Substitute Alpha Gets Confessed to by Her Ex’s Aunt on a Survival Variety Show – Chapter 90
by Little PandaA Temporary Campsite Built by the Waterfall
By this point, the meaning of obtaining the airdrop together with Liu Yinxi was far greater than the airdrop itself. By the same token, the meaning of winning the championship together with Liu Yinxi was greater than the victory itself.
Thus, no matter where the next airdrop would be or whether Liu Yinxi’s speculation was correct, Nan Huaixu only needed to follow Liu Yinxi’s decision.
There had already been three supply drops at the Toa River Estuary. Following the previous pattern of switching locations every two drops, the next airdrop would highly likely change locations. Moreover, since the production team liked to choose iconic landmarks for their supply drops, the waterfall Liu Yinxi predicted was highly probable.
Whether out of emotion or reason, Nan Huaixu trusted Liu Yinxi.
“We’re going to stay near the waterfall for quite a while this time, right? We won’t be coming back before the airdrop? Then we should bring more things. Shall I go pack up?”
Nan Huaixu patted the rice crumbs off her hands and turned around. Liu Yinxi was gazing at her with bright, watery eyes.
Meeting her gaze, a ripple stirred in Nan Huaixu’s heart. “I’m asking you a question,” she said softly. “Are we going to stay upstream for a couple of days?”
Liu Yinxi snapped out of her daze, grinned, and replied brightly, “Yes, exactly. The waterfall is far from here, making round trips inconvenient. Having a temporary campsite there will make things much easier. Not only can we stay there in advance to claim the airdrop, but we can also explore the upstream region and look for a shelter site for the later stages of the competition.”
Nan Huaixu fluttered her eyelashes twice, a thoughtful expression on her face, before walking over to the storage rack to select the supplies they would take tomorrow.
She asked Liu Yinxi, “Do we have to move again?”
Feeling hungry, Liu Yinxi shaved a banana stem core and chewed on it to satisfy her cravings. “Yep. Probably in another half-month or so, once the airdrop points fully migrate to the source of the Toa River, where the altitude is higher. I think our next move will be the last one.”
The final two airdrops in the original book were located around the lake area in the middle of the mountains. Three months should be enough to decide the victor.
Coiling the vine rope in her hands, Nan Huaixu looked around the treehouse, her voice full of reluctance. “This treehouse is so wonderful. Even if we move to a better place, I’ll still miss it.”
Upstairs, the wind chime rang softly, clear and pleasant, matching the mood. Every time Nan Huaixu heard its sound, her mood improved.
Liu Yinxi felt the same way.
Liu Yinxi picked up a crispy roasted fish and held it to her nose, the rich aroma washing over her.
She blew on the roasted fish and said to Nan Huaixu, “It’s fine. We can just live as nomads within the competition area. If we miss this place in the future, we can always come back and stay.”
Nan Huaixu packed the vine rope into a plastic bag and looked back. “Wouldn’t that require hiking for a very long time? Never mind, never mind. I’ll make sure to quickly establish a deep bond with our new shelter.”
Liu Yinxi laughed. “Teacher Nan, reluctance is completely defenseless in the face of sheer exhaustion.”
Nan Huaixu pointed a finger at her with a smile. “Shh. Good people see through things but don’t say them out loud.”
“Sure, sure.”
For dinner, they had a simple meal of mango rice and roasted fish, paired with some salted bracken ferns. After eating, they packed their dry rations, water bottles, vine ropes, and other supplies, and went to bed early to rest and build up their strength for the long journey the next day.
Before falling asleep, Liu Yinxi closed her eyes and ran through Nan Huaixu’s words in her mind: “Even if you are wrong, what does it matter?” It felt wonderful to be unconditionally trusted by a companion. A cozy warmth spread from her heart to every corner of her body.
Having a partner who could forgive her mistakes was one of life’s greatest fortunes.
The more Liu Yinxi thought about Nan Huaixu, the warmer she felt, and she drifted off into a sweet sleep. Teacher Nan isn’t as strict as she seems on the surface. She is actually very gentleβ¦
Bracelet Date: May 24.
Before dawn, Liu Yinxi quietly woke Nan Huaixu. After washing up and eating, they extinguished the campfire and set off on the path toward Toa Waterfall.
Passing through the trap area along the way, they caught a small lizard and put it into their woven vine basket, planning to roast it for a satisfying meal once they settled down for the night.
Liu Yinxi sighed. “It’s been over a month, and I still haven’t been able to eat a roasted rabbit leg.”
