Substitute Alpha Gets Confessed to by Her Ex’s Aunt on a Survival Variety Show – Chapter 100

Racing Up the Hillock

“What’s this about being a wife?”

What wife? Anyone could tell it was just a joke.

            

Yet the serious look on Nan Huaixu’s face as she asked made it clear she wasn’t joking at all.

Liu Yinxi: “.”

How could anyone take such nonsense seriously?

            

Teacher Nan could be so stubborn about the strangest things sometimes.

Liu Yinxi explained everything to her, start to finish. “Teacher Nan, it was really just a joke. It went like this: back when Yuan Fang and I were boiling salt on the beach, she said she was hiring. I didn’t want to do the job she offered, so I asked if there were any other options. She asked if I wanted to be her wife, and then… and after that… well, that’s how it went. Anyway, it was total nonsense.”

Nan Huaixu listened quietly. She was much calmer now, almost as if she had already known.

            

Once Liu Yinxi finished, Nan Huaixu let out a soft, nonchalant hum. “I see. And here I thought your elbow was turning outward¹.”

Liu Yinxi finally understood why she was being so stubborn. They were teammates. If she really had an unusual relationship with Yuan Fang—such that she’d raid her own base and betray her partner—wouldn’t that indeed count as turning her elbow outward?

Heaven was her witness; she’d absolutely never do what Luo Ling did in the original novel—raid her own base to support a secret lover.

            

Liu Yinxi quickly declared her loyalty. “Teacher Nan, you’ve got it all wrong. There’s absolutely nothing going on between Yuan Fang and me. Nothing she says can be trusted anyway. I was only sweet-talking her so we could trade resources and get her to do some work.”

Nan Huaixu stared at her for a couple of seconds before dropping the subject. She planted her trekking pole and climbed up the dirt slope. “Let’s go. We don’t want to be late for the treasure chest.”

Liu Yinxi quickly climbed up the slope. “Right behind you!”

            

After a few steps, Liu Yinxi still felt an itch in her chest, a nagging sense of unease she couldn’t shake.

She didn’t even understand why she felt so uneasy, but she wanted to explain herself a bit more. “Besides, I don’t even like women like Yuan Fang. She’s always clicking her abacus, calculating everything. You never know which of her words are true and which are lies. She calls everyone she meets something sickeningly sweet and asks what their pheromones smell like. It’s incredibly rude.”

The more Liu Yinxi spoke, the more righteous she felt. “Even if every other woman on Earth vanished and only Yuan Fang was left, I still wouldn’t be her wife!”

            

As she spoke, she snuck a glance at Nan Huaixu’s face.

Although Nan Huaixu’s expression didn’t change, her voice was much lighter. “Didn’t she say ‘almost’? She didn’t fancy you either.”

Liu Yinxi finally let out a small sigh of relief, feeling her own mood brighten. “Then she’s even further off. I wouldn’t even spare her a glance.”

            

“Liu Yinxi, are you someone who’s afraid of being bound by marriage?”

“No. Marriage isn’t a shackle; it’s something beautiful. If you think marriage is a shackle, then you shouldn’t get married in the first place.”

“Mm…”

            

“It’s just that marriage turns something between two people into something involving three families. It becomes a lot more complicated.”

Nan Huaixu tilted her head. “Three families?”

Liu Yinxi did the math for her. “Yeah. Look, there are the two families of the couple, and then the new household formed by the two of them. That’s three families. And there might be kids in the future, too.”

            

“Yes, that’s true. Do you want children?”

“Not for now. I don’t think I’m in any position to be a good mami. My finances, resources, perspective, and maturity… none of it’s up to par.”

Liu Yinxi paused, a touch of wistfulness in her eyes. “I wouldn’t even make a good partner right now.”

            

Nan Huaixu gave her a gentle slap on the back. “Whether you’re a good partner isn’t for you to judge. Only your girlfriend has the right to define that.”

A realization hit Liu Yinxi. “Oh!”

Liu Yinxi had never given any thought to love or marriage before.

