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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 453: You Have Arrived
How to choose?
Xu Nuan had yet to recover from her shock when she was faced with this choice. Chi Xiaoming seemed to be saying something in her ear, but she couldn't quite hear him. Xu Hang across from her appeared to be mouthing something as well, but she couldn't make it out.
Wasn't her choice already obvious? Zhao Xi had laid out all the pros and cons of the options before her; what more could she choose?
With Zhao Xi's arrival, Cen Jin and the others gained some confidence. Although the three of them still felt apprehensive in front of Zhao Xi, at least they would no longer be intimidated by Xu Nuan. They were also unreserved when dealing with Deng Yinyin and Xu Hang.
Moreover, there was still the unknown fate of Liu Minghong; time was not on their side.
"Xu Nuan?"
Chi Xiaoming lowered his voice and called out several times, growing anxious when he received no response from Xu Nuan.
But soon, Xu Nuan raised her hand to stop him.
"Deal!"
Xu Nuan spoke decisively, as if all her previous resentment had been retracted. Her sudden calmness startled Chi Xiaoming, making him feel that something was beyond his understanding.
For the first time in a long while, Xu Nuan looked directly at Zhao Xi. His brows and eyes appeared gentle yet carried an air of ruthlessness. Though there was a smile on his lips, it also hinted at bloodlust—contradictory traits befitting a genius, yet he was merely a cunning villain who resorted to underhanded tactics because he couldn't compete with Qin Yaojie.
"But you must let those four leave first before I give you the chip."
Xu Nuan knew she had to be wary of these cunning individuals.
As Chi Xiaoming stood beside Xu Nuan, he was about to voice a rebuttal when he noticed Xu Nuan gesturing with one hand behind her back. He didn't quite grasp the meaning of the gesture; he simply felt that something was amiss.
There had been too many oddities along the way, and the most recent one was Zhao Xi, who was clearly watching them from a short distance away. Why then did Cen Jin still blow the whistle?
It felt very wrong. It was only then that Chi Xiaoming began to understand a bit of Xu Nuan's intent. He felt a chill run down his spine, realizing this was the best course of action they had at the moment.
"Deal."
Zhao Xi responded readily, though no one could see the coldness and depth in his eyes.
What appeared to be a simple transaction was, in fact, a silent contest unfolding in the shadows.
Before Deng Yinyin and Xu Hang carried Liu Minghong away, they exchanged a deep glance with Xu Nuan, saying nothing—there was nothing to say.
Chi Xiaoming followed Xu Hang and the others as they left, but those who remained didn’t notice him quickly change direction after leaving their sight, heading toward the outskirts of the area to investigate.
Although Zhao Xi and his group held the upper hand with hostages in their possession, based on their long experience in confrontations, it was clear that Zhao Xi was someone who planned several steps ahead and set traps. Thus, even if the situation seemed favorable for him, he must have left himself an escape route.
It was at that moment that Chi Xiaoming realized they could utilize mechanisms; as the creator of this game, Zhao Xi could flexibly employ traps. Leaving Xu Nuan behind for the transaction while the other four departed meant breaking up their team and dealing with them separately to eliminate them all.
Thinking of this made Chi Xiaoming break out in a cold sweat. The only way to honor Xu Nuan's sacrifice was to swiftly dismantle Zhao Xi's scheme.
As he turned to leave, he prepared himself for the possibility that Xu Nuan might be subdued. Even now, having come to understand his feelings, he still clung to his value theory—he and Chi Xu Sheng were not so different after all.
Meanwhile, Xu Nuan remained where she was, watching Zhao Xi approach step by step. Her heart raced like a drumbeat, and she felt pain in her palm as she gripped the chip tightly.
Once she handed over the chip, her value would end; all that awaited her would be death.
Her worries for Gu Ze reached a peak as she fought against the urge to question Zhao Xi, striving not to alert him.
"You really have courage; no wonder you were chosen by Qin Yaojie."
Zhao Xi's words dripped with sarcasm.
Qin Yaojie had once loved Xu Nuan, but he had also plotted against her, dragging her into this deadly game without hesitation. Although he left many opportunities for escape, he ultimately pushed Xu Nuan's dream of a peaceful life into the abyss.
"You killed my parents."
Standing before her was the person who had repeatedly taken away those she held dear. Now that she finally knew the truth, her hatred ran deep, yet she lacked the strength to confront him.
"Is it too late to realize now?"
Zhao Xi stopped three meters away from Xu Nuan, even gracefully adopting a listening posture.
"You sent Chi Xiaoming to sabotage the traps I set. That was a clever move, but can he really do it alone?"
"I believe he can."
She believed in the hero she envisioned.
"I trust all my companions. As for you, you treacherous little man, humph!"
Xu Nuan displayed a look of disdain towards Zhao Xi. Upon noticing the flicker of emotion in his eyes, she began to understand his nature.
"The traps were set first; the agreement came afterward. They don't conflict."
Despite the turmoil within him, Zhao Xi maintained a smile—the same smile that had once bewildered Xu Nuan and her friends.
