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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 451: The Setup of Xu Hang
Victory and defeat can change in an instant.
Just as Xu Nuan struggled to suppress her resentment, Xu Hang and Chi Xiaoming had already subdued An Liran. Up until now, no one had come to help An Liran, who was clearly at a disadvantage.
In other words, that person's subordinates were also dwindling, and to that person, An Liran had become a pawn to be discarded.
Emotions churned within Xu Nuan's eyes, ultimately settling heavily on the disheveled figure of An Liran.
The man, who appeared quite handsome, now wore an expression of unwillingness and despair. He was acutely aware of his current predicament and understood the fate that awaited him.
"Chip, I need the chip!"
At this moment, An Liran lay on the ground, his back pinned by Xu Hang's foot while Chi Xiaoming threatened him with a dagger at his neck. He continued to struggle, his bloodied hand reaching out toward Xu Nuan.
A few drops of blood fell from his hand, staining the earth red. The wounds on his hand were deep enough to expose bone, yet he paid them no mind.
"This is the last chance."
An Liran murmured, regardless of who was around him.
Xu Nuan finally realized that An Liran was not loyal to that person; rather, he understood that this chip would be his only opportunity for survival. If successful, he might gain a slim chance to outsmart and outmaneuver that person. If he failed, death would be all that awaited him.
"How pitiful."
Xu Nuan smirked, not sure whether it was a comment on the struggling An Liran before them or a jab at everyone who had entered the game.
"What do we do now?"
Chi Xiaoming paid no attention to An Liran's cries for help; instead, he cast a curious glance at Xu Hang, who was glaring at An Liran with deep-seated hatred, before turning back to Xu Nuan.
Without a doubt, throughout this series of actions, Xu Nuan's intelligence had been fully displayed, and he had to suppress his unusual feelings as they continued down this remaining path.
"Wait."
Xu Nuan simply uttered one word.
They needed to wait for Gu Ze to join them, and they needed to wait for the one who no longer held any trump cards to come knocking.
With the chip in hand and An Liran—who presumably knew part of the truth—captured, their odds of winning had increased somewhat.
Chi Xiaoming had no objections. Xu Hang silently dragged An Liran aside, while Deng Yinyin, who was tending to Liu Minghong, peeked out to check on the situation. Everything temporarily returned to calm, giving everyone a moment to catch their breath.
In this brief respite, there were still many issues that needed addressing.
The traps they had set earlier were all rendered ineffective. Although they had successfully dealt with Yu Le Yu and Melolo and captured An Liran, they were still in a precarious situation. Xu Nuan felt troubled by this and began brainstorming solutions with Chi Xiaoming.
Liu Minghong's condition was worsening, leaving everyone feeling helpless.
Deng Yinyin was more curious about Xu Hang's animosity toward An Liran. She intended to approach him for answers but halted when she caught Xu Hang's glare, which held a hint of pain. Startled, she stopped in her tracks.
Realizing that the answers lay with An Liran, Deng Yinyin decided to be patient. She waited until An Liran regained composure and coldly regarded everyone before she moved closer, intending to inquire about something.
She hadn't even spoken yet when An Liran looked at her with a cold sneer.
"Hmph, you actually hang out with Xu Hang. What, didn't your cousin Lan Ling tell you?"
Deng Yinyin was bewildered; she didn't know someone as dangerous as An Liran, but she couldn't be sure about Lan Ling. Speaking of which, her cousin seemed to have had a boyfriend before, who also had the surname An.
"What is your relationship with An Chengxuan?"
She suddenly recalled that An Chengxuan came from a very wealthy family, but at that time, she was too busy being jealous of her cousin to find out what the An family did.
"He is my cousin. You didn't even know that?"
Clearly under someone else's control, An Liran's composure returned, and his imposing aura emerged. However, the only one stunned by it was Deng Yinyin, who still couldn't grasp the situation.
A thought flashed through Deng Yinyin's mind so quickly that she barely caught it. She glanced again at Xu Hang, who was staring intently at An Liran, and her confusion deepened.
"Hey, what did you mean by that? What do you mean I shouldn't be with Xu Hang? He is going to be my brother-in-law; why shouldn't I be by his side?"
When Deng Yinyin said this, she didn't notice the pain that flickered in Xu Hang's eyes again. However, her loud voice attracted the attention of Xu Nuan and Chi Xiaoming.
A hint of coldness passed through An Liran's eyes, but he deliberately spoke in a tone that seemed overly dramatic for his status as he revealed to Deng Yinyin.
"Lan Ling is with my cousin now, and someone has become an eyesore. There's no choice; I can only bring someone into this game."
Deng Yinyin was momentarily speechless, her expression blank.
