Substitute Alpha Gets Confessed to by Her Ex’s Aunt on a Survival Variety Show – Chapter 128

She Goes

Nan Huaixu hurriedly switched on her bracelet’s light and followed behind Liu Yinxi.

The firelight from the shelter barely reached the chicken coop. Liu Yinxi picked up two bamboo tubes from the ground and struck them together hard, with a bang-bang-bang sound to warn off any potential threat, then quickly moved to the woodpile and lit the campfire near the chicken coop.

            

Crackle — the flames blazed bright, and the surroundings became instantly visible. The chicken coop was undamaged, and the camellia chicken was still inside. A few feathers had fallen beneath the coop, and the weeds on the ground were scattered and trampled.

Liu Yinxi quickly opened the chicken coop and checked whether the camellia chicken was injured. Fortunately, apart from the arrow wound on its wing, it was fine.

Nan Huaixu soothingly stroked the camellia chicken’s head. “Why did it suddenly cry out so loud in the middle of the night?”

            

Liu Yinxi put the chicken back in the coop. “It ran into a predator. If it weren’t locked up, it would’ve stayed silent and just run away. But since it was locked in, it called out to get our attention.”

Nan Huaixu was surprised. “It called for us? Does it know we’d save it?”

“We’ve been applying medicine on it and feeding it. Some animals observe their environment and the individuals around them, assessing their relationships with other creatures. They’re smart when it comes to survival.”

            

Liu Yinxi picked up a feather. “The chicken struggled. This chicken thief must be about as tall as the coop — tall enough to lunge up at it.”

Nan Huaixu estimated the size. “About as big as a wolf dog. Are there wolves here? Or something like a yellow weasel — a mustelid?”

Liu Yinxi said, “There are mountain weasels — Chinese ferret-badgers. Jinzhou Island has no native wolves, but there are feral dogs.”

            

Nan Huaixu thought again of the golden cat’s two eerie, glinting eyes, and a chill ran down her back. “Liu Yinxi, is it safe for us to live here?”

Liu Yinxi reassured her. “Don’t worry too much. The chicken’s cry scared it off. It knows there are people here.”

Nan Huaixu looked worriedly at the egg-laying chicken in the coop. “It’s afraid of us, not of the chicken. It’ll definitely come back to steal the chicken when we’re sleeping or out.”

            

Liu Yinxi arranged stones around the campfire and added more firewood. “Let’s keep the fire going tonight. Most animals are afraid of fire.”

“Okay.”

“The chicken coop is sturdy. I’ll also sharpen some bamboo stakes and make traps to scare it off.”

            

Nan Huaixu waved her hand downward. “You stay here. I’ll go get bamboo strips.”

Liu Yinxi quickly said, “It’s fine, I’ll just cut a few thin bamboo poles right here and sharpen them for immediate use. Go eat first, then get some rest.”

Using bamboo strips would require more cutting — directly chopping thin bamboo poles was indeed more efficient.

            

Nan Huaixu watched Liu Yinxi chop bamboo for a while, but couldn’t help much. The campfire smoke irritated her nose, so she said, “I’ve eaten about enough. Let me clean up the cookware and pick out the fish for tomorrow’s exchange.”

“Good.” Liu Yinxi nodded.

She didn’t dare say one extra word about the exchange with Ying Luoling. Though she didn’t know exactly what had triggered Nan Huaixu’s anger, avoiding the topic was definitely the right call.

            

After sharpening two bamboo poles, Liu Yinxi noticed the silhouette in the firelight still hadn’t left. She looked up — Nan Huaixu was standing in front of the chicken coop.

Liu Yinxi was about to ask what was wrong, but Nan Huaixu looked over and spoke first. “Let me deliver the fish tomorrow.”

Liu Yinxi kept a smile on her face while her brain raced: What does this mean? Should she agree? How should she respond? Brain, think fast…

            

Nan Huaixu continued, “Where exactly did you arrange to meet? I can go alone. I’ll familiarize myself with the area west of the lake while I’m at it. You should explore to the southeast tomorrow — you haven’t been there yet. Maybe you’ll catch a rabbit.”

