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墨書 Inktalez
"Where is Gu Ze?"
When Xu Nuan found the main group, the first thing she did was run up to Xu Hang and ask, completely oblivious to the other few people who were warily watching Liu Minghong, who was wrapped up tightly.
Xu Hang still wore a serious expression. After glancing over Liu Minghong, he pointed to a tree behind him, his voice devoid of much emotion.
"He is resting."
Xu Nuan paid no attention to these details and rushed toward the tree Xu Hang indicated. Ignoring the injury on her foot, her disheveled figure quickly rounded to the other side of the large tree, where she could see Gu Ze resting with his eyes closed. It had only been two days since they last met, but it felt like an eternity. The dark circles under Gu Ze's eyes were heavy, and the fatigue on his face was palpable. Even without seeing the wounds hidden beneath his clothes, Xu Nuan could sense the pain he had endured over the past few days.
Gu Ze looked extremely haggard with little color in his face. He, who usually had a keen sense of awareness, didn’t even notice someone approaching. This realization made Xu Nuan's heart ache even more. When she had been competing with Zhang Xiao, she believed she could hold on, but upon seeing Gu Ze and those familiar brows and eyes, all the emotions she had bottled up inside burst forth.
She sniffed and couldn’t help but smile.
I’m back.
No matter what, she had not gone back on her promise. Regardless of everything, she and Gu Ze had not experienced a life-and-death separation; that alone was already the best outcome.
While Xu Nuan was lost in her thoughts about Gu Ze, Deng Yinyin and the others expressed their suspicions about Liu Minghong's unexpected arrival.
Chi Xiaoming, He Min, and Fang Zheng knew Liu Minghong; however, they had been apart for too long and were unfamiliar with each other. They felt surprised and instinctively took a defensive stance, especially Deng Yinyin and Xie Huai. Among them, Xu Hang remained unusually calm. No one noticed that when his gaze met Liu Minghong's again, he subtly nodded with a hint of gratitude in his eyes before it vanished.
Liu Minghong was someone who was gloomy when silent but proud when he spoke. In their back-and-forth exchanges, he hadn’t gained any advantage. Especially when conversing with the quick-tongued and unrestrained Deng Yinyin, Liu Minghong felt quite frustrated and eventually just turned his head away in silence.
Hmph.
Deng Yinyin was provoked by this attitude and immediately exploded in anger; Xie Huai couldn’t stop her in time.
"What kind of attitude is that?"
With this remark, Deng Yinyin launched into a barrage of words.
Regardless of Liu Minghong's feelings, who had been forgotten in the introduction by Xu Nuan, Xu Nuan was so captivated by Gu Ze's appearance that it seemed she intended to embed him in her very eyes. However, the warm moment was fleeting, as Deng Yinyin's sharp voice roused Gu Ze from his deep slumber, which had been weighed down by fatigue and pain.
Gu Ze first frowned, then twitched his ears. Xu Nuan recognized this as his habit. It was only when she realized what was happening that she remembered to cover Gu Ze's ears. Unfortunately, she forgot that she had mobility issues; as she reached out, her body leaned forward and she stumbled just as Gu Ze opened his eyes.
When their gazes met, Gu Ze quickly caught Xu Nuan, effortlessly pulling her into his embrace. His gentle voice, laced with a smile, whispered in her ear.
"How many times has it been? Every time you see me, you throw yourself into my arms?"
In this billion-dollar Life-and-Death Game, where slaughter was driven by darkness and hearts wore masks, time passed relentlessly. Despite the changing years, they both cherished each other; their continuous reunions were a great fortune in life.
Their current situation remained dire, with more lurking in the shadows. In a place where information was scarce and they were at a disadvantage from the start, it was difficult to close the gap all at once. Yet they were content individuals who found immense joy in being able to rely on each other and walk hand in hand. They bravely moved forward, using their own wits to navigate around those with ulterior motives. Even when companions fell and friends betrayed them, they still found love and friendship. This was a cruel yet enchanting world; they were both part of it, deeply entrenched and unable to escape.
"When the princess takes the initiative, the prince simply needs to accept it."
Xu Nuan rarely spoke such childish words, and any resentment she felt towards Gu Ze for being awakened by Deng Yinyin dissipated entirely.
As she spoke these words, her expression softened into a gentle smile—one that reflected the trials of life she had endured. No longer the bright-eyed girl who entered the game with indifference, she had transformed through love and loss. One person's downfall led to another's rise; emotions held such power that they changed her life significantly.
Gu Ze smiled back at her. He could be domineering and ruthless or cold-hearted and indifferent; he could wear a facade of gentility or be as gentle as water. Yet all that tenderness was reserved for just one person.
"You are the queen; I am your most loyal knight."
Gu Ze's words were even more affectionate than Xu Nuan's, but neither of them seemed aware of it. They were not people who enjoyed sweet talk; however, when feelings ran deep, heartfelt words naturally flowed from their lips.
