Ark Simulator, Don't I Lack a Physical Body? Chapter 335

On the court below, two Cavaliers were locked in a fierce battle. The cheers of the crowd were muffled by the soundproofing.

Maria, however, had no interest in the match. "Now, it's time to settle yesterday's score."

Su Rui instinctively grabbed her wrist. "What account? I didn't know about this." Su Rui was puzzled. But Maria seemed to have been prepared all along.

"Sister Nightingale and Sister Shining," she whispered in his ear, each word carrying a sweet threat, "You bullied me terribly yesterday."

Her knee struck his inner thigh with just the right amount of force, causing Su Rui to catch his breath.

"Maria, there are tens of thousands of spectators outside—"

"That's what makes it exciting." She winked slyly and suddenly pressed another button. The sound system in the private room suddenly started playing an exciting narration, perfectly masking all other sounds.

The moment her lips touched his, Su Rui vaguely saw a burst of cheering flames erupt from the arena below.

Maria's kissing skills were far more adept than I had imagined.

As she sucked on his lower lip, she deftly unbuttoned the third button of his shirt. As her cool fingertips brushed against his chest, Su Rui abruptly pressed her hand down. "Wait..."

"No." She stubbornly bit his earlobe. "Do you know how long I've waited for this opportunity?"

A deafening cheer suddenly erupted from below. Through the one-way glass, one could see a knight throwing his opponent off his horse. Maria seized the opportunity to push Su Rui down onto a soft sofa chair, her blonde hair cascading down his neck.

"Maria..." Su Rui's voice was already a little hoarse, "We really should..."

"Su Rui, you're in a dangerous state right now," she mimicked the commentator's tone, her fingers dangerously sliding towards his belt.

Just then, there was a knock on the door of the private room.

"Miss Nearl? You ordered the champagne."

Maria froze instantly. Taking advantage of the moment, Su Rui flipped over to change positions and quickly straightened her disheveled collar.

"Put it... put it by the door!" Her voice trembled slightly, a rare occurrence for her.

After the waiter left, the two looked at each other. Maria suddenly burst out laughing and slumped into Su Rui's arms, "That was close..."

Su Rui looked helplessly at her flushed cheeks. "Now you know fear?"

"No, that's not it!" she protested, poking his chest. "It's all because you're too tempting."

Suddenly, the final horn sounded from the arena below. Maria reluctantly got up and straightened her dress. "We should go back... Nightingale must have found the note by now."

She suddenly leaned in and left a clear hickey on Su Rui's neck. "This is my mark."

On the way back, Maria was unusually quiet.

She leaned against the window, her fingertips unconsciously tracing Su Rui's reflection in the glass. Sunlight gilded her blonde hair with a halo, and her eyelashes cast dappled shadows on her cheeks.

"Su Rui."

"Um?"

"Next time..." she turned her head, her smile carrying the stubbornness he knew so well, "I'll be better prepared."

As the car entered the castle courtyard, Nightingale and Shining were already waiting on the steps. Nightingale had a smile on her face, while Shining had a gloomy expression.

Maria deliberately stumbled as she got out of the car, then threw herself into Su Rui's arms.

"Ouch, my legs are numb!"

She gave the two people on the steps an innocent smile, but then gently pinched Su Rui's waist with her fingers.

Nightingale came to Su Rui's side, her fingertips gently tracing the side of his neck—where Maria's kiss mark still remained. Her movements were very light, her golden eyes slightly narrowed, and a faint smile played on her lips.

"Does it hurt?" she asked softly.

Su Rui instinctively tried to raise his hand to cover himself, but found that his wrist was being held by Shining. The gray-haired Sarkaz leaned closer, his gray-purple eyes sweeping over Suri's collarbone, where there were still a few shallow scratch marks.

"Looks like you're having a lot of fun." Shining's voice was calm, but her fingertip pressed lightly on his pulse.

Su Rui: "..."

Nightingale suddenly smiled, her fingertips leaving his skin. "The weather is lovely today, let's go to the meadow for a barbecue."

Her tone was unusually gentle, yet it sent a chill down Su Rui's spine.

