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墨書 Inktalez
The jungle was even more treacherous after the rain. With too many trees and dense foliage, the ground was pockmarked with puddles that refused to evaporate.
Xu Nuan and Gu Ze navigated through the thicket, each step requiring utmost caution to avoid stepping into a hidden pit.
Meanwhile, the Blue River wound through the dense forest, swollen from the heavy rain. The water had turned a murky brown, making it difficult to look at, and many areas along the banks were already flooded, submerging several trees.
The forest had not been relieved of its oppressive heat by the heavy rain; the air remained humid and warm, causing irritation.
Although Xu Nuan despised this discomfort, it did not hinder her progress.
She felt somewhat drowsy today, perhaps due to the potency of the medicine she had taken; she had not fully recovered even after a night’s rest. The lingering effects left her body weak and fatigued but did not prevent her from walking.
Gu Ze was attentive to her condition, ready to carry her if she showed any signs of instability.
Ironically, this concern made Xu Nuan walk even more steadily.
If she were to be defeated by a mere drug, all her previous efforts would have been in vain. Still, she couldn’t shake off her worries. Upon waking that morning, she sensed something was troubling Gu Ze; his brow was furrowed more than usual, and his smile lacked its usual brightness. He was less talkative than he had been when they were alone together.
Considering Gu Ze's aversion to heat, she wondered if she was overthinking things. She silently prayed that they wouldn’t encounter any fierce beasts or traps that required fighting; placing all burdens on Gu Ze at such a time would be too dangerous. Even the strongest needed rest.
The two supported each other as they moved forward, occasionally needing to leap over pits or crawl under fallen trees. The previous night’s heavy rain and strong winds had toppled many trees, and lightning had sparked a fire they had seen from outside a cave. The blaze was far enough away that they could only see flames spreading but could not smell the smoke in the air.
Now, as they walked through the forest, the wind carried the scent of that fire—different from urban fires. The smell of a jungle fire mingled with that of wood, rainwater, and earth, lacking any hint of charred animal remains.
The scent of scorched earth did not disgust them; in fact, their chosen path led directly toward the burned area.
“Today is the fifth,” Xu Nuan said as she inhaled deeply, taking in the acrid air mixed with burnt soil. She sneezed from the sudden discomfort and rubbed her nose before continuing, “There shouldn’t be any major traps left in this stage; I estimate we’ll be able to leave in a couple of days.”
After a moment of silence, Gu Ze finally reacted, lifting his gaze to Xu Nuan and responding vaguely.
"Yeah, I suppose so."
It was clear he hadn’t really heard what she said. Xu Nuan wanted to confirm her earlier suspicion, so she moved a little closer to Gu Ze.
"Ze, are you feeling unwell? You’ve seemed off since yesterday."
In truth, she knew that Gu Ze had only started feeling this way today. Now it was up to him to respond.
"Ah, I'm okay," Gu Ze said, raising a hand to wipe his forehead. "Just not quite used to the air here."
After that, he returned to his previous distracted state, making him seem like a completely different person from his usual self.
Xu Nuan furrowed her brows for a moment before quickly relaxing them. Even if Gu Ze wasn’t the type to say such things, the fact that he didn’t notice the trap in her words was enough to prove something was wrong with him.
Xu Nuan didn’t press him further but noted this point while recalling what had happened last night and observing her surroundings. Nothing happens without reason; there must be a cause for every effect, and she must have overlooked something.
As she reminisced, a sharp pain suddenly jolted through her nerves, fleeting and quick enough that she barely had time to frown. She didn’t voice this odd sensation in time.
It was rare for Xu Nuan to be so focused when Gu Ze was around. With her newfound seriousness, she became much more perceptive than when she had been dazed before. About half an hour later, Xu Nuan suddenly grabbed Gu Ze and shook her head at him.
"Nuan, what’s wrong?"
Gu Ze looked puzzled. From Xu Nuan's angle, she could see the dark circles under his eyes and the faint blood vessels that were only visible upon closer inspection.
She hadn't rested well last night; something must have happened during the brief moments when she fell asleep and he left. At that time, her consciousness was so hazy that she didn't notice anyone else's presence outside the cave.
Now, she could only assume that Gu Ze hadn't rested well either, which affected his observation skills.
"Someone is following us."
Xu Nuan suppressed her thoughts and spoke softly.
Her gaze was fixed intently on Gu Ze's face, missing no changes. The sudden contraction of his pupils surprised her, and his next words left her puzzled.
"Nuan, didn't you say not to overthink things these past few days? With me around, there won't be any danger."
