Substitute Alpha Gets Confessed to by Her Ex’s Aunt on a Survival Variety Show – Chapter 86
by Little PandaTurn Around, Someone Is Stalking You
In the distance, heat shimmered over the beach, blurring the landscape into a hazy mirage.
Two figures were walking slowly beneath the coconut trees.
From the mangrove forest, Liu Yinxi spotted the silhouettes. She turned back and whispered to Nan Huaixu, “Someone’s coming.”
Judging by the color of their hardshell jackets, it looked like Luo Ling and Xue Yunshao.
Nan Huaixu halted, peering through the branches. “Should we wait for them to leave before heading to the beach?”
Liu Yinxi thought for a moment. “Let’s wait a bit.”
She had no desire to cross paths with those two.
“Mhm, my thoughts exactly,” Nan Huaixu agreed.
They waited a while until the figures vanished from the beach. Liu Yinxi slipped through the bushes, holding back the branches to clear a path for Nan Huaixu.
Finding their hiding spot, Liu Yinxi picked up a bundle of firewood wrapped in banana leaves and headed toward the stone stove.
Nan Huaixu gathered a few stray branches along the way and sighed. “Yuan Fang probably won’t last much longer either.”
Liu Yinxi hoisted the firewood onto her shoulder. “Her days ahead won’t be easy.”
Nan Huaixu’s first thought was the issue of spending the night. “Being alone in the rainforest after dark… it’s terrifying.”
Recalling the time Liu Yinxi had left her to spend the night alone, she hurriedly added—to maintain her carefully crafted image of bravery—”A night or two is fine, I suppose. But if Yuan Fang is completely isolated every day from now on, without even someone to talk to, her spirit will easily break.”
“Teacher Nan, do you want Yuan Fang to hold out a few days longer?” Liu Yinxi asked.
Nan Huaixu shook her head. “I just want the competition to end sooner so we can win.”
Liu Yinxi reminded her, “To take home the four million, we have to last the full hundred days.”
Nan Huaixu cheered herself on. “A third of the time has already passed. Keep it up.”
They reached the stone stove. Liu Yinxi fed the firewood into the hearth and coaxed the flames to life, while Nan Huaixu carried their bucket to the shore to fetch water.
Bucket full, Nan Huaixu headed back—only to hear approaching footsteps on the sand. They were quickening, drawing closer.
“Aunt!”
An affectionate call drifted over on the ocean breeze. It was Luo Ling’s voice.
A flash of impatience flickered in Nan Huaixu’s eyes. Instantly replacing it with a polite smile, she turned around.
Luo Ling jogged over, holding her shoes in one hand and cradling a coconut in the other. Her complexion was much rosier than it had been during the airdrop encounter—it seemed the large box of assorted meat jerky her fans had gifted hadn’t gone to waste.
“Aunt.” Luo Ling slowed her pace, stopping in front of Nan Huaixu. “It was too stifling in the rainforest, so Yunshao brought me to the beach for some fresh air. What about you? Are you alone?”
Nan Huaixu’s tone was thoroughly devoid of emotion. “I’m beachcombing.”
Xue Yunshao, trailing behind Luo Ling, walked up and greeted her. “Good afternoon, Teacher Nan.”
Nan Huaixu gave her a slight nod. “Hello.”
“Isn’t it a bit early to be beachcombing, Teacher Nan?” Xue Yunshao asked.
“No,” Nan Huaixu answered softly.
“Would you like to take a walk with us? Oh, is that seawater you fetched?”
“If you two are taking a walk, don’t let me keep you.”
Xue Yunshao stepped closer to the bucket. “That looks heavy. Where do you need to take it? Let me help you.”
Luo Ling quickly chimed in. “Yes, Aunt. If you need help with anything, just ask.”
Ever since their argument over the pearls, Luo Ling hadn’t found an opportunity to speak with her aunt. Although her aunt misunderstood her—no doubt due to Liu Yinxi’s sowing of discord—family was still family. No matter what, Luo Ling believed her aunt ultimately had her best interests at heart.
Nan Huaixu’s voice dropped a fraction. “No need. Go about your business.”
She did not want these two to see them boiling salt.
Fortunately, Liu Yinxi had built the stone stove at the edge of the mangrove forest. The trees provided enough cover to keep it hidden from a casual glance on the beach.
Nan Huaixu carried the bucket to the nearest coconut tree to rest in the shade. Xue Yunshao caught the subtle rejection and said nothing more.
