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墨書 Inktalez
Xu Nuan deeply despised her anxious nature.
The White-Lipped Deer simply enjoyed attacking other species, and the scent of blood that Tang Jingshu and the others detected could belong to other animals rather than humans.
But why did the unease in her heart continue to spread, nearly consuming her consciousness?
Seeing He Min's pale face and the pupils that contracted in fear, Xu Nuan couldn’t believe she had instinctively said, “Amin, it can’t be his.”
Before she could finish her sentence, Xu Nuan wanted to slap herself. Wasn’t she indirectly urging He Min to go?
Just as Xu Nuan had suspected, after hearing her words, He Min stood there for a moment, then leaned on her cane and rushed into the woods with an unprecedented speed. Her unsteady figure wobbled as she moved away, as if she might fall at any moment.
Xu Nuan froze in place, a chill creeping from her soles up her spine, slowly invading her bones.
Listen to what nonsense she just uttered; look at the foolish thing she had done.
“Hey, the White-Lipped Deer is still around; it’s dangerous!”
Deng Yinyin shouted towards the retreating He Min. When He Min didn’t turn back, Deng Yinyin looked at the dazed Xu Nuan.
“What’s wrong with your friend?”
The close voice snapped Xu Nuan back to reality.
“Sorry.”
Xu Nuan hastily wiped her face; there was nothing on it. She didn’t even glance at the expressions of the others as she hurriedly apologized and rushed past them, leaving behind a disquieting remark.
“We have urgent matters; we’re leaving now.”
As Xu Nuan ran towards He Min, the words of Deng Yinyin and the others still reached her ears, carried by the wind.
"What’s going on? Why do they all look like that?"
"That comment she made just now, it can’t mean what I think it does, right? It’s not him?"
Even though He Min quickened her pace out of excitement, she was still someone with limited mobility. Xu Nuan soon caught up with her and supported her in the somewhat dim forest, repeating her name over and over.
"Amin."
"Amin."
She couldn’t bring herself to utter those seemingly comforting yet exaggerated words.
Why did she have to say something like that? She could have let He Min take a nap while she secretly investigated instead of making He Min seek confirmation.
Seeking confirmation meant there was a chance of receiving the result they least wanted to hear—the one that He Min should never see.
Xu Nuan was stubborn; that was the assessment of those who had interacted with her.
She would rather witness the outcome herself than let He Min go.
Those smiling eyes brought her so much warmth; just once would be enough—just let her be willful this time.
Xu Nuan tried to dissuade He Min.
"This path is too rugged, and your leg injury hasn’t healed yet. Why don’t you stay here while I go take a look? I promise nothing will happen."
What started as a statement ended up as a question.
Because of anxiety, because of understanding.
"Stay warm, I'll be fine on my own."
He Min remained as stubborn as she had expected.
The fragile grass is often the most resilient.
"I'm feeling a bit uneasy. If I don't go see it for myself, I might never forgive myself."
It's clearly just a matter of probability. It's just a coincidence, right?
But in this world, there are no coincidences, only countless inevitabilities that connect to form established facts.
"It won't happen. It definitely won't."
Xu Nuan repeated it over and over, seeking comfort for her heart.
She began to pray, hoping that misfortune would not befall her friends, even if entering this game was their own choice.
The path one chooses must be walked down, whether by crawling or kneeling.
"There's a White-Lipped Deer over there; I have to protect you."
Xu Nuan tried to break the suffocating silence between them with a light tone.
It ended in failure.
He Min's restrained expression as she bit her lower lip was too striking.
So striking that Xu Nuan felt tears welling up in her eyes.
This damned feeling.
That damned premonition.
The two people entering the dense forest could only follow the faint scent of blood carried by the wind, which proved to be quite difficult and only heightened their unease. This was not the outcome Xu Nuan desired.
What should I do?
Xu Nuan's mind was a chaotic mess.
A very familiar voice came from behind.
"I know which direction to go; I'll lead you there."
It was Gu Ze, appearing calm and composed. The smile that usually lingered at the corners of his lips had vanished, replaced by a serious expression.
For some reason, it was reassuring.
"Alright, thank you for your help."
Xu Nuan realized her voice was hoarse.
Now it was Gu Ze leading the way, while Xu Nuan supported He Min and followed behind.
Xu Nuan could also hear the chaotic footsteps and quiet conversations filled with confusion behind her.
It was Xu Hang and his group, loudly discussing how lucky they were to avoid the White-Lipped Deer.
Xu Nuan was surprised but had no time to dwell on it at that moment.
The surrounding environment seemed to shift its atmosphere according to their emotions.
The vibrant Redwood appeared gloomy, the lush Cycad looked listless, and the richly colored David's Tree seemed dull. The bushes loomed ominously, and unknown flowers drooped their heads; even the resilient grass curled up tightly around itself.
The decaying leaves were swept up by the unkind wind, tossed about recklessly.