Such a detailed plan — Nan Huaixu must have thought it through carefully. She liked things to proceed in an orderly manner according to plan, so Liu Yinxi readily agreed. “Sounds good. It’s below the pyramid-shaped hill on the west side of the lake. There’s a patch of Sweet Root Grass.”

Nan Huaixu made a face as if picturing it. “Mm…”

            

Liu Yinxi asked quietly, “Should I draw a sketch?”

Nan Huaixu walked over and sat down beside her, handing her a small stick. “Here.”

Liu Yinxi took the stick and drew in the sandy soil — a circle for the lake, a triangle for the hill.

            

She poked the stick at a spot on the left side of the circle. “Around here. From a distance, you can see a cashew-shaped cove full of Sweet Root Grass. Just find a visible spot on the shore, hang up the fish basket, and leave a marker.”

Nan Huaixu nodded. “Mm, I know what to do.”

“Okay…” Liu Yinxi didn’t waste a single extra word.

            

After they finished discussing the exchange location, the two fell silent for a few seconds.

Liu Yinxi silently picked up a bamboo pole and brought the knife down in one clean stroke.

Nan Huaixu lowered her gaze. “Liu Yinxi, I… I want to apologize to you. You came back after a hard day of hunting, helped me exchange for milk powder, and I still lost my temper at you. I’m sorry.”

            

“Ah… it’s fine, Teacher Nan. You must have had your reasons.” Liu Yinxi sniffled. She hadn’t felt particularly bothered before, but hearing Nan Huaixu’s apology, she suddenly felt a little wronged, and she didn’t know why.

All around them were lakes and pools, and the night wind blew cold.

Nan Huaixu rubbed her hands over the campfire, her voice gentle. “It’s the end of the month again. My body’s been changing these past two days, and my mood’s been off.”

            

Liu Yinxi nodded repeatedly. “Mm-hmm, then get plenty of rest. We still have duck meat, so tomorrow I’ll make a light duck soup.”

Nan Huaixu had mentioned last time that during her period she liked moist, mild foods, and Liu Yinxi had remembered. She’d try to find some lemons in the next couple of days — the scent might help Nan Huaixu feel better during her heat period.

“Thank you.” Nan Huaixu smiled, then paused and said, “I was being too extreme, obsessing over a narrow point. I just felt that I’d said I didn’t want to trade anymore, but you went ahead and did it anyway — like you weren’t respecting my wishes. Also, the supplies belong to both of us. Trading is a two-person decision, and you went ahead without discussing it with me. I wasn’t happy about that.”

            

Liu Yinxi understood and couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

So that was it. She finally knew why Nan Huaixu had been angry.

She immediately apologized to Nan Huaixu. “I’m sorry, Teacher Nan. I’ve reflected on it. When I traded for the milk powder, I did think I should discuss it with you first. But I also thought — milk powder is a good supply, and we have eggs. Wouldn’t breakfast be even better with milk added? I wanted to surprise you, but it backfired. I was thoughtless. Let me sing you a song to make it up to you.”

            

Nan Huaixu fiddled with the bamboo pole in Liu Yinxi’s hand. “I was wrong too, so you don’t need to make it up to me. But I do like hearing you sing. Can I hold you to that song for now?”

Liu Yinxi grinned. “Of course. Absolutely.”

Nan Huaixu brushed off her pant legs and stood up. “I’ll remember. You sing for me next time.”

            

“Mm-hm!”

With the conflict out in the open, they both felt lighter.

Liu Yinxi watched Nan Huaixu walk into the shelter, then lowered her head and continued sharpening bamboo poles, crafting a set of sharp bamboo spikes and planting them in a ring around the chicken coop.

            

Chicken thief. How dare you steal Teacher Nan’s egg-laying chicken. Just wait till you get pricked.

