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墨書 Inktalez
As dusk fell, Qin Yaojie finally awoke, covering his mouth as he coughed lightly a few times. When he opened his hand, it revealed a patch of bright red.
Beneath the brilliant evening glow, his brown eyes were filled with desolation. His nose remained high and unruly, while his thin lips curled into a bitter smile. He wore a deep blue Tactical Jacket, his hair tousled and unkempt. His eye sockets were slightly sunken, and stubble adorned his chin, along with several faint scars. His skin was pale, hinting at a somewhat unhealthy appearance. Yet, with his sharply defined features, he was a man who should have been full of vigor.
But this man, who should have been brimming with spirit, gazed mournfully at the setting sun.
“Warm.”
The name that escaped his lips seemed to carry the weight of his entire world, yet it felt as fragile as floating ice—one gentle breeze could shatter it into pieces.
He glanced at the thin blanket draped over him before turning his head to look at the few people gathered around the campfire. He asked softly, “Have they found her?”
The group turned to him, their faces lighting up upon realizing Qin Yaojie was awake. One person answered dutifully, “We haven’t found any trace of Sister Rao. The two men she brought are also missing.”
Qin Yaojie fiddled with the Tail Ring on his right hand, narrowing his brown eyes slightly as he pressed his lips together in silence.
Another person quickly speculated, “Captain, do you think Sister Rao might still be in the previous level? Although she had some matters to attend to at the Supply Station last time and said she would catch up soon, we’ve waited for her here for so long without her showing up. It’s quite likely she’s still stuck in the last level.”
“Some matters to attend to?”
Like Qin Yaojie’s resolute appearance, his voice was deep and resonant, akin to the sound of a church bell tolling.
Seeing Qin Yaojie deep in thought, another man spoke up, "But what could Sister Rao possibly have to deal with? Come on, Captain, I'm not complaining. Why would she come to this game? There's no luxury, no fancy parties, just roughing it out here. I can't believe she can stand it."
"Hey, are you stupid? The fact that Sister Rao is interested in the Captain has been the talk of the town for a while now."
The one who spoke glanced at Qin Yaojie illuminated by the firelight and fell silent when he noticed his expressionless face.
At that moment, someone came running from a distance, shouting as they approached.
"Captain, Zhang Xiao is back! Another person has returned to the team!"
The person who ran over was excited, but the one behind him remained calm. Qin Yaojie also showed no excitement as he looked at the approaching figure.
Zhang Xiao had returned?
A cold smile crept onto Qin Yaojie's lips as he watched the person slowly walk closer in the firelight.
Zhang Xiao always had a way of wearing a Tactical Jacket with an air of sophistication, his finely arched brows and narrow eyes seemingly glowing with golden light, a smile plastered on his face that was impossibly fake.
"I'm so glad to see that when I returned, the Captain was still conscious."
Qin Yaojie responded with a smile; even half-leaning against a tree, his majesty was undeniable.
"You've shown up, Zhang Xiao."
Qin Yaojie stated this fact and cast a glance at the group of Players left behind. They quickly scrambled to their feet, finding various excuses to leave temporarily.
Zhang Xiao watched as the others departed, continuing to smile. "It’s been half a month since we last met, and your presence is already unmatched, Captain."
"Are you admitting that you want to be the captain?"
Qin Yaojie smirked, a hint of crimson flashing in his brown eyes. Upon closer inspection, it was merely the reflection of Flame's light.
Zhang Xiao sat cross-legged about a meter away from Qin Yaojie, his smile unwavering, cool and detached.
"I saw Xu Nuan. Yes, she is indeed a wonderful woman."
Qin Yaojie's eyebrows twitched slightly, but his gaze was sharp and fierce.
"It seems you have failed."
Zhang Xiao's smile faltered for a moment before he quickly replaced it with a malicious grin.
"How do you figure? You should know, I have thoroughly tormented her." Zhang Xiao deliberately emphasized the word 'tormented' before elaborating.
"I dislocated her arm, crushed her jaw, scarred her face, and of course, I kissed her ear. Tsk tsk, for a woman, whether it's physical or psychological torment, it's already enough. And your warmth? It's just that of a woman."
Qin Yaojie fixed his piercing gaze on Zhang Xiao, his eyes sharp as a beast ready to pounce on the laughing man at any moment.
"Hey, hey, don't look at me with such terrifying eyes," Zhang Xiao continued to smile. "You know you can't kill me; don't forget that rule."
"By the way, judging by your reaction," Zhang Xiao seemed to revel in it.
"Could it be that you're still interested in that woman? What a pity; she already has a man by her side—the young master of Gu Group. Do you know him? He looks good, comes from a good family, and most importantly, he really likes that woman."
Zhang Xiao commented with keen interest. "Moreover, he always lends a hand when she's in danger—it's quite the heroic rescue scenario. The beauty reciprocating with her body is rather poetic."
“Zhang Xiao, you really didn’t get an answer from Nuan.”
Qin Yaojie suddenly laughed, her smile rivaling the brilliant hues of the clouds.
“She is a smart person. If she broadened her horizons a bit, her achievements would definitely not be inferior to yours. Zhang Xiao, you are not talented; what you gain through schemes will eventually be lost.”
