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墨書 Inktalez
"Is it really okay for Xu Hang and Chi Xiaoming to be in the same group?"
Xu Nuan and Gu Ze casually walked in one direction, completing tasks such as one person closing their eyes while the other walked through an area known for wild beasts. Such tasks posed no difficulty for the two, who had a deep mutual understanding. They trusted each other completely, so they never doubted that the other would lead them into danger, and thus they wouldn't break the rules by removing their blindfolds.
This dangerous test of trust and understanding felt more like a reality show, and neither of them was inclined to speculate about the personality of the designer behind these challenges. As they enjoyed their rare time together, Xu Nuan couldn't help but feel curious about the actions of the others, which led to her earlier question.
"They should get along well."
Gu Ze scratched his nose and calmly gazed ahead, avoiding eye contact with Xu Nuan.
"That sounds like you're feeling guilty yourself."
Xu Nuan shot a disdainful glance at Gu Ze, then recalled their interactions over the past few days with Xu Hang, which made her a bit worried.
"Ze, I think in this game, some things might need to be taken lightly. Otherwise, it’ll be too late to regret once certain things happen," Xu Nuan said, pulling Gu Ze back to prevent him from moving forward. She looked at him seriously. "Don't be like me."
She thought of Dai Zhengyan, who had helped her; Yu Hao, who had taken care of her because of He Min; Liu Minghong, who taught her how to make explosives but was now missing; and the greatly changed He Min. Before she opened her heart to Gu Ze, she had been too fixated on certain matters and neglected those around her. By the time she remembered them, some were already gone, while others felt so unfamiliar they were frightening.
She had regretted it and felt guilty. Afterward, she had to carry on with the lives of those who had passed away weighing heavily on her. If it weren't for Gu Ze, she might have been crushed by the burdens of life long ago. That was why she didn't want Gu Ze to follow in her footsteps. She wanted him to avoid such pain; she had endured it alone. Her Gu Ze was the most outstanding man and would leave no blemish behind.
"Nuan."
Gu Ze continued to smile—a smile that only appeared when he was with Xu Nuan.
At that moment, a gentle breeze swept through the forest, slipping through the gaps in the leaves around them, lifting their clothes and tousling their hair. The transparent wind couldn't block the gaze between them; the air was filled with ambiguous sparks or perhaps joy born from care.
"I haven't discussed one thing with you yet."
Gu Ze slightly lowered his gaze, the light gliding over his eyelashes before finally resting on the tips of his hair, radiating an incredible warmth that struck Xu Nuan's heart.
"The fourth party in this game is An Insurance," Gu Ze said, a bitter smile flickering across his lips. "Heng Technology, Fengtong Technology, and Chi Securities are all in the market, and I know that An Insurance is also present."
"Is there a problem with that?"
A fleeting spark of inspiration crossed Xu Nuan's mind, but it slipped away before she could grasp it. She continued to look up at Gu Ze, waiting for him to elaborate.
"Do you know anyone from An Insurance?"
She considered this possibility.
Gu Ze raised a hand to rub his brow, pausing for a moment before continuing to explain.
"Hang's girlfriend, Lan Ling, has known him since childhood; they grew up together and naturally ended up together."
Perhaps men lacked the knack for storytelling, as he brushed over the entire tale of childhood friends and youthful romance with just a few words.
"Because they know each other too well—their strengths and weaknesses are all too clear. Over time, the strengths fade away while the weaknesses become magnified."
As a woman, Xu Nuan had a vivid imagination when it came to romantic stories.
"So, Lan Ling and Xu Hang broke up and then got back together."
After filling her mind with a lot of thoughts, Xu Nuan could only come up with this one sentence.
Gu Ze nodded, pulling Xu Nuan closer to him. In that moment, a stone fell from the tree above them. They looked up to see a monkey perched on a branch, playing with another monkey in its hands.
Following the direction of the monkey's gaze, they discovered that every tree was filled with monkeys, all wide-eyed and staring at them.
The two quickly left and wandered off in another direction.
"But during the time when Lan Ling broke up with Hang and got back together, she was with another man."
Realizing the intent behind their discussion, Xu Nuan connected the dots.
"Lan Ling was with someone from An Insurance?"
The person who made Gu Ze hesitate surely wasn't an ordinary employee.
"Yes," Gu Ze's gaze drifted far away, and in that moment, Xu Nuan couldn't tell what he was thinking. "Lan Ling was with An Insurance's young master, An Chengxuan. But then something happened between them that made Lan Ling realize she still liked Hang. Plus, Hang had feelings for Lan Ling as well, so they got back together."
