Substitute Alpha Gets Confessed to by Her Ex’s Aunt on a Survival Variety Show – Chapter 92
by Little PandaFinding Clean Clothes in the Cave
In the dark, narrow cave, every sound was amplified.
Hurried breaths, the faint rustle of hair rubbing against fabric… and the heartbeat inside chests pressed tightly together.
Liu Yinxi took a deep breath, held it, and lowered her voice to address the person in her arms. “I’m sorry, Teacher Nan. I didn’t mean to. It’s my fault… The treasure chest is really stuck in a crevice. Could you help me shine the light… please?”
She truly had not expected Nan Huaixu to be so frightened; usually, she was so brave.
Nan Huaixu buried her face in Liu Yinxi’s chest, her voice muffled. “I’m afraid of the dark.”
I must be sick in the head, Liu Yinxi silently cursed herself. Why did my brain have to twitch and pull a stunt like this? “Mm-hmm, I understand… Let’s go out first. I’ll find some palm fiber to make a torch and then come back. You rest outside for a bit.”
Nan Huaixu’s voice was barely a whisper. “I don’t want to.”
Liu Yinxi gently patted her back. “Alright, I’ll listen to you. What do you suggest?”
Under the cover of darkness, Nan Huaixu secretly curled the corners of her lips. She tightened her embrace around Liu Yinxi, her nose brushing against her hair as she breathed in her faint tea scent.
She wasn’t actually scared; the key was that she had to hold on tight.
Performing the role of someone fragile yet strong for the sake of love, Nan Huaixu said, “I want to shine the light for you.”
Liu Yinxi felt an even heavier wave of self-reproach.
Despite being startled, Teacher Nan didn’t blame her at all. Instead, she was overcoming her own fear to help provide light.
And how had she treated Teacher Nan? Cracking conceited jokes. Childish. off-putting1.
Ah… how could Teacher Nan be so wonderful.
Liu Yinxi quickly channeled her guilt into action. She needed to retrieve the treasure chest immediately and guide Nan Huaixu out of the cave so that Teacher Nan wouldn’t have to be afraid anymore.
Slowly opening her hands, Liu Yinxi released her embrace around Nan Huaixu and said softly, “Teacher Nan, let’s head deeper into the cave first. The treasure chest is wedged between two large rocks at the very back.”
Nan Huaixu also let go, smoothed her clothes, and raised her wrist to aim her bracelet’s light toward the depths of the cave. “Mm, let’s go.”
Liu Yinxi swept her bracelet’s light, illuminating the rock wall at the deepest part. A small golden chest was wedged in a crevice between the rocks.
“There it is. Can you see it, Teacher Nan?”
“I see it. Take off your bracelet and give it to me. I’ll use both lights so we can see more clearly.”
“Sure, here.” Liu Yinxi immediately took off her bracelet and handed it to her.
Nan Huaixu slipped two fingers through Liu Yinxi’s bracelet; the inner side of the strap still held the warmth of her skin. Smiling, Nan Huaixu hooked the bracelet with a turn of her hand, adjusted the direction of the small light, and gathered the two faint beams of light onto the treasure chest.
“Let’s hurry. It’s so dark in here,” Nan Huaixu said, looking around uneasily, but her hand holding the light was very steady.
“Almost done.”
Liu Yinxi wedged her knife against the point where the chest met the rock and pried it a few times until it budged slightly. Then, she used the wooden handle of her stone hammer to tap the chest in the opposite direction. With a sharp clack, the treasure chest finally loosened.
Liu Yinxi carefully picked up the treasure chest and let Nan Huaixu go out first while she brought up the rear.
After being in the dark for a while, the sunlight outside the cave was a bit dazzling.
Liu Yinxi raised a hand to her brow, and after adjusting for a few seconds, she carefully examined the treasure chest she had just gotten.
It was a plastic toy chest covered in faux gold foil, its latch button designed in the shape of a press-down gemstone.
It actually had quite a sense of ritual.
Liu Yinxi blew the dust off the treasure chest and presented it to Nan Huaixu with both hands. “The time to decide our supplies has come. Teacher Nan, please open the chest.”
Nan Huaixu clasped her hands together and made a wish. “I hope it’s for two people. Alright, opening it.”
