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墨書 Inktalez
The cave was indeed real, yet it appeared somewhat fragile due to its natural formation. As a result, those willing to express their opinions in front of Chi Xiaoming stayed behind to voice their thoughts, while those who were unclear about the situation or had no opinions slipped away.
It was the third day of rain, and the clouds seemed a bit weary, their grandeur diminished compared to before. The heavy downpour had turned into a light drizzle. However, this did not change the fact that the cattails were still submerged in water, with swamps and lakes trending toward overflow.
When Xu Nuan saw a few people surrounding Chi Xiaoming, her instinctive reaction was to tug at Gu Ze's sleeve, gritting her teeth and lowering her voice due to the crowd.
"Go out and explain clearly."
She didn’t need to say much; she was sure Gu Ze knew what she meant. Moreover, Gu Ze followed her outside with a relaxed smile playing on his lips.
However, they were stopped by He Min, whose expression was complicated.
"Nuan."
He Min gently called out, his gaze sweeping past Gu Ze before landing on Xu Nuan with evident concern.
"Can I talk to you?"
Xu Nuan pressed her lips together without responding, but Gu Ze gave her a gentle push toward He Min.
"I'm not going anywhere. You two talk first; I'll find you later."
The bitterness in Xu Nuan's heart instantly turned into helplessness at Gu Ze's ambiguous words.
Throwing on a raincoat casually, Xu Nuan nodded at He Min and silently followed him toward a nearby shallow lake.
The lake appeared gray and lifeless in the rain, a stark contrast to the vibrant reflection of azure white clouds on sunny days. This atmosphere affected the surrounding plants as well; everything seemed too dispirited to lift its head.
Xu Nuan followed He Min quietly, stepping carefully through puddles. She glanced down at the uneven ground and then up at He Min's slightly frail figure. A damp breeze brushed against her, sending a chill through her body, which she attributed to her own mental state. With her heart feeling cold, her body lost its warmth.
He Min stopped when they were still several meters away from the desolate shallow lake and turned to look at Xu Nuan. She halted as well, meeting his gaze with a calm expression.
This was a rare moment of solitude for the two of them. It had been several months since they last parted ways, and upon their reunion, everything felt different. He Min had quickly integrated into her team and had been moving with the larger group ever since.
This was the He Min she knew, yet also not.
As she looked at He Min face to face, she noticed the faint lines forming between her brows, a subtle mark left by frequent frowning in thought. The eyes that Xu Nuan once playfully described as naturally smiling now often flashed with emotions she couldn't comprehend. The smile still lingered on her lips, but it felt more like a professional smile than one that brought comfort. The once sweet and charming curls of He Min's hair had gradually returned to their natural state due to long hours spent in the game without care.
In that moment, Xu Nuan truly realized that He Min had changed. Both in appearance and in the thoughts that were now so difficult to grasp.
"Warm, are you with Gu Ze now?"
Even though Xu Nuan couldn't understand why He Min's first question after last night's events was this one, she answered honestly.
"I guess so."
Xu Nuan smiled slightly, not hiding anything.
"But I haven't expressed my feelings."
"What does that make you two then?"
He Min frowned again, a hint of disapproval crossing her face.
"You two were intimate last night, right? I’m a woman too; I can sense these things."
"And so what?"
Xu Nuan couldn't comprehend this matter either. She was simply doing what she wanted to do, expressing her feelings through her actions. Did she need anyone else's approval?
"Warm, you... you've changed."
He Min hesitated for a while before letting out a soft sigh.
In response, Xu Nuan had no words. No one remains unchanged; whether due to various external factors or inner turmoil, people inevitably grow into different versions of themselves as time passes. No one can stop such changes, and the only thing one can do is strive to transform in the direction they desire.
He Min continued to explain why she felt this way.
"Yaojie hasn't been gone for long. Isn't your behavior a bit inappropriate?"
Xu Nuan cast a deep glance at He Min, a sense of disappointment and bitterness gradually spreading in her heart. Ultimately, she spoke up to clarify.
"I can tell you honestly that I liked him long before now, and this has nothing to do with whether Qin Yaojie still exists in this world."
She could express her feelings for Gu Ze to anyone except him; there was no need for concealment. After everything she had been through, she didn't want to be a coward who couldn't openly express her emotions.
"What do you mean by that?"
He Min was surprised and confused by Xu Nuan's sudden candor.
"You never showed this side of yourself before. Even if you hid it well, why would you take the risk of searching for Zhang Xiao's whereabouts to avenge Qin Yaojie? Surely your grief over Qin Yaojie's death wasn't fake?"
