Substitute Alpha Gets Confessed to by Her Ex’s Aunt on a Survival Variety Show – Chapter 166
by Little PandaWhen Do You Plan to Say You Love Me
The system’s notification chime had already sounded.
Liu Yinxi and Nan Huaixu had signed their names and the date on the mural, packed up their things, and returned to the shelter. After dinner and a rest, Liu Yinxi finally found a moment alone to open the Transmigration Reading System.
「Good evening, User liuyinxi.」
「Favorability Alert: Nan Huaixu’s favorability toward you +1%!」
「Nan Huaixu’s current favorability toward you: 70%」
「Congratulations on raising the character’s favorability level to the “Inseparable” stage!」
「At this stage, your confession success rate is 100%. If you adore her, please act immediately.」
「Congratulations on completing Special Quest · Favorability Upgrade.」
「Now settling your quest rewards…」
「This round’s rewards (2 points, one chance to unlock character card information, main storyline completion +5%) have been deposited into the system inbox. You may view them at any time; character-related information updates in real time.」
「Your current main storyline completion: 85%」
「The story grants every character a soul. Please remember: sincerity earns sincerity, honesty reveals honesty. Never grow arrogant and reckless.」
「Please continue your exploration life, reshape the original storyline to generate a new world. Wishing you success in rebooting your marvelous life.」
Liu Yinxi finished reading these system messages. On one hand, she was thrilled that she could finally confess to Nan Huaixu. On the other, she felt curious and bewildered about the system’s main storyline task.
What exactly counted as completing the main storyline transformation?
What would happen when a new world was generated?
And what did the system mean by warning her not to grow arrogant?
“…”
Liu Yinxi couldn’t figure it out.
Smack. She swatted a mosquito that had landed on her arm trying to suck her blood, dabbed on some herbal ointment, then lay back down and kept reading the system.
If she couldn’t figure it out, she’d stop trying. Expending brainpower and energy on something with no result was just a waste of time.
Just like that “rescue the female lead” quest—the system would explain itself when the time came.
The system was even encouraging her to act immediately toward the character she admired.
At that thought, Liu Yinxi’s ears grew slightly warm.
She quietly turned her head and gazed past the awning at the slender silhouette outside.
Under the moonlight, Nan Huaixu had washed her face and untied her long hair, carefully combing through it with a wooden comb.
Liu Yinxi watched her, taking in the unhurried, methodical way she washed up, and felt a deep, easy sense of comfort.
Suddenly, Nan Huaixu looked up and caught her eye. Liu Yinxi hastily turned away, pretending to count the stars.
After a while, hearing Nan Huaixu’s footsteps fade and the sound of water being poured, Liu Yinxi let out a breath of relief.
But once things quieted down, she wondered—why had she just looked away? Why had she pretended to stargaze?
She could have held Nan Huaixu’s gaze and smiled.
Liu Yinxi conducted a self-review: You, my friend, have a guilty conscience.
Her heart was pounding, and it didn’t feel good.
Liu Yinxi pressed a hand to her chest and took a deep breath.
She kept thinking: I need to act.
Act immediately toward the Nan Huaixu she admired…
…But how exactly should she confess in a way that was romantic yet proper?
Liu Yinxi pressed a hand against her sweaty forehead in regret. If only she’d asked Nan Huaixu for advice on how to confess back when she was consulting her about life’s little questions.
“Is it hot? You’re sweating a lot.” Nan Huaixu stepped into the shelter and sat down gently beside Liu Yinxi.
“Yeah, there’s no breeze tonight. It’s muggy.” Liu Yinxi hurriedly wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead and temples.
Nan Huaixu brought her a cup of water with ice chips and handed her a woven grass fan. “Here.”
“Thank you, Teacher Nan.”
Nan Huaixu leaned against the edge of a wooden post, gazing up at the stars and moon, her eyes full of longing. “The day after tomorrow, we’ll be back in the city.”
Liu Yinxi agreed. “Yeah.”
“There’ll be a lot to do once we’re back. If I’m too busy, I’ll have my assistant contact you first to help with your move and handle your contract.”
“Mm-hmm. Teacher Nan, what contract?”
“If I remember correctly, your livestreaming management contract is with Ying Luoling’s company. Do you still want to stay there? Didn’t we agree I’d recommend you for new work?”
“Got it. Thank you, Teacher Nan.”
Nan Huaixu poured herself a cup of iced water as well.
It was genuinely muggy tonight.
She took a sip of ice water to moisten her throat and said, “Liu Yinxi, I’ll have a month off in August. There’s something I’d like to ask you.”
Liu Yinxi quickly sat up, her expression serious. “Okay, go ahead.”
Nan Huaixu gathered her thoughts and began, “Over these three months of competition, we’ve been through a lot of danger. You saved me several times. You said you learned all your survival skills from the villagers in your hometown, and from your late friend. Your grandma taught you a lot too, and she was the one who looked after you the most. Without those people, you wouldn’t have such incredible skills, and we might not have won this competition—I might not even be alive.”
