Step aside, Uncle Pride：Your Nephew is My Next Man - Chapter 56: Chapter 56
You are reading Step aside, Uncle Pride：Your Nephew is My Next Man, Chapter 56: Chapter 56. Read more chapters of Step aside, Uncle Pride：Your Nephew is My Next Man.
"Damn, look at you! Which department is she in? You've gotta let us meet her sometime."
"Yeah! Maybe Isaac and Aurelia can help you out."
"For sure—they know everyone on campus. With their connections, you'll be the first one of us to score a girlfriend!"
The students were buzzing with excitement, completely clueless about the emotional minefield they were walking into.
Luigi's eyes burned into Aurelia through the rearview mirror as he asked: "Aurelia, would you help me?"
Instead of answering his loaded question, Aurelia turned around and knocked sharply on her seat back.
"Listen up, everyone. We're heading to Arizona for legitimate field research, not some fucking summer camp adventure. I need all of you reviewing the theoretical materials I sent last night."
Her voice carried an edge that immediately commanded attention. "Once we reach the Huachuca Mountains near Sierra Vista, you'll be applying this knowledge in real-world conditions. Everything you do out there affects your grade."
The mention of grades killed the party atmosphere instantly. Everyone dove for their notes, suddenly terrified of looking unprepared.
Luigi kept his gaze fixed on Aurelia, clearly waiting for her to address his question.
When their eyes met in the mirror, Aurelia's voice was arctic: "Luigi, study your materials."
The dismissal hit him like a physical blow, but he got the message and reluctantly joined the others in their cramming session.
Isaac's knuckles went white on the steering wheel as he watched the exchange. The way Luigi looked at Aurelia—like she was his property—made Isaac want to pull over and beat the shit out of him.
But Aurelia could handle herself. She'd made it crystal clear where she stood.
The van fell into uncomfortable silence, broken only by Isaac and Aurelia's occasional technical discussions that made the new students even more anxious about their preparation.
By the time they reached the Huachuca Mountains, night had fallen completely. Instead of finding a hotel, Isaac drove deep into the wilderness on barely-there mountain roads.
As confusion rippled through the group, Isaac parked and addressed them.
"Welcome to your first real lesson, everyone. In field research, you'll often be miles from civilization with zero amenities. You need to learn survival skills now."
He divided them into three teams: camp setup, water procurement, and firewood collection.
Luigi immediately stepped forward with desperate determination: "I'm going with Aurelia."
Isaac's jaw clenched. He knew exactly what Luigi was trying to pull, and every protective instinct screamed at him to shut it down.
"Actually, Luigi, you should help with—"
"It's fine," Aurelia interrupted, placing a calming hand on Isaac's arm. "The temperature drops rapidly at this elevation. Let's just get the firewood so everyone stays warm."
Isaac wanted to argue, but the brief contact of her fingers on his arm and the trust in her voice made his chest tight with conflicted emotions.
He led the water team while Aurelia disappeared into the dark forest with Luigi.
The moment they were alone, Luigi couldn't contain his desperation any longer: "Aurelia, are you falling for Isaac?"
"Not your fucking business." Aurelia pushed through dense undergrowth, her flashlight scanning for suitable branches.
Luigi's voice cracked with four years of pent-up anguish: "I searched for you every day for four years. How can you just move on with some random guy? We promised to be everything to each other."
"Past tense, Luigi. We were kids who made stupid promises." Her tone was clipped, professional. "Focus on the task. People are depending on us for warmth, and hypothermia is a real risk up here."
Luigi fell silent but continued staring at her with such raw pain that it was physically uncomfortable.
Aurelia tried to ignore him, but his intensity was suffocating. She'd spent four years building walls, and his presence was threatening to crack them.
A sharp hissing sound cut through the night air.
Aurelia spun around and her blood went cold. A diamondback rattlesnake was coiled on a fallen log inches from Luigi's leg, its triangular head raised and ready to strike.
Terror shot through her system. "DON'T MOVE!"
Without thinking, Aurelia lunged forward and drew the tactical knife from her belt, slicing through the air with deadly precision.
The snake's head hit the forest floor.
But in her desperate rush, her hand raked across a cluster of thorns, leaving deep, bleeding gashes.
She quickly wrapped the wounds with fabric torn from her shirt and fixed Luigi with a furious stare.
"This isn't your safe little campus where people constantly protect you. Out here, one mistake can kill you in minutes. Start paying attention or you'll get us all killed."
Even as she spoke, her peripheral vision caught movement—another snake sliding out from under nearby rocks.
Her blade flashed again, eliminating the second threat.
