Substitute Alpha Gets Confessed to by Her Ex’s Aunt on a Survival Variety Show – Chapter 57

Banana Leaf Wooden Screen, Bathing in the Big White Bucket

Liu Yinxi hurriedly explained, “This fermentation barrel was originally a food barrel, so it’s relatively safe. Once we scrub it clean, we can use it for bathing. We haven’t had a proper bath since the competition started. Now we have coconut oil herbal soap and moisturizing cream, and there’s plenty of water—it’s the perfect time to wash. What do you think, Teacher Nan?”

Nan Huaixu put on a thoughtful expression and hummed contemplatively. “Mm, you’re right. Tonight I’m planning to wipe down and wash clothes.”

            

Liu Yinxi said, “That works perfectly. Just use the barrel to soak directly. The temperature is still high right now, and boiled water cools slowly. A warm bath will be comfortable.”

Nan Huaixu asked, “We have enough firewood for boiling water. Why are you still cutting trees?”

Liu Yinxi gestured with her hands. “To make a few screen frames. We’ll surround the barrel with them, and we’ll have ourselves a little outdoor bathroom.”

            

Nan Huaixu watched her seriously design their shelter, nodding in response as if they were renovating a home together.

“So, did you scrub the barrel at the beach?”

“No, I didn’t bring the palm fiber brush to the beach. I’ll scrub it later.”

            

Nan Huaixu turned to pick up the barrel. “By the time you finish cutting trees, it’ll be dark. I’ll go scrub the barrel.”

“Alright then.” Liu Yinxi reminded her, “Teacher Nan, remember to rinse it with boiling water after scrubbing.”

“Got it.”

            

Liu Yinxi turned toward the forest, catching sight of the mess tin on the fire hole out of the corner of her eye. “Teacher Nan! The soup is boiling over!”

Nan Huaixu set down the barrel and rushed to grab the mess tin. “Oh no, oh no—my soup.”

Liu Yinxi smiled, picked up her stone axe, and went to select a tree. Which tree would be the lucky guest today~

            

There were four barrels of stored water on the lower shelf of the storage rack. After Nan Huaixu finished scrubbing the big barrel, she poured two barrels of water inside, then boiled water in two mess tins to adjust the temperature.

By the time the water had boiled twice, Liu Yinxi returned dragging a pile of wood, her elevated body temperature releasing a rich pheromone¹ fragrance.

Nan Huaixu hadn’t even seen her yet, but one whiff of the scent told her she was back.

            

She called out to Liu Yinxi, “Sit for a bit first. I roasted the fish, shrimp, and crab you brought back.”

Liu Yinxi plopped down, caught a whiff of her own sweat, and immediately stood up to move her stool farther away. “Sorry about that.”

Nan Huaixu silently glanced at her damp, glistening cheeks and neck, said nothing more, and handed her two skewers of roasted fish.

            

“Haven’t had fresh fish in days. And crab too. Teacher Nan, you roast things so well. So fragrant.”

“Let’s check the fish traps tomorrow. If there aren’t any big fish, should we move them somewhere else?”

“Okay.”

            

Today’s traps had yielded nothing, but they’d eaten wild chicken yesterday, and the air-hole box still held the water monitor lizard. With the compensation supplies arriving tomorrow, they wouldn’t have to worry about food for a few days. What they really wanted to solve was the personal hygiene issue.

Beyond that, Nan Huaixu had just finished her heat period. Once Liu Yinxi’s susceptible period² passed, their menstrual periods would arrive soon. Although the standard pack included sanitary pads, there was no toilet paper—hygiene and cleaning would be troublesome, and going out would be inconvenient. They needed to prepare in advance.

After eating, Liu Yinxi took an inhibitor³ with some chicken soup, then chewed on banana stem core while looking at the big white barrel.

            

“Teacher Nan, you finished scrubbing the barrel already? Is the water inside clean?”

“It’s clean. I also prepared a small bucket of hot water.”

Liu Yinxi bit off the banana stem core in two or three chews, grabbed her axe, and went to the outer camp to split wooden planks. “I’ll hurry and make the screen. The water will get cold.”

            

Nan Huaixu packed up the used mess tins. “No rush. The water can cool—it’s fine. You can just boil more when you’re done.”

“Mm…” Liu Yinxi answered verbally, but her attention was entirely focused on the work in her hands.

She split the wood into planks of similar length, used large banana leaves to measure the spacing, then tied the planks together with vines like a ladder, stood them in a circle around the big white barrel, pushed the bottoms into the sand, and finally nailed banana leaves between the gaps with wooden pegs. The banana leaf wooden screen was complete.

