Ark Simulator, Don't I Lack a Physical Body?

Volume 15, Chapter 832: Roasted Meat

The aroma of grilled meat filled the air. The sizzling beef short ribs on the grill gleamed with an enticing brown color, and drips of fat fell onto the charcoal, sparking tiny sparks. Su Rui's slender fingers gripped the tongs, precisely flipping the meat over. His silver hair swayed slightly in the heat of the grill, and the silver bell around his neck jingled softly with his movements.

Bai Xue rested her chin on her hand, her gaze unconsciously falling on his profile.

The light from the charcoal fire illuminated his silhouette; his amber eyes were fixed intently on the grill, his eyelashes casting a small shadow beneath them. His lips were thin, slightly pursed, with a trace of honey from when he tasted the food, glistening in the light.

--I really want to lick it off.

The thought suddenly popped into Bai Xue's mind, making her ears burn. She hurriedly gulped down a mouthful of iced lemonade, but choked because she drank it too fast and coughed violently.

"Slower."

Su Rui put down the clip, gently wrapped his tail around her wrist, and placed his other hand on her back, patting her twice with just the right amount of force. His palm was warm, and the warmth through the thin fabric was reassuring.

"I... I'm fine!" Bai Xue waved her hand, but froze the moment she met his gaze.

The handsome young man leaned slightly forward, his silver-white hair cascading down, carrying a faint scent of mint. His fingertips brushed against the corner of her lips, wiping away a drop of moisture. "You got some."

His voice was very low, like sandpaper gently rubbing against the eardrum, stirring a slight shiver. Bai Xue's breath hitched, and her heart pounded wildly in her chest, almost bursting out of her ribcage.

--Too advanced.

She could clearly see the tiny glints in his pupils, like melting honey, and smell the minty scent mixed with the aroma of charcoal fire emanating from him. His breath brushed against her cheek, warm and moist, reminding her of the feeling of him pressing her against the wall on a rainy night.

The string of reason snapped.

Bai Xue suddenly reached out and grabbed Su Rui's collar, pulling him towards her. Just before her lips touched his, she hesitated for half a second—the distance was so close that she could count the trembling of his eyelashes and feel the faint breaths of his air brushing against her cheek.

His lips were warmer than she had imagined, carrying the sweet scent of honey and the aroma of charcoal. The kiss began with a cautious, tentative touch, like the first bud of a flower blooming in early spring, gentle to the point of reverence. Bai Xue could feel Su Rui's body tense instantly; his tail hairs bristled beside her hand, like a dandelion suddenly disturbed.

But soon, a deeper understanding began to flow between them. Su Rui's hand gently cradled the back of her neck, her fingertips running through the stray hairs at her temples, a movement as tender as touching fragile glass. The distance between them gradually dissolved, their breaths mingling, indistinguishable as to whose heartbeat was louder.

The flames from the grill danced around them, casting their shadows onto the wooden wall, blurring into a single silhouette. The distant footsteps of the waiters and the laughter of the guests became indistinct background noise, as if muffled by frosted glass. Bai Xue caught a whiff of the pine scent lingering on Su Rui's collar, mingled with the sweetness of honey, reminding her of citrus fruits shared around a fireplace on a winter's day.

When Su Rui's nose gently brushed against her cheek, Bai Xue realized that her fingers were still tightly gripping his clothes. She slowly loosened her grip, smoothing out the wrinkles she had made, her fingertips inadvertently touching the skin of his collarbone, feeling the warmth emanating from there. Su Rui's tail quietly wrapped around her wrist, its downy fur lightly brushing against her pulse, as if responding to this silent touch.

Their foreheads touched, their breathing gradually calming. Bai Xue noticed a tiny speck of charcoal ash on Su Rui's eyelashes. She reached out to brush it away, but he grabbed her wrist the instant she touched it. His thumb gently caressed the inside of her wrist, where there was a tiny, almost invisible scar—a scratch from a branch she had accidentally inflicted during their last camping trip.

"Your heart is beating so fast," Su Rui whispered, his voice tinged with laughter yet concealing a hint of barely perceptible nervousness. Bai Xue could see her reflection in his amber eyes, along with the flickering firelight, like maple leaves pierced by sunlight in autumn.

They embraced quietly, neither of them rushing to break the tranquility. The grease from the meat dripped onto the charcoal fire, making a soft crackling sound, and the aroma filled the air.

"Would you like some more charcoal, sir?"

The sudden sound made the two abruptly separate.

The young waiter stood by the table, holding charcoal tongs, his expression one of embarrassment as if he had stumbled upon some terrible secret. Bai Xue's face instantly flushed red, and she hurriedly lowered her head, pretending to be intensely interested in the charred mushrooms.

Su Rui remained calm, though her tail was still tightly wrapped around her waist, and the tips of her ears were almost transparently red. "... No need, thank you."

The waiter quickly slipped away.

Silence fell between them.

The charcoal fire was still crackling, and the meat on the grill was charred beyond recognition, but no one paid any attention. Bai Xue stared at her intertwined fingers, her heart pounding as if it would burst from her chest.

--What did she just do?

In a public place, at a barbecue buffet restaurant, surrounded by people, she actually...

"Bai Xue."

Su Rui suddenly spoke, his voice lower and husky than usual. Bai Xue subconsciously looked up and saw that he had already moved closer, his silver-white hair hanging down, gleaming softly in the light. His fingertips gently touched the corner of her lips, where a trace of moisture still remained.

"Continue?"

His voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable force. Bai Xue's breath hitched, and before she could answer, he pulled her to her feet.

"Wait, wait! We haven't finished eating our meat yet--"

"Pack."

