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墨書 Inktalez
The crimson sky, tinged with gold, hung low on the horizon, casting a brilliant light that filtered through the leaves and danced across the clearing in front of the Supply Station, creating a patchwork of shadows. The delicate streams of light cascaded onto the white building, flowing from the lush green vines down to the ground, where shallow puddles were stained with an enchanting golden hue.
In the distance, the calls of unknown creatures echoed, accompanied by a gentle breeze that felt like music played in a grand hall. Occasionally, droplets would fall from the vines into the puddles below, producing a melodious sound that was a rare delight in this cruel game.
Xu Nuan stood a little way off, watching Gu Ze, who was close to the Supply Station. The afterglow of the sunset cast a light golden sheen on his hair, making him appear incredibly soft and gentle, as if he were just another stroke of color in the evening sky.
The light glided across his handsome face, sometimes dazzling enough to be blinding, other times serene like the depths of the ocean—vast and still.
With his tall stature and long legs, he had an almost perfect proportion: broad shoulders, a slim waist, and narrow hips.
Such features and physique would easily qualify him as a model in real life. Coupled with his gentle and elegant smile, he might even have a chance at a career in entertainment. His voice was equally captivating; it could be deep and husky or melodious and cheerful, rich and intoxicating or magnetically charming—he would surely sing beautifully.
Moreover, he possessed exceptional observational skills, quick reflexes, practical abilities, and a unique intelligence that belonged solely to him.
Yet this remarkable individual was merely a technician at a technology company. Although he was a core member of the team, he had not yet achieved great success or recognition.
Forced into this game, he must feel quite resentful inside. Every moment spent here could have been used to showcase his talents in the outside world, earning him the wealth and status he desired—achieving his own life as Gu Ze.
Xu Nuan suddenly felt curious about Gu Ze's views on many things.
The Supply Station had no windows; entering through its door was set up so that players could only enter from outside but not exit from within. This meant their conversation would not be interrupted by the Third Batch of Players who had already entered.
Both Xu Nuan and Gu Ze understood this setup well enough to gaze at each other without reservation, silently speculating on each other's thoughts.
Time flowed like the light around them—one quietly slipping away while the other drifted carelessly.
“Are we really supposed to stay here for ten minutes?”
Xu Nuan lightly broke the silence with a laugh. After scanning her surroundings, she walked towards Gu Ze and stopped three meters away from him.
“I’ve been looking forward to it—the uniqueness of the Third Batch of Players.”
To prevent Gu Ze from evading her question, Xu Nuan was straightforward. Of course, she had other motives; if Gu Ze wasn't thinking about matters related to the game, her words could prompt him to remain silent. That way, they wouldn't waste time simply enjoying the scenery.
Although such a scene was enough to evoke memories and nostalgia.
Xu Nuan did not overlook the surprise that flickered in Gu Ze's eyes.
Did this mean there was hope?
Xu Nuan felt a surge of joy in her heart, and her smile deepened, her spirit soaring.
Gu Ze let out a faint sigh, then composed himself.
"So you have been looking forward to this matter all along."
"Looking forward to?"
Xu Nuan squinted her eyes. "Can I understand it as you truly know the secret of this game, and that you were not entirely willing to enter this game?"
"Yes, you can understand it that way."
Gu Ze was quite frank, taking the initiative to close the distance between him and Xu Nuan.
One meter.
This made Xu Nuan shift from looking at Gu Ze at eye level to gazing up at him.
"Then, can you explain it?"
Xu Nuan fixed her gaze on Gu Ze, not missing any change in his expressions. What she observed revealed that Gu Ze's demeanor had shifted again, oscillating between gentleness and pressure, as if he were engaged in some psychological struggle.
"Well, of course I can. However," Gu Ze spoke slowly, as if weighing his words carefully or stalling for time.
"Before that, I would like to say some other things. Perhaps it will take more than ten minutes; do you have the patience to listen?"
"To keep that secret, even if I lack patience, I will still force myself to be patient."
Xu Nuan remained blunt and unyielding. Gu Ze's words gave her a strange feeling, and just to be safe, she thought it best to clarify her stance.
"Sometimes, you can be quite ruthless."
Gu Ze chuckled lightly, then turned his gaze toward the distant horizon, where the evening glow was tinged with a hint of magical purple.
"To achieve what we have now, sometimes ruthlessness is necessary."
Xu Nuan had never hidden her intentions.
"Hah." Gu Ze lowered his head with a smile, his voice flowing like clear water, carrying a faint trace of nostalgia—nostalgia that was indeed about Xu Nuan.
"I still remember the medley you sang during the freshman class performance. You know, when I'm alone, I can't help but replay those songs in my mind. By the way, I even went to the campus forum to download the recordings uploaded by students."
As Gu Ze finished his first sentence, Xu Nuan could no longer hide her surprise. She didn't know what to say; it seemed that listening was her only option.
Gu Ze appeared as if he wanted to do something he hadn't accomplished at graduation now.
