I Really Want to Give You My Heart

Zhao Xun took one last look at the sleazy man lying on the ground, savoring the lingering pain on his face, before walking away without looking back.

It seemed the sleazy man was not all that powerful, either.

In that case, both the burly man and the sleazy man probably ranked near the bottom among the veteran players. Most likely, a shortage of points or something similar had forced them to participate in the Platform Game at the start of the month.

Tiantian, on the other hand, was an exception.

Judging by how effortlessly Tiantian handled everything, she did not seem short on points. She had simply chosen to participate in the Platform Game because she thought it would be fun.

She was not a problem in this game, but if they met again in the next one, Tiantian would be the person he most needed to watch out for.

If she became an opponent, she would be difficult to deal with.

While Sculpture comforted Ruby, Zhao Xun took his suitcase out of his Storage Slot and coated the tiny needle on his ring with poison again.

Once he was done, he walked over to Sculpture.

Sculpture gave Zhao Xun a grateful look. "A Shui, thank you so much! If it weren't for you, I don't know if I could have saved Ruby."

In Zhao Xun's plan, she had served as bait to draw all of the sleazy man's attention, allowing Zhao Xun to find an opening, get close, and launch a surprise attack.

Zhao Xun had never hidden the fact that he needed her to act as bait, and she had willingly agreed.

She knew perfectly well that without Zhao Xun, she could not have saved Ruby on her own.

As long as she could save Ruby, she was willing to do anything.

She was truly grateful to Zhao Xun and felt a strong urge to repay him.

As long as it was within her power, she wanted to do everything she could to repay Zhao Xun.

Zhao Xun smiled and asked gently, "Have you ever thought about leaving this town?"

Sculpture stared blankly at Zhao Xun, seemingly unsure what he meant.

Ruby, however, nodded, then shook her head. "I actually wanted to leave Nairui Town a long time ago, but... but the Duke's influence was too great. I had no way to leave. Even if I escaped somewhere else, I might run into someone who knew him and get dragged back."

"You don't need to worry about that anymore," Zhao Xun reassured her softly. "The Duke is dead."

Ruby blinked, looking bewildered, as though she had not understood what Zhao Xun was saying.

"It's true." Sculpture nodded emphatically and told Ruby, "I haven't had a chance to tell you yet, but the Duke seems to have been killed last night."

"Does that mean I'm free?" Ruby asked in disbelief.

"Yes, Ruby, you're free!" Sculpture gave Ruby a broad, delighted smile. "You never have to worry about the Duke dragging you back again!"

"I... I'm free..." Joy gradually spread across Ruby's face, and she could not help laughing.

As she laughed, tears welled up in her eyes again. "I'm finally free."

With a look of heartache, Sculpture hugged Ruby and patted her back comfortingly.

Ruby wiped away her tears. Her voice was a little choked, but she spoke firmly. "I want to leave this place. I want to start over somewhere no one knows me and live my own life in peace."

Then she looked at Sculpture. "Lulu, will you come with me?"

"Of course I will!" Sculpture nodded at once. "You gave me my life and my name. You're my best friend in this world. Wherever we go, we're going to stay together."

"But..." An awkward look crossed her face. "I only have thirty seconds left before my time to move freely today runs out. We won't be able to leave today."

"That's all right. I can wait until tomorrow." Ruby smiled through her tears. "I've waited so many years already. One more day won't make a difference."

"Mm-hmm." Sculpture nodded repeatedly.

No sooner had she finished speaking than her body stiffened again. Her legs stood straight, and she could no longer move her feet.

Her arms could still move, though, and she continued to hold Ruby tightly.

Her face remained lively and expressive as she looked at Ruby with a smile.

Her eyes were filled with bright hopes for the future.

"Let's hide you on the nearby dirt slope tonight," Zhao Xun suggested. "Tomorrow, you can leave town from here. It'll save you time compared to setting out from the Duke's Manor."

"I agree." Sculpture nodded. "It takes me nearly twenty minutes just to run here from the Duke's Manor. If we set out from there tomorrow, we'll only have ten minutes at most to head out of town."

"All right, I'll do as you suggest." Ruby naturally had no objections.

She turned to Zhao Xun and said solemnly, "I'm sorry. I doubted your intentions before. Lulu told me off for it, and I've been looking for a chance to apologize to you."

"It's all right." Zhao Xun smiled amiably. "I don't mind."

"I'm a little worried about leaving Lulu here alone, so I'd like to stay with her," Ruby said somewhat sheepishly. "My luggage is still in the Underground Chamber. If you can, could you help me fetch it?"

After she had been locked in a cell, Lulu had secretly slipped into her home, packed up all her belongings, and moved everything into the Underground Chamber.

After Lulu rescued her from the Burning Stake, she had been living in the Underground Chamber.

To be ready to leave at any moment, she had packed all her important belongings into a single trunk.

But when the sleazy man dragged her away earlier, the trunk had been left behind in the Underground Chamber.

Now that she had decided to leave, she needed to take that trunk of belongings with her.

"Of course." Zhao Xun's tone remained amiable, without the slightest trace of impatience.

He was willing to do anything that would help him complete the hidden quest.

"Thank you so much." Ruby looked grateful.

Sculpture looked just as grateful.

A moment later, as though she had remembered something, Sculpture said to Zhao Xun, "A Shui, it would be best if no one else discovered that Underground Chamber. After I leave, there'll be an opening in the ground. Could you help me fill it in?"

"Of course." Zhao Xun readily agreed. "I'm going to fetch Ruby's luggage anyway. I can take care of it while I'm there."

"A Shui, you're such a good person!" Sculpture felt that if she had tear ducts, her eyes would have been brimming with tears at that moment.

She did not think she had ever been so moved.

"You've helped me so much these past few days. I feel like I've done nothing but trouble you, without having anything to give you in return." Sculpture looked at Zhao Xun with both guilt and gratitude. "If there's anything I can help with... I really want to give you my heart, so you'll know how grateful I am."

As soon as she finished speaking, the warmth in her chest became even more pronounced.

Then a red light suddenly burst from her chest and shone straight onto Zhao Xun.

Zhao Xun instinctively wanted to dodge, but on second thought, he stopped himself.