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墨書 Inktalez
" hss."
Xu Nuan pressed her hands against the ground, her knees resting on the smooth rock. The weight of her backpack caused her body to lean toward the pond, forcing her to lie flat on the ground. She stretched out her hands to grip the jagged edges of the rock, the pain in her palms trivial compared to the depths of the pond below.
The cool breeze from the water brushed against her skin through her clothes, making her feel extremely uncomfortable in this humid environment—a sight no one with injuries would want to see.
At that moment, there was no companion to help her.
"Ha."
Xu Nuan adjusted her breathing repeatedly to calm herself. When she realized she wasn't sliding down any further, she moved slowly toward a slightly drier spot on the shore like a gecko. By the time she managed to prop herself up on her hands, most of her clothes were already soaked, and she had scrapes on her palms and arms.
But she dared not linger here for long.
The makeshift cane she had fashioned from a branch had fallen into the pond, and she found herself surrounded by sheer cliffs and dense forest, with waterfalls and ponds all around.
"I have to get out of here."
Xu Nuan muttered to herself as she made her way forward.
She wasn't directionally challenged; she remembered the position of the Special Tree she had seen from the peak. The surroundings she had noted while enduring the pain were not so easily forgotten. However, there was no sign of where she currently was in relation to what she remembered, which meant she was very far from the Special Tree.
"Right now, I need to get out of this cliff cave, find a familiar place, slowly locate the Special Tree, then find the Supply Station, and finally meet up with everyone."
Xu Nuan encouraged herself. At the beginning of her journey into this game, she wouldn't have minded being alone at all. Unfortunately, people tend to become complacent in their comfort zones without realizing the storms outside. After spending so much time with Gu Ze and Xu Hang's team, her ability to navigate challenges alone had diminished significantly.
"I actually slipped and hurt myself."
In the past, Xu Nuan would never have imagined herself engaging in such petty behavior.
"Are they together or apart?"
As she tried to ignore her surroundings and the past, she couldn't help but care about what Gu Ze and the others were doing. Were they forced to face challenges alone like her, or were they together, perhaps even pairing off?
She couldn't shake thoughts of Gu Ze and the others, even though Rationality told her that thinking about them in this situation was futile.
"Who is Gu Ze with?"
Her mind drifted more towards Gu Ze, the multifaceted and unforgettable man. Suddenly, the image of Deng Yinyin glaring at her with resentment flashed in her mind.
"Being loved by someone is certainly better than struggling to love someone else, right?"
She was about to do something that would only make her feel worse.
After pushing away the chaotic thoughts in her mind, the sunlight began to dim. The sun, dragging its weary body, moved slowly towards the west, taking warmth with it.
A humid breeze swept by, causing Xu Nuan to shiver as a chill crept up her back. She turned around abruptly, only to find lush ancient trees surrounding her, with nothing but the sound of cascading water from a nearby waterfall filling her ears.
Squinting slightly, Xu Nuan carefully scanned the area around the forest. However, the distant scenery appeared somewhat hazy to her eyes.
"If only Gu Ze and the others were here; their eyesight is better."
The words slipped out before she could stop them, leaving Xu Nuan momentarily stunned. After a brief pause, a wry smile crossed her face as she regained a semblance of calm.
"It’s not good to waver after making a decision."
Xu Nuan muttered to herself, keeping her head down as she focused on the path beneath her feet, walking alone.
When one is by themselves, the passage of time becomes imperceptible, much like a person frozen in place, their limbs numb and devoid of sensation.
After walking for a long while, Xu Nuan realized she was still surrounded by sheer cliffs, left with no choice but to move forward or backward. Dusk quietly descended, enveloping the surroundings in twilight, and Xu Nuan's vision narrowed further.
Deciding to take an unconventional approach, Xu Nuan cautiously stepped onto some moss-covered stones as she slowly approached the steep cliff face. When she noticed several protruding rocks and some branches of the Azure Water Tree that could support her weight, she finally relaxed her expression slightly.
Estimating the height of the cliff and assessing her current physical and mental state, Xu Nuan put on two work gloves, cracking her knuckles. She tightened her clothes and backpack before taking a deep breath and reaching out to grab a few of the protruding rocks on the cliff. Realizing she could stabilize herself even in a state of weightlessness, Xu Nuan gathered her strength and reached for a branch of the Azure Water Tree, hoping to use it to propel herself upward a considerable distance.
However, when her hand brushed against the branch, she noticed a green snake coiled nearby, its head buried momentarily and unaware of her presence.
Startled by this sudden fright, Xu Nuan instinctively let go, causing herself to plummet downward. She was not far from the ground, where many protruding rocks lined the cliff. As she fell, she inevitably scraped herself on the way down, and when she landed unprepared, her knees took a significant impact.