"By the way, you also participated in the freshman basketball tournament. Each class had three boys and two girls. Even though you twisted your ankle and couldn't play, you never gave up and cheered for your classmates from the sidelines."
Gu Ze's voice was like piano keys; it produced different sounds as he recounted various events—joyful, worried, nostalgic, or regretful.
"I remember you were originally in the student council, but after witnessing some unpleasant things, you withdrew and joined a more free-spirited club. Although you're usually very lively, you have a deep appreciation for tea culture and specifically joined the Tea Culture Association, where you made many friends with similar interests. During that time, you seemed genuinely happy."
As he spoke of happier moments, Gu Ze's smile widened slightly, as if those events were unfolding right before his eyes.
Xu Nuan's lips moved silently for a long while without producing any sound.
What Gu Ze spoke of was indeed what she had experienced. The clarity with which Gu Ze understood these moments implied that he had witnessed them himself. This could be considered the behavior of a lovesick man, yet instead of feeling anger, she felt sadness.
Because the man before her, despite smiling, looked quite sorrowful.
"Actually, I miscalculated a bit. I thought you would join the Human Resources Department at school since it relates to your major, but you didn’t participate. I found it quite dull being there," Gu Ze said, his tone somewhat childish as he pouted, not giving Xu Nuan a chance to respond.
"In your sophomore year, you started participating in subject competitions and some innovation contests. I remember you weren’t very good at math, yet you still signed up for the competition and ended up without any awards. You were quite upset for a few days. The same went for the innovation contests; you had many novel ideas, but no teachers recognized them. You probably didn’t know I participated in those competitions too. It’s a pity that every time I wanted to pull you into our team, you had already joined another one."
Xu Nuan found it hard to describe her feelings at that moment. She knew Gu Ze had also participated in those competitions and often saw his name on the leaderboard. Back then, she had marveled at how such a talented person could be so low-key, and that memory had been buried deep in her mind until they met in the game.
"And there’s more," Gu Ze seemed completely immersed in the past, recounting scenes he had witnessed and adding feelings he had never shared with anyone else.
"In your junior year, you encountered a particularly annoying professor who was disrespectful towards female students. You were furious, but every time you were about to lose your temper, your roommate stopped you. You probably didn’t know I was in the classroom at that time."
Xu Nuan remembered that professor, that class, and the anger she felt back then, unaware that Gu Ze had been there too.
From this perspective of memories, Gu Ze continued into their senior year.
"You didn’t plan on taking the graduate entrance exam and quickly found an internship at a company in B City. You didn’t return to school often until it was time for graduation photos when you came back with your boyfriend."
At the mention of this additional character in his narrative, Xu Nuan froze for a moment before hearing Gu Ze say,
"His name was Qin Yaojie, right?"
"Yes."
Finally, Xu Nuan had a chance to speak.
"I remember you two were very affectionate; the bond formed from childhood should have been strong. I never expected that by the time we met again, you had already broken up."
Xu Nuan had no time to ponder how Gu Ze knew about her childhood friendship with Qin Yaojie; she could only respond stiffly.
"Life is unpredictable."
Xu Nuan lowered her head, no longer looking at Gu Ze's expression.
"Is that so? Then can you tell me the reason for your breakup?"
Xu Nuan could hear the dissatisfaction laced in Gu Ze's words.
Why was he dissatisfied?
Xu Nuan dared not find out the reason.
"That should have nothing to do with you."
Xu Nuan forced herself to look up and meet Gu Ze's gaze.
"We're friends now; can't I know?"
Gu Ze smiled brightly, but to Xu Nuan, that radiant smile felt like a knife, and his words cut just as deeply.
"Or perhaps, in your eyes, you two didn't really break up. You think you'll go back to how things were before?"
Xu Nuan finally detected the sarcasm and indifference in Gu Ze's tone.
These were two words that shouldn't have appeared in Gu Ze's vocabulary.
She had thought that when Gu Ze reminisced about the past, he would offer a late confession filled with warmth. She was still contemplating how to soften this belated rejection so it wouldn't hurt as much. Now, it seemed less like a confession and more like Gu Ze intended to clarify something.
"This matter seems to have nothing to do with you; a relationship only concerns the two people involved."
"Warmth likes to evade reality. In a relationship, if only one side is trying, it's hard to mend the cracks."
Gu Ze smiled like a cheerful big brother from next door, but his words nearly tore open the scar in Xu Nuan's heart.
Was this still the Gu Ze who made her feel guilty, touched, and admired?
It hadn't been long since he saved her, yet he had already changed his demeanor.
No, perhaps she shouldn't mix these feelings together.
But she cared; she cared about Gu Ze's constantly shifting attitude.
Right, they were companions and still needed to face challenges together; their relationship couldn't fall apart.
Xu Nuan found her own reasons, but before she could voice them, she heard Gu Ze ask a question.
"The company where Qin Yaojie works is Feng Tong Technology Co., Ltd., right?"
She hadn't told the Third Batch of Players anything about Qin Yaojie.
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