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墨書 Inktalez
"Are you familiar with that shadow?"
Suppressing the bone-deep longing, Xu Nuan forced herself to maintain a semblance of calm.
"Nuan?"
He Min's face showed a moment of shock, quickly followed by a frown.
"Are you doubting me?"
Now it was Xu Nuan's turn to be taken aback. Her intention in asking this question was to find out if an acquaintance was watching them. When He Min had thrown her aside to chase after that shadow, she hadn't doubted He Min at all. But now, she felt some suspicion towards He Min; He Min knew that person.
Gu Ze had told her before that regardless of who it was, anyone who did something wrong or lied would eventually reveal their true colors. This wasn't about guilt but rather that a person who had done something would think and act based on that action. Conversely, someone unaware would think and act as if that action had never occurred. The contrast between the two would create contradictions, and those contradictions were clues.
Analyzing He Min through Gu Ze's words led to two conclusions. First, He Min knew that person, though their relationship remained unclear; given this momentum, He Min wouldn't be lying. Second, He Min was suspicious of her; although it was unclear what the suspicion pertained to, the word "doubt" had emerged between them.
After that brief moment of shock, Xu Nuan's expression returned to calm as she quietly regarded He Min.
A calm and composed gaze can easily make others feel guilty, and He Min quickly changed her tone.
"I saw that shadow was a man; from a distance, he looked somewhat familiar. However, it was too dark to see his face clearly, so I couldn't fully confirm his identity."
Acknowledging the first point while concealing the second—truly a skillful teacher.
However, once spoken, words could not be taken back; the seeds of doubt planted would begin to take root and sprout. If it were so easy to return to the past, there wouldn't be so many regrets.
Xu Nuan's unchanging expression prompted He Min to quickly add a few more words.
"Although I didn't see who that person was clearly, I did see him enter that house and then disappear. So the mechanism must be inside that house."
Xu Nuan had already been prompted by that eye to believe He Min's words, but she still needed to confirm it once more.
"I know, just wait for me a moment, I need to do something."
Xu Nuan finally softened her expression, gently pulling her hand away from He Min's grasp and walking toward a nearby taller building. She had noticed upon entering the town that many of the houses had ladders leading up to their roofs, and the roofs themselves had a steep angle, making them relatively flat.
The confusion she felt back then had now turned into clarity.
As she climbed the rickety wooden ladder that looked like it could break at any moment, Xu Nuan glanced at He Min out of the corner of her eye.
It wasn't worry; it was indifference.
A sudden pang of pain shot through her heart. As Xu Nuan continued to climb, she stole a few more glances at He Min, only to find that she wasn’t looking at her but rather gazing into an empty alleyway. That indifferent expression wasn’t directed at her.
Though the heartache lessened, it was replaced by a profound sense of loss. Xu Nuan pressed her lips together, trying her best not to let He Min's expression affect her.
When she reached the roof, Xu Nuan surveyed the arrangement of all the houses in the town. Indeed, they resembled the shape of that eye. The key focus was on the eyeball of that eye; Xu Nuan scanned around until her gaze landed on one particular house.
Next, she just needed to confirm whether the place He Min would take her to was indeed that house. If it matched, then wouldn’t the person who left in a hurry have helped them? How should she define that person's identity?
As she hurried down from the roof, He Min stood in place without approaching her. The faint air of detachment surrounding her made Xu Nuan pause, and the words she wanted to say got stuck in her throat.
Even though He Min's attitude towards her hadn’t changed much while they were together, once they were apart, her cold demeanor became evident. Xu Nuan had thought about this long ago but never delved deeper; she merely assumed He Min was tired and had grown suspicious and distrustful due to this game. She felt the same way and thought it natural for He Min to change like this. Yet, she shamelessly believed that her relationship with He Min was special.
While Xu Nuan hesitated, He Min spoke up.
"You must have your own thoughts now?"
"However, let's go check that place first."
She was very familiar with the curve of He Min's lips and the tone of her voice. The more she realized this, the more Xu Nuan regretted not noticing He Min's changes earlier. If she had, perhaps they could have salvaged their relationship sooner, instead of being so close yet so distant now.
"Okay."
Xu Nuan walked to He Min's side, but before she could walk alongside her, He Min had already turned and walked ahead.
It dawned on her that the He Min who used to linger at the back of the crowd like her had started to prefer walking at the front, almost like a leader.
