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墨書 Inktalez
Xu Nuan found herself once again surrounded by a sea of flowers.
Vast fields of vibrant red Flower Tobacco.
It was still in that Jiangnan Town, where the Flower Tobacco bloomed on the hillside behind the high school. Layer upon layer, delicate flower branches swayed gently in the breeze, and beneath the crimson waves stood a tall boy.
His brown eyes sparkled with warmth, and when his gaze fell upon the cheerful girl running toward him, his eyes burst forth like brilliant fireworks, even more dazzling than the nearby Flower Tobacco.
"Yaojie, I've made new friends! The people in my class are really easy to get along with. I'm so glad to be at this school."
"Hmm? Is that the only reason you feel good?"
"...Don't speak in that strange tone, dear senior."
"Repeat that without the last two words."
"No way!"
"Haha, stop tickling me, it’s so itchy! I’m sorry, I’m sorry!"
Laughter echoed across the hillside, accompanied by sunshine, green grass, and the boy she liked—wearing the white shirt she adored.
"Yaojie, why do you like Flower Tobacco so much? I still think Bellflower is prettier. The purple ones are mysterious and elegant. I want to become a woman like a Bellflower."
"You’re only sixteen; you’re just a girl."
"Don’t change the subject! Hurry up and answer my question."
"How fierce, how scary."
"...Yaojie, stop looking at the shoujo manga in my room. It's not suitable for you, seriously."
"Is that so? But I think it's pretty good, and you always blush when you read it. It's really cute."
"Don't say I'm cute!"
In the end, the topic was still diverted.
Xu Nuan knew she was dreaming; this dream was too beautiful for her to want to wake up.
As for why Qin Yaojie liked Flower Tobacco, she had told herself that since the first day of her senior year.
"I will always be by Nuan's side."
"You... you're really shameless, saying something like that so casually."
"Hey, I've been thinking about this all the time, so of course it comes out easily."
"...You're not allowed to peek at mine; you're not allowed to learn the lines from it."
"Tsk, Nuan, you're really hurting my feelings."
"I... I didn't."
"You're so easy to trick."
"Shut up! No, aren't you supposed to tell me the answer?"
Xu Nuan remembered Qin Yaojie's eyes, which sparkled like gems that gathered all the brilliance of the world. Each of his words struck her heart like a gentle chime.
"I already did. I will always be by your side."
Flower Tobacco, with you around, loneliness fades away. So, let me be your Flower Tobacco.
"Okay."
As Xu Nuan murmured, everything before her faded away with the wind, and the boy in the white shirt quickly transformed into a silhouette that shattered into countless pieces.
"Don't."
Xu Nuan suddenly opened her eyes and sat up.
"Did you have a nightmare? You're sweating all over."
Tang Jingshu's worried face came into view. Turning away from Tang Jingshu's shoulder, she saw a stone cliff covered in ferns, while the dawn and clouds above the cliff burst forth with vibrant colors. Looking around, there was white mist, and in the distance, the Old Vine appeared like a writhing creature. Xu Nuan shivered and instantly became alert.
"No, I had a really good dream."
Xu Nuan smiled at Tang Jingshu, grabbed a towel, and found a nearby Mountain Stream. She cupped her hands to wash away her fatigue with the clear spring water.
Once her mind was fully awake and the warmth of the dream had completely vanished, Xu Nuan began to walk back slowly, taking note of those who were either resting or having breakfast.
In this observation, Xu Nuan noticed two people were missing: He Min and Gu Ze. Meanwhile, the sleeping bag that contained Yu Hao's body lay quietly in a shaded area.
He Min would not easily leave that corpse. This was the conclusion Xu Nuan reached every time she woke up last night, restless, and saw He Min tightly embracing the body.
Xu Nuan looked at Xu Hang, who was stretching his muscles. The past confrontation was vivid in her mind, but at this moment, all she saw was heaviness and sorrow. To grieve for a stranger—that was humanity.
She had no intention of dwelling on her reasons for leaving the Third Batch of Players or the intentional isolation from these people. Having received answers from Xu Hang, Xu Nuan turned and walked toward the distant Mountain Stream.
"He Min went over there a while ago. Ze was worried and followed him. If you’re going to find them, you might as well call them back for dinner; we need to set off soon."
As Xu Nuan walked, she recalled Xu Hang's words.
That person appeared gentle but was actually quite cunning; he seemed like a good person but always stuck to his principles.
Was taking care of He Min also within his principles?
Xu Nuan didn’t even realize that her tightly pressed lips were gradually relaxing.
Even if she wanted to calm her emotions, she wouldn’t hide in a place where others couldn’t find her; she didn’t want to worry anyone.
This was He Min’s tenderness. Xu Nuan understood the personality of this gentle older sister, so she walked toward the most open area and soon spotted Gu Ze quietly leaning against a tree. Ten meters away from him stood He Min, dressed entirely in black.