Liu Yinxi cut in. “Don’t say that. Don’t jinx it.”
“Mm.” Nan Huaixu smiled apologetically and continued, “So I was thinking—at the end of August, during the Ghost Festival1, I’ll be on vacation anyway, so I wanted to ask if you have time. I’d like to go back to your hometown with you, see where you grew up, visit the villagers, and then visit your grandma and friend to offer them incense.”
Liu Yinxi’s smile gradually froze.
Oh no.
This absolutely would not do. The original body’s hometown was completely different from what Liu Yinxi had described—a mundane farming village with no survival-skilled villagers whatsoever.
That late friend was entirely made up. This world had no such person, let alone a grave where they could offer incense.
If Nan Huaixu discovered everything she’d said was a lie, how would she explain it?
How would she explain why she had lied?
And how would she explain where all her survival skills actually came from?
Liu Yinxi’s nerves drew taut. She thought for a moment, then said cautiously, “Teacher Nan, my hometown doesn’t have the custom of burning incense for the Ghost Festival. Besides, it’s a remote, out-of-the-way place. Getting there is very inconvenient, and it’s not safe. I really appreciate the thought, but let’s not trouble you.”
“Oh… no Ghost Festival incense custom there, is there. That was inconsiderate of me, but surely paying a visit to pay respects would be fine? As for transportation and safety, don’t worry—I have a driver and bodyguards. Besides, I’d be going to express gratitude. How is that a trouble? Not at all. Don’t worry.”
“Uh, but I haven’t been back in a long time. The old house is gone, so there’s nowhere to stay, and I wouldn’t be able to host you properly. And… and my childhood in the village wasn’t happy. I don’t want to go back and stir up bad memories. I’m sorry, Teacher Nan.”
Nan Huaixu frowned slightly, her dark eyes studying Liu Yinxi for a long moment before she lowered her voice and asked, “Liu Yinxi, why do I get the feeling you’re afraid of me learning about your past? You’ve changed enormously this year. Does that change have something to do with your reluctance to let me understand your past?”
Sweat beaded on Liu Yinxi’s forehead and palms again. She fanned herself vigorously, her mind racing for a way out. Gritting her teeth, she replied, “Teacher Nan, maybe as a big star you can’t understand the constraints of a country bumpkin like me. I feel a lot of pressure.”
Nan Huaixu’s eyes burned like torches, as though she could see right through the façade. “Is it pressure, or are you trying to hide something from me?”
Liu Yinxi hung her head, playing pitiful. She clasped her hands together, fidgeting and twisting her fingers. “You’re Nan Huaixu—the Film Empress who shines on screen. Being able to meet you in this lifetime, to spend three months by your side, is already something worth bragging about forever.”
She buried her head even lower, nearly hiding behind her loose hair. “You’ve been so good to me, and I feel incredibly lucky, but it also brings pressure. Nan Huaixu, you said you treat me as your best friend, but I understand that even between friends there are boundaries. You’ve already helped me enough by finding me a place to rent and a job. Thank you.”
“Friends’ boundaries?” Nan Huaixu fell silent for a moment, glanced at Liu Yinxi twice, and nodded. “Alright. I understand.”
She said, “Let’s forget it, then. I was too presumptuous. I’m tired, and you should sleep early. Good night.”
Liu Yinxi watched her back as she went upstairs and waved. “Good night, Teacher Nan.”
Phew.
Liu Yinxi sighed. Saying it like that should be fine, right?
ding—
「Favorability Alert: Nan Huaixu’s favorability toward you -1%」
「Nan Huaixu’s current favorability toward you: 69%」
「At this stage, your confession success rate is 90%. If confessing, please consider the risk of failure!」
Liu Yinxi: “…”
At 2 AM, Liu Yinxi sat bolt upright on her sleeping mat:
No wait, am I sick in the head?!
Does my brain not have wrinkles?!
Why didn’t I think of a more tactful way to turn her down, even just to buy some buffer time?!
Now it’s all ruined…
Sincerity earns sincerity, honesty reveals honesty. Never grow arrogant and reckless.
So that’s what the system’s warning meant.
Favorability drops when you’re not genuine.
Liars end up alone.
On this muggy, sleepless night, a certain idiot worried herself a few gray hairs.
Bracelet date: July 16th.
Don’t ask Liu Yinxi how she knows the rainforest birds start calling at 3 AM before the sky even gets bright.
After washing up past five, Liu Yinxi touched her fresh dark circles and set about preparing breakfast.
When Nan Huaixu came downstairs, Liu Yinxi greeted her with an enthusiastic good morning. But Nan Huaixu, who always used to smile and return the greeting, didn’t respond at all. She calmly took her portion of breakfast and said to Liu Yinxi, “Thank you.”
Liu Yinxi froze. This was different from before.
