Ark Simulator, Aren't I Supposed to Be Intangible?

Volume 14, Chapter 802: Undisturbed

Su Rui stared at her for a few seconds, then suddenly reached out and grabbed the back of her head, pulling her close. His breath, warm with alcohol, almost touched her lips—

"Bang!"

The tavern door was suddenly pushed open, Ice Brew walked in carrying a basket of fresh bread, a few snowflakes still clinging to her antlers. She glanced at the two people on the sofa and raised an eyebrow. "Did I... disturb something?"

Su Rui immediately let go, lay back down on the sofa, and pretended nothing had happened. Jessica, blushing, jumped up and ran to the bar, pretending to be very interested in the bottle labels.

Ice Brew smiled and placed the bread basket on the table. "The commotion downstairs is over, the bank staff have left." She glanced at Su Rui. "Looks like someone had a good time drinking?"

"He's not drunk," Jessica answered first, a smile involuntarily playing on her lips. "He's just... a little dazed."

Su Rui threw a cushion at her from the sofa, hitting her squarely on the back of the head.

As evening fell, the tavern gradually filled with customers. Workers gathered in twos and threes, raising their glasses to celebrate their temporary victory. Laughter and the clinking of glasses filled the space, warm and noisy.

Su Rui's drunkenness had mostly subsided, but a faint blush remained on his cheeks. He sat in a corner booth with a glass of Ice Brew, specially made hangover tea in front of him, his expression returning to its usual indifference, though his gaze occasionally drifted towards Jessica, who was helping out at the bar.

She was wearing the apron given to her by Ice Brew, her blue hair tied in a ponytail, gleaming softly under the light. She was clumsily trying to mix a cocktail, spilling juice everywhere. Ice Brew shook his head and sighed, but still patiently taught her how to hold the shaker steady.

Su Rui looked at her profile and unconsciously curled the corners of her lips into a smile.

"What are you laughing at?" Ice Brew somehow gotten to sit opposite him, her deer ears twitching slightly. "Regretting not having more drinks?"

Su Rui withdrew her gaze, picked up her teacup, and took a sip. "... No."

"Liar." Ice Brew rested her chin on her hand. "The way you looked at her just now, it was like you were trying to bore a hole through her."

Su Rui didn't refute, but silently swirled his cup. The steam from the tea blurred his expression, but the Ice Brew still caught a glimpse of tenderness in his eyes.

"She really likes you," Ice Brew suddenly said, "That kind of... overtly obvious liking."

Su Rui tapped her fingers lightly on the rim of the glass. "... I know."

And what about you?

He didn't answer, but simply looked up, his gaze piercing through the noisy crowd and landing on Jessica. She was waving at him, holding a strangely colored "special cocktail," her smile as radiant as if she owned the whole world.

Ice Brew followed his gaze and nodded knowingly, "Yes, it seems I know too."

As morning light streamed into the room through the sheer curtains, Su Rui was already awake. He sat on the edge of the bed, his fingers pressed against his temples, his brow furrowed—the dull ache from the hangover felt like a tiny person hammering an anvil inside his skull. The sniper rifle rested quietly against the headboard, its metal parts gleaming coldly in the morning light, as if silently mocking its owner's disheveled state.

Light footsteps sounded outside the door, followed by Jessica's deliberately hushed humming. Su Rui's ears twitched, and she immediately straightened her back, her fingers unconsciously gripping the sheets.

The door opened a crack, and Jessica's blue hair peeked in first. "Awake?" Her eyes were bright, and a smile she couldn't hide played on her lips. "Does your head hurt?"

"It doesn't hurt," Su Rui replied stiffly, her voice a few decibels higher than usual.

Jessica bounced in, holding a steaming cup. "Special Ice Brew hangover soup, while it's hot—"

"Unnecessary."

Last night you hugged me and said, "Jessica is the best."

Su Rui looked up abruptly, her ear tips instantly turning red. "Impossible."

Jessica shoved the cup into his hand, her fingertips deliberately brushing against his knuckles. "And you said I'm cuter than a sniper rifle."

"Nonsense." Su Rui gritted her teeth and put down her glass, the metal bottom clanging against the bedside table. "Gunsmiths wouldn't switch someone else's drinks in the middle of the night."

Jessica tilted her head to look at him, then suddenly reached out and poked his cheek. "You're so stubborn now, who was it last night who rubbed against my neck and said 'Don't go'?"

