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The expression on Chi Xiaoming's face, which was usually devoid of emotion due to his facial paralysis, made Xu Nuan think she must have acted inappropriately. As she reached out to touch her own face, she found it dry; if it were otherwise, why would he show such an expression?
Not daring to meet Chi Xiaoming's gaze, Xu Nuan decided to get up and check if the bathroom was free. Instead, she noticed Shen Shen leaning close to Fan Beibei, whispering in her ear, while Fan Beibei remained unconscious with her eyes tightly shut.
"Does Dr. Shen think that whispering in the patient's ear will wake her up?" Xu Nuan recalled how Deng Yinyin had acted before. Fan Beibei had appeared dazed and vacant before losing control. This time, Shen Shen diagnosed that Fan Beibei had been frightened and that the poor environment had caused her mental state to deteriorate; she needed rest and quiet.
A subtle feeling began to grow within her, prompting her to ask directly. However, as she spoke, she realized her voice was hoarse, as if she hadn't had water for days, burning in her throat. This condition could only arise from either breathing through her mouth due to a blocked nose or from screaming in her sleep. Given Chi Xiaoming's surprised expression earlier, Xu Nuan quickly deduced it was the latter. She felt a surge of caution; she must not let those nightmares lead to something terrible.
"I didn't say anything," Shen Shen said, sitting nearby and rubbing his temples in preparation for a break. A hint of confusion crossed his face. "Are you just waking up and feeling disoriented?"
Xu Nuan frowned; her eyesight wasn't that poor yet. But seeing Chi Xiaoming's expression made it clear he hadn’t noticed anything amiss. Whenever she looked into Shen Shen's eyes, an odd sensation washed over her, and suddenly she felt dizzy.
"Maybe."
She quickly averted her gaze, pretending to focus on the floor to calm herself while still keeping an eye on Shen Shen’s movements. Having spent some time in a hospital before, she knew that doctors each had their specialties and habits, often overlapping but also distinct. The more she observed Shen Shen, the more she felt his habits were different from those of any doctor she'd encountered before; they seemed deliberately crafted. Yet there was something familiar about him—someone with a similar aura from long ago. That kind of presence made one unconsciously want to confess their innermost thoughts; such people were usually doctors.
She couldn't convince herself otherwise, but as time passed, Chi Xiaoming stepped out before her. She remained seated on the sofa, lost in thought about Shen Shen’s peculiarities while wondering what Gu Ze might be doing and if he was angry.
Lost in these thoughts, she was startled when Shen Shen spoke near her ear.
"Do you know what you just went through?"
His tone was slow and adept at drawing out what lay within one's heart. Xu Nuan suddenly looked up at him and locked eyes with Shen Shen; the dizziness intensified. She had felt this way before when trying not to sleep at the Supply Station. Back then, she would hear sounds and feel discomfort until she unknowingly drifted off to sleep. When she woke up and left the Supply Station, she found herself in a new place—was this happening for the same reason now?
Xu Nuan felt a bit confused, but the dizziness intensified when she met Shen Shen's gaze. She could barely make out what Shen Shen was saying.
"What... did you just say?"
She vaguely sensed that Shen Shen was asking about her sleep talking, but all she could do was watch his lips move without hearing his voice. As the dizziness grew stronger, she couldn't even discern Shen Shen's expression.
She couldn't just faint like this; she needed to confront Ning Han. Just as she felt herself slipping away, a strong desire jolted her back to some semblance of awareness. She clenched her fist, letting her untrimmed nails dig into her palm. The slight pain helped her focus on Shen Shen.
Propping herself up, Xu Nuan knocked on her head and then looked seriously at Shen Shen again.
"Sorry, I think I got a bit dazed there. I still didn't catch what you said. Could you repeat it?"
She noticed a strange smile flicker across Shen Shen's face. When she looked closely again, he still exuded an elegant and warm aura that made her want to express what was on her mind.
"It seems I haven't introduced myself yet," she saw Shen Shen's mouth moving, but the words became increasingly unclear to her. Just as she thought she had regained her senses, they began to fade again. "I'm also a Game Designer, and I'm responsible for..."
"Hmm? What section?"
Unable to hear clearly, Xu Nuan leaned closer to Shen Shen, but her body swayed awkwardly. Just as she managed to steady herself against the armrest of the sofa, she heard Shen Shen's voice close by.
"The Last Informed One. I hope you can tell me..."
In the end, she still couldn't catch the last part of his words before losing consciousness once more.
