Ark Simulator, Don't I Have No Physical Body? Chapter 371

The investigator picked up the receipt and examined it carefully, then glanced at the two men a few times before finally sighing and scribbling a few lines on the whiteboard, "Okay, please contact us immediately if you have any leads."

"Of course," Jessica smiled.

The investigator nodded, and as he turned to leave, he finished the rest of his tea in one gulp. After the door closed, the tavern returned to silence.

Jessica let out a long sigh of relief, her shoulders relaxing slightly. "They're easier to deal with than I thought."

Su Rui tapped her fingers lightly on the rim of her coffee cup. "Because they have no evidence."

There was a slight mishap in chapter 800 of volume 14.

Ice Brew picked up the teacup the investigator had used, a faint smile playing on her lips. "The bank's vault surveillance system 'coincidentally' malfunctioned for thirty minutes last night, and all the records were overwritten." She looked at Su Rui. "What a coincidence, isn't it?"

Su Rui didn't answer, but simply picked up her coffee and took another sip.

Jessica rested her chin on her hand, her gaze turning to the window. Across the street, several workers were chatting in front of the bakery, their faces beaming with long-lost smiles. One of them pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket and waved it excitedly, while the others patted him on the shoulder and laughed.

"Their loans..." Jessica said softly.

"It's gone," Su Rui said calmly. "It's a 'data loss' caused by a system malfunction; the bank is 'urgently fixing it'."

Jessica couldn't help but laugh out loud, "That's... so unfortunate."

Ice Brew shook her head, the ice crystal ornaments on her deer ears clinking gently together. "You two..."

"Innocent tourists," Jessica blinked, "Just here for a drink."

Su Rui stood up and walked to the window. The snow outside was getting heavier, and there were fewer and fewer pedestrians on the street. Only a few investigators were still shivering in the cold wind as they went door to door asking questions. His gaze swept over the bank building in the distance, which was still brightly lit, and several executives in suits were standing at the entrance, discussing something intensely.

"They won't find anything," Su Rui said, his voice low and calm.

Jessica walked over to him and gently leaned her shoulder against his. "What's next?"

"Wait."

"Wait for what?"

"Wait until they give up."

Jessica chuckled and reached out to catch a snowflake that drifted in through a crack in the window. The icy touch melted quickly in her palm and vanished without a trace.

"Su Rui."

"Um?"

"Next time..." She looked up at him, a mischievous glint in her blue eyes, "Shall we try a different bank?"

Su Rui's lips curled up slightly. "You want to do it again?"

The fire crackled in the fireplace, making the tavern warm and cozy. Outside, the wind and snow continued to rage, but here, time seemed to stand still, and everything became slow and peaceful.

Ice Brew wiped the glasses, watched the two figures retreating, and sighed softly, "My tavern will be turned into a crime scene by you two sooner or later..."

Jessica turned around and smiled at her, "How about we give you ten percent next time?"

"No thanks," Ice Brew waved her hand. "I don't want to be wanted by the police."

Su Rui walked back to the bar and picked up the remaining half-cup of coffee. Jessica followed behind him, leaned back on the bar, and lazily yawned.

"Tired?" Su Rui asked.

"A little." She rubbed her eyes. "I was too excited last night and didn't sleep well."

Su Rui reached out and ruffled her hair. "Go to sleep."

Jessica shook her head and reached out to tug at his sleeve. "Wait a little longer."

The sirens outside the window gradually faded into the distance, and the streets returned to silence. The snow fell heavier and heavier, burying all traces completely.

In a corner of the tavern, an old radio crackled with intermittent news broadcasts. "... The bank system is still under repair... Loan records for some customers are temporarily unavailable..."

As Jessica listened, she couldn't help but laugh out loud, burying her face in her arms. Su Rui looked at her trembling shoulders, a hint of tenderness flashing in his eyes.

Ice Brew put down her glass and shook her head. "You two..."

"Good girl." Jessica looked up, her smile radiant.

"Yeah, right." Ice Brew snorted, but couldn't help laughing as well.

The firelight from the fireplace shone warmly and brightly on the three people's faces.

The tavern's closing sign flipped over with a crisp sound. Ice Brew pulled down the last blind, and as he turned, the ice crystal ornaments on his antlers clinked softly. In the backyard, Su Rui was squatting in front of a portable grill, the red glow of the charcoal fire reflecting on his sharply defined profile, adding a rare touch of warmth to his perpetually aloof face.

Jessica emerged from the kitchen carrying a basket of vegetables, her blue hair casually tucked behind her ears, a few water droplets still clinging to the ends. "Ice Brew! Where's your chili sauce—"

Before she could finish speaking, she stepped onto the frosty steps and slid forward.

A dark shadow flashed by. Su Rui had appeared beside her without her noticing, catching the basket steadily with one hand and supporting her waist with the other. Two or three mushrooms rolled out of the basket, leaving round marks on the snow.

"Clumsy," he commented, his breath carrying a faint smell of alcohol.

