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墨書 Inktalez
At the moment when Xu Nuan's mind and body reached the brink of collapse, she happened to catch a glimpse of Shen Shen's vulnerability, which revealed some long-standing mysteries to her. Gradually, she began to pull herself back from the edge of despair. Her once chaotic mind started to function again; this was her only chance to escape. If she could turn the tables and make Shen Shen collapse instead, she was ninety percent sure she could leave this place.
She would no longer rely on anyone else. If she could break free from the shackles of these two using her own strength this time, she could truly walk alone in the game without needing to seek out that team again.
"But I don't know. No matter how many times you ask, it won't help."
The light in Xu Nuan's eyes began to return bit by bit, but Shen Shen, desperate to grasp at any lifeline, failed to notice that Dong Keyong, standing behind him, had seen it.
"As long as I don't die, you can keep asking. But the outcome won't change. Unfortunately, I will die, holding onto the secret you think I know, and then you will die too. All of you who created this cruel game will be buried within it."
"Shut up!"
Worried about the situation, Shen Shen slapped her hard, causing half of Xu Nuan's face to swell. However, more than the pain on her face, it was her buzzing and foggy mind that truly worried her. Before she could recover, Shen Shen frantically grabbed the food that had been lying on the ground all night and shoved it into Xu Nuan's mouth. For every bite he forced in, Xu Nuan spat out just as much, pretending to be on the verge of death. This behavior greatly provoked Shen Shen; he pried open Xu Nuan's mouth with one hand while stuffing food into it with the other. He even opened a water bottle and poured water into her mouth indiscriminately.
The more frantic Shen Shen became, the more Xu Nuan feigned resistance, though inside she felt a sense of joy. Normally, Shen Shen did present himself as a calming doctor with a gentle and refined demeanor that wasn't entirely an act. Yet he was also a talent—the Designer of this game. Talents fear dying young; they are unwilling to perish before achieving greatness or fully showcasing their abilities. She didn’t know what tricks the Mastermind had played to trap these Designers here or prevent them from truly clearing the game, but at this moment she felt grateful to that Mastermind for revealing Shen Shen's weakness.
Xu Nuan believed that if she quickly exploited this weakness, she could turn Shen Shen into a powerless madman. Of course, she also understood that her mental state was precarious. Thus, she was gambling—whether her psychological defenses would crumble first and turn her into a puppet or whether this talented psychologist would break down first and become someone who could help her escape.
However, Shen Shen's actions were extremely rough; his grip on Xu Nuan's lips lacked control and left bruises at the corners of her mouth while he forcefully shoved food into her mouth.
Despite Xu Nuan’s reluctance to eat food that might contain drugs provided by these two, she still managed to swallow some during the struggle; however, most of it fell to the ground and much of the water soaked into her clothes rather than going down her throat.
"Damn it!"
"I will definitely find that place!"
"I will definitely get out!"
As Shen Shen spoke those fierce words, Xu Nuan thought she was one step closer to victory. However, she did not anticipate that Dong Keyong, who had previously allowed her actions to go unchecked, would at the most critical moment place a hand on Shen Shen's shoulder and speak in an authoritative tone.
"That's enough!"
"If you're this fragile, then there's no need for cooperation."
Last night, Xu Nuan had witnessed the influence Dong Keyong, who appeared to be just a tall man without any other remarkable traits, had over Shen Shen. She had not expected Dong Keyong's impact to be so significant that it completely reversed her previous impression of the two.
With a miscalculation, Shen Shen ultimately released Xu Nuan, allowing her to cough on the ground as she sought relief from her pain, while he gradually returned to his former state.
Xu Nuan caught a glimpse of Shen Shen's complex yet normal expression and shot an angry glare at Dong Keyong behind him. She began to resent him for being merely a bodyguard rather than a designer, but it was clear they were collaborators. If it weren't for Dong Keyong's late interruption, she could have pushed Shen Shen over the edge at that moment. But this was not her last opportunity; Shen Shen's weaknesses remained, and as long as they did not find the so-called opportunity, she could continue to exploit them. Her concern was whether she could hold out until that time or if Dong Keyong would always stay by Shen Shen's side. It would be better if Dong Keyong left so she could proceed with her plan.
She still harbored resentment towards Dong Keyong. As she deliberately coughed to divert their attention for a moment, she began to contemplate whether Dong Keyong might have weaknesses of his own. She vaguely recalled his words from last night: if she knew about Su Zihang, he would let her go. This meant that Dong Keyong was cooperating with Shen Shen because of Su Zihang. Did Shen Shen know about this?
Curious and determined to test both Shen Shen and the importance of this information to Dong Keyong, Xu Nuan slowly straightened up. Her bound hands trembled weakly, almost causing her to fall again, but she forced herself to stand upright and face Shen Shen with as much composure as possible.
Shen Shen had returned to normalcy, wearing a reassuring smile that softened his features as he looked at Xu Nuan with increased caution.
