Substitute Alpha Gets Confessed to by Her Ex’s Aunt on a Survival Variety Show – Chapter 144
by Little PandaFinals Stage
“I am…” Liu Yinxi met Nan Huaixu’s gaze and batted her lashes twice. “I’m a wounded twenty-something.”
Nan Huaixu couldn’t help turning aside, covering her lips as she laughed. “Pfft.”
Her hands didn’t stop moving. She finished combing Liu Yinxi’s hair and nimbly tied it up with braiding cord. “Then what am I? A thirty-something middle-aged youth.”
“No way, Teacher Nan, you’re a celestial being. Immortals go by spiritual cultivation, not age.”
“Alright, alright, I’m about to turn rainbow-colored from all the flattery.”
Nan Huaixu had the Robot Dog film Liu Yinxi’s new hairstyle first, then let her look at her reflection in the lake.
Liu Yinxi let out a sharp screech1: “My. God!”
She turned her head, sporting two tall pigtails, and raised a hand to block the Robot Dog’s lens. “You can’t look—see no evil, see no evil!”
Nan Huaixu said with a smile, “What’s there to be shy about? Back when you wore those Lolita dresses to anime conventions and film festivals, didn’t you always like wearing pigtail wigs? And they had to be milk-strawberry-scented pink pigtails.”
Liu Yinxi couldn’t block the Robot Dog and the drone, so she could only cover her own face. “Nope, nope—not anymore. Not now, not ever.”
That had been the original owner’s hobby. The original owner had gone for the cute, soft Alpha route, but she wasn’t that person.
Liu Yinxi pleaded pitifully with Nan Huaixu. “Teacher Nan, I want a simple, clean hairstyle that’s easy for hiking in the rainforest. Can I take off these two ‘horns’ first?”
Nan Huaixu had only been teasing her anyway. She removed the two braiding cords tied on top of her head. “There.”
Liu Yinxi’s expression relaxed with relief.
Nan Huaixu handed her the cords. “Tie it yourself. Make sure you don’t let the hair around your ears droop down and cover the wound.”
Liu Yinxi gathered her hair into a low ponytail. “Mm-hm.”
Nan Huaixu took the opportunity to check her wound—it was healing quickly. “Did you apply medicine today?”
“I’ll change the dressing tonight.”
“Okay.”
Bloop.
A bubble popped on the lake’s surface, sending ripples spreading outward in delicate concentric rings.
Liu Yinxi watched the lake water alertly. Some water bugs clung to the surface while fish below waited for their chance to strike.
The Robot Dog took two steps forward, following her gaze to film the lake, then turned to give her a close-up.
Liu Yinxi’s lips curved into a smile, and struck by a sudden impulse, she waved at the camera.
【Welcome to the《Survivor》Season 5 main livestream!】
【Host: The one waving at us right now is this season’s popularity queen—Liu Yinxi!】
【Host: Where are all the viewers in the livestream who support Liu Yinxi and Nan Huaixu?】
【Right here! Xixi! Xixi! (cheering wildly)】
【Manman awooo! (gone feral)】
【Nan Huaixu, I love you!~~~】
【Host: This season’s competition has been running from April to now, over two months. Two teams of guests have stood out and will compete in the final showdown!】
【They are—】
【Liu Yinxi & Nan Huaixu】
【Huang Heshan & Yu Yan】
【Who will be the ultimate winner? Please vote in this session’s voting event to choose your “Last Survivor”!】
【Nan Huaixu! Liu Yinxi! Nan Huaixu! Liu Yinxi!】
【Victory belongs to Huai-Liu2!】
【Sisters, vote fast! Let’s send Huai-Liu to 100 days! Fulfill Liu Yinxi’s dream of winning the million-yuan grand prize as a wayward little Alpha who found her way back!】
【Support Huang-jie! Huang Heshan rules!】
【I love the gentle yet determined Yu Yan. Rooting for Yuyu and Huang-jie to take first place! O(∩_∩)O】
【I love watching powerhouse duos the most. Already voted—go Huang Heshan and Yu Yan!~】
【Host: Everyone’s so excited! It’s not just the bullet-screen comments—our livestream studio is also buzzing today.】