Nan Huaixu leaned on her trekking pole as she climbed the slope. “Do you like rabbit that much?”
Liu Yinxi kept her eyes forward, tears of longing unbidden from the corners of her mouthβor rather, drool. “I love it. Spicy diced rabbit1 is the absolute bestβstir-fried with peanuts, soaked in chili oil until it absorbs all the flavor, and then sprinkled with green onions and cilantroβ¦ hiss.”
Nan Huaixu pictured it in her mind. “It does sound delicious, but I can’t eat spicy food. What a pity I won’t be able to try it.”
You can’t eat it in the wilderness anyway.
Liu Yinxi noted Nan Huaixu’s preference of not being able to eat spicy food. “Indeed. If rabbit isn’t made spicy, it really lacks flavor.”
“I hope we can catch a wild hare in the coming days,” Liu Yinxi prayed, rubbing her jade pendant.
Her own appetite whetted, Nan Huaixu said, “A wild fowl would be great too. I’d love some honey-glazed roasted chicken wings.”
Liu Yinxi agreed. “Oh, right. We should finish up our honey quickly. If we leave it for too long, it might spoil.”
“Yeah, we didn’t bring any in our packs. Once we get back, we can drink it in water every day and use it when we roast meat.”
As noon approached, they heard the rumbling roar of the waterfall. They exchanged a delighted look and quickened their pace toward the water.
Even from far away, they could feel the spraying water mist. The midday sun shone on the waterfall, creating a small arc of a rainbow.
Nan Huaixu opened her arms to greet the water mist, the rainbow, and the wind. The air she breathed in was damp and fresh. “The waterfall is so beautiful during the day, too.”
Liu Yinxi admired the stunning view of the waterfall, but she admired Nan Huaixu, who was immersed in the scenery, even more. If only she had a camera in her hands. She truly wanted to capture every beautiful moment of Nan Huaixu.
Nan Huaixu looked around and located the direction of the woods where they had built their shelter to watch the sunset last time. Pointing at the trees, she asked, “Are we setting up our campsite over there again?”
Liu Yinxi shook her head. “The one last time was chosen temporarily; it was getting dark then and we were in a rush, so the location wasn’t very safe and the shelter was too crude. This time, we need to find a place where we can stay long-term.”
“Yes, I understand.”
They stood in a small clearing where the sunlight streamed in well. Liu Yinxi cleared the grass and picked some leaves to cushion the rocks.
“Teacher Nan, let’s have lunch first, and then we’ll climb a bit higher so we can see the terrain around the waterfall more clearly.”
“Okay.”
“In a bit, I’ll tell you the key factors in choosing a shelter site. This time, you’ll be the one to choose our campsite.”
“Me? The place we stay is incredibly important. This is my first time, and you’re letting me choose just as you’re teaching me?”
“It’s fine. We’ll count it as choosing it together.”
Nan Huaixu smiled. “Sure.”
The falling water from the waterfall was very loud, making the vicinity quite noisy, so they couldn’t choose a campsite too close to it.
Using the stream downstream from the waterfall as her guide, Nan Huaixu hiked along the bank in search of suitable high ground. After a few twists and turns, she and Liu Yinxi finally settled on a spot to pitch camp. Then they split up the work to gather materials to build the shelter, aiming to finish before seven in the evening.
Not only the campsite selection, but Liu Yinxi also guided Nan Huaixu to take the lead in building the shelter. Nan Huaixu designed it, while Liu Yinxi assisted and made adjustments.
Simply following orders to do hard labor would feel tedious, but designing your own home and building it together with a partner you liked filled you with endless energy.
Nan Huaixu’s hard-working and energetic appearance fully proved that she was currently in just such a happy state.
Nan Huaixu gripped the stone hammer and drove wooden pegs into the timber, her cheeks and neck covered in sweat.
Liu Yinxi handed her a water bottle. “Take a break. If you hammer for too long, the shock will split the web of your hand.”
Nan Huaixu belatedly checked her palms, and indeed, many tiny cuts had appeared. In the past, Liu Yinxi had done most of this heavy labor, while she was only responsible for making the shelter roof and mattresses. In her city life, she would never have done such rough work, so only now did she realize that doing these chores would cause such injuries.
Nan Huaixu set down the stone hammer and called out to Liu Yinxi, “Let me see your hands.”
“What’s wrong?” Liu Yinxi obediently held out her hands.
Nan Huaixu supported the back of her hand with her left hand while gently pulling her thumb back with her right. She saw the calluses coating her palms and knuckles, along with countless minor scars.
