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墨書 Inktalez
The sun had begun its descent, no longer shining as fiercely, and the light in the open forest grew dimmer. The air turned colder, and a chilling breeze swept through, causing her to shiver involuntarily.
Xu Nuan had not found Gu Ze.
She was well aware that the meeting time set by Xu Hang had long passed. By now, everyone should have been moving along the Special Tree in search of the Supply Station, but she hadn’t returned. She hadn’t found Gu Ze.
Even as she shouted into the Forest, even knowing that those who lurked in the shadows might discover her alone, she still couldn’t find the person she longed for.
This surprise was indeed what she needed; it was her motivation to keep moving forward. But if it came at the cost of Gu Ze’s safety, she couldn’t deny that she wouldn’t feel happy about such a surprise.
If only she hadn’t strayed from the main group and been captured by Shen Shen. If only she hadn’t accidentally encountered Chi Ming and collaborated to kill Dong Keyong. If only she had resolutely chosen not to return to this team, Gu Ze wouldn’t have felt compelled to create a ‘romantic surprise’ unique to the game because of her hurtful attitude.
At first, she had been curious about how Gu Ze could directly prepare a surprise for her; wouldn’t that take away the element of surprise?
In reality, she hadn’t anticipated this kind of surprise, and now it had clearly turned into a fright.
Xu Nuan’s sense of direction wasn’t particularly good. After spending several hours searching around, she could confirm her search area and direction.
According to her judgment, she should have been able to find Gu Ze in that direction. The result was that she hadn’t seen him, which subtly hinted at a truth she was unwilling to accept.
Gu Ze had truly been ambushed by Ning Han’s companion, and his life was uncertain. Only this could explain why Gu Ze was missing.
“What should I do?”
Xu Nuan felt like a weak rabbit, aimlessly darting around in the vast jungle without direction. The Rationality, experience, skills, and secrets she once prided herself on were all useless at this moment.
“…Xu Hang?”
In a moment of confusion and uncertainty, Xu Nuan thought of the main group. Although a considerable amount of time had passed since their agreed meeting, Xu Hang and Gu Ze had such a good relationship that they would surely be willing to wait for Gu Ze. Moreover, they all hoped to learn about the secret passage from her, so they wouldn't just abandon her.
If that were the case, she should immediately return to gather more people to search for Gu Ze; having one more person would mean one more strength.
"Maybe... Ze has already gone back."
Holding onto this hope, Xu Nuan began to run back. She remembered the general direction of the temporary resting place; as long as she could find Xu Hang and the others, there would be more hope.
The sunlight was fading, and the wind that seeped into her clothes was cold enough to make her shiver. She was dressed too lightly, and even while running, she felt the chill. The hope in her heart became the only ember warming her, urging her to keep going.
However, when she saw the empty temporary resting place, her heart turned as cold as her body.
The main group had left—why?
Xu Nuan knelt down in despair, her eyes wide as she surveyed her surroundings. She recalled how just a little while ago she had been testing her friends and clashing with Xu Hang, pondering Chi Xiaoming's identity. The scene remained unchanged, but those people were no longer there.
Xu Hang and Gu Ze were brothers; Chi Xiaoming seemed to be collaborating with Gu Ze. Although the specifics of their collaboration were unclear, given Chi Xiaoming's rigid and serious nature, he wouldn't easily break a promise.
Why did the main group leave?
She and Gu Ze had indeed missed the gathering time, but based on their personalities, they would have looked for them first before deciding to depart. She hadn't heard Xu Hang calling out for them; moreover, her Tail Ring had been activated and could provide location tracking.
However, thinking about how Gu Ze's Tail Ring was activated but did not show up on her own Tail Ring made her feel that even if Xu Hang opened his Tail Ring, he might not find her.
"Still," Xu Nuan said uncertainly—having never experienced the previous choices of 'The Minority Obeys the Majority'—"what choice did they face that made them leave?"
If that were true, then she and Gu Ze had indeed been abandoned. The only way to regroup with Xu Hang and the others would be at the Supply Station. However, when both parties met again at that point, it would surely be an incredibly awkward situation.
Calming down slightly, Xu Nuan looked around and realized that Gu Ze's backpack was also missing.
Had Xu Hang and the others taken Gu Ze's backpack, or had Gu Ze taken it away?
Had Gu Ze gathered with the main group before her and chosen to leave, or had she simply missed Gu Ze, who had returned to retrieve the backpack?
"Ze... you..." Even though that person was not in front of her, Xu Nuan couldn't help but speak. "You wouldn't leave me behind, right?"
