “Do I only need to strike once?”

“Strike once?” The man grinned wolfishly and said flatly, “No. It must draw blood.”

Draw blood? That meant flesh would have to be torn.

Her hand trembled violently as she picked up the weapon.

“So,” the man said, stepping into the room for the first time. His gait was unhurried, savoring the spectacle. He even propped up his phone, ready to record. “Who will you choose to hit?”

“I’m too hungry… I don’t have the strength,” Lu Xin muttered weakly, lowering her gaze.

She was hoping that if he came closer, she could turn the weapon on him.

But he immediately cut her off with a knowing smirk. “Shhh. Don’t get any ideas. My brothers are outside. There’s no escape.”

Her plan exposed, she could only give up. “But… I really am starving.”

“You want food first? Impossible.” He smirked. “I’m sure hunger will bring out your potential.”

Lu Xin cursed him viciously in her heart but had no choice but to feign submission on the surface.

When she still didn’t move, the man kicked her impatiently, signaling her to act.

Lu Xin looked at Mingyu, then at Chi Wan, before finally turning to face Chi Wan directly.

At that moment, Chi Wan’s expression was grave, while Mingyu’s face lit with perverse satisfaction.

“If I can’t have you, then at least I’ll make sure you remember me this way—for the rest of your life.”

Clutching the weapon tightly, Lu Xin suddenly slashed toward Chi Wan.

“No!” An Ran rushed forward, trying to shield Chi Wan with her own body. But the restraints on her tightened abruptly, tripping her and forcing her to stumble helplessly as she watched the blade tear into Chi Wan’s flesh, blood spilling bright and hot.

The metallic scent of blood hit An Ran like a knife. Her eyes welled instantly with tears.

She turned on Lu Xin, her voice breaking with fury. “Do you really think this will win you Mingyu?”

“I can’t win Mingyu either,” Lu Xin muttered. “But Mingyu and Chi Wan are… not the same.”

She received the food without answering further, but in her heart, she knew the truth: their identities were not the same.

Mingyu’s status had already risen far beyond what she could ever afford to offend.

As she ate her rice, tears spilled down her cheeks.

But once she had broken the silence, it didn’t take long for another to follow.

Su Yao was next. Just like Lu Xin, she chose to attack Chi Wan.

Two deep gashes now marred Chi Wan’s body, each wound making her hiss in pain.

Not wanting An Ran to throw herself into danger again, Chi Wan deliberately shifted away, exposing herself further.

An Ran wept bitterly, her tears falling heavy and fast, but she was powerless.

“Chi Wan… come here, stay close to me,” she pleaded desperately.

But Chi Wan only shook her head again and again, refusing.

She knew—no matter what happened—this was her fate to bear, not An Ran’s.