【Now, let’s invite our four Special Guests to share their thoughts on the championship race.】
【Let’s go from left to right, in order. Xiao Lu, you’re up first.】
【Hahaha, I see some viewers saying, ‘Isn’t this speaking in elimination order?’ Yep, what a coincidence—it matches today’s seating arrangement for the Special Guests.】
【Let’s hear what our Special Guests have to say.】
【Special Guest Lu Yiqi: Hello everyone, long time no see. I remember when each of us withdrew, we were all asked which guest we favored most. My view is the same as back then—because Liu Yinxi saved me, I’m casting my vote for Liu Yinxi and Teacher Nan. Thank you!】
【Special Guest Yuan Fang: Hey, good morning to all my lovely sisters in the livestream~ Did you miss me while I was gone? Today I’m voting for Huang-jie. If you want to know why I changed my mind, it’s because Liu Yinxi won’t be my wife. Very regrettable—I won’t vote for a wretched woman with zero taste. What? You ask who I bet on? Hahaha, some things are better left unsaid. Asking too deeply ruins the fun, Baby.】
【Special Guest Xue Yunshao: Hello, viewers and friends. I’m Xue Yunshao, and I’m delighted to meet everyone again in the《Survivor》livestream. After watching over two months of competition, everyone has a good understanding of all the guests’ abilities. Huang-jie’s physical fitness and hunting skills are the strongest—no one would disagree, right? Add in Yu Yan’s knowledge of medicine, and a powerhouse duo like that has extraordinary strength. So I’m casting my vote for them.】
【Special Guest Ying Luoling: Hello hello~ Hi everyone, we meet again. I’m Lingling. When Liu Yinxi first told me she had a shelter and farmland, I thought she was bragging. Later, when I saw her shelter on the livestream, I realized she’d been telling the truth. It suddenly dawned on me that in the three years I’d known her, I had never really gotten to know her. I was amazed that she’d rush into a raging fire to save me without regard for her own safety. I think she’s growing, and I want to witness more of her transformation. Even though beating Huang Heshan and Yu Yan will be difficult, I choose to believe in her and support her. Go, Liu Yinxi. And my Little Aunt, Nan Huaixu—I’m rooting for you too.】
【Host: Thank you to our four Special Guests for your remarks. Now, let’s switch the feed to the two teams in the finals.】
【On the left is Team Liu Yinxi & Nan Huaixu.】
【On the right is Team Huang Heshan & Yu Yan.】
【Please click the sparkling flame icon below the livestream to cast your finals vote. Hurry and support the one you believe in! ~(^v^)~】
In the left sub-livestream, Liu Yinxi and Nan Huaixu left the lakeside, chatting and laughing as they walked slowly toward a lush patch of Sweet Root Grass.
In the right sub-livestream, Huang Heshan walked alone through the dense forest, a compound bow slung across her back.
Huang Heshan raised her left hand. The back of her hand was swollen with a red bump, the redness spreading to the surrounding skin. She rubbed some saliva on it, then tuned in to the faintest sounds, tracking her prey.
By evening, Huang Heshan returned to the lakeside shelter carrying two wild pheasants.
The slanted-roof shelter with its waterproof tarp looked like a tent. Outside, the stone-ringed fire pit glowed. Inside the shelter, a pair of slanted legs was visible—the person’s upper body lying deeper within.
Huang Heshan dropped the bound pheasants and hurried to the shelter, crouching down to gently shake the woman whose eyes were closed. “Yu Yan.”
“Yu Yan!”
Huang Heshan’s face immediately darkened. She reached for Yu Yan’s wrist—just as her fingers closed around the slender hand, Yu Yan slowly opened her eyes. Seeing Huang Heshan, her hazy face broke into a smile. “You’re back. Sorry, I fell asleep again.”
Huang Heshan kept her hand clasped. “You can’t sleep well at night and you’re drowsy during the day—what’s going on?”
