Substitute Alpha Gets Confessed to by Her Ex’s Aunt on a Survival Variety Show – Chapter 75

Pick Up the Deer Meat, and Be Quick About It

Nan Huaixu followed Liu Yinxi’s footsteps, slowly backing away.

Liu Yinxi lowered the hand resting against Nan Huaixu’s lips and shielded her behind her, her eyes not daring to stray from the distant tree for even a second.

            

Noticing that she maintained a forward-facing posture, Nan Huaixu mirrored her, facing forward and not daring to make any rash moves.

The two of them continued to back up like this, locked in a standoff with the beast in the tree for about three minutes. The beast rose silently, plucked a tiny cub from the branches with its jaws, turned, and leaped. A furry tail whipped past the foliage. With a soft rustle of the leaves, the mother and cub vanished without a trace.

Liu Yinxi had excellent eyesight. She stood in place and observed for a few minutes, finally breathing a sigh of relief only after confirming that the beast had gone far away.

            

“It’s alright now, Teacher Nan,” Liu Yinxi said, turning back to check on Nan Huaixu. “How are you? You weren’t scared out of your wits, were you?”

Nan Huaixu’s face was pale. She shook her head, wiping away the cold sweat at her temple. “Scared, yes, but not out of my wits.”

Liu Yinxi smiled. “Good, good. Let’s go check out the hog deer. Even though it was very dangerous just now, we can pick up a huge bargain here.”

            

Such was the natural world—the greater the temptation, the greater the danger.

“Ah? You can’t be thinking of…”

“Yes, we’ll leave the bulk of it for them and just carve off a little deer meat to take back.”

            

“It won’t come back, will it? It looked so terrifying.”

“That’s why we have to be quick.”

Hiding behind Liu Yinxi, Nan Huaixu watched as she picked leaves to lay over the hog deer’s remains, padding her hands. First, she removed the contaminated parts where the beast had gnawed, then skillfully dissected the muscle and tendon, removing a large chunk of deer loin and a front leg. She wrapped them both in banana leaves and tied them securely with grass ropes.

            

While Liu Yinxi harvested the meat, Nan Huaixu stood watch.

Nan Huaixu looked around warily, her grip tightening on her knife. Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke. “Will it call its fellow family members over for revenge?”

Liu Yinxi couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “No, it’s a solitary animal. Wolves, monkeys, elephants, whales, ravens—those are highly social animals that seek revenge.”

            

“Really? What was that just now?”

“A big kitty¹.”

Nan Huaixu had already made a guess when she saw that large tail. “A cat? It was so fierce, was it a leopard?”

            

Liu Yinxi briskly packed up the deer meat, stowing it into their two backpacks. “Its body size doesn’t meet the standard for a clouded leopard. Since it has a cub, it’s fully grown. At that size, it’s likely an Asian golden cat.”

“It really is a cat, then.”

“A very fierce one. If it hadn’t been wary because of its cub, and if we didn’t have two people, knives, the camera drone, and the robot dog—if a single person encountered it alone, it would be extremely dangerous.”

            

Nan Huaixu shouldered her pack. It was heavy, but the thought of having solid deer meat to eat for the next two days swept away the haze of fear. “So that’s why you kept facing it.”

Liu Yinxi tossed aside the bloodstained banana leaves and poured water to wash her hands. “Right. Teacher Nan, you must remember one rule: in the wild, never expose your back to a beast.”

Nan Huaixu nodded.

            

She understood.

This rule applied not just in the wild, but equally in human society: never expose your back to others, always guarding against being hunted.

And against backstabbing².

            

Liu Yinxi adjusted their forward direction using her compass.

Nan Huaixu hefted her backpack, the corners of her lips curving up as she asked, “Are we still going forward? Will we run into other big kitties?”

Liu Yinxi stepped out. “Teacher Nan, do you know how long professional scientific expedition teams have to search the rainforest before they can capture footage of these rare animals?”

            

“Alright. I understand what you mean.”

“You’re like a Disney Princess³.”

Nan Huaixu tilted her head. “Is there any connection between those things?”

            

Liu Yinxi smiled and pantomimed a couple of animated princess dance moves. “All the little animals in the world want to get close to you.”

