Substitute Alpha Gets Confessed to by Her Ex’s Aunt on a Survival Variety Show – Chapter 63
by Little PandaFishing Ground Knowledge, Jewelry Knowledge
Liu Yinxi swore this was the most beautiful smile she had ever seen.
Enough to prove how happy Nan Huaixu was at this moment.
Nan Huaixu actually liked flowers this much—why had she never mentioned it before?
The same with the pearls.
Nan Huaixu before her gazed at Liu Yinxi with beaming joy. “What is it? Tell me.”
Liu Yinxi hurriedly gathered her scattered thoughts and continued, “It’s like this—I heard from Yu Yan that Huang-jie is teaching her climbing and combat, and she’s teaching Huang-jie medical knowledge. I thought we could also learn from each other. I wanted to ask your opinion.”
Nan Huaixu answered without hesitation. “Sure.”
Liu Yinxi was surprised. She agreed just like that?
Nan Huaixu thought for a moment and said, “In this rainforest, there’s nothing I can teach you. You teach me first. Put this on my tab—after the competition ends and we return home, come find me.”
Liu Yinxi said, “There is something. Teacher Nan, you’re better at negotiating than I am. Both trades with Yu Yan were negotiated by you. So what should we learn first?”
Nan Huaixu also didn’t have any ideas. “You decide what to teach.”
“Hmm… Teacher Nan, sit down. Let’s talk while we grill the fish.”
“I’ve already made dinner.”
“Ah, sorry, I didn’t notice. I’ve already gutted the fish.”
“There isn’t much lizard meat, so let’s eat the fish together.”
The two set up the grill. While eating and flipping the grilled fish, Liu Yinxi recounted what she’d seen on her journey—how Yu Yan gathered strange herbs, caught toads to extract toad venom, and even climbed trees to pick flowers from vines, all just to decorate her temple hair beautifully.
And how Yu Yan went on and on about things related to Huang Heshan.
Liu Yinxi said, “I really admire Xiao Yu-jie. How does she put up with it? ‘Cute’—what’s cute about her? She’s basically a devil. Not meeting up with her teammate on landing day, wanting to win through solo combat? Is that even possible? This is a team competition.”
Nan Huaixu rested her chin on one hand, not sure if she was listening seriously, and nodded lazily.
“Yu Yan listed so many of Huang-jie’s faults, said Huang-jie always makes her angry, then later said she thought she was cute. I don’t understand… Well, at least she’s giving Huang-jie some face. Speaking ill of your teammate in front of opponents is a major taboo, so this is a bit of damage control. A team’s outward image should always show unity.”
Hearing this, Nan Huaixu raised her head, her gaze meeting Liu Yinxi’s directly. “You think so?”
Liu Yinxi spoke earnestly. “Yes. No matter how many internal conflicts there are, you shouldn’t air them outside. I guarantee this, Teacher Nan—when I chat with other contestants, I always praise you.”
Nan Huaixu smiled gently, tapping her cheek with her fingertip. “What a coincidence. Me too.”
“Then do we have any internal conflicts?” Nan Huaixu suddenly asked. “Things you haven’t told outsiders, but haven’t told me either.”
Liu Yinxi held her lunchbox, a grain of rice at the corner of her mouth. “No!”
Nan Huaixu didn’t respond, but her eyes clearly held doubt.
Liu Yinxi pressed her knees together and sat up straight. “Really, there’s nothing.”
Nan Huaixu smiled warmly and took off a piece of crispy roasted fish for her. “Why so nervous? Here, eat.”
Liu Yinxi was flattered. She handed over her lunchbox to receive it. “Thank you, Teacher Nan.”
Nan Huaixu poured her water as well. “Others are others. We are us. No matter how other contestants get along, as long as the two of us stay united and win the prize money, that’s enough.”
“Teacher Nan is right.”
Liu Yinxi hadn’t eaten enough at noon, and her stomach had been growling for a while. She devoured her food. “Teacher Nan, your cooking gets better and better. With such a smart mind and such strong execution, you’ll succeed at whatever you do.”
Nan Huaixu’s gaze deepened. The corners of her lips curved up as she looked at her intently. “At everything?”
“Mmhmm!”
“Good. You said it.”
Liu Yinxi looked up, confused. “Hmm?”
Nan Huaixu smiled slightly and picked two strips of lizard meat from her bowl for her. “Eat more.”
Liu Yinxi felt she was being overly polite today. “No, no, no, I’ve had enough. You eat more. You need more protein these past couple days.”