"As for what you just said, yes, I did send someone to kill your parents."
Zhao Xi's tone was incredibly relaxed, yet he did not acknowledge the fact that he had been hunting Xu Nuan. This nonchalant demeanor only fueled Xu Nuan's anger, her clenched fists trembling with the urge to strike the man before her.
"But the real culprit is Qin Yaojie. If he hadn't resisted me back then, if he had agreed to cooperate, I wouldn't have wanted to harm those close to him."
Zhao Xi wore a nostalgic expression, completely indifferent to Xu Nuan's feelings. This was the essence of his nature—he would not allow anyone to defy him, and this was the calculating Zhao Xi who had plotted against everyone.
"Honestly, I hesitated at first. Should I target his parents, or you, or perhaps your parents? However, I understood his character."
Zhao Xi took pleasure in Xu Nuan's expression of helpless rage, as if she wished she could kill him but found herself powerless.
"Only by hurting the loved ones of those he cherishes would he gamble everything and truly become my enemy. At that point, I would not only have a legitimate reason to deal with him but also know the ultimate fate of all secrets. As it turns out, I won."
"Hmph."
Xu Nuan scoffed coldly and then unhesitatingly threw the chip in her hand away, sending it flying into a patch of thorns.
Zhao Xi's expression changed drastically as he slowly savored his victory.
"Catch her! Don't worry about whether she lives or dies!"
See? She knew she was dealing with a petty man.
As Zhao Xi finished speaking, he dashed toward the thorny area, while Cen Jin hurried over to assist him, his demeanor obsequious.
Meanwhile, Xue Dingping and Lei Lei approached Xu Nuan with malicious intent.
"You can't escape!"
Xu Nuan's actions surprised them; they saw it as a desperate struggle. In their impatience, they planned to teach Xu Nuan a bloody lesson, completely unaware that she had no intention of running away.
Several individuals were clearly sabotaging the mechanisms set by Zhao Xi. To buy them some time, Xu Nuan had to engage in a prolonged struggle here. However, if it came down to skill without discussing powerful weapons, she still had faith in her own abilities.
Every second she could buy was valuable, and with this thought in mind, Xu Nuan fought against the group in the vast Forest.
Inevitably, she was defeated, a fact she had foreseen long before.
Yet before her defeat, she managed to land a vicious blow on Lei Lei and nearly incapacitated Xue Dingping.
As she exhausted her last ounce of strength and found herself threatened by two individuals wielding short knives, Xu Nuan revealed a calm smile.
"You finally arrived."
The once-satisfied expressions of Xue Dingping and Lei Lei changed dramatically as they turned to look behind them. In that instant, their heads fell to the ground, leaving them unable to see anything further.
Blood splattered across Xu Nuan, draping her like a wedding gown.
"I'm sorry I'm late."
Gu Ze lifted the nearly unconscious Xu Nuan and placed her in a safe position before coldly gazing at Zhao Xi, who turned around with a smile while holding a chip. Cen Jin shuddered at the horrific scene on the ground, instinctively moving backward, showing signs of wanting to flee.
"You’re still alive?"
Clearly, Zhao Xi was displeased with Gu Ze's dramatic survival. He expressed surprise but showed no panic, which made Xu Nuan want to rise and stand beside Gu Ze.
Who would win remained uncertain; it was difficult to judge who had held back their hand.
Xu Nuan dared not speculate further. The situation had reached this point, and all she wanted was to face the impending conclusion alongside Gu Ze.
"If I were dead, I wouldn't get to witness the final game you set up before your demise."
Xu Nuan couldn't stand up, even though she genuinely wanted to walk over to Gu Ze. This time, her body had truly reached its limit, and there was no possibility of pushing through it anymore.
What she knew was that she didn't need to push through; Gu Ze would definitely protect her.
Upon hearing Gu Ze's words, Zhao Xi's eternally unchanged expression finally showed some fluctuation. He squinted his eyes and quickly scanned the surroundings. When he realized that Forest had not made the move he had anticipated, he let out an "oh," but his tone was somewhat meaningful.
"So you let Xu Nuan get hurt just to sabotage the trap I set. Although you're clever and can barely be considered a genius, Zhao Xi's eyes suddenly flashed with a fierce light. "You're no different from Qin Yaojie, sacrificing a woman to achieve your own goals. You'll lose too."
Zhao Xi suddenly displayed a particularly confident expression, with a red light flashing in his eyes. Xu Nuan noticed this detail and suddenly recalled seeing Zhang Xiao exhibit a similar expression before; at that time, a red light had also appeared in Zhang Xiao's eyes.
Drugs, explosives, suggestions.
A series of words bounced around in Xu Nuan's mind.
"Ze, be careful of him!"
Xu Nuan dared not say anything reckless, as that would only play into Zhao Xi's hands.
Just as her words fell, Gu Ze had already rushed forward and engaged Zhao Xi in combat.
She understood that it would definitely not be a simple fight.
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