Fortunately, the voices of the two were not loud, and the attention of the others was drawn to Liu Minghong, who was sometimes dull and sometimes proud, leaving no one to mock the couple showing their affection.
As their feelings had just begun to ferment, it was time for them to discuss serious matters. After all, this separation was entirely part of their plan, and the current developments were still within expectations. Xu Nuan had succeeded halfway; now it depended on Gu Ze's actions.
"Feng Feng is dead."
Meeting Xu Nuan's worried gaze, Gu Ze spoke first.
"He exploded, the reason is unknown. That person certainly left a good hand behind."
A fleeting sadness crossed Gu Ze's eyes, like ripples on a lake that could easily be missed if one wasn't paying attention.
"It's not your fault."
Xu Nuan maintained her position in Gu Ze's embrace, placing her hand on his and gently patting it.
Feng Feng was a person with strong opinions. At a time when the designers of this game were falling apart, he made his own rational choice; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to devise plans for constant betrayal. Xu Nuan understood that Gu Ze greatly admired such individuals. Moreover, Feng Feng had developed an antidote for Xu Nuan. As far as she could tell, the antidote had posed no problems, and she felt grateful while also regretting the misunderstandings from before. She knew that many of Gu Ze's actions had already compensated for that misunderstanding. Death was simply the path Feng Feng chose. For him, what mattered most was family; as long as they were safe and secure, he need not worry about life.
"This," however, reminded Xu Nuan of something. She turned to Liu Minghong, who was still being questioned by everyone but had not been directly attacked because he had returned with Xu Nuan. "If Zhang Xiao tells me about that person, Zhang Xiao will also explode."
Gu Ze's pupils contracted for a moment as thoughts raced through his mind. In just a few seconds, understanding and a hint of regret surfaced in his eyes.
"I see now; he died because of that matter."
"What matter?"
Xu Nuan asked curiously.
“Feng Feng received two hints; not only was he unable to uncover any information about that person, but he also could not conduct a detailed investigation into the background of the designer who entered the game.”
Xu Nuan widened her eyes, momentarily speechless.
It wasn't the content of the message that surprised her, but rather the person delivering it.
Someone had informed Xu Nuan about what she wanted to know even before Gu Ze did, and it was someone she thought would never speak up.
She maintained a somewhat dazed expression as she looked at Chi Xiaoming, blinking her eyes, unable to say anything.
This silence stretched beyond ten seconds, prompting Gu Ze to jealously turn Xu Nuan's head back towards him, playfully pinching her nose.
“Don’t look.”
Gu Ze lowered his voice slightly.
This wasn’t entirely in line with his usual style of behavior, yet he was clearly the one leading this display of affection.
Chi Xiaoming’s expression remained unchanged, but there was an undercurrent in his eyes that Xu Nuan was unaware of, though Gu Ze understood perfectly. Xu Nuan remained in a daze until she finally snapped back to reality and forced a laugh to cover her confusion.
“What does it mean that we can’t investigate the designer’s background in detail?”
Xu Nuan obediently looked at Gu Ze, blinking her eyes.
At present, among the First Batch of Players, only An Liran remained. They had confirmed from multiple sources that An Liran was indeed associated with Shian Insurance, someone comparable to Chi Ming, and could absolutely not be Another Founder.
Even after discovering the true identity of Liu Minghong, who had specifically sought them out, they had a fleeting moment where they thought Another Founder might be hidden among the Second Batch Players or even lurking in the shadows without being accounted for by the game.
Reality has a way of slapping you in the face. Chi Xiaoming, who had prepared thoroughly to enter the game, was well aware of the general backgrounds of the few remaining Second Batch Players. They were clear and without loopholes.
"Among those designers, there must be one with a problem."
Gu Ze stated this with certainty. Chi Xiaoming fell silent. He seemed to be there to answer Xu Nuan's questions, but in reality, he was avoiding the noisy Deng Yinyin. However, he did not expect to witness a scene of public affection, which sparked a sense of frustration and drew his attention, prompting him to speak up.
"Either one of them faked their death, or," Chi Xiaoming's gaze sharpened in that moment, a faint killing intent spilling forth and spreading across his face. When it reached the corners of his lips, it transformed into a cold arc, "or someone used suggestion to swap identities with one of the Second Batch Players."
"Swap identities?"
Xu Nuan's attention was drawn in. At first, she felt a bit confused by the term, but recalling the previous discussion about Feng Feng and Zhang Xiao being subjected to suggestions, she began to consider the technical support that could enable such a possibility.
Since Another Founder could make non-key designers forget who they were and could use high technology and suggestion to prevent some designers from providing relevant trigger words, then it was indeed possible for everyone to believe that someone from the Second Batch Players was actually a designer among the First Batch of Players.
As this possibility dawned on her, Xu Nuan's expression darkened slightly.
"It’s very likely that one of the Second Batch Players is already dead, and we are mistaking them for someone else."
This seemed contradictory to the idea that Another Founder could not be one of the Second Batch Players; however, if it became a reality, it would make the situation for Xu Nuan and her companions even more difficult.
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