Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
When the White Supply Station appeared before everyone, Xu Nuan and her companions no longer had the energy to show excited smiles.
After Xu Nuan and her group rejoined Chi Xiaoming and his team, they spent two days in this level. The events that transpired during those two days left them utterly exhausted. There were no bizarre tasks or many ferocious beasts in this level, but after experiencing a grand explosion, they wisely kept their distance from the seemingly docile mechanical mice. Logically, they only needed to follow the designated route to reach the end.
However, unexpected changes often occur when least anticipated. Despite their careful planning to avoid the traps set by the Game Base itself, they fell victim to traps designed by other players.
Endless traps emerged—some easily recognizable, while others were layered and deceptive. Utilizing the terrain of the Game Base and the tools and medicines brought from the Supply Station, Xu Nuan's group faced experiences they would rather forget over these two days.
What truly drained them was not just the physical exhaustion from numerous traps, some of which posed significant danger. Their skills were sufficient to handle minor injuries or waste time falling into holes; it was not life-threatening from the traps set by other players. What frustrated them was their ignorance of who had set these traps—whether it was aimed at those players or specifically targeted at one of their teams. Moreover, they could only detect traces of those players without ever spotting them, leaving them clueless about their intentions.
Xu Nuan and her group believed that as long as the System had not issued team missions and there were no conflicts of interest between teams, there should be no conflicts among members within their own team. Since there were no conflicts of interest, why waste time designing traps for other players instead of racing against time to clear levels and earn rewards to leave the game?
The psychological torment often proved more exhausting than physical strain, causing everyone to drag their heavy footsteps into the Supply Station.
Although there was no conflict of interest between the two teams, Fan Beibei—who had lost her self-awareness and would attack Xu Hang's team upon waking—still managed to accumulate hatred towards Chi Xiaoming's team. Yu Yu's apologies and Chi Xiaoming's cold indifference were utterly ineffective; Fan Beibei alone had extinguished any thoughts Xu Hang's group had about collaborating with this team again. Enduring their company was already pushing their limits.
As usual, Xu Nuan sat on the sofa in the living room resting while glancing at the empty three-dimensional freezer and keeping an eye on Yu Yu talking with He Min.
There was much for her to observe along the way, one of which was Yu Yu’s attitude—an embodiment of a bottomless scoundrel. Just like now, Yu Yu was sweetly stopping He Min with a gentle expression.
“Amin, there's something I want to discuss with you.”
Hearing that familiar name made Xu Nuan's brow twitch slightly as a chill swept across her lips.
“What is it?”
He Min's voice remained as gentle as ever, reflecting her graceful demeanor. Xu Nuan could clearly tell that He Min treated Yu Yu differently than she did Yu Hao; she was warm and occasionally affectionate towards the former but lacked the natural trust she showed towards the latter. If Xu Nuan were to describe their relationships, it would be that He Min relied on Yu Hao’s trust, Yu Hao doted on He Min, He Min took care of Yu Yu, while Yu Yu appeared gentle yet remained an unwelcoming outsider.
No matter how one looked at it, Yu Yu seemed like a scoundrel. Xu Nuan felt displeased but patiently observed the freezer while secretly paying attention to the conversation between the two not far away, even failing to notice someone sitting down on the other side of the sofa.
“Amin, I think if possible, we should team up for the next level.”
Xu Nuan narrowed her eyes, internally cursing; it was too strange for Yu Yu to propose joining forces at this moment—especially after Fan Beibei lost her self-awareness. It seemed like a calculated move against their team. Despite these thoughts swirling in her mind, Xu Nuan paid extra attention to He Min’s response, hoping her friend and mentor wouldn’t let her down.
“Yu, I also want to team up with you for clearing levels. However, merging two teams isn’t that simple; we still need to listen to our captain on this matter.”
Xu Nuan silently praised He Min for her response, admiring how she managed to refrain from mentioning the friction between Fan Beibei and them at that moment. However, she was certain that Yu Yu would take advantage of this to their detriment.
"I know it's because of Beibei's loss of control, but you also saw that Beibei is also a..."
Xu Nuan, who no longer wanted to listen, could only think of one word.
Scum!
She was sure that Yu Yu was not serious about He Min, and with He Min's intelligence, it was impossible for her not to see this. No woman in a relationship would be magnanimous enough to allow the man she loves to divide his affections among many. Xu Nuan began to doubt once again whether He Min truly liked Yu Yu. If not, why would she publicly act that way? Why would she maintain such close ties with Yu Yu?
