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墨書 Inktalez
After experiencing so much in the Survival Game and encountering numerous Players and Designers, she still did not fully understand Zhang Xiao's intentions. The only thing she knew was that she held a bargaining chip in her hands; if used wisely, it might allow her to eliminate Xie Huai, but if misused, her gaming career would come to an end. She had to admit that in this game, she had lost a lot but had also gained much. However, the losses and gains were incomparable.
At this point, she could no longer hide her worries about Gu Ze and He Min. She desperately wished for their safe exit from the game, yet she was painfully aware of her own limitations.
What she did know was that Gu Ze was an incredibly proud man, one who would steadfastly pursue his goals.
Meeting Gu Ze's eyes filled with anger and dissatisfaction, Xu Nuan nearly pleaded.
"Please, Gu Ze, don't get involved in this anymore."
"Warm, this is no longer just your issue."
Gu Ze was deeply skeptical; he feared that if he released his grip on Xu Nuan, she would immediately collapse. The death of that person had left an indelible mark, and Zhang Xiao—who seemed to know the game inside out—was deliberately allowing Xu Nuan to harbor such emotions while lurking in the shadows, waiting for her to be alone before striking. He could not allow that to happen.
"We all must take responsibility for Tang Jingshu's death. Zhang Xiao is our common enemy; we must subdue him together."
Seeing Xu Nuan's pupils still unfocused and dazed, Gu Ze gritted his teeth and continued.
"Aren't you suspicious that Zhang Xiao is the Mastermind? Then he could also be the one who killed your parents. I'm pursuing you; isn't it only natural for me to help you seek revenge?"
Gu Ze could only use the sharper thorn in Xu Nuan's heart to replace the two thorns of Qin Yaojie and Tang Jingshu. From what he knew of Xu Nuan, she was a person deeply tied to her emotions; no matter how indifferent she appeared on the surface, her true nature would not change. He was betting that her parents, who had raised her for over twenty years, were far more important than Qin Yaojie. Only then would Xu Nuan have the motivation to continue pushing forward and not be defeated here. For that reason, even if it meant hurting Xu Nuan or himself at this moment, it was worth it.
Xu Nuan's dazed expression shifted at his words; she steadied herself and pushed Gu Ze away, her face flushed with anger—a reaction born from knowing Gu Ze's intentions yet feeling her limits being crossed.
"You don't need to remind me of that!"
Her anger brought a spark back to her light brown eyes, making them much more vibrant than when they had been dull and lifeless.
Gu Ze smiled wryly; he sensed that for some time ahead, he would have to play the role of the unsympathetic villain. Otherwise, with Xu Nuan in her current state, she would fall into Zhang Xiao's trap—the man who appeared only slightly older than them but was actually quite cunning.
"I know you understand this," Gu Ze sighed, suppressing the bitterness rising within him as he spoke softly.
"But I still want you to promise me: until we uncover Zhang Xiao's true intentions, do not act rashly."
Before Xu Nuan took any adventurous actions, he would eliminate that man by any means necessary.
Xu Nuan shot him a sullen glare before turning to leave.
The stone path in this area reminded her too much of life in the city, making her even more suspicious of the location of this Game Base.
The island they were on was not very large. After parting ways with the other four, they had not heard any sounds from them again. The lemon trees that emerged from behind the white walls inexplicably stirred a sense of sourness in her heart. The fishy sea breeze began to make them feel nauseous; for those who did not grow up by the sea, such a smell was unbearable.
They walked up the path, occasionally stopping to take in the surroundings from their elevated position and broader view, searching for the silhouette of the red Special Tree, but to no avail. However, neither of them thought that finding the Special Tree would be easy; not being able to find it was normal, while finding it would be quite unusual.
After walking in silence for a while, Xu Nuan, who disliked watery places and hadn’t rested well, glanced at Gu Ze, who was walking silently beside her. She felt both frustrated and uncomfortable.
After searching fruitlessly for some time, Xu Nuan could no longer hold back.
“Why hasn’t that person come to find me? I’m the only one who knows where that passage is!”
Knowing that Zhang Xiao was the murderer and most likely the Mastermind, Xu Nuan wished Zhang Xiao would appear right before her eyes so she could use every method possible to keep Zhang Xiao there and extract information from her. Yet now, she always felt like she was in plain sight while Zhang Xiao lurked in the shadows. This realization made her restless.
Gu Ze sighed; he knew Xu Nuan would have such thoughts at this moment, which played right into Zhang Xiao's hands.
