Substitute Alpha Gets Confessed to by Her Ex’s Aunt on a Survival Variety Show – Chapter 109

There Aren’t Many Simple Alphas Left These Days

The firelight cast their closely linked shadows onto the rock wall, partially blocked by the storage shelves.

After adding more firewood, the flames burned brightly. Liu Yinxi sat enveloped between two sources of warmth, one in front and one behind, feeling the temperature inside the small cave climb steadily.

            

Warm, damp breath blew softly against her ear with each exhalation. Liu Yinxi took a deep breath and nodded at Nan Huaixu.

Embracing her from behind, Nan Huaixu whispered in her ear, “I’m sorry, I’m just too sensitive to the cold. My profession requires me to maintain a positive image, so please help me keep this a secret. I don’t want the audience to see me looking so vulnerable…”

A faint doubt flickered in Liu Yinxi’s mind: Was it really that cold?

            

But on second thought, her past interactions with others had always grown increasingly strained because she was too cold and skeptical. She really ought to show more warmth and care.

Especially toward Nan Huaixu.

Teacher Nan had always trusted and supported her. How could such a wonderful person ever deceive her?

            

After all, Teacher Nan was born into a prestigious family. Though she could endure hardships, it did not mean she was used to them. Her overall living conditions had always been highly privileged. For her to hold out in the wilderness for a month or two was already no easy feat. With their nutrition and supplies falling behind, her immunity must have dropped significantly. Falling ill under such harsh conditions, desperately trying to keep warm was merely a basic instinct for survival.

With all her prestige and fame, Teacher Nan didn’t look down on her for being a dirty, unkempt alpha. How could she refuse to help her?

Liu Yinxi lowered her voice to reply, “Don’t worry, I understand. The secret between the two of us will never be known by a third person. Under such critical circumstances, physical health must come first. I’ll take good care of you. Teacher Nan, you have to have confidence in us. We will definitely get through this tough spot and win the competition.”

            

Her voice was extremely quiet, masked by the sound of the wind and rain outside the small cave.

As the words left her mouth, Liu Yinxi felt her left shoulder sink slightly. Nan Huaixu had rested her chin on her shoulder.

“Yes, I believe in you, I believe in us… Liu Yinxi, thank you for being willing to help me. Rest assured, I will properly arrange the rental housing and job placement I promised you after the competition. Also, if you don’t mind, I think we can cooperate even further. I have founded a new company, and there is still a lot of preparation to do. You have inspired me—the future direction of the company doesn’t have to be restricted to traditional film and television. High-quality personal IP documentary productions could be a wonderful innovation.”

            

Hearing the grand blueprint Nan Huaixu described for the two of them, Liu Yinxi instantly felt a rush of clarity. “Really? Thank you, Teacher Nan!”

Liu Yinxi could not help but feel incredibly lucky. With Teacher Nan’s promise, the rest of her life after transmigrating into this book finally had something to look forward to.

Paying off her debts, shooting videos, building her accounts, earning money, and starting a brand-new, thriving life!

            

Nan Huaixu slowly tightened her arms around her, her eyes curving with a gentle smile. “Of course it’s true. You help me, and I help you. You said you would take care of me, and I’ll take care of you, too. Any relationship is mutual. I think very highly of you. You have a beautiful appearance, rich outdoor knowledge, and strong willpower and determination. You’ve grown so much compared to before. Liu Yinxi, you dragged yourself out of the mire of heartbreak and financial distress, showing the courage to fight and break through. Someone like you will have an incredibly bright future. Let’s work hard together.”

While she offered these praises, Nan Huaixu was already calculating everything in her head: The flat in Honghai Bay would be a good rental for Liu Yinxi, or perhaps the townhouse in Yuxi Mingting. The low-rise condo in Chenshan Mansion works too. I’ll have HR draw up a special contract for her when the time comes. As for dresses, shoes, bags, a private chauffeured car, the outdoor gear she likes, and tickets to anywhere on Earth—those can all be thrown in as extras.

