Ark Simulator, Wasn't I Supposed to Be Incorporeal?

Volume 12, Chapter 706: It's not such a coincidence.

Before Su Rui could figure it out, Nightingale had already pulled him to an empty parasol. She deftly spread out a beach towel, then patted the spot next to her, her eyes sparkling. "Su Rui, sit here!"

Shining stood on the other side of the umbrella, her gaze sweeping over the surroundings almost imperceptibly, like a vigilant guardian beast, silently dispelling any overly close gazes.

As soon as Su Rui sat down, Nightingale handed her a bottle of sunscreen. "Could you apply some sunscreen to my back?"

Her voice was soft, with a hint of coquetry. Her long golden hair was swept to one side, revealing her fair neck and shoulders. The neckline of her blouse was loose, and the graceful outline of her shoulder blades could be vaguely seen.

Su Rui paused for a moment, then took the sunscreen. "... Okay."

His fingertips touched the cool lotion and gently patted it on the Nightingale's shoulder. The Nightingale's body trembled slightly, then relaxed, like a cat being stroked, even her breathing becoming soft.

"A little... lower," she whispered, her ear tips almost translucent red.

Su Rui's fingers slowly slid down her spine, pausing for a moment when they touched the hem of her blouse. He then gently lifted the edge of the fabric with his fingertips and continued applying the ointment. Nightingale's skin was warm and delicate, like the finest silk, shimmering with a pearly luster in the sunlight.

Shining stood to the side, her grey-purple eyes slightly narrowed as she looked at Su Rui's hand. Her expression remained calm, but her fingers gripping the sword unconsciously tightened.

(... too slow.)

She suddenly spoke up, "I need it too."

Su Rui and Nightingale looked up at the same time.

Shining untied the ribbons of her robe, revealing her slender body encased in a black swimsuit. Her skin was paler than Nightingale's, as if it had never been kissed by the sun; her muscles were smooth and beautiful, every inch brimming with explosive power.

She sat down with her back to Su Rui, her voice calm. "Back of the neck, thank you."

Su Rui: "... Okay."

Nightingale blinked, watching Shining's retreating figure, then suddenly realized something, a slight smile playing on her lips. She shifted to the side, giving Su Rui more space, but her fingers subtly tugged at Su Rui's sleeve, as if in silent deliberation.

After the sunscreen incident, the three of them lay down under a parasol to rest. Su Rui looked up at the azure sky, the gentle sound of waves and the distant laughter of tourists filling the air. Nightingale leaned on his shoulder, already feeling drowsy, while Shining sat on the other side, holding a tactical notebook and occasionally scribbling a few lines.

Everything was calm—until Su Rui noticed a familiar gaze.

He turned his head and saw Ceylon and Black standing under the coconut trees not far away. Ceylon was wearing a light blue two-piece swimsuit with a light veil over it, and was holding his signature folding fan. His azure eyes were fixed on them. Black was wearing a black swimsuit that allowed for easy movement, with his arms crossed and a dangerous glint in his red eyes.

(It really came after all...)

Su Rui sighed helplessly.

Nightingale seemed to sense something was amiss, following Su Rui's gaze, and instantly snapped back to reality. She instinctively sat up straight, her fingers gripping Su Rui's arm tightly.

Shining closed the notebook, her grey-purple eyes sweeping coldly over the area.

Ceylon smiled slightly, gracefully stepped forward, and lightly waved her folding fan. "What a coincidence, the three of you."

Hei followed behind her, his gaze lingering on Su Rui for a second before narrowing dangerously.

Nightingale immediately stood up and blocked Su Rui's path. "What exactly do you want?"

Ceylon snapped his fan shut, his smile unchanged, "I'm just here to say hello, why are you so nervous?"

Her gaze passed over the Nightingale and landed on Su Rui, her azure eyes flickering slightly. "Su Rui, long time no see... This outfit suits you very well."

Su Rui: "..."

Before he could answer, Shining had already silently moved to his other side, her fingers gently resting on his shoulder. "He's tired, he needs to rest."

