Ark Simulator, Don't I Have No Physical Form?

(Don't come any closer, don't come any closer, don't come any closer--)

The girls giggled as they drew closer, the ornaments on their wings jingling. Just as the girl in the lead was about to speak, a sharp meow suddenly came from the depths of the alley.

"Meow--!"

A tabby cat darted out from behind a trash can, a fish bone in its mouth, and swept past the girls' feet like lightning. The girls screamed and jumped away, their feathers ruffled. Taking advantage of the chaos, Su Rui quickly threw a few bills on the table, grabbed a pancake bag, and slipped through the back door of the cafe.

The chef in the kitchen looked at the unexpected guest with surprise. Su Rui put her index finger to her lips and blinked. The chef pointed knowingly to the small door in the back alley and continued to stir-fry the seafood in the wok.

Passing through the kitchen, which reeked of garlic and olive oil, Su Rui slipped out of the back alley onto another street. It was quieter there; sheets hanging on clotheslines billowed in the wind like a flock of silent white sails. He leaned against the faded brick wall, took a bite of a flattened muffin, and the sweet and sour taste of blueberry jam exploded on his tongue.

(This is what life is all about.)

There were no chaotic scenes that could erupt at any moment, no Nightingale chirping in your ear, no Shining exerting pressure with her eyes, and certainly no Ceylon or Black eyeing you covetously. There was only sunshine, desserts, and occasional thrilling interludes—though being hit on wasn't exactly a real thrill.

Su Rui finished the pancake in a few bites, crumpled the paper bag into a ball, and threw it into the trash can. The paper ball spun around the rim of the can before finally falling outside. He sighed, bent down to pick it up, and suddenly heard a familiar "click" sound above him—the sound of a folding fan opening and closing.

His movements froze.

"Littering is bad, Mr. Su Rui!"

Ceylon's voice came from above, sweet as honey but with a hidden venom. Su Rui slowly looked up and saw her leaning against the cast-iron balcony on the second floor, her long legs encased in black stockings revealed by the slit of her lake-blue cheongsam. She rested her chin on one hand, twirling a folding fan in her other hand, her azure eyes gleaming with a feline light in the shadows.

Su Rui subconsciously glanced around, and only breathed a slight sigh of relief after confirming that Nightingale and Shining hadn't suddenly appeared. Ceylon seemed to have read his mind, and with a "whoosh," she unfolded her folding fan, covering the corners of her slightly upturned mouth.

"Don't worry, I sent Hei to the port." She leaned over the railing, a silver chain dangling from the collar of her cheongsam, ending in a delicate pocket watch. "As for those two..." The pocket watch twirled on her fingertip, "They're still wandering around the market for now."

Su Rui stared at the dangling pocket watch and suddenly realized—she had deliberately come here alone.

He hesitated for a second, then put down his fork, made a "shh" gesture to Ceylon, and pointed to the empty chair opposite him.

Ceylon's eyelashes trembled slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in her azure eyes, which then transformed into a glimmer of pleasure. She closed her folding fan, turned, and disappeared from the balcony. Less than half a minute later, the café's doorbell rang crisply, and a figure in a lake-blue cheongsam gracefully walked through the empty room, her high heels clicking crisply on the marble floor.

"What a surprise." She sat down opposite Su Rui, lightly tapping her chin with her folding fan. "You didn't run away?"

Su Rui pushed the lemonade towards her. "You're tired from running."

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the parasol, casting a soft glow on Ceylon's platinum blonde hair. She was wearing a citrus-scented perfume today, mixed with the salty tang of the sea breeze, creating a wonderfully refreshing scent. Su Rui noticed that her nails were newly painted with pale blue nail polish, resembling tiny waves as her fan opened and closed.

"So," Ceylon used the tip of her fan to lift Su Rui's chin, forcing him to look her in the eye, "This is our secret time?"

Her fingertips were cool and had a metallic feel. Su Rui could smell a faint scent of ink on the inside of her wrists—it seemed she had been working on documents that morning.

"I suppose so." He gently opened his folding fan, forked a piece of muffin, and handed it over. "Just don't suddenly call Blackie."

Ceylon chuckled softly, taking a bite of the muffin from his hand, her tongue deliberately brushing against the fork tip: "That depends on your performance."

A little honey spilled from the corner of her lips, Su Rui instinctively reached out to wipe it away, but stopped halfway. Ceylon grasped his wrist and guided his thumb to trace her lower lip. Her lips were incredibly soft and carried the sweet scent of blueberries.

"What are you afraid of?" She gently bit his fingertip. "They're not here."

