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墨書 Inktalez
A huge surprise descended upon Xu Nuan, causing her to stand at the entrance of the Supply Station in a daze, blocking the way for others trying to enter.
In this game, the only person capable of making Xu Nuan lose her composure like this was Gu Ze, and the feeling was mutual.
"Ze?"
Xu Nuan stood there, still holding the door open, her calm demeanor completely vanished. Her flustered state made the man watching her smile. She even felt an urge to rub her eyes, fearing that this was just a mirage. Meanwhile, He Min, who was also sitting in the living room, was entirely overlooked by her. Fortunately, He Min did not rise to assert her presence at that moment.
The few people standing behind Xu Nuan, who were initially confused, understood her behavior after hearing her call out Gu Ze's name. This was especially true for Chi Xiaoming, who had previously been forced to endure much of Gu Ze and Xu Nuan's affection during their earlier collaboration. Yet this time, as he understood and felt helpless, a hint of bitterness crept in, too fleeting for him to dwell on.
"It's me. You made it."
Gu Ze's response was simple but stirred an impulse in Xu Nuan to cry. In truth, when she received the antidote from Feng Feng earlier, she had been anxious and deeply unsettled by Gu Ze's absence. However, that unease had been buried beneath the pain that followed; she wasn't as composed or strong as she appeared. It was simply because Gu Ze wasn't by her side that she had to rely on herself to reach him.
At that moment, all her repressed emotions erupted. She understood what it meant to feel like a lifetime had passed in a single glance and what it felt like to reunite after a long separation—eyes brimming with tears yet smiling.
Various emotions surged within her, and Xu Nuan embraced them all; ultimately, only joy remained. Everything else faded into insignificance at that moment and would not occupy her thoughts.
The people behind her were perceptive enough not to complain and disrupt the warm atmosphere between Xu Nuan and Gu Ze.
As Gu Ze approached her, Xu Nuan pulled herself from her joy and focused on his abdomen.
It seemed Gu Ze had rushed to the Supply Station without changing his clothes; the bloodstains on his midsection had darkened significantly. The gash on his shirt was gruesome but familiar to Xu Nuan.
In the few seconds it took for Gu Ze to reach her, she quickly assessed him. Although she didn't see any bullet wounds, she still felt uneasy and planned to check him privately later.
Just then, Gu Ze walked over with a smile that carried a hint of helplessness. As he casually pulled Xu Nuan closer, he opened the door wider for others to enter the Supply Station.
Xu Nuan realized that she had been so immersed in her own emotions that she had blocked the path. Feeling a bit embarrassed, she noticed that Chi Xiaoming and the others didn’t even glance at her as they walked straight in, each finding a spot to sit and rest.
At the moment, only Xu Hang and Yu Yu were missing. The group wasn’t in a hurry; they continued to rest or chat casually while waiting for the two to return. After all, they had arrived at the Supply Station in several batches, so there was no rush.
Not feeling pressed for time, Xu Nuan pulled Gu Ze to a secluded corner to check his injuries.
Gu Ze only made a token effort to stop her, then looked at Xu Nuan with a fond expression, allowing her to fuss over him.
As Xu Nuan focused on examining him, she was unaware of Gu Ze watching her with a smile on his handsome face. His once deep-set starry eyes now sparkled like a vibrant sea of flowers, captivating anyone who gazed into them.
Meanwhile, in the living room, He Min had been preparing to greet Xu Nuan but hadn’t truly wanted to at that moment. She struggled to control her trembling hands after her earlier encounter with Gu Ze. Although he appeared gentle and didn’t press her for details, she still broke out in a cold sweat, and her anxious heart hadn’t settled since. Choosing to interact with Xu Nuan was merely an attempt to use her as a buffer against Gu Ze’s suspicions; in He Min’s eyes, Xu Nuan’s abilities paled in comparison to Gu Ze’s.
However, it seemed she wouldn’t have that opportunity now.
He Min withdrew her gaze, her previously murky eyes dimming further. After contemplating for a moment, she stood up and left. Just as she exited, her expression sharpened significantly, determination flickering in her eyes.
At that moment, Xu Nuan was too focused on Gu Ze to notice any of this. Once Gu Ze appeared in her line of sight, all the thoughts she had previously considered—like observing He Min and Yu Yu or trying to ease the tension between Gu Ze and Xu Hang—vanished from her mind. Even her suspicions about Feng Feng were forgotten. These thoughts only surfaced when she was calm and rational; after encountering Gu Ze, rationality slipped away.
There is always someone who makes you disregard everything else, letting go of all concerns as you hastily embrace the unknown.
