Substitute Alpha Gets Confessed to by Her Ex’s Aunt on a Survival Variety Show – Chapter 52
by Little PandaHow Many Push-Ups Can You Do?
Liu Yinxi and Nan Huaixu shared a bucket of instant noodles. Following their old rule, they saved half of the seasoning packet for later. Though it left the broth tasting a bit bland, it was still a delicious luxury for two people surviving in the wilderness. They drank the soup clean.
Well-fed, with the warm broth settling in her stomach, Nan Huaixu felt her spirits and mood lift significantly.
She turned to look at the newly built storage rack. A large pile of materials lay stacked beneath it. She wanted to dig out some vines and weave two new fish traps.
Liu Yinxi packed away the aluminum mess tin. “Teacher Nan, what are you looking for?”
“Vines,” Nan Huaixu replied.
“Weaving new fish traps?”
“Mm.” She reached her arm toward the bottom shelf of the storage rack to grab a handful of tree vines.
Liu Yinxi said, “Teacher Nan, it’s already dark. Trying to weave things in this dim light will strain your eyes. We can weave them together tomorrow morning.”
Nan Huaixu thought about it. The reasoning was sound, so she murmured her agreement.
Because of the rain, they had hardly done anything active all day and weren’t the least bit sleepy. They decided to exercise on the first floor.
Nan Huaixu usually practiced yoga at home. She laid a banana leaf out over the fine sand and sat down to stretch, watching Liu Yinxi jog in place, jump, and then drop to do push-ups.
“Teacher Nan, could you count for me?”
“When did you learn to do push-ups?” According to Ying Luoling, doing even thirty sit-ups was incredibly strenuous for Liu Yinxi.
“Ah… After I moved to Zhoujin Bridge, I trained for a month before I finally got the hang of it.” Whenever Liu Yinxi had done physical training in the past, she had purposefully avoided Nan Huaixu. Today, her mind had been so entirely preoccupied with improving the design of their fish traps that she had completely forgotten to hide it.
She silently reminded herself: I absolutely cannot do eight sets in one go. I can’t scare Nan Huaixu…
Nan Huaixu’s interest was piqued. “How many can you do?”
Liu Yinxi deliberately lowballed it. “Forty…”
Astonishment flickered in Nan Huaixu’s eyes. Liu Yinxi quickly corrected herself. “Fourteen… or fifteen.”
Nan Huaixu’s brow softened. “Fourteen or fifteen is quite good. I’ll count for you. You can do it.”
A generally fit alpha would have no problem knocking out several dozen push-ups, but Liu Yinxi’s constitution used to be so incredibly weak. Achieving these kinds of results after only a month of training couldn’t have been easy. She definitely deserved encouragement.
Liu Yinxi lowered herself to the ground. “Thank you, Teacher Nan. I’m starting.”
Nan Huaixu turned toward her, sitting up straight with her legs crossed. “Alright, go ahead.”
“One.”
“Two.”
“Three… keep it up.”
“Four.”
“Five.”
“Six… come up slowly. If your arms get too tired, you can lay flat and rest for a moment.”
Liu Yinxi stopped at fifteen, deciding to quit while she was ahead. She collapsed onto the banana leaf, regulating her breathing.
Nan Huaixu brought over some cooled boiled water for her to drink. “I can tell you put a lot of hard work into exercising after your breakup. You finished those push-ups relatively easily.”
Liu Yinxi sighed. “Yeah. It’s really hard for an ordinary person to earn two million. To win the prize money, I have to give it my all.”
The corners of Nan Huaixu’s lips curved slightly. “That’s good. Prize money aside, building up your physical fitness will give you more energy, and it makes it much easier to attract the liking of an omega.”
“Huh?” Liu Yinxi pushed herself up into a sitting position. “Really?”
“Of course. Everyone likes a strong, vibrant partner.” Nan Huaixu set the mess tin over the fire to boil water, planning to let it cool and store it in the plastic bucket later.
Liu Yinxi had never really looked into this sort of thing before. In her original world, the friends she knew had varied tastes—some liked curves, some liked slender builds. Everyone had their own preferences.
She didn’t quite understand.
It was rare for Nan Huaixu to discuss romantic topics. A spark of curiosity ignited in Liu Yinxi. “Strong and vibrant… does that mean you favor alphas like Huang-jie, Teacher Nan?”
Nan Huaixu snapped a branch and tossed it into the Dakota fire hole. “I don’t know her well.”
Liu Yinxi’s voice dipped. “Oh…”
Nan Huaixu cast a sidelong glance at her. “What about you? What kind of omega do you favor?”
Liu Yinxi combed her fingers through the hair draped over her shoulder. “Me? I… I favor the rich ones, I guess.”
“Pfft.”
“I know I’m shallow. But we’re live-streaming, Teacher Nan—keep it down a little when you laugh at me.”
Nan Huaixu subconsciously ran a mental calculation of the assets under her own name. Calmly, she replied, “It’s only human nature. Anything else?”