From Xu Nuan's angle, she could see the stream in front of He Min shimmering under the sunlight, its golden light inexplicably carrying a sense of sanctity, like the glow of a cross in a church. The sound of flowing water resembled the prayers of people.
Prayers bring peace.
Xu Nuan couldn’t see He Min’s expression, but she guessed it must be one of gentle sorrow and lingering grief.
As her gaze slowly withdrew, Xu Nuan met Gu Ze’s eyes.
A little sunlight shines through the branches on Gu Ze's face, and his slightly soft face has a reassuring power. A person's charm is easily reflected when he is quiet. No words, no actions, even a light expression can better reflect the essence of a person. In fact, she's happy to break out with the Third Batch of Players. Even if she thinks Third Batch of Players doesn't have the clues she wants, she still feels that it's much more enjoyable to be with this group of people with different personalities, but surprisingly simple, than with those who are rash and rash. She didn't dare to stretch out her hand. It was Gu Ze who extended his hand, followed by Xu Hang Tang Jingshu and them. The estrangement between them came and left quickly. A brief separation can really clear people's minds. Xu Nuan slowly walked towards Gu Ze, and Gu Ze also walked over slowly. As she passed by, she heard a sentence that made people want to smile unconsciously. "Come back soon." She heard her answer. "Yeah." In this world, sad and happy things happen every moment. Some people are happy and some are unhappy, and whether happy people can hold on to their happiness and whether unhappy people can get out of that misfortune are all determined by their own destiny. To change, or not to change. Just a multiple choice question. When he was only half a meter away from He Min, Xu Nuan stopped.
“Amin.”
These were the only two words she could utter.
The water flowed gently, and in a daze, Xu Nuan heard the flapping of doves' wings, interspersed with the sound of the priest earnestly reciting the Bible.
There is no God in this world; God resides in everyone's heart.
In the end, most people can only pray for themselves.
The Bible is a record of one's past, a reflection of one's persistent present, and a hope for the future.
Yu Hao burned his Bible, while He Min opened hers.
“Amin.”
Xu Nuan knew she had temporarily closed her Bible.
He Min finally turned around, lowering her head. Xu Nuan couldn't see her expression clearly and could only guess.
When her lips moved as if wanting to say something, Xu Nuan stiffened her body and allowed He Min to plunge into her embrace.
A sudden warmth enveloped her chest. Xu Nuan opened her arms and slowly held He Min, gently patting the frail woman's back with her right hand.
Tilting her head slightly, Xu Nuan saw the clear blue sky, with occasional wisps of white clouds drifting by, swaying their wings like doves.
Soft sobs gradually escalated into cries of anguish, culminating in wails of despair. It was a sound.
A sharp sting, a dense ache, a piercing pain like a knife. It was the heart.
Time fell into the flowing water, then crawled onto the surface of the leaves, quietly slipping away.
The occasional bump against stones and the flowers above cheered it on, the subtle sound of friction giving time momentum, no longer peeking around but boldly grasping the fallen leaves, leaving in an orderly manner. Xu Nuan watched it depart; long ago, in the present, and in countless future days, she would watch time flow away bit by bit.
As He Min lifted her damp face, a smile of apology on her lips, Xu Nuan spoke slowly.
"That is not your ending, nor is it the ending he wished to see. So, let’s walk on together."
That would not be Qin Yaojie's ending either; it was not hers, nor was it the ending for the Third Batch of Players.
No matter what price she had to pay, she would not let those in the monitoring room succeed.
Since people's hearts were different, she did not have to follow their wishes and proceed through the levels step by step. She wanted to uncover the secrets of this game; she needed help—lots and lots of help.
The strength of one person was weak and pitiful; she needed everyone's power.
"Nuan," He Min wiped away her tears with her hand. Her smiling eyes were still filled with droplets, like morning dew that the rising sun was reluctant to evaporate. That was Yu Hao's treasure, a treasure never allowed to be revealed.
"Your words sound very much like a confession."
Xu Nuan smiled.
"Amin, you really enjoy ruining the mood."
Every time Yu Hao's face turned red as he tried to muster his feelings, He Min would mischievously interrupt him with Mind's Eye and then support her face with a radiant smile.
It was a world that could not be intruded upon, and when a piece of that world collapsed, someone needed to fill the void. Not to replace that man, but to stand beside the man who had vanished into nothingness, pretending that he was still there, and then smilingly joining in.
Time continued to march on.
After noticing a glimmer of light in He Min's eyes, Xu Nuan spoke.
"Let's go back; everyone is waiting for you."
"Okay," He Min replied quickly. "This time, I want to introduce myself properly."
Xu Nuan smiled, bent down, and picked up the cane from the ground when suddenly a series of 'crackling' sounds reached her ears.
It sounded like eggs cracking open.
Xu Nuan sprang up, looking over He Min's shoulder to see many large green eggs suddenly appearing in the stream. A few of them had cracked open, and creatures covered in green fur were crawling out from inside.
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