Substitute Alpha Gets Confessed to by Her Ex’s Aunt on a Survival Variety Show – Chapter 162
by Little PandaCongratulations on Winning, Special System Task Completed
Huang Heshan shifted to hold the bow one-handed and offered it to Liu Yinxi: “We didn’t finish our match properly last time. I want to compete with you again—an archery hunt. You don’t have a good bow, so use mine this time.”
Liu Yinxi put away her puzzled expression and smiled instead: “Again? I knew you were competitive, but I didn’t realize you were this competitive. So what do you want to wager this time?”
Huang Heshan: “This season’s championship.”
How could a contestant decide the championship on her own?
Liu Yinxi said seriously: “Huang-jie, it’s not that I won’t compete with you, but an individual contest between contestants can’t determine the championship.”
Huang Heshan’s lips twitched slightly: “Mm, I was joking.”
“What? You can actually joke?”
Huang Heshan quickly reverted to her usual poker face: “I want to win back face1.”
This time Liu Yinxi understood—Huang Heshan had lost face from the friction fire duel last time and wanted a second match to redeem herself.
Liu Yinxi grinned and crossed her arms: “Heh, so you still haven’t accepted defeat from last time?”
“You’re right. I’m not good at friction fire, but I excel at archery. Hunting counts as a survival skill, right? If I win, I get my face back. If you win, this is yours.”
Saying this, Huang Heshan pulled out something wrapped in a banana leaf from her backpack.
Liu Yinxi took it and opened it—whoa, it was a fresh cut of venison!
What a prize. Teacher Nan loved eating this.
Liu Yinxi turned to seek her leader’s opinion: “Teacher Nan, I want the venison. Can I compete with her?”
Nan Huaixu smiled and gave a thumbs-up: “Sure, go for it.”
Liu Yinxi returned a thumbs-up and turned to ask Huang Heshan: “How are we competing?”
Huang Heshan pointed to a cluster of bushes on the opposite bank, their water-drooping branches laden with small red berries: “I’ve been sitting here for a while and saw many fish jump out of the water to eat the berries on those bushes. We’ll compete to see who can shoot a fish first.”
She raised her compound bow: “You go first.”
Liu Yinxi gave her a sidelong glance: “Confident, aren’t we.”
Huang Heshan waited quietly for her to take the bow.
Liu Yinxi walked to the edge of the small islet, timed her shot, drew the bow and nocked an arrow. With a whoosh, the bamboo arrow grazed past a leaping fish and splashed into the water.
“Your turn.” Liu Yinxi handed the bow to Huang Heshan.
Huang Heshan waited for the right moment and loosed her bamboo arrow, but also missed.
Liu Yinxi called out to Nan Huaixu: “Teacher Nan, help us keep score!”
Nan Huaixu raised both hands and made two zeros: “Okay.”
Liu Yinxi and Huang Heshan took turns shooting arrows.
The fish only broke the surface for a split second, making them extremely difficult to hit. On top of that, the school had been spooked and jumped less frequently, adding to the difficulty.
They competed by the lakeside for two hours before a winner emerged.
Liu Yinxi’s arrow pierced through a fish that had caught a red berry in its mouth, and it fell into the water, sending ripples outward.
Liu Yinxi shouted triumphantly: “I won!” She turned to ask Huang Heshan: “Did you see that?”
Huang Heshan nodded: “I saw it. You won.”
Liu Yinxi happily reached out her hand: “The venison is mine!”
Huang Heshan placed the venison in her palms with both hands and repeated: “Liu Yinxi, you won.”
“Mm!”
“I lost to you in the area I’m best at. You’ve won this competition fair and square.”
“Huang-jie, it feels so weird when you suddenly compliment me like that. Next time you have venison, remember to come challenge me again! We’re heading off now, bye-bye.”
Huang Heshan stood in place, watching Liu Yinxi and Nan Huaixu leave until their figures disappeared into the forest.
After a long while, Huang Heshan picked up the Robot Dog and faced the camera: “I lost.”
She took out the satellite phone and dialed.
Beep.
Beep.
“Production team, this is Huang Heshan.”
“A month ago, my right lower back was injured by a wild boar piglet, and the dull ache has been getting worse. I request to withdraw from the competition.”
It was a pity she couldn’t win back face in the end.
Consider it her farewell to this competition.
Though she lost this contest, she had finally figured out where the ultimate battlefield to end her chaotic life lay.
Was she a mercenary scraping by just to avenge her teacher?
Did she join this competition to earn blood money, just because she was afraid of death and wanted to cling to her worthless life?
No.
She wanted to end her wandering. She wanted stability. She wanted a home.
A home she had never possessed since birth, never dared to dream of, yet yearned for with all her soul.
A person willing to give her a home.
Money could be earned again by wading back through mountains of blades and seas of blood, but she could not be absent when that person needed her most…
Jinzhou Island, Mulang City.
Hospital, private garden ward.
