Substitute Alpha Gets Confessed to by Her Ex’s Aunt on a Survival Variety Show – Chapter 191

Her Island

《Her Island》

Liu Yinxi had barely set her things down in the entryway when Nan Huaixu came running down from upstairs and hugged her, delighted.

            

Liu Yinxi raised both hands and stepped back a pace. “Hold on a second, Manman — there’s mud on my clothes, don’t let it get on you.”

At those words Nan Huaixu immediately stepped back too, circled around to her side, and kissed her cheek.

She spotted the mud smeared across Liu Yinxi’s T-shirt. “How did you get mud on you? Did you take a fall?”

            

“No. Earlier the property management office called me — they’d found a snake over in the neighboring section, so I went to take a look…” Liu Yinxi recounted the whole afternoon’s events to her.

Nan Huaixu listened the entire time with a furrowed brow, and at the end she slapped the coffee table in displeasure. “What does property management take you for? Any little incident and they call you. Time before last it was a raccoon dog that strayed from the right path, last time it was a Chinese sparrowhawk that charged headlong into the glass, and this time it was a snake that had caught some old geezer’s eye for his liquor-steeping jar¹ — dangerous animals, every one of them. You put yourself at risk doing the labor, and when it’s over they hand you some little trinket.”

Then she pointed at the storage room beside the kitchen. “There are still six barrels of oil in there — olive oil, walnut oil, perilla oil. And now, wonderful, two more barrels of camellia seed oil. Our household won’t need to buy a drop of oil this year.”

            

Liu Yinxi lowered her head and kept silent, not daring to speak.

She absolutely did not dare tell Nan Huaixu that she was the one who had told the property management center: “I have plenty of experience rescuing wild animals. If you find any, contact me right away — I’ll take it in for emergency handling first, which makes the handover convenient when the Forestry Bureau²‘s people arrive.”

As for why she always took oil — the property office’s standing gift stock was nothing more than everyday dry goods, small appliances, soft furnishings and the like. Liu Yinxi judged oil the most useful of the lot: cold dishes every day, and the occasional deep-fried mushrooms and chicken cutlets burned through it fast. So whenever a gift couldn’t be refused, she took the oil.

            

And sure enough, with Mid-Autumn coming before long, the property office had even delivered a deluxe mooncake gift box ahead of schedule.

Nan Huaixu swept a glance over the gift box and the oil, sighed, and softened her voice. “You’re the homeowner here. Never mind whether it’s even proper for you to do the property office’s work for them — they don’t pay you a wage. They should just have their security guards contact the Forestry Bureau to handle it.”

Liu Yinxi muttered under her breath. “Well, the thing is, I don’t find it a bother. Help out where you can, right? The little animals are all so cute. The property office also has a yogurt maker, a bread maker, an ice cream maker, aroma diffusers, speakers, mite removers and whatnot — all tradable…”

            

But by the end of it she’d lost her nerve.

Nan Huaixu stared at her for two seconds and more or less saw through her: she didn’t mind in the least being used as labor delivered to the doorstep — her heart was with the cute wild critters. Volunteering eagerly, delighting in every minute of it.

Nan Huaixu snorted a laugh, reached out, and gently smoothed her stray strands of hair. “All right. As long as you like it and you’re willing, it’s taking joy in helping others — that’s a good thing. But you must keep yourself safe.”

            

Liu Yinxi let out a breath of relief and nodded in a rush. “Mm-hm. Then I’ll go change into clean clothes first.”

“Go on.”

Just as Liu Yinxi reached the walk-in closet door, Nan Huaixu called after her. “Hey, Xixi.”

            

Liu Yinxi looked back. “Hm?”

Nan Huaixu smiled. “Next time, get the ice cream maker. We don’t have one at home — I want to eat ice cream you make.”

Liu Yinxi’s face bloomed into a grin at once. “Okay.”

            

Liu Yinxi soon came back out in loungewear. Nan Huaixu sat on the sofa revising the script.

Liu Yinxi settled in beside her. “Just got back and you’re busy working again? And here I wondered why you got off early today — turns out you just relocated your overtime.”

Nan Huaixu leaned against her shoulder. “Everything that had to be done at the company is done, so I brought the materials home. This way I can keep an eye on you and keep you company longer — two birds with one stone.”

            

Nan Huaixu tipped her face up, like a kitten presenting prey to claim credit. “Well? Aren’t I clever?”

Liu Yinxi cupped her cheeks and kissed her lips. “Clever. You’re the next winner of the Best Director award.”

Nan Huaixu’s grin stretched ear to ear, and she took the opportunity to haul Liu Yinxi off to read the script.

            

That was simply how their life went: the two of them would always have their disagreements and misunderstandings, but they knew each other’s natures through and through, delighted in discovering each other’s new changes, accommodated each other, and fulfilled each other.

Nan Huaixu had come home early tonight — and come running down from the second floor, no less. Liu Yinxi guessed she had seen her and Luo Ling downstairs, and heard their conversation too.

Seeing how happy Nan Huaixu looked, and that she hadn’t brought up Luo Ling on her own, Liu Yinxi figured she truly didn’t care anymore.

            

Liu Yinxi’s mouth curved slowly upward as she listened to Nan Huaixu walk her through the script, offered her opinions, and watched her revise with care.

While she listened, Liu Yinxi mulled over homemade ice cream in her spare moments.

Ice cream maker.

            

Good — that one next time.

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At the end of September, the filming permit for the island came through.

Faster than Liu Yinxi had expected.

            

Once the permit was granted, the entire company sprang into motion, every department working overtime — and the busiest of all was the production crew in preparation.

The director was Nan Huaixu, and she would personally play the lead. The script was locked, the locations and props all ready — and right up until it was nearly time to board the boat for the island, Liu Yinxi still hadn’t laid eyes on the actress playing the second female lead.

