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墨書 Inktalez
“How long until he returns?”
To avoid drawing attention, Xu Nuan and Gu Ze chose to walk a bit further in one direction.
Having just confessed her feelings to Gu Ze for the first time, Xu Nuan couldn’t bring herself to look at him. She worked hard to keep her expression calm. However, even without looking at Gu Ze, she could sense the happiness radiating from the man beside her. Ahead lay a blanket of white snow, which in her eyes transformed into a sea of flowers, reminiscent of the dreams she had as a child.
“Sooner tonight, later by noon tomorrow,” Gu Ze replied, his tone laced with joy. What should have been a serious matter felt anything but in his lighthearted delivery.
“There’s no way for us to contact each other, so no one can leave here,” Gu Ze explained further.
“But,” recalling the time set by Xu Hang, Xu Nuan thought this was somewhat unrealistic. “After an hour, everyone will have to leave. What reason do we have to keep them here then?”
Gu Ze felt delighted at the word “we.” Noticing there weren’t many people around, he casually took Xu Nuan’s backpack off her shoulders and held it in one hand while placing the other on her waist. To him, this was the proper way for couples to interact.
Xu Nuan didn’t stop him; however, not wanting to see the smug look on Gu Ze’s face, she kept her gaze fixed on the snowy ground, focused on finding answers.
“There’s no need to come up with excuses; everyone will stay here. To be precise, they’ll remain in this vicinity. The timing for regrouping will depend on each group’s ingenuity.”
“Are you really going to keep me guessing right in front of you?”
Gathering her courage, Xu Nuan looked up and shot a glare at Gu Ze, who seemed to be reveling in his own cleverness.
“There are still some things you haven’t told Xu Hang about this stage, right?”
Xu Hang was the captain leading everyone through the challenges, while Gu Ze was the one providing crucial information from behind the scenes. Their team was fortunate to have the cooperation of both, allowing them to navigate each obstacle in the smoothest way possible. Of course, "smooth" was relative; Gu Ze's intelligence was ultimately limited.
Thinking back, their group had Gu Ze's insights, Xu Nuan's secrets, and inexplicably received five Tail Rings from the Third Batch of Players. They were undoubtedly the most envied group of Players.
After a few seconds of contemplation, Xu Nuan looked at Gu Ze again and noticed that the smile on his lips had flattened somewhat. Remembering what she had just said, Xu Nuan understood and cautiously asked, "Ze, what happened between you and Xu Hang?"
She only knew that Gu Ze and Xu Hang had once fought, and according to others, it was because Xu Hang had been distracted by their argument and failed to protect her, which led her to fall victim to Yang Mingyue's attack—someone she had never even seen.
The root of this issue wasn't Xu Hang; his attitude at that time was a significant factor. From what she knew of Gu Ze, he wasn't someone who would be unreasonable. Therefore, Xu Nuan speculated that something else must have occurred between them, which made their interactions a bit awkward afterward. Additionally, since Gu Ze was collaborating with Chi Xiaoming and hadn’t informed Xu Hang about it, it puzzled her even more. Gu Ze rarely kept anything from Xu Hang; they both valued each other highly.
Gu Ze curled his lips into a smile again and turned to look at Xu Nuan, his eyes sparkling with mirth.
"I made a promise with Hang, but unfortunately, he didn't keep it."
"I'm just a little disappointed—that's all."
Xu Nuan caught a glimpse of sadness flickering in Gu Ze's eyes and realized that his disappointment ran deeper than he let on. She wasn't sure what had transpired between the two men, but she could recall only a few instances when she wasn't present. Rather than probing further out of curiosity and making Gu Ze uncomfortable, it would be better for her to investigate later on her own.
"Disappointment is only temporary; you are brothers and friends. Soon enough, things will return to normal between you."
Xu Nuan forced a smile and awkwardly changed the subject.
"What do you have for this challenge?"
Gu Ze stared at Xu Nuan for a while before breaking into a smile. He casually reached out and hooked his arm around Xu Nuan's neck, leaning in closer.
"This glacier is actually a maze."
The warmth was fleeting, and after a moment of satisfaction, Gu Ze released Xu Nuan, taking her hand instead as they walked forward.
"I estimate that they will all encounter some mechanisms similar to a maze. When they manage to get out depends on their own abilities."
Xu Nuan, trying hard to ignore the heat rising in her cheeks, shot Gu Ze a glare.
"What if everyone can't get out? Even if Chi Xiaoming comes back, we would still have to wait. Getting through this level could take forever."
Unbeknownst to her, Xu Nuan's words implied that she thought the other groups lacked strength.
"Don't worry. When the time comes, we'll find the core of the maze and destroy it. Then everyone can gather together."
Feeling cheerful again, Gu Ze playfully shook Xu Nuan's hand like a child and answered her next question without hesitation.
"So, if we destroy the core, will the Special Tree and Supply Station appear?"
"Exactly! So we don't need to rush; we might as well enjoy our time together."
After he spoke, Gu Ze suddenly stopped in his tracks, stiffly turning his neck to look at Xu Nuan.
"Oh, I see now."
Xu Nuan elongated a few words and squinted at Gu Ze. Taking advantage of the fact that Gu Ze was holding a heavy backpack with one hand, she suddenly jumped up and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"So you knew all along and didn’t tell me? You made me worry for so long!"
Xu Nuan was furious.