The doctor closed the report: “Everything is stable now. Miss Yu, be careful not to have emotional fluctuations. Supplement your nutrition moderately over the next few days and give your body time to adapt and recover.”
Yu Jing gratefully saw the doctor out and asked the medical staff to fetch the medicine.
Yu Jing closed the door, walked back to the bedside, and handed Yu Yan a worn but very clean stuffed rabbit: “Your stomach doesn’t hurt anymore, right? Tell Mom if anything feels uncomfortable.”
Yu Yan hugged the stuffed rabbit and buried her face in its soft fur: “Thank you, Mom.”
This stuffed rabbit was a fifth birthday gift from her biological mother. It had survived the Crescent War Zone airstrikes with her.
Yu Jing gently stroked her hair, eyes glistening: “Look at you, you’ve lost so much weight. Even your beautiful hair has split ends.”
Yu Yan squeezed the rabbit’s ears and peeked out from behind the stuffed animal: “Mom, how about we add a little baby to our family?”
Yu Jing’s face immediately darkened.
Yu Yan clung to her adoptive mother’s hand coaxingly: “Mom~”
Yu Jing gently pushed her away and turned her head: “You’re usually so smart. How could you be so foolish this time? I looked into that Huang woman. Her background is a complete mess, utterly chaotic—sigh, tell me, why did you choose her? Did she bully you?”
Yu Yan shook her head repeatedly and pressed close to her mother’s side: “I like her pheromones. Most importantly, I feel like she and I are truly from the same world.”
Yu Jing said angrily: “Are Mom and you not from the same world?”
Yu Yan quickly linked her arm through her mother’s: “Mom, don’t be mad.”
Yu Jing had a belly full of anger, but seeing her daughter’s gaunt face, her heart immediately softened: “Mom’s not mad.”
Yu Yan leaned against her mother and gazed out the window at the sky: “Mom, do you remember when you brought me back from the ruins after the airstrike, I asked if you could bring my few good Crescent friends back with me?”
“Sigh, I knew you’d never forget that. I regret it too. They were foreign nationals; I had no authority to take them with me.”
Yu Yan lowered her eyes: “I felt terrible back then. Why was I the only one who could be saved when we were all children from conflict zones? I let those friends down, so I’ve been helping war zone orphanages all these years.”
“Heshan and I are the same. We’re both survivors of the Crescent airstrikes. I was rescued as a child, but she was trapped there and fought her way out bathed in blood. If I hadn’t been adopted by you, her current life would be mine. Mom, I really want to help her, as if rescuing the self I was years ago from the ruins.”
Yu Yan smiled and touched her belly: “After meeting her, I realized my heart has never left the Crescent ruins all these years. But she made it out. Being with her makes my childhood nightmares feel less terrifying. I want to clear away the ruins in my heart alongside her and build a home filled with blooming flowers.”
Yu Jing listened in silence and then embraced her treasure deeply.
The sun was setting, its afterglow spilling across the quiet hospital corridor.
There were also two long shadows.
The ward door was closed. Not far away, Yu Jing asked the person before her: “You heard everything Yanyan said just now, didn’t you?”
Huang Heshan nodded.
Yu Jing’s brow furrowed deeply: “I know my daughter’s personality. She doesn’t make decisions lightly, but once she does, she’s stubborn to the end. She trusts you, but I don’t.”
Huang Heshan looked up: “But you called me here.”
Yu Jing shot her a displeased glance, yet with a touch of resignation: “Your life debts need to be cleaned up, and you need a merit to serve as your stepping stone. We’ve been dealing with Crescent forces for decades, and their armed factions are getting more brazen. You’re familiar with their internal organization. I have a mission that requires putting your life on the line. If you succeed, you can start a new life and pass my test. If you fail, you report to the underworld2 and repent for your crimes against Yanyan.”
Yu Jing added: “One more thing. Don’t let Yanyan know about this. Think it over before you give me your answer.”
Huang Heshan agreed immediately: “I’m willing.” She bowed slightly: “Thank you for giving me this opportunity.”
Two birds flew past outside the window. Golden sunset glow suffused the horizon, the vast sky theirs to soar through.
The emerald lake lay at the heart of the vast primeval rainforest, glittering with golden ripples under the setting sun.
The evening breeze drifted by, cool and refreshing.
Liu Yinxi sat under the shade canopy, using a knife to cut the deep red venison into evenly sliced chops, which she would later pan-fry in palm oil.
“Liu Yinxi, let’s have two pieces today and freeze the rest. We can’t eat such good meat all at once—we need to savor it slowly.”
Nan Huaixu carried a bamboo tube of sweet root water and sat down on the small bamboo stool next to Liu Yinxi, taking two sips: “Mm, delicious. The sweet root grass we picked today is really sweet.”
She turned and raised her hand, bringing the bamboo tube to Liu Yinxi’s lips, feeding her: “Have a taste.”
Liu Yinxi’s lips brushed against her fingertips—soft and warm.