Ceylon raised an eyebrow. "Really? But he seems to be in very good spirits."

Hei sneered, "Or are you going to deprive him of even the right to speak?"

Nightingale's fingertips trembled slightly, but her voice was firm. "We just don't want him to be disturbed by irrelevant people."

"Unrelated people?" Ceylon's fan snapped open again, obscuring the lower half of his face, revealing only a pair of smiling eyes. "Su Rui, are we considered 'unrelated people'?"

Su Rui: "..."

(What a deadly multiple-choice question...)

He was about to say something to ease the tension when Nightingale suddenly turned around, grabbed his arm, and almost pressed herself against him. "Su Rui, I want to go swimming!"

Her voice was a few decibels higher than usual, with a distinct hint of coquetry, but her golden eyes were fixed on Ceylon, as if asserting her dominance.

Shining paused for a second, then reached out and grasped Su Rui's wrist. "The seawater is too cold; it's easy to get cramps."

Ceylon: "..."

black. "..."

Su Rui: "..."

(Am I being treated like a trophy...?)

Ultimately, this bizarre standoff ended abruptly with Su Rui claiming he had "suddenly suffered heatstroke and needed to rest." Nightingale and Shining "escorted" him back to the parasol, while Ceylon and Black stood at a distance, watching the scene with complicated expressions.

"What exactly are they trying to do..." Nightingale muttered softly, her fingers unconsciously twirling around the ends of Su Rui's hair.

Shining didn't answer, but simply handed Su Rui a bottle of ice water. "Drink some water."

Su Rui took the water bottle and smiled helplessly, "You guys are acting a little strange today."

Nightingale's face flushed again, and she turned her head away. "N-no, I didn't!"

Shining lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes concealing the emotions within.

In the distance, Ceylon waved his fan and said softly to Black, "It seems... we need to change our strategy."

Hei snorted coldly, a sharp glint flashing in his red eyes. "We should have just stolen it from them."

After leaving, at least she avoided the gazes of Hei and Ceylon, and arrived at a relatively quiet place. The gentle waves lapped against the beach, and the laughter of tourists could be heard in the distance. But at this moment, Su Rui's attention was entirely focused on the two "overprotective" girls beside her.

Nightingale was holding a glass of chilled juice, carefully bringing it to Su Rui's lips, her golden eyes sparkling as if anticipating his satisfied expression after drinking it. Shining stood on the other side, holding a damp towel, ready to wipe away any non-existent sweat from him at any moment.

Seeing their behavior, Su Rui finally lost her patience.

"You two..." He took a deep breath, then suddenly reached out—

"Smack!"

With his left hand, he pinched Nightingale's soft cheek, while with his right hand, he precisely pinched Shining's cheek.

Nightingale: "Huh?!"

Shining: "...?!"

The air froze instantly.

Nightingale's eyes widened, she nearly dropped the juice glass, and her lips pouted slightly as it was pinched, like a frightened little animal. Shining, on the other hand, rarely showed a blank expression, his gray-purple eyes widening slightly, and a crack appeared in his usually calm mask.

Volume 12, Chapter 707: So, what is our relationship?

Su Rui gently squeezed their faces together with her fingers. "What have you been doing all day?"

The Nightingale protested indistinctly, "Ugh... Su Rui... let go..."

Shining didn't speak, but the tips of her ears turned red at a visible speed.

Su Rui squinted, her fingertips feeling the texture of their cheeks— Nightingale's face was as soft as cotton candy, with a slight warmth; Shining's skin was cooler, with a delicate touch, like fine jade.

"You made me dress like this, then followed me everywhere, and kept blocking my way—" He loosened his grip slightly to let them speak, "Are you showing off to Ceylon and Black?"

The Nightingale's eyelashes fluttered, her golden eyes glistened with tears, and her voice was pitiful. "... They kept staring at you."

Shining turned her face away, her voice a few decibels lower than usual. "... Too conspicuous."

