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The sudden downpour of Heavy Rain interrupted the rare moment of warmth between Xu Nuan and Gu Ze.
"Ugh, how annoying! Why is it raining?"
Deng Yinyin's complaints echoed as the others hurriedly pulled out their raincoats and covered their backpacks with waterproof covers.
Xu Nuan fumbled to find her raincoat and put it on, only to notice that Gu Ze was still sitting there, not making any move to get ready.
"What’s wrong with you? Are you stunned? Hurry up and put on your raincoat! Do you want your wound to get infected?"
As Xu Nuan's gaze fell on Gu Ze's arm, she unconsciously rummaged through his backpack, grabbing the raincoat to hand it to him while urging him on.
"Put it on quickly; it's pouring!"
Only then did Gu Ze slowly don his simple raincoat, all the while wearing a mournful expression as he looked at Xu Nuan.
Feeling uneasy under his gaze, Xu Nuan moved to a corner a bit farther away before finally asking, "What’s wrong? Did your wound open?"
She guessed randomly.
To her surprise, Gu Ze replied in an incredibly sorrowful tone, "My reward."
Having finally found a chance to sell his skills, he felt frustrated that things had taken such a turn. In his heart, Gu Ze silently gritted his teeth and attributed this misfortune to the people in the monitoring room.
Xu Nuan took a moment to realize that Gu Ze was referring to her, and suddenly a mischievous idea sprouted in her mind. She raised a finger with utmost seriousness and pointed at the sky.
"The reward is this rain. Surprised?"
Gu Ze's expression froze for a moment.
Seeing such a look on the face of this handsome and suave man, who always carried himself like a gentleman, made Xu Nuan burst into laughter.
This was the first time she laughed so heartily, successfully drawing the attention of a few nearby who were still complaining about the rain and trying to find ways to keep warm.
Ignoring Xu Hang's teasing, Deng Yinyin's jealousy, and Xie Huai's envy, Xu Nuan cleared her throat a few times, reining in her smile before looking back at Gu Ze, waiting for this man with the mind's eye to retaliate.
Then she saw his grand smile. How could one describe such a smile? It was so radiant that it made them forget they were struggling in the heavy rain, as if they were in the quiet town she had always longed to settle in. There were bridges and flowing water, green vines and trees, blooming flowers, a white house, and her with the man she would accompany for life.
For the first time, Xu Nuan did not shy away from Gu Ze's smile; instead, she smiled lightly in return.
This feeling was probably what one would call peace of mind.
A sense of peace she hadn't experienced in a long time.
The heavy rain came fiercely and showed no signs of stopping anytime soon. The group put away their complaints and playful moods, carefully observing the rising water levels.
"If the water rises before the system is fixed, we’ll be in danger," Xu Hang said as he estimated the distance between their current stone pillar and the nearest one that had yet to be submerged. The situation did not look optimistic; the current was swift, and even the best swimmer among them wouldn’t guarantee safety reaching the other side. Moreover, even if they managed to swim across, climbing up the smooth stone wall in such heavy rain posed another significant challenge.
"We can only observe the situation for now. If anything seems off, we’ll choose another location."
Most of the time, Gu Ze appeared much calmer than Xu Hang, possessing confidence in his own abilities as well as recognition of his companions' skills.
At this moment, dusk had already fallen, and with the grayish sky, everyone felt an illusion of being trapped in a desperate situation with no way out.
"It's useless to worry now," Xu Hang said, noticing that the morale of a few team members was low. He quickly put on a serious face to comfort them.
"Everyone should eat something and take a rest; conserving energy is the most important thing right now."
The others could only nod reluctantly.
In fact, Xu Nuan had already gone two nights without rest. Coupled with the intense emotional fluctuations she had experienced earlier, she felt extremely fatigued and longed to sleep on the ground. Unfortunately, they could only lie down on the cold, stone floor that had been soaked by rain, making it quite chilly. Xu Nuan couldn't guarantee that she wouldn't fall ill after falling asleep or that her joints wouldn't act up at this moment.
Suddenly, she recalled a time when she was still with Yu Hao and He Min. They had encountered heavy rain then as well and had no choice but to rest in a damp cave since they didn't qualify for a campsite.
He Min had been complaining about how cold it was, while the earnest Yu Hao had held He Min close and fallen asleep with her.
Although Xu Nuan felt a pang of jealousy at this couple's display of affection, she couldn't deny that she envied He Min. In this Life-and-Death Game, He Min could still be with the man she loved and receive his protection.
He Min was a nurse who had entered the game because her life became tight after discovering the dark secrets of the hospital. Yu Hao, as a teacher with an average salary, couldn't provide them with a comfortable future either, which led them to make the risky decision to gamble everything.
Xu Nuan knew very well that He Min and Yu Hao willingly entered the game and were prepared to accept death as a consequence. This was also why He Min could quickly pull herself together.
At that time, Xu Nuan not only envied their love and how He Min was cared for but also admired their determination to face death together.
But in the end, Yu Hao died, leaving He Min to carry the burden of his death as she continued to stumble forward, not knowing where she would fall next.
Xu Nuan suddenly lowered her eyes, gazing at the cold stone surface, and smiled lightly.
