Ark Simulator, Aren't I Incorporeal?

"I've always believed you could do it." Su Rui's voice was gentle yet firm, "[From day one.]"

Jessica suddenly stopped.

[Mr. Su Rui.]

"Um?"

"Thank you," she said softly. "Not just for training... but also, thank you for choosing me."

Su Rui remained silent for a moment.

"I should be the one saying thank you," he said, his voice almost a sigh. "Thank you for allowing me to stay for a while."

A night breeze blew by, and Jessica looked up at the starry sky. For some reason, she suddenly felt a warmth and fullness in a certain part of her heart.

That evening, Jessica's private villa was nestled on a hillside in the suburbs, with floor-to-ceiling windows offering a dazzling view of the city lights. She walked barefoot on the soft carpet, casually draping her Blacksteel uniform jacket over the leather sofa.

"I'm back~" she said to the empty living room, her voice filled with a hint of joy.

"[A mansion!]" Su Rui's voice echoed in her mind. "[It's even more extravagant than I imagined.]"

Jessica's face flushed slightly: [Don't, don't tease me...]

She walked to the open kitchen, took a bottle of red wine from the temperature-controlled wine cabinet, and skillfully opened it to let it decant. The crystal glass refracted brilliant light under the lamp.

"What do you want to eat today?" she asked the air, her finger tracing the ingredients in the built-in refrigerator. "There's fresh Siesta sea urchin, and some air-freighted from Ursus..."

"Hey, hey," Su Rui couldn't help but interrupt, "Are you torturing a consciousness that can't get food?"

Jessica froze, nearly dropping the lobster in her hand. "Ah... I'm sorry! I forgot about you..."

Her ears drooped in frustration, and her tail hung listlessly.

"It's alright," Su Rui chuckled, "Watching you eat is just as good."

Jessica tied on an apron and began preparing the ingredients. Her knife skills were surprisingly professional; the salmon was sliced into perfectly thin pieces.

"[Who taught you this?]" Su Rui asked curiously.

[The family's head chef.] Jessica meticulously arranged the food on the plates. [When she was little, she often sneaked into the kitchen to learn from the chefs... Her father said this wasn't something a pampered young lady should do.]

Her voice trailed off, and the tip of the knife paused lightly on the cutting board.

Su Rui keenly noticed the change in her emotions: [Missing home?]

[... just a little bit.] Jessica arranged the sliced sashimi into a petal shape, [Although I can go back anytime, I still feel...]

She didn't finish her sentence, but Su Rui understood. It was that contradictory feeling of wanting to escape yet being unable to resist looking back.

"Would you like to hear my advice?" Su Rui suddenly asked.

Jessica nodded.

"Put less wasabi first," Su Rui said seriously. "Last time I saw you eating sushi with tears in your eyes, I felt so bad for you."

"[Mr. Su Rui!]" Jessica protested angrily, but her tail wagged happily.

After dinner, Jessica sat on the beanbag chair on the terrace, hugging her knees. The night breeze ruffled her hair, and the neon lights of Lungmen in the distance resembled a flowing galaxy.

Will chapter 754 of volume 14 be too capricious?

"Mr. Su Rui," she suddenly spoke, "Don't you think... I'm being very willful?"

Why do you say that?

[She has such a good life, yet she insists on becoming a mercenary...] Her fingers unconsciously twirled the end of her hair. [And she's always causing you trouble...]

Su Rui remained silent for a moment.

"You know what?" his voice chuckled, "The first time I saw you, you were crying at the shooting range."

Jessica looked up abruptly: [Huh?!]

"Because I missed the target ten times in a row," Su Rui continued, "I almost threw the gun away."

[Th-that's...!]

"But now," Su Rui interrupted her, "You can already shoot a bullseye with your eyes closed."

The night wind carried away the last syllable of his voice. Jessica paused for a moment, then suddenly buried her face in her knees.

[... Thanks.]

Her voice was muffled, but the tip of her tail curled up happily.

At midnight, Jessica was soaking in a spacious Jacuzzi. Foam piled up to her chin, and the scent of lavender essential oil filled the steam.

"Mr. Su Rui," she asked drowsily, "What kind of person were you before?"

The water rippled gently. Su Rui seemed to be thinking about how to answer.

"I don't remember very well," he finally said softly, "I only remember someone saying that I was too stubborn."

Jessica opened one eye: [A girl?]

"... Um."

[Is it pretty?]

"Very."

With a splash, Jessica suddenly sat up straight, bubbles sliding off her shoulders.

"[Compared to me?]" she blurted out, then realized her mistake. "[Ah! That's not what I meant...!]"

Su Rui burst out laughing: [Jealous?]

[No way!] Jessica submerged her entire head in the water, bubbling away.

When she resurfaced, she heard Su Rui's gentle voice:

You are all special... in different ways.

This ambiguous answer made Jessica's heart skip a beat. Staring at her reflection in the water, she suddenly longed to know—what would it be like to actually meet Su Rui?

At three in the morning, Jessica tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. She hugged her pillow and rolled around.

[Mr. Su Rui, are you asleep?]

"... conscious beings do not need sleep."

[I'm thinking...] Her voice trailed off, [If you had a body, you'd be sitting on that sofa over there right now, wouldn't you?]

The room was silent for a few seconds.

"Maybe," Su Rui's voice laced with laughter, "And she might even steal the pudding from your fridge."

Jessica imagined the scene and couldn't help but laugh. But as she laughed, a pang of sadness welled up in her chest.

