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墨書 Inktalez
However, Xu Nuan could no longer smile.
Because the System casually remarked, "Ghost-faced Spider, poisonous, parasitic."
"Parasitic? Is it the kind of parasitism I think it is?"
Xu Nuan became anxious, and then she saw the spiders swarm towards them. A few people quickly grabbed their backpacks from the ground and began to flee.
If only they had some insecticide, this was a shared thought among them. Modern civilization had taken away some things from humanity while also providing others. Regardless, those accustomed to urban life, no matter how smoothly they navigated this game, longed to return to the city.
The group found that running was inefficient and feared being bitten and parasitized by the Ghost-faced Spiders. They couldn't think of any other way but to escape.
During this time, Xie Huai shouted, "Spiders are afraid of fire; let's burn them!"
Xu Hang explained while running, "We don't have any flammable materials left. The few pieces of clothing we have are for warmth and won't be enough to kill a few spiders. This cave isn't well-ventilated; if we end up harming ourselves, that would be disastrous."
Xie Huai immediately felt discouraged and took a moment to glance back at the Ghost-faced Spiders. To his horror, they seemed to come alive, all smiling at him as they drew closer.
"Ah!"
Xie Huai didn't even know how to scream anymore.
Seeing Gu Ze running silently with a pale face, Xu Nuan smirked slightly before turning to suggest something to Xu Hang.
"We still have some alcohol, right? How about this: we lure the spiders into other caves, burn them, and then regroup on this path. What do you think?"
Xu Hang's eyes immediately lit up as he nodded vigorously. "Sounds good. Everyone should take a few spiders into a cave, try to spread them out, then burn them. Just be sure to stay safe."
This was already a relatively good plan, and the others didn't object much. Without further ado, one person dashed into a cave.
As Xu Nuan charged into a cave with a swarm of spiders, she glanced at her ally Gu Ze, who also had a serious expression as he ran into the adjacent cave.
Fearful as she was, she was not the kind of woman who would be defeated by spiders.
With that thought in mind, Xu Nuan continued running deeper into the cave. When she saw many scattered stones inside, she felt even more satisfied. She led the spiders in one direction while taking out the alcohol and splashing it along the way. Then she maneuvered around the stones and rushed to the entrance of the cave, tossing in the lit paper.
Instantly, a small fire ignited, creating an Inferno that wasn't too large. The smell of burning spiders wafted through the air. Xu Nuan covered her mouth and nose as she stepped back, moving several large stones to block the entrance, fearing that the toxic Ghost-faced Spiders might release their venom into the air after dying.
After standing at the entrance for a while, Xu Nuan felt uncertain about Gu Ze's situation next door and hesitated whether to check on him.
However, while her fire blazed brightly, there was no sign of movement from Gu Ze's side.
Suddenly, Xu Nuan's eyes widened as she recalled something serious.
A few nights ago, when they were resting, they had felt cold in the middle of the night. It was Gu Ze who got up and used alcohol-soaked cotton to start a fire. Xu Nuan vaguely remembered that Gu Ze had mentioned to Xu Hang the next day that he had run out of alcohol.
Ran out!
Xu Nuan sprinted toward Gu Ze's cave. Was this man so frightened by the spiders that he didn’t say a word without any alcohol?
Xu Nuan rushed into the cave, murmuring Gu Ze's name under her breath.
As soon as she entered, she saw a spider lurking menacingly several meters away, but there was no sign of Gu Ze.
Xu Nuan's face turned pale, and her voice trembled as she called out, "Gu Ze, I've brought you some alcohol. Gu Ze, where are you?"
After calling out several times without receiving a response, Xu Nuan began to panic. She shouted a few more times before finally hearing a weak reply.
"I'm here."
Instinctively, Xu Nuan turned toward the source of the voice. Before she could fully comprehend Gu Ze's situation, a large figure lunged at her and wrapped around her completely.
The warmth enveloping her was unfamiliar, accompanied by a body that felt hot enough to make her blush.
Xu Nuan was momentarily stunned, her eyes wide open as she stared blankly at the yellowish ground.
Her mind felt like mush.
Had Gu Ze just hugged her? No, wait—was Gu Ze hanging onto her? No, that wasn't right either; it seemed like she had bear-hugged Gu Ze instead.
None of it seemed to fit.
Xu Nuan still hadn't processed what was happening. She didn't even realize that the spider on the ground behind her dared not approach, allowing Gu Ze to cling to her. She even thought to herself that Gu Ze felt quite heavy.
It wasn't until something furry brushed against her neck, accompanied by a series of light laughter reaching her ears, that Xu Nuan finally reacted. She tugged at Gu Ze's shirt, demanding him to come down.
"Hey, it's pretty embarrassing for a grown man to be this scared of spiders, don't you think?"
Gu Ze held her tightly, his arms wrapped around her neck, transferring all his weight and warmth to Xu Nuan. He showed no intention of letting go and remained silent.
"Hey, are you seriously frozen in fear?"