"Since he's the young master of An Insurance, An Chengxuan must have quite a bit of pride, right?"
Xu Nuan felt she had managed to piece together the general situation.
"Although Xu Hang is also very talented, An Chengxuan believes he is the more outstanding one, and Lan Ling should be with him. But in the end, Lan Ling chose Xu Hang, which left An Chengxuan resentful, leading him to design a way for Xu Hang to enter the game."
Xu Nuan imagined a complete story and looked eagerly at Gu Ze.
Gu Ze found it hard to resist such a gaze; he instinctively placed his hand on the back of Xu Nuan's neck, wanting to pull her a little closer.
Xu Nuan pressed her hand against Gu Ze's chest and shook her head.
"You’re not done yet."
Though her tone was quite plain, in the eyes of lovers, it was a form of coaxing. Gu Ze felt even more tempted and hurried to finish what he had to say.
"The possibility is quite high, but we can't rule out other possibilities. Chi Xiaoming didn’t find anything on An Insurance before entering the game, and his impression of An Chengxuan is only superficial; we can't be sure about that. It's also unclear whether An Chengxuan, the young master, participated in the game design investment."
Once Gu Ze finished speaking, he sought a reward. Xu Nuan continued to push him away, frowning as she asked.
"Have you told Xu Hang about this? I don't know if it's just my imagination, but Xu Hang seems even quieter than before. He hasn't interacted much with those around him and has communicated less with you too; it's all been very formulaic inquiries."
It was through this conversation that Xu Nuan recalled Xu Hang's behavior over the past few days. Most of her attention had been on Gu Ze, causing her to overlook many people around her, like He Min and Alliance Xu Hang. Moreover, since Xu Hang had fought with Gu Ze earlier, and Xu Nuan vaguely felt that it was because of her, she felt even more guilty.
"What are you thinking about now?"
Not receiving a reward, Gu Ze playfully flicked Xu Nuan's forehead and then explained further.
"I can be with him, but I’m not sure how he feels about me. I just need to know what you think."
"Be serious!"
Xu Nuan had become much more composed regarding Gu Ze's sweet words at any time and place. After lightly elbowing him, she shared her thoughts.
"Based on his recent behavior, his feelings should be similar to mine. If he entered the game for that reason, he must feel uncomfortable and frustrated, which is completely normal."
Gu Ze shook his head again.
"Hang rarely gets frustrated; his abilities go far beyond what he shows."
Xu Nuan pouted and shot Gu Ze a glare.
"Then how do you explain Xu Hang's recent actions? He may seem taciturn, but he's actually quite sensitive and thoughtful. He must have thought about it too."
"You seem to know Hang quite well?"
Gu Ze suddenly smiled, but there was something dangerous about that smile.
Just as Xu Nuan was about to explain herself, she found her mouth blocked before she could react.
"Mm."
Xu Hang, labeled as 'reserved' by Xu Nuan, was currently locked in a silent stare with Chi Xiaoming.
They found themselves in a lush, dense jungle. The ancient trees grew thickly together, their branches and leaves sprawling chaotically, creating an impenetrable forest with no clear paths. Armed with axes and short knives, the two struggled to navigate through the underbrush for quite some time, their bodies scratched and bruised.
The reason they ended up on this path traced back to two hours earlier when they faced a choice between two routes. Which one to take became the dilemma. Both had played leadership roles in their previous teams and held their own opinions. One believed that the left path would have fewer wild beasts, while the other thought the right path would have fewer traps.
Being taciturn individuals, neither explained their reasoning for choosing a particular route. After a moment of silence, growing impatient with the passage of time, they decided to settle it with rock-paper-scissors. Xu Hang won the game and chose the right path. They walked for about half an hour before realizing there were no further paths ahead.
For the remaining hour and a half, they each tried to carve out a way forward on their own. Chi Xiaoming did not complain, nor did Xu Hang apologize for his choice; both were capable leaders who had once admired each other but now found themselves at an impasse.
Now, once again, two paths lay before them, forcing them into another stalemate.
Both could imagine how the other two groups made their decisions on routes or completed tasks. Xu Nuan trusted Gu Ze and wouldn’t mind his choices; He Min respected Yu Yu's decisions, while Xie Huai would never contradict Deng Yinyin. Those who were already couples or acted like couples would surely accomplish their tasks effectively.
Though both harbored these thoughts internally, they did not express them outwardly.
"Shall we settle this with rock-paper-scissors?"
Xu Hang suggested, eager not to waste any more time. Chi Xiaoming hesitated for a few seconds before agreeing. However, he lost again, leaving Xu Hang to make the decision once more, which led them directly to a spot just a few hundred meters away from a leopard's territory.
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