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墨書 Inktalez
"How could I fall asleep in a place like this? What a careless mistake."
It was a bright and cheerful voice, reminiscent of a friendly older brother next door, making it easy for one to let go of any reservations.
However, after the incident with Shen Shen, Xu Nuan would no longer judge a person's inner character based solely on their outward demeanor.
She completely concealed herself behind a tree, peering through the gaps in the branches to catch a glimpse of the man several dozen meters away. Although her view was somewhat obstructed, she managed to see his profile.
The young man had a tall but lean build, exuding an air of both professionalism and approachability, not at all resembling someone from a military background.
His profile struck Xu Nuan as familiar, particularly his features and eyes, which she had seen in others before.
Still feverish, Xu Nuan's reaction was delayed; she felt that the young man looked familiar but couldn't quite place him. However, when he unconsciously glanced in her direction before quickly looking away, she deduced his identity.
This man was Chi Ming, an investor in this cruel game and one of its designers. He was the illegitimate son of the chairman of Chi Securities and shared the same father as Chi Xu Sheng, having some blood relation to Chi Xiaoming as well. He was also one of the masterminds who conspired with Chi Xu Sheng's mother to design Tang Jingshu's entry into the game, ultimately leading to her tragic demise.
Xu Nuan was immensely relieved that she had covered her mouth; otherwise, her surprise and anger would have surely escaped her lips.
Her feelings about encountering Chi Ming were mixed. On one hand, she was pleased that he likely knew more about the game's inner workings and at least had knowledge of who supported it from the fourth party. As an investor, Chi Ming should hold a certain status alongside Qin Yaojie and Another Founder. Therefore, he should know the identity of Another Founder. Xu Nuan needed to understand these four factions and the founders so that she could determine whether Another Founder was indeed the puppet master manipulating both the designers and game operators.
On the other hand, she worried that at this moment, she lacked the strength to contend with someone who appeared affable yet had caused Tang Jingshu's death.
Unwilling to let this opportunity slip away, Xu Nuan decided to take the risk of lurking near Chi Ming. Aware of her current weakness, she kept a considerable distance from him while ensuring she remained undetected as she closely followed him.
However, Chi Ming seemed in no hurry to reach his destination. He strolled leisurely along the way, occasionally stopping to share his thoughts on the flowers and plants by the roadside or lamenting how boring it was for someone to navigate challenges alone. He resembled an older brother out for a picnic, filled with curiosity about everything around him.
This made Xu Nuan wonder if she had already been discovered and if he was deliberately acting this way for her benefit. Yet throughout their journey, Chi Ming never turned back; his gaze remained fixed ahead or scanned the sides, leaving his back completely exposed to her.
Xu Nuan constantly assessed the distance between herself and Chi Ming, repeatedly confirming that Chi Ming seemed to have noticed her.
In such a tense and closely monitored situation, Xu Nuan's physical strength was depleting rapidly. Already in poor health, she often felt dizzy due to her injuries and ailments. She used the pain to keep herself alert, determined not to lose sight of Chi Ming.
This pursuit continued from noon until nightfall. Throughout the ordeal, Xu Nuan could only rely on fruits for sustenance, while Chi Ming had access to jerky, candies, cookies, and bottled water from his backpack to regain his strength. Though Xu Nuan felt envious, she was not foolish enough to expose herself for the sake of food. Her goal was to stay close to Chi Ming and use him to determine whether Dong Keyong was lying in wait at the Supply Station. Once she regained her strength inside the Supply Station, she would confront Chi Ming.
Of course, this confrontation depended on her ability to engineer a chance encounter with Chi Ming. It was absolutely not an option for her to engage him directly while starving, sick, injured, and under the constant threat of being found by Dong Keyong; doing so would severely diminish her chances of success.
Amidst her suffering, Xu Nuan had to divert some of her focus to consider that Dong Keyong and Chi Ming seemed connected. Based on what she had learned so far, Chi Ming appeared to be as obsessed with the secret passage as Shen Shen was and wanted to find out where it was through her. As for the mysterious item left by Su Zihang, it likely wasn't Chi Ming's objective.
However, lacking complete confidence in her knowledge of the secret passage's exact location and the mysterious item left by Su Zihang made Xu Nuan feel uncertain and fearful of making a wrong judgment that could lead her to miss a crucial opportunity. She repeatedly thought it over and confirmed her thoughts.
Lost in contemplation, Xu Nuan clearly forgot that night was her enemy. With her poor night vision, she struggled to accurately gauge her distance from Chi Ming or assess his movements—this posed a significant risk.
The crisis struck when Xu Nuan pulled herself from her thoughts and began to observe Chi Ming carefully again.
In the dim light of night, she momentarily failed to spot any trace of Chi Ming beneath the tree. Anxious and flustered, she inadvertently made a noise. Following that sound came a bright voice filled with relief.
"Finally found you."