Su Rui raised an eyebrow. "So you guys deliberately made me stand out?"

Nightingale:"..."

The Shining: "..."

They both fell silent, but he still held their cheeks in his hands, making them look both pitiful and funny.

Su Rui sighed, released her grip, and gently rubbed the reddened areas where they had been pinched. "Don't do that again next time."

Nightingale blinked, then suddenly grabbed Su Rui's wrist and rubbed her cheek against it. "Then you have to promise me you won't go too far with them!"

Although Shining didn't move, her gaze was fixed on Su Rui's face, clearly waiting for an answer.

Seeing their expressions, Su Rui suddenly smiled and said, "Okay."

Nightingale's eyes lit up. "Really?"

Su Rui nodded and reached out to ruffle her hair. "Really."

Shining's expression softened, and her fingertips gently hooked the hem of Su Rui's clothes, as if in silent possession.

Shining and Nightingale felt the beach was too crowded, so they decided to take Su Rui to relax on the volcano. Siesta's volcanic hot springs were hidden in the clouds halfway up the mountain, with steaming stone pools like turquoise gems embedded in black basalt. On the mountain path away from the hustle and bustle of the beach, Nightingale was tiptoeing as she applied sunscreen to the back of Su Rui's neck, her fingers brushing against his protruding spine like feathers.

"Apply it here too." She deliberately circled her fingertips around the hollow of Su Rui's shoulder blade, and the loose neckline of her blouse slipped down with the movement, revealing a large expanse of her snow-white shoulders.

Su Rui froze, her Adam's apple bobbing. "... I can do it myself."

"No way~" Nightingale drawled, her whole body almost pressed against his back, "How can you reach my back by yourself?"

Amidst the swaying shadows of the trees, Shining suddenly untied the ribbon binding her hair. As her long, silvery-white hair cascaded down like a waterfall, her black tactical vest was neatly pulled down to her waist. Her pale skin, bathed in dappled sunlight, resembled melting snow, and the groove along her spine formed a breathtaking indentation as she bent down to retrieve her bathrobe.

Su Rui whirled around, nearly hitting Nightingale's nose with the back of her head. "Can't you change clothes in the dressing room?!"

"Hmm?" Ye Ying tilted her head, her blouse slipping completely off her right shoulder. "But the changing room is two hundred meters away." As she spoke, she was tying the sash of her hot spring yukata, the way her slender fingers hooked and wrapped the sash inexplicably reminding one of bondage.

Shining had already changed into a dark blue yukata and was using her sword sheath to pick up the towel that Su Rui had forgotten on the rock. "Sulfur springs are good for old wounds." As she spoke, the collar of her yukata was slightly open, and the scar below her collarbone that ran through her left chest was faintly visible in the steam—it was the Originium wound she had taken for Su Rui three years ago.

Su Rui grabbed a towel to cover her burning ears, then suddenly realized that the two of them were blocking the way down the mountain from either side. As the Nightingale's bare feet crushed a wild camellia, its petal sap staining her ankle, she was laughing as she untied the ties of Su Rui's sun-protective vest, "The volcanic ash will get your clothes dirty."

As the sun set, the steam rising from the volcanic hot springs turned golden-red, like a thin veil enveloping the three of them.

Nightingale lay lazily on the smooth rocks by the hot spring, her cheeks still flushed. Her long, wet golden hair cascaded over her shoulders, water droplets spreading small, dark marks on the stone. Her yukata hung loosely on her arms, and several faint red finger marks were visible on her fair back—marks left by Su Rui in her haste, when she hadn't controlled her strength.

"Are you hungry?" Su Rui's voice was a little hoarse as she gently brushed away the strands of hair clinging to the back of her neck with her fingertips.

The Nightingale squinted, nuzzling his fingers like a satisfied cat. "Mmm..."

On the other side, Shining leaned against the rock wall, her long silver hair spreading out in the water like a net formed by moonlight. The neckline of her yukata was wide open, revealing faint red marks from her collarbone to her chest. Her gray-purple eyes were half-closed, showing a rare look of tiredness and relaxation. Hearing Su Rui's question, she simply shook her head slightly, but a soft protest came from her abdomen.

