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墨書 Inktalez
The person who attacked her and stole her backpack was undoubtedly the one who had hinted at Fan Beibei. There was no doubt that this individual was also a designer, responsible for the same sector as the deceased Shen Shen.
The person she wanted to find had come right to her doorstep, and she had missed such a rare opportunity. Biting her lip, Xu Nuan's expression was complex. She couldn't remember if this incident was likely due to a suggestion, but ever since she escaped from Shen Shen, she hadn't had nightmares anymore, and her mental resilience had improved significantly. Logically, it shouldn't be so easy for her to fall into a trap.
She couldn't recall much about that night with Eagle Flock or the stubbornness she had shown towards Chi Xiaoming.
"Hiss."
Xu Nuan grimaced, holding her head. Whenever she tried to think deeply, a sharp pain shot through her brain. She was certain that her head hadn't been injured again; the memories in her mind were quietly waiting for her to search through them one by one.
Why the pain?
She vaguely felt that she had found the key to why she was no longer plagued by nightmares but instead tormented by headaches. The hazy thoughts were quickly dispersed by the pain, forcing her to relax and clear her mind. When her brain went blank, the pain would fade away.
"Gu Ze told you not to overthink it, just eat well and rest."
As she struggled to calm herself down, Chi Xiaoming's voice coincidentally rang out. Although his words didn't quite match his image, she still picked up on some clues.
"Did you... reach some sort of agreement with Gu Ze?"
Chi Xiaoming was a man of little presence yet remarkable talent. He came from a good family, and while his purpose for entering the game seemed simple, it was anything but. Xu Nuan remembered Chi Xiaoming's theories well and knew that in his eyes, she was merely someone with secrets—nothing more worth mentioning.
Such concern raised suspicions, especially since he often invoked Gu Ze's name. Was he worried that she wouldn't see through his relationship with Gu Ze?
She stood there under Chi Xiaoming's scrutinizing gaze; neither starlight nor moonlight penetrated his eyes, which remained expressionless and unmoved.
"Ask him yourself."
Chi Xiaoming's admission left Xu Nuan feeling a bit uneasy. Gu Ze had actually instructed Chi Xiaoming instead of Xu Hang while he was away, and this change was unsettling, as if something had begun to shift in the flow of time.
Gu Ze had concealed many things, not just those related to his father.
"I understand."
Xu Nuan still did not take the food from Chi Xiaoming's hands. Instead, she walked to the side and sat down, hugging her knees and gazing at the ground in the distance. She had countless thoughts swirling in her mind that she could not share with anyone; although it was sorrowful, it was a future she had long foreseen.
Chi Xiaoming did not press her further. He simply placed the food beside Xu Nuan and left. When faced with inquiries from He Min and others, he offered no explanation but casually glanced at Xu Hang.
The moment Chi Xiaoming turned to leave, Xu Nuan felt another gaze settle upon her. It was faint, lacking any predatory quality, making it difficult to detect.
The person lurking nearby was clever; their seemingly casual glance could easily evade a Player's vigilance. Unfortunately for them, Xu Nuan noticed it.
With one hand resting on her knee, she reached for her waist to ensure that her dagger was still there before feigning nonchalance as she picked up a bottle of water and slowly stood up.
As she twisted off the cap, Xu Nuan strolled around casually, her gaze sweeping over Xu Hang and the others without much emotion. Her eyes naturally scanned the surrounding environment before she shook her head and moved in one direction.
The gaze remained faint, unaffected by her actions.
Realizing this made Xu Nuan uncertain about whether to confront the person or not. Someone who appeared harmless yet was lurking around their group—no, more accurately, someone who was watching her.
Was it a man or a woman? What were their skills? Could she handle them alone in her current state?
These were all considerations she needed to make since she had no one to turn to for help at that moment. If she involved others, it would only alert the lurking individual.
As she pondered these questions, she found herself walking to the right front of that gaze—a very subtle angle. If she turned quickly and pounced with lightning speed, there would be a chance to catch that person and reveal their true identity.
The one who watches over oneself is someone who knows their identity. If, in a moment of hesitation and softness, they let go, they will surely regret it later.
One step, two steps, three steps—now is the time!
Xu Nuan quickly dropped the water bottle in her hand and drew the short knife from her waist, charging into the bushes with precision, running straight toward the direction of that gaze.
Soon, a figure burst out from the nearby bushes. It was night, but Xu Nuan could vaguely see a slender silhouette with short hair—it was a man.
The thin man ran swiftly, not giving Xu Nuan a chance to see his face.
However, Xu Nuan was not overly anxious; instead, she kept close behind him. If he was a frail man, she had a chance to subdue him.