The night passed peacefully.

The next morning, the first thing Liu Yinxi did upon waking was check the chicken coop.

            

The camellia chicken was fine. The campfire had long since gone out, leaving behind a bed of black ash. The fence and traps outside were all intact.

Liu Yinxi told the arriving Nan Huaixu, “All clear. The chicken thief was scared off and didn’t dare come back.”

“That’s good. We’re counting on it to lay eggs for us.”

            

Nan Huaixu checked the chicken coop first. The camellia chicken turned its face toward her, then walked to the back of the coop and hid.

Nan Huaixu added fresh water and wild greens to the coop, then walked out. “No egg.”

Liu Yinxi laughed. “Wild chickens can’t compare to modern bred domestic ones. Laying an egg every other day is already pretty good.”

            

Nan Huaixu sighed. “For the quality protein, let’s keep raising it.”

For breakfast, they roasted sweet potatoes.

After downing two large bowls of Sweet Root Grass soup, Liu Yinxi packed up her bow and arrows and dry rations. Following Nan Huaixu’s suggestion, she headed southeast to hunt today.

            

Nan Huaixu went to the small pool where they kept live fish and selected four — two large, two small. She lined a plastic bag inside a woven vine basket, added water, and placed the fish inside.

“Teacher Nan, I’m heading out. Come back early, and if you’re not feeling well, just stay at the shelter and rest.”

“I know. Be careful on the way.”

            

“You too. Bye.”

Nan Huaixu smiled and waved at Liu Yinxi, watching her walk away. Then she slung the vine basket on her back and turned around, her expression instantly darkening.

At 8:30 a.m., Nan Huaixu found the cove Liu Yinxi had described. The Sweet Root Grass was growing lush and vibrant, a vast expanse of white like snow between the lakes.

            

She found a cool, clean spot to sit and rest. Today she had specially styled an intricate braid and put on the pearl and colored feather necklace.

Her favorite was the red petal lip balm — just a light dab on the lips was enough to brighten her complexion.

After 9:30, Ying Luoling finally arrived, fashionably late.

            

From a distance, she spotted a figure sitting by the lake and ran over excitedly. “Yinxi!”

Ying Luoling skipped to the lakeside, patted the person on the shoulder from behind, and rested her hand there with a radiant smile. “You’re here so early! Thanks for waiting for me. I knew you couldn’t bear to leave me alone and scared — you’d never just leave the fish here and not care about this one¹—”

Nan Huaixu slowly turned her head and gave Ying Luoling a faint smile. Ying Luoling’s cheerful words stopped dead.

            

【Help!】

【My awkward cancer² is acting up（汗）】

【It’s awkward no matter whether you put yourself in Ying Luoling’s shoes or Manman’s.】

            

【My toes have already dug out a three-bedroom, two-living-room apartment³.】

【I can’t bear to watch, but I’m dying to know what happens next!】

【@ArgueWithMeAndI’llForceAKiss, sis, just exit the stream first. We’ll start a thread and tell you what happens next.】

            

【We’ll definitely have screen recordings（ok）】

【How did Ying Luoling mistake Nan Huaixu for Liu Yinxi?】

【Maybe because Manman and Xixi’s jackets are the same color.】

            

【Their heights are different! Liu Yinxi is an alpha — she’s way taller than Nan Huaixu.】

【Because Manman was sitting down, the height difference isn’t obvious when seated. Plus they’re in the wild — the ground is uneven. Ying Luoling was too excited to look carefully（笑哭）】

【srds⁴, Ying Luoling dated Liu Yinxi for three years, and Nan Huaixu is her aunt — she can’t even tell them apart?】

            

【Ying Luoling never expected anyone else to show up. The survival competition environment is different from normal life — don’t take it too seriously.】

【Why does this give me the vibe of the official wife chasing away bad romance for her clueless wife? Sorry, I ky⁵‘d!】

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