Liu Yinxi said sheepishly, “Someone willing to play with me?”
“Play what?”
“For instance… someone willing to travel the world with me?”
Nan Huaixu offered her appraisal. “No wonder you want to find someone rich. Traveling the world would be a bit difficult without money.”
Liu Yinxi gave a goofy smile. “Hehe, saving up a little money to travel on a budget is still doable.”
Nan Huaixu nodded. “Anything else?”
This time, Liu Yinxi didn’t answer immediately. She stretched her arms wide, letting out a long stretch, and thought for two seconds before answering, “Nothing else. Actually, those two points I just mentioned don’t even count. They’re simply the things I want the most right now. Because I want to reap without sowing and hope someone will just hand those things to me for free, I’ve projected them as my expectations for a partner.”
Confusion colored Nan Huaixu’s expression. “What do you mean?”
At this moment, Liu Yinxi looked exactly like that one friend everyone had—the one who had been single since birth1 yet had somehow transformed into a relationship guru. “I feel that a liking mixed with underlying survival needs isn’t exclusive; it isn’t pure. Falling for someone based on a set of criteria doesn’t count as truly liking them, because it can be quantified. True love cannot be quantified; it’s mutually exclusive. As for the kind of ‘liking’ that is compatible and replaceable, I don’t want to discuss it.”
Liu Yinxi kept talking, sounding more and more as though she were speaking to herself. “If it’s true love, you at least have to accept and embrace the sides of them that you don’t like. So, is love a process of mutual attraction and mutual refinement? Romance isn’t the same as love, and love doesn’t always mean romance… I really don’t understand it. I’m sorry, Teacher Nan, I can’t answer your question.”
Nan Huaixu’s eyes darkened, the emotions swirling in their depths suddenly unfathomable. It seemed she was thinking about a great many things.
She paused, then smiled at Liu Yinxi. “You went through one breakup, and it taught you all these truths?”
Liu Yinxi gave a light cough. “Yes.”
Nan Huaixu smiled warmly, her voice clear and gentle. “I agree with your perspective, but there is one point where my thoughts differ from yours.”
Liu Yinxi snapped off a piece of banana stem core and nibbled on it, her dark, bright eyes looking toward her. “What is it?”
Nan Huaixu brought her hands together, her gaze fixed on the clear water boiling in the mess tin. “Pure things aren’t complicated. You’ve made love out to be too complex. I believe it’s simple.”
“It’s so simple that… when it happens, you will absolutely know.”
With absolute certainty, without a single doubt, you would firmly know.
The firelight reflected in Nan Huaixu’s eyes, shimmering with a warm, gentle glow.
Liu Yinxi froze slightly. Her gaze brushed against Nan Huaixu’s face before darting away.
The atmosphere suddenly felt incredibly subtle.
“Maybe,” Liu Yinxi murmured.
The water reached a rolling boil. Nan Huaixu lifted the mess tin off the roasting rack and set it on a leaf plate to cool.
“Liu Yinxi, look—did the robot dog get caught on something?” She suddenly called for Liu Yinxi to look at the robot dog resting in the outer campfire area.
Liu Yinxi had excellent eyesight. With a single glance, she spotted the twigs snagged on Dog 6’s chassis. She smiled and waved it over. “Little Sixth, come here.”
The robot dog lifted its head: X_X
She’s not going to tie another bundle to me, is she?
Please no. It’s been raining all day, I barely soaked up any solar energy today, and my battery is down to 40%. I absolutely cannot handle any more weight.
It really didn’t want to deal with this person.
Dog 6 dawdled over, wagging its metal tail exclusively at Nan Huaixu.
Nan Huaixu helped pluck the grass and leaves off its body and patted its screen face. “All done. Go play.”
The dog spun around happily in a circle.
Liu Yinxi tugged on its tail. “I’m your owner, why are you ignoring me?”
Dog 6’s four legs moved in a blur as it swiftly marched out of the first-floor shelter area, plopping down next to Dog 4 and turning its screen black.
“?” Liu Yinxi looked hurt. “You’re my robot dog. How can you be so heartless to me?”
Nan Huaixu had noticed this dynamic a long time ago. She asked Liu Yinxi, “Did you do something to it? AI technology is highly advanced these days; every robot dog has its own personality programming, and they know how to seek out advantages and avoid disadvantages. If you haven’t bullied it, it wouldn’t distance itself from you for no reason.”
Uh. Well. Making the robot dog carry some extra baggage didn’t count as bullying, did it?
Liu Yinxi averted her gaze. “I didn’t. Maybe Dog 6’s personality programming is just a bit aloof.”
Nan Huaixu countered, “Then why is it so enthusiastic toward me?”
Liu Yinxi’s lips curled up. “It likes you.”
Nan Huaixu looked at Liu Yinxi, then looked at Liu Yinxi’s robot dog, deep in thought. “Is that so.”