Su Rui slapped her hand away as if burned, nearly bumping into the chandelier hanging from the ceiling as he stood up. He grabbed the sniper rifle, expertly checking the chamber, as if that would restore his usual composure. "You're hallucinating."

"Then what's this?" Jessica magically pulled her phone out of her pocket, and on the screen was a photo of Su Rui curled up on the sofa, clutching her scarf—her usually sharp eyes were wet, and her black hair was sticking up in a messy mess, making her look like a cat that had been soaked by the rain.

Su Rui's expression froze.

Three seconds later, Jessica was pinned to the bed, her phone taken over. Su Rui propped herself up with one hand near her ear, the other hand rapidly deleting photos, her breathing noticeably more rapid than usual. "... Deleted."

"It's backed up to the cloud," Jessica winked. "And Ice Brew also filmed a video—"

"Jack, Sis, Ka."

Those three words were practically squeezed out through clenched teeth. Jessica finally couldn't hold back her laughter and grabbed his collar, pulling him down. "Okay, okay, I was just kidding! There's no video!"

Su Rui remained motionless above her, his dark eyes fixed on her face, as if assessing the truthfulness of her words. Morning light streamed down from behind him, gilding his features, and the shadows cast by his eyelashes resembled tiny wings.

"But..." Jessica suddenly stopped smiling, her fingertip lightly touching the corner of his eye, "You really said that last night."

"... What."

"Say I am..." she suddenly leaned close to his ear, her warm breath brushing against his earlobe, "A partner more reliable than a sniper rifle."

Su Rui's Adam's apple bobbed. He was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly sat up, grabbed the sniper rifle, and began disassembling and maintaining it, his movements a bit rougher than usual. "Words spoken while drunk don't count."

"Does what you said when you were sober count?"

"..."

The trigger spring made a soft "click." Su Rui lowered his head, his bangs obscuring his expression, only his reddened ear tips exposed to the morning light. Jessica sat cross-legged on the bed, resting her chin on her hand as she looked at him, her blue hair hanging down on the white sheets, like a clear sky falling onto snow.

The sounds of workers chatting and laughing drifted in from outside the window, along with Ice Brew humming a folk song. The wooden staircase of the tavern creaked, and the morning breeze carried the aroma of freshly baked bread through the cracks in the door.

Su Rui suddenly stopped moving, his fingers unconsciously tracing a tiny scratch on the barrel of the gun—a scratch he had accidentally made when Jessica shielded him from a stray bullet during the last mission.

"... Calculate."

The word was so soft it was almost inaudible, but Jessica still caught it. Her eyes lit up instantly, as if they were filled with stars.

"Then I want to be your number one reliable partner!"

"... what ever."

Su Rui continued cleaning her gun, but the smile on her lips could no longer be suppressed. Sunlight streamed onto the floor between them, forming a small, bright square, like a stage reserved just for them.

Jessica suddenly lunged at him and hugged his arm. "Then come with me to breakfast! Ice Brew made honey pancakes!"

"Wait until I'm done with my skincare routine--"

"Now!"

Su Rui sighed, but let her pull him up. The sniper rifle was temporarily placed on the bedside table, its metal surface still warm from her body heat.

As she reached the door, Jessica suddenly turned back. "Oh, right, you promised me something last night."

"... And what is it again?"

"Next mission—" she winked mischievously, "Let me play with your sniper rifle one last time."

Su Rui's expression instantly hardened. "That's absolutely not true."

"It's only good for a puppy to back out!"

"Jessica!"

Volume 14, Chapter 803: Whatever You Want

Jessica stood at the entrance of the Ice Brew Bar, the sunlight slanting across the wooden sign, making the words "Icebrew Tavern" appear warm and inviting. She stared at the sign for a few seconds, then suddenly turned to Su Rui and said, "I want to stay."

Su Rui was checking the safety of his sniper rifle when he heard this. His fingers paused slightly, but he quickly resumed his movements, saying calmly, "Whatever."

Su Rui slung the sniper rifle back over his shoulder, glanced at both sides of the street to make sure there was nothing amiss, and then asked, "What did you say to Blacksteel?"

"Just say the mission requires follow-up investigation." Jessica shrugged, her tone as casual as if discussing dinner. "Anyway, this operation was taken on short notice, so no one will care if the report is submitted a little late."

Su Rui remained silent for a while, and finally just hummed in agreement.

Ice Brew was wiping glasses behind the bar, her deer ears twitching slightly, clearly having overheard their conversation. She looked up, a gentle smile in her amber eyes, "Want to stay?"

