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Xu Hang and Xie Huai did not keep the others waiting for long. Before Yu Zhanghui could persuade Fan Beibei to return, the two hurriedly entered the cave without even taking off their raincoats.
Gu Ze and Xu Hang had always had a tacit understanding. Seeing the urgency on Xu Hang's face, Gu Ze immediately stood up. As he straightened his body, he remembered the cave's low height and had to bend down. Chi Xiaoming, who noticed the commotion, cast an eager glance in their direction.
Xu Hang quickly walked over to Gu Ze and whispered a few words in his ear. When he caught Xu Nuan's gaze, he shook his head, indicating that he did not want her to come over.
Xu Nuan was puzzled. What had Xu Hang discovered that made him look so serious? Wouldn't it be better to have one more person to help? She thought this but obediently stayed put.
After whispering a few words to Gu Ze and receiving his approval, Xu Hang turned to Chi Xiaoming and exchanged a few more words. The expressions of the group were somewhat serious but not tense, which only heightened Xu Nuan's curiosity. She focused her gaze on Xie Huai, who was the most slender and seemed quite flustered among the men. However, as soon as their eyes met, Xie Huai hurriedly looked away. Xu Nuan wondered if their discussion was related to her; otherwise, why would Xie Huai appear so panicked?
Just as Xu Nuan struggled to contain her curiosity and was about to stand up, the men exchanged glances and suddenly turned to look at her, Deng Yinyin—who appeared confused—and He Min, who was resting with her eyes closed. In an authoritative tone, they said:
"You three stay here; we'll be back soon."
It was clear they intended to keep something from them. Xu Nuan could no longer hide her curiosity and stood up to look at Gu Ze and Xu Hang.
"What’s going on? It would be helpful to have one more person."
"Nothing much; just stay here and don’t go anywhere," Gu Ze replied first, his gaze fixed on Xu Nuan.
"We'll be back shortly; you all should rest for now."
Xu Nuan felt anxious while Deng Yinyin accepted the situation quickly. She tugged at Xu Nuan's sleeve and reassured her dismissively.
"What could happen with four big men? Let's just stay put."
To be honest, the term "stay put" didn't quite fit Deng Yinyin, but in that moment of confusion without a detailed explanation from Gu Ze, Xu Nuan held back her complaints and sat down instead.
Before leaving the cave, Gu Ze turned back to look at Xu Nuan, who was sitting neatly against the wall with a well-behaved posture. He revealed a very gentle smile, but Xu Nuan, looking down at the ground, did not see it. Instead, Deng Yinyin, sitting beside her, suddenly blushed.
As soon as Gu Ze turned his head away, his eyes became deep and unfathomable, and the smile on his lips turned dangerously enigmatic.
Noticing this change, Xu Hang reminded him.
"Watch your expression; it's too obvious."
Gu Ze merely raised the corner of his mouth in a smirk, not bothering to argue.
Xu Nuan sat upright without asking questions, but inside she felt like an ant on a hot pan, extremely anxious. The human imagination is boundless; when faced with the unknown, the mind can embellish and color things in countless ways, mixing in various spices of thought.
Having already been startled during the day and feeling her heart race continuously, Xu Nuan's mind had become a tangled mess after her friend's sudden romantic development. Now she could only think of the worst outcomes; the more she thought about it, the more her heart raced uncontrollably.
Deng Yinyin observed the myriad expressions flitting across Xu Nuan's face with quiet fascination. Although they often clashed, this was the first time she had seen Xu Nuan display so many emotions in such a short span of time. Normally lost in her own thoughts, Deng Yinyin suddenly became insightful as she recalled the four men who had just left. She realized that Xu Nuan's unease stemmed from Gu Ze. This was an excellent opportunity to confront Xu Nuan again; He Min was resting, and no other distractions were around. If she didn't seize this chance, she wouldn't be Deng Yinyin.
"Ahem."
Deng Yinyin cleared her throat and pondered her words before casually speaking up.
"What were you and Gu Ze doing just now?"
This question was hardly well thought out, leading Xu Hang's group to believe that Deng Yinyin had not matured and remained in a naive phase where she lacked cunning or cleverness. Such a woman might be suitable for protection in the city but was not what this game required. If Deng Yinyin remained unaware of this fact for too long, she might face a painful lesson.
At least Deng Yinyin lowered her voice slightly. Xu Nuan took a moment to process what had been said before looking at Deng Yinyin with an indescribable expression. Sometimes she felt that taking care of someone like Deng Yinyin was akin to raising a daughter.
"Do you have a habit of prying into other people's private matters?"