Without considering how Xu Hang and the others at the campsite would react upon realizing she had run off, Xu Nuan pushed herself to quicken her pace and catch up to the man ahead.
The sound of their footsteps crunching on the forest leaves echoed clearly in the night. The heavy breathing coming from the man ahead made Xu Nuan realize that he was quite weak. This realization spurred her on even more; she did not let the discomfort of the dim environment slow her down. As she got closer to the Thin Man, she caught a faint scent of medicine—not the kind one would smell in a hospital.
She assumed it was just a medicine bottle in his backpack that had accidentally opened and didn’t think much of it. The situation demanded her focus; with just a bit more effort, she could catch up.
With the thin light of the moon, she noticed a dense thicket ahead where the man could easily hide.
Thinking quickly, Xu Nuan hurled her short knife forward, driving it firmly into a tree not far from him. The thin man was startled and instinctively took a step back, landing on the ground. Seizing this opportunity, Xu Nuan rushed forward, ready to grab the Thin Man by his shoulder.
Her body and mind were not prepared for such intense movement; as she lunged forward, her head throbbed painfully, and her vision blurred before everything went dark. In that fleeting moment before losing consciousness, she saw the man turn around, revealing an ordinary yet anxious face.
A person who watches over oneself is anxious? How strange.
Once again came that rising and falling sensation; her head felt muddled and breathing became difficult. When she finally managed to open her eyes, she saw short black hair—a familiar warmth at her neck.
For a few seconds, Xu Nuan was in a daze before she realized she was on Gu Ze's back. She remembered that she had been chasing a man who was watching her, so how did she end up being carried by Gu Ze?
Looking around, it was already bright outside. How long had she been unconscious? She hadn’t eaten for so long, yet she felt no hunger at all.
"Put me down."
Her voice was hoarse; she truly had been asleep for quite some time.
"You’re awake."
Gu Ze set her down as if nothing had happened, even gently supporting her.
Her body felt so light; that was the first sensation Xu Nuan had upon landing. She looked up at Gu Ze and noticed the dark circles under his eyes had deepened, and there were many bloodshot veins in his eyes. His facial injuries had mostly healed, but there was a new bruise on his neck.
What had happened while she was asleep?
"How long did I sleep?"
Noticing something was off with herself, Xu Nuan instinctively asked. As her gaze passed over Gu Ze's shoulder, she saw Xu Hang and a few others. They had merely paused to glance at her and Gu Ze before moving on. Xu Nuan immediately sensed something was wrong—Fan Beibei was missing.
"One night."
Gu Ze's expression remained unchanged as he added, "In the future, don’t run off alone. It’s easy to get into trouble if you collapse from exhaustion on the roadside."
"Alone?"
Xu Nuan temporarily gave up asking where Fan Beibei had gone and instead moved forward with Gu Ze's support.
"Were there no other people around me at that time?"
She still remembered the events leading up to her collapse; the anxious expression on the Thin Man's face seemed genuine. So, after she fainted, that man didn’t harm her? But why was he watching her?
"Shouldn't there have been someone else?"
The hand supporting Xu Nuan's arm tightened slightly, while Gu Ze turned her face toward him, squinting slightly.
"I haven't even asked you why you ran out. Can you tell me?"
Waking up from a daze and then chasing after an unidentified person who was watching her seemed like a recipe for trouble.
"I felt a bit stuffy, so I wandered around and then fainted."
Xu Nuan's gaze lingered on Gu Ze's face for a moment before she turned away, looking at her arm where a small section was exposed.
"Ze."
She called out softly.
Gu Ze merely acknowledged her with a sound, his expression unreadable as he kept his head slightly lowered.
"I have another needle mark on my hand. Can you tell me why?"
Why did she need to be injected with an unknown drug?
Why did they have to put her into a deep sleep?
If she wasn’t asleep, she wouldn’t miss out on so many things. But there must be a reason for forcing her to sleep. Would Gu Ze give her that reason?
"You will know soon, very soon."
Gu Ze's answer was as vague as ever.
"How soon is 'soon'?"
Xu Nuan felt exhausted by such a response, and Gu Ze's silence tightened her chest. She didn’t want to blindly follow the group through challenges without understanding what was happening to her or what Gu Ze was planning. She desperately wanted to know, but Gu Ze remained uncommunicative, leaving her in the dark.
"Ze, what exactly are you doing? Is there something I can’t be a part of?"
Her dwindling trust was about to run out, yet Gu Ze still refused to explain, remaining as ambiguous as before.
"You will know soon, very soon. For now, you just need to rest well."
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