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

"Because this isn't standard issue equipment." Su Rui finally raised his head, his dark eyes calm as still water. "I modified it myself."

He picked up the adjusted optical sight, gently turning the focus ring with his fingertips to ensure the crosshairs remained perfectly centered. The lens was spotless, refracting a pale blue halo in the sunlight.

Jessica couldn't resist reaching out, but stopped just before touching the gun. "Can I touch it?"

Su Rui glanced at her and nodded.

Her fingertips carefully touched the barrel; the cool metallic feel made her gasp softly. "Amazing... I can't feel any roughness at all."

"Hmm." He reassembled the last part with practiced ease. "All done."

The sniper rifle was restored to its original state, its black barrel exuding a low-key yet dangerous aura within the vehicle. Su Rui leaned it against his side, his gaze fixed on the receding wilderness outside the window.

The wheels rolled over the gravel, causing the vehicle to sway slightly, but the gun remained perfectly still, just like its master—steady, precise, and ready to end any threat at any moment.

Jessica looked at his profile and suddenly smiled, "Having a partner like this is truly reassuring."

Su Rui did not answer, but tapped the gun barrel lightly with her fingers, as if making a silent promise.

The afterglow of the setting sun streamed through the car windows, casting a warm orange glow inside the cabin. Su Rui leaned back in his seat, his sniper rifle resting across his lap, his fingers meticulously tracing every groove on the gun. His gaze was focused and serene, as if the entire world consisted only of this weapon that had been with him for so many years.

Jessica glanced at him in the rearview mirror, then glanced at him again.

This is the third time today.

During each break in his vigilance, Su Rui would unconsciously check his sniper rifle—making sure the barrel was clean, the scope was calibrated, and the trigger pull was just right. His focused expression was almost like that of someone gazing at a beloved lover.

"Su Rui..." Jessica finally couldn't help but speak, her voice tinged with a hint of resentment.

"Hmm?" He didn't even look up, his fingertips still gently wiping a tiny scratch on the butt of the gun.

She puffed out her cheeks, suddenly turned around, and climbed onto the back seat, squeezing herself into the gap between him and the sniper rifle. Before Su Rui could react, her soft fingers pinched his cheeks and gently pulled them apart.

"You stare at it more than you look at me..." she muttered softly, her blue eyes filled with grievance.

Su Rui froze, his dark eyes widening slightly. The smell of gun oil mixed with the faint scent of her shampoo made him momentarily dazed.

The next second, Jessica suddenly leaned in and quickly kissed him on the lips.

"Now, look at me," she commanded, blushing, cupping his face in her hands to prevent him from turning his head.

The carriage suddenly became eerily quiet. Franka in the front row was shaking with suppressed laughter, while Liskarm pretended to be focused on driving, but his eyes behind his glasses clearly betrayed his urge to laugh.

Su Rui's ears turned red at a visible speed. He opened his mouth, but said nothing, finally just giving a soft "hmm" and carefully placing the sniper rifle aside.

Jessica smiled triumphantly, about to speak, when suddenly Su Rui pulled her close, his arm around her waist. His nose brushed against her cheek, his breath warm. "... You're even more beautiful."

These words were spoken very softly, yet they made Jessica instantly from her face to her neck. She hadn't expected the usually taciturn Su Rui to suddenly retaliate, and she was momentarily speechless.

"Wow!" Franka finally couldn't help but whistle, "The little princess wins hands down!"

Liskarm coughed lightly, "Mind your manners," but a clear smile played on his lips.

Su Rui had regained his usual calm expression, though the blush on his ears hadn't faded. He had one arm around Jessica, but with the other hand he subtly pushed the sniper rifle further away, as if to make his stance clear.

Jessica leaned contentedly on his shoulder, stealing a glance at the neglected weapon, then suddenly felt a little guilty. "Um... actually, you don't need to..."

"Vigilance is more important," Su Rui interrupted her, but tightened her arms around her. "But you can prioritize that."

As the sun set, the last rays of golden light brushed past the slightly upturned corners of his mouth. Jessica suddenly felt that her sniper rifle, which had been with her for so many years, might finally have met its true match.