Had the casting not been settled?

            

Watching Nan Huaixu take her time, calm and confident with a plan well in mind, Liu Yinxi ended up anxious on her behalf. “Manman, I understand how much this first work of the company means to you, but we’ve already set the shoot date — filming officially starts right after National Day, and only a few days are left. You need to settle the second female lead soon.”

Nan Huaixu glanced at her, unhurried. “Xixi, in the entertainment world today, who do you think best matches the second female lead’s image and temperament?”

Liu Yinxi had lived and worked alongside Nan Huaixu for two months now and had come to know this world’s entertainment industry well. She ran every actress who came close to the role through her head: either the face was right and the build was off, or the build was good and the temperament wrong, or looks and temperament were both fine but the acting lane didn’t fit — she’d never played anything similar, and probably couldn’t shoulder the weight on short notice.

            

Liu Yinxi propped her chin in her hand, at a loss, and shook her head. “Can’t think of anyone who fits.”

And she genuinely couldn’t — no wonder Nan Huaixu hadn’t picked anyone yet.

Honestly, given that second lead’s growth arc and temperament, maybe scouting an ordinary local girl on the nearby Fisherman Island would feel more right.

            

Nan Huaixu smiled, tore open a pack of spicy fish tofu, and fed a piece into Liu Yinxi’s mouth.

She always carried a few of Liu Yinxi’s favorite snacks on her, like someone feeding a puppy treats.

Liu Yinxi chewed the tofu, eyes curving with her smile. “Really tasty.”

            

Nan Huaixu leaned in and pressed their cheeks together. “Relax — I settled the actress ages ago. You’ll know once we reach the island.”

“Oh, good.” Liu Yinxi stealthily slipped her hand into Nan Huaixu’s jacket pocket.

Nan Huaixu pinned the little thief’s hand with sharp reflexes and turned a reproachful look on Liu Yinxi. “Hm?”

            

Liu Yinxi reluctantly let go of the dried tofu she’d just claimed and obediently withdrew her hand.

Nan Huaixu poked her nose. “Stealing snacks now?”

Liu Yinxi was still savoring the spicy flavor on her tongue. “Tasty.”

            

She promptly wrapped Nan Huaixu in a hug and wheedled. “Manman-jiejie, give me one more piece. Just one tiny piece.”

Nan Huaixu looked at her helplessly, her smile going steadily more doting. “If you want a treat — well, that can be arranged. Give us a good performance first.”

Liu Yinxi sat bolt upright at once. “Understood.”

            

She scooped an arm under Nan Huaixu’s back and thighs and swept her clean off the ground in a princess carry, walking to the middle of the office and spinning.

Nan Huaixu left the floor, clung tight to her sole support — Liu Yinxi’s neck — and couldn’t hold back a low cry.

Liu Yinxi carried her in a slow circle, mimicking an amusement park’s PA announcement. “Dear Princess Manman, you are now riding the office roller coaster. We are about to pass through…”

            

Nan Huaixu scraped her nose. “I don’t want to be a princess. I want to be the one in charge — call me Your Majesty.”

Liu Yinxi beamed and hastened to submit. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

Then Liu Yinxi deposited Her Majesty onto the sofa, kissed Her Majesty’s lips and tongue, nibbled gently at Her Majesty’s neck, and coaxed Her Majesty along until her cheeks flushed crimson and her eyes went damp.

            

Behaving this well, of course she earned a snack reward.

Preparations for the new film advanced methodically and in order.

After the National Day holiday, the crew reached the island, and filming officially began.

            

It was only when Nan Huaixu pressed the role’s script into Liu Yinxi’s hands that Liu Yinxi learned the second female lead she’d settled on was her.

Liu Yinxi stood in the studio, shell-shocked. “Me?!”

Nan Huaixu nodded at her, the corner of her mouth lifting into a proud arc. “Don’t you think you suit this role perfectly?”

            

Liu Yinxi opened the script and flipped through a few pages — it was a dedicated script for the role, fleshed out with many new details, different from the one she’d read before. “Looks and outdoor skills are no problem, but I’m not an actress. I have no acting experience.”

The assistant director beside them laughed and encouraged her. “What Teacher Nan is asking for is documentary style — the pursuit of realism. You have no acting experience, so all you need to do is show the joy and freedom of your life in the natural environment. A professional actress couldn’t produce what Teacher Nan wants.”

Liu Yinxi was still nervous. “Really?”

            

Shooting photos, recording video, editing effects — she could do all of that. But performing a story, a film — that was a first.

“Really. And besides…” the assistant director went on, glancing at Nan Huaixu and then back at Liu Yinxi, “for the ambiguous tenderness between the two leads — besides you, Xiao Liu, who else could deliver those fated-partner interactions with Teacher Nan?”

Nan Huaixu heard that with a face full of smiles and cupped her hands to call across to the assistant director. “Well said — drumstick added to the mealbox³.”

            

Liu Yinxi was still standing frozen in place, reading the script. A few minutes later she burst out, thrilled. “I’ve got it — I’ll give it my best performance!”

The last time they’d spent the night on the island, it was only the two of them, Liu Yinxi and Nan Huaixu.

This time, spending the night on the island, it was the entire crew, vast and imposing.

            

Night breeze brushed past the stars and moon and blew into the tent. Under the little hanging lamp, Liu Yinxi yawned over her script, memorizing her lines.

She turned her head, tucked back the corner of the blanket Nan Huaixu had kicked loose, smiled, and kissed her forehead.

On the folding table, the script’s pages turned gently in the wind.

            

『I cannot snatch her away from the wilderness’s embrace, but I can forever claim her heart.』

《Her Island》

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