The only response was the howling cold wind. She sat down beside a tree stump, hugging her body tightly, yet her warmth continued to dissipate.
Hungry and cold.
It was a feeling she hadn't experienced in a long time.
But now, she didn't even know what to do next.
If Gu Ze hadn’t encountered any trouble and hadn’t followed the main group, there was still a chance she could wait for Gu Ze. If she overturned her previous assumptions, even if she stayed here in this desolate place until old age, she would be all alone.
She wanted to get up and search for Gu Ze, but after extensive searching earlier yielded no results, going out again would only waste her remaining strength. Most importantly, she feared missing Gu Ze while searching.
In fact, she realized she still had one option left: to move forward along the Special Tree and find the main group, find the Supply Station.
The first option Xu Nuan dismissed was the last one; without Gu Ze in that group, there was no reason for her to stay. Deep down, she believed that Gu Ze was not with the main group and that he would not abandon her. She needed to trust this.
"I believe in you."
Xu Nuan murmured to herself; she had to believe in Gu Ze. She believed that he would not leave her behind, would not hurt her, and would find her.
She wanted to believe in Gu Ze, so staying put was the best option.
The afterglow gradually faded, and the entire jungle was once again shrouded in darkness. The night wind was bone-chilling and merciless. Xu Nuan curled up tighter, trying to warm herself. It was during these moments that her consciousness became clearer, and the headache that had plagued her receded.
With her mind cooperating, fragments of the past floated before her eyes. She seemed to see the moment she first met Gu Ze, followed by every argument they had, each of their stubbornness, and the compromises and twists in between. She felt a pang of anxiety; it turned out there hadn’t been much sweetness in their interactions. So, as she faced death, there were few beautiful memories left for her to recall.
Unwillingness.
She often felt unwilling—whether it was being manipulated or controlled, or the identity of the Mastermind remaining undisclosed, or her own weakness and constant compromises; she had always felt a sense of unwillingness.
But this time, it was because of Gu Ze that she felt this way.
Clearly, they spent every day together, yet their hearts could never draw close. She was always immersed in her own world, oblivious to everything around her. She even realized something was wrong with her body a moment later than Gu Ze.
If only things could have been different from the start.
That was her wish.
When her consciousness was clear, she became much more sensitive and quickly noticed subtle changes around her.
Regrettably, this time she did not detect anyone else's gaze.
Neither Chi Ming, who had come looking for revenge, nor the person who had monitored her but ultimately did not harm her appeared again. Not to mention the few designers she had never encountered before.
In fact, she should have seen a few of those designers. On the day Qin Yaojie died, she encountered Zhou Long and others; however, due to the shock of Qin Yaojie’s death, her attention had been weak. At that time, she only noticed Zhou Long; she hadn’t seriously observed the other proud and wealthy individuals.
Now those talented individuals were plotting against her. Fortunately, their proud resources were invested in this game; in other aspects, they were just like ordinary people, and she could still manage to contend with them.
However, a voice deep inside her told her that if Gu Ze was gone, it would be pointless to resist any longer. Whether it was the secret passage or the precious items left behind by Su Zihang, they were all of no use.
This was a rare moment of clarity amidst the chaos; her brain surprisingly cooperated with her thoughts. The nerves that had been damaged by drugs had healed, and her memories began to unfold before her once again.
While waiting for Gu Ze, she learned the exact location of the secret passage.
This was an unexpected delight. Just moments ago, she had been trapped in that hidden place, which had allowed Shen Shen to take advantage of her and escape. Yet at this seemingly hopeless moment, the specific location of the secret passage came to her mind.
"So you had already told me."
Xu Nuan's already complicated feelings became even more tangled.
It turned out that Qin Yaojie had revealed the location of the secret passage long ago, during the time he became irritable and started coming home late. It was when he was throwing tantrums and deliberately making phone calls in front of her to express his dissatisfaction. That secret had been shared with her long before; she had simply overlooked it due to her sadness and the confusion caused by her damaged nerves.
Though she didn't understand why her brain suddenly felt so sharp, she didn't dwell on it at this moment. Xu Nuan felt a flicker of relief at this news; all she needed now was for Gu Ze to find her. She could tell him about this discovery and then help him leave the game. As for Gu Ze's mission, she had sensed something about it long ago, hadn't she? If it truly was that kind of mission, she could complete it for him.
"Ze."
Hunger and fatigue, coldness and emotional exhaustion—Xu Nuan held on for a while in the deep night but ultimately succumbed to drowsiness. The wave of weariness washed over her mind, causing her to close her eyes and curl up beside the tree stump, gradually losing consciousness.
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