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墨書 Inktalez
"Ha."
Gu Ze chuckled lightly, his gaze drifting over the surrounding scenery for a moment before curling into a mocking smile.
"Do you think this little trick can fool me?"
His deep brown eyes held a commanding presence, and once his sharpness was unleashed, his entire demeanor became so fierce that it was almost unapproachable. In sync with Gu Ze's chilling gaze, the plants around him trembled in the passing breeze.
When Gu Ze withdrew his gaze and let it fall upon the aged face of Xu Nuan, his expression softened like a blooming flower, filled with scattered affection.
Taking a step forward, Gu Ze reached out to grasp the seemingly frail Xu Nuan, leaning down without hesitation to kiss her.
The person who set up this mechanism must have been quite bored; if it was meant to fit the theme of Love Forest in this Survival Game, they were underestimating him.
As Gu Ze deepened the kiss, he thought that he had never truly seen Xu Nuan's face. As an ordinary man, he could appreciate a woman's beauty, but his admiration stopped there—he had no other intentions. Just as he learned from his friend, what captivated him and made him fall deeply in love was the soul residing within the woman named Xu Nuan. Whether it was the lively and bright Xu Nuan of years past or the strong and composed Xu Nuan of today, whether it was her initially charming smile or her often disheveled appearance in the game, he loved that soul and thus loved everything about Xu Nuan. This love was unrelated to looks or family background; it was a pure affection that remained after stripping away all other worldly factors. Such love seemed genuine yet was undeniably real; it became his final refuge after many ups and downs.
The more brutal this game became, the purer their feelings for each other grew—pure as the most transparent and dazzling crystal, precious enough to make one reluctant to let go.
As Gu Ze further deprived Xu Nuan of oxygen, he watched as her expression gradually returned to normal until she transformed back into the familiar Xu Nuan he knew. At that moment, Xu Nuan's eyes were misty, her gaze slightly dazed; her breathing became labored, causing a rosy hue to bloom on her cheeks. This made Gu Ze yearn for her even more and reluctant to release her. Noticing the panic and confusion in her eyes, he gently loosened his grip and rubbed her back to help her breathe easier.
Having never truly possessed it before, when he finally obtained it after going through a series of events, he expressed his feelings straightforwardly. The feelings that could be voiced were the simplest; those buried deep within would remain unspoken. What he truly desired—the love that remained unexpressed—would blend into their daily lives like a gentle stream nourishing Xu Nuan's heart. He wanted to revive that nearly desolate heart and move in openly, never to leave again. For this, he would pay any price.
"Ze?"
After taking several deep breaths, Xu Nuan opened her misty eyes to look at Gu Ze. Realizing that the person before her was indeed the Gu Ze she had longed for, tears suddenly welled up in her eyes as she leaped forward to wrap her arms around his neck.
"Is it really you, Ze?"
"Are you still here?"
"This isn't just my imagination, right?"
Xu Nuan had always experienced gaining and losing; such heart-wrenching pain had become a tormenting demon that haunted her night after night, making her extremely sensitive about these matters and constantly fearful. Yet she never voiced it nor dared to openly show her attachment to Gu Ze. It wasn't that she didn't love him or didn't trust him; rather, she feared that holding onto Gu Ze too tightly would only push him closer to danger. Her true worries remained unspoken, and Gu Ze had never mentioned them in front of her. She didn't dare to clarify his thoughts on this matter but understood his consideration well enough not to bring it up.
She had been constantly battling with herself in her heart. Gu Ze was by her side, yet she was terrified of his departure. The intertwining emotions were one of the reasons her mental state had been so fragile. Just moments ago, during that incident, she thought Gu Ze was leaving, or perhaps she believed his fate would be that way. At that moment, a wave of immense unease erupted within her; the nightmare of losing Gu Ze swept over her, instantly shattering her fragile heart, making it difficult to piece back together.
"I'm so scared!"
Xu Nuan tightly hugged Gu Ze, not allowing him to see her expression. Yet her words revealed a deep sense of anxiety, her voice delicate like the sound of dew dropping from leaves in the morning, each sound causing it to slip away and vanish into the earth.
"Ze, you won't leave me, right?"
Xu Nuan tugged at Gu Ze's shirt and looked up at him. Her eyes were red but no tears fell; instead, they held his image and a profound panic. She felt like a frightened rabbit instinctively seeking comfort in Gu Ze, as if he were her entire world.
"I will never leave you."