Nan Huaixu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “By ‘little animals,’ do you mean the poisonous mosquitoes that bite massive welts, the claw-brandishing crocodiles, and the Asian golden cat capable of snapping a deer’s neck?”

“Uh…” Liu Yinxi hastily scrambled to organize her words. “There are also cute rabbits and clever little fish.”

            

Nan Huaixu considered this with a serious expression, then said, “Maybe I’m the Princess of Lion Camel Ridge⁴.”

Liu Yinxi drew in a sharp breath. “Don’t, Teacher Nan, you really shouldn’t say that.”

Those ones eat people.

            

【What a cute big cat! No, wait, what a fierce big cat!】

【So dangerous, the production team said the competition area has no large beasts, but medium and small ones are terrifying too QAQ】

【Don’t worry too much, survival shows inherently carry risks. The guests knew this before joining and volunteered. The robot dog and camera drone have certain defensive capabilities; if a guest is truly in danger, the defense mechanisms will activate.】

            

【Most animals with a bit of intelligence will take a detour when they see the terrifying upright ape⁵.】

【Jinzhou’s ecological protection is getting better and better. These kinds of wild animals are highly alert; in the past, they would run far away the moment they heard human movement from a distance (Sigh)】

【It was with its baby and didn’t want to abandon its hard-won food, so it could only hurry and take a few more bites before the humans appeared (Pitiful)】

            

【Boo-hoo…】

【How can you be sure the Asian golden cat killed the deer? Liu and Nan picked up the leftover deer meat, maybe the Asian golden cat just scavenged it too?】

【Stop talking, I’m so scared! (Crying volume+++)】

            

【Then what do you think it is? A clouded leopard? A Jinzhou tiger? A black-crested hawk-eagle? The deer wasn’t rotting, who catches prey and runs without finishing it?】

【If you don’t know, don’t talk nonsense. The upstream Toa River is the Jiganbu Lake area, which belongs to the Tuowa tribe’s territory. There’s absolutely no way large predators exist there. The reserve is so huge; the production team specifically chose the ‘Jiganbu Lake–Toa River’ region as the competition area because the Tuowa tribe is active on this land, making it the safest region in the reserve. It’s only this mountainous area in the middle and upper reaches of the Toa River that might have medium and small beasts. Further up, closer to the lake, it’s safer. Around the lake’s river source, there are Tuowa watchtowers and stone forts.】

【Thank you for the explanation, sister!】

            

【Liu Yinxi is so brave and smart, I’ve gone from passerby to fan⁶! (Cute)】

【Welcome to the group, Xixi is great~】

【Oh, my foolish black moonlight⁷. Liu Yinxi, you were so foolish. With skills like these, why did you do borderline dances⁸ before? (Heartbroken)】

            

【Sleeping in the wind and dining in the dew, getting covered in dirt with your life on the line—how can that bring in money faster than twisting your waist? Not long ago, Liu Yinxi said she didn’t want to be an actress because it was too exhausting and bitter, and that borderline content was a faster way to get rich (Doge⁹)】

【It seems Luo Ling really got to taste the good stuff (eating melons¹⁰)】

【Nan Huaixu really has something special going on¹¹.】

            

【Manman’s ability to attract rare animals is so strong (Worship)】

【The Jinzhou Feline Protection Organization is already begging for the coordinates in the livestream (Laugh-cry)】

【LMAO¹², other organizations have also sent people to camp out here. Word online is that staying in this livestream can get them precious footage they wouldn’t be able to capture in a year XD】

            

【Yeah, a waving crocodile, an Asian golden cat carrying its cub—these are too hard to film (Shrug)】

【Thank you to Liu Yinxi for protecting Manman (Folded hands)】

【Wishing Manman and Xixi’s little survival days continuous prosperity~ O(∩_∩)O】

            

【Manman, Xixi, the airdrop we prepared for you is arriving soon, we hope you’ll like it!】

Liu Yinxi and Nan Huaixu crossed high slope after high slope. Because the mountain path was truly too difficult to traverse, the robot dog had been left behind halfway; only the camera drone followed them.

As dusk approached, the two found an open area to sit and rest.

            

Liu Yinxi checked the time. It was almost four o’clock. The return journey would take three or four hours; they needed to get moving and head back to the shelter.

She took out her water bottle and the banana stem core, sharing them with Nan Huaixu to replenish their energy.

