Substitute Alpha Gets Confessed to by Her Ex’s Aunt on a Survival Variety Show – Chapter 35
by Little PandaI Have a Friend
When Nan Huaixu heard Liu Yinxi’s words, a flicker of surprise crossed her eyes.
She quickly concealed the emotional ripple, offering only a gentle smile and a silent, waiting gaze that prompted Liu Yinxi to continue.
The quiet atmosphere and her companion’s expectant look made Liu Yinxi feel she ought to say more. Nan Huaixu had suggested she unburden herself to release the weight on her heart, but talking about the original Liu Yinxi’s experiences wouldn’t have that effect.
But if she talked about her own real past, wouldn’t that contradict the original’s identity?
Liu Yinxi wasn’t skilled at navigating emotional exchanges. She clumsily came up with a solution: she would weave the things she wanted to share into a story, told from an observer’s perspective.
Liu Yinxi began tentatively, “I was looking at the scenery just now and it made me think of a friend from my childhood. I’ve thought of her often since coming here.”
She subconsciously glanced at Nan Huaixu, who wore a serious expression. To Liu Yinxi, it looked like she was interested.
When a listener is interested in what they’re hearing, it’s a definite encouragement for the one sharing.
To make her story sound more plausible, Liu Yinxi added a detail. “She was a playmate of mine from the mountain village. She was an alpha, too.”
Nan Huaixu hummed softly in acknowledgement, propping her chin on one hand. When Liu Yinxi wasn’t looking, a subtle, profound shift occurred in her eyes.
Liu Yinxi gradually became absorbed in her tale, recalling her childhood and her life with her mothers. A smile, born from the heart, bloomed on her face, full of warmth. “Her mom was a scholar with the geological exploration team, and her mommy was a forest police officer in the Nan’ou Forest Reserve. They lived in our village for a long time.”
“Auntie Scholar knew so much about nature—what kind of ores you could dig up in the mountains, which plants and animals could warn of disasters, what kind of weather would follow what kind of clouds. She was a very gentle woman, but also very strong. She was the backbone of the family.”
“Auntie Forest Police was an optimist, though a little clumsy in daily life. She might lose her umbrella on a trip into town, or get tricked by a salesperson into buying some overpriced, low-quality spices for her wife. When she made a mistake, her wife would scold her, and she would always run to my friend for help. The moment Auntie Scholar saw her daughter, her heart would soften. She’d start by scolding her clumsy wife, then scold her daughter for being more of a hindrance than a help, and somewhere in the middle of all the scolding, she’d start to laugh. The three of them would end up cheerfully cooking dinner and watching TV together.”
“Both aunties loved the forest they lived in and protected, and my friend loved it, too.”
As she spoke, Liu Yinxi smiled at Nan Huaixu.
It was a nostalgic, almost shy smile.
Nan Huaixu was taken aback. Her blank expression suggested she never expected to see such a bashful look on the face of the ever-vain Liu Yinxi.
Liu Yinxi looked around, her eyes filled with the verdant green of the plants. “The aunties raised my friend in the forest, and my friend, in turn, led me to explore nature. The people in the mountain village taught me a lot of survival skills, and she taught me a lot, too. She told me that we humans, like all living things, are children of nature. We can’t delude ourselves into thinking we can conquer it. Instead, we must understand it, learn from it, revere it, and protect it.”
During a pause, Nan Huaixu said softly, “This friend must have taught you the most about survival. That’s why you think of her so often during the competition, right?”
“Yes,” Liu Yinxi said, seizing the chance to build up her own image. “She knew a great deal. She was an exceptional woman.”
Nan Huaixu asked curiously, “And then? What happened to her later?”
Liu Yinxi’s gaze drifted into the distance, her voice taking on a magnetic quality. “From a young age, she was determined to become a forest police officer like her mommy and protect nature. She got her wish and was accepted into the Forest Police Academy. By a stroke of luck, she volunteered for a nature documentary shoot during university.”
“The project was jointly planned by several nature conservation organizations. She followed them to many places, deep into various reserves—grasslands, deserts, swamps, stone forests, tidal flats, islands, snow-capped mountains… She once searched for a month in a world of ice and snow, waiting for a blue poppy1 to have its once-in-a-decade bloom. She once lay motionless in the grass for over ten hours, her eyelids covered in swollen mosquito bites, her body nearly numb from the pressure, but she captured a rare shot of a family of Chinese mergansers2 flying thousands of miles south to return to the country. The excitement and pride she felt made it all worthwhile.”
“She had her finger on the pulse of this world’s life.”
“She witnessed the awe-inspiring power of different natural landscapes in a way you can’t get from books, videos, or even tourism. Only then did she truly understand that ‘nature doesn’t have just one form of expression’. Even forests take on different forms at different longitudes and latitudes, at different altitudes, whether they’re near a continent or an ocean. It’s like interacting with people—everyone has a unique personality. Some bring us laughter, some bring us sorrow, and some make us reflect.”