【Come on, ‘aloof personality programming’? Liu has blatantly squeezed Dog 6’s battery dry multiple times.】
【Doesn’t the production team step in to stop this? Doesn’t this count as cheating?】
【The rules don’t explicitly forbid it (Smile)】
【I didn’t expect Liu Yinxi’s single breakup to lead to such deep reflections. Getting your heart broken really opens your mind (Shocked)】
【’Romance isn’t the same as love, and love doesn’t always mean romance’—what does that mean?】
【Rotten peach blossoms2 aren’t the true peach blossom star. Even if your destiny is blessed with the Red Matchmaker and Heavenly Happiness auspicious marriage stars, it’s useless if you don’t grasp the opportunity.】
【Wuwuwu, when will my true destined love arrive (biting handkerchief)】
【Didn’t Manman just say earlier that she didn’t know what liking someone feels like? Why is she now saying that when love happens, you’ll absolutely know? Isn’t that contradictory?】
【It’s not contradictory. The former was Manman being unsure of her feelings at this stage; the latter is Manman’s philosophical reflection on love.】
【Y do I get the feeling that when Manman says you’ll absolutely know when love happens, it sounds like she… is in love?】
【Huh? In the middle of this deserted island wilderness, where would love even come from? It couldn’t possibly be with Liu, right? (Laughing crying)】
【Shut up.】
【To the commenter above, you are being way too presumptuous. Your words disgust me.】
【Don’t spread rumors, maintain polite discourse, do not blindly speculate about the guests’ private lives, and do not incite hostility.】
【It’s over, Xixi seems like she’ll be so hard to court QwQ】
【Of course she will. Once a woman who has been played and deceived finally wakes up, she reaches utter enlightenment.】
【Our Xixi is perfectly fine on her own, shining alone3. Xixi, don’t worry, just go out and travel the world boldly! We will always follow you and travel alongside you! Though… during a susceptible period, you’ll still need someone to take care of you. A woman should treat herself well. I’m a twenty-year-old omega. My pheromones smell like sweet peaches, they’re incredibly sweet. My Green Bubble4 is… Xixi, remember, omegas are the backbone of society. Every alpha’s home needs an omega (Finger heart)】
【Sister, the abacus beads5 from your scheming in Hongdu just bounced all the way to my face in Jing City (Sweat)】
The following morning, Liu Yinxi and Nan Huaixu worked together to weave two fish traps.
The weave on these traps was far tighter and denser, which reinforced the structure. They also used double-stranded vine ropes to secure them, ensuring the drag line wouldn’t be snapped by the water current again.
Liu Yinxi searched along the riverbank for an hour before settling on a new, deeper river bend. This spot had a natural vegetation buffer between it and the main channel. It allowed water to flow freely while heavily mitigating the brute force of any incoming floods. If another torrential downpour caused the river to swell, she wouldn’t have to worry about the traps sustaining such devastating damage.
As it happened, this new location for the fish traps was very close to one of the four traps they had previously set in the jungle. Liu Yinxi led Nan Huaixu over to check on that trap first.
This was a pitfall trap set up in the woods. They had dug a hole, covered it with branches and leaves, and placed bait on top. When a prey animal came to eat the bait, it would fall in. The pit was also lined with sharp wooden spikes pointing upward to prevent escape.
“Liu Yinxi! Look, prey fell into the trap!” Catching sight of the collapsed trap under the trees, Nan Huaixu excitedly grabbed Liu Yinxi’s arm.
They could finally eat fresh meat!
Liu Yinxi let herself be pulled along. “Let’s go look. What good thing did we catch?”
Nan Huaixu let out a bright, airy laugh as she ran to the edge of the small dirt pit. She looked down inside.
From behind, Liu Yinxi saw her shoulders slump.
What’s wrong?
Liu Yinxi hurried to her side. Seeing the deep disappointment on Nan Huaixu’s face, Liu Yinxi’s brows drew together in a heavy frown.
Since when had she become unable to bear seeing her sad?
Footnotes
- An internet slang term (mǔ dān), short for 'mǔtāi dānshēn' (single since the womb). It describes someone who has never been in a relationship since birth.
- 'Rotten peach blossoms' (làn táohuā) refers to bad romantic luck, toxic relationships, or unwanted advances. In Chinese astrology, 'peach blossom' luck governs romance, but the 'rotten' variety brings only trouble. The 'Red Matchmaker' (Hóngluán) and 'Heavenly Happiness' (Tiānxǐ) mentioned later are auspicious stars associated with destined marriages and good fortune in love.
- An internet slang term (dúzì měilì) meaning to shine alone or be beautiful on one's own—thriving and content in a single state without needing a partner.
- 'Green Bubble' (lǜ pàopào) is internet slang for WeChat, China's ubiquitous messaging and social media app, referring to its iconic green speech-bubble logo.
- 'Abacus beads' (suànpán zhūzi) is internet slang used when someone's ulterior motives or calculations are so obvious and loud that the metaphorical sound of them flicking the abacus can be heard miles away.
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