Ark Simulator, Don't I Not Have a Physical Body? Chapter 358

"Su Rui," she suddenly put down her cup, "Let's go to the shopping street later!"

The knife and fork paused slightly on the porcelain plate. "Reason?"

"You... you have too few clothes!" Jessica pointed at Su Rui's ever-present black shirt, "And they're all the same style!"

Su Rui looked up at her. "Enough to wear."

"Not enough!" Jessica puffed out her cheeks and slapped her tail against the back of the chair. "At least... there should be something to wear on a date!"

"Dating?"

"It's... it's the kind we wear when we go out!" Her ears instantly turned red, and her voice trailed off, "... matching outfits or something..."

Su Rui put down her knife and fork, then suddenly reached out and wiped the milk foam from the corner of her mouth. "Okay."

The warmth of her fingertips sent a shiver down Jessica's spine.

The glass windows of the shopping street reflected the figures of the two—a petite Feline girl holding the wrist of a tall, dark-haired boy, like a little girl strolling with her beloved doll.

"This one! This one is absolutely perfect for you!" Jessica exclaimed excitedly, holding up a dark blue turtleneck sweater, its fluffy hem swaying in her hand. "It matches my hair color perfectly!"

As Su Rui took the sweater and her fingertips brushed against the back of Jessica's hand, Jessica suddenly heard whispers behind her:

"Look at that guy... is he a model?"

"Black hair and cat ears are so rare... Should we ask for their contact information?"

Jessica's tail bristled instantly. She turned around abruptly and saw three stylishly dressed young women pointing and whispering at Su Rui.

"Su Rui!" she suddenly raised her voice, "The fitting room is over there!"

Under the sales assistant's suggestive gaze, Jessica practically pushed Su Rui into the fitting room. The moment the curtain closed, she suddenly realized what she had done—

"I... I'll wait for you outside!" she stammered to the curtain, but heard the rustling sound of fabric rubbing together inside.

The thought made Jessica furious. She turned around abruptly and bumped into the three women walking toward the fitting room.

"Little sister," the red-haired woman at the head of the group smiled and bent down at her, "Was that your brother just now?"

Jessica clutched her skirt tightly. "No, it's not..."

"Could you help the older sisters--"

"He's my boyfriend!" Jessica suddenly shouted, her voice so loud it startled even herself.

The air froze instantly.

The curtain in the fitting room was suddenly lifted, and Su Rui, who had changed into a sweater, came out. The dark blue fabric outlined his lean waistline, and the section of his neck exposed at the collar was dazzlingly white against his black, tousled hair.

The three women's eyes lit up immediately.

"Hey buddy," the redhead bypassed Jessica, "This sweater suits you really well." Her fingers were about to touch Su Rui's sleeve—

"Smack!"

Before Jessica could even react, her hand had already slapped away the restless hand.

"Please, please don't touch him!" Her voice was choked with sobs, yet she stood firmly in front of Su Rui, her tail bristling like an angry pufferfish.

Su Rui looked down at the petite figure blocking her way, her eyes flickering slightly.

The red-haired woman awkwardly withdrew her hand. "I was just asking where I bought the clothes..."

"The third row on that shelf," Su Rui suddenly spoke, putting her arm around Jessica's shoulder. "Sorry, my child is shy."

"Child...!?" The three women left with strange expressions.

Jessica was still reeling from the shock of "my kid" when she suddenly felt her earlobe being pinched.

"Keep picking?" Su Rui's tone was as calm as if nothing had happened.

Jessica looked up at him and saw a faint smile hidden in his obsidian-like eyes.

At the dessert shop at lunchtime, Jessica angrily poked at the strawberry cake. "From now on, I'm going to wear a hat when I go out! No, a mask!"

Su Rui pushed the black tea in front of her. "Why?"

"Because..." She glanced around—at least five tables of women were secretly looking this way, "She's attracting too much attention!"

Su Rui suddenly reached out and wiped her cream-stained lips with her thumb. "Only one was recruited."

"Huh?"

"Feline." He withdrew his hand, casually taking a sip of his coffee. "The one who cries easily."