            

Liu Yinxi brushed the wood chips from her hands and excitedly called Nan Huaixu over. “Teacher Nan, stand where I am. I’ll go inside the screen. You check from the outside to see how well it blocks the view.”

Before the person arrived, two robot dogs came striding over, their cameras pointing directly at the green banana leaves.

Liu Yinxi clicked her tongue and waved her arms to shoo them away. “You two can’t bathe. You’ll break if you get wet. Go away.”

            

【Hey, why did it go black?】

【My livestream turned dark green!】

【Let me out! I want to watch Manman’s outdoor bathroom livestream!】

            

【What are you thinking? Guess why Liu Yinxi is making a screen?】

【By the way, Liu is in her susceptible period. Isn’t this a bad time for Manman to bathe? (awkward)】

【Why can’t she wash? The rainforest is so hot and humid, they exercise so much every day, sweat sticking to your body is so uncomfortable—if you want to wash, just wash.】

            

【Is susceptible period about eating people or dying? There are inhibitors. Besides, even without medicine nothing would happen. To put it plainly, bonding period is the same as being drunk—there’s no such thing as losing control, it just depends on whether you want to or not. Don’t use bonding period as an excuse, you pheromone-uncontrollable promiscuous garbage⁴.】

【Speechless. Did I say pheromones losing control? I just meant avoid suspicion when you can—is avoiding unnecessary awkwardness also wrong?】

【Alright stop arguing, eating radishes while worrying about nothing⁵. Manman can do whatever she wants. You ordinary fans don’t worry about yourselves but worry about your richly clad and well-fed⁶ wealthy goddess? (dog head)】

            

【I have a question. This bucket is so high, how do people get in?】

【Step on a stool and you’re in.】

【Alright then, second question: after soaking in the bucket and washing, how do you get out?】

            

【What’s so hard about that? Just move the stool into the bucket, step on it and climb out (smug)】

【Visual estimate says the stool won’t fit in the bucket…】

【Good question (crashed)】

            

Liu Yinxi carried away Dog 4 and Dog 6, looked back at Nan Huaixu, and walked to the outside of the screen. She told her, “Can’t see inside.”

The screen was taller than Nan Huaixu, but it exposed Liu Yinxi’s forehead and the top of her head. She said, “Perfect. Screen construction successful. Oh right, right—”

She ran out of the treehouse again and went to the outer camp area to open the fence gate.

            

Nan Huaixu followed behind her. “It’s dark already. What are you going out for? No going out.”

“Not going out.” Liu Yinxi bent down and picked up a square plastic bucket lying at the bottom of the fence, handing it to her. “Teacher Nan, remember to throw this into the big barrel before you bathe. When you’re done washing, fill it with water—it sinks to the bottom and becomes a stepping stool. You can step on it to get out.”

Nan Huaixu took it and placed it beside the big white barrel. “I’ll remember.”

            

Liu Yinxi looked around. The defensive fence was closed, hot water was crackling on the fire hole, the screen stood firmly around the big white barrel, the stepping bucket and stool were both placed beside the barrel, and the coconut oil herbal soap, moisturizing cream, sponge, and tender banana leaves were all ready.

Liu Yinxi let out a breath, grabbed two pieces of palm core, and climbed the ladder. “Teacher Nan, I’m going up to lie down for a bit. Call me when you’re done washing.”

“Mmhmm.” Nan Huaixu sat by the fire hole, looked up, and saw the palm core tucked under Liu Yinxi’s arm. “Liu Yinxi, you finished all the banana stem core? Why are you still eating this? Didn’t you have enough for dinner?”

            

Liu Yinxi looked down at the palm core. “I’m full. Uh, this is just something I want to chew on.”

Nan Huaixu narrowed her eyes slightly. “Do you also like biting straws and popsicle sticks?”

Liu Yinxi shook her head. “No. I just occasionally want to chew something. I like chewing gum.”

            

Nan Huaixu made a mental note. “In that case, I’ll break off more banana stem core for you tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Teacher Nan.”

Liu Yinxi crawled into the partition, first held a wooden peg in her mouth to seal the single-room partition with banana leaves, then lay down on the mattress and pressed her finger against the gum inside her sharp teeth.

            

Mm… too much coarse fiber to chew. A small blister had formed.

Sigh. Why doesn’t the production team prepare chew toys⁷ in the alpha standard pack?

She glanced at the palm core in her hand and closed her eyes.

            

The inhibitor they issued isn’t very effective either…

Negative review.

Liu Yinxi gently licked the blister on her gum with her tongue. It hurt enough to make her hiss.

