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墨書 Inktalez
The clear blue sky stretched above, with white clouds drifting lazily. In the distance, the occasional black backs of snow-capped mountains peeked through, their white peaks glowing brilliantly under the sunlight, as if guiding them forward. Nearby, vast expanses of snow lay untouched, beneath which layers of ice had formed over the years, creating glaciers. Within these glaciers, Ice Lakes could appear at any moment, dotted with floating ice. The surface of the blue lake sparkled with flecks of white, almost blinding at first glance. Sometimes, near the snowdrifts, there would be ice caves—deep and unfathomable; a fall into one could mean an eternal slumber alongside the glacier.
The cold wind howled, whipping up the snow on the ground and sending icy particles stinging against their faces.
In the distance, Xu Nuan and her companions appeared as small black dots against the white landscape, moving slowly toward an unknown horizon.
Initially, Xu Nuan had worried that they might encounter fierce animals like snow wolves or bears right away. However, after walking for a while without seeing any wildlife at all, it felt as if they were the only living beings in this expanse of lifeless white snow.
In this place, no matter how many layers one wore, the cold seeped in until it numbed them completely, forcing them to drag their heavy feet forward without feeling.
Regarding the harmless gaze she sensed last night, Xu Nuan had subtly asked Gu Ze if he felt anything unusual. His answer was a firm no. She hesitated for a moment but chose not to press further.
Not speaking did not mean she wasn't thinking. She trusted Gu Ze and believed he would not harm her; however, she was also curious about his intentions. If he was unable to share details with her, she would speculate on her own—perhaps she could be of help at a crucial moment.
The path ahead remained a vast expanse of white, and the biting wind showed no signs of letting up. The group quickly grew weary and wanted to rest. Xu Hang did not push them; he allowed them to take a break where they stood. In truth, he was also feeling drained. Most importantly, he was aware that they were moving forward based on clues provided by Gu Ze. If Gu Ze's guidance proved ineffective, his disappointment would be doubled.
Thinking along these lines, Xu Hang glanced deliberately at Gu Ze and noticed that he was simply sitting next to Xu Nuan without offering any opinions on their journey. Humans tend to develop negative emotions, especially after putting in significant effort without reward. For instance, after walking for so long without encountering any living creatures aside from Special Tree, someone like Deng Yinyin would likely start complaining openly and radiate negativity. Similarly, someone like He Min would wear a gloomy expression and remain silent about her displeasure. From his observations, Gu Ze rarely displayed such emotions anymore; most of his emotional outbursts were triggered by Xu Nuan. When there were no conflicts between them, Gu Ze became an unflappable presence—his thoughts and plans buried deep within him.
Gu Ze always gave Xu Hang the impression that everything was under his control while others could not glean any hints from his expression. Such a man was truly formidable. It had been a long time since Xu Hang felt this way; he could no longer decipher Gu Ze's thoughts. It seemed that in this game, they had unknowingly grown distant from each other.
However, trust was a rare and precious commodity in this game—whether it was him or Gu Ze or anyone else—their ability to move forward together depended on the level of trust between them. As he pondered this distance and trust issue, Xu Hang unconsciously looked toward Deng Yinyin who was complaining to Xie Huai; this woman whom he had once considered like a sister had also become estranged from him as she began to trust Xie Huai more.
With a slight sigh, Xu Hang withdrew his gaze and adjusted his collar.
As soon as Xu Hang looked away, Xu Nuan sitting beside Gu Ze turned to him in surprise. She caught sight of the immovable Gu Ze and a flicker of doubt crossed her eyes but ultimately said nothing.
The peaceful atmosphere of their group was shattered when their midday break ended; Chi Xiaoming had yet to return after wandering off for some time. Under Xu Hang's direction, Xu Nuan and the others searched around their resting spot. In the icy landscape, their voices carried far; they spread out in different directions calling for Chi Xiaoming but received no response.
"Do you think he might have discovered some Hidden Level or something and left us behind?" Deng Yinyin suggested first with a pout of dissatisfaction evident in her eyes filled with complaints.
"It’s also possible that Chi Xiaoming has gone too far and hasn’t been able to return in time."
He Min was the second to propose a possibility, glancing at Yu Yu for confirmation.
Yu Yu shook her head, her deep-set eyes revealing no hint of emotional fluctuation.
" Chi Xiaoming is not someone who lacks discretion. He is meticulous and plans everything carefully; even if he goes out for a walk, he would calculate the time it takes to come back."
"Then he couldn’t have gone very far at all. He must be able to hear our calls, but he doesn’t want to respond."
Xie Huai frowned, his skepticism only slightly less pronounced than Deng Yinyin's.