Jessica's face flushed red. She lunged forward and grabbed Su Rui's arm. "Then, it's a deal! Only I can catch you!"

Su Rui looked at the "large pendant" hanging on her arm and gave a soft "hmm".

On their way home in the evening, Jessica insisted on helping Su Rui carry her shopping bags, but tripped over the biggest one. Su Rui caught her and all the bags with one hand, like holding a bunch of restless cat plushies.

"Su Rui," Jessica, nestled in his arms, suddenly whispered, "Was I... too fierce today?"

"No."

"But I already slapped their hands away..."

Su Rui looked down at her. "Well done."

Jessica's eyes widened. "R-really?"

"Hmm." He tightened his grip. "My clothes, only you can choose them."

The streetlights suddenly came on, and in their warm yellow glow, Jessica saw a suspicious red mark on the tip of Su Rui's ear. She suddenly laughed and buried her face in his chest, nuzzling him.

The last rays of the setting sun streamed through the villa's French windows, bathing the living room in a warm orange hue. Jessica sat on the sofa, clutching a fluffy cushion, her tail swaying restlessly from side to side. Her gaze kept drifting towards the kitchen—where Su Rui was preparing dinner, her slender figure appearing exceptionally gentle in the warm light.

"My child..." she muttered softly, her cheeks puffing out, "Could clearly call her girlfriend..."

The sound of the spatula clattering against the pan suddenly stopped. Su Rui turned around, her obsidian-like eyes looking directly at her. "Hungry?"

"No, no!" Jessica shook her head hastily, her ears drooping. "I was thinking..."

Su Rui turned off the stove, walked over to her, and squatted down. From this angle, he had to tilt his head slightly to meet her gaze, and Jessica suddenly noticed that his eyelashes were shimmering with a golden glow in the setting sun.

What are you thinking about?

"That title..." Jessica's fingers tightened around the cushion, "Why 'my child'?"

Su Rui was silent for a moment. "You don't like it?"

"It's not that I don't like it!" Jessica's tail bristled with anxiety. "It's just..." her voice trailed off, "... it could call me more... more intimately..."

A faint smell of burning wafted from the kitchen. Su Rui suddenly stood up. "The fried eggs are going to burn!"

"Su Rui!" Jessica grabbed his apron strap. "Don't change the subject!"

Su Rui, who had been pulled along, looked down at the small hand around his waist, then at Jessica's reddened eyes, and sighed softly. He untied his apron with one hand, then suddenly bent down and picked Jessica up from the sofa.

"Ah!" Jessica exclaimed, instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck. "W-what are you doing?"

Volume 14, page 775 (Practice)

Su Rui carried her towards the bedroom. "Let's solve the problem."

As Jessica was gently placed on the edge of the bed, her heart pounded in her chest. Su Rui knelt on one knee on the carpet, a position that made him appear unusually submissive. He held Jessica's slightly trembling hand and asked, word by word:

What kind of address would you like?

In the warm glow of the sunset, Jessica noticed that the tips of his ears were flushed.

"Girlfriend..." she stammered, "Or just call me Jessica..."

Su Rui's thumb rubbed against the back of her hand. "Anything else?"

"There... there is more?"

"More intimate," he said, his voice hoarse, as if squeezed from deep within his chest.

Jessica felt all the blood rush to her face. She opened her mouth, but only managed a soft, animal-like whimper.

Su Rui suddenly leaned in, their noses almost touching. "Demonstration?"

"Baby... darling...?" Jessica regretted saying it as soon as she finished speaking; it was so embarrassing!

But Su Rui's eyes lit up. He gently rested his forehead on Jessica's shoulder, his warm breath seeping through her thin loungewear. "... Let's practice."

"Huh?"

"Jessica." He called her name in his usual tone at first, then his voice suddenly softened, "... Baby."

The tentative, breathy address struck Jessica like an electric shock. She abruptly covered her burning face, her tail snapping upright. "That's... that's so unfair!"

Su Rui chuckled softly, the vibrations of his chest transmitted through their pressed bodies. He pulled Jessica's hand away from her face and placed a kiss on her palm. "The fried egg really is burnt."

"Who cares about fried eggs now!" Jessica cried as she threw herself into his arms.