Su Rui chuckled and took out an insulated food container from her storage space. The moment she opened the lid, a rich aroma mixed with the smell of sulfur filled the air—grilled shrimp, honey-roasted ribs, cream of mushroom soup, and chilled fruit preserved in a special container.

Nightingale sat up abruptly, completely unaware that her yukata had slipped off completely. "How come you even prepared this?"

"You said you wanted to eat seafood last time," Su Rui said, handing her a fork. "The morning market at Siesta Port happens to have some fresh seafood."

As Shining took the soup bowl, her fingertips inadvertently brushed against the bite mark on the inside of Su Rui's wrist—a mark left when she lost control. Su Rui's wrist trembled, almost knocking over the soup spoon, earning her a meaningful look.

As dusk deepened, Nightingale, munching on a grape, brought it to Su Rui's lips. As the grape flesh crunched between their teeth, she suddenly asked, her voice muffled, "What... what is our relationship now?"

The soft splashing of water came from the other side of the hot spring. Shining put down her bowl of soup; her wet silver hair clung to her neck, and a rose petal clung to her collarbone. Her quiet gaze was more direct than any words.

Su Rui's Adam's apple bobbed, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the crescent-shaped birthmark on Nightingale's side. "... It takes three pages of genealogy records to be included in the family tree."

After resting for a while, as night fell, Su Rui, Nightingale, and Shining finally regained their strength and returned to the hotel.

Moonlight streamed through the sheer curtains of Siesta, casting crisscrossing silver patterns on the floor of the hotel suite. Nightingale walked barefoot through the dappled light, her hair still dripping with water from her bath. Her white nightgown clung to her legs in the sea breeze outside the window, outlining the girl's slender figure.

"Su Rui— " She lunged at the figure on the sofa, her wet blonde hair brushing against the other's neck, "Help me dry my hair."

The book in Su Rui's hand was knocked askew, and he helplessly supported her waist. "Dry the water droplets first." His fingertips gleamed, and the warm wind activated by Originium Arts wrapped around Nightingale's hair, steaming up a white mist with the scent of shampoo.

Volume 12, Chapter 708: Unavoidable

When the bathroom door opened again, Shining emerged, her body enveloped in a chilling mist. Her long, silvery-white hair cascaded down to her waist like a cloak woven from moonlight, and the V-neck of her black silk robe revealed a bite mark below her collarbone that hadn't yet faded—a mark left three days earlier at the volcanic hot springs. She stood silently on the other side of Su Rui, her cool fingers resting on his free left hand.

Nightingale suddenly bit Su Rui's earlobe. "I want a goodnight kiss."

The warm breeze stopped abruptly. Su Rui's ears turned red visibly, and the towel in her hand fell onto Nightingale's lap. "... It's only eight o'clock."

"So what?" Nightingale straddled his lap, her fingertips pointing to her pouting lips. "You kissed Shining at the dessert shop yesterday."

Shining's fingers, which were combing her long hair, paused. When her grey-purple eyes swept over, the hairs on the back of Su Rui's neck stood on end—that day, Ceylon deliberately spilled black tea on his shirt, and when Shining down to wipe it, he kissed her forehead as if possessed.

"That is..."

"Me too."

Shining's voice was a half-tone lower than usual. She released Su Rui's hand and instead leaned against the back of the sofa. In the enclosed space created by her cascading silver hair, a cool fragrance mixed with lingering moisture enveloped her. From this distance, one could clearly see the water droplets still clinging to her eyelashes and the old scars faintly visible at the collar of her bathrobe.

Nightingale suddenly grabbed Su Rui's collar. "I said it first!"

Su Rui was pulled forward, her lips brushing against Nightingale's nose. The girl's warm breath carried the scent of strawberry toothpaste, and as her knee unconsciously brushed against his waist, the strap of her nightgown slipped down.