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墨書 Inktalez
Xu Nuan generally had three states of communication: one was calm analysis, concise and to the point; another was a flat tone that could drive people crazy with its directness; and the last was when she engaged in playful banter with Gu Ze, which was both childish and endearing.
Clearly, Xu Nuan was currently in the second state.
Her blunt and piercing words easily drove Rao Tingxue into a frenzy, nearly jumping up and pointing at Xu Nuan's nose.
"What do you think you are? What right do you have to evaluate my relationship with Yaojie? He is the person my father values the most. He even has the qualifications to design this game. He will definitely be the heir of Rao Group!"
Xu Nuan raised an eyebrow, seemingly having heard something significant. If Rao Tingxue truly appeared this brainless, she wouldn't mind engaging with this wealthy girl a bit longer to extract more information.
However, before Xu Nuan could suppress her anger and add fuel to the fire, a rather ordinary-looking man behind Rao Tingxue pulled her back gently, his voice soft yet oddly cold.
"Ting Xue, don't forget what the chairman said. Right now, we need to focus on clearing the levels; otherwise, it will be difficult to catch up with the main group in time."
Xu Nuan felt a bit disappointed; she had just been scolded without extracting any valuable information before being interrupted by this man.
Yet, a woman in a rage was unreasonable. Rao Tingxue angrily shook off the man's hand and even slapped him.
"Ning Han, who do you think you are to touch me? Don't use my dad to pressure me; I'll do whatever I want!"
Xu Nuan couldn't bear to watch as a grown man was humiliated like this. Surprisingly, the man named Ning Han lowered his head and took a step back, continuously apologizing without a hint of resentment in his voice.
"I apologize for overstepping."
The slender man beside him looked pale with fear, not daring to say anything further.
A few people around Xu Nuan couldn't stand it anymore. As some stood up intending to intervene, Gu Ze, who had been silently observing Xu Nuan, suddenly stood up and stopped them. He then walked behind Xu Nuan. Though he said nothing, his gaze on Rao Tingxue was deep and somewhat intimidating.
When Rao Tingxue turned back after scolding her subordinate, seeing the tall and handsome man standing behind Xu Nuan made her expression even darker, and her words became harsher.
"Well, it seems you've found another man. Tsk, one man isn't enough for you? You want to find more in the game?"
Rao Tingxue, with her stunning looks, spoke in a crude manner.
"I truly feel sorry for Qin Yaojie, having once dated a woman like you who lacks self-respect. Being with me is different; I'm prettier than you, wealthier too. My family background is excellent. If he marries me, he gains an entire corporation. How could he possibly refuse such a great deal?"
"Men are drawn to beauty, money, and power. I can offer him all of that, while you can't provide any of it. Even if you grew up together as childhood sweethearts, what does that matter? In the face of reality, you'll still lose. Tsk tsk, you should just roll away, you shameless woman."
"Hey, your words are too harsh," the first to speak up was the agitated Deng Yinyin. "I heard everything from start to finish. Qin Yaojie is still with you; yet you keep talking about marrying him. Do you even have any shame?"
Rao Tingxue's eyes widened in anger, her pretty face flushed red, her tone trembling slightly.
"What do you know, you rustic woman? Do you even know who I am?"
Rao Tingxue cast a disdainful glance at Xu Nuan's companions behind her but ultimately decided to unleash her fury on Xu Nuan to vent her own resentment.
"Xu Nuan, keep feeling proud. This game is definitely not as simple as you think. If you die in this game, Qin Yaojie will be eager to marry me. By then, maybe he and I will come into this game to see how you're doing."
Xu Nuan's face had turned cold, not just because of Rao Tingxue's humiliating words or the revelation that Qin Yaojie was indeed involved in the game's design, but for another reason altogether.
Noticing Gu Ze's rapid breathing and the coldness emanating from him behind her, Xu Nuan let out a cold laugh.
"You don't need to interfere; this is my issue and I will handle it."
She knew this statement would hurt Gu Ze, yet she still said it without turning back to see his expression.
It was painful; sometimes short pain was better than prolonged suffering.
Rather than being a pitiful woman, she preferred to be an unfortunate one—one who only brought misfortune to those around her.
“Rao Tingxue, is it?”
Xu Nuan stepped closer to Rao Tingxue, her tone laced with a strange delight, a smile curling at the corners of her lips. This made Rao Tingxue instinctively take a few steps back, turning to the two men behind her with a sharp reprimand.
“Cui Yongsheng, are you both dead? Can't you see what she’s planning? Hurry up and protect me!”
The slender man, Cui Yongsheng, rushed to stand in front of her as soon as he heard her words, glaring fiercely at Xu Nuan.
“No matter who you are, you’re not allowed to harm Ting Xue.”
The way he said ‘Ting Xue’ was filled with deep affection.
Ning Han also stepped forward, intending to block Xu Nuan.
“You need to understand who she is. Offending her means that even if you leave this game, your life will never be easy.”
Xu Nuan found it amusing. “I never planned to walk out of this game alive.”