At a time like this, it would be great to have a packet of candied hawthorn-flavored energy gel. She wondered who had snatched the energy gels from the fifth airdrop.

            

Liu Yinxi let her thoughts wander. When would this competition allow just one person to snatch all the airdrops?

Sigh, but this was a survival competition for non-professionals. Entering the competition wearing the original owner’s shell was already unfair enough as it was.

“Teacher Nan, we’ll rest for five more minutes, then we’ll head back.”

            

“Liu Yinxi, what is this continuous rumbling sound?” Nan Huaixu asked suddenly, peering deep into the mountain forest.

“The Toa Waterfall.” This was exactly what Liu Yinxi had been looking for—and the location of the airdrop after the next one.

“Sometimes it feels like the grass is faintly vibrating. Just how big must that waterfall be?”

            

“Average. It’s far inferior to our Hukou Waterfall¹³.”

Nan Huaixu looked back, her clear eyes reflecting Liu Yinxi’s sweat-drenched face. “You seem very familiar with this place. Where there are rivers, where pearls can be found, where there are waterfalls—you can find them all.”

Liu Yinxi replied in all seriousness, “I searched for the Toa River for a long time. The pearls were calculated based on the estuary’s location. As for the waterfall… that was pure accident. Haven’t we just happened to walk right to it?”

            

Of course, with such a detailed Book Transmigration Reading System, she would be an absolute idiot if she couldn’t find her way around with a golden finger activated.

Nan Huaixu asked, “Then how did you know it was called the Toa Waterfall? That wasn’t written in the pre-competition materials.”

Liu Yinxi answered easily, “Because it’s the waterfall on the Toa River, so it’s called the Toa Waterfall.”

            

“…”

“Hehe.”

“What you’re saying… makes sense. Yes, exactly, many landmarks are named that way.” Nan Huaixu forcefully swallowed her awkward expression and revealed a gentle smile.

            

Liu Yinxi broke into a delighted grin. She looked toward the mist-filled woods. “Since we’re already here, Teacher Nan, do you want to see gold flowing from the sky?”

“Flowing gold? What do you mean?”

“A very beautiful scenery. You might only get a chance to see it once in your entire life; seeing it is pure luck. But if you want to watch it, we’ll have to camp out tonight and head back tomorrow morning.”

            

Liu Yinxi looked up at the blue sky, while Nan Huaixu kept her eyes fixed on her.

“Is that beautiful scenery what you said you wanted to pursue in this life?”

“Yes.”

            

“Shall we watch it together?”

“Yes.”

“If we camp out tonight, will you be by my side?”

            

“Yes.”

Nan Huaixu answered without hesitation, “Let’s go.”

The sunlight illuminated her resolute face.

            

“I want to see it.”

—「From May to June each year, Jinzhou Island’s Toa Waterfall may reveal a spectacular sight: the Flowing Gold of the Setting Sun… The majestic great waterfall cascades down from the high cliffs, stirring up a vast, boundless mist like a sea of clouds galloping across the heavens and the earth… As dusk cuts through day and night, the fiery red Golden Crow¹⁴ slowly sinks, washing away its golden radiance. It merges into the mist and pours into the waterfall, transforming into a golden river soaring down from the sky.」

Thus read the original system text.

            

Rumble—

The massive roar of the water was deafening.

Liu Yinxi and Nan Huaixu tilted their heads up to gaze in awe, using their hands to cover their ears as fierce winds and water vapor assaulted their faces.

            

The sound of the waterfall was so loud that they had to shout at the top of their lungs for the other to hear them clearly.

“How is it! Teacher Nan! I didn’t lie to you, did I! Is it beautiful!”

“Beautiful! It’s very beautiful!”

            

The magnificent, soaring waterfall shook Nan Huaixu’s eyes and mind.

That waterfall of golden light cascading from the heavens didn’t look like water; just as Liu Yinxi had described, it truly looked like gold flowing from the sky. Layers of golden-red water vapor surged and scattered in the air, looking like a veil of crimson-gold shed by the sun, spilling out across the boundless primitive rainforest.

“Liu Yinxi, you were right! This is a once-in-a-lifetime sight! Just seeing this sunset makes this whole competition worth it!”

            

In this lifetime, just being able to watch this one sunset with you… it is so beautiful.

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