It seemed like Nan Huaixu was feeding her more and more often lately…
What did that mean?
Liu Yinxi tilted her head back and drank a mouthful of sweet root water, thinking again about what Nan Huaixu had said about her “number-one best friend.”
Could this be interpreted as…
Nan Huaixu was a little smitten with her?
Oh—stop thinking about it, stop thinking about it. The moment she thought about it, her heart started pounding.
Liu Yinxi took a deep breath and drank a second mouthful. Suddenly, her bracelet beeped.
Nan Huaixu’s bracelet beeped too.
It was an announcement.
Nan Huaixu quickly set down the bamboo tube, and the two checked the message together.
—Date: July 10th
Eliminated: 1
Eliminated Contestant: No. 7 · Huang Heshan
Reason for Elimination: Internal injury
Liu Yinxi was surprised.
What? Huang-jie was eliminated due to injury?
She seemed fine when they saw her this morning. How did she get injured? Or had she always had an internal injury that worsened? But it hadn’t seemed serious enough to withdraw…
Whatever the case, it was already settled. May her path ahead be broad and bright3.
—With this, three out of four pairs of contestants have been eliminated. Congratulations to Nan Huaixu and Liu Yinxi for winning this season’s 《Survivor》 championship!
The two contestants will receive a prize of 3,000,000 RMB!
Additionally, a friendly reminder: Would the two contestants accept the 100-day survival challenge? During the challenge, there will be no more airdrop supplies. Successful completion will earn an additional 1,000,000 RMB “Super Survivor” grand prize!
—Nan Huaixu, Liu Yinxi, please press the red button on the Robot Dog’s neck to confirm participation in the challenge.
Liu Yinxi and Nan Huaixu exchanged glances: “Today is July 10th. There aren’t many days left until 100 days.”
A few days would pass quickly. The 4,000,000 RMB grand prize was waving at them.
Nan Huaixu’s Robot Dog was lying beside the stool. Without hesitation, she pressed the red button: “That’s right, but no matter how many days, I’ll persevere to the end.”
—Contestant Nan Huaixu confirms acceptance of the 100-day challenge!
Dog 6 was chasing butterflies in the grass. Liu Yinxi fiercely called it over, grabbed it, and pressed the red button.
—Contestant Liu Yinxi confirms acceptance of the 100-day challenge!
Liu Yinxi looked up. Nan Huaixu was watching her without blinking, a sweet smile on her lips.
She really liked Nan Huaixu so much.
Liu Yinxi wondered what kind of opportunity she could find to test the waters and confess to her.
But it would be so awkward if she was rejected…
Hmm, if only she could see Nan Huaixu’s complete character profile card.
Ding—
The familiar system startup chime rang in Liu Yinxi’s mind, and her eyes lit up with excitement.
As she wished—a system reward was here!
Liu Yinxi hastily operated the reading system in her mind and opened her personal messages.
「Good evening, user liuyinxi.」
「Congratulations on successfully rewriting the supporting character’s branch ending and completing the hidden special task: Bird of Paradise4—Heart’s Desire.」
「Thank you for your tolerance and kindness. These warm qualities will accompany you as you overcome one difficulty after another, forging heart-to-heart connections ^-^」
「Now settling your task rewards…」
「…Loading 99%」
「Settlement successful!」
「This reward (10 points, one opportunity to unlock character card information, main storyline completion +10%) has been recorded in the system public mailbox. You may view it at any time; character-related information updates in real time.」
「Your current main storyline completion is 80%」
「You have now accumulated 30 points, which can be exchanged for the Favorability Explanation feature. Would you like to exchange?」
「You have chosen to exchange 30 points for the Favorability Explanation feature.」
「Exchange successful!」
「You are now viewing Nan Huaixu’s character profile card.」
「Nan Huaixu’s current favorability toward you is: 68% (Click to view favorability explanation)」
「Favorability 68%, Mutual Admiration5: Your confession success rate is 90%」
「Next stage, Favorability 70%-80%, Inseparable Companions6: Your confession success rate is 100%」
Liu Yinxi: “!”
How does she raise it that 2%?!!!
Footnotes
- 面子 (miànzi): Chinese concept of social face, prestige, and dignity; losing face means public embarrassment.
- 阴曹地府 (Yīncáodìfǔ): Chinese Buddhist/Daoist underworld, the realm of the dead where souls face judgment.
- 其道大光 (qí dào dà guāng): Classical Chinese blessing from Liang Qichao's 'Ode to Young China,' meaning 'may the path ahead be broad and bright.'
- 鹤望兰 (hèwànglán): Bird of Paradise flower (Strelitzia reginae), a tropical plant named for its crane-like blooms symbolizing freedom and yearning.
- 惺惺相惜 (xīngxīng xiāngxī): Chinese idiom meaning kindred spirits who deeply appreciate and resonate with each other.
- 形影相随 (xíngyǐng xiāngsuí): Chinese idiom meaning 'form and shadow follow each other,' describing inseparable companions.
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