Yu Yan smiled. “It’s nothing. I’m not used to the climate here. I don’t sleep enough at night, so I’m tired during the day.”
Huang Heshan frowned. “You’re barely eating, either. I found some lemons and yellow fruit—let me steep them in water for you.”
Yu Yan nodded and picked up a half-whittled bamboo arrow beside her.
Huang Heshan pulled the bamboo slat and knife from her hands and set them aside. “You’ve been like this for half a month. Something’s wrong. Let me make a call, okay?”
Yu Yan’s expression changed. She grabbed her arm immediately. “I told you, no need. I know my own condition. It doesn’t hurt or itch—I’m just low on energy. It won’t interfere with normal foraging or crafting…”
Before she could finish, Yu Yan noticed the swollen bump on the back of Huang Heshan’s hand and hurriedly rummaged through the Airdrop Crate for ointment. “What bit you?”
“Spider.” Huang Heshan didn’t care about this minor injury at all and still wanted to persuade her to call in outside help to see a doctor. “Yu Yan, I understand your determination to keep going. But if something happens to your health—even if you win the prize money, with no one to manage it, what about the orphans in the war zone?”
“I told you, I’m fine.”
“Outside help would just be checking your condition, not making you quit.”
Yu Yan tore off a medicinal leaf and stuffed it into Huang Huaixu’s mouth. A faint glint of anger showed in her eyes. “Someone who can’t even take care of herself shouldn’t be worrying about others.”
Huang Heshan chewed the leaf to bits, the bitterness spreading across her lips and teeth, her brow clouded with an inescapable worry.
No matter what, she had to win the prize money.
Give it to Yu Yan.
Give it to the self she could never return to, lost in the smoke of war.
The sunlight was fine and clear.
Liu Yinxi was injured and Nan Huaixu was on her period—neither of them was in any shape for long hikes. It was the perfect time to bring out all the supplies stored in the shelter and air them out to get rid of the damp.
At the same time, they took inventory—tossing out anything useless or spoiled, seeing what they were short on, and planning how to restock.
Nan Huaixu closed the food storage box. “The corn is gone. There were only two or three stalks to begin with, and we can’t wait for a second harvest.”
Liu Yinxi stood in the field, hands on her hips, looking regretful.
Nan Huaixu poured water to wash her hands and wiped off the dirt. “There are still a few sweet potatoes left, but I’d guess not many in the ground either. We’ll have to ration them.”
Liu Yinxi nodded.
“Then there’s the fish in the puddle, the lizard in the chicken coop, and the eggs in the crate. We’ve pretty much picked all the fruit around here too—the good ones never make it to us, the bugs and birds get to them first.” Nan Huaixu shrugged helplessly.
Liu Yinxi: “Rice and beans—”
“Almost gone too.” Nan Huaixu mercilessly shattered her food dreams.
Liu Yinxi lay down on the first-floor wooden boards in dismay. “No more big meals. Never again.”
A few days ago she’d gotten carried away after eating eggs and quail, but now that she’d tallied everything up carefully, they weren’t well-off at all.
Nan Huaixu leaned against the shelving rack, thinking. “The competition is about determining a winner. Dragging things out like this—no matter how much food we stockpile—it’s not a solution.”
Liu Yinxi looked up at her.
Nan Huaixu: “Liu Yinxi, why don’t you trail Huang Heshan?”
Liu Yinxi sat up in one swift motion, pointing at herself with her index finger. “Me?”
Nan Huaixu crossed her arms. “I would if I could, but I don’t have the skills for it.”
Liu Yinxi took a bite of banana stem. “What would I trail her for? Steal her supplies? But Teacher Nan, let’s be practical here. I think hunting and foraging ourselves would be simpler than stealing from her—it’d save time, and we wouldn’t have to fight her. Don’t you think?”
Nan Huaixu shook her head, her gaze sharp. “We wouldn’t steal their supplies for our own use—we’d steal them to create difficulties for them.”
Once they eliminated their final opponents, this rainforest would belong to her and Liu Yinxi alone.
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