“Teacher Nan, it won’t work if you say it out loud.”
“It’ll work. Quick, look what it is.”
Nan Huaixu pressed the gemstone button. The chest’s lid popped open, revealing two neatly packed bundles inside, with a card resting right on top.
—You have found the “Clothing” treasure chest.
Here are two sets of clean, quick-drying antibacterial underwear, two athletic T-shirts, and one package of disposable underwear (four-pack).
Good luck, survivors!
Liu Yinxi packed her share of the clothes into her backpack, leaving the package of disposable underwear in Nan Huaixu’s care.
Nan Huaixu’s joy was written all over her face. Her beautiful features overflowed with happiness, her red lips and white teeth as radiant as a hibiscus. “We have so many changes of clothes! Once we get back to the treehouse and take a good bath, we can finally change into clean clothes and get a good night’s sleep.”
They would finally be spared from having to sleep with nothing but their hardshell jackets on after bathing.
She had new clothes.
And taking advantage of the chaos, she had even heard Liu Yinxi’s racing heartbeat several times. Nan Huaixu was very satisfied with today’s harvest.
Very happy.
Seeing Nan Huaixu’s brilliant smile made Liu Yinxi’s own mood exceptionally bright.
Never mind how happy Teacher Nan was—after living dirtily in the rainforest for over a month, having new clothes to change into made her incredibly excited as well.
【Xixi is smiling so cheerfully! ^o^】
【Manman is also laughing so happily! Long live new clothes!】
【Hurry back to the little treehouse, have a huge feast, take a fragrant bath, put on the new clothes, and crawl into the mosquito net for a wonderful sleep. Just thinking about it is so cozy! (Ah~)】
【This supply drop is great. All the hard work over the past few days was worth it! (Cheering)】
【Was that scream inside the cave just now Manman’s voice?】
【Yes! I’m sure it was Manman. Liu Yinxi’s voice isn’t as clear and pure as Manman’s.】
【How on earth can you guys tell? I couldn’t distinguish them at all. (Awkward)】
【That’s not important. The important thing is: what happened inside the cave? (Puzzled)】
【The cave was very dark. Did Manman twist her ankle, or bump into a rock?】
【Could there be bones?!! (Skull) Cave exploration videos usually have them!】
【Don’t scare me! (Shivering)】
【Both Manman and Xixi were fine when they came out. Besides, this is a treasure hunt location set up by the production team, so it’s definitely safe. Don’t overthink it.】
【So what exactly happened in there! I want to know so badly! The robot dog didn’t even follow them in to film. Bad review!】
【Remember this cave. (Doge)】
【Huang-jie’s side opened a double sleeping bag.】
【They got their airdrop crate later, and they’ve already found their treasure chest? That was fast!】
【Mm, their treasure-hunting spot is very close to the waterfall.】
【A sleeping bag is great. It keeps the bugs away.】
【Clothes are still better. Personally, I couldn’t stand wearing the same outfit for a month or two. (Laugh-cry)】
【Xue Yunshao has found the waterfall. She’s struggling to choose which airdrop crate to pick.】
【Luo Ling lost half their meat jerky. A Yun should pick the fish pattern. Food supplies are more important.】
【The problem is, Yunshao will definitely take Luo Ling’s tastes into account. Luo Ling hates fish! (Facepalm)】
【…】
【Yunshao wouldn’t assume there is actual fish inside just because a fish is drawn on the chest.】
【Yunshao chose the fish-pattern chest! Yes, yes, yes, my heart can finally rest easy! (Applause)】
【Waaah, Yuan Fang’s last hope for rations is gone. (Crying loudly)】
【Boss Yuan, don’t get eliminated! You have to survive longer!】
【Everyone, show some decency. Yuan Fang is just participating in a survival variety show, she didn’t get a terminal illness and croak.】
【Yuan Fang can’t even climb the mountain anymore.】
【I think Yuan can give up on this airdrop. The last chest probably has climbing gear, which wouldn’t do much for her current situation. Even if she gets the treasure map, she’d still have to go look for it. It’s too physically draining and just not worth it.】
【Even if she skips this one, she won’t last long. She can’t even reach the waterfall, so how is she going to migrate to other areas later? Withdrawing from the competition early is probably for the best, especially for her health.】
【Eh? If Yuan Fang gets eliminated without retrieving her treasure chest, can Xixi take it?】
【Exactly! Otherwise, it would be such a waste!】
【…You Liu fans are truly shameless, wanting to grab everything and eat up everything.】
【Watch your mouth! Keep it clean!】
【This is a gathering place for Liu fans. Heretics will be kicked out! (Smile)】
On the way back from the waterfall to the treehouse, Nan Huaixu was beaming with joy the entire time.