And she won decisively.

Volume 14, Chapter 787, checked three times.

As night fell, the convoy camped at an abandoned outpost. The campfire crackled, and Franka and Liskarm went to patrol the perimeter, leaving Su Rui and Jessica to rest in the makeshift tent.

Jessica, wrapped in a blanket, curled up beside Su Rui like a cat. He was checking the magazines in the dim light, the metal bullets making a crisp clinking sound in his palm.

"Still working on it..." she complained softly, reaching out to poke his waist.

Su Rui stopped what she was doing and looked down at her. "If we don't check, it might get stuck at a crucial moment."

"I know," Jessica pouted, "But you've checked it three times today."

Su Rui paused for a moment, then put the magazine aside. "... I've gotten used to it."

Jessica seized the opportunity to snuggle into his arms, looking up at him. "Is that gun very important to you?"

"Hmm," he replied briefly, his fingers unconsciously tracing the gun lying to the side. "It's been with me for many years."

Jessica blinked, then suddenly reached out and cupped his face in her hands. "What about me?"

Su Rui was taken aback by her sudden action, then sighed helplessly, "You're different."

"What's different?" she pressed, her fingertips lightly tracing his brow bone.

Su Rui caught her mischievous hand, pulled it to her lips, and kissed it. "It won't be jealous."

Jessica's face flushed red. "I... I didn't..."

"Yes," Su Rui's voice held a rare hint of amusement, "You glared at it five times today."

"You actually counted?!" Jessica punched his chest in embarrassment and anger. "Then why are you ignoring me?"

Su Rui grasped her wrist and gently pulled her close to his chest. "I've been waiting for you to come."

Jessica was stunned, then realized what she meant, her face turning even redder. "You did that on purpose!"

"Yes," he readily admitted, twirling a strand of her blonde hair around his finger, "It works very well."

Jessica glared at him angrily, but he suddenly rolled over and pinned her down. The light in the tent was blocked by his tall figure, and shadows enveloped her.

"Su... Su Rui?" She suddenly tensed up, her fingers gripping his collar.

His breath was close enough to touch hers, his warm breath brushing against her lips. "Now, I only look at you."

Jessica's heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out of her chest. She instinctively closed her eyes, waiting for the kiss that was about to fall—

"Hey~ you two~ it's time to switch shifts~" Franka's voice suddenly came from outside the tent, accompanied by deliberately heavy footsteps.

Su Rui stopped moving, while Jessica shrank back into the blanket in embarrassment.

"... Understood." Su Rui took a deep breath, her voice unusually irritated.

Franka's laughter faded into the distance, and Jessica peeked out from under the blanket, her eyes glistening with tears. "She definitely did it on purpose..."

Su Rui didn't speak, but simply lowered her head and gently kissed her forehead. "Sleep."

Jessica grabbed his sleeve. "Aren't you going to sleep?"

"It's time for your shift change." He ruffled her hair. "You'll be back soon."

She nodded, but as he stood up, she suddenly grabbed his hand. "Um..."

"Um?"

"I..." She bit her lip, her voice barely audible, "I'm more important than the gun, right?"

Su Rui stopped what he was doing and turned to look at her. The light from the campfire shone through the tent, casting flickering shadows on his sharply defined profile.

He bent down and whispered something in her ear.

Jessica's eyes widened instantly, and she buried herself in the blanket, leaving only her bright red ears showing.

Su Rui slightly curled the corners of his lips, picked up his sniper rifle, and stepped out of the tent. The night wind carried away his whispered words—

You are more important than my life.

The morning dew clung to the outside of the tent. Jessica rubbed her eyes and sat up, finding that Su Rui had already returned and was sitting beside her wiping the barrel of a gun.

Sunlight streamed through the canvas, gilding him with a soft golden hue. His focused profile was exceptionally handsome in the morning light, the shadows cast by his eyelashes trembling gently with his breath.

Jessica stared in disbelief until Su Rui turned her head and asked, "Awake?"

"Hmm..." She suddenly remembered what she had said last night, her face flushed again, and she quickly changed the subject, "You, you got up so early."