Nan Huaixu pressed and rubbed one of Liu Yinxi’s calluses, raising her eyes. “How does it feel?”
Liu Yinxi stared down at her palm and tilted her head. “I don’t really feel much. If I had to say, it’s a little itchy.”
Nan Huaixu lowered her head and blew onto Liu Yinxi’s hand, a long, slow breath.
Liu Yinxi smiled. “What is this supposed to mean?”
Nan Huaixu closed her hand. “For the wounds you got in the pastβblowing the pain far away.”
“Wow. Thank you, Teacher Nan.”
“You’re welcome. Now, I’ll do some of these chores too.”
Liu Yinxi eagerly reached to grab her hand. “Then let me help you blow the pain away tooβ”
Nan Huaixu deftly dodged her reach and picked up the stone hammer again. “There’s no need for me.”
“Why?”
Nan Huaixu flashed a mischievous grin. “Because that’s for coaxing little kids. I am Teacher Nan.”
Liu Yinxi rose to her feet and helped her bind the logs. “I’m not a kid. I’m an adult. An adult Alpha!”
γHahahahaha!γ
γWe know you’re an adult Alpha, Student Xiao Liu~γ
γTeacher Nan teases Xixi every chance she gets, hhh.γ
γA friend of mine wants to know if having that many calluses makes it really ticklish once they go inside (dog with a rose in its mouth).γ
γ???γ
γTell your friend that this is a livestream, not a no-man’s-land. =_=γ
γSince you’re an adult Alpha, do something an adult Alpha is supposed to do and let us watch!γ
γDon’t. She’s survival-camping with Manman. Stop messing around.γ
γHuang-jie really didn’t tag along today.γ
γYuyu wanted to eat chicken drumsticks, so Huang-jie went hunting. (cute)γ
γHonestly, if she weren’t pushed to her absolute limit like Yuan Fang, who would go to the trouble of stealing other people’s stuff?γ
γThe prerequisite is that you actually have the ability to get food in the wild. Otherwise, stealing ready-made food from humans is much easier than catching animals.γ
γI can’t watch anymore. Yuan Fang has only eaten two wild fruits and a few palm cores since yesterday noon. She’s starved to the point of being unrecognizable. (facepalm)γ
γShe finally managed to steal some meat jerky, but then Yu Yan and Huang Heshan confiscated all of it. She should have at least eaten a couple of pieces when they took it from her!γ
γWill she even have the energy to fight for the next airdrop? QAQγ
γSigh, back when Lu was here, they could still spear fishβ¦ If it really doesn’t work out, she should just withdraw.γ
γI’ll never forget the tragic expression on Xue Yunshao’s face when she returned from a trip outside, pointed at the half-empty box of meat jerky, and asked Luo Ling where the jerky went. (sad laugh)γ
γThat’s too tragic!γ
γLosing her life-saving food. (facepalm)γ
γThe meat jerky always flows to the stomachs that don’t lack meat.γ
γTrue feelings are always wasted on hearts that don’t understand love.γ
γThat’s enough from you guys. (laugh-cry)γ
γXue and Luo lost half of their meat jerky, Yuan Fang lost her stolen hope, and Huang-jie lost her majestic authorityβ¦γ
γOnly Liu Yinxi managed to receive meat jerky, win the clash against Huang-jie, and secure Teacher Nan’s heartfelt sympathy! (thumbs up)γ
γMost importantly, Teacher Nan’s heartfelt sympathy. (doge)γ
Twilight descended.
At the campsite near the waterfall, a campfire was lit in front of the newly constructed suspended triangular shelter.
Liu Yinxi and Nan Huaixu wrapped rice in pandan leaves, shaping them like zongzi2 to steam them. The pleasant, fresh fragrance of the food, accompanied by roasted fish and wild mangosteen, made for another deeply satisfying meal.
Beep-beep-beep.
On May 26 at ten in the evening, the airdrop notification on their bracelets rang on time.
Liu Yinxi opened her bracelet to check, and Nan Huaixu leaned in to look with her. Suddenly, her eyes widened, and she excitedly hugged Liu Yinxi by her shoulders. “You’re amazing!”
Liu Yinxi held her breath, pressed against Nan Huaixu’s embrace, not daring to move at allβ¦
β May 27, Eighth Airdrop
Time: 7:00 AM
Location: Toa Waterfall
(Please plan your journey accordingly. The night is dangerous; do not make risky moves.)
0 Comments