Jessica then noticed the empty glass at his feet—it was a specially Ice Brew spirit, enough to knock out three strong men. At that moment, the corners of Su Rui's eyes were faintly red, like snow tinged with the smoke of charcoal fire.

"You've had too much to drink?" she asked in surprise, poking his cheek.

Su Rui brushed her fingers away, but as she turned around, she bumped into the meat drying rack. Amidst the clattering of the metal rack, Ice Brew emerged carrying a basin of marinade, her deer-eared ears twitching happily. "Oh dear, our sniper has actually gotten drunk?"

"I'm not drunk." Su Rui stubbornly squatted back down in front of the grill, her movements as precise as ever as she skewered the meat with the dagger. "I'm just enjoying the feeling of being out of it."

Jessica and Ice Brew exchanged a glance.

The charcoal crackled, and the aroma of dripping oil filled the cold night air. As if by magic, Ice Brew brought out small barrels of mead from the cellar; the amber liquid shimmered with golden light in the firelight.

"So," she poured a glass for each of the three, "Why help a group of complete strangers?"

Jessica, who was biting into a grilled mushroom, puffed out her cheeks and blinked when she heard this. "Because... they look sad?"

Su Rui suddenly chuckled softly. He rarely laughed, but the curve of his lips was clearly visible in the firelight. "Lying."

"No way!"

"You were at the bank entrance," Su Rui said slowly, flipping a skewer of meat, "Staring at that coughing little girl for three minutes and twenty-eight seconds."

Ice Brew deer ears perked up. "Old Mark's granddaughter? She Oripathy."

Jessica's fork froze in mid-air. Her blue hair fell down, obscuring her expression, but Su Rui noticed that her knuckles, gripping the napkin, were slightly white.

A burst of oil suddenly splattered from the meat on the grill. Su Rui reached out and wiped the hot oil that had splashed onto the back of her hand, her touch a little more forceful than usual. "... Okay."

Those three simple words made Jessica look up abruptly. Su

Ice Brew raised his glass at the opportune moment. "A toast to that damned Oripathy."

"... A toast to the damn bank?" Su Rui spilled a few drops of wine as he clinked glasses.

Jessica chuckled, but tears fell into her glass. "A toast to... the idiot who can hack into the banking system."

The night wind swirled snowflakes across the eaves. The drunken sniper began demonstrating how to use barbecue skewers as darts, while Ice Brew laughed and caught the napkin he tossed to her with her antlers, while Jessica secretly replaced the wine in Su Rui's glass with honey water.

As the first rays of dawn painted the eastern clouds white, empty glasses piled up beside the embers of the grill. Su Rui was fast asleep, her head resting on Jessica's lap, her eyelashes casting tiny shadows on her face. Ice Brew, wrapped in a blanket, quietly cleared away the dishes, a small ice flower embroidered on her antlers by Jessica sometime earlier.

"He's actually very gentle, isn't he?" Jessica mouthed.

Ice Brew glanced at Su Rui's tightly clenched left hand—even in his sleep, he maintained the hand position of pulling the trigger, but half a piece of unfinished honey cake peeked out from between his fingers. It was Jessica's favorite flavor.

"Yes," Ice Brew mouthed with a smile, "Like embers in a blizzard."

Volume 14, Chapter 801: Chaos, Contract

As dawn broke through the clouds, the chaos outside the bank had already lasted for two full hours.

Su Rui leaned against the window on the second floor of the tavern, a piece of honey candy in her hand, slowly grinding the sweet sugar with her canine teeth. Downstairs, the bank manager, his tie askew, was waving his ledgers and yelling at the workers, while Old Mark, leaning on a shovel, his dark face full of mockery. "What? You guys love to use contracts to intimidate people, don't you? Now the system's malfunctioned, all the IOUs are gone—"

"That's impossible!" the manager's voice cracked. "It must be you peasants who did this!"

Su Rui's lips curled into a smile. He recalled Jessica curling up in the bar last night, staring at the results on her computer, her blue hair gleaming in the screen's light. Now she was sitting on the Oak behind him, swinging her legs, deliberately pouring her private reserve of Ice Brew red wine into Su Rui's glass.

"Hey." Without turning her head, Su Rui reached out and precisely grabbed her wrist as she secretly switched the wine glasses. "Do you think I'm blind?"

Jessica blinked, her eyelashes fluttering like butterflies in the morning light: "Just one drink—" she suddenly leaned closer, her voice carrying the sweet aroma of butter muffins, "Last time you were drunk, you were so cute, you even rubbed your face against my scarf..."

Su Rui's ears turned red instantly. He released her wrist and instead pinched her cheeks, pulling them apart. "That's just low body temperature causing confusion."

"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!" Jessica protested indistinctly, but took the opportunity to bring the glass to his lips. The wine spilled, wetting Su Rui's sleeve. He clicked his tongue and suddenly leaned forward—

Jessica instinctively closed her eyes, but then heard a "crunch." Su Rui snatched another cookie from the end of her hair, his warm breath brushing against her nose. "Childish," he mumbled, biting into the cookie, deliberately rubbing his military boots against the tips of her shoes as he turned away.