Though Xu Nuan hadn’t consciously thought this phrase, her actions proved it true—this was something she had dismissed after breaking up with Qin Yaojie when faced with all sorts of schemes alone.
Since meeting Gu Ze, she often found herself doing things that contradicted her previous beliefs, and she didn’t mind at all.
“I really misjudged you; you weren’t shot after all.”
Xu Nuan let out a long sigh of relief as the weight that had hung over her heart finally lifted.
At that moment, she happened to look up and met Gu Ze's gaze. The emotions contained in his eyes made her unconsciously smile. After several honest conversations, she had come to accept Gu Ze's feelings with ease. What she wanted to do seriously was to convey her own feelings to him.
"You're silly. If I hadn't figured this out, how could I dare to let you be alone?"
Gu Ze's voice was light, almost ethereal, which startled Xu Nuan into immediately grabbing his hand. Feeling the warmth of his skin calmed her a little. It was then that she understood the deeper meaning behind Gu Ze's words; he believed that for her sake, he must not get into trouble. Without him, who would protect her?
A warmth surged in her chest, an unspoken sense of gratitude and understanding flowing through her heart.
"Exactly, that's what I think too."
In truth, even when she first got together with Gu Ze, she believed that there would be no place for her in his future and that she would ultimately fall in the game due to her quest for revenge. This stemmed from her deep-seated fear of the game's Mastermind, as well as a lack of trust in herself and a pessimistic outlook on their relationship's outcome. However, as time passed and after enduring numerous trials and near-death experiences together, she began to entertain the idea of escaping the game with Gu Ze. It was precisely because he was by her side that she no longer felt the Mastermind was unbeatable.
As these thoughts blossomed within her, she didn't even realize how tenderly she looked at Gu Ze, her gaze soft enough to draw tears—something that would have been impossible for the old Xu Nuan.
The two exchanged glances, the atmosphere warm and intimate.
"But," just as their mood was becoming increasingly pleasant, Xu Nuan spoke again, "you could have discussed this with me first."
There wasn't much blame in Xu Nuan's words; she simply didn't want to experience that anxious feeling again. She knew that if Gu Ze had informed her earlier, it wouldn't have reduced the worries and concerns she had—both would have added significant burdens on her shoulders. Now that she had taken the antidote and endured through it all, her positive transformation could help Gu Ze.
"It's not that I didn't want to tell you."
Seeing Xu Nuan's expression of lingering fear from memories past brought a pang of pain to Gu Ze's heart. Yet more than that was a steadfast determination—to complete their mission and lead Xu Nuan toward a different future.
"It was just that someone appeared unexpectedly at that moment; I acted on impulse. However, knowing about He Jun's appearance and needing to deal with him was something I had confirmed long before."
Xu Nuan blurted out a name.
“Li Xiangke?”
Originally, according to Feng Feng's plan, Gu Ze intended to push He Jun off the cliff while also dealing with Li Xiangke, who had been helping Zhang Xiao. However, now that Li Xiangke had become an unexpected variable in Gu Ze's scheme, it raised the question of whether Feng Feng had seen through Gu Ze's intentions in that instant or if Feng Feng was aware of something else entirely.
Trust and suspicion always walk hand in hand. In the beginning, no matter what He Min did, Xu Nuan would never doubt her. Yet now, even though Feng Feng was practically her savior, she couldn't help but feel suspicious of him. The source of this distinction lay in the truth gradually surfacing and the time she had spent getting to know these two individuals.
“What did Feng Feng say to you?”
While Xu Nuan was deep in thought, Gu Ze lowered his voice to ask. Although his expression remained unchanged, Xu Nuan noticed the subtle shift in his emotions, which left her feeling puzzled and somewhat uneasy.
“What? Is there something wrong with Feng Feng?”
Xu Nuan needed to clarify this matter first. Only by understanding it could she prepare appropriate words for other discussions with Gu Ze, such as her taking the antidote. Even though she hadn’t been in a good state at the time, she could still glean information from Feng Feng's words.
Xu Nuan wanted to take control of the conversation moving forward; it was a habit she had always maintained. However, she failed to analyze Gu Ze's previous question. Had she been more attentive, she would have realized that Gu Ze also wanted to take charge of the dialogue. If she had known this, she would have understood that Gu Ze was hiding other matters from her just as she was concealing certain things from him.
A brief silence fell between them, and the warm atmosphere they had shared moments ago dissipated.
But soon enough, Gu Ze feigned ease and used a few casual remarks to alleviate the sudden awkwardness while explaining the basis for his collaboration with Feng Feng.
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