The sunlight that should have been warm was blocked by the dense layers of leaves, with only a few sparse rays falling to the ground, creating a bleak scene.
Xu Nuan knew that her expression at this moment was just as bleak.
She hated being right about things. She disliked her intuition proving accurate in negative situations, like the one she was facing now.
In this world, there are only inevitable facts.
For instance, Yu Hao had left a mark near the Special Tree while resting in the forest and encountered a White-Lipped Deer.
For example, Xu Nuan and He Min had come across a Widow Butterfly on the path and quickly left, arriving near the Special Tree where they discovered the mark.
Or how Gu Ze and his companions had fled from the White-Lipped Deer to this side of the Special Tree, bringing with them the scent of blood.
If even one party had not encountered what they were meant to face, they would not have crossed paths. Xu Nuan would not have had to witness He Min weeping over Yu Hao's lifeless body.
Despair.
"Ah Hao, wake up!"
Xu Nuan remembered how He Min and Yu Hao had once displayed their affection so openly in front of her.
"He Min really liked Yu Hao, and Yu Hao liked He Min just as much."
Just like what she had said to Qin Yaojie during her innocent years.
"Xu Nuan really liked Qin Yaojie, and Qin Yaojie liked Xu Nuan just as much."
That was also a wish she had secretly made while visiting the temple during the New Year, a wish that added a time limit to that sentiment—forever.
Xu Nuan and Qin Yaojie promised to love each other for a lifetime, and neither was allowed to break that vow first.
Whenever He Min and Yu Hao displayed their unspoken understanding in front of her, Xu Nuan longed for the moment when Qin Yaojie would be by her side.
They had never been apart.
This was Xu Nuan's wish, and it was something He Min had once smiled about.
But then, He Min and Yu Hao separated.
That honest man, who was not good with words yet doted on He Min so much, had died.
When he passed away, his eyes were still open; he never got to see He Min one last time.
Xu Nuan believed there was no god in this world because gods had no purpose. Everyone had to endure suffering before welcoming happiness, yet Yu Hao disappeared from this world while enduring his own trials.
Yu Hao was dead, and he died in such a tragic manner.
His head was smashed against a boulder, blood flowing endlessly; his legs bore marks of having been gnawed at. But the real fatal wound was caused by the antlers of a White-Lipped Deer that had pierced through his abdomen, leaving a gaping hole where his insides were visible, the blood staining the grass beneath him.
Could a single body hold so much blood?
“Ah Hao, this isn’t real! You wouldn’t leave me!”
What Xu Nuan saw was a figure as fragile as paper in the wind, a cane lying in the pool of blood, silently watching that figure.
Ah, she should look away; seeing such a scene would give her nightmares.
Yet her gaze wouldn’t obey, wouldn’t be controlled, nor did it want to.
And neither did she.
“Ah Hao!”
The deafening roar echoed through the forest, startling the birds within. The sound of their flapping wings as they took flight could not drown out that voice.
That voice filled with despair.
Sorrow and pain began to crawl through Xu Nuan's insides, her blood poisoned with a toxin called fear.
Could she feel He Min's emotions at this moment?
Had she ever considered that in her relentless search for that person, what she would find in the end was merely a corpse?
No.
“This isn’t real.”
Xu Nuan finally spoke.
Standing at a distance from that figure, from the lifeless body, she murmured repeatedly.
“This isn’t real.”
Only that spot was free from the cover of branches and leaves, sunlight pouring down unabashedly on the two figures, faintly glowing with a bloody hue. Everything around them was dim and invisible. And at the center of this circle of light stood two people—one dead and one wishing to die.
Xu Nuan repeatedly warned herself not to look at that scene, yet in the end, she found herself staring at it, etched into her mind, carved into the river of memory, imprinted on her heart.
Would she encounter this scene again?
Not as an observer, but as the protagonist of that scene—would she be the one lying on the ground or the one crying?
To reiterate, she did not like her tendency to worry unnecessarily.
"This isn't..."
Xu Nuan couldn't continue. She knew clearly that someone needed to take He Min away from that scene; otherwise, He Min would truly become part of it.
Xu Nuan tried to move her feet toward He Min, softly comforting her, brushing her fingers over Yu Hao's eyes, assuring him that she would take care of He Min, and then let things settle.
But just as she took a step forward, she was forced to stop.
A broad figure stood in her path, blocking her view of that scene.
It was Gu Ze again.
Xu Nuan's lips moved as she tried to urge Gu Ze to step aside and not block her way, but the words wouldn't come out.
Even her vision blurred; that figure took away all the light, making it impossible for her to see clearly.
As warm fingertips rubbed against the corners of her eyes, Xu Nuan still couldn't move. Soon, those fingertips were replaced by a handkerchief, the cotton fabric slightly cold, not enough to stimulate Xu Nuan.
Because her heart was even colder than that.
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