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墨書 Inktalez
Xu Nuan was not unfamiliar with the name Lan Ling, as every time Gu Ze mentioned Xu Hang's girlfriend, his expression was always quite subtle.
Xu Nuan's imagination varied between being rich and sparse. When it came to gossip about men and women, she displayed her vivid imagination, concocting countless versions of urban love and hate, entanglements and grievances. Upon learning that Xu Hang had been in a cold war with his girlfriend because she had met her ex-boyfriend before entering the game, she even imagined a deeply tragic romance.
These were merely her idle fantasies, never voiced aloud.
Now, upon suddenly hearing Lan Ling's name, Xu Nuan reflexively glanced at Deng Yinyin's expression, only to find her looking somewhat conflicted.
Conflicted?
Deng Yinyin was Lan Ling's cousin. Xu Hang took great care of Deng Yinyin at Lan Ling's request, which proved that their relationship was quite good. So how could Deng Yinyin show such a conflicted expression upon hearing Lan Ling's name?
Realizing this was not the time for gossip, Xu Nuan suppressed her curiosity, picked up her water bottle, and approached the shadowy area. What greeted her was the sight of Xu Hang sitting upright, drenched in sweat, panic in his eyes, and an anxious expression on his face.
It was clear that Xu Hang had experienced a nightmare, and he had just called out Lan Ling's name, indicating that the dream was related to her.
Seeing Deng Yinyin walk over to comfort Xu Hang, Xu Nuan instinctively set down her water bottle and stepped back from the shadows into the sunlight, squinting at her surroundings.
Aside from the towering stone peaks and sheer cliffs, the scenery here could be divided into two types: one side featured stone peaks while the other stretched endlessly into dunes. On the side where Xu Nuan had just been was an expansive riverbank.
Regardless of which side it was, the scorching sun made the temperature soar to unbearable levels.
"Haah."
Xu Nuan sighed and reached up to remove the bandage from her head. She noticed that her wound had nearly healed but would likely leave a scar. Even in the game, she still cared about her appearance; she touched her forehead and felt a raised area slightly to the left.
With a soft sigh, Xu Nuan realized that wrapping herself in bandages to hide the wound was nothing but self-deception.
"Are you not going to bind it for a while?" A gentle voice sounded from behind, and Xu Nuan didn't dare to turn around.
"The injury isn't fully healed yet; if you ignore it, it will leave a scar."
This was a direct hit to Xu Nuan's sore spot. Seeing the man standing beside her, she felt somewhat annoyed and uneasy.
"Aren't you going to comfort Xu Hang? Nightmares can be quite distressing."
"If a nightmare affects his mood, then he wouldn't be Xu Hang."
Gu Ze's voice was calm, maintaining his usual tone, but Xu Nuan found it somewhat grating. It felt like there was an underlying meaning in his words; she had woken up from a nightmare, which was why she had this mindset.
Before she could respond, Gu Ze asked, "Last time in the cave, you had a nightmare. Did you dream that someone was in danger, which made you rush through the challenges without caring about your own injuries?"
What was clearly a question was turned into a statement by Gu Ze.
At that moment, it wasn't that Xu Nuan was being stubborn; she felt that Gu Ze was being difficult. Stealing a glance at him, she found him staring intently at her. Xu Nuan quickly focused her gaze ahead, trying to appear serious.
"Even if it's the Alliance, there's no need to share my personal matters with you, right?"
It was true that she had rushed through the challenges, but it had little to do with that dream. Xu Nuan believed she couldn't explain herself clearly, so she chose not to elaborate.
To her surprise, after finishing her sentence, Gu Ze stepped in front of her and stared at her without blinking.
Xu Nuan felt helpless and could only meet his gaze.
The familiar brows and eyes had not changed at all. She had seen this face in many situations, often in a way that left a deep impression, making it hard for her to forget. That was why, after locking eyes with Gu Ze for just over ten seconds, she instinctively turned her face away.
"You asked a question, and I haven't answered yet. Do you want to know the answer?"
Gu Ze's light remark made Xu Nuan lift her head to look at him again.
However, before she could speak, a shadow loomed over her. Her lips felt warm, then cold, and by the time she regained her senses, Gu Ze was still standing right in front of her, completely calm and showing no signs of guilt for what he had just done.
Xu Nuan stood frozen in place, her mind turning to mush. Why was her heart racing? Why didn’t she feel disgust or fear? The shadow from the last incident still lingered, didn’t it?
Various questions raced through Xu Nuan's mind when she suddenly heard Gu Ze's assured voice.
"What's wrong? Every time I see you, I want to do this."
What did he mean by "this"? A kiss? Or something else? Was he really just like any other man?
"I thought about it these past few days. I was too angry back then and did something wrong. It's normal for you to be mad at me."
Of course it was normal. He should consider how outrageous his actions were, especially after his confession—no, it was when she was already feeling down after discovering many unpleasant things.
"But your anger is your issue; my feeling down is mine."
What nonsense? Where did he show any signs of being down?
"Well, after I started liking you, I knew my path would be difficult. When I saw you hurting yourself, I couldn't help it. I regretted it afterward and thought of many ways to make amends."
Where was the sign of regret in him? If he truly regretted it, would he have kissed her without her permission? Was he really thinking of ways to make amends all this time, or had he just been pretending to be deep while contemplating all sorts of indescribable things?