Gu Ze replied solemnly, pulling Xu Nuan closer and gently patting her back to soothe her emotions.
From Xu Nuan's fragmented words, Gu Ze understood that what she had seen was far more than just him growing old. However, he could guess some of it. According to the design of this Survival Game, men seemed to be enamored with women's beauty, using a woman's aging to strike at a man's heart. Conversely, women appeared to lack security and used a man's departure to wound them. It seemed that the designer of this Survival Game was merely an ordinary person. With so many people in the world, love took countless forms that could not be neatly categorized. To simply use such tricks to sow discord between couples only proved how naive the designer's thoughts were.
Yet Gu Ze's gaze darkened slightly; a cold light flickered in his eyes. But when his gaze landed on Xu Nuan, it softened with pity.
In his mind, Xu Nuan was definitely not this fragile. While being able to lean on someone was comforting and something he desired, there were too many malicious individuals in this game. In this realm where he felt out of his depth, no matter how many precautions he took, there would always be loopholes. When that time came, Xu Nuan would have to rely on herself. He wanted to protect Xu Nuan at all times but did not want her to become incapable of facing difficulties because of it. He also knew that Xu Nuan would never be content to remain someone who needed protection. They had both expressed their desire to grow together and be capable enough to shoulder each other's lives; life was too heavy and their abilities too limited.
He understood why Xu Nuan had become so mentally unwell and emotionally volatile. Initially planning for a gradual approach to their plans, given Xu Nuan's current state, some matters could no longer be delayed. Even if it meant paying a higher price, he hoped Xu Nuan could endure less torment; this Love Forest should mark the end of certain events.
Leaning against Gu Ze, Xu Nuan did not notice the determination in his eyes at that moment or the cold light that seemed laced with poison.
Once Xu Nuan calmed down her emotions, she finally had the presence of mind to ask Gu Ze what had happened—one moment there was bloodshed, and the next moment there was Gu Ze; such drastic changes were indeed not an illusion.
As she asked, Xu Nuan's gaze flickered away, unable to meet Gu Ze's eyes directly. When she wasn't with him, she had grown accustomed to handling everything alone; sometimes she even admired her own resilience. Even when accepting help from several people in the game initially, she maintained a proper distance and never easily exposed her vulnerabilities. This remained true for some time after being with Gu Ze as well. However, she didn't know when it started that she became more emotional; without Gu Ze in sight, she would feel uneasy and gradually found it difficult to think calmly when faced with certain situations—wondering instead how Gu Ze would handle things if he were there.
Just like earlier when Xu Nuan was surprised by how directly she expressed her worries and fears; thoughts that should have remained hidden in her heart came out boldly. This change made her feel somewhat uncomfortable and awkward, causing her not to look directly at Gu Ze. Yet she understood that even if she looked at him now, she could imagine what expression he would wear. This was also a kind of tenderness unique to Gu Ze, reminiscent of their first encounter in this game.
"It seems they combined projection technology with other techniques."
Gu Ze looked at Xu Nuan with a slight smile at the corners of his lips, just as Xu Nuan had hoped, being considerate enough not to bring up the matter. He then pointed to the flowers and trees around them.
"I don't quite understand the specifics, but it shouldn't be an illusion. It's just a technique that allows you to see the changes happening to me, which in turn creates some psychological pressure on you."
Gu Ze spoke in a calm tone, mixed with a hint of tenderness, and finally raised his hand to make Xu Nuan meet his gaze.
"So, Nuan, what you see will absolutely not happen. I will always be by your side."
Xu Nuan tilted her head slightly, watching the last rays of sunlight of the day sweep across Gu Ze's face, leaving a faint shadow but not taking away any of his deep affection.
"I believe you."
Xu Nuan responded earnestly, each word deliberate.
At that moment, as dusk settled in and a gentle breeze passed by, the surrounding flowers and grass seemed to quiet down, no longer daring to be unruly. The atmosphere rose to a perfect height, creating a warm scene. Just then, Gu Ze felt a desire to reward her, but before he could act on it, Xu Nuan asked a question that dampened the mood.
"So, because of this amazing technique, what did you see that made you act like that?"
At that time, Xu Nuan was engulfed in terror and wanted to run away. However, it was Gu Ze—who was not really Gu Ze—who held her tightly and kissed her deeply. When she finally gasped for air and realized Gu Ze had returned to her side, the initial joy of having him back turned into a reckoning.
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