"I've gotten used to it." He packed away his tools, slung the sniper rifle over his shoulder, and said, "Time to go."

Jessica nodded and was about to get up when he suddenly pressed her shoulder down.

"What's wrong?" she asked, looking up in confusion.

Su Rui didn't speak, but simply reached out and gently tidied her disheveled hair, his movements as tender as if he were handling a fragile treasure. His fingertips occasionally brushed against her earlobe, sending a slight shiver through her.

"Alright." He withdrew his hand, his voice still calm.

Jessica suddenly threw herself into his arms, hugging his waist tightly. "Su Rui."

"Um."

"From now on..." she buried her face in his chest, her voice muffled, "I won't be jealous of your gun anymore."

Su Rui paused for a moment, then chuckled. He ruffled the back of her head. "You can eat it."

"Ah?"

"I love seeing you jealous." He said this in a casual tone, as if discussing the weather, but it made Jessica blush instantly from her neck to her ears.

"You, you..." she stammered, unable to speak, and finally buried her face even deeper into his chest.

Su Rui gently patted her back. "It's time to go."

Jessica reluctantly let go of his hand and followed him out of the tent. The morning light shone on the two of them, casting long shadows.

Franka waved to them from afar. "Hey~ how was your rest?"

Jessica immediately hid behind Su Rui, only showing half her head. Su Rui glanced at Franka expressionlessly, and the latter immediately made a gesture of pulling her mouth shut.

Liskarm had already started the car, the engine sound breaking the morning tranquility. Su Rui helped Jessica open the car door, and as she got in, she suddenly leaned forward—

"And," he said softly, so softly that only she could hear, "You always come first."

Jessica stared blankly as he closed the car door, only snapping out of her daze as the car started moving. She covered her burning cheeks, but couldn't help but smile.

Franka, sitting in the front seat, glanced at her through the rearview mirror, shook her head with a mischievous grin, and said, "Youth is truly wonderful~"

Liskarm adjusted his glasses and, unusually, chimed in, "Indeed."

Hearing Franka and Liskarm's teasing, Su Rui turned to look at them and asked, "Are you two old?"

As soon as Su Rui finished speaking, the air in the car froze for a second.

Franka and Liskarm turned their heads at the same time, their eyes flashing with a dangerous light.

"Oh?" Franka raised an eyebrow, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. "Little Su, what did you just say?"

Liskarm pushed up his glasses, the lenses reflecting a cold glint. "Need I repeat myself?"

Su Rui belatedly realized she might have stepped on a landmine, but remained calm on the surface. "The literal meaning."

"Very good~" Franka suddenly unbuckled her seatbelt and flipped herself over in the front seat. "Looks like someone needs a little 'older person' education~"

Liskarm also smiled, a rare occurrence, and pressed on along with Franka: "Indeed."

Volume 14, Chapter 788: The Sudden Attack

Before Jessica could react, she saw two dark figures pounce on Su Rui.

"Wait—" Just as Su Rui was about to raise his hand to defend, Franka had already nimbly circled behind him, her arms wrapping around his neck with lightning speed—a standard rear naked choke.

"Surrender?" Franka asked with a grin in his ear, deliberately tightening her grip on his arm.

Liskarm held down Su Rui's shoulder to prevent him from breaking free. "Age isn't a problem, but respect is essential."

Caught between the two, Su Rui rarely showed a helpless expression. The tips of his ears were slightly red, but his tone remained calm. "... Childish."

"Wow! Still dare to be stubborn!" Franka exclaimed exaggeratedly, tightening her grip on his arm even more. "Quickly say, 'Sister Franka is the youngest and most beautiful!'"

Jessica watched in stunned silence, then couldn't help but burst out laughing, "Su Rui, you've finally met your match!"

Su Rui glanced at her, her eyes filled with a hint of grievance, which made Jessica laugh even harder.

"If you don't tell me in three seconds, I'm going to use the ultimate tickling attack~" Franka threatened, her fingers already itching to strike.

Su Rui's body visibly stiffened—they had actually discovered this weakness.

"One!" Franka began the countdown.

Su Rui pursed her lips.

"Two!"

Liskarm cooperated by pressing down on his wrist.