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Her wounds had been treated, and her clothes changed. At this moment, she was still nestled in a sleeping bag with Gu Ze, held tightly in his embrace.
Was this his strategy to prevent her from escaping?
Xu Nuan felt a breath of air in her chest, not entirely anger but mixed with other indescribable emotions. When she tried to break free from Gu Ze, the sight of his weary face made her pause.
She had never seen Gu Ze looking so exhausted. Even during their most perilous moments, after exerting all their efforts to escape, he had always appeared vibrant and full of life. Could she narcissistically imagine that his current state was because of her?
A hint of sweetness rose in her heart, quickly followed by bitterness. The two sensations intertwined, causing her to slowly reveal a bitter smile.
Indeed, she was tightly ensnared by him, yet she was unwilling to endure such pain again. The only way to avoid being hurt by feelings was to distance herself from him. Moreover, Chi Ming was still lurking somewhere out there. Now that she had rested, it was time to head to the Supply Station and begin 'encountering' those people one by one to devise solutions.
She was doing this for her own good and for the sake of those few people. The secrets she carried destined her to bring danger. Although she knew that the uniqueness of the Third Batch of Players would make them the focus of attention in the future—and also the most dangerous—those were matters for later.
Resolute, Xu Nuan glanced around at the others and confirmed they were indeed fast asleep. She cautiously withdrew from Gu Ze's embrace, maneuvering her hands and feet to escape the warmth of the sleeping bag, planning to grab some food before setting off.
As she held her breath and carefully pulled her hand away from Gu Ze, pushing herself away from him, most of her body was already outside the sleeping bag. All that remained was to extract her legs and she could leave.
But before departing, she wanted to take one last look at Gu Ze. This time it truly felt like a farewell; the situation was better than she had anticipated—at least they weren't parting amidst a huge conflict.
Sneaking away wasn't her style, yet it suited the current circumstances.
Before fully emerging from the sleeping bag, she turned back to glance at Gu Ze, wanting to remember his appearance but instead found herself gazing into his eyes.
His deep gaze shone brightly under the cold moonlight, resembling a sea of flowers she longed for or a starry sky filled with hope.
Xu Nuan was momentarily captivated before realizing she was caught trying to leave. In her panic and nervousness, she noticed Gu Ze's expression.
It wasn't anger; it was warmth.
Being looked at so quietly by Gu Ze wasn't a pleasant experience at that moment. When she realized he had no intention of stopping her, Xu Nuan felt both relieved and somewhat disappointed. Gathering her emotions, she decided to drag the rest of her body out. However, as soon as she moved, Gu Ze pulled her back in.
The space in the sleeping bag was already limited, and with Gu Ze being a large man, Xu Nuan found herself squeezed tightly against him.
At that moment, Xu Nuan was completely enveloped in Gu Ze's embrace. She could feel his heartbeat and hear his unexpectedly calm voice, tinged with drowsiness.
"Do you want to leave?"
Xu Nuan hesitated to look up, feeling that her guilty expression was unnecessary. She lifted her chin slightly, looking at Gu Ze with determination.
"Why not? If I want to go, no one can stop me. I don't plan to stay in this group any longer."
Gu Ze's gaze remained steady and calm, all his emotions tightly restrained. He exuded a different kind of aura at that moment. Xu Nuan sensed something was off about him, but before she could think further, her lips were captured.
In the midst of it all, she could still hear Gu Ze's clear voice.
"I won't let you leave."
She felt completely surrounded by a familiar masculine presence. The long-forgotten sensation of breathlessness washed over her, yet it felt different from before—like returning to the beginning, to that lakeside where they shared a sincere kiss.
Though the feeling was different, Xu Nuan found it far from unpleasant. She had no strength to resist Gu Ze; the contact of their lips sent tingles down her spine, as if an electric current surged through her veins, leaving her in a state of delicate exhilaration.
Time seemed to stretch on indefinitely until Gu Ze finally released her lips. Xu Nuan gasped for air, her eyes slightly dazed. But in an instant, she glared at Gu Ze, noticing the lingering ambiguity at the corners of his mouth, causing heat to rise in her cheeks. For a moment, she couldn't find her voice.
Hadn't she thought she had been abandoned?
Wasn't she prepared to leave?
Even if their misunderstandings were cleared up, it didn't mean such things wouldn't happen again. She considered herself weak; to avoid another occurrence, she felt the need to escape and focus on serious matters.
Realizing what was happening, Xu Nuan tried to pull away from the suddenly charged atmosphere of the sleeping bag. However, Gu Ze's long arm reached out and pulled her back against his chest.
The sound of a heartbeat was clear and distinct, a subtle sensation.
"If you still want to escape, I wouldn't mind performing in this space."
Gu Ze's voice was calm, and Xu Nuan took a moment to process what he meant, her face growing warmer. Whether it was from embarrassment or anger, she pulled her hand away from Gu Ze and glared at him.
His eyes remained unchanged, yet there seemed to be something more in them.