Liu Yinxi’s mood was completely swayed by hers; with her smiling frequently, Liu Yinxi also chuckled along foolishly.
Several times as they conversed, Nan Huaixu would stop mid-sentence, casting her gaze onto Liu Yinxi’s smiling face. Unable to help but laugh, she asked, “You’ve been smiling all the time since we got the supplies. What on earth are you so happy about?”
Liu Yinxi found the question odd. “I’m happy that you’re happy. When I see you smile, I can’t help but smile too.”
The corners of Nan Huaixu’s lips curved up even further.
Liu Yinxi then added, “Teacher Nan, you’re the one. You’re so fond of getting clean clothes, you’re so happy you’re practically glowing.”
Nan Huaixu gave her a deep, lingering look, then turned her face away to gaze into the clear, distant sky. “Do you know what I’m thinking?”
Liu Yinxi pondered her words. Was that not it?
Besides getting the clothing supplies from today’s airdrop grab, what else was there to be happy about?
It certainly couldn’t be being startled in the cave. That should be marked as a demerit instead.
Come to think of it, Nan Huaixu had never mentioned being afraid of the dark before.
And yet, back then, she had left her all alone overnight…
Liu Yinxi repented in her heart; she was guilty.
Would it be too late to offer an apology now?
Forget it, what’s past is past, just don’t do it again.
Since Nan Huaixu hadn’t brought it up, she shouldn’t dredge it up again either.
“Liu Yinxi? Why did you suddenly go quiet?” Nan Huaixu poked Liu Yinxi, who was spacing out.
“Oh.” Liu Yinxi turned to her, her eyes softening unconsciously. “I was thinking that we should fetch more water and boil it to prepare for bathing tonight.”
“Bathing is still a bit of a hassle. You wash first tonight, and I’ll wash tomorrow.”
“You go first. You are my elder, and I’ve practiced the noble virtues of respecting elders and caring for the youth2 since childhood.”
Nan Huaixu froze. “.”
Some people—you treated her as an alpha in the prime of her youth, yet she treated you as an elder to be respected.
Nan Huaixu narrowed her eyes slightly, staring at Liu Yinxi with an unreadable expression for two seconds, then bypassed her and walked ahead of her.
Liu Yinxi: “?”
Whether it was her imagination or not, she felt as though she had been disliked by Nan Huaixu for two seconds just now.
Carefully reviewing the conversation just now, Liu Yinxi inhaled a cold breath.
How could she have mentioned the word “old” in front of Teacher Nan!
Even though in this book world, Teacher Nan was indeed a few years older than the original host, she still shouldn’t have spoken like that.
Liu Yinxi hung her head, completely deflated like a frost-bitten eggplant3.
Today was originally a very pleasant day, only to be ruined by her low-EQ, stupid mouth.
Filled with regret, Liu Yinxi followed behind Nan Huaixu, stopping several times as she hesitated to speak.
Sensing the dejection behind her, Nan Huaixu turned around and looked at Liu Yinxi inquiringly.
Liu Yinxi also came to a sudden halt, meeting her gaze directly, then hurriedly looked away.
“I’m sorry, Teacher Nan. What I wanted to say just now was… for the rest of my life, until we grow old, I want to be good to you.”
Footnotes
- The popular Chinese internet slang term 'xiatou' (xiàtóu) translates to 'off-putting' or 'turn-off', describing behavior that instantly cools someone's interest or ruins a pleasant mood.
- Derived from the traditional Chinese concept 'zun lao ai you' (zūn lǎo ài yòu), meaning to respect the elderly and cherish the young.
- The Chinese idiom 'shuang da de qiezi' (shuāng dǎ de qiézi), or 'frost-bitten eggplant', refers to someone who is deflated, listless, or thoroughly dejected.
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