A wave of bitterness washed over Xu Nuan. She lowered her head and silently mocked herself for still being sentimental at a time like this; she felt utterly lacking in urgency.
Trying to pull herself together, Xu Nuan blinked and looked up to catch up with He Min. After taking a few steps, she turned back to glance at the alley where He Min had been staring earlier; it was still empty.
What had He Min been looking at?
Another question took root in her mind.
The house that He Min had tracked down was the same one Xu Nuan had deduced. Upon entering, Xu Nuan found it to be an ordinary house, its layout similar to the first one she had entered.
"Strange, he disappeared shortly after coming in. Where exactly is the exit?"
Once inside, He Min began searching for the so-called exit. The confusion on her face seemed genuine, not feigned. Xu Nuan took a steady look around before speaking up.
"...Stop looking. I know how to get out of here."
The affectionate term she used to call He Min suddenly felt impossible to utter. Xu Nuan was surprised by her own reaction; it seemed that He Min's previous words and expressions had affected her more than she realized.
But He Min did not notice Xu Nuan's subtle pause; instead, she looked up in slight surprise, her eyes sparkling with genuine emotion.
"What do we need to do to get out of here?"
He Min strode over directly.
Xu Nuan couldn't tell if He Min's behavior was intentional. Whenever she began to doubt He Min's actions, He Min would display the most authentic reactions and attitudes, forcing her to suppress those doubts and treat He Min normally. She instinctively resisted the notion that He Min was acting. She believed in their bond, firmly convinced that the friendship they had established before entering the game remained unchanged, and that the genuine support they offered each other within the game would not dissipate. It was this attachment that made it difficult for her to let go of the few truths she held onto.
"Close your eyes for five minutes, then open them."
"What?"
He Min, approaching, gasped and raised an eyebrow at Xu Nuan. Familiar with her, Xu Nuan recognized this as a sign of suspicion from He Min and hastily explained a bit.
"The clue is in the first room; a mark once appeared on the Flower Board, and it lasted about five minutes from when it appeared to when it disappeared."
Xu Nuan felt somewhat exhausted, burdened by an uncontrollable craving akin to a drug addiction, which she only noticed after being alone with He Min. She didn’t elaborate further on this clue.
Without Gu Ze, who always captured her full attention, Xu Nuan began to observe others. This time alone gave her the opportunity to watch He Min, leading her to some ambiguous and somewhat disappointing conclusions; however, it was far from the moment of their falling out.
"Indeed, only warmth can notice such details."
He Min sighed and added,
"But this mechanism is quite considerate; it actually provides such crucial information. Isn’t the purpose of the mechanism to gamble away all of the Player's options?"
Xu Nuan thought He Min was asking her and hurriedly glanced over to explain but found He Min had closed her eyes, a faint smile playing on her lips, as if mocking yet lacking much significance.
Upon realizing the situation, Xu Nuan closed her eyes, but a thought emerged in her mind: He Min's perspective on the game had changed.
This game would not block the path of ordinary Second Batch Players; at least, the unseen founder would not gamble on it, unless there was another faction within the game. However, based on Xu Nuan's current discoveries, there did not seem to be such a faction.
Previously, when she was with He Min and Yu Hao, He Min was very enthusiastic about finding flaws in each level and successfully clearing them. At that time, Xu Nuan felt out of place and envied He Min's attitude. But now, He Min's stance had undergone a complete reversal; she seemed to believe that this game was designed to lead Players to their deaths, with all the traps meant to force Players into a corner to face death. This was not the case; at least the Tail Ring in the hands of the Third Batch of Players proved that the game hoped for someone to walk out alive.
Something must have happened before she reunited with He Min, during the time she was entangled with Gu Ze and neglected He Min. During that time, something must have changed regarding He Min, and it was also something she had missed.
Xu Nuan was grateful that her eyes were closed at this moment, preventing anyone from noticing the turmoil beneath her calm exterior. She needed to do something to make up for this oversight.
When she opened her eyes again, her vision was blurry. She could vaguely see that they were in a very bright place, different from the dim town they had been in before.
They had left that town!
As this realization dawned on Xu Nuan, a genuine joy spread across her face. She rubbed her eyes, eager to know where they currently were when she heard a familiar voice.
“Xu Nuan? He Min? What are you doing here? Wait, how did you appear?”
It was Xie Huai's voice.
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