I’ll secure her housing and job situation first. So what if she’s completely oblivious to romantic tension? The real question was, could she possibly escape now?

            

Held in Nan Huaixu’s embrace, her back flush against the other’s torso, Liu Yinxi felt her cheeks burn slightly from the heat of the roaring campfire.

Inhaling the scent of the campfire mixed with the sweet, clear fragrance of the omega, Liu Yinxi replayed Nan Huaixu’s praises in her head over and over. Her eyes lit up, and her lips curled upward in delight. “Mhm! Teacher Nan, we’re both going to do amazing things. Let’s do our best!”

Nan Huaixu smiled.

            

There weren’t many simple alphas like Liu Yinxi left these days.

She buried her face in the warm crook of Liu Yinxi’s neck. “I’m sleepy. Don’t push me away; wait until I fall asleep.”

Liu Yinxi replied softly, “Mhm, sweet dreams.”

            

She remained perfectly still, not daring to make a single movement, deeply afraid of waking Nan Huaixu, who had only with great difficulty managed to feel drowsy.

The patter of the rain grew quiet as the storm weakened.

Liu Yinxi carefully turned her head. The breath puffing against her neck had grown slow and even.

            

She must be asleep.

Liu Yinxi gently supported the sleeping Nan Huaixu, helping her lie down beside her, and covered her with her jacket. By the warm glow of the fire, she gazed at Nan Huaixu’s elegant features, her lips turning up in a soft smile.

Teacher Nan is so beautiful.

            

Teacher Nan is so good to me.

Teacher Nan said we would go on for a long time. That was real, right?

Our friendship.

            

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Bracelet Date: June 10.

The rain had stopped.

The torrential storm had come and gone quickly.

            

The dark clouds dispersed, and the bright morning sun shone into the rainforest. Washed clean by the rain, the trees gleamed a vibrant, luscious green, and the air was thick with the pulse of life.

Having been cooped up inside the small cave all night, the two stepped outside to bask in the sun and breathe the fresh air.

After a few hours of baking under the sun, the surface of the soil had dried slightly, though most of the ground remained damp and muddy.

            

While Nan Huaixu rested outside the cave to let her injury heal, Liu Yinxi went down to the riverbank using a trekking pole to fetch water. She then returned to light the fire and cook, and the two shared a single protein bar.

Every time they survived another setback, they would reward themselves with a nice meal.

Nan Huaixu scooped up a spoonful of rice mixed with shredded meat jerky and asked, “With how hard it rained yesterday, do you think our fish cages got washed away?”

            

Chewing with puffed cheeks, Liu Yinxi said, “It’s highly likely. Even the ground net traps we laid might not have survived.”

Nan Huaixu pressed her hand to her forehead, her expression one of utter despair.

Liu Yinxi laughed and dropped some meat jerky into Nan Huaixu’s bowl with her chopsticks. “Defeat is a common occurrence in battle, Teacher Nan. You’ve got to stay strong!”

            

Nan Huaixu took a sip of wild herb soup, her gaze resting on the leaves glistening bright green in the sunlight. Her brow softened. “Yes, you’re right. Wilderness survival is a constant cycle of building from scratch, losing it, and rebuilding again. We’ve already mastered the methods. If we repeat it and refine our skills each time, we’ll only get faster and better at it.”

Liu Yinxi encouraged her: “Exactly! Besides, you know way more skills now than before. Today, let’s start by repairing the shelter at our campsite.”

Nan Huaixu picked up the pace of her eating. “Alright. I’ll see if I can weave two more vine baskets.”

            

Liu Yinxi froze, her lunchbox in one hand and her chopsticks suspended in mid-air.

Her gaze lingered briefly on Nan Huaixu’s calm face. This greenhouse-raised omega always exhibited a resilience and forbearance that seemed entirely at odds with her background, and that unyielding, stubborn drive of hers never failed to captivate her.

Liu Yinxi looked away.

            

She suddenly felt a pang of sorrow.