Luo Ling followed Nan Huaixu for a few steps, thinking to herself: Aunt may be an imperious, aloof figure normally, but out here in the desolate wilderness, even she has her moments of destitution. What a pity her pride won’t allow her to ask for help.
For that very reason, it was up to her, as the niece, to be more considerate.
Luo Ling said softly, “Aunt, are you tired? Where do you need to take the water? We can help you. You always say this is a competition and that we are opponents, but you’re my aunt, my family. A trivial matter like this is perfectly fine.”
Nan Huaixu frowned at her. “Do you have too much time on your hands?”
Luo Ling flinched slightly, her tone taking on an aggrieved edge. “No. Aunt, I’m just here gathering supplies. Yunshao and I will go beachcombing a little later.”
Nan Huaixu said darkly, “I have no patience for idle chatter. I need to rest, and I do not wish to be disturbed.”
Luo Ling’s eyes filled with concern. “Aunt…”
“That’s enough, Lingling,” Xue Yunshao interrupted gently. “Teacher Nan has her own things to take care of. Let’s not disturb her.”
“But…”
Smiling at Nan Huaixu, Xue Yunshao said, “Teacher Nan, we’ll take our leave. Stay safe out here alone.”
Nan Huaixu watched them depart. Xue Yunshao led Luo Ling away by the arm, the latter casting reluctant glances back as she bid her aunt farewell.
Only when they were completely out of sight did Nan Huaixu finally lift the bucket. Just then, a rustling came from the mangrove forest. Liu Yinxi pushed through the bushes and hurried over.
“I saw everything. You didn’t come back, so I came looking for you and caught you talking,” Liu Yinxi said, taking the bucket from Nan Huaixu’s hand.
“It’s a good thing you didn’t step out. I don’t want them knowing we’re boiling salt. I took a loss trading salt to them last time, and right now, we barely have enough for ourselves. I am absolutely not trading with them.” Nan Huaixu was still brooding over that losing deal. Though she disliked Yuan Fang’s impudence, she had to admit the woman’s meticulous penny-pinching was worth learning from.
Liu Yinxi replied, “Mhm, I figured you wanted to keep it a secret. Otherwise, you would have just brought them back to the stone stove. That’s why I hid behind the trees instead of coming out.”
Staring at the back of Liu Yinxi’s head as they walked, Nan Huaixu’s lips curved upward. “Not bad, Student Xiao Liu. You’ve grown a bit more street-smart. I see progress.”
Liu Yinxi gave a smug little wag of her head. “It’s all thanks to Teacher Nan’s excellent guidance.”
“Alright, let’s get to work.”
“Actually, Teacher Nan, I think Xue Yunshao realized what we were doing. I lit a fire, so there was smoke—anyone paying attention would have noticed. Xue Yunshao just didn’t want to cause trouble, so she let it go. She has plenty of meat jerky, so she’s not lacking salt.”
“I don’t care whether they realized it or not,” Nan Huaixu said. “As long as they don’t bother me, it’s fine.”
Particularly Luo Ling. As long as she stayed away from Nan Huaixu and Liu Yinxi.
The rest of the salt-boiling process went smoothly, free from any interruptions.
The tide was relatively early. Once they gathered enough seafood for two meals, they packed up and headed back to the shelter.
They chatted as they walked.
“Teacher Nan, how’s the sunset glow tonight?”
“Hmm…” Nan Huaixu tilted her head to admire the magnificent fiery clouds, considering it carefully. “Seven.”
“Out of what?”
“Ten.”
“Why only a seven?”
“Unless it’s raining, the sunset glow here is beautiful every single day. There are simply too many gorgeous ones. Today’s merely passes the mark.”
Curious, Liu Yinxi asked, “Then which day’s did you like the best?”
Nan Huaixu’s eyes curved into smiling crescents. “Which day do you think?”
Liu Yinxi pondered for a moment. “The day at the waterfall.”
Nan Huaixu nodded earnestly. “Yes. A hundred.”
“Whoa, that’s way off the charts!” Liu Yinxi said happily. “I loved that sunset the most, too. It was breathtaking.”
She hoped she could witness many, many more beautiful scenes like that with Teacher Nan in the future.
Liu Yinxi snapped back to the present. Right—she had promised at noon to make chilled mango puree for Nan Huaixu tonight.
With only one mango left at the shelter, they might as well look for more fruit along the way.
As they ventured further, Liu Yinxi scanned their surroundings in all directions. Luckily, she spotted a wild mango tree hidden deep within the dense forest.