She had already resigned herself to the fact that until she met Qin Yaojie and got her answers, she could not die. But after that, she didn’t care what would become of her.
Her words shocked not only Rao Tingxue and the others but also those behind Xu Nuan. They had spent so much time with her but had never seen this kind of determination from her.
Gu Ze's eyes nearly blazed with fire. How could she speak so lightly about such a serious matter? As a member of the Alliance, was there really nothing worth holding onto?
He longed to teach this woman, who pretended to be innocent and calm, a lesson. Beneath that facade, she was clearly crying yet still stood tall here—how infuriating!
The two men blocking Rao Tingxue froze for a moment, seemingly reconsidering their stance. Xu Nuan showed no intention of advancing either. The man named Ning Han was clearly weighing the situation; perhaps he feared the men behind Xu Nuan and dared not act first.
Five against three was enough to give them a hard time.
Xu Nuan had no intention of making a move; she merely wanted to gather her thoughts, some words that had become her obsession, comforting herself.
Facing Rao Tingxue, who seemed somewhat evasive and fearful, Xu Nuan smiled lightly. Once upon a time, she too had often acted recklessly, relying on someone else's protection. But now that person no longer shielded her.
"My relationship with Qin Yaojie is no longer that of a couple, and I have no right to comment on his decisions," Xu Nuan said, her heart feeling as if it were being tightly squeezed. The pain was almost enough to bring her to tears, yet she held them back and even managed to smile.
"However, he is still my friend and my brother. Anyone who casually slanders my brother and friend is unforgivable."
And that person was beyond forgiveness.
As Xu Nuan finished speaking, she felt as though her breath might stop. The pain radiating from her heart made it difficult to utter another word, but she had to continue; she was no longer the Xu Nuan who longed for a warm home without aspirations.
And that man was no longer the Qin Yaojie who wished to provide her with a home and protect her for a lifetime.
This was an unchangeable fact.
She had known the outcome when she entered the game. It was pathetic for her to come into the game for something whose result she already knew.
Her feelings were also tragic.
And this sorrow echoed in silence.
"Aren't you all planning to catch up with the main group? If you don't leave soon, you might not be able to."
Xu Nuan's voice returned to calmness as she glanced at Rao Tingxue and the others. Her mood remained submerged in deep waters, unable to escape.
"You... you woman, just wait!"
Before Rao Tingxue could say more, Ning Han suddenly stepped forward and knocked her out. Cui Yongsheng shouted in dissatisfaction.
"Han, how could you knock out Ting Xue? That must have hurt a lot!"
Ning Han remained unfazed, his expression calm and his voice flat as he replied.
"Don't forget the chairman's orders. If we don't take Ting Xue away within the specified time, we'll face serious consequences."
Cui Yongsheng's expression also darkened as he hurriedly picked up Rao Tingxue and walked alongside Ning Han toward the iron cable.
Xu Nuan did not stop them, and Gu Ze and the others naturally did not intervene either.
However, Xu Nuan noticed that just before stepping onto the iron cable, Ning Han deliberately glanced back at her. That look was like a snake coiling around a person's neck, making it hard to breathe.
As she felt uncomfortable, she also noticed that a part of Ning Han's Tactical Jacket had been shaped by his movements, and that shape seemed somewhat familiar.
At this moment, Xu Nuan couldn't recall where she had seen that shape before.
"Observe how they pass through the passage; we can learn from them later," Xu Hang said, hoping to pull everyone out of their reverie after the earlier confrontation between the two women.
The group followed his gaze to watch the scene on the iron cable.
Cui Yongsheng, carrying Rao Tingxue on his back, had a hook secured around his waist that latched onto the iron cable. Meanwhile, Ning Han was responsible for stabilizing Rao Tingxue as he moved. The two worked in perfect harmony; even with Rao Tingxue as an added burden, they smoothly made their way to the other side of the cable.
The others nodded thoughtfully.
Deng Yinyin took advantage of the moment when no one was paying attention and leaned closer to Xu Nuan, asking quietly, "What did that woman mean earlier? What does Qin Yaojie have to do with this game? Is your ex-boyfriend involved in this?"
Deng Yinyin was filled with questions, yet she was someone who couldn't keep her thoughts to herself. Seeing Xu Nuan's expression, which remained calm despite Rao Tingxue's displeasure, she boldly asked.
"Ah!"
Xu Nuan let out a sharp scream, startling Deng Yinyin, who was closest to her.
Xu Nuan grabbed Deng Yinyin's hand with one hand while picking up her backpack with the other. She turned to the group of men still discussing how to cross the iron cable.
"Everyone, hurry and get out of here! Hide behind the boulder! Ning Han is very dangerous!"
The others didn't quite understand what Xu Nuan meant, but seeing her face filled with fear and the drastic change in her demeanor, they grabbed their backpacks and hurried behind the large rock.
Meanwhile, Ning Han and his group had safely landed on the ground.
Half of Xu Nuan's body was hidden behind the stone when she suddenly saw Ning Han turn around, looking directly at her with an unmistakable smile. He patted his chest and then made a gesture towards his head.
Xu Nuan felt a shiver run down her spine.
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