Cheers suddenly erupted downstairs. Workers raised their tools and banged on the ground, making the window frames vibrate—the bank had finally given in. Su Rui watched the slick-haired manager slumped on the steps and suddenly chuckled.

"Are you happy now?" Jessica leaned on his shoulder.

Su Rui didn't answer, but instead took a mint from his pocket and popped it into her mouth. This was his unique way of expressing himself— Jessica knew that when he didn't want to talk, the warmth of his fingertips was more honest than words.

A pair of Ice Brew deer antlers peeked out from the stairwell. "Gentlemen, if you don't eat breakfast soon—"

"Su Rui, eat me first." Jessica suddenly wrapped her arms around his waist.

The sniper was stunned by this direct question, his Adam's apple bobbing twice before he managed to stammer, "... Where did you learn to talk like that?"

"Love, Liberi! Volume 37." Jessica proudly waved the terminal. "After the female protagonist finished speaking—"

Su Rui covered her mouth with her palm, and with her other hand reached for the terminal at her waist, tossing it to Ice Brew without even looking. The deer-eared girl caught it instinctively, swiped the screen, and read aloud: 'The male lead pressed her against the honey jar and kissed her, sweet honey flowing down her thighs...' Wow.

"Give it back!" Jessica blushed and tried to grab it, but Su Rui grabbed her by the back of her collar and pulled her back. When he looked down, the shadow of his bangs obscured the reddened corners of his eyes. "Stop looking at nonsense." His tone was fierce, but his fingers gently wiped the cookie crumbs from the corner of her mouth.

Downstairs, the workers' off-key singing drifted up. Sunlight filtered through the dust, weaving a golden net between the three. Su Rui thought that perhaps occasional chaos wasn't so bad—especially when Jessica secretly tucked her feet into his military boots to warm them, and when the Ice Brew deer antlers brushed against his hair.

He broke the last half of the almond cookie in his hand and handed the larger half to Jessica.

The noise outside the window gradually faded into a blurry background sound. Su Rui lay back on the old leather sofa in the tavern, his long legs casually draped over the edge of the coffee table, amber liquid swirling in the glass in his hand. He stared at the ceiling, his gaze somewhat unfocused, the alcohol making his thoughts slow and warm.

Jessica leaned against the windowsill and watched the commotion downstairs for a while. When she turned around, she noticed that Su Rui's cup was empty. His cheeks were flushed, his black hair was disheveled and spread across his forehead, and his usually sharp eyes seemed to be veiled by a layer of mist, making him look languid and even a little dazed.

She blinked, and the corners of her mouth involuntarily turned up.

"Su Rui," she tiptoed closer, squatted down beside the sofa, and poked his arm, "Are you drunk?"

Su Rui turned her head a beat late, staring at her with her dark eyes for a few seconds before suddenly reaching out and pinching her cheek with a firm but not too hard grip. "... Liar."

"What did I lie to you about?" Jessica asked, her words muffled as he pinched her cheek.

"Alcohol." Su Rui released her hand, her fingertips leaving a slightly warm touch on her skin. "You said... it was juice."

Jessica chuckled, "No way! You just grabbed the wrong cup!"

Su Rui frowned, seemingly deep in thought. His reaction was slower than usual, and the slight furrowing of his brows actually made him look somewhat... adorable.

Jessica couldn't help but lean closer, her blue hair falling onto his chest. "Su Rui, you look so cute when you're drunk."

"I'm not drunk," Su Rui stubbornly retorted, her voice softer than usual. He raised his hand to push her face away, which was too close, but his palm ended up touching her lips, the warm touch making him pause for a moment.

Jessica seized the opportunity to grab his wrist, her eyes sparkling. "Then tell me, who am I?"

Su Rui stared at her for a few seconds, then suddenly sighed softly, "... Troublemaker."

"Hello!"

"Jessica," he added, his tone helpless yet carrying a barely perceptible hint of indulgence.

Sunlight streamed through the window, casting dappled shadows on his eyelashes. His breath carried a faint scent of alcohol, its warmth brushing against her nose. Jessica suddenly felt her heart race. She released his wrist and gently brushed the stray hairs from his forehead with her fingers.

"Su Rui," she whispered, "Do you know what you're like when you're drunk..."

"Um?"

She knows how to act cute.

Su Rui's brows furrowed even more immediately. "Nonsense."

Jessica sat on the floor, laughing, leaning against the sofa, and looked up at him. "Last time you were drunk, you insisted that I count the stars with you, saying you were afraid they would fall down."

Su Rui's ears turned visibly red. He turned his face away, refusing to acknowledge this embarrassing past. "... Impossible."

"Another time, you clung to the sniper rifle, refusing to let go, saying it was your best friend—"

"Shut up." Su Rui reached out and covered her mouth, this time with noticeably more force, as if she was truly angry and embarrassed.

Jessica laughed so hard her shoulders shook, and she deliberately licked his palm with the tip of her tongue. Su Rui recoiled as if burned, staring at her with wide eyes, his blush deepening.

"You..."

"What?" Jessica tilted her head, looking completely innocent.