Hearing this, Xu Nuan was shocked. She had heard from Gu Ze that Xu Hang and Lan Ling were still in a romantic relationship. Moreover, Xu Hang's attentive care for Deng Yinyin in the game was due to Lan Ling. If what An Liran said was true, then Lan Ling had cheated and even used An Insurance's position in this game to set up Xu Hang, wanting him to disappear without a trace.
Is such a malicious thought even possible?
Xu Nuan was unwilling to believe it. If this were true, the blow to Xu Hang would be nothing short of devastating. Yet when she looked at Xu Hang again, all she saw was the unmasked pain etched on his face.
The strange behavior of Xu Hang after returning from Friendship Forest flashed before her eyes. Xu Nuan understood that this was indeed true, and Xu Hang had known it even before he left the game.
All the anomalies now had a reasonable explanation, but Xu Nuan found herself at a loss for words.
According to her observations, Tang Jingshu entered the game because her boyfriend's mother disapproved of her. Gu Ze was lured into the game by his father’s schemes, intending to destroy it. And now, Xu Hang had entered the game due to being manipulated by his girlfriend.
Each case was chilling. She suddenly dared to ponder the reasons behind Xie Huai and Deng Yinyin being drawn into the game; that truth might be even harder to accept.
"Xu... Xu Hang," when Deng Yinyin finally regained her composure, she stared blankly at Xu Hang, unable to believe it. "Is what he said true?"
Xu Hang responded with silence, his expression betraying his true feelings.
In that moment, Deng Yinyin broke down.
Recalling her behavior in the game, she realized how often she had taken advantage of Xu Hang's affection for her cousin, acting recklessly and arrogantly. Now someone was telling her that none of this should have been hers to claim; how could she accept that?
She wasn't foolish; memories of Xu Hang's cold attitude toward her began to surface, making her understand that he had known the truth long before. It was also at this moment that she recognized even after learning the truth and growing distant from her, Xu Hang still came to her aid when she was in danger.
Was it because he still liked Lan Ling? Or was it because they were companions and colleagues? Otherwise, why would someone who had been betrayed still care for her so much?
Deng Yinyin found it hard to articulate her feelings. As she looked around in confusion, searching for someone to confide in, she noticed An Liran making faces at her.
As night fell, Xu Nuan and the others went to sleep. Taking advantage of their distraction, Deng Yinyin quietly got up and stealthily made her way over to An Liran.
An Liran was gravely injured, but everyone was still on edge. Not only were his hands and feet bound, but he was also tied to a tree, and they had even administered anesthetics.
At this critical moment, everything required utmost caution.
"Hey, wake up."
Deng Yinyin reached out, intending to shake An Liran awake. Before her hand could even touch him, An Liran suddenly opened his eyes wide, a cold glint flashing in them, causing Deng Yinyin to stumble back.
However, upon realizing it was Deng Yinyin before him, An Liran managed to force a smile onto his face.
"If you're here, then hurry up and untie me!"
Though he smiled, his tone was filled with an air of entitlement.
"What did you say?"
Deng Yinyin frowned deeply, her expression darkening, but she heard An Liran continue speaking.
"What? Didn't you come here because you received my hint and plan to cooperate with me?"
An Liran's tone grew increasingly arrogant, the smile fading completely from his face.
"That woman Lan Ling only thinks marrying a rich man is better now that she's of age. Otherwise, how could she have gotten back together with my brother? As for money, we An Insurance have plenty. Just tell me how much you want if you cooperate with me in the game."
Deng Yinyin's frown deepened further. An Liran thought she was pleased with his offer and was about to add more incentives when he suddenly saw Deng Yinyin draw a dagger and approach him menacingly.
"What... what are you going to do?"
An Liran felt utterly powerless; if Deng Yinyin intended to do something, he had no strength to resist.
"I was forced into the game at first," Deng Yinyin said seriously, not noticing the panic flashing in An Liran's eyes. "I admit, later on, it was also for the money."
As she spoke, her eyes reddened. She averted her gaze for a moment before continuing.
"But then I realized that some things cannot be measured by money."
Deng Yinyin found herself unable to continue. She was too weary to bare her soul to an enemy at that moment. Instead, she drew her knife and approached An Liran menacingly.
An Liran felt fear grip him and hurriedly tried to block her path.
"You can't kill me! I'm still useful!"
Almost all Designers spoke of 'usefulness' and 'value,' terms that Deng Yinyin despised. Yet, she explained herself anyway, providing a rationale for her actions.
"Hmph, I asked Xu Nuan about this. You've been given a suggestion too; whenever you mention that person, you’ll explode. You’ve lost your value long ago."
Seeing An Liran's face change dramatically brought Deng Yinyin a sense of satisfaction. She swung the knife without hesitation, inflicting more wounds on him.
She was merely speaking out of frustration; she had no intention of actually killing An Liran. However, recalling Xu Hang's pained expression made her heart ache, and she could only transfer that discomfort onto An Liran.
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