“There’s also grilled fish and boiled shrimp. I’ve been weaving rope at the shelter—it’s not tiring. Don’t worry, eat.”
“Then you take half, I take half. No more than that.”
“Alright, half and half.”
The animals in the rainforest were wary. Catching a wild chicken was lucky due to the rain—finding such tasty prey again wouldn’t be easy.
This time when checking the traps, Liu Yinxi only found one forest mouse. She figured Nan Huaixu wouldn’t accept eating a mouse, so she ate it herself at noon.
Fortunately, the fish traps had caught some fish and shrimp. They ate some now, and kept the rest in a bucket for tomorrow.
“You brought the fish trap back?”
“Tomorrow I’ll set the fish trap in different waters, so I brought it back for now.”
“Why don’t you start by teaching me how to identify waters suitable for fish traps?”
“This is simple. Teacher Nan, you’re good at studying, so geography should be fine too. Do you know the world’s four great fishing grounds?”
“Hokkaido, the North Sea, Newfoundland, Peru.”
“Then, what are the conditions that form them?”
“Converging currents, carrying abundant nutrients… You mean fish traps should be placed where two currents meet—the small river mouths where Toa River’s main stream meets its tributaries.”
Liu Yinxi gave her a thumbs up. “Exactly right.”
Nan Huaixu blinked, sighing that knowledge from books must be combined with personal practice to truly master it.
Liu Yinxi added, “Fish like deep waters with gentle currents. Add in converging currents, and basically these three points are enough.”
Nan Huaixu was curious. “Do all villagers in mountain villages know this?”
“Villagers who fish for a living all know it—it’s their livelihood after all. Fishing enthusiasts do too.”
Nan Huaixu nodded. “I understand. Tomorrow let me choose where to set the fish trap, okay?”
Liu Yinxi hesitated for two seconds.
Nan Huaixu quickly said, “I’ll follow you out, I’ll look along the riverbank. I know the riverside path isn’t easy to walk, I’m slow, I—”
Liu Yinxi gently took over her words. “I’ll teach you how to adjust your center of gravity while hiking, how to maintain your breathing, and different ways to use leverage for climbing. Your speed will improve quickly. Every outdoor enthusiast starts from knowing nothing, to knowing theory but not practice, to beginner level, then to skilled and expert.”
“Teacher Nan, you’re so smart and brave. Once you master the methods, you’ll adapt to life here very quickly.”
As she spoke, Liu Yinxi pulled out a large golden mango from her pocket and placed it in Nan Huaixu’s palm.
“You said before, you wouldn’t let me go out…” Nan Huaixu’s body stilled. The golden fruit reflected in her eyes as she lowered her lashes.
Liu Yinxi smoothed her hair, embarrassed. “I’m sorry. I was too nervous then, afraid of encountering danger again. After calming down and thinking carefully—who am I to say things that limit your activities? And compared to a protective approach that confines you, isn’t it better if we identify dangers together and solve difficulties together?”
She thought: protecting a divine bird doesn’t mean building a golden cage to imprison her. It means helping her sharpen her claws and beak, calling the wind to support her flight.
Protecting an immortal seedling doesn’t mean creating a greenhouse to seal her away. It means becoming another tree, standing with her to face the violent storms.
Nan Huaixu cupped the mango with both hands, her fingertips gently stroking the fragrant skin. She took a breath, looked at Liu Yinxi, and smiled radiantly. “Just watch. I learn quickly.”
Liu Yinxi pointed at her eyes. “I’ll be waiting.”
Nan Huaixu turned her face away, using her pinky to wipe the corner of her eye. She turned back and stuffed the mango into Liu Yinxi’s hand. “Mango again.”
Liu Yinxi had guessed she liked mangoes, but Nan Huaixu had never explicitly said so. Had she guessed wrong?
“You don’t like it?”
“Who said I liked it?”
“Sorry, I thought you liked mangoes, so I picked it.”
“Who said I didn’t like it.”
Huh?
Liu Yinxi’s face showed confusion.
So did Nan Huaixu like them or not?
Liu Yinxi held the mango in her hand. Nan Huaixu placed her hand over the mango, looking into her eyes. “Liu Yinxi, how do you judge whether I like something or not?”
Liu Yinxi’s breathing slowed, her heart skipping a beat. “I…”
Right. She had never asked her. On what basis did she draw conclusions?
“Then do you like…”
“I like it.”
