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With the addition of Xie Huai, the team had now become three.
It was also thanks to Xie Huai acting as a mediator that Xu Nuan felt her interactions with He Min were not as awkward. Internally, she mocked this mode of interaction, but on the surface, Xu Nuan calmly inquired about Xie Huai's experiences after they had separated.
As Xu Nuan had guessed, Xie Huai, who always wore glasses, had not encountered any strange Survival Game. He simply could not understand why everyone had suddenly vanished, leaving him alone to wander in the vast desert.
For the past few days, Xie Huai had been walking alone in the desert, constantly lost and in a state of despair. Despite calling out the names of others repeatedly, no one responded. Just when he was on the brink of hopelessness, Xu Nuan and He Min appeared without warning. Like magic, one moment there was empty space ahead, and the next moment stood two people.
"You are very lucky."
After listening to Xie Huai's account, He Min casually remarked, her gaze flickering quickly over his glasses. This unusual attitude made Xie Huai feel a bit uneasy.
"What happened between you two?"
Xie Huai unwittingly asked the most crucial question, unaware of its ambiguity.
"Sorry, we saw something incredible and are having a hard time calming down."
He Min was quick to read the room and immediately retracted her previous displeasure, transforming back into the considerate and polite He Min she usually was. The speed of this change left Xie Huai feeling bewildered; however, he was not one to dwell on thoughts for long and soon accepted this reality, asking them why they had separated.
He Min's response was quite straightforward; she could only vaguely explain based on her own experiences, which naturally left Xie Huai confused.
Xu Nuan listened quietly from the side, bitterly smiling to herself. According to He Min's explanation, it seemed she had been worrying about her relationship with He Min all along. Was it ignorance or deliberate indifference?
Feeling flustered, Xu Nuan turned to observe their surroundings. It was daytime again; sunlight poured down directly upon her face, making it feel painfully hot. Sweat continuously trickled down her forehead. The heat was secondary; she realized she hadn’t rested much over the past couple of days. Constantly moving from one place to another and being exposed to daylight made her reflexively feel like she had been resting.
Thinking about rest only intensified her fatigue; her body no longer wanted to move forward.
"Can we take a break?"
The other two seemed full of energy, but she truly could not hold on any longer, and her hope was fading. The absence of Gu Ze only intensified Xu Nuan's fatigue.
From an outsider's perspective, one would notice that Xu Nuan's complexion had turned alarmingly pale. Earlier, as they traversed the desert, their skin had only darkened under the sun; a pale face was a sign of impending illness.
"Then let's take a break."
Xie Huai looked around, finally realizing that he was the only man in the group, and judging by past performances, he was also the weakest. However, having been influenced by Xu Hang's traditional views on masculinity, he was quite adept at caring for women, even though his true concern lay with the yet-to-appear Deng Yinyin.
Finding a sheltered spot from the wind, Xu Nuan sat down and immediately collapsed onto her backpack, almost instantly falling into a deep sleep.
Her dreams were fleeting; everything passed by quickly, and Xu Nuan had no intention of dwelling on them during her rest.
Sleeping was the most time-consuming activity. When Xu Nuan finally stirred awake, the sunlight had softened considerably, indicating it was once again dusk.
She couldn't believe she had slept for so long!
Xu Nuan shot up, only to realize her entire body ached. Grimacing, she rubbed her shoulders and glanced around, noticing that He Min had also fallen asleep with her backpack.
Perhaps she had dreamt something unsettling; He Min's expression was grim, her brows tightly knitted together in a fierce manner that contradicted her usual demeanor.
Xu Nuan stood up and took a couple of steps toward He Min before stopping to observe Xie Huai, who was scribbling something in the sand.
Xie Huai was muttering to himself as he swiftly twirled a dry twig in his hand.
As Xu Nuan approached for a closer look, she realized Xie Huai was drawing a topographical map, marking the places they had traversed to define the boundaries of their current base.
"What does this indicate?"
Xu Nuan pointed to the circle on the ground, not far from it was a symbol resembling a moon, which seemed rather strange.
"Uh," Xie Huai, lost in thought, jumped in surprise. His narrow eyes behind the glasses widened slightly. After realizing it was Xu Nuan, he explained, "It represents several lakes I encountered."
Xie Huai gestured at the crude map with his finger.
"This is the lake where we first met. After that, you all disappeared. I called out to you around this lake for a long time, but no one responded."