Xu Nuan's disappointment grew heavier in her heart, yet she maintained a calm smile as she explained everything to He Min.
"Because I was blinded by hatred before. Seeking revenge for Qin Yaojie was my final responsibility, and of course, there's gratitude—he was part of my entire youth, something no one can replace. However, that doesn't mean I can erase the things he did. Moreover, there are many details about Zhang Xiao's case that you are still unaware of. If you're interested, I can share them with you, but that means you'll be standing on my side."
Her lengthy explanation boiled down to that last sentence, yet she still felt disappointed; He Min's focus remained on the earlier points, leaving her feeling powerless and helpless. She didn't intend to pressure He Min like this.
"Nuan, sometimes your rationality is quite terrifying," He Min said with a bitter smile. "You calculate everyone's feelings so clearly; that may not be a good thing."
"Is it?"
Xu Nuan was skeptical, and as the defenses in her heart gradually built up, her attitude toward the person before her began to change.
"I actually think this is a good thing, you know?"
Xu Nuan recalled that day when the blood-red sunset hung low in the sky, near her and Gu Ze was Rao Tingxue's humble grave. The man had smiled at her, seemingly content.
"When someone holds your hand and plunges a knife into themselves, such feelings are beyond what my life can bear. Because of this, I can't help but be moved and love this person. Only when I have come to terms with these feelings can I dare to take on their life."
"This is my greatest gain in this game so far, and I hope you can understand."
He Min was taken aback; Xu Nuan's expression and calm demeanor told her that what Xu Nuan said was the truth—a feeling that was enviable yet perhaps unattainable for a lifetime.
It was jealousy-inducing.
He Min relaxed her brow and forced a light smile.
"We're just having a chat; why make the atmosphere so tense? Let's talk about something else."
Xu Nuan smiled back, but her gaze remained fixed on He Min's face, absorbing every subtle change in her emotions.
"I thought you called me out for something else; it seems I was mistaken."
For a brief moment, the smile on He Min's face stiffened before quickly returning to normal.
"There are many things I want to discuss with you; it's just that it's rare for us to have this moment alone, and I don't know where to start."
"Since that's the case, may I ask a question? It's fine if you don't want to answer."
Xu Nuan's gaze continued to lock onto He Min's face. She noticed a hint of anxiety in He Min, though she couldn't quite understand where it stemmed from.
"Warm, why are you being so polite? Just ask whatever you want. Do we really need to act so distant between us?"
He Min was smiling, but there seemed to be a hint of complaint in her eyes, though her urgency became more apparent.
Xu Nuan suddenly lowered her head and chuckled before looking up to ask, "Do you really like Yu Yu?"
He Min's smile stiffened for a moment, but she didn't look away. Instead, she chose to meet Xu Nuan's gaze, speaking each word deliberately. "I like her. I wouldn't joke about something like this."
"I'm sorry. Then I have no problem with it. I just want you to be happy."
With that, Xu Nuan finally shifted her gaze away from He Min, and the atmosphere between them warmed as the tension dissipated.
"Thank you."
He Min smiled again and slowly walked closer to Xu Nuan, giving her shoulder a gentle pat.
"By the way, there's one more thing. Weren't you thinking about the secret passage before? Any progress on that? I see Deng Yinyin and Xie Huai can hardly wait; they've been asking me about it."
Xu Nuan looked down at her shoes, which were stained with mud, reflecting the state of the game they were in.
"I have some leads."
"Really?"
He Min's voice carried a note of genuine surprise as she continued to pat Xu Nuan's shoulder. However, when her hand instinctively gripped Xu Nuan's shoulder, she quickly released it and returned to a more natural stance.
"Then you should try harder and think of something quickly. Let's leave this place together."
Xu Nuan did not look up, merely nodding in response.
"Of course, I can tell you soon."
The topic died there, and Xu Nuan realized that she and He Min could no longer return to their previous state of open conversation. She didn't know when the change had begun, nor could she stop or alter it.
He Min let out a couple of awkward laughs, her feet scraping against the dirty ground as if she wanted to move forward but couldn't. She remained in that uncomfortable pause.
Xu Nuan took note of her actions but remained silent until He Min suddenly patted her shoulder again, her voice strained.
"Since your friend has arrived, I’ll head back now and not disturb you."
He Min patted Xu Nuan's shoulder once more, this time with a bit too much force. Xu Nuan felt a sharp pain in her left shoulder but maintained her usual tone.
"Okay, be safe on your way back."
He Min turned to leave, and as her footsteps faded, another set approached, accompanied by faint voices.
When Gu Ze stood before her and gently lifted her chin, he asked with concern, "Why do you look so pale?"
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