Substitute Alpha Gets Confessed to by Her Ex’s Aunt on a Survival Variety Show – Chapter 43

New Shelter Location

Everything around was completely tranquil.

Above, a brilliant river of stars; all around, lush green trees. With her eyes closed, the chirping of insects sounded like a melodious symphony.

            

Beyond the chirping, there was another sound.

A woman’s low, slow voice—magnetic and laced with a smile.

Liu Yinxi was recounting her middle school memories: organizing spring outings, playing basketball games against other classes, visiting grandmas at the nursing home during holidays, and returning to her village to feed pigs, herd cattle, and work in the fields with the local kids.

            

Her memories held both joy and frustration.

Sometimes she would upset her classmates without knowing what she had done wrong.

For instance, she would listen to a girl listing a certain boy’s flaws, and when she joined in to criticize him, both the girl and the boy would end up inexplicably hating her.

            

Also, she was not very good at her Ideology and Morality¹ class. She could never fully memorize the key points in the textbook, and when faced with exam questions, she had no idea which concepts to apply.

Liu Yinxi asked Nan Huaixu, who was listening to her, for help: “How can I get better at studying?”

There was the faint sound of wind and swaying grass, and her voice drew closer: “How can I make you happy?”

            

So close it was right by her ear: “How can I be a good alpha?”

Nan Huaixu held her breath, feeling a pair of hands gently cup her face. The alpha’s intimate murmur echoed by her ear: “Nan-jiejie, the sun is so hot…”

“…”

            

Nan Huaixu snapped her eyes open. A high-pitched bird call swept past, and warm sunlight illuminated the emerald-green shelter.

The cramped space was suffused with the locust flower² scent of her omega pheromones. Her breathing uneven, Nan Huaixu pulled the collar of her hardshell jacket tight, her face flushed… She had just had a strange dream.

This obnoxious heat period.

            

These damned pheromones.

She instinctively looked to the other side of the bed. It was completely empty; only golden light spilled across the leaf mattress.

Liu Yinxi wasn’t there.

            

Nan Huaixu let out a soft sigh of relief. Yet, alongside that relaxation, a strange sense of emptiness sprouted deep in her heart.

However, she had no time to examine this fleeting, superfluous emotion. There was a more pressing issue she needed to resolve.

Pushing off the leaf mattress, Nan Huaixu sat up. Her head spun slightly, her limbs felt weak, and her body was uncomfortably sticky. The endocrine disruption had triggered a stress response in her body, making this sudden heat period more uncomfortable than any she had experienced before.

            

She was a public figure, and her family’s strict upbringing made her place great importance on her bearing. There were cameras outside the shelter, and potentially Liu Yinxi as well. She could not allow herself to be exposed to the public eye in such an unseemly state.

Nan Huaixu wiped the sweat from her forehead, neck, and shoulders, then fanned herself with her hand. Only when the heat in her cheeks had somewhat subsided did she tie up her hair, straighten her jacket, and call out, “Liu Yinxi?”

There was no response.

            

She asked again, “Liu Yinxi? Are you there?”

No one answered.

Nan Huaixu lifted the banana leaf curtain and ducked out of the shelter. Robot Dog 4, which had been lying in the grass, trotted over to rub against her. Bending down, she gave its electronic head a pat.

            

The campfire crackled and popped. A banana leaf was spread over the supply box, bearing roasted cassava and fish soup. Nan Huaixu walked over and checked the temperature; they were no longer hot.

She checked the time on her bracelet: just past eight in the morning.

First, wash up and eat breakfast. Take the inhibitor medicine after eating. Wait half an hour for it to take effect, and then go to the beach to boil salt.

            

Having made her plan, Nan Huaixu opened the small box to grab her water bottle—and suddenly noticed a line of text written in the dirt by the campfire.

Teacher Nan, I’ve gone to the big river. I’ll camp there for a night and come back tomorrow afternoon. I filled up the cooled boiled water, and there’s enough cassava to eat. Make sure you rest.

A cute little emoji was drawn in the bottom right corner.

            

Nan Huaixu silently read Liu Yinxi’s message a few times before muttering to herself, “She went out… Left without even waking me up. Staying overnight over there? She’s actually daring enough to do something so dangerous. What nonsense.”