            

Since landing on this island, all of her thoughts on the matter had been initiated, explored, and reshaped by Nan Huaixu, slowly sculpting her views on love.

It felt so subtle.

It was as if her love was taking on a shape molded by Nan Huaixu’s own hands.

            

Every bit, every inch of it, was engraved with her imprint…

A sudden gust of wind swept across the hillock.

The mountain breeze rustled the leaves, sending them fluttering down in a continuous dance.

            

Fighting the wind, they climbed to the summit and located the spot where the Spark flag was planted. Immediately, they noticed something was wrong.

The nail that had held the nylon rope was bare; the cord was nowhere to be seen.

Liu Yinxi’s heart tightened. She ran over to check. Beneath the Spark flag, nothing remained but a bare nail—it was completely empty.

            

“How could they be so fast?!” Liu Yinxi cried, clutching her head in shock.

She whipped her head around to meet Nan Huaixu’s equally startled gaze. The two of them stared at each other in surprise for a moment, then sighed in unison.

Nan Huaixu thought it over. “It’s not impossible,” she said. “Huang Heshan visits the bamboo forest often, so she probably discovered this treasure chest a while ago, but simply left it alone just like we did last time. When the elimination announcement went out, she might have been in the bamboo forest or even right here on this hillock. She would’ve definitely been faster than us.”

            

Liu Yinxi suddenly slumped to the ground, patting the grass in mock grief. “Oh, treasure chest, dear treasure chest! What a tragic end! We only just met, and now we’ve been cruelly torn apart… My fishing trekking poles, my silicone diving socks, my plantar compression socks—you’ve all left Teacher Nan and me just like that.”

Nan Huaixu was also deeply disappointed. Yes, so many excellent supplies had been snatched away by their strongest opponent. Watching a sure thing slip away right before one’s eyes would make any survivor’s heart bleed.

Nan Huaixu’s tone grew much more downcast. “Not only did they leave us, but they’ve also reinforced our strongest opponent.”

            

Liu Yinxi pressed a hand to her forehead, silent in her frustration for a moment. Then she brushed the dirt off her clothes and stood up. “Well, if we get it, it’s our luck; if we lose it, it’s our fate². What’s gone is gone. Let it be.”

There was nothing else they could do, and staying upset wouldn’t help. They might as well head back to the shelter to wash up, pack up, and get ready to craft bamboo bows and bamboo arrows tomorrow.

Every day in the rainforest brought the risk of loss—prey escaping, fish traps breaking, or a sudden torrential downpour collapsing a grass shelter. A survivor had no time to mourn lost resources. The only logical path forward was to pour all their time and energy into searching for more supplies.

            

Liu Yinxi turned back toward the path they had come from, lightly nudging Nan Huaixu’s arm. “Teacher Nan, let’s head back.”

Nan Huaixu stole a few more glances at the cliff where the treasure chest had hung before following her.

“Tonight, we’ll split some bamboo sheets and shave down thin strips for later,” Liu Yinxi said as they walked.

            

“Alright,” Nan Huaixu replied. “I’ll twist the banana fiber into rope while we’re at it.”

They descended the hillock, disappearing into the lush green trees.

The hillock didn’t remain quiet for long. A little over an hour later, it welcomed another set of visitors.

            

Two figures, one tall and one short, climbed up the hillock.

With the steep cliff face looming ahead, Huang Heshan stopped and held Yu Yan back, telling her to wait in a safe spot.

Huang Heshan approached the fluttering Spark flag. She crouched down, traced her fingers around the solitary thick nail, and frowned.

            

Yu Yan took two steps forward. “What is it?”

Huang Heshan stood at the cliff edge and looked down, then searched the surrounding area before returning to Yu Yan’s side with a dark expression, shaking her head.

Yu Yan couldn’t believe it. “The treasure chest is gone? Someone was actually faster than us?”

            

Huang Heshan’s voice was low. “Liu.”

“Liu Yinxi and Nan Huaixu?”

“Yeah.”