Unable to see Gu Ze's face, Xu Nuan could only hear his abnormal laughter. The thought crossed her mind that he might actually be scared. The problem was, Gu Ze was really heavy; the strength with which he clung to her was considerable. Moreover, the way he hung onto her made her feel a bit embarrassed.
"Gu Ze?"
After waiting for a long time without a response, Xu Nuan began to panic. She used both hands to try and pull Gu Ze off her, but he continued to nuzzle against her neck. The overly intimate position made Xu Nuan's face flush red. She started to suspect that Gu Ze was taking advantage of her. So she pulled harder, somewhat roughly.
At that moment, she heard Gu Ze's voice.
"Nuan, the spider is too scary."
His voice was soft, revealing a hint of vulnerability and grievance, with just a touch of a spoiled tone.
Xu Nuan felt goosebumps rise all over her body. Hearing a man make such a sound was somewhat... unsettling.
The heat on Xu Nuan's face felt like it was about to burst; she doubted she might just steam herself alive.
Being treated like a pillow by a man was far too embarrassing.
However, there was a slight reluctance to push him away. Xu Nuan blinked, her cheeks still flushed. She had grown accustomed to Gu Ze's omnipotent demeanor, but this version of Gu Ze felt new and somewhat heart-wrenching.
Heart-wrenching?
Xu Nuan felt as if she were about to burst into flames; this emotion was too unfamiliar.
Suddenly, Qin Yaojie's face flashed through her mind. Xu Nuan froze, the blush on her face quickly fading. She began to sway slightly, appearing unable to bear Gu Ze's weight, but in reality, it was the pain from within that overwhelmed her.
Gu Ze, holding her, noticed this change. He simply lowered his legs while still keeping his arms around Xu Nuan, preventing her from seeing his expression, and continued speaking in a peculiar tone.
"Actually, a long time ago, I was bitten by a huge spider. It left a bump on my arm. Later, when that bump went down, I didn’t think much of it. Then, not long after, I got bitten by another spider."
Xu Nuan, who had been feeling uneasy, burst out laughing upon hearing this. The turmoil in her mind seemed to vanish.
"Hey, this is a tragic childhood memory of mine! Is it really okay to laugh like that?"
"Haha, sorry," Xu Nuan managed to free one hand to cover her mouth, but the laughter kept coming. "I just can't help but laugh when I picture that scene."
Imagining the cute dumpling-faced Gu Ze staring wide-eyed at the spider or crying for his mother while clutching his arm—or perhaps pouting silently after being scolded by his father—made Xu Nuan chuckle uncontrollably.
"Haha, you have to understand! Back in college, you were like a graceful gentleman with an elegant demeanor. Everyone spoke highly of you. But back then? Haha, it’s just too funny."
What Xu Nuan couldn’t see was the triumphant and satisfied smile on Gu Ze's face, resembling a cat that had just gotten its paws on something delicious.
Her soft heart was her Achilles' heel; no matter how calm or unfeeling she appeared on the outside, the essence of her soul remained unchanged.
So, his buddy was right. In the end, what one truly loves about another person is their soul, which makes one indifferent to gender, background, temperament, appearance, or anything else.
Loving someone's soul is indeed an incredibly happy thing. There is a kind of impulse to dedicate everything to that soul.
Yet Xu Nuan completely forgot that she had intended to help Gu Ze deal with the spider. With her back turned to it, she didn’t see the spider lurking nearby, fearful yet unable to approach.
Despite this little interlude, Xu Nuan and Gu Ze arrived at the meeting point at nearly the same time as everyone else. When Xu Hang saw the two returning together, he seemed to recall something. He raised an eyebrow at Gu Ze and then glanced at Xu Nuan, whose blush had not faded and whose lips wore a faint smile.
Gu Ze smiled openly at Xu Hang, saying nothing.
Xu Hang rolled his eyes inwardly. His brother appeared gentle and mild-mannered but was actually full of mischief. Ever since encountering Xu Nuan, it was as if a switch had been flipped; he could engage in all sorts of shameless antics. As for Xu Nuan, she seemed calm and intelligent but was mostly straightforward and simple-minded. In their exchanges, it was clear that Xu Nuan would be the one to lose.
Look at Gu Ze’s honey-drunk expression; it made others envious. He hadn’t seen his girlfriend Lan Ling in ages. If only he could believe her explanations and not argue with her, life would be much more pleasant, and entering the game wouldn’t feel so regretful.
Xu Hang scratched his head and sighed. Looking back now, he realized he had overreacted. Lan Ling had merely run into her ex-boyfriend on the street for a cup of coffee, yet he had blown up at her. No wonder Lan Ling found him boring.
Then he looked at the scene before him. Didn’t Xu Nuan also have an ex-boyfriend? Although she still cared about him, their relationship had ended cleanly. Gu Ze indeed had a chance; he should have some faith in Gu Ze.
What difficulty in opening one’s heart? In front of someone as capable as Gu Ze, those barriers were like paper—one breath could knock them down.
Realizing he was lost in these chaotic thoughts, Xu Hang squinted at the sudden light that burst forth in the cave. What would they encounter next?
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