Despite her words, she knew very well that Liu Yinxi had the skills to survive on her own. She was merely worried her partner might run into danger; she didn’t actually blame her for being reckless.

A couple of days ago, Liu Yinxi had discussed how traveling back and forth to the big river was a waste of time. She had said they needed a way to save time and locate a new shelter site as quickly as possible. Now, it seemed she had found her solution: spending the night by the river.

            

Nan Huaixu broke open a roasted cassava and ate it slowly, bite by bite.

She raised a hand to press against her slightly swollen neck and gazed up at the clear blue sky.

I wonder how far that idiot has gotten. Did she bring enough food and water? Is she going to go hungry?

            

Beneath the clear sky, the primeval rainforest was lush and damp, clusters of leaves shining a glossy green.

The Toa River cut through the jungle with majestic momentum, rushing from the high mountains all the way down to the sea.

At 10:37 AM, Liu Yinxi reached the banks of the Toa River. She took a brief rest before following the markers she had left previously.

            

The terrain ahead was uneven, carved by the force of the river’s current. Standing at a fork in the river’s tributary, Liu Yinxi surveyed the area. She had explored the east bank a few days ago without finding a suitable campsite, so this time she decided to explore the west bank.

Riverbeds curved into convex banks and concave banks. Concave banks were eroded by the water, making them steep and deep—unsuitable for camping. Convex banks, however, were formed by sediment carried by the river, creating flat terrain and relatively fertile soil. They were convenient for drawing water and planting, but required vigilance against flooding during heavy storms.

Liu Yinxi searched along the west bank of this Toa River tributary. She hoped to find a spot on high ground near a convex bank that offered both the concealment of large trees and a wide field of vision. It also had to be downwind.

            

Ideally, the surroundings would feature dirt embankments or similar natural defenses against medium to large wild animals.

Water was the source of life. The surviving contestants needed it, but so did the countless animals in this vast forest. They would no longer be facing just small birds, mosquitoes, and forest rats; they might encounter more aggressive wildlife like civets, stink badgers, macaques, and babirusas. Furthermore, the river itself harbored the threat of reticulated pythons and Siamese crocodiles. Therefore, a shelter built by the big river demanded a far greater consideration for safety.

Having searched from morning until three or four in the afternoon, Liu Yinxi found that the day was almost spent. She was ready to give up and find a lone tree on higher ground to camp in for the night.

            

Just then, a casual glance back across the river revealed a veritable treasure trove of a location³.

“Mother Heaven! Thank you for bestowing upon me this heavenly treasure land!” Liu Yinxi tipped her head back to salute the sky. She found the shallowest and narrowest stretch of the river and waded across, using large rocks in the water and a fallen tree trunk for support.

As she surveyed the territory, she saw that the riverbank was broad and the water crystal clear. About a kilometer upstream from the beach, the terrain sloped upward into a gentle highland. Two sides faced the riverbanks with towering cliffs below, while the third merged with the gentle slope leading down to the beach, and the fourth was bordered by enveloping woods.

            

Looking out from the trees, she could see towering mountains rising in the distance, indicating that this spot sat in a downwind position where beasts wouldn’t easily detect it. Since the mountain slopes were quite far away, she wouldn’t have to worry about mudslides on rainy days.

It had water, a slope, concealment, and sunlight. It was safe from flooding, safe from landslides, and sat downwind. It perfectly met all of Liu Yinxi’s requirements for a shelter.

The only downside was that crossing the river from this location would be inconvenient.

            

However, that could be slowly improved using wood and stones. Living by a river in a primeval jungle, crossing the water was necessary no matter where you went. Was there truly any location that was completely convenient?

It was impossible for her, Liu Yinxi, to monopolize all the luck, geographical advantages, and favorable conditions in the world. Finding such an excellent spot was enough to satisfy her.

Liu Yinxi climbed the gentle slope up to the highland. She selected two large trees an appropriate distance apart and retrieved her stone ax and other tools from her bag. Gathering wood, she used vine ropes to construct a simple bed frame suspended between the trees, then layered it with banana leaves to serve as a temporary “suspended bed” for the night.