Jessica immediately leaned over, placing her hands on the bar counter, her blue hair swaying gently with the movement. "Yes! And I want to learn to cook from you!"

Ice Brew blinked, seemingly surprised. "Why are you suddenly interested in this?"

"Because—" Jessica drawled, glancing at Su Rui, "Someone said all I can cook is instant noodles."

Su Rui: "... I didn't say that."

You said it in your heart.

Ice Brew couldn't help but laugh out loud, turning the cleaned glasses upside down on the shelf. "Sure, the shop's short-staffed anyway. If you want to learn, I'll teach you."

Jessica cheered and turned to rush into the kitchen, but Ice Brew gently pressed her shoulder. "Wait, change out of your 'work clothes' first."

She looked down at herself—tactical vest, dagger at her waist, boots still dusty from the bank vault. She certainly wasn't suited for cooking.

"Right away!" She ran upstairs in a few strides, her footsteps thumping loudly like an excited little animal.

Su Rui stood still, her gaze fixed on Ice Brew: "Is she serious?"

Ice Brew wiped another glass, a smile playing on her lips, "What do you think?"

"... She even burns an egg when she frys it."

"That's why you need to learn." Ice Brew put down her glass, looked up at him, and asked, "What about you? Are you staying too?"

Su Rui was silent for a moment, then finally nodded. "The mission isn't completely over yet."

Ice Brew smiled knowingly and didn't expose him.

Soon, the sound of spatulas clattering came from the kitchen, along with Jessica's startled shouts.

"Oil! Oil is splattering!"

"The fire's too high! Flip it! Flip it now!"

"Ice Brew! Why are these shredded potatoes stuck together?!"

Su Rui leaned against the kitchen doorframe, watching Jessica frantically wield the spatula, her blue hair slightly curled by the steam, and a speck of flour smeared on her cheek. Ice Brew stood behind her, occasionally reaching out to adjust the heat or steady her wrist, her movements as practiced as if she were directing a dance.

"Don't rush," Ice Brew's voice was gentle and patient, "Cooking isn't like firing a gun, you don't need to use so much force."

Jessica wrinkled her nose, staring intently at the pot. "But it won't listen to me..."

Su Rui silently curled the corners of her lips into a smile.

"Su Rui!" Jessica suddenly turned her head, her eyes sparkling, "Try my stir-fried shredded potatoes!"

She rushed over with a plate, picked up a bunch of golden-brown potato strips with a few black bits in them, and held them directly to his mouth. Su Rui instinctively leaned back, but ultimately opened his mouth to take them.

The taste... was so salty it was almost bitter, with a subtle burnt flavor.

"How was it?" Jessica looked at him expectantly.

Su Rui chewed twice expressionlessly, then swallowed. "... It's alright."

"Real?!"

"Better than instant noodles."

Jessica immediately raised her chin triumphantly, turned to Ice Brew, and announced, "He said it's delicious!"

Ice Brew smiled without saying a word, only gently shaking her head.

Over the next few days, Jessica became completely engrossed in the kitchen. She learned to knead dough, chop vegetables, control the heat, and even tried making a stew—although the final product was a bit salty, at least it wasn't burnt.

Most of the time, Su Rui would just sit in the corner, quietly wiping his sniper rifle or flipping through mission briefings. But whenever Jessica brought out a new dish, he would always put down what he was holding, silently take a bite, and then give a brief evaluation.

"That's progress."

Too much salt.

"... This time was alright."

Jessica's eyes would light up like a puppy receiving a reward, then she would turn around and rush back to the kitchen to continue her tinkering.

Ice Brew would occasionally sit opposite Su Rui and hand him a glass of her homemade fruit wine. "Aren't you going to urge her to go back?"

Su Rui took the cup, her fingertips gently tracing the rim. "No rush."

What about Blacksteel?

"I've taken care of it."

Ice Brew smiled and didn't ask any further questions.

On the evening of the fifth day, Jessica finally managed to make a decent dish—golden, crispy fried shrimp, with a thin, crispy exterior and tender interior. She carefully arranged them on a plate, even drawing a crooked smiley face with ketchup.

"Try it!" She pushed the plate in front of Su Rui, her fingers slightly clenched with nervousness.

Su Rui put down the gun parts she was assembling, picked up her chopsticks, and took a bite. The crisp sound was clearly audible as she bit into it.

Jessica held her breath and stared at him.

Su Rui slowly finished eating, put down her chopsticks, and looked up at her. "... Delicious."