But the sudden movement threw off her balance on the steep, loose terrain, and she tumbled straight down the mountainside—
"Yeah! Maybe Isaac and Aurelia can help you out."
"For sure—they know everyone on campus. With their connections, you'll be the first one of us to score a girlfriend!"
The students were buzzing with excitement, completely clueless about the emotional minefield they were walking into.
Luigi's eyes burned into Aurelia through the rearview mirror as he asked: "Aurelia, would you help me?"
Instead of answering his loaded question, Aurelia turned around and knocked sharply on her seat back.
"Listen up, everyone. We're heading to Arizona for legitimate field research, not some fucking summer camp adventure. I need all of you reviewing the theoretical materials I sent last night."
Her voice carried an edge that immediately commanded attention. "Once we reach the Huachuca Mountains near Sierra Vista, you'll be applying this knowledge in real-world conditions. Everything you do out there affects your grade."
The mention of grades killed the party atmosphere instantly. Everyone dove for their notes, suddenly terrified of looking unprepared.
Luigi kept his gaze fixed on Aurelia, clearly waiting for her to address his question.
When their eyes met in the mirror, Aurelia's voice was arctic: "Luigi, study your materials."
The dismissal hit him like a physical blow, but he got the message and reluctantly joined the others in their cramming session.
Isaac's knuckles went white on the steering wheel as he watched the exchange. The way Luigi looked at Aurelia—like she was his property—made Isaac want to pull over and beat the shit out of him.
But Aurelia could handle herself. She'd made it crystal clear where she stood.
The van fell into uncomfortable silence, broken only by Isaac and Aurelia's occasional technical discussions that made the new students even more anxious about their preparation.
By the time they reached the Huachuca Mountains, night had fallen completely. Instead of finding a hotel, Isaac drove deep into the wilderness on barely-there mountain roads.
As confusion rippled through the group, Isaac parked and addressed them.
"Welcome to your first real lesson, everyone. In field research, you'll often be miles from civilization with zero amenities. You need to learn survival skills now."
He divided them into three teams: camp setup, water procurement, and firewood collection.
Luigi immediately stepped forward with desperate determination: "I'm going with Aurelia."
Isaac's jaw clenched. He knew exactly what Luigi was trying to pull, and every protective instinct screamed at him to shut it down.
"Actually, Luigi, you should help with—"
"It's fine," Aurelia interrupted, placing a calming hand on Isaac's arm. "The temperature drops rapidly at this elevation. Let's just get the firewood so everyone stays warm."
Isaac wanted to argue, but the brief contact of her fingers on his arm and the trust in her voice made his chest tight with conflicted emotions.
He led the water team while Aurelia disappeared into the dark forest with Luigi.
The moment they were alone, Luigi couldn't contain his desperation any longer: "Aurelia, are you falling for Isaac?"
"Not your fucking business." Aurelia pushed through dense undergrowth, her flashlight scanning for suitable branches.
Luigi's voice cracked with four years of pent-up anguish: "I searched for you every day for four years. How can you just move on with some random guy? We promised to be everything to each other."
"Past tense, Luigi. We were kids who made stupid promises." Her tone was clipped, professional. "Focus on the task. People are depending on us for warmth, and hypothermia is a real risk up here."
Luigi fell silent but continued staring at her with such raw pain that it was physically uncomfortable.
Aurelia tried to ignore him, but his intensity was suffocating. She'd spent four years building walls, and his presence was threatening to crack them.
A sharp hissing sound cut through the night air.
Aurelia spun around and her blood went cold. A diamondback rattlesnake was coiled on a fallen log inches from Luigi's leg, its triangular head raised and ready to strike.
Terror shot through her system. "DON'T MOVE!"
Without thinking, Aurelia lunged forward and drew the tactical knife from her belt, slicing through the air with deadly precision.
The snake's head hit the forest floor.
But in her desperate rush, her hand raked across a cluster of thorns, leaving deep, bleeding gashes.
She quickly wrapped the wounds with fabric torn from her shirt and fixed Luigi with a furious stare.
"This isn't your safe little campus where people constantly protect you. Out here, one mistake can kill you in minutes. Start paying attention or you'll get us all killed."
Even as she spoke, her peripheral vision caught movement—another snake sliding out from under nearby rocks.
Her blade flashed again, eliminating the second threat.
But the sudden movement threw off her balance on the steep, loose terrain, and she tumbled straight down the mountainside—
End of Step aside, Uncle Pride：Your Nephew is My Next Man Chapter 56. Continue reading Chapter 57 or return to Step aside, Uncle Pride：Your Nephew is My Next Man book page.