"I've considered a lot of things, but I won't go into details. I'll just tell you the conclusion directly."
The lack of specifics could only mean it was something that would make her angry.
"From now on, only Xu Hang is your Alliance, and I will be your Pursuer."
"What?"
Xu Nuan's mind went blank as she stared at the man in front of her, who suddenly smiled brightly. She couldn't wrap her head around it.
"Gu Ze," this was the first time she had called his name in days.
"I think I made it very clear that day; I have no..."
Before Xu Nuan could finish her sentence, Gu Ze quickly interjected, speaking rapidly.
"You need to understand that he is your obsession for continuing the game. You have questions you need to ask him. But you haven't; you still love him, and there's nothing preventing me from being your obsession to survive in this game."
The first half of his statement was factual, but how could he come to such a conclusion in the second half?
"Did you misunderstand something?"
Xu Nuan couldn't accept how Gu Ze had transformed from a heartbroken man into someone so nonsensical. She still remembered his cold gaze that day; she thought she had understood everything then.
"I didn't misunderstand; I'm quite certain."
At that moment, flowers seemed to bloom in Gu Ze's eyes. While this description sounded overly dramatic, Xu Nuan genuinely felt that behind him were blossoms blooming everywhere. This man had changed too quickly for her to accept.
"Things haven't changed much."
Gu Ze surprisingly guessed what she was thinking, laughing heartily.
"I've realized that just one kiss from you can lift my spirits; all my worries disappear. After all, I'm the one by your side now, so I have the advantage."
Xu Nuan felt an impulse to draw her knife and strike this man who took advantage of her while acting so innocent.
At the same time, Xu Nuan concluded that anyone dating Gu Ze would likely never experience a tumultuous relationship, because with Gu Ze's elegant demeanor in public and his shameless requests for kisses and hugs behind closed doors, it was impossible to have any kind of emotional turmoil.
Realizing her thoughts had wandered into strange territory, Xu Nuan quickly composed herself and cleared her throat a few times.
"Gu Ze, did you take some wrong medicine?"
This was the only explanation she could think of; otherwise, how could she explain Gu Ze's sudden change? It was impossible for one kiss to alter someone's mood so drastically.
"Absolutely not; it's you who has been taking the medicine."
Gu Ze's expression was serious, serious enough that Xu Nuan felt an urge to stab him.
"Nuan, I want to ask you something."
Xu Nuan was startled by the way Gu Ze said 'Nuan,' his tone so sweet that it sent shivers down her spine.
"Go ahead."
Xu Nuan was completely unaware that her thoughts had been led astray by Gu Ze. Just a short while ago, they had maintained a relationship of mere alliance, and after that incident, they weren't even friends anymore. Yet here they were, calmly facing each other and talking, while she felt like he was taking liberties with her.
What kind of divine development is this? Xu Nuan discovered that she seemed to have gained an attribute called sarcasm.
"Do you still love Qin Yaojie?"
Gu Ze changed his approach. At that time, he had asked, "Do you care about Qin Yaojie that much?" Later, he reflected on it. Qin Yaojie had been by Xu Nuan's side since she was not even three years old. Even if they had not become lovers, they were family, and naturally, she cared. However, it might not necessarily be love. He believed he understood Xu Nuan well enough; the mature and independent woman she had become would not easily fall in love again with a man who had hurt her. Indeed, he was so furious at the time that he hadn't realized the difference.
Xu Nuan remained silent for a moment before responding.
"I don't know."
Love and hate intertwined? Family ties stronger than romantic ones? Wanting to retaliate against the embarrassment from before?
So much had happened; so many people had died. A part of her memories had returned, and her body might have been tampered with without her knowledge. Xu Nuan could no longer discern her feelings for Qin Yaojie.
Perhaps she still loved him, but not deeply.
Perhaps she no longer loved him, yet couldn't let go.
That was all she could honestly say to Gu Ze. She suddenly realized that she didn't want to deceive him.
Gu Ze didn't seem angry about her ambiguous answer; instead, he continued to smile and asked,
"Then do you dislike me?"
Gu Ze changed his wording again. Of course, he meant to ask, "Don't you care about me at all?" But upon reflection, how could Xu Nuan, who was so focused on finding Qin Yaojie and had gone through so much, possibly discuss personal feelings?
"I don't dislike you."
Xu Nuan answered honestly, not only did she not dislike Gu Ze, but she also admired him. Occasionally, seeing him would even make her heart race a little. However, Xu Nuan inexplicably felt that she seemed to have fallen into a trap.
Then she heard Gu Ze again.
"Well, that settles it. You're single, you don't dislike me, and I have the right to pursue you. You can't interfere with my rights, so I can pursue you."
Gu Ze's words were like a tongue twister, and a triumphant smile flickered in his eyes.
"And as your Pursuer, I will provide you with unlimited information and guidance. I won't harm you; I'll protect you. Isn't that more beneficial than just being companions or part of an Alliance?"
"Seems like it."
Xu Nuan realized she had been ensnared. It wasn't until much later that she understood she could have simply said, "You have the right to pursue me, and I have the right to refuse you, so please don't trouble me," to reject Gu Ze.
"Then it's settled. From now on, I am your Pursuer."
In that moment, Xu Nuan truly saw blooming flowers in Gu Ze's smile.
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