            

She set the palm core aside. Better not chew on it.

In some sense, this pain also distracted from her other sensations.

After lying down, her whole body relaxed. The day’s heavy physical labor left her brain empty, and drowsiness quickly swept through her. Should she use the bathroom and just go to sleep? In the moment she hesitated, half her brain had already fallen into dreams.

            

After transmigrating, her brain nerves had become very strange—able to mix scenes from dreams with reality in that half-asleep, half-awake state. Like right now, she was actually seeing Nan Huaixu holding a mess tin to feed her.

That bowl of rice was piled high, the white grains plump and glistening, fragrant with rising steam.

Nan Huaixu scooped up a spoonful and brought it to her mouth: Ahh~ Eat more.

            

She smiled and waved her hand: No more, no more, I’m full.

Nan Huaixu insisted on feeding her: Even if you’re full, eat a bit more. This rice is so fragrant.

Liu Yinxi rubbed her belly and smiled sheepishly: Thank you, Teacher Nan. Then I won’t be polite—I’ll have a little more.

            

She opened her mouth and took the spoon in. Why did it taste like coconut and herbs?

Nan Huaixu set down the spoon and asked her: Is it good, Liu Yinxi?

“Liu Yinxi!”

            

“Liu Yinxi, did you hear me? Liu Yinxi!”

Liu Yinxi sat up abruptly and shook her head hard. From downstairs drifted the steamy vapor and the scent of herbal soap bathing.

Where was the rice?

            

The rice wouldn’t arrive until tomorrow.

She really was delusional from craving it.

“Liu—”

            

“Hey! I’m here. What’s up, Teacher Nan? I fell asleep and didn’t hear you.”

“Mm… it’s just… can you come down?”

Liu Yinxi crawled out of the single room and saw the wind chime swaying gently. She sniffed the moisture in the air and rubbed her nose. “You’re done washing?”

            

Nan Huaixu paused for a second before replying quietly, “Not completely… there’s still a little bit left.”

Liu Yinxi froze. Done washing means done washing. Not done means not done. What did “still a little bit left” mean?

Liu Yinxi sat on the small balcony on the second floor and let the wind blow. “Okay, take your time washing. Call me when you’re done.”

            

Nan Huaixu’s voice came up through the gaps in the wooden platform. “Come down now. I… um… I forgot to put the stepping bucket inside the big barrel. I can’t get out of the barrel now.”

Liu Yinxi’s CPU stuttered.

What was this situation?

            

What should she do?

Nan Huaixu’s voice was calm, but if you listened carefully, you could detect a hint of awkwardness. “Can you hand me the small bucket?”

Liu Yinxi scratched her head. “Teacher Nan, how do I give you the small bucket? You hide in the big barrel first?”

            

“I’m in the water. Just close your eyes and give it to me. Or use a jacket to cover your eyes.”

“Oh, okay, got it. Wait a moment.”

Liu Yinxi climbed down the ladder. The first floor was full of water vapor, diffusing the clean scent of herbs.

            

She deliberately made her footsteps louder to let Nan Huaixu know she was approaching. “Teacher Nan, I’m coming over.”

From behind the screen came the response: “Mm. The small bucket is by the stool.”

“Okay, I’m coming in. I’ll close my eyes once I have the bucket. You guide me.”

            

“Mm.”

Liu Yinxi covered her eyes with one hand, slowly approached the big white barrel, bent down to pick up the square plastic bucket, reached out her hand, turned her face away, closed her eyes, and listened to Nan Huaixu’s directions.

“Move forward. Forward, more forward. A little to the left, one more step. Okay, right here. Don’t move yet. I’ll put the small bucket down and see if I can get up.”

            

Liu Yinxi nodded and held her breath, waiting in place.

This close, she could smell not only the thick herbal scent but also the unique floral fragrance from Nan Huaixu’s body.

The warm water vapor enveloped her senses. The skin on her neck gland⁸, already heated, grew even more tense.

            

Nan Huaixu submerged the small bucket, filled it with water, and pressed it to the bottom of the big barrel. She stepped on it to test, grabbed the edge of the barrel, and pushed herself up—her navel was just level with the barrel rim. She could lift her leg and climb out.

“Okay, thank you. You can go up now. I can get—ah!”

Plop!

            

Violent splashes erupted from the big white barrel. Nan Huaixu had stepped wrong on the small bucket at the bottom and tumbled forward in shock. Instinctively, she grabbed for something to hold onto.

Liu Yinxi kept her eyes tightly shut. Her face was soaked by the splash, and a pair of wet, smooth arms wrapped tightly around her neck.

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