The grassy field at Nearl family was wide and flat, with a dense forest in the distance. A barbecue grill and picnic mats were set up there.

Nightingale skillfully prepared the ingredients, skewering the marinated meat pieces onto bamboo sticks. Her movements were elegant and precise, as if she were preparing for a delicate surgery.

Shining was in charge of starting the fire, his grey-purple eyes occasionally glancing towards the castle— Maria hadn't appeared yet.

Su Rui wanted to help, but Nightingale gently pressed him back into the recliner. "Don't move." She shoved a glass of chilled lemonade into his hand, "You're in charge of resting."

Shining added a piece of firewood to the fire, sparks crackling as it went. "Yes, take good care of your injuries."

Su Rui: "..."

As the aroma of roasted meat began to fill the air, Maria, who had gone to change her clothes, finally appeared.

Today she changed into a light white dress, and her blonde hair was tied in a high ponytail, making her look refreshing and lively.

"Wow! Barbecue!" she exclaimed, running over with bright eyes. "I want to help too!"

Nightingale smiled, "Miss Nearl can grill meat?"

"Of course!" Maria confidently picked up a skewer of meat. "I Victoria— "

Her words came to an abrupt end.

Volume 12, Chapter 735: I felt at peace in the little house.

Shining had somehow already positioned herself on the other side of the grill, her long tongs "just right" blocking Maria's reach towards Su Rui's side.

"The meat needs to be flipped," Shining said calmly.

Maria blinked and turned to the other side. "Then I'll make the sauce!"

Nightingale had already handed the bowl of prepared sauce to Su Rui: "Try it and see if it suits your taste?"

Maria: "..."

The next half hour was a silent war.

Whenever Maria tries to get close to Su Rui, Nightingale "just happens" to need him to try the freshly grilled skewers; whenever she tries to pass him condiments, Shining "just happens" to block her way.

"Su Rui, try this." Nightingale cut a perfectly grilled beef rib into small pieces, forked a piece, and held it to his lips.

Maria immediately held up her grilled sausage. "This is delicious too!"

Shining simply picked up a whole plate of roasted vegetables and placed it on Su Rui's lap. "A balanced diet."

Su Rui was soon surrounded by food, while Maria's sausage hung forlornly in mid-air.

"..." She angrily took a bite of her sausage. "This is bullying."

Nightingale smiled, "How could that be? Nearl's grilling skills are superb."

Shining: "Yes, eat more."

After lunch, Nightingale spread out a picnic blanket and gestured for Su Rui to lie down and rest.

"The sun is shining brightly." She gently pressed his shoulder. "Take a nap."

Shining was already sitting on the other side of the cushion, holding a book in her hand, clearly intending to act as a human guardrail.

Maria sat a short distance away, hugging her knees, her blue eyes darting around. Suddenly, she jumped up. "I'll go get a drink!"

When she returned with a bunch of chilled juices, she found Su Rui sandwiched between Nightingale and Shining. Nightingale's fingers were gently combing his hair, while Shining rested one hand on his ear, the shadow of the book pages cast on his face.

"..." Maria put the juice aside. "Won't he get hot like this?"

The Nightingale didn't even look up. "A calm mind brings coolness."

Shining turned a page. "Hmm."

Just as the atmosphere reached a stalemate, a dark cloud suddenly drifted in from the sky.

"It's going to rain." Su Rui sat up.

Almost simultaneously, a muffled rumble of thunder came from afar. Nightingale quickly packed up her picnic blanket, Shining had already picked up the food box.

Maria's eyes lit up. "Quick! I know a small hut nearby where we can take shelter from the rain!"

Without a word, she grabbed Su Rui and ran. Nightingale and Shining exchanged a glance and immediately followed.

The cabin was tucked away at the edge of the woods, filled with hay and farm tools, but dry enough.

The four had just rushed into the house when a torrential downpour began.

Maria's golden hair, glistening with water droplets, still shimmered in the dim light. She looked triumphantly at the soaked Nightingale and Shining: "Looks like I won this time—"

Before she could finish speaking, Su Rui suddenly sneezed.