“My friend was filled with longing for the infinite variety of nature. Compared to her childhood dream of protecting one piece of land for her whole life, she discovered that as an adult, she wanted to explore the entire world. So after graduating, she gave up stable job opportunities, picked up a travel bag and a camera.”
Nan Huaixu nodded, switching hands to support her chin. “Did her mothers support her? Giving up an iron rice bowl3 to pursue a hobby not recognized by society—didn’t her family object?”
For Nan Huaixu—whose every teacher at every stage of her education, which film company she would join, and even the manner in which she would compete with her half-sister for the family inheritance had been arranged by her mother from the moment of her birth—this was like something out of the Arabian Nights.4
“How could they possibly object? That was their child’s dream!”
Liu Yinxi shook her head with a smile, the pride in her voice so strong that Nan Huaixu felt as if she were talking about herself.
“Her two mothers said: ‘Baby, we are so happy that you’ve found your life’s passion. Not everyone can stick to their passion and dedicate their life to it, and you’ve taken the first step toward that great ideal. You are our pride.'”
Liu Yinxi’s words, full of confidence and ambition, were like a spark that ignited a churning wave of heat in Nan Huaixu’s heart.
Nan Huaixu had never been hit with such a direct impact.
So, the freedom and respect she had spent over twenty years fighting to break free and obtain… someone really could possess it all from birth.
Yes, not everyone could walk the path of their passion. Some people couldn’t even make their own choices…
Nan Huaixu silently clenched her fists inside her sleeves. After more than a decade of experience and growth in the entertainment and business worlds, she had already accumulated the capital and strength to be independent. This time, by establishing her own studio, creating her own project, and participating in a popular variety show to generate buzz for her new company, she was determined to break away from the film company controlled by the Nan family. Even if it meant losing all her inheritance rights and making an enemy of the Nan family and the entire East China faction, she would fight for the life she wanted most.
She would not be a puppet in her mother’s power games.
She would take hold of the pulse of her own life.
Suppressing the turmoil within, Nan Huaixu asked about this lucky person who possessed the treasure she so desperately sought. “And after that? She was able to persevere and film the blue poppy and the Chinese mergansers, she had such strong willpower and her family’s support—she must have become a very famous explorer and photographer, right?”
Yes, Liu Yinxi thought. She won international awards, had tons of fans, established her own wildlife photography foundation, and even organized many nature conservation activities.
To Nan Huaixu, she said, “If she were still alive, she definitely would have.”
Nan Huaixu’s expression dimmed. “I’m sorry…”
She hadn’t expected this…
Although she was desperate to know what happened to this friend and how she died, her principles dictated that the deceased should rest in peace. Asking about the cause of death of someone who had passed was extremely rude and offensive to their friends and family.
Liu Yinxi was very calm. “It’s okay. If she were still here, she would have been delighted to share the scenery she captured and the interesting things she encountered with Teacher Nan.”
She paused, thinking for a moment, then shared her idea with Nan Huaixu. “Teacher Nan, this friend of mine used to post videos of her hiking and camping, and they did pretty well. I was thinking that in the future, I could try to learn from her style and create my own self-media5 channel related to the outdoors. It would be a way to use my only real talent, and also carry on her dream. What do you think?”
Nan Huaixu countered, “Carry on? What about your dream? Are you going to switch from imitating one person to imitating another?”
She was referring to the original host imitating Xue Yunshao, and now the current Liu Yinxi wanting to imitate her deceased friend.
Liu Yinxi looked at her, the corners of her mouth slowly turning up. “No. I’ve chosen this direction of outdoor self-media to create the content and style that I want to make.”
This time, Nan Huaixu expressed her approval. “Good. Once you have an idea, you have to act on it. Work hard to make it a reality. I’ll introduce you to some friends with experience in self-media. You can start by learning the basics of content creation and operations.”
“That’s great! Thank you, Teacher Nan!” Liu Yinxi clapped her hands in excitement.
She wasn’t lacking in self-media experience, but leveraging Nan Huaixu’s connections would allow her to grow faster and better online.
The viewers in the live-stream room were buzzing.