“What do you think,” Gu Ze patiently explained while observing Xu Nuan’s expression. “Is it better for that person to appear when you are filled with hatred and willing to use any means necessary, or when you have let your guard down and your hatred has faded because of this game?”
Xu Nuan paused slightly. The anger, grievance, and hatred swirling within her suddenly quieted at that moment, pushed into a corner by an unknown emotion that curled up and dared not come out again.
After walking in silence for a while longer, Xu Nuan finally spoke hesitantly.
“I understand now.”
“I’m sorry for saying such excessive things earlier.”
Long ago, she realized that she needed a companion to remind her at all times; otherwise, she would surely lose her rationality due to those sordid matters and act without regard for the consequences.
Suddenly, she recalled that in the previous round, before entering the Maze, if it hadn't been for Gu Ze and the deceased Sun Ming distracting her, she would have likely fallen into a trap. She even remembered the first time she encountered Zhang Xiao; under Zhang Xiao's deliberate hints, she had thought of the secret passage in this game. If Gu Ze hadn't timely changed the subject back then, she would have undoubtedly fallen for Zhang Xiao's cunning ploy and inadvertently exposed the secret. In that case, she would have lost her value too soon, and perhaps Qin Yaojie would have been killed by Zhang Xiao even earlier.
Thinking about these things made Xu Nuan feel a wave of fear, and her gaze on Gu Ze was tinged with gratitude and guilt. She always hurt others, yet she was also perpetually hurt by them.
"You don't need to apologize to me; I understand how you feel right now."
The one who had been hurt always unconditionally accommodated her emotions.
"And don't worry; I will always remind you. When he thinks we have let our guard down and forgotten about the clues, we will be fully prepared to teach him a lesson."
In a place where Gu Ze couldn't see, Xu Nuan widened her eyes suddenly, the dry corners of her eyes glistening with tears, but she quickly suppressed them. It was precisely because of this that she hoped this man could leave here safely.
The rhythm of this game had begun to change. To adapt to this new pace, she would inevitably have to sacrifice many things. What she feared most was that one day she might selfishly abandon this person. Her future was bleak and uncertain; she was well aware that she faced it with a passive attitude.
"Mm."
It was a barely audible agreement.
The two fell back into silence once more, but this time neither felt awkward. Xu Nuan noticed that they had always been like this; the conflicts and arguments from one moment would dissipate in the next few words, only for new disagreements to arise days later, repeating endlessly. They seemed to have each other's temperaments figured out perfectly.
The higher they climbed, the stronger the wind became. Xu Nuan estimated that after walking for about two hours since leaving the Supply Station, they finally reached the highest point of the island. The view from up there was naturally the best; in the distance, the blue sea surface shimmered with golden light, warmed by the moonlight that spread across it at night. Seagulls occasionally flew by, enveloped in that glow. The coconut trees on the beach swayed gently, and on the other side of the island, a small black dot could be seen moving. Surrounding them were mostly green trees and white houses with windmills spinning on their roofs in the sea breeze.
"There’s no Special Tree."
Xu Nuan looked at Gu Ze, who was still surveying their surroundings, and confirmed it.
"It seems we need to trigger something for the Special Tree to appear, just like in the Illusory Stone Forest round."
Gu Ze realized he shouldn't have mentioned that last part; Rao Tingxue from that round was still alive and kicking. However, after a few rounds, Rao Tingxue had died, and they all suspected Ning Han had taken action due to a mission. At this moment, Xu Nuan particularly did not want to hear about anyone dying.
He quickly added a remedy.
"I hope this mission will be easier."
As he spoke, he observed Xu Nuan's expression, ensuring that there was no madness in her eyes before he felt slightly relieved.
Xu Nuan shook her head.
"There is something I need to tell you, after which you won't have such thoughts anymore."
Perhaps it was the concern reflected in Gu Ze's gaze that affected her, or perhaps it was the reminder of Gu Ze's previous grievances that temporarily restored her calm. Xu Nuan surprisingly revealed part of the content from the notebook left by Qin Yaojie, something she hadn’t even told He Min before.
After listening, Gu Ze fell silent, and his expression became quite strange, leaving Xu Nuan puzzled.
Was he disapproving of Qin Yaojie's actions, or did he think the contents of the notebook were merely a ruse?
While Xu Nuan was confused, her mind began to wander. At the same time, she realized how much she actually cared about Gu Ze's opinion on this matter.
After a moment of silence, Gu Ze looked at her with those eyes that reflected a sea of flowers when he smiled but were as deep as a starry night when he didn’t, speaking slowly and deliberately.
"Why do you want to tell me this? This is a secret between you and him, isn’t it? The contents of that notebook are known only to you."
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