Thinking about how difficult it was for Xu Hang, Xu Nuan reluctantly used a roundabout way to question Deng Yinyin. She had always considered Deng Yinyin to be one of the most difficult people to get along with. Her straightforwardness was often labeled as sharp and harsh, while Deng Yinyin was simply blunt and spoke without thinking, each with their own pros and cons. In fact, many years ago, she had a similar personality to Deng Yinyin's, so sometimes she envied Deng Yinyin's ability to express her thoughts without reservation, especially regarding Deng Yinyin's obsession with Gu Ze.
When Xu Nuan suddenly expanded her thoughts too broadly, she snapped back to reality and found Deng Yinyin staring at her; this was someone who could see right through her.
"I really hate you the most, Xu Nuan. I hate you in every possible way."
"I already knew that."
Realizing that talking with Deng Yinyin could dispel her inner unease, Xu Nuan rarely engaged in a serious conversation with her.
"You really are something..."
Deng Yinyin wanted to list examples but was quickly shut down. In terms of verbal sparring, she often couldn't win against Xu Nuan because Xu Nuan approached these matters with an attitude that was beyond her imagination.
"But whatever you’re sure of, or whatever Gu Ze is sure of, I will never give up on Gu Ze."
Deng Yinyin suddenly thought of this line to suppress Xu Nuan.
"I know."
This was something Xu Nuan admired about Deng Yinyin; she never hid her feelings for Gu Ze. Aside from not saying it outright, her actions made it clear. Unfortunately, unrequited love was painful; Gu Ze liked Xu Nuan, which was something Xu Nuan had always known. At that moment, she felt incredibly fortunate. If Gu Ze had given up on her when she had treated him poorly long ago, she couldn't imagine what kind of person she would have become—perhaps someone like He Min, lost and exhausted with nowhere to go, or a woman steeped in pain and resentment.
She was immensely grateful that Gu Ze hadn't given up on her but didn't know how to convey that feeling.
"You really are something," Deng Yinyin said, increasingly irritated by Xu Nuan's dry demeanor. "Haven't you noticed how Gu Ze has changed? That once so excellent gentleman is now quick to anger and sometimes ruthless like a demon. If it weren't for you, Gu Ze would never have turned out this way."
Deng Yinyin was furious, her eyes reddening. She had always believed that if it weren't for Xu Nuan's presence, Gu Ze would still be the quality single man she admired—a potential asset in the company who would always smile gently. But now, the Gu Ze before her made her feel both love and fear; she sensed he had become someone else entirely and refused to admit that this was his true self.
"Is that so?"
Xu Nuan, vaguely recalling all her encounters with Gu Ze, was momentarily stunned by Deng Yinyin's thoughts.
"I believe he has never changed."
A successor groomed from a young age, a campus idol, and someone who had been allowed by his father to become a key technical personnel in the family company—he was definitely not as gentle and harmless as he appeared. The very fact that an excellent heir became a technician was problematic in itself. Perhaps Gu Ze's father had never discussed anything with him initially, but given Gu Ze's intelligence and familiarity with Heng Technology, it was impossible for him not to understand his father's intentions. It turned out that Gu Ze had noticed something amiss with Heng Technology without anyone around him realizing it.
Similarly, Gu Ze was an ambitious person who enjoyed gambling; entering the game was a gamble in itself. Winning meant destroying the game, while losing meant losing his life. This massive game had been designed over an unknown period of time by countless people, and yet Gu Ze wanted to destroy it all on his own—what kind of ambition did that require?
Xu Nuan believed that Gu Ze had a backup plan. He had once collaborated with his father during their meetings, so from the Fifth Level to this point, Gu Ze must have secretly done something; they just didn't know what it was.
This so-called matter was the cradle of Gu Ze's ambition.
Initially, Xu Nuan's distrust of Gu Ze stemmed not only from her own psychological barriers but also from the things he had kept hidden. However, as time passed and they progressed through the Survival Game along with Gu Ze's performance, Xu Nuan began to think that these issues should not affect the bond of trust between them.
She even started to consider that Gu Ze might not be telling her these things because he didn't want to add to her mental burden. One day, when she truly resolved her own issues and felt unburdened, she would be able to take on the weight on Gu Ze's shoulders. When she began to think this way, she found herself hoping that Gu Ze wouldn't reveal these matters to her. She wanted to ensure that she could stand beside him alive before discussing such things. If she were to lose her life while resolving her own issues, she wouldn't have to face hell with the regret of not having helped Gu Ze.
As someone who feared death, Xu Nuan became particularly afraid after witnessing many people die before her eyes. She feared leaving this world without accomplishing anything and worried about the debts she owed that she couldn't repay. Yet at this moment, triggered by Deng Yinyin's words, she suddenly found herself less afraid of the path of death for the first time.
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