Suddenly, Xu Nuan realized she had misjudged the situation. The misunderstanding between her and Gu Ze had not been clarified; she had merely come to know the truth from her side. Gu Ze was likely still under the impression that things were different, and she could use this to her advantage.
"Do you still have such thoughts?" she asked, her tone laced with sarcasm.
"I am a fickle woman, and you actually don't mind? How peculiar."
She didn't intend to hurt Gu Ze, but felt compelled to do so.
However, once again she miscalculated. Gu Ze did not display the anger she expected; instead, his gaze remained calm, beneath which lay an unnoticeable depth of affection.
"I'm sorry; I shouldn't have said that."
Xu Nuan was taken aback, struggling to understand Gu Ze's sudden shift. Then she saw him lean closer, resting his forehead against hers, speaking slowly and deliberately.
"You are the woman I love most; I will no longer doubt you."
Xu Nuan forgot to push Gu Ze away. At that moment, she didn't know whether to feel happy about his words or regretful for losing another chance to confront him.
How could this man suddenly stop doubting her? His earlier suspicions had deeply hurt her. Although she understood such doubts after learning the truth, the wounded heart would not heal so quickly.
In that moment, she thought her wound had healed.
"It's late, let's sleep a little longer."
While Xu Nuan was in a daze, Gu Ze gently kissed her forehead, wrapped her in his arms, and closed his eyes to continue sleeping.
Before long, Gu Ze fell asleep, just like before, appearing unaffected by the sounds of the outside world. His peaceful face looked harmless.
Xu Nuan gazed at Gu Ze with a complicated expression. After a while, she sighed and adjusted her position in Gu Ze's embrace, slowly closing her eyes. She drifted off to sleep accompanied by the sound of Gu Ze's heartbeat.
Before falling asleep, she felt puzzled. Just earlier in the day by the cliff, they had been fighting with knives; how could they now peacefully embrace and fall asleep?
They were both at fault; they were both innocent.
Xu Nuan thought about Gu Ze's proposal and the meaning behind the necklace he had given her long ago. She felt a mix of helplessness and a hint of happiness.
Neither of them woke up naturally; they were awakened by the consecutive screams of Xie Huai, Deng Yinyin, and He Min.
After everything that had happened in recent days, Xu Nuan was already on edge. Even the slightest sound would provoke a strong reaction from her. This time was no exception. When she heard the continuous screams, she instinctively tried to sit up but forgot that she was still wrapped up with Gu Ze, and her head bumped against his chin.
Both of them let out muffled groans. Xu Nuan's eyes watered from the impact as she looked at Gu Ze innocently, causing him to chuckle while rubbing his chin.
It wasn't a hazy night that easily tempted people; yet Xu Nuan's heart raced at Gu Ze's smile. Realizing her emotional shift, she turned away, feeling frustrated with herself for being so weak.
Turning her head reminded her why they had been awakened.
Their temporary campsite had an unexpected guest: Fan Beibei, who had once collaborated with them but then turned against them. At that moment, Fan Beibei looked disheveled; aside from a gruesome wound on her face, her hair and clothes were messy, likely from pushing through the underbrush carelessly. But what concerned Xu Nuan more was Fan Beibei's eyes—those once lively eyes now appeared dull and vacant. Fan Beibei seemed to be in a frenzied state, alternating between silly laughter and pitiful tears while clawing at Deng Yinyin and the others.
Xu Nuan noticed that the others had just woken up too; they hadn’t even had time to eat before being startled by Fan Beibei’s sudden intrusion. The only one who hadn’t screamed was Xu Hang, whose face looked particularly grim. Xu Nuan guessed he was shocked but remained silent due to his reserved nature.
As Xu Nuan got up, preparing to check the situation, she was suddenly pulled tightly into Gu Ze's embrace. This action had repeated itself many times from yesterday to today, leading Xu Nuan to suspect that Gu Ze might be addicted to it.
"What's wrong?"
Xu Nuan turned back to look at Gu Ze with her usual tone, but was startled by the fear and vulnerability reflected in his eyes, leaving her frozen in place.
"Were you almost like this too?"
Xu Nuan fell silent, unsure of how to respond, while Gu Ze continued.
"Xie Huai later analyzed the situation based on Fan Beibei's case, and Shen Shen, being a doctor, seemed more focused on psychological aspects. So Fan Beibei must have been subjected to some suggestion; her mental resilience wasn't strong enough for her to overcome it."
Xu Nuan blinked, speechless. She began to understand why Gu Ze had moved past the events concerning her and Shen Shen; it turned out he had found the truth. It wasn't unconditional trust but trust built upon understanding the truth. A wave of bitterness surged within her heart, knowing that her feelings were unreasonable yet unable to suppress them in time.
"You have also been subjected to suggestions, probably more than once. If you hadn't..."
Gu Ze's analysis continued as he held Xu Nuan even tighter, truly treating her like a precious treasure he had regained.
Feeling his emotions, Xu Nuan retracted the sarcasm that had risen to her lips and instead chose different words.
"There are no 'ifs.' I've already moved on, and Shen Shen is dead. This matter has come to a close."
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