Crouching beside a pool of water while clutching her knees, Xu Nuan caught sight of her reflection.
Disheveled, exhausted, with no spark in her eyes.
Xu Nuan stared blankly at her reflection as night gradually enveloped everything around her. It dawned on her that she was now stuck.
Climbing at night was impossible; suddenly realizing how reckless it had been to attempt scaling such a cliff without any protection felt sobering.
Desiring quick results often leads to failure.
Hugging her knees tightly, Xu Nuan simply sat down on the ground. A chilling breeze swept in from all directions, hastily stealing away her warmth. The night was hazy; the moonlight felt cool. She could only vaguely make out the scenery within meters of herself—no different from daylight—only adding to her sense of solitude.
Alone.
It was truly a person.
She suddenly felt a slight sting in her nose and a tightness in her chest. Overwhelmed by such emotions, she found herself lacking the strength to move forward.
As she looked down again, she saw the necklace and the Tail Ring that had fallen due to her earlier abrupt movements. A spark of light returned to her dim eyes.
Xu Nuan hurriedly opened the Tail Ring and flipped out the screen, only to find there was no signal. She still had no way of knowing where everyone else was, and her eyes dimmed once more.
As the moonlight quietly climbed up the treetops, the roar of a beast echoed through the forest, growing closer and shattering the tranquility of the night, successfully pulling Xu Nuan out of her own world.
She could only admit that she missed that man who always smiled gently but was actually dark at heart, just a little bit.
And this little bit of longing was likely her motivation to seek him out.
Fumbling for her flashlight, Xu Nuan chose not to look toward the left where the beast's roar came from but instead limped toward the right side of the forest. The injury on her leg did not affect her speed; what hindered her was that damned night blindness.
"It's just a little hard to see; I can still keep going."
In desperate times, she never encouraged herself; that was something she did when she was still innocent and vibrant, full of yearning for life.
Even though her mindset had changed and her personality had shifted, some things were still etched in her flesh and blood, unaltered.
After walking for a while in the darkness among scattered stones by a pond, Xu Nuan finally looked up at the moon, as if it reflected some faces.
In stark contrast to Xu Nuan's solitary journey, Deng Yinyin was currently in a beautiful V-Shaped Valley with Gu Ze, feeling anxious and restless.
Surrounded by thick lake waters, ancient trees, endless mossy forests, and peaks illuminated by soft light, it was indeed a picturesque Lake and Mountain Scenery. She and Gu Ze were in a cave near a waterfall; just meters away, water splashed and tinkled. She could almost imagine it as a room adorned with pearl curtains and jade pendants, filled with an ancient charm. As long as she could be with Gu Ze, even among scattered stones and withered grass, it felt like happiness.
The happiness of being alone with Gu Ze was shattered by his sudden illness.
She remembered clearly that when the thick fog lifted, Gu Ze was still mumbling Xu Nuan's name, waving his hands. But in the next moment, he unexpectedly fell into the pond. The incident happened so suddenly that Deng Yinyin, who was standing on the shore in shock, didn’t even notice that Gu Ze had fallen into the water and was not moving.
By the time she entered the water to find Gu Ze, he was already unconscious, with signs of a head injury. This was also why Gu Ze, who could swim, was unable to make it to the shore on his own.
As a weak woman, she dragged Gu Ze and his heavy backpack to a cave where they could hide from wild beasts. She then began to gather firewood and hurriedly found cold medicine to feed Gu Ze, personally bandaging his wounds.
When everything was taken care of, Gu Ze still hadn’t woken up. Deng Yinyin couldn’t help but feel anxious, calling out Gu Ze’s name over and over again. When she noticed that his clothes were soaked through, she rummaged through his backpack to find him a clean outfit, only to discover that his backpack didn’t have a waterproof cover. As a result, everything inside had gotten wet when he fell into the water—the clothes, food, and even the medicine in glass bottles were soaked and emitted a pungent smell.
With no other choice, Deng Yinyin took out the wet clothes and hung them by the fire to dry. She also pulled out a blanket from her own backpack to cover Gu Ze.
As she quietly gazed at Gu Ze’s handsome face, she noticed that his complexion had turned flushed. Reaching out to touch his forehead, she realized he had a fever. In her panic, she quickly removed the blanket and began to unbutton Gu Ze’s damp clothes, trying to prevent any heat from escaping as the moisture evaporated.
As she removed his wet clothing, Deng Yinyin caught sight of Gu Ze’s well-defined physique—broad shoulders, slim waist, narrow hips. Her hands moved uncontrollably as she touched his skin and felt how hot he was. In her desperation, she instinctively embraced Gu Ze.
Perhaps it was the warmth she provided that brought him back to consciousness; she noticed that Gu Ze gradually became aware and wrapped his arms around her, one hand resting on her shoulder.
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