Dinner indeed featured slightly burnt and bitter fried eggs. But Jessica couldn't taste anything at all— Su Rui would look up and call her "baby" with every bite, almost causing Jessica to drop her fork.

"Su Rui!" she finally protested, "You don't need to add... that word to every sentence!"

Su Rui, who was clearing away the dishes, tilted her head. "Don't you like it?"

"No! But..." Jessica's voice was barely audible, "... too often will... will kill me..."

Su Rui put down the plate, then suddenly strode over and lifted her from the chair. Jessica gasped and instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist.

"Then let's call it somewhere else."

Morning light filtered through the gaps in the gauze curtains, casting dappled patterns on the sheets. When Jessica opened her eyes, the first thing she felt was an arm across her waist—heavy, with an unyielding strength.

Su Rui's breath brushed against the back of her neck, warm and even. His chest pressed against her back, and his heartbeat came through the thin fabric of her nightgown, steady like a reassuring metronome.

Jessica suddenly held her breath.

Memories of last night flooded back—the way she straddled Su Rui's lap, taking the initiative to kiss him; the crisp sound of buttons popping off his collar as his fingers tore at it; and that tearful plea, "Don't stop..."

"Ugh..." She suddenly covered her face, and the fluffy fur on her tail stood on end.

The arm around her waist suddenly tightened, and Su Rui's sleepy voice came from above her head. "Awake?"

His warm lips brushed against her burning earlobe, startling Jessica. She sprang up like a frightened rabbit, but was caught by Su Rui's long arm and fell back into his embrace.

"What are you hiding from?" Su Rui propped himself up, his black hair hanging messily in front of his eyes. In the morning light, the fresh scratches on his collarbone were glaringly red.

Jessica's gaze frantically averted as soon as it met the marks. "I... I'll go make breakfast!"

She frantically tried to climb out of bed, but Su Rui grabbed her ankle and pulled her back. In a dizzying moment, she was already pressed under the soft down comforter, Su Rui's knees pressed between her legs, and her hands braced on either side of her ears.

"Su Rui!" Jessica's voice trembled with tears, her fingers clutching the sheets tightly. "Last night... last night I..."

"So cute." Su Rui lowered her head and nuzzled her nose. "Like a kitten in heat."

The analogy made Jessica so embarrassed that her toes curled up. She suddenly noticed that Su Rui's pajamas were wide open, and the teeth marks she had left on his abs the night before were clearly visible.

"Don't look!" She tried in vain to cover the marks with her hands, but Su Rui grabbed her wrists and pressed them above her head.

"Mine." Su Rui suddenly bit down on the same spot on her collarbone, releasing her only when she heard her gasp. "We're even."

Jessica's eyes reddened. "But... but..."

"Regret?" Su Rui's pupils contracted to slits in the morning light.

"No!" Jessica cried out, her tail flailing wildly across the sheets. "It's just... it's just..." She suddenly choked up, "Don't you think I'm... so shameless..."

My breath caught in my throat.

Su Rui released her grip, her fingertips brushing against the corner of her moist eye. "Did I hurt you?"

Jessica shook her head violently, but tears rolled down her cheeks even more. "I was the one who pounced on you first... You were clearly... you were clearly trying to control yourself..."

Memories flashed back to last night—when she trembled as she unbuckled Su Rui's belt, the veins bulging on his forehead and his hoarse voice saying, "Think it through."

Su Rui suddenly sighed, picked her up, and pulled her onto his lap. This position forced Jessica to straddle him, facing him, and she buried her face in his shoulder in embarrassment.

"Listen," Su Rui patted her back, like soothing a cat's fur, "I'm holding back because..." He paused, unusually, "... I'll lose control if you cry."

Jessica looked up through her tear-filled eyes. "R-really?"

"Hmm." Su Rui's Adam's apple bobbed. "So don't cry now."

He cradled Jessica's head and kissed her, a kiss incredibly gentle, carrying the languid air unique to the morning. Jessica unconsciously relaxed, her tail wrapping around his wrist.

As they parted, Su Rui suddenly said, "I'll make breakfast."

"Huh?"