The tree grew on a relatively high dirt slope. They carefully climbed up, and Liu Yinxi scaled the trunk to pick the mangoes, calling for Nan Huaixu to catch them from below.
The fruit tree was an old one, with a thick, towering trunk. The fruit hanging on the lower branches was slightly green, while those higher up were more ripe. So, Liu Yinxi climbed higher. As her head pushed past the canopy, her field of vision instantly expanded.
Not far off in the woods, two people carrying woven vine baskets were walking past. Liu Yinxi recognized their hardshell jackets: it was Luo Ling and Xue Yunshao, likely heading back to their shelter after beachcombing.
A voice called up from below. “Liu Yinxi? What are you staring at?”
“Shh.” Parting the branches, Liu Yinxi looked down and signaled to Nan Huaixu. “Luo Ling and her partner are nearby.”
Nan Huaixu silenced herself, flashing an “OK” gesture.
Standing on the branch, Liu Yinxi watched the two walk away. Just as she reached out to pluck a mango, her sharp peripheral vision caught a dark figure darting through the woods.
Liu Yinxi hurriedly craned her neck for a better look. In the exact direction Xue Yunshao and Luo Ling had gone, a silhouette was lurking right behind them, creeping about stealthily.
Oho. Liu Yinxi broke into a grin. This was interesting.
【Following them?】
【The ambush battle is about to begin.】
【They’re casing1 Xue and Luo’s shelter so they can steal the meat jerky when no one’s around.】
【A classic case of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind2. (eating melons3)】
【How come Liu Yinxi always stumbles into the good stuff? (laughing and crying)】
【Yunshao, turn around! Someone’s tailing you, WTF4!】
【Help, please don’t expose your shelter’s location!】
【Can’t they notice someone this close? There’s a person behind you, hey! (going crazy)】
【It’s over, it’s over. There was only one stalker, but it’s about to turn into two. (allow sadness5)】
【Xixi, hurry up and join the meat jerky buffet combo7! Never turn down good stuff delivered right to your door. (Doge8)】
【Hahaha hurry up, once you have meat jerky seasoned with sugar and salt, you won’t have to work so hard to replenish your sea salt.】
【While you’re at it, eliminate Xue and Luo. Without their meat jerky, their team will collapse on its own.】
【Liu Yinxi is coming down the tree.】
【Hm? What is Xixi going to do?】
Nan Huaixu caught the large mangoes Liu Yinxi tossed down, hurriedly stowed them in her backpack, and kept up with the other woman’s rapid pace.
Lowering her voice, Nan Huaixu asked, “Liu Yinxi, what are you doing?”
Liu Yinxi pressed an index finger to her lips. “We need to keep it down. We’re going to pay a visit to the friend tailing Xue Yunshao.”
“Are we tailing them too?”
“Let’s assess the situation first…”
In the span of a few short words, Liu Yinxi relied on her clever footwork and silent stealth skills to rapidly close the distance, slipping directly behind the person stalking Xue Yunshao.
That person was currently hiding behind a bush, observing the path ahead.
Liu Yinxi’s lips curled into a smirk. Sneaking up from behind, she slapped her hard on the shoulder. “Hey, friend!”
Footnotes
- An internet slang term (cǎidiǎn), meaning to thoroughly scout or observe a target location in preparation for a crime or attack.
- A famous Chinese idiom (tángláng bǔ chán, huángquè zài hòu) describing someone who pursues a narrow gain without realizing that danger is lurking closely behind them.
- An internet slang term (chī guā), literally 'eating melons.' It refers to a bystander eagerly watching drama unfold or gossiping, similar to grabbing popcorn.
- An internet slang term (wǒ qù), literally 'I go'. It is a common exclamation of surprise, shock, or dismay, similar to 'holy crap' or 'what the hell'.
- An internet slang term (yǔn bēi), literally 'allow me to be sad.' It acts as an equivalent to a facepalm or crying-laughing emoji, used when a situation is hopelessly funny or tragic.
- An internet slang term (hòuzàng ba), used humorously to suggest someone is beyond saving or walking right into a disaster, meaning 'give them a lavish funeral' or 'RIP'.
- An internet slang term (ròugān zìzhù tàocān) coined by viewers joking about how easy it would be to steal Xue Yunshao and Luo Ling's large supply of meat jerky.
- A reference to the 'dog head' (gǒutóu) or Doge emoji, widely used on the Chinese internet at the end of a sentence to indicate sarcasm, joking, or to protect the speaker from being taken too seriously.
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