Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Life, aging, illness, and death are common occurrences in the world. Each person has their own pursuits throughout their lifetime, but in the moment of facing death, do they not all yearn for someone to remember them? After all, being remembered is what truly signifies that one has lived in this world.
So, was Guo Dafu remembered?
At this moment, Xu Nuan witnessed his death. Would this scene be etched in her memory for a lifetime? Or did she have enough life left to remember him?
Xu Nuan did not know how to answer her own questions. All she could do was sit atop the high cliff, with the blizzard as her backdrop and the snow-covered ground as her blanket, wide-eyed and staring intently at the scene below.
Crimson blood stained the ground, creating a vivid contrast against the pure white snow. The combination of crimson and white formed a beautiful landscape amidst the blizzard. However, at the center of this scenery lay a corpse—a fat, silent body.
When Xu Nuan was drawn to the strange sounds, Guo Dafu was already dead. She only caught a glimpse of two Snow Leopards hastily leaving the scene. Rather than questioning why the Snow Leopards had killed Guo Dafu instead of consuming him as food, Xu Nuan felt a greater shock at witnessing yet another Player die before her eyes.
Her desire to find Guo Dafu to confirm certain suspicions paled in comparison to these feelings.
The image of that corpse was deeply imprinted in her mind, rooted in her memory. Yet Xu Nuan still could not guarantee that she would remember Guo Dafu. Memory is always cruel and sorrowful. It tends to forget precious moments and yearns for them only after they are lost.
Snowflakes gradually covered Guo Dafu's body, slowly burying the crimson stains. Xu Nuan began to feel a churn in her stomach; she couldn't tell if it was from falling onto the snow or from seeing the corpse.
Ultimately, she could only lean over in the snow and dry heave, her desire to vomit intermittently interrupted by coughing. As tears threatened to fall from her eyes, Xu Nuan thought of Dai Zhengyan—the Politician who had left no trace of his body behind.
She also thought of Zhao Xi—the gentle yet proud man who would surely choose to end his own life before becoming a water ghost. And now, before her lay Guo Dafu's lifeless form.
Xu Nuan coughed heavily, as if trying to expel her very insides. The saline tears that trickled down her cheeks froze instantly against her skin in the polar temperatures, only to melt slowly due to her body heat and slide down again.
"Why did I come into this game?"
Xu Nuan's broken voice was filled with doubt. The initially pure intention of wanting to retrieve her ex-boyfriend had finally become unbearable after witnessing three deaths.
The fragile, weak heart of youth could hardly bear the weight of three lives. The pressure from her soul and the pain in her body filled Xu Nuan with an impulse to jump off this cliff.
"Ah, this game is truly tormenting."
"Physical torment, mental torment; I would rather choose the former."
It was like the sound of glass shattering, utterly unbearable, akin to the wailing of branches in the cold wind, all sorrowful, like—no, it was the purest form of crying.
"I just want to sleep, to fall into a quiet slumber."
Xu Nuan's voice grew softer and softer until it was barely audible.
She had lost track of how long she had been sitting in the snow, unable to remember anything or anyone. She forgot what she had originally planned to do; her stiff and numb body could not move, and she gradually lost strength and sensation.
"Xu Nuan!"
"Xu Nuan, where are you? If you can hear me, respond!"
Xu Nuan's frozen fingers twitched slightly.
The voice calling for her drew closer, yet she remained hunched over on the ground, her head buried in her knees.
Her body could not move, but the heart that longed for sleep began to awaken.
She heard hurried footsteps, heavy thuds crunching on the snow.
Suddenly, she felt a pair of hands resting on her shoulders. Even without looking up, she knew those deep brown eyes were shimmering with something.
"Xu Nuan, are you okay? Don't just sit here; you'll freeze."
It was Gu Ze's voice. Xu Nuan felt the coldness at the corners of her eyes once more, ignoring the approaching footsteps that drew closer. A faint sound escaped her throat.
"I'm fine; that person has a problem."
Xu Nuan struggled to lift her hand but stopped midway in the air.
Following the direction of her hand, Gu Ze saw Guo Dafu, still partially covered by snowflakes. As his pupils constricted sharply, he grasped Xu Nuan's halted hand firmly, warmth gradually spreading from her fingers to her heart.
"Don't look; there's no need to."
Gu Ze's voice rang softly in her ear, low and imbued with his unique tenderness.
"This isn't your responsibility, nor will it be your ending."
It was like a close friend whispering, filled with unmasked confidence and an unyielding dominance that wouldn't be dismissed.
"Gu Ze."
Xu Nuan tried to move her lips, but her barely audible voice was drowned out by the screams of others arriving.
"Ah, isn't that Guo Dafu?" Deng Yinyin's scream pierced through the air.
"How did he die?" Tang Jingshu's voice trembled with fear.