Three hands reached out to him at the same time--

Rain pattered against the roof of the wooden house, making a soft, rhythmic sound, while the aroma of roasting meat filled the air inside.

Su Rui sat by the fireplace in the center of the cabin, turning a skewer of freshly placed meat in his hand. The light from the charcoal fire reflected on his face, making him look even more relaxed than Ping had been.

"Barbecuing in this kind of weather actually feels even better," he said softly, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Nightingale sat beside him, holding a cup of hot tea, her golden eyes appearing especially gentle in the firelight. She nodded softly, "Yes, the sound of rain is soothing."

Shining leaned against the door, her grey-purple eyes peering through the half-open crack at the rain outside, but her attention was clearly not on the scenery. Her fingertips tapped lightly on the wooden door, and she occasionally glanced back at Su Rui, her gaze deep.

Maria, completely oblivious to the rain outside, squatted by the stove, enthusiastically brushing sauce onto the meat skewers. "Su Rui! Try this! My special hot sauce!"

Just as she was about to hand over the skewers of meat, Nightingale smiled and took them, saying, "Let me try them first."

Maria: "..."

The aroma of the barbecue gradually intensified, and the temperature inside the wooden cabin rose slightly.

Su Rui leaned back relaxed in the wooden chair, the firelight reflecting on his profile, making him look languid and charming. His collar was slightly open, revealing his collarbone, and he seemed completely unaware that three faint gazes were fixed on him.

Nightingale gently set down her teacup, her fingertips almost imperceptibly resting on Su Rui's shoulder. "Are you tired?"

Su Rui shook her head and smiled, "No, I just feel very comfortable this way."

Shining had somehow moved to his other side, holding a cup of warm mead. "Want some?"

Just as Su Rui reached out to take it, Maria squeezed in first and sat directly on Su Rui's lap. "I want one too!"

Nightingale and Shining's gazes sharpened simultaneously.

Su Rui helplessly supported Maria's waist to prevent her from slipping. "... Maria, I can't reach for the cup if you're sitting here."

Maria blinked, but instead of getting up, she snuggled closer to him. "Then you feed me?"

Shining's fingers tightened slightly, causing the mead in the glass to swirl.

Nightingale smiled and reached out to gently pinch the back of Maria's collar, "Miss Nearl, this will interfere with the grilling of the meat."

Maria pouted, but eventually stood up reluctantly, though her hand remained on Su Rui's shoulder, her fingertips intentionally or unintentionally tracing the side of his neck.

The meat skewers were grilled to perfection, the sizzling sound of the fat dripping onto the charcoal fire.

Su Rui picked up a skewer, and had just taken a bite when Nightingale gently wiped the sauce from the corner of his mouth with her fingertip. "You got some."

Her movements were very gentle, but the warmth of her fingertips made Su Rui pause slightly.

Shining then picked up another skewer and held it to his lips. "This one is even tenderer."

Just as Su Rui was about to take it, she slightly pulled away, her greyish-purple eyes fixed on him. "Eat it directly."

Seeing this, Maria immediately grabbed her own grilled meat and moved it to Su Rui's other side, saying defiantly, "Mine is delicious too!"

Su Rui: "..."

He glanced at Shining on his left, Maria on his right, and Nightingale watching him with a smile, and suddenly found this meal exceptionally difficult.

Finally, he sighed, took the meat skewer from Shining, then took a bite of Maria's, and smiled at Nightingale, "They're both delicious."

Nightingale nodded gently, but her fingertips secretly slid to Su Rui's wrist and gently caressed it.

The rain outside was pouring down, but inside the wooden house, the fire made it warm and cozy.

Su Rui leaned back in his chair, the firelight reflecting in his eyes, making him look even gentler than Ping had. His black hair was slightly disheveled, and an extra button had been undone at his collar due to the warmth, exposing his collarbone completely.

Nightingale's gaze lingered on his neck for a second, then she gently rose and took a thin blanket to cover his legs. "Be careful not to catch a cold."

Shining sat down next to him, her arm lightly resting on his shoulder. "Are you cold?"

Seeing this, Maria immediately went behind Su Rui and put her hands on his shoulders. "Let me give you a massage! You must be tired from grilling meat!"