Nan Huaixu slowly leaned forward, her nose approaching Liu Yinxi’s cheek, her gaze tracing down from her brow. Liu Yinxi suddenly straightened her spine. Nan Huaixu quickly took the mango from her hand and pulled away to sit aside.
Liu Yinxi dazedly steadied her breathing. Her gaze shifted inch by inch to the side. Nan Huaixu used a knife to peel the skin, then smiled at her radiantly. “I like mangoes. The ones you give me are definitely especially sweet.”
Liu Yinxi let out a long breath.
Was it her imagination?
She didn’t know from which moment in time, Nan Huaixu’s smiles had become particularly generous.
Like theblue poppies1 that bloom once in ten years, suddenly covering the entire mountain in bloom for her overnight.
Night fell.
Liu Yinxi and Nan Huaixu sat by the campfire. The flickering flames cast their shadows, one on the left and one on the right, stretching across the sand.
“During the day when you’re alone at the shelter, do you get bored?”
“Hmph, so you do know I get bored.”
“Really?”
“It’s okay. I chat with the robot dog, and many viewers keep me company.”
“Viewers can’t talk back to you. Thinking about it, the days at the beach making salt with Yuan Fang weren’t bad—there was some entertainment.”
“Not at all.”
“Really? I thought it was fine.”
“Alright, Liu Yinxi, stop talking about it.”
“Oh… changing the topic. Teacher Nan, besides pearls, what other jewelry do you like?”
“Why ask this suddenly?”
“I feel like what I used to wear was too tacky. I want to learn from you and improve my taste.”
“For me…Paraíba2,spessartine3…”
【Every day my favorite moment is when Manman and Xixi have worked hard all day and sit around the campfire chatting ^o^】
【Me too. This atmosphere is so warm and relaxing (pokes face)】
【I just feel like Manman is unhappy staying at the shelter. She still wants to go out and take action with her teammate w】
【Of course. No one wants to be the one left behind.】
【Manman and Xixi, fighting! (cheering)】
【Manman is still so bothered by Boss Yuan (doting) (helpless)】
【Whose fault? Yuan Fang talks too much trash (shrugs)】
【HHHHHHH the day before yesterday Lu Yiqi slapped Yuan Fang. Boss Yuan finally paid the price for her trash talk.】
【Why?】
【Lu Yiqi was in her susceptible period. Yuan Fang said: Although your soap-scented alpha pheromones smell terrible, if you really can’t hold back facing a top-tier omega like me, it’s understandable. Big sister here can reluctantly pinch her nose and be yourfoaming net4.】
【That’s not the most fatal part. The last straw that broke Lu Yiqi’s patience was Yuan Fang lifting her own hem to tease Lu, asking if Lu wanted to see the Number 2 temporary tattoo on her gluteus maximus (laughing-crying)】
【???】
【That slap must have been really loud, right? I’m going to search for the recording hhh】
【After seven days of effort, Yunshao and Luoling’s new shelter is complete.】
【They moved for seven days and finally made it to the riverside?】
【Yep, Luoling got blisters on her feet and walked slowly. Yunshao took care of her, going back and forth moving things four or five trips.】
【A Yun is so gentle. Every night she tells Luoling stories to coax her to sleep, and even gives Luoling massages. My ideal lover QAQ】
【My Yun isyyds5! A Yun I love you!!!】
【Huang-jie’s livestream is dark again (sad)】
【It’s Yu Yu who put out the campfire (quietly)】
【0v0】
【[red dot][space][red dot]】
The stopwatch ticked by.
Evening of May 7th, notification refresh:
May 8th, Sixth Airdrop
Time: 7:00 AM
Location: Toa River Estuary
(It’s suggested that each team send the contestant with better swimming ability first)
Footnotes
- Blue poppy (Mecónopsis), a rare flower that blooms in high-altitude regions. In Chinese literary tradition, it symbolizes elusive beauty that appears only once in a long while.
- Paraíba tourmaline, a rare gemstone known for its vivid blue-green color, named after the Brazilian state where it was discovered. One of the most valuable tourmalines.
- Spessartine garnet, also known as mandarin garnet, valued for its bright orange to reddish-orange color.
- A mesh bath accessory used to create foam from soap or body wash. In this context, it's a crude sexual innuendo—Yuan Fang is offering to 'service' Lu Yiqi during her susceptible period.
- Internet slang (yyds), short for 'yǒngyuǎn de shén' (eternal god). Used to express that someone or something is the absolute best, similar to 'GOAT' in English.
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