Zhang Xiao's false expression cracked, provoked by Qin Yaojie’s words.
“Qin Yaojie, don’t think you can continue to be smug. With your condition, let’s see how long you can hold on.”
“Are you angry out of shame? That’s truly disappointing.”
Qin Yaojie replied coolly.
Zhang Xiao raised an eyebrow, her eyes filled with malice.
“Do you think that by taking medicine and deliberately forgetting those things, you can escape? I will torment that woman; sooner or later, I will kill all of you.”
Zhang Xiao's eyes reddened, her emotions fluctuating. “Are you so sure that woman will survive in the game? Hmph, perhaps before I even make a move, this game will torment her to death, leaving no trace behind. By the way, there’s something else I haven’t told you—one of that woman’s companions is dead, completely gone. I imagine he must hate this game; do you think he’ll still persist in finding you? Or will you even be alive to wait for her?”
“I am not waiting for her, nor will I.”
Qin Yaojie pulled the blanket over herself again, covering her body as she leaned against the tree trunk, eyes closed and indifferent.
“Whether you stay or leave is up to you; I have no obligation to take care of you.”
“Hmph!”
Zhang Xiao angrily picked up a branch and threw it into the fire, glancing at Qin Yaojie’s sickly face with a complex expression.
Meanwhile, Xu Nuan and her group were also in the twilight.
The day was coming to an end, and weary birds were returning to their nests.
Xu Nuan's group finally found a place with more trees to set up their campsite, and just ten meters away from their campsite lay a vast expanse of lakes.
“There are just too many lakes around here, all looking the same. It’s getting boring to look at,” Deng Yinyin said, sipping from her water bottle. Xie Huai, sitting not far from her, frowned slightly.
“Actually, I’ve noticed that these lakes are all different. Some are rounder and some are a bit flatter. Most of them seem to have been deliberately shaped, unlike real lakes that jut out on one side and dip in on the other,” Xie Huai explained.
“You make it sound like that’s true,” Deng Yinyin said, surprisingly agreeing with Xie Huai. “You studied advertising design, so you’re more sensitive to shapes.”
Xie Huai nodded happily at the compliment.
Xu Nuan listened quietly but suddenly remembered she needed to wet some items in her backpack. She opened her bag and walked toward the lake.
While washing those items, Xu Nuan casually glanced at her reflection in the water and froze. She quickly turned around to see that there was no one behind her. Looking back at the lake, she was stunned again; when she turned back, there was still no one there.
“How strange,” she murmured.
A chill suddenly ran through Xu Nuan. Gu Ze, who was resting under a tree while admiring Xu Nuan's figure, noticed her unusual behavior. After thinking for a moment, he decided to get up and walk over to her.
As Xu Nuan remained caught up in her eerie feelings of having encountered something ghostly, she suddenly heard a voice.
"What happened? Why are you so flustered?"
"Ah!"
Xu Nuan let out a startled scream, losing her balance and nearly falling into the lake.
Fortunately, Gu Ze was quick on his feet and caught Xu Nuan just in time, though his hand ended up in an awkward position.
Gu Ze's face turned bright red, and he quickly composed himself, adopting an expression of 'I was wrong' as he braced for Xu Nuan's wrath.
Xu Nuan was completely oblivious to where Gu Ze had placed his hand. Steadying herself and staring at the lake, she was filled with sheer terror.
"Gu Ze, has my eyesight worsened again? How come I see myself and Xu Hang?"
"What do you mean, you and Xu Hang?"
As Gu Ze waited for a scolding, he felt a surge of relief when he realized this time nothing bad would happen. But then he followed Xu Nuan's gaze toward the river surface and saw two faces reflected: one was Xu Nuan's, and the other was Xu Hang's.
"Wait a minute, it's just you and me standing here. This isn't some lake that reflects past lives," Gu Ze said, completely missing the point. "How could your past life possibly be with Hang?"
Xu Nuan gritted her teeth. "Gu Ze, please remove the straw from your head and put something sensible in there. Then open your eyes and take a good look."
"Oh," Gu Ze immediately stopped being foolish and focused intently on the lake's surface. This time he looked closely; Xu Nuan's reflection showed Xu Hang, while his own reflection showed Xu Nuan.
So it turns out his past life was Xu Nuan? Well, that didn't seem too bad. But wait, Xu Nuan's past life couldn't possibly be with Xu Hang!
Gu Ze felt an overwhelming anger toward his buddy.
Ignoring the serious yet occasionally unpredictable Gu Ze, Xu Nuan called out to a few people not far away.
"Could everyone come over here? Gu Ze and I have discovered something."
When the group arrived at the riverbank and saw their reflections in the water, they exclaimed in unison.
"Wow, a supernatural event!"
Xu Nuan facepalmed; these people had definitely spent too much time with Gu Ze and had caught his eccentricity.
Xu Hang's reflection in the lake showed Deng Yinyin's face, while Deng Yinyin's reflection displayed Xie Huai, and Xie Huai's reflection revealed Gu Ze.
The faces of the five of them formed a cycle on the surface of the lake.
"What does this mean? Is this a magical mirror?"
Deng Yinyin blurted out, stunned by the inexplicable phenomenon.
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