Gu Ze wasn't afraid of the presence lurking in the shadows; he must have known about it all along. Indeed, the unintended gaze she had just sensed carried no malice, and even felt somewhat familiar. It seemed that not long ago, when she was in a daze, that person had also been watching her.
"Why?"
Xu Nuan tilted her head slightly to look at Gu Ze, not fully articulating her words. Sometimes vague statements were more convenient for probing someone's thoughts, even though she was reluctant to test Gu Ze. She simply didn't want to see him bearing all the burdens alone; she didn't want to regret it after something had happened.
Gu Ze's gaze flickered away for a moment, causing Xu Nuan's expression to stiffen. Just when she wanted to press for more information, that familiar sting returned, making her involuntarily let out a soft groan, causing her to miss the best opportunity to ask. If she truly wanted to pursue the matter, Gu Ze would definitely not hide anything from her.
"Nuan, don't overthink it; I mean no harm."
Xu Nuan's sudden collapse startled Gu Ze. In an instant, he transformed from a composed strategist into a flustered man. Always wanting Xu Nuan to recover and feel safe, he often inadvertently pushed her into a bad emotional state. He didn't think Xu Nuan mistrusted him; he just hated himself for not noticing her distress sooner, leading to a situation where it was too late for him to take effective measures.
"I'm fine! Put me down!"
As Xu Nuan fell down when she wanted to confront, she felt a mix of shame and anger. However, lying on Gu Ze's back, she didn't have much strength to struggle and was carried away from the damp area by him.
They arrived at a higher ground, surrounded by lush trees on both sides, with a cliff looming behind the forest. The slope was dotted with trees of varying heights, making it impossible for them to gauge the height of the cliff. The ground near the cliff was slippery; if one were to step wrong and fall, even if they didn't plummet to the bottom, they could still get hurt by the low bushes along the way.
"Don't get too close!"
Realizing they were in such a precarious position, Xu Nuan stopped worrying about their current situation. Even her earlier doubts about Gu Ze's momentary distraction faded from her mind.
Gu Ze wouldn't harm her; he wanted to walk into the future with her. Believing firmly in these two points, Xu Nuan was convinced that Gu Ze wouldn't risk himself or her. So, as she found herself becoming a burden again, she decided not to complicate things further. The unresolved mysteries would eventually reveal themselves; there was no need for her to rush.
However, what she didn't know was the consequences of her patience would lead to regrets that haunted her whenever she thought back on it, despite the fact that regret was something she despised.
"We won't fall if we stay close."
To ease the awkward atmosphere between them, Gu Ze deliberately walked toward the left edge of the cliff while carrying Xu Nuan. As she tugged at his ear and hair in protest, he finally moved to the center of the path.
Xu Nuan sighed in relief but then stubbornly pulled at Gu Ze's hair again.
"Is this fun? Let’s do it again."
Gu Ze chuckled softly and turned toward the right edge of the cliff with Xu Nuan still on his back. Just as they reached the cliff's edge, they spotted an unexpected guest lying against the slope wall.
Xu Nuan didn’t recognize the man at first but noticed immediately how tall he was. However, when she saw him dressed in earthy yellow clothing, something felt off.
Along with his suddenly fierce gaze came the dark muzzle of a gun. In that instant, Xu Nuan realized who this man was.
He Jun, who obtained Ning Han's gun through unknown means, was one of those sent to kill her.
Gu Ze reacted much faster than Xu Nuan. By the time she realized this person's identity and He Jun revealed the firearm, Gu Ze had already turned around and was running away with Xu Nuan on his back.
As Xu Nuan glanced back in a hurry, she only saw a bullet flying straight up; she didn't hear any sound.
"Ze, put me down quickly!"
Coincidentally, at that moment, Xu Nuan and Gu Ze had entered a narrow path flanked by numerous trees on the Cliff. The area ahead and behind them was relatively open, and the trees on either side were too sparse to provide proper cover; they would be found quickly if they ran into them.
That person had deliberately ambushed them there; he had been tracking them for some time, and Xu Nuan suddenly realized this.
This realization came too late, filling Xu Nuan with guilt. Still under the effects of the drug, she felt like a burden to Gu Ze. If she stayed behind as a target, Gu Ze would surely be able to escape given his abilities. Moreover, He Jun's original target was her; Gu Ze was merely caught in the crossfire.
"Hold on tight; we're going that way!"
Gu Ze completely ignored Xu Nuan's words and turned into a more concealed path. There were no footsteps behind them, but they could hear the sound of branches rustling against each other from the direction of the Cliff.
He Jun was more cunning than they had imagined.
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