The sunlight suddenly became scorching. Su Rui withdrew his hand, picked up the lemonade, and took a big gulp. The icy liquid slid down his throat, but it couldn't extinguish the sudden surge of heat. Ceylon watched with interest as his ear tips turned red, tapping the table with his folding fan intermittently.

"You know what," she suddenly leaned closer, her hair brushing against Su Rui's cheek, "You look especially cute when you run away."

Su Rui almost choked on her lemonade. "... Is that a compliment?"

"Of course." Ceylon snapped his fan shut and gently lifted his chin. "Like a frightened cat, making you want to catch it and put it in a cage."

Her voice grew softer and softer, the last few words almost a whisper. Su Rui could feel her breath on her lips, carrying the bitterness of black tea and the sweetness of a pancake. Just as they drew dangerously close, the café's doorbell rang again—

"Boss, two iced coffees, please!"

Ceylon instantly retreated to her original position, her folding fan swishing open to cover half her face. Su Rui turned to look and saw several tourists in swimsuits, loudly discussing their diving plans. He breathed a sigh of relief, and when he turned back, he found Ceylon poking his collarbone with the tip of her fan.

"Focus." She frowned in displeasure. "Our private time is precious."

Su Rui couldn't help but laugh, "You really don't act like a young lady from a wealthy family."

"Likewise." Ceylon's fan slid to his chest. "You don't seem like a fugitive I'd personally hunt down either."

The sea breeze suddenly picked up, lifting a corner of the parasol. Dappled sunlight flowed between the two, and Ceylon's eyelashes cast delicate shadows on her face. Su Rui noticed that she wasn't wearing her usual pearl earrings today, but instead had small sapphire crystals that looked like two drops of frozen seawater in the sunlight.

Volume 12, Chapter 712: Solitude by the Sea

"Actually..." Su Rui swirled her glass, "It's nice to do this once in a while."

"What?" Ceylon's fan stopped on his Adam's apple. "You caught him all by yourself?"

"Just stay quiet," Su Rui gently pressed her fan. "Don't think about anything."

Ceylon was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly closed his folding fan and took out a brown paper bag from his handbag.

"Try this." She took out a beautifully crafted chocolate. "It's imported from Victoria, with a sea salt caramel filling."

The chocolate gleamed like silk in the sunlight. As Su Rui took it, Ceylon's fingertips lightly brushed against his palm, like a playful cat. He bit off a piece; the crisp outer shell cracked, and the caramel inside gushed out like lava, the saltiness of the sea perfectly balancing the sweetness.

"Is it good?" Ceylon asked, resting her chin on her hand as she looked at him, her bright blue eyes sparkling.

Su Rui nodded and handed her the remaining half. Ceylon took a bite of the chocolate from his hand, her red lips brushing against his fingertips. This action caused the silver chain at her collar to dangle, and Su Rui then noticed that the pocket watch was engraved with the emblem of Siesta —it seemed to be a gift from the City Hall.

"Don't move." Ceylon suddenly reached out and brushed his lips clean. "You've got chocolate on your lips."

Her thumb brushed against Su Rui's lips, but didn't immediately pull it back; instead, it slowly caressed the outline of his lips. Su Rui could smell the faint scent of perfume on her wrist, mixed with the sweet aroma of chocolate, creating a dizzying fragrance.

"Ceylon," he warned in a low voice.

"Hmm?" She blinked innocently, but her fingers slid further down to the back of his neck. "What's wrong?"

Su Rui grabbed her restless wrist. "You promised Anjing."

"I'm just doing my supervisory duty," Ceylon, his fingernails lightly scraping his palm, "Making sure you don't run away again."

The distant chimes of the market's clock tower startled a flock of seagulls. Ceylon suddenly sighed, withdrew her hand, and adjusted the collar of her cheongsam.

"Black should be back soon." She glanced at her pocket watch. "It's a shame our secret time is coming to an end."

The sunlight slanted across her profile, outlining her delicate features. Su Rui suddenly realized that this was the first time in days that someone had been willing to give him some personal space—albeit in this ambiguous way.

"Thank you," he said softly.

Ceylon raised an eyebrow. "What are you thanking me for?"

"They weren't attracted."

Ceylon's folding fan snapped open, obscuring the slight upturn of her lips. "Don't misunderstand, I just enjoy watching my prey lower their guard." She stood up, the hem of her cheongsam tracing an elegant arc. "Next time you escape, remember to choose an even harder-to-find spot. Also, I'll help you get rid of the enemy."

She turned and walked towards the alley entrance, her high heels clicking crisply on the cobblestones. Watching her receding figure, Su Rui suddenly noticed a small sapphire in her lemonade—one of Ceylon's earrings.

