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No matter how cold-hearted Xu Nuan felt, what she needed to do now was simply to trust Feng Feng or not trust him.
However, believing was easier said than done. What she could confirm at this moment was that Feng Feng was the one who had been watching her from the shadows without causing her any harm. In this situation, Gu Ze was aware that Feng Feng was nearby but showed no particular reaction. Suddenly, she recalled Gu Ze's strange expression after he returned from being out for just a few minutes last night. Could it be that Feng Feng had a task in the shadows to provide information to Gu Ze?
Xu Nuan's mind was in a whirl. She knew that Feng Feng was lurking in the dark and that Gu Ze knew about it too, but she couldn't guarantee that Feng Feng and Gu Ze were working together. Yet, Chi Xiaoming knew Feng Feng's identity, and for now, Chi Xiaoming was allied with Gu Ze.
The connections were there, but human intentions remained uncertain.
"Did you meet with Ze last night?"
Xu Nuan first glanced at Chi Xiaoming's expression, but he remained expressionless, leaving her unable to gauge his thoughts. She had no choice but to probe Feng Feng with her questions one by one. However, time had passed, and her strength was gradually returning; she could climb the hill again. Yet, she couldn't deny that she no longer had the fighting spirit to do so.
"I met him and shared some information."
From beginning to end, Feng Feng maintained his distance from Xu Nuan, responding calmly to all her questions and doubts. However, in his eyes—which did not match his calm demeanor—there were occasional flashes of depth.
These flashes mirrored the profound gaze in Chi Xiaoming's eyes. If one were an observer, they would surely notice the tacit understanding between the two and catch a whiff of conspiracy. Unfortunately for Xu Nuan, she was caught in the middle of it all and was troubled by Gu Ze's fall from the cliff. Moreover, Feng Feng's words about becoming a zombie if there was no antidote truly frightened her.
Initially, Xu Nuan had been unafraid of life and death in the game; after all, she had nothing to lose except her life. But when she wanted to stay by Gu Ze's side, she began to feel discontented. In moments of crisis, her desire to survive and continue advancing became intertwined with her feelings for Gu Ze. She never explicitly stated this; instead, she quietly stayed by Gu Ze's side, proving everything through her actions.
Suddenly, she remembered times in the desert when she seemed unable to control her body and felt as if her consciousness did not belong to her anymore. However, she had dismissed it as mere exhaustion. After all, she first heard about Feng Feng before recalling those incidents; it was easy to let suspicion cloud her judgment.
But if that initial impression could be misleading, then what about those times in the desert when she almost succumbed to an overwhelming desire? The feeling of craving something unattainable was agonizing; she still vividly remembered those moments.
With this thought in mind, she couldn't help but look directly at Feng Feng again. What she saw reflected back from his eyes was understanding.
If she chose to trust Feng Feng at this moment, what would be the outcome?
She didn't care about her own interests; what she wanted to know were the implications concerning Gu Ze.
"What information?"
Xu Nuan swallowed hard; her palms were sweaty and sticky with anxiety, intensifying her nervousness.
At that moment, Feng Feng took a few steps forward, closing the distance between them. Surprisingly, Xu Nuan did not become more vigilant as a result. Now both Feng Feng and Chi Xiaoming could tell that Xu Nuan was starting to believe some of what Feng Feng said.
"The movements of the two," Feng Feng replied calmly, noticing that Chi Xiaoming suddenly seemed interested in the nearby bushes but not giving it much thought. "This is another reason why I remain in the shadows. Not only can I track others' whereabouts and ambush them at the right moment, but I can also act as an intermediary for those who are indecisive."
Xu Nuan suddenly recalled something Gu Ze had mentioned when he confided in her about part of the truth. In the incident involving Ning Han and Yang Mingyue, Gu Ze had utilized those wavering Second Batch Players. This meant that Feng Feng's involvement came even earlier; Gu Ze had contacted Feng Feng long before.
How did Gu Ze notice Feng Feng? This was another question in Xu Nuan's mind, but for now, she waited for Feng Feng to continue. Time had already been delayed for quite a while, and she didn't mind waiting a little longer.
"Gu Ze recently asked me to closely monitor the movements of two individuals: one is He Jun, who appears in the early morning, and the other is the designer Li Xiangke."
"Gu really knows that He Jun would show up."
Xu Nuan felt a moment of disappointment. So, Gu Ze's actions were indeed intended for He Jun's benefit. However, Gu Ze hadn't discussed any of this with her beforehand; she had pieced it together from her own judgments and what others had said. Chi Xiaoming's previous assessment of Gu Ze was quite accurate—Gu Ze never undertook actions without certainty.