Resilience was undoubtedly an admirable trait, but it also proved that a person had suffered through a great deal of pain and hardship.

She did not want Nan Huaixu to suffer.

            

In the past, she would have been powerless, but from now on, she would protect Nan Huaixu to the best of her abilities. She wanted to add a few beautiful, carefree blossoms to those resilient branches.

Finishing her meal, Nan Huaixu glanced at the robot dogs lying outside the cave soaking up solar energy. She called them over. “Xiao Si, Xiao Liu, come here.”

The two little things scampered over, wagging their metallic tails as cartoon hearts popped up on their screen-faces.

            

Using a small wood splinter, Nan Huaixu carefully scraped the mud from their bodies. “There, much cleaner now.”

Liu Yinxi sometimes envied these robot dogs for getting such first-class treatment. “A little dirt makes them look like proper dogs on a survival show anyway. The next rain will just get them dirty again.”

Dog 4 made a pitiful face.

            

Dog 6 stamped its paws in annoyance, an angry emoticon appearing on its screen.

With a smile, Nan Huaixu patted Dog 6 on the head. Dog 6 affectionately rubbed against her palm.

She turned to Liu Yinxi. “It’s so clean and refreshing; it makes the mood so much better. If you get dirty, I’ll wipe you clean too.”

            

Liu Yinxi went quiet, then turned away with a soft curve of her lips. “Mhm…”

【Thank goodness, Dog 6’s mud-speckled camera lens is finally clean!】

【Oi, the lens is clear! Oi, the lens is clear! Oi, the lens is clear!】

            

【High-definition! My eyesight has been restored!】

【I bet if Nan Huaixu hadn’t wiped the lens, Liu Yinxi would have let it get so caked in grime that we wouldn’t see a thing (allow me to grieve).】

【No way, the production team would have someone adjust it.】

            

【Ahhh, the sun is out! Hurry up and repair the shelter! The weather forecast says there are several more days of heavy rain ahead QAQ】

【How is Manman’s foot doing? It’s hard to move around with a foot injury, so maybe she should just make do in the cave for a couple of days?】

【Caves aren’t ventilated, and the deeper parts are very cold and damp. It’s not suitable for long-term living.】

            

【Don’t worry, if they build a sturdy shelter, secure the roof, and dig good drainage on the ground, weathering the rain won’t be a problem.】

【They won’t be able to hunt or catch fish for the next few days. I hope Xixi and Manman don’t starve (worried).】

【Just popped over from checking on Xue and Luo. They have it so rough over there—their shelter collapsed, and both of them got completely drenched. They huddled under an old tree all night and got bitten all over by toxic mosquitoes. I can’t bear to watch :(】

            

【Ah… It looks like Yuyu and Huang-jie had the best of it. They have a waterproof tarp, and their shelter is super solid.】

【Huang-jie found the lake today.】

【Woah! As expected of this season’s Big War God of 《Survivor》, none other than Huang Shanshan herself! (cheers)】

            

【Die laughing¹, I thought they called Liu Yinxi the Little War God just because she’s younger. I had no idea there was a Big War God too (laugh-cry).】

【Huang Heshan has already reached the lake halfway up the mountain? Uh, now I want to change my votes to bet on Huang Heshan winning.】

【Sisters, don’t rush. Our Little War God has plenty of sneaky tricks up her sleeve; she’ll win them back (doge face).】

            

【I’ll only say one thing: those in the know should place their bets on Liu Yinxi for the championship. Huang Heshan is too romance-brained² to achieve great things.】

【Wait, that sweet smile your Liu Yinxi just flashed at Nan Huaixu didn’t exactly look like she’s free of worldly desires³ either :)】

“Liu Yinxi, what are you silly-grinning about now?”

            

Liu Yinxi hastily pulled back her gaze, flattening her lips as she kept her head down to lash the timber for the shelter. “Nothing. I was just thinking that everything will be fine once we find a new shelter.”

It shouldn’t be cold again tonight.

It turned out that embracing your warmth was this comforting.

            

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