The sound of Ceylon's high heels faded into the alleyway. Su Rui put the sapphire earring into her pocket, and felt a slight vibration when her fingertips touched her phone—the screen lit up, revealing a dozen unread messages piled up on the lock screen. At the top was a cat crying emoji from Nightingale, followed by Shining's brief "Location." Scrolling down further, she could see a skull emoji from Black using Ceylon's account that read, "If I find you, I'm dead."

Su Rui put his phone on silent, sent a group message saying "Safe, want to take a walk alone," and then turned off location sharing. The moment the screen went dark, he let out a long sigh, as if he had unloaded some invisible burden.

(I'm free for now.)

The sea breeze, carrying the aroma of the corner bakery, wafted towards him as he wandered aimlessly along the cobblestone path, his shadow stretched long in the setting sun. Passing a secondhand bookstore, his eyes were drawn to a copy of "The Illustrated Guide to the Marine Life of Siesta" with a gold-embossed cover in the window. As he pushed open the door, the bell rang crisply, and the scent of old paper and ink wafted out, as if he had stumbled into a corner forgotten by time.

"Young people are interested in marine life?" The old man behind the counter peeked out from behind the newspaper with a smile, his glasses reflecting the last rays of sunlight from the window.

"Just browsing." Su Rui's fingertips traced the spines of the books, and he suddenly spotted a copy of <The Collection of Ancient Sarkaz Proverbs> in the folklore section. He pulled it out almost without thinking, and on the title page, written in faded ink, was the line, "When the moon's shadow sinks into your pupils, the silver blade will kiss the mole on the back of your neck"—this reminded him of Shining had said after one of his training sessions, "That mole on the back of your neck is in a dangerous spot."

The rustling of pages turning filled the air when his phone vibrated in his pocket again. This time it was Nightingale's voicemail; he could almost hear her tearful voice asking, "Su Rui, where are you?" He hesitated for a moment, then took a picture of the bookshelf and sent it, adding, "Looking for the gift for you." The message had barely been read when a video call request popped up. He frantically pressed reject, only to be met with a lightning -Shining text message: "Bookstore. On my way in twenty minutes."

(Damn it, I forgot they can check spending records!) Su Rui had assumed Shining and the others probably wouldn't be good at this, so she hadn't bothered with it. Now it seems she should have been more cautious.

He hurriedly paid and left, nearly bumping into an ice cream cart as he pushed open the door. Under a colorful awning, three children were arguing over the last strawberry ice cream cone, reminding him of the tragedy of Shining insisting on sharing his Nightingale and getting her sword sheath dirty. As he turned onto the seaside promenade, the sun had already sunk below the horizon, and in the indigo twilight, the streetlights lit up one by one, like a string of stars washed ashore by the waves.

The night breeze in Siesta carried a cool, salty scent of sea. Su Rui sat on a rock by the seawall, holding a nearly melting ice cream cone. Vanilla cream slowly dripped down the edge of the cone onto his fingertips, but he didn't wipe it away. He just stared blankly at the distant, undulating black waves.

The moonlight outlined the contours of his profile, his eyelashes casting a small shadow beneath his eyes. He looked utterly exhausted, as if he had finally removed some mask he had been wearing for so long, even the lines of his shoulders had relaxed.

(Being alone... is quite nice.)

The sweetness of the ice cream melted on his tongue, and the cool sensation made him slightly more awake. But this tranquility didn't last long—

"Su Rui!"

Nightingale's voice came from behind, tinged with anxiety and grievance. Su Rui didn't turn around, but simply sighed softly and continued slowly licking her ice cream.

Footsteps approached, Nightingale's golden hair shimmered softly in the moonlight. She was wearing a light blue dress today, the hem of which fluttered gently in the sea breeze. Her bare feet trod on the rough rocks, yet she seemed oblivious to the pain, and she strode quickly to Su Rui's side.

Volume 12, Chapter 713: No Escape Allowed

"You..." She opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say something blaming, but suddenly choked up when she saw Su Rui's eyes.

Su Rui looked up at her, forcing a smile, "Want some?"

He shook the ice cream in his hand; most of the Vanilla cream had melted and was sliding down his wrist. Nightingale paused, her eyes suddenly reddening.

"Idiot..." she muttered softly, but instead of taking the ice cream, she threw herself into Su Rui's arms, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist and pressing her cheek against his chest.

Su Rui froze, nearly dropping the ice cream in his hand. Nightingale's body heat seeped through the thin fabric of his clothes, her blonde hair brushing against his chin, carrying a faint scent of shampoo.

"We've been looking for you for so long..." Her voice was muffled, with a hint of a sob, "Why didn't you answer the phone?"

Su Rui was silent for a moment, then finally just gently touched her hair. "... I'm sorry."