Xie Huai had never considered that he benefited from his glasses, making him the only one among them who wouldn't fall victim to the traps. However, not falling victim didn't mean he could escape this challenge. According to Xu Nuan's plan, they needed to find the Central Mechanism within those traps to trigger the appearance of the Special Tree and Supply Station. In other words, those who didn't experience those nightmarish traps would never be able to leave this challenge.
Xu Nuan let out a cold laugh; this game was indeed well thought out.
But her cold laughter froze in an instant when she saw Xie Huai pointing at the symbol that resembled a moon.
"This is also a lake. From above, it looks a bit like a moon and isn't far from here. I happened to run into you all nearby. However, before meeting you, I passed by two other lakes that required a significant detour."
Holding a dry twig, Xie Huai pointed at the sandy ground. After a while without hearing Xu Nuan's voice, he turned back in confusion and noticed her expression had become quite subtle. If he had to describe it, it was like a child who didn’t get candy but unexpectedly received cake.
"Do you remember the locations of these lakes?"
Coming back to her senses, Xu Nuan couldn't hide her excitement and directly placed her hand on Xie Huai's shoulder, her fingers slightly curled but not applying much pressure.
"Ah?"
Xie Huai's reaction was a beat slow; by the time he nodded, Xu Nuan struggled to control her expression.
She might finally be able to see that person she had been longing for.
Xu Nuan missed Gu Ze, but at this moment, he was walking side by side with Chi Xiaoming.
The two had encountered each other by chance that morning, and they both knew they were the most likely candidates to crack the Central Mechanism. Their combined efforts would be beneficial and harmless.
What should have been an exciting reunion lost its meaning due to their expressionless faces.
They walked together, stepping unevenly through the desert.
Gu Ze, having completely shed his gentle facade, resembled a beast poised to strike. His already deep-set eyes now sparkled with a fierce coldness, as if someone before him was worthy of his wrath.
Gu Ze stood tall, his straightened back accentuating his chilling presence. From Chi Xiaoming's perspective, Gu Ze resembled a sword ready to be drawn at any moment, with only the fate of being cut down awaiting those in his sights.
Like a silent blade, Gu Ze was gathering strength.
Chi Xiaoming also wore an expressionless face; his gait and pace mirrored Gu Ze's, but their auras differed. Compared to Gu Ze's ferocity, Chi Xiaoming leaned towards restraint. This restraint allowed him to internalize his fierce and decisive energy, making him appear somewhat harmless. Coupled with his low profile, it was hard for anyone to recognize him as a formidable character at first glance. However, Gu Ze knew well that when this man turned ruthless, no one could stand in his way.
Neither felt awkward in the silence; both were lost in their own thoughts. As they climbed to the top of another dune and looked down, Chi Xiaoming keenly noticed Gu Ze's breath hitch before becoming heavy again, as if he was struggling to contain something.
In Chi Xiaoming's view, there was only one person capable of pushing this formidable partner over the edge.
His gaze dropped, and he noticed the cap of a medicine bottle protruding from Gu Ze's pocket. It dawned on him that Gu Ze's pocket was bulging with the bottle creating an irregular shape. As a partner, he understood the significance of those medications. The fact that such important drugs were not stored in a backpack but carried on his person pointed to only one reason.
"This medication is taken three times; it's only been two days. There’s still time."
As someone who only needed to give orders and spoke sparingly, Chi Xiaoming offered no words of comfort. Moreover, he didn’t believe that someone as ruthless as Gu Ze needed consolation. To offer comfort to Gu Ze would be an insult.
"If it were before, there would indeed still be time."
Gu Ze's voice sounded suppressed, yet some emotions still burst forth, revealing his determination to Chi Xiaoming.
"But I discovered this last night."
Gu Ze opened his palm, revealing a perfectly intact chip lying quietly within. If Xu Nuan were here, she would recognize this chip as the one she had lost that day.
"What is this?"
Even Chi Xiaoming, usually calm and composed, couldn't help but gasp in surprise. Having investigated many matters using various forces before entering the game, he was aware of some secrets behind this chip. Coupled with Xu Nuan's situation, he began to understand Gu Ze's emotional turmoil at this moment.
Looking closely into Gu Ze's eyes, they were bloodshot, and dark circles formed under his eyes. Ever since he accidentally discovered the chip, he had been restless and unable to eat or sleep.
"We must find her quickly!"
These words were forced out from deep within his throat, hoarse and filled with a sense of desperation.
Chi Xiaoming understood that these words were not directed at him, so he remained silent, though his gaze shifted to Gu Ze with an added seriousness.
Ahead of them, the strong winds continued to whip up clouds of yellow sand, causing several White Thorns to tremble in the gusts.
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