When Xu Nuan hurriedly turned around, she saw Chi Ming's face illuminated by the hazy night—a beautiful yet somewhat cruel smile gracing his lips. Before she could react, he struck down with a swift hand chop. Completely unprepared, Xu Nuan lost consciousness once more. The suddenness of it all left no room for regret as darkness enveloped her.
Xu Nuan regained consciousness in the early morning light. Before even opening her eyes, she felt pain in her neck but did not sense any bindings on her limbs.
What was happening?
With such doubts in her mind, Xu Nuan slowly opened her eyes. What greeted her was a vast expanse of low trees, and in the distance, clouds tinged with a light golden sunlight. She immediately sat up and looked around, only to meet the gaze of Chi Ming, who had just opened his eyes.
Those were eyes that could see into the depths of one's heart. They held a hint of sharpness, but more than that, they bore the weight of experiences that had crafted a profound understanding of human nature.
Xu Nuan quickly realized that this person would not be easy to deal with. Looking down, she noticed that not only was she not tied up, but she was also draped in a coat. However, her wounds had not been treated.
This meant that Chi Ming did not see her as a threat; rather, he regarded her as a stranger who did not warrant any further concern.
Having made this judgment, Xu Nuan stood up calmly, picked up the coat, and walked over to Chi Ming, who was slowly sitting up. She handed it to him and expressed her gratitude.
Chi Ming set aside his scrutinizing gaze and accepted the clothing with a remark.
"You are more composed than I imagined. Normally, after being discovered while following me, you would be worried about how I might deal with you."
Xu Nuan was certain that Chi Ming recognized who she was, but since he pretended not to know her, there was no need for her to reveal that she knew his identity.
"I pose no threat to you; you shouldn't have to go through any trouble dealing with me."
Xu Nuan took two steps back to maintain a reassuring distance while watching Chi Ming.
Only then did Chi Ming stand up gracefully, throwing the coat over his shoulders before shouldering his backpack.
"A person who has been following me so closely poses no threat; you really know how to smile."
Chi Ming chuckled lightly as he walked ahead, and Xu Nuan followed him with an air of calmness.
"I just think you should have some idea about the Special Tree Supply Station. Following you ensures I can reach the Supply Station."
"Is that so?"
Chi Ming maintained his previous carefree demeanor, pulling out some food from his backpack. He kept one portion for himself and offered another to Xu Nuan, who did not take it. Chi Ming shrugged and put it back.
"Do I look that impressive? We're all trapped here as Players, equally stuck."
Xu Nuan felt even more cautious, though she tried to maintain a calm facade, speaking in a relatively relaxed tone.
"A person who appears so at ease in this thicket is either very confident or a fool. I believe you are the former."
"Haha."
Chi Ming laughed heartily as he walked ahead, then casually turned around, one hand holding a biscuit while the other waved dismissively at Xu Nuan. However, noticing her disheveled state, he withdrew his hand and raised an eyebrow at her.
"Do you need any medicine?"
As he spoke, Chi Ming continued to step back effortlessly, avoiding obstacles without even looking at the path ahead. His casual movements were charming, but Xu Nuan remained on high alert.
"No, I don't need any."
Xu Nuan replied flatly and added, "So you’re taking that as a given?"
If Chi Ming took her to the Supply Station, it would save her a lot of energy and help her probe Dong Keyong. This was a positive way of thinking, but Xu Nuan couldn't understand why Chi Ming hadn't revealed his identity or pressed her for answers upon seeing her. What exactly did this Chi Ming have up his sleeve? What kind of scheme was he planning to extract information from her? This was more tormenting than Shen Shen and the others being straightforward.
"You've been following me for a while now; continuing to do so won't put you at a disadvantage."
Chi Ming chuckled lightly, his gaze quickly sweeping over Xu Nuan before he turned away, a flicker of something inscrutable flashing in his eyes.
Traveling with Chi Ming wasn't torturous. During the journey, he simply asked which batch of Players she belonged to, what she had done before, and how she had fallen so low that she even lost her backpack.
Xu Nuan naturally made up answers to those questions, appearing calm and unbothered. She knew that Chi Ming wasn't genuinely interested in those inquiries; he was more likely trying to lower her guard before revealing his true intentions.
It wasn't until later that Chi Ming asked a question.
"What about your companions?"
Xu Nuan's expression stiffened for a moment, and Chi Ming caught it.
Regarding this question, Xu Nuan really didn't want to fabricate an answer, nor did she plan to tell the truth. She recalled Gu Ze again, remembering the painful feelings associated with him. She didn't believe Gu Ze had done anything wrong. Seeing her take such actions in the lounge would have been hard for someone as proud as Gu Ze to swallow; he might have even berated himself. However, Gu Ze hadn't done that; he merely distanced himself from her. But this distancing led both of them away from the truth. Now that she knew the truth, she wouldn't see Gu Ze again, nor would their relationship return to what it once was.
Noticing Xu Nuan's silence, Chi Ming didn't press further, though the smile on his lips held a deeper meaning.
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