The Nightingale raised her head, her golden eyes reflecting the moonlight like pools of shimmering spring water. She stared at Su Rui for a few seconds, then suddenly reached out and cupped his face, her thumb gently tracing the corner of his eye.

"You look so tired," she said softly.

Su Rui did not answer, but lowered her eyes and let her fingertips linger on her face.

Just then, another set of footsteps came from the other side of the reef. Shining appeared in the moonlight, her silver hair like frost, her grey-purple eyes silently watching them. She didn't speak, but walked slowly forward, finally stopping on the other side of Su Rui.

Nightingale stepped back slightly, making room for Shining. Shining looked down at Su Rui, her gaze sliding from his face to the ice cream in his hand, and then to his slightly reddened fingertips—the result of being exposed to the night wind for too long.

She sighed softly, reached out and took the nearly melting ice cream, her fingertips inadvertently brushing against the back of Su Rui's hand, bringing a slightly cool touch.

"... Liang." She said softly, her tone carrying a hint of reproach, yet strangely gentle.

Su Rui looked up at her; Shining's silver hair swayed slightly in the sea breeze, and moonlight cast dappled shadows on her eyelashes. Her eyes weren't as sharp as usual; instead, they held a certain indescribable softness.

"I'm sorry," Su Rui said softly, "I just... wanted to be alone for a while."

Shining didn't answer, but just looked at him quietly, her gray-purple eyes as deep as the night sky. After a moment, she suddenly leaned down and gently hugged Su Rui.

The hug was light, yet it made Su Rui's heart skip a beat. Shining's hair brushed against his cheek, carrying a cool, refreshing scent. Her arms encircled his shoulders, the strength restrained yet firm.

"... Go home." She whispered in his ear, her voice so soft it was almost drowned out by the sound of the waves.

Nightingale snuggled up to him again, hugging Su Rui from the other side and burying her face in his neck, nuzzling him. "Shall we go back? I'll make you honey milk..."

Su Rui was caught between the two, momentarily dazed. Nightingale's body temperature was as warm as a small sun, while Shining's embrace carried the coolness of moonlight. The two completely different auras intertwined, gradually relaxing his tense nerves.

He closed his eyes and softly hummed in agreement.

Shining straightened up, reached out to tidy his hair which was ruffled by the sea breeze, and then took his hand. "Let's go."

Nightingale also grasped his other hand, their fingers intertwined, palms pressed tightly together, as if afraid he would run away again.

Su Rui let them pull her to her feet, and the three of them walked side by side on the moonlit beach, their shadows stretched long and eventually merging together.

The sunset at Siesta bathed the hotel suites in an amber hue.

Su Rui stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, his fingers unconsciously tracing the rim of the glass. The clinking of ice cubes was particularly crisp in the quiet space, just like his slightly chaotic heartbeat at that moment.

(Too cool...)

He took a sip of ice water, trying to calm the heat in his cheeks. Behind him, Nightingale was kneeling on the sofa organizing her medical kit, her long golden hair falling to her waist, the ends swaying gently with her movements; Shining was sitting at his desk wiping his longsword, his silver eyelashes lowered, casting a small shadow beneath his eyes.

The seemingly ordinary scene made Su Rui's fingertips tingle slightly—because just ten minutes earlier, the moment the elevator doors closed, Nightingale suddenly tiptoed and kissed the corner of his lips, and Shining immediately followed by wrapping her arms around his waist from behind and placing a light kiss on his neck with the scent of Absinthe.

(What's this...?)

A drop of water slid from the glass onto the back of his hand, the cool touch bringing him back to his senses. He should have spoken up; he should have told them, "This has gone too far," he should have clearly drawn that precarious line—

"Su Rui."

The Nightingale's voice suddenly rang out from the deepest point. Su Rui turned around abruptly, almost knocking over her medical kit—she was already standing in front of him, her face upturned, her golden eyes filled with the last rays of the setting sun outside the window.

"You've been hiding from us all this way," she said softly, her fingertips touching his wrist. "From the time we came back from the volcano."

Su Rui's Adam's apple bobbed. "I didn't..."

"Yes." Shining's voice came from the other side. She lowered her longsword, her grey-purple eyes fixed on him. "You're calculating the distance you're maintaining from us."

(They saw through me.)

Su Rui opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Nightingale's fingertips were slowly moving up the inside of his wrist, where a vein was throbbing violently; Shining reached out and took the glass he was clutching tightly, the glass already covered with a fine mist—just like his damp thoughts at that moment.

"Do you hate this?" Nightingale asked suddenly. Her thumb pressed against Su Rui's palm, where there was an old scar.

Su Rui shook her head.