Gu Ze, who had been silently watching Xu Nuan, thought he saw Cliff—a delicate purple flower blooming in the wind at the edge of a cliff. It looked fragile but managed to survive the storms, though the flower's silhouette appeared somewhat lonely.
"Let's take a break."
Gu Ze couldn't help but pull Xu Nuan out of her own world.
Xu Nuan turned to look at Gu Ze and nodded gently.
Lying on the ground in a raincoat wasn't a pleasant experience. After feeling the cold seeping into her joints from the ground, Xu Nuan got up again after lying down for less than five minutes.
She noticed that Deng Yinyin also struggled against the chill, but Xu Hang and Xie Huai generously took off their clothes to lay on the wet ground, allowing Deng Yinyin to lie down on them.
A twinge of envy stirred within Xu Nuan as she thought about how her backpack contained only a few thin shirts and a light blanket. The blanket couldn't get wet, and she had no idea how far they still had to go; those few shirts would be of no use in case of an emergency.
Rubbing her chin thoughtfully, Xu Nuan concluded that sitting down to rest might be her best option. Of course, she hoped that System would quickly make this flood recede so she could rest on solid ground.
Lost in thought, she noticed Gu Ze moving not far from her.
Gu Ze first spread out an extra waterproof cover on the ground, then layered the thin blanket thicker on top of it. He simply sat in one corner, smiled at her, and patted his shoulder.
"If I let you sleep in my arms, you'd probably think I'm being inappropriate. So how about just borrowing my shoulder? Can you accept that?"
Xu Nuan was genuinely taken aback, an unusual feeling rising in her heart. She knew it was more than just gratitude. While she was still stunned, she heard Gu Ze's gentle urging.
"If you don't come over soon, this blanket will get wet."
Meeting that gaze, Xu Nuan found herself at a loss for words.
Was she being protected once again?
What would happen if she lost it all again?
By some strange twist of fate, she walked over and sat beside Gu Ze, staring blankly at him.
She watched as Gu Ze cut open the middle of his heavy raincoat, transforming it into a large cape. She saw him reach for her backpack, pull out a blanket, and wrap it tightly around her before resting his head on her shoulder.
She felt neither the rain nor the cold.
This was an indescribable emotion that arose after entering the game; she felt unfamiliar and at a loss.
As she closed her eyes and let her damp eyelashes brush against each other, she seemed to hear Gu Ze's soft murmur.
"Even if it's just like this, I'm really happy. I haven't been rejected."
Is that all it takes to be happy?
What about her? Was this strange emotion happiness?
She didn't know; all she knew was how warm he was, how warm this man felt.
The weariness that had weighed down Xu Nuan for so long engulfed her, and soon she fell asleep without any defenses. Once asleep, she had no idea what might happen next; it seemed as though the shadow of that unpleasant memory had dissipated.
This was a trust expressed in another form, so when Xu Nuan fell asleep, she could not see the smile on someone’s face that could brighten up even the stormy skies.
Xu Nuan was awakened by the heat.
When she opened her eyes, she was still leaning against Gu Ze's shoulder, and the price she paid for maintaining that position all night was a body full of stiffness.
She hesitated to move her head because she noticed that Gu Ze was still asleep, his head pressed closely against hers, providing mutual support for their bodies to rest.
If she moved, he might wake up. With this thought in mind, Xu Nuan observed Gu Ze's sleeping face with a strange posture and expression before shifting her gaze to her surroundings.
First, she noticed that her other companions were still asleep, exhausted from fatigue. The sun hung high in the sky, relentlessly radiating light and heat, while the floodwaters had receded. From her perspective, the scattered stones on the ground had vanished, the river flowed quietly, and the vibrant Special Trees stood lined up in the distance.
Xu Nuan couldn't tell if this was a dream or if yesterday's difficult circumstances had been a dream.
The System had not provided any prompts, and all she could hear was Gu Ze's gentle breathing beside her and the soft sounds of the breeze coming from all directions.
She hoped it wasn't a dream.
As Xu Nuan held onto this hope, she noticed movement from Gu Ze beside her. She quickly closed her eyes and pretended to still be asleep.
When one closes their eyes, other senses become heightened. She could clearly sense Gu Ze reaching out to steady her head before gently adjusting himself and placing her head back on his shoulder.
Perhaps it was due to their height difference or maybe because Gu Ze's movements were so light; throughout this series of actions, Xu Nuan felt no discomfort. If she hadn't already been awake, she surely wouldn't have noticed any of it.
Before this moment, she had no idea that one could perceive another's gaze even with their eyes closed. For some reason, she felt as if Gu Ze was looking at her, leaving her no time to observe the changes around them.
She tried to normalize her breathing, keeping her eyes closed without trembling. She self-hypnotized into believing she was still asleep, yet she could still imagine Gu Ze smiling at her.
A smile that contained so many emotions.
Is she being too selfish?
She suddenly realized this.
Should she continue to let things go after waking up?
She was faced with a choice once again.
Fortunately, someone made the choice for her.
"Wow, everyone, look! Everything is back to normal! I'm so happy!"
It was Deng Yinyin's excited voice.
She could wake up without any guilt now.
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