"I almost fell for your trick; it seems I underestimated you."
Shen Shen narrowed his eyes slightly and stepped back from Xu Nuan before continuing.
"Thinking about it, a person who has been abandoned can still persist until now. Even in absolute weakness, you can come up with ways to turn danger into safety. Your strength lies not in your physical abilities but in your mind."
"If you had used your intelligence in the right way, you wouldn't have ended up like this. What a pity."
Having begun to regain her senses, Xu Nuan realized that Shen Shen was deliberately trying to break down her defenses, having noticed that she was recovering from the blow and it was not easy to hypnotize her again.
Since she could wake up in such a moment and her self-awareness was no longer under control, she shouldn't let herself down after this awakening.
"If I hadn't used it in the right way, I wouldn't be here now."
Amidst the chaos, Xu Nuan stared defiantly at Shen Shen. As Shen Shen revealed a complex expression once more, Xu Nuan slowly continued, "Now that this confrontation is over, would you mind answering a few harmless questions?"
As Xu Nuan spoke, her cold gaze swept over the now silent Dong Keyong. When their eyes met briefly, she smirked slightly, noticing the alertness in Dong Keyong's eyes. This made her inner resentment ease a little.
"You can ask, but I might not answer."
Shen Shen seemed tired as well; whether it was from implementing hypnosis or nearly falling for Xu Nuan's trap, his own spirit and strength were fading at a rate no less than Xu Nuan's. That was the price one had to pay in this field.
Xu Nuan feigned a puzzled expression and asked, "I've been having nightmares lately and keep shouting out 'Su Zihang.' Why is that? I don't even know who Su Zihang is."
She watched Shen Shen closely while keeping an eye on Dong Keyong. She noticed a strange look flash in his eyes—not the panic she had expected—which left her feeling somewhat confused. However, she suppressed that confusion and focused intently on Shen Shen's response.
"You don't know Su Zihang?"
Shen Shen's surprise at that moment seemed genuine, though it couldn't be ruled out that this person had already reached the level of an old fox. Xu Nuan did not fully believe him and maintained a look of confusion.
"I don't know him; I've never heard of him."
"Is that so?"
After his initial surprise, Shen Shen grew somewhat suspicious, clearly unwilling to fall for Xu Nuan's tricks again, but he still explained.
"Su Zihang is also a good friend of Qin Yaojie, though he mostly exists in our Designer team as a fan of Qin Yaojie. Unfortunately, his health was poor, and he died shortly after entering the game."
Xu Nuan frowned, her peripheral vision catching Dong Keyong's unchanged expression, feeling somewhat disappointed. What kind of news was this?
"It's strange; the hint I gave you was meant to make you recall painful memories from the past. It's normal to have nightmares, but why do you keep shouting the name of someone you don't know?"
As Xu Nuan felt disappointed, Shen Shen expressed his confusion, looking at her with increasing suspicion while sharing his professional insights.
"The suggestion is meant to help you dig deep into your inner memories and emotions, so this Su Zihang must have a profound connection with you. You must know this person."
"No, I don't know him. There's no need for me to deceive you about this."
Xu Nuan replied earnestly, realizing three things: first, Su Zihang's relationship with Qin Yaojie; second, that Su Zihang was undoubtedly a key figure—despite being dead, he remained important; and third, that Shen Shen was unaware that Dong Keyong was searching for matters or things related to Su Zihang.
"Your words contradict the facts."
Shen Shen watched Xu Nuan with growing vigilance, completely oblivious to the deepening gaze of Dong Keyong behind him.
“Su Zihang is someone deep in your memory, yet you do not recognize him. This is illogical, unless some intermediary element has caused this result.”
Xu Nuan's eyes widened suddenly. She thought of Qin Yaojie. Qin Yaojie was related to her, and Qin Yaojie was related to Su Zihang. Her impression of Su Zihang stemmed from Qin Yaojie, but she had never met this person. What was going on?
While she pondered this in silence, she suddenly heard Shen Shen ask her.
“Didn’t Qin Yaojie bring Su Zihang to see you while you were hospitalized? Didn’t he say something like ‘This is my friend Su Zihang’? You’d better think back.”
It felt as if something in Xu Nuan's mind had snapped, followed by the opening of a box that revealed astonishing memories.
“Su Zihang is my friend; I’ll introduce you to him when there’s a chance.”
“Su Zihang left something behind. If there is such a thing, you must find it and protect it well.”
Xu Nuan suddenly realized that Qin Yaojie had planted a suggestion in her mind, and Shen Shen's earlier words had unraveled that suggestion. In those scant memories, Qin Yaojie had once instructed her, but without elaboration.
“Su Zihang… something… protect…”
Stunned by the surge of memories, Xu Nuan muttered these few words. She did not notice Dong Keyong's sudden change in expression, and then Dong Keyong picked up the knife from the ground and plunged it into Shen Shen's heart.
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