            

“I’m sorry,” Huang Heshan said, her face filling with self-reproach.

She had told Liu Yinxi where the bamboo forest was; Liu Yinxi must have spotted the treasure chest while crossing the mountain.

Yu Yan took her left hand. “It’s fine. I love the flowers you gave me, and as long as I have you, that’s enough. Heshan, you’re more important than any supplies.”

            

Huang Heshan silently closed her fingers, squeezing Yu Yan’s hand in her palm.

Yu Yan smiled. “Let’s go home. I’ll make you something delicious—your favorite roasted chicken legs.”

Huang Heshan lowered her eyes. “Mm…”

            

【Xixi didn’t get the “Travel” Treasure Chest.】

【Huang-jie didn’t get it either.】

【Then who took the treasure chest?】

            

【Could it be Xue Yunshao?!】

【No idea (confused)】

【Who on earth got the treasure chest?!!! (going crazy)】

            

【Out of the eight guests, only six are left now.】

【Yunshao is in danger next T-T】

【Sigh, what can you do when Yunshao is carrying a piece of dead weight?】

            

【You can’t really say that about Luo Ling. She might not help much, but she doesn’t cause trouble either. She stays with Xue Yunshao, talks to her, helps build the grass shelter, cooks, washes clothes, and takes care of her. She’s a very competent support-type teammate.】

【I seriously don’t get it. Are all the people trashing Luo Ling in the chat actually watching the stream? Losing the meat jerky wasn’t Luo Ling’s responsibility alone. Meat attracts flies, and when it gets maggoty, you don’t blame the flies, you blame the meat, is that it? Xue Yunshao really likes Luo Ling and said she’s happy to partner with her. What can you netizens even do for Xue Yunshao anyway? What right do you have to trash Luo Ling?】

【It’s simple. The ones trashing her are all Xue Yunshao’s girlfriend fans (eating melon)】

            

【Girlfriend fans can’t stand seeing their wife A Yun get close to anyone else. It’s just an old toxic fandom habit.】

【People are actually defending a cheater like Luo Ling?】

【Cheated on who? Got any proof? Don’t just make things up.】

            

【Luo Ling kept Liu Yinxi for three years, and Liu Yinxi herself explicitly mentioned to Nan Huaixu that Luo Ling had a change of heart. If that’s not proof, what is?】

【Just because your Liu Yinxi says so, that counts as proof?】

【Lmao, since when does a sugar baby arrangement count as love (disgusted)】

            

【Let me ask you, did Luo Ling keeping Liu count as a relationship? Did Luo Ling date anyone else while they lived together?】

【Oh, so you think emotional cheating doesn’t count as cheating?】

【Hahaha, I hope your Luo Ling and Xue Yunshao stay locked together forever, 3399!】

            

【You guys are so colorful you’re blinding my eyes @x@】

【Too noisy. Turning off bullet comments.】

【Huh? It looks like Xixi dug up a bottle near the rocky shoal.】

            

【I saw it too.】

【What is that?】

On the way back to the shelter from the bamboo forest hillock, they passed by the Great Rocky Shoal.

            

Liu Yinxi suddenly stopped. She squatted in front of a tree whose roots were surrounded by a pile of stones, and used a stick to dig up a plastic bottle.

Nan Huaixu asked in surprise, “When did you bury a bottle here?”

Liu Yinxi wiped the mud off the bottle and smiled. “A few days ago. I almost forgot about it.”

            

“Why would you bury water under a tree?”

“Well, back then, I wanted to ferment some rice water to wash my hair.”

“Then how many days has it been fermenting? Can you still use it?”

            

The cameras were pointed directly at them, clearly recording their every move and sound.

Nan Huaixu waited for Liu Yinxi to walk over, then leaned in to sniff the mouth of the bottle. Instantly, a strong scent of hard liquor shot up her nose.

Nan Huaixu recoiled sharply, looking at Liu Yinxi in bewilderment. “This is…”

            

This was absolutely not rice water.

Fermented rice water could never have such a powerful scent of liquor.

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