It was a wondrous experience. Xu Nuan felt her body light as if she could float at any moment. She found herself in a world of Mirror Surface, surrounded by mirrors on all sides, reflecting countless versions of herself. It seemed as though she could see into her own heart.
She wanted to scream, but discovered she couldn't make a sound. Faintly, she heard a gentle voice asking her something, and before she could even react, she began to speak. She couldn't hear her own voice, yet she felt undeniably that she was communicating with someone, even though she couldn't grasp what the other person was asking or what she was responding.
This feeling of being unable to control herself was overwhelming. As Xu Nuan began to regain her consciousness, she grew increasingly frustrated with this sensation and tried to dispel it, attempting to stop the inner self from communicating with the unknown person.
As she became more aware, Xu Nuan noticed that the Mirror Surface around her was gradually disappearing, some cracking into pieces and retreating rapidly. The voice that had been questioning her also ceased, leaving her alone in a vast white world.
Xu Nuan had always believed that this world contained many wondrous realms that easily crossed human boundaries—realms she did not understand but could potentially be drawn into. When she realized her thoughts were in such a space, she fought hard to grasp her consciousness without immediately succumbing to panic.
Unsure of how to improve her situation, she remained frozen in place. As memories flooded back upon recalling who she was—Xu Nuan—other memories followed suit. Once she clarified who she was and what she was doing, the surrounding mist began to dissipate.
Suddenly, she felt a jolt, though the sensation of rising and falling was subtle, akin to lying comfortably in a vehicle that was moving slowly. What made her uncomfortable was the difficulty in breathing; it felt as if something pressed against her chest, constricting her heart and causing her to reject the current sensation. She struggled to detach herself from this feeling.
Once this thought emerged, she began to hear sounds around her—the chatter of people, the rustling of leaves in the wind, and the flow of water.
Who is she?
She is Xu Nuan.
As this thought echoed in her mind, Xu Nuan finally managed to open her eyes. Her eyelids felt heavy, making her appear somewhat lethargic. After shaking off the initial haze, she started to see her surroundings clearly. It was a vast expanse of green; the scenery felt unfamiliar yet suggested they were on a grassy plain due to the relatively flat terrain and distant horizon.
Rather than pondering why they were on a plain, Xu Nuan was more concerned about being carried on Gu Ze's back. The subtle sensation of jolting came from this very act.
“Gu Ze?”
It was only then that she realized her hands were wrapped around Gu Ze's neck, hanging limply in front of him. Her head was close to Gu Ze's, and her warm breath brushed against his ear as she spoke.
Even without much awareness, the proximity was enough for Gu Ze to hear her clearly.
“Warm, you’re awake?”
The unrestrained surprise in Gu Ze's voice made the others turn to look at the two of them.
Xu Nuan then noticed that only their original companions were present; Chi Xiaoming's group and Shen Shen's group were nowhere to be seen.
Ning Han!
Those three words suddenly jumped into Xu Nuan's mind. She patted Gu Ze on the shoulder, signaling him to let her down.
Before Xu Nuan could steady herself on the ground, she tried to run back but was caught by Gu Ze by the collar. Due to her momentum, she fell backward into Gu Ze's arms.
“You just woke up; where are you rushing off to?”
Gu Ze’s voice was somewhat cold, but Xu Nuan, who had just remembered this matter upon waking up, didn’t catch the tone. Instead, she reached up to pry his hand off her arm while urgently explaining.
“We need to go back to the Supply Station! This is our chance to catch Ning Han!”
At that moment, she didn't stop to think about why she was on Gu Ze's back, what had happened before, or the reasons behind her previous inability to control herself.
However, it was clear that her words caused Gu Ze's expression to darken. The hand gripping Xu Nuan's arm tightened, making it impossible for her to break free.
"We've already left the Supply Station for two hours. He must have left by now."
"Two?"
Xu Nuan stopped struggling and looked up at Gu Ze in confusion. When she saw the anger on his face, she still couldn't process it. No wonder she felt so light; it was the sensation of having no strength to walk.
"How could I have been unconscious for two hours?"
Xu Nuan struggled to recall what had happened earlier, but her mind was fixated on Ning Han.
"We can talk about this later. Why did you wake me? This is a great opportunity; isn't it okay to stay outside the Supply Station a little longer?"
Not fully understanding what had transpired, Xu Nuan realized that Ning Han would likely take advantage of this chance to re-enter the hidden area. Her words were filled with irritation and complaints, completely disregarding Gu Ze's feelings.
By the time she realized what was happening, Gu Ze had already released her hand and was staring at her intently, his eyes cold and unfamiliar to Xu Nuan.
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