Nan Huaixu had become so distant.
Liu Yinxi knew Nan Huaixu was angry with her, and she had only one thought now: earn Nan Huaixu’s forgiveness.
Liu Yinxi made Nan Huaixu’s favorite honey-glazed crispy little fish and a fruit platter. Nan Huaixu didn’t touch a bite.
Liu Yinxi brought out the remaining pigments and invited Nan Huaixu to paint together. Nan Huaixu politely declined, quietly weaving small trinkets out of vine grass by herself.
Liu Yinxi thickened her skin and asked Nan Huaixu to help apply ointment to mosquito bites on her back. Nan Huaixu said coolly, “Sorry, that’s not very convenient.”
The sun rose in the east and set in the west.
But Liu Yinxi’s mood never rose once the entire day.
The golden light of sunset painted the lakeside forest. Layer upon layer of leaves caught the glow, and as a breeze rustled through, they fluttered like countless golden cicada wings, whispering softly.
Liu Yinxi sat on the high earthen slope by the lake, glumly skipping stones into the water.
Plop.
Could the system even do math? Teacher Nan was completely ignoring her—this only counts as minus one percent?
Plop.
Nan Huaixu didn’t keep her word. She’d said that whatever misunderstanding arose between them, they would talk it through. She’d said they’d be each other’s best friends. But today she’d given her the silent treatment.
Plop.
With Nan Huaixu acting like this today, a confession was obviously hopeless. How was she supposed to face her after returning to the country…
She ran out of stones. Liu Yinxi sighed and rested her chin in both hands. Just yesterday she and Nan Huaixu had been happily holding hands, and today she didn’t even get a good morning. The tremendous drop made her heart feel like it was being tossed between a furnace and an icehouse, over and over.
Regret and sorrow were written all over her face.
For the first time, Liu Yinxi was tormented by frustration and grievance until tears welled up.
She shooed away the robot dog, buried her face in her arms, and wiped the dampness from the corners of her eyes with her sleeve.
How embarrassing.
Familiar footsteps approached slowly from behind. A slender silhouette fell across the grassy slope.
“It seems you don’t much care for ‘friends’ boundaries.'”
Quite inconsistent with what a certain someone had said yesterday about being treated “too well, exceeding boundaries, causing too much pressure.”
Liu Yinxi whipped around. Nan Huaixu stood beside her, the corner of her lips curved in a smile.
“I’m sorry, will you forgive me?” Liu Yinxi looked up, her damp eyes unable to hide the tears she’d just fought so unsuccessfully to hold back.
Nan Huaixu lowered her eyes, her gaze skimming over Liu Yinxi’s reddened eye corners, then turned to the sunset filling the sky. Her low, unhurried voice was meant for only the two of them to hear.
“When do you plan to say you love me.”
Liu Yinxi froze. Her stinging eyes grew redder and redder. Slowly, so slowly, she turned her gaze toward Nan Huaixu. The words rolled around in her throat a few times before she confessed honestly: “I was just about to say it. Wanted your opinion.”
Nan Huaixu said nothing. She watched the sunset for a moment, then turned and walked past Liu Yinxi.
Liu Yinxi held her breath and waited. When she saw her leaving, her suspended heart finally died.
The confession had failed after all.
Suddenly, Nan Huaixu turned and walked back. She pulled off her jacket and tossed it over the robot dog’s camera lens.
【0-0?】
【Screen went black?】
【Why did my phone go black!】
【@Admin, the livestream lagged again!】
【It’s not lag, Manman’s jacket is covering the camera.】
【What? The drones rest at night, only the robot dog camera is running—now we can’t see anything TAT】
【Maybe there’s something private going on. She’ll definitely move the jacket in a bit, please understand everyone (please)】
【Let us out of the dark room! I want to see Manman and Xixi make up! QAQ】
【Exactly, they’ve been giving each other the cold shoulder all day. The competition ends tomorrow, hurry up and make up (pity)】
【Why was Manman ignoring Xixi today?】
【Because Manman wants to tell Xixi: friends’ boundaries aren’t lovers’ boundaries. Since being friends is too much pressure, being a girlfriend won’t be (doge)】
【@ManmanXixi being all lovey-dovey, Huai-Liu shippers, huh? Getting your fill again.】
A waft of sweet, cool fragrance drifted behind Liu Yinxi.
Something warm cupped Liu Yinxi’s chin and tilted her face up. The next moment, her lips met a pair of soft ones.
Nan Huaixu pressed a kiss, light as a dragonfly skimming the water2, and gazed deep into Liu Yinxi’s trembling eyes.
“My opinion.”
Footnotes
- 中元节 | Zhongyuan Jie | The Ghost Festival, falling on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month, when families burn incense and make offerings to deceased ancestors and loved ones.
- 蜻蜓点水 | qingting dian shui | A classical Chinese idiom meaning 'dragonfly skimming the water,' describing something featherlight and barely grazing the surface.
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