            

She used her knife to clear away twigs and splinters from the trees, checked for bugs and snakes, hung up her insect- and snake-repelling herbs, and managed to sweep the area before it grew completely dark. Then, she built a small stone stove and lit a campfire.

Since it was close to the river, the constant, rushing sound of the water filled the air.

Liu Yinxi ate two roasted cassavas and a roasted fish, topped off with some jackfruit for dessert. She even brewed herself a cup of orange-flavored vitamin water.

            

Having eaten and drunk her fill, she listened to the musical flow of the water and gazed up at the stars, savoring the unique atmosphere.

She busied herself with some handiwork, using her knife to whittle wooden stakes for a few defensive traps she set up nearby. As she worked, she hummed a tune:

Today, we ordinary folks⁴ are truly, truly happy~

            

Every household echoes with the same sound~

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“Achoo—”

Nan Huaixu sat by the campfire to keep warm. She rubbed her nose, the firelight baking her nose and cheeks a rosy red.

            

She had taken her inhibitor medicine once in the morning and once again in the evening. The medication was working perfectly; the symptoms of her heat were largely unnoticeable now.

Nan Huaixu zipped her hardshell jacket all the way to the top and draped her outdoor raincoat over it. Clasping her hands together, she cast nervous glances at her surroundings.

This was her first time spending the night alone since joining 《Survivor》.

            

It was also her first time in her entire life spending the night utterly alone in the wilderness.

“…” Nan Huaixu hugged her shoulders and glanced at the pitch-black shelter. Right now, it looked like a freezing cave. Compared to that, she much preferred staying close to the warm, bright flames.

In the past, if there was nothing to do at night, they would lie in bed past nine o’clock, chatting until they naturally grew sleepy and drifted off.

            

But tonight…

Frowning, Nan Huaixu gazed into the deep, dark expanse of the distant rainforest. The night wind sent the tree shadows dancing, making it feel as if a monster could burst from the woods at any moment.

She let out a heavy sigh.

             Only when the tide goes out do you know who has been swimming na.ked.⁵

Only on a terrifying night left all alone did you know who was desperate for companionship.

At this very moment, the only things capable of offering Nan Huaixu any sense of security were the campfire and the robot dog recording her.

She waved her hand, calling Dog 4 over. The little dog’s screen-face displayed an affectionate expression.

            

Nan Huaixu spoke to the camera and the audience, hoping to dispel her fear of the dark wilderness: “Hello, everyone. Liu Yinxi went out to camp today. It’s just me at the shelter.”

【Good evening, Manman!】

【Don’t be afraid, baby. There are a hundred thousand of us in the stream keeping you company (hug)】

            

【If only our bullet comments could display on the dog’s face, then Manman could interact with us QAQ】

【 on this’ or ‘Agreed.'”]Agreed.⁶】

【Help, I’m dying,⁷ Nan Huaixu took inhibitor medicine today, didn’t she? Liu Yinxi actually left an omega alone overnight at a time like this?】

            

【My God⁸】

【Is it possible that Xixi realized Nan Huaixu’s heat period arrived and left on purpose to avoid suspicion? It’s better for both of them this way.】

【But this is the wilderness. Even I get scared hearing the weird noises from the rainforest on the stream. People are naturally more vulnerable during their physiological periods and need someone to take care of them. Even if they don’t do anything, just having someone there brings peace of mind.】

            

【Liu Yinxi’s already asleep hanging in a tree over on her end.】

【Sleeping like a log, too.】

【Our Xixi absolutely deserves the title of 《Survivor》’s Number One Sleep God (thumbs up)】

            

The night deepened.

In the tropical rainforest, the nocturnal animals were engaged in a lively revelry.

Coo-cluck!

            

The sudden, bizarre call gave Nan Huaixu a violent start. She bolted straight into the shelter.

“…”

Nan Huaixu lay down on the side of the bed where Liu Yinxi usually slept, curling her entire body tightly inside the oversized raincoat.

            

She made a silent vow: From now on, she had to make sure Liu Yinxi stayed at the shelter.

Every. Single. Night.

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