"You really enjoy the feeling of accomplishment, so I'll give you that."
Hanging onto Gu Ze, Xu Nuan unceremoniously pinched the back of his neck. At that moment, Gu Ze was in quite a predicament, holding a heavy backpack in one hand, carrying another bag on his back, and having Xu Nuan hanging in front of him.
After being angry for a while, Xu Nuan finally realized that Gu Ze had indeed seen the engineering drawings and obtained some peripheral information before entering the game, but it wouldn’t be detailed to this extent.
Staring at Gu Ze’s helpless yet amused expression, Xu Nuan spoke slowly.
"Did Chi Xiaoming tell you?"
Gu Ze paused for a moment, feeling both disappointed and satisfied.
"In front of you, I will never feel a sense of accomplishment."
"But Nuan, you are truly brilliant. No matter what happens, your mind works so quickly."
Thinking quickly can also have its downsides; overthinking adds too much burden to both the brain and the heart. For Xu Nuan, her mind could not afford any more burdens at this point.
Gu Ze didn’t voice these thoughts but looked at Xu Nuan with an expression that said 'my girlfriend is amazing.'
Feeling embarrassed under the gaze, Xu Nuan shyly let go and jumped down, only to find Gu Ze still looking at her, prompting her to glare back at him.
"So now you see me as an achievement, huh?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, Xu Nuan's face turned bright red. She had indeed been infected by Gu Ze's occasional mood swings, and she couldn't believe she had just said something so narcissistic.
"As long as someone recognizes you, I'm satisfied."
Gu Ze generously offered his smile once more, making Xu Nuan's cheeks flush even hotter.
Even in the cold wind, Xu Nuan felt a warmth spreading through her body and quickly sought to change the subject.
"What exactly is Chi Xiaoming's identity? He knows too much."
Initially, Chi Xiaoming had only indicated that he was the cousin of Chi Xu Sheng, the heir of Chi Securities, and that he had a good relationship with Chi Xu Sheng. He needed to enter the game for Tang Jingshu while also trying to capture the illegitimate son, Chi Ming, who had made mistakes.
However, it seemed that Chi Xiaoming knew just as much as Gu Ze did, and his intentions were not limited to just Tang Jingshu and Chi Ming.
"Doesn't it hurt?"
While Xu Nuan was deep in thought, Gu Ze suddenly asked this question.
"Huh?"
Xu Nuan looked up in confusion and then realized that Gu Ze was referring to her head.
"Of course it won't hurt."
Xu Nuan reached up to touch her head, wondering how simply thinking about a problem could cause her brain pain. No, it seemed she had been in such a state for a while before.
As she pondered this, Gu Ze led her forward, explaining a few things along the way.
"Chi Xiaoming is actually an honest person. Most of what he said before was true, but he didn't include all the details. He didn't share specifics with me either, but he did a great job preparing and managed to gather a lot of firsthand information about the game."
"As for his purpose in entering the game," Gu Ze recalled their brief exchange with Chi Xiaoming, "it's quite simple."
Xu Nuan merely blinked, speechless. She had admired Chi Xiaoming at first, but later felt disgusted by his comments regarding the Player's value. Coupled with his repeated attempts to test her abilities while refusing to help when she was in danger, she had deliberately chosen to ignore him. Setting all that aside, Chi Xiaoming was just as impressive as Gu Ze. And since Gu Ze had a keen eye for people, his willingness to collaborate with Chi Xiaoming at this moment meant that Chi Xiaoming was temporarily their ally.
"You always speak in half-truths; can't you be straightforward?"
Xu Nuan realized that after going in circles, Gu Ze still hadn't revealed the details of his deal with Chi Xiaoming or what Chi Xiaoming was doing after leaving the team. This Gu Ze was quite cunning!
"Is Chi Xiaoming planning to use the maze to eliminate someone?"
Since Gu Ze wouldn't tell her, Xu Nuan decided to take a wild guess; after all, guessing didn't require much thought.
Just as Xu Nuan was enjoying her little game of speculation, she noticed a flash of surprise on Gu Ze's face, which made her feel surprised as well.
"Could it be... that I guessed right?"
Xu Nuan felt that it was her first time being this lucky.
"Are there others involved in this situation? Are they people we've already encountered, or those who have yet to reveal themselves?"
Xu Nuan suddenly realized that Gu Ze was playing a game, and perhaps Chi Xiaoming was also a pawn he was using. However, this did not rule out the possibility that Gu Ze was merely a piece on Chi Xiaoming's chessboard. With two such capable men collaborating, it was uncertain whether she would be the one benefiting from their combined strength and resources. The true identity of the mastermind should soon be unveiled.
"I can't tell you that," Gu Ze's surprise lasted only a moment. "I promised Chi Xiaoming I wouldn't."
"Really?"
Xu Nuan was skeptical. Did Chi Xiaoming not know about her relationship with Gu Ze? Did he really think she would sabotage their plans?
"Really. If you don't believe me, wait until Chi Xiaoming comes back and ask him."
"I believe you."
Xu Nuan felt a bit frustrated; once she confessed, she would lose her advantage. Gu Ze, this man who concealed his true self so well, certainly played a good game.
After mulling over her thoughts, Xu Nuan didn't receive a response from Gu Ze. Growing more frustrated, she looked up and heard Gu Ze's weak voice.
"Nuan, it seems we triggered a mechanism and are trapped."
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