【Liu Yinxi’s luck is just too good! Her ancestors’ graves must be emitting green smoke (so jealous I’m turning ugly)】
【I want Manman to introduce me to a job too. Let me stay by Manman’s side as a little assistant QAQ】
【Suddenly I feel like Liu isn’t as dramatic and stupid as she seemed at the beginning. She’s deliberately pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger,6 using this persona to get on the show, stir up hype, act pitiful, and sell a sob story to gain Nan Huaixu’s sympathy and resources. After the competition, she’ll have the traffic and the connections, and she can just start an account and cash in. She’ll be rolling in it (eating melon)7】
【These days, how many people in the entertainment industry are truly clean unless they have a rock-solid background? What you see on camera is just what the guests want you to see. If she were really that hopelessly dumb, she wouldn’t have survived in the live-streaming world early on. Liu quit the scene a couple of years ago because she latched onto a gold master.8 Now that she doesn’t have one, she wants to change tracks and make money here.】
【Why do I get the feeling Liu is serious about wanting to build a career…】
【Whatever, I love watching Xixi live her life outdoors, building her little house, starting fires, and making delicious food. I hope I get to see her do a countryside series, a river series, a grassland series… I want to see her go to different places, I love watching it~】
【Wow, I want to see that too! If only she could recruit enthusiasts to camp with her, I’d love to experience it for real!】
【She hasn’t even made an account yet and already the big-headed suckers are lining up to be fleeced.】
【If people like watching, they’re willing to donate. If you’ve got what it takes, make your own content. If you don’t like it, suck it up (eye roll)】
【Is no one curious about the friend Liu was talking about? I’m so envious of how much her moms loved her T-T】
【Envious of what? Praising your kid no matter what they do? Just letting them run wild? How many ordinary families have the capital to let their kids mess around like that? If my kid gave up a stable government job to go fool around, I’d beat them.】
【A family with a geologist and a forest police officer wouldn’t have much capital either. But giving up a stable job for a hobby is stupid. You can’t make a living off a hobby. Otherwise, if you can’t earn money, you can only gnaw on the old,9 let down your parents’ love, and you won’t be able to hold your head up in society.】
【That’s why those two mothers were proud of their child! She had the courage to act; no destruction, no construction.10 So what if she didn’t succeed in pursuing her hobby? She has hands and feet, is she going to starve to death? Home will always be a place that loves me. My mom told me that my parents brought me into this world to enjoy life. Society is full of hardship, so at home, I must be happy. Only by recharging at home can I have the energy to face the storms outside and conquer new frontiers.】
After unburdening herself to Nan Huaixu, Liu Yinxi felt much lighter, her spirits high.
In this book-transmigration world, someone now knew about her “past.”
It was a connection she had built herself, between two worlds.
Liu Yinxi shouldered her backpack, full of energy and ready to head to the beach to boil salt.
Nan Huaixu picked up her bag as well. “I’ll go boil it. Don’t you need to scout the path to the big river? And choose a site for the new shelter.”
Liu Yinxi looked back. “I left markers last time I came back from the river, so there’s no rush. Your rhinitis hasn’t cleared up yet…”
“It’s much better, and I still have the antihistamines. I’ll be careful to avoid the smoke.”
Nan Huaixu held out a hand toward her, crooking a finger. “Meal box.”
Liu Yinxi weighed the pros and cons and chose the more urgent task.
She opened her bag, handed the meal box to Nan Huaixu, and said, “If you start to feel uncomfortable, just dump the work on Yuan Fang.”
Yuan Fang hadn’t managed to get the airdrop this time. She and Lu Yiqi had no other source of food besides foraging at the beach. Lacking food and medicine, it was more convenient for them to trade physical labor with Liu Yinxi for supplies than to search blindly in the rainforest. Therefore, to get more supplies, Yuan Fang would definitely be willing to do more work.
A smile touched Nan Huaixu’s lips. She said, seemingly nonchalantly, “Is that how you treat your good friend? You don’t feel bad for her at all?”
Liu Yinxi found it strange. Why had Nan Huaixu repeatedly said that Yuan Fang was her good friend?
“Why would I feel bad for her? If I’m going to feel bad for anyone, it’s you.”
Footnotes
- Lǜrónghāo (绿绒蒿), or Meconopsis, a genus of flowers native to the Himalayas, known for their striking blue petals. They are notoriously difficult to cultivate.
- Zhōnghuá qiūshāyā (中华秋沙鸭), a rare and endangered species of sea duck native to East Asia.
- Tiě fànwǎn (铁饭碗), literally ‘iron rice bowl’, is a well-known Chinese term for a secure, stable job for life, typically with the government or a state-owned enterprise, that guarantees lifetime employment and benefits.
- The original text uses tiānfāngyètán (天方夜谭), the Chinese title for ‘One Thousand and One Nights’ or ‘Arabian Nights’. It is used as an idiom to mean a fantasy or an incredible, unbelievable story.
- Zì méitǐ (自媒体), literally ‘self-media’, is a modern term for independent online content creators, such as bloggers, vloggers, and streamers.
- The original is ‘bàn zhū chī lǎohǔ’ (扮猪吃老虎), a Chinese idiom that literally means ‘pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger’. It describes feigning weakness or foolishness to lure an opponent into a false sense of security.
- ‘Eating melon’ (chī guā) is internet slang for observing gossip or drama as a bystander, similar to ‘eating popcorn’.
- ‘Jīnzǔ’ (金主), literally ‘gold master’, is a common term for a wealthy benefactor or sponsor who financially supports someone, often with romantic or transactional undertones.
- ‘Kěnlǎo’ (啃老), literally ‘to gnaw on the old’, is a modern Chinese slang term for an adult who is financially dependent on their parents.
- ‘Bùpòbùlì’ (不破不立), literally ‘no destruction, no construction’, is a well-known Chinese phrase expressing the idea that radical change requires destroying the old order before a new one can be established.
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