"You should ask her. She looks like she has something to hide," Xie Huai questioned.
Xu Nuan remained silent, while Gu Ze, sensing her coldness, took both of her hands in his. Before doing this, he had already pulled Xu Nuan into his embrace.
Deng Yinyin, coming back to her senses, wanted to step forward and separate them but hesitated due to her earlier argument with Gu Ze, halting her movements.
Xu Hang glanced at the shallow footprints near Guo Dafu's body and calmly answered Xie Huai's question.
"He was attacked by a Snow Leopard. But he had done enough wrong; such an end was inevitable."
Upon hearing this, Xu Nuan shivered slightly. Her body, which had begun to warm up, started to move again as she gently pushed Gu Ze away. After softly thanking him, she turned to Tang Jingshu, who was covering her mouth in continued terror, and spoke in a cool voice.
"Tang Jingshu, could you help me up? My body feels a bit stiff."
Xu Nuan slowly revealed a smile that appeared as if she were about to cry in Tang Jingshu's eyes.
"Okay... sure."
Tang Jingshu temporarily set aside her fear and hurriedly reached out to pull Xu Nuan up. When she saw Xu Nuan struggling to bend down and rub her knees, she couldn't help but assist her and sighed.
"It's so cold. How long have you been sitting here? Don't do this next time."
Her tone was completely that of someone admonishing a younger sibling.
As Xu Nuan straightened her body completely, the turmoil in her stomach did not cease. She could imagine how terrible her complexion must look right now, and she noticed two scorching gazes fixed upon her. The intensity of that heat was unbearable.
The moment of decision was approaching. Xu Nuan still wanted to curve her lips into a smile, but this time, she failed. She silently turned away from the Cliff and headed towards the mountain peak. She dared not look back at Gu Ze's expression, directly ignoring Xu Hang's hesitation and disregarding Deng Yinyin's dissatisfied shouts.
A lonely path.
A path made solitary by the desire to find Qin Yaojie. She had left behind her parents, friends, and work, continuously giving up in the game, growing colder with each passing moment—all for a man.
Do not let her harbor thoughts of hatred.
Do not let her give up.
Do not let her feel guilt.
Countless thoughts surged against the barrier of Rationality, limbs climbing in twisted arcs as the desires clawed their way up from the abyss, revealing grinning faces. All hidden matters were buried beneath these feelings.
The atmosphere among the six who gathered again grew awkward. Tang Jingshu's attempts to mediate ended in failure without anyone supporting her, ultimately returning to silence.
They all misunderstood the so-called mountain movement; after successive avalanches, no one dared to suggest resting. Instead, they pressed on towards the summit, believing that once they reached the top, they would surely find the Special Tree on the other side. They would leave this place; it was an unspoken conviction.
During another night of rest, as Xu Nuan packed her belongings repeatedly, it slightly calmed her tumultuous heart. But when she turned around, she saw Tang Jingshu huddled with her arms crossed over her chest.
"What's wrong?"
Xu Nuan walked over to Tang Jingshu and draped the fallen blanket over her. When she noticed Tang Jingshu nervously biting her lip and sweat trickling down her temples, she realized that she had asked a superfluous question.
Unconsciously, her hand rested on Tang Jingshu's shoulder, gently patting it, and a soft voice flowed out, like the warm sun on a winter day.
"Forget it. That's not something to remember. After a good sleep, we can continue to clear the levels. That's what we should remember."
As Xu Nuan's words fell, Tang Jingshu suddenly threw herself into her embrace. The fallen blanket stirred up the little dust in the cave, and a sobbing sound rose from below. Xu Nuan realized that all she could do was to pat Tang Jingshu lightly, trying to comfort her.
Recalling that there was another girl present at that moment, Xu Nuan began searching for Deng Yinyin's figure in the cave and found her laughing with Xu Hang, completely unaffected by the earlier scene. However, upon noticing Xu Nuan's gaze, Deng Yinyin shot her a fierce glare.
Xu Nuan felt a bit confused; her bewildered eyes met Gu Ze's gaze across the way, which immediately deepened, hiding the restlessness beneath it well.
Forcing a smile, Xu Nuan withdrew her gaze and focused on the ground, her hands still moving.
If this were a dream, how wonderful it would be. When she woke up, she would still be the office worker Xu Nuan, worrying about salary raises, feeling happy about friends' arrivals, and enjoying her boyfriend's occasional romantic gestures.
And in her memories, that man with the scent of sunshine and grass stood on the cobblestone path lined with blooming roses, waiting for her return.
Is this a dream?
No.
The warm breath of Tang Jingshu against her chest, the coldness of the cave wall behind her, the painful wounds, the stabbing ache in her heart, heavy breathing, and numb feet all told her that this was not a dream.
Comment 0 Comment Count