Xu Nuan first glanced at the silent Xu Hang and the indifferent Gu Ze before continuing.
"There are many ice caves in the glacier. If he fell into one, he might not be able to respond. In some areas, the snow is very deep; it might not be visible to the naked eye, and he could be buried."
In the past, if any one of them had gone missing, their reactions would have been completely different from now. They would first consider whether that person was in danger, analyzing layer by layer before contemplating whether that person had chosen to leave them behind.
Xu Nuan remembered when Tang Jingshu was still alive. They had once navigated a Survival Game related to volcanoes. After Tang Jingshu and Xie Huai went missing one after another, their concern turned into disappointment and anger before they ultimately chose to rescue them. Back then, everyone’s thoughts were so simple: escape this game and live to see their loved ones and friends again. However, as more Survival Games emerged and time passed, their perspectives changed. Deng Yinyin and the others no longer just wanted to survive; they aimed to win the prize before leaving. Perhaps they no longer resented being drawn into the game but were grateful for the opportunity to win a grand prize. Xu Nuan herself had initially sought answers from Qin Yaojie but later wanted to uncover the truth and destroy the game after learning part of it. Now, she hoped that both she and Gu Ze could survive and have a future together.
She realized that everyone around her had changed.
As Xu Nuan finished speaking, awkward expressions immediately appeared on the faces of the others before they quickly masked it with forced laughter.
"In that case, let’s keep searching. If we really can’t find him, we can’t just wait here indefinitely."
All eyes turned to Xu Hang, currently the most qualified person to make a decision.
Xu Nuan found Yu Yu’s reaction strange. Logically speaking, Yu Yu had been paired with Chi Xiaoming since entering the game until now; their bond was very strong. At the same time, while Yu Yu appeared gentle, she had an underlying pride and had never shown respect or submission towards Xu Hang before. It felt odd to see Yu Yu so naturally following He Min and Deng Yinyin in obeying Xu Hang now.
Indeed, Yu Yu was not sincere with He Min; rather, she was using He Min to integrate into their team, likely with the intention of accessing the prize through a secret passage and leaving the game.
If that were the case, she could no longer allow Yu Yu's actions to go unchecked.
Xu Nuan suddenly felt a surge of anger. The others, excluding Gu Ze, thought Xu Nuan was dissatisfied with what they had said earlier.
“Ahem,” Xu Hang cleared his throat a few times before speaking seriously. “Let’s search again. Everyone has their own way of keeping track of time. Let’s regroup here in an hour. Regardless of the outcome, we need to keep moving.”
At this point, no one objected. Two or three people formed groups and chose directions to search for Chi Xiaoming.
It wasn’t until the figures of the others disappeared from sight that Xu Nuan turned to Gu Ze, biting her lip as she quietly asked, “You know why he’s gone, don’t you?”
As Yu Yu had said, Chi Xiaoming was a very steady person. He had a broader perspective than Xu Hang and could endure; he would only explode at the right moment. Chi Xiaoming was an exceptional individual. For this reason, he would never casually leave the main group, nor would he even suggest wanting to step out for a bit. Their assumptions were all wrong.
From her observations, there seemed to be a transaction between Gu Ze and Chi Xiaoming, which meant Gu Ze was likely in the know.
“Nuan, don’t be so clever,” Gu Ze said without denying it, reaching out to pat Xu Nuan's head with a sigh.
“That way I won’t feel accomplished.”
Xu Nuan was taken aback, as if she understood something.
Zhang Xiao and the other first batch Second Batch Players had all praised her intelligence while simultaneously harming her. And indeed, because of this, she had learned many significant things that put her in danger.
Gu Ze had started helping her long ago and hoped she would focus her attention on him. Unfortunately, each time she managed to see through him in advance and undermine his efforts.
She understood that Gu Ze and Chi Xiaoming were making a deal for her sake.
Gu Ze, in fact, was very insecure.
And the source of that insecurity was herself.
Suddenly, her nose felt a bit sour, and her heart swelled with many emotions, the strongest of which was gratitude.
With nothing else in mind, Xu Nuan took a few steps forward and hugged Gu Ze, burying her head in his embrace.
"I've always thought you were amazing, exceptional. I’m not, but for a long time now, I've been watching you."
Now, every time she turned around or looked anywhere, the first person she saw was Gu Ze.
Gu Ze had always been watching her too, which allowed him to notice when something was wrong and to be the first to know when she was in danger, arriving just in time. She had also been secretly watching Gu Ze all along.
"I will always keep an eye on you, Ze."
"So, Ze, I want you to understand that if you are the only one bearing my life, I will feel unnecessary. I also want to bear your life."
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