The more she thought about it, the stranger it became. Xu Nuan recalled He Min's earlier explanation, where He Min had said that going through challenges alone was exhausting and that she admired the capable Yu Yu. However, from what she observed, it seemed that He Min was the one doing the caring, and given her own abilities, navigating challenges should have been more than manageable for her.
Strange; everything felt too strange. As Xu Nuan's thoughts spiraled into complexity, a hand gently brushed through her hair and gave it a light rub.
"What are you thinking? You look jealous."
Xu Nuan looked up to meet Gu Ze's smiling eyes. Before she could retort about his choice of words, she noticed Gu Ze gesturing for her to look aside. Following his gaze, she realized that Chi Xiaoming was sitting at the other end of the sofa, sitting upright and staring ahead while occasionally glancing in Xu Nuan's direction without saying a word.
When did this person sit down?
Xu Nuan jumped in surprise. She found it difficult to read the emotions behind Chi Xiaoming's subtle facial expressions due to his facial paralysis. If Chi Xiaoming didn't speak up, she wouldn't understand his behavior. Yet Chi Xiaoming believed that Xu Nuan was quite clever and adept at noticing details due to her unique status in this game. Thus, he waited for Xu Nuan to initiate the conversation first. The silence between them was filled with unspoken tension and mutual misunderstanding.
Xu Nuan quickly diverted her gaze, suppressing her doubts about Chi Xiaoming. She decided to remain in a state of Stasis, planning to address her suspicions only after Chi Xiaoming spoke first. In her view, Chi Ming had likely already left the Supply Station for the next challenge; the fact that he hadn't ambushed her there was enough for her to feel relieved. She certainly didn't want to confront Chi Xiaoming at this moment.
"I felt jealous because you kept things from me before."
Xu Nuan maintained her upward gaze at Gu Ze, referring to the night of their first day in this challenge when she had asked Gu Ze if he had been hiding anything about Chi Xiaoming and his group from her, only to receive his silence in response.
"A good child wouldn't keep pestering me with questions. If I don't answer after you've asked several times, there's a reason."
Gu Ze calmly settled down in the space between Xu Nuan and Chi Xiaoming, completely blocking Chi Xiaoming's line of sight.
"If I remember correctly, we're the same age."
Xu Nuan expressionlessly pinched Gu Ze's arm. She certainly understood that Gu Ze had his reasons for keeping things from her. However, the seed of doubt, once it took root and grew into a towering tree, would make it too late to address. To prevent that day from coming, Xu Nuan wouldn’t hesitate to occasionally ask Gu Ze, testing whether it was time for him to explain himself. She didn’t enjoy lingering on a single issue; it was just that Gu Ze had repeatedly emphasized that he wouldn’t offer promises but surprises, which left her feeling somewhat anxious. She couldn’t shake the feeling that Gu Ze seemed to be plotting something behind her back, leading her to ponder those matters and imagine potential outcomes, which made her uneasy.
“Don’t think too much; you’ll know when the time comes,” Gu Ze said, perhaps sensing her unease. He reached out to pat Xu Nuan’s head and added soothingly, “Your patience has always been commendable; I really appreciate that about you.”
Xu Nuan held back her frustration and shot Gu Ze a few sharp glances before getting up and heading to the bathroom, leaving Gu Ze and Chi Xiaoming sitting together on the same sofa.
The conversation between He Min and Yu Yu also came to a halt; one went to the Storage Room while the other headed to the lounge. Now, only Gu Ze and Chi Xiaoming remained in the living room.
Both men had similar builds and were quite handsome, with comparable family backgrounds. However, their temperaments were worlds apart.
Unlike his natural demeanor around Xu Hang or the refined elegance he displayed with Xie Huai and others, Gu Ze was neither gentle nor domineering with Xu Nuan at this moment. Instead, he sat with his legs slightly apart, leaning forward with his hands resting in front of him, fingers lightly crossed. A playful smile danced on his lips, while his eyes held an ocean of emotions—sometimes calm, sometimes turbulent—ready to brew a storm at any moment.
“Let’s make a deal.”
Gu Ze stated this without turning to look at Chi Xiaoming on the opposite end of the sofa.
Chi Xiaoming sat stiffly with a serious expression, maintaining an upright posture. Rather than an elite in finance, he resembled a disciplined official whose demeanor radiated seriousness, reflecting his earnest attitude toward this game. His seriousness led him to develop a set of values regarding it; because he was serious, his purpose in this game extended beyond merely locating the designed Tang Jingshu.
Chi Xiaoming was the type of heir that Gu Ze's father desired. Unfortunately for him, Gu Ze appeared nonchalant about the group despite seeming capable. Yet it was precisely because of this attitude that Gu Ze could see through Chi Xiaoming’s intentions from his father's perspective.
Comment 0 Comment Count