"I understand why he wants to deal with He Jun," Xu Nuan said, pushing aside her disappointment and continuing to ask, "But who is this Li Xiangke?"
Xu Nuan initially thought that Feng Feng would continue to answer her readily, but instead, Feng Feng simply looked at her deeply without saying a word.
At that moment, a cooler breeze swept through the Mountain Stream, and they could faintly hear birds chirping from the bushes. Compared to the previous jungle, this environment was much more pleasant and suited for couples to stroll and chat. Yet now, one half of the couple was missing, leaving no enthusiasm at all.
"Is there something wrong with what I said?"
Xu Nuan felt uneasy about Feng Feng's prolonged silence and found herself doubting herself for once, unconsciously glancing at Chi Xiaoming.
Chi Xiaoming had no obligation to reassure her; moreover, strictly speaking, he was merely collaborating with Gu Ze. To him, Xu Nuan was just a secondary character.
Not receiving an answer from Chi Xiaoming, Xu Nuan ultimately got a response from Feng Feng.
"Hmph."
Feng Feng first let out a light laugh before turning to Xu Nuan, a hint of displeasure flashing across his face.
"You don't know him."
Xu Nuan was well aware of who this 'him' referred to, and her unease deepened further.
"He is indeed eager to deal with He Jun because He Jun wants to kill you."
Feng Feng seemed to be standing up for Gu Ze, yet it also felt like a lament for how much Gu Ze had done for Xu Nuan in secret, while Xu Nuan was doubting those who were helping Gu Ze.
"Assassins are not easy to cultivate. More precisely, it's quite difficult to send an assassin under the nose of the game's founder."
Feng Feng appeared to have a lot of understanding.
"What I mean is, if Gu Ze can successfully eliminate He Jun, there won't be anyone in the First Batch of Players who simply wants to kill you. In the Second Batch of Players, the remaining assassins will definitely not exceed three, and their strength will certainly be below that of He Jun. At that point, there will be no power left that can threaten you within this faction."
"You also know about Another Founder?"
Xu Nuan, feeling flustered, only grasped a few key phrases.
"So you are the main person in charge? Do you know who that person is?"
Xu Nuan shouted this out in excitement, enough to show the deep impression this founder had left on her.
"I was given a suggestion; I don't know who he is."
Feng Feng answered calmly as usual.
"The main person in charge of my sector is Cheng Ling, and he is already dead."
Seeing Xu Nuan's eyes dim instantly, Feng Feng chuckled lightly.
"Is that all your reaction to what I just said?"
Feng Feng's smile was too dazzling, making Xu Nuan feel uncomfortable. Before she could say anything, Feng Feng continued.
"I thought you would be moved by how much Gu Ze has done for you behind the scenes. After all, he is constantly putting himself in danger while ensuring you remain unharmed."
Noticing Xu Nuan's increasingly shaken expression, Feng Feng added softly.
"You think I accompanied you over the cliff for no reason? It's simply because Gu Ze's first request of me was to prioritize your safety at all times and in all places. In that situation, he took the risk himself, so it was up to me to come down and protect you."
Xu Nuan had not fully processed Feng Feng's words when Chi Xiaoming, who had been silent until now, added a comment.
"His first requirement for me in our collaboration was the same."
Xu Nuan stood there in a daze, speechless. Her heart was tumultuous, and her eyes were stormy. The overwhelming emotions made it hard for her to breathe.
She knew very well that Gu Ze had done many things for her. Before she had expressed her feelings for him, he had already taken numerous actions on her behalf, and now he was doing even more. Especially after the incident with Shen Shen, Gu Ze had resolutely decided to become a man of action, rarely speaking sweet words anymore. This had happened so many times that she had come to think it was only natural for Gu Ze to act this way, and she found herself less moved by his efforts.
In fact, there had been times when she secretly resented Gu Ze for his secrecy. But soon after, due to her trust in him, she chose not to ask questions. At that time, she felt quite pleased with her understanding, while everything compared to Gu Ze's actions seemed trivial.
Not only had she held Gu Ze back, but she also often pushed him into dangerous situations. If her body were normal and she still possessed her skills and extraordinary calmness, would things have escalated to this point?
Or perhaps if she hadn't been with Gu Ze, would he have repeatedly found himself in perilous situations?
Xu Nuan's emotional turmoil was evident; her once calm face could no longer maintain its composure. Immersed in guilt and confusion, she failed to notice the exchanged glance between Feng Feng and Chi Xiaoming.
And if she had noticed, she wouldn't have made her choice so readily; she would have realized sooner that their words were steering her toward a singular option. But in this world, there are no such "ifs."
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