"If only..." she hesitated, "... if only you could materialize someday."

Moonlight filtered through the sheer curtains, casting dappled shadows on the floor. Su Rui didn't respond immediately, and Jessica almost assumed he had "left."

"Jessica," he suddenly called her name, his voice more serious than ever before, "Promise me one thing."

[Um?]

"Whatever happens in the future," Su Rui whispered, "Trust your own judgment."

Jessica froze. The words sounded like... a prelude to farewell.

"[Mr. Su Rui...?]" Her voice trembled slightly.

But Su Rui had already returned to her normal tone. "Alright, Miss, it's time to sleep. We have a mission tomorrow."

Jessica wanted to ask more, but then she heard a soft "Goodnight" in her mind. She had no choice but to obediently close her eyes, but hugged the pillow in her arms even tighter.

The morning sunlight streamed into the dining room through the sheer curtains. Jessica stared blankly at the steaming pancakes on the table. The sweet aroma of maple syrup wafted to her nose, but she didn't touch her fork.

"[Mr. Su Rui...]" she whispered in her mind's eye, "[You said before that you could temporarily borrow my body, right?]"

Su Rui, who was floating in her Sea of Consciousness, was taken aback. "Huh? Why are you suddenly asking this?"

Jessica's ears twitched nervously. "[Well... today's breakfast was delicious, and I wanted you to try it too...]"

Her voice trailed off, her fingers unconsciously twirling around the edge of her napkin. Su Rui could clearly feel her heart pounding—like a startled little animal.

"Is that alright?" Su Rui's voice softened unconsciously. "It won't take too long, just a taste will do."

Jessica nodded vigorously, then suddenly added as if remembering something, "[But, but you can't do anything weird!]"

Su Rui couldn't help but laugh out loud, "For example?"

[For example, using my body to perform weird dances or something!] Jessica's face turned bright red.

"I promise," Su Rui's voice held an undisguised amusement, "Three seconds left?"

Jessica took a deep breath and closed her eyes: [Mmm!]

three.

two.

one.

Jessica felt her consciousness suddenly become light, as if she had been gently pushed into the passenger seat. She "saw" her hand automatically pick up a fork and smoothly cut off a small piece of muffin.

"Wow..." she couldn't help but exclaim in her consciousness, "What an amazing feeling!"

"Hmm..." Su Rui let out a satisfied sigh the moment she tasted the pancake, "The sweetness of this honey... is it from Victoria?"

Jessica was surprised by his keen observation: [How did you know?!]

"I used to have a friend..." Su Rui's voice suddenly stopped, the fork hovering in mid-air for a second, "Never mind, it's not important."

Jessica keenly caught the fleeting emotional shift. She wanted to ask, but was interrupted by a sudden new experience— Su Rui was gently stroking the rim of the cup with her fingers, feeling the warmth of the porcelain.

"[Mr. Su Rui...]" Her voice suddenly became very soft, "[That... my body...]"

"Ah, sorry." Su Rui realized she had overstepped her bounds and quickly put down her cup. "The texture was so realistic, I didn't notice..."

[It's okay...] Jessica's voice was barely audible, [It's just a little itchy...]

A subtle silence fell over the restaurant. Sunlight danced in their shared field of vision, making every speck of dust clearly visible.

Three minutes later, Su Rui voluntarily relinquished control. When Jessica regained control of her body, she found her heart beating abnormally fast.

"[Th-thank you for the treat...]" she blurted out, then realized her slip of the tongue, "[Oh no! I meant...]"

Su Rui chuckled softly in his Sea of Consciousness, "No, I'm the one who should say thank you." His voice was incredibly gentle, "It's been a long time since I've enjoyed such delicious food so peacefully."

Jessica suddenly felt a lump in her throat. She remembered the pause Su Rui made when he mentioned "old friends," and the subtle tone in his voice when he said "a long time ago."

"Mr. Su Rui..." she mustered her courage, "[Next time... that's fine too.]"

The muffin on the fork suddenly tasted bland. Jessica found herself more concerned with—at this moment, in her Sea of Consciousness, that untouchable presence.

Volume 14, page 755, has increased in importance.

The days that followed were wondrous and heartwarming. Jessica began consciously seeking out all sorts of delicious food, just to see Su Rui let out a satisfied sigh as she ate in Suri's body.

[Today's tiramisu was specially made by a chef from Syracuse!] She pointed excitedly into the dessert shop window.

Su Rui smiled helplessly, "If this continues, your weight..."

[Ugh...] Jessica's ears immediately drooped. [No, don't say it!]

But in the end, Su Rui reluctantly helped her taste it. Jessica, in her mental space, watched as her fingers carefully scooped off a small piece of cream covered in coffee powder, and suddenly realized—

Su Rui's movements when using her body were always exceptionally gentle.

"Mr. Su Rui..." she asked, almost as if possessed, "Were you... very good at taking care of people before?"

The fork suddenly stopped in mid-air. Through the shared view, Jessica saw her own stunned expression reflected in the shop window.

"Why do you ask that?" Su Rui's voice was a little hoarse.

"It's just..." Jessica struggled to find the right words, "[The way you hold the cutlery, and how you always blow on the food before tasting it...]" Her voice trailed off, "[Like you're taking care of a child...]"

Even in her dreams, Jessica seemed to be thinking about this.

"[Mr. Su Rui?]" she called out subconsciously in her Sea of Consciousness.

"I'm here." A familiar response rang out immediately, tinged with a hint of worry. "Had a nightmare?"