Without turning his head, Su Rui pulled her toward the exit, his tail wrapped tightly around her wrist, so tightly that she almost stumbled. His back still appeared calm and composed, but his slightly reddened earlobes and hurried footsteps betrayed him.

A night breeze brushed against her burning cheeks, and Bai Xue realized her heart was pounding wildly. She watched Su Rui's retreating figure; his silver hair stood out starkly in the night, and the silver bell around his neck jingled softly with each step, like a secret invitation.

Morning light filtered through the sheer curtains, casting dappled patterns on the tatami mat. Bai Xue groggily opened her eyes and found herself nestled in a warm embrace.

Su Rui is still asleep.

His silver hair was scattered messily on the pillow, a few strands sticking up playfully, gleaming softly in the sunlight. His long, thick eyelashes cast a small shadow under his eyes, and his breathing was even and long. Most striking were his pair of furry weasel ears, which were now lying obediently flat, rising and falling slightly with his breath.

Bai Xue held her breath and carefully extended her finger.

First, she gently poked his cheek. The touch was softer than she had imagined, warm from sleep, like a freshly steamed glutinous rice ball. Su Rui's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, but he didn't wake up.

The second time, her fingertips slid to the base of his ear. The downy hair there was exceptionally fine and soft, trembling sensitively at the slightest touch. Sure enough, Su Rui's ear trembled the moment she touched it, unconsciously pulling back, but because of his drowsy state, he couldn't completely avoid it.

"Puff..."

Bai Xue quickly covered her mouth, afraid that laughing out loud would wake him. She mischievously rubbed the most sensitive spot on the inside of his ear again. This time, Su Rui's tail slapped against the blanket with a "smack," and he made a muffled protest in his throat, but still didn't open his eyes.

--so cute.

Bai Xue's heart raced, and she grew bolder. She quietly lifted a corner of the blanket, her gaze falling on his bushy tail. In the morning light, the silvery-white fur shimmered with a pearly luster, and the particularly long tuft of silver hair at the tip of his tail rose and fell gently with his breath, like some kind of mysterious rune.

Volume 15, Chapter 833: Goldfish Scooping

She carefully pinched the tip of the tail and gently stroked the tuft of long fur with her fingertips. The touch was even softer than her ears, like the texture of fine silk mixed with clouds. Su Rui's body stiffened visibly, and the tail instinctively tried to pull away from her hand, but she caught it with lightning speed.

"Hmm..."

The handsome young man finally showed signs of waking up, his brows furrowed, and a sleepy hum escaped his throat. Bai Xue immediately let go, pretending to still be fast asleep, but secretly opened her eyes a crack to observe his reaction.

Su Rui's eyelashes trembled, and he slowly opened his eyes. His amber eyes were misty with sleep, like melting honey in the morning light. He blinked blankly, seemingly not fully awake yet, but his tail had already instinctively wrapped around Bai Xue's waist, pulling her closer to him.

"What time is it?"

His voice was incredibly hoarse, filled with a deep sleepiness, and his warm breath brushed against her forehead. Bai Xue's heart skipped a beat, and she suppressed the urge to continue teasing him, pretending to have just woken up as she rubbed her eyes.

"I don't know..." she deliberately dragged out the words, "The sun has only just risen."

Su Rui gave a soft "hmm," rubbed his chin against the top of her head, and was about to close his eyes again. Bai Xue took the opportunity to pinch his earlobe again, and this time he finally woke up completely.

"You--"

The handsome young man suddenly grabbed her mischievous hand, his amber eyes narrowing slightly with a dangerous glint in them. Only then did Bai Xue notice that the tips of his ears were so red they could drip blood, and the fur on his tail was standing on end, clearly indicating that she had thoroughly annoyed him with her little antics.

"Good morning~" She smiled like a cat that had just stolen some cream, her fingers mischievously scratching his palm.

Su Rui's breathing visibly faltered. He rolled over and pinned her beneath him, his silver hair cascading down, creating a small, private space between them. Morning light filtered through the gaps in his hair, casting dappled shadows on his face.

Is it fun?

His voice was low and husky, with a magnetic quality unique to early morning, and his tail swept dangerously across her ankle. Only then did Bai Xue realize she had gone too far playing with fire, but it was too late—

"Wait! I was wrong--Oops!"

The protest was blocked by Su Rui.

Bai Xue suddenly exerted her strength, ramming herself into Su Rui's arms, her forehead against his chin, like a defiant little animal. Su Rui grunted, but didn't budge, instead tightening his arms around her, his tail wrapping around her waist with such force that he almost lifted her off the ground. Bai Xue wasn't about to give in, her fingers slipping under his coat hem, gently tickling a sensitive spot on his side— Su Rui shuddered, the fur on his tail standing on end, yet he stubbornly refused to let go, instead lowering his head to brush his nose against her burning earlobe, warm... His hot breath sent a shiver down her spine. They remained locked in this stalemate, neither willing to yield, their breaths mingling, their heartbeats growing clearer in the silence. Bai Xue could feel the vibrations in Su Rui's chest; his low laughter seemed to come from afar. "Give up?" She bit her lip and shook her head, then suddenly stood on tiptoe, her nose bumping against his Adam's apple, eliciting a gasp of pain from him. This silent contest continued, like two stubborn children vying for dominance in the embrace in the most childish way.

Knock knock.

The knocking abruptly interrupted the contest.

"Lord Bai Xue," the maid Aju's voice came through the paper door, "Madam asks if you and Mr. Su would like to have breakfast?"

Both of them froze. Su Rui's tail was still wrapped around her waist, her silver hair hung down messily, and there was a suspicious glistening of moisture on her lips. Bai Xue's face instantly turned as red as a ripe apple, and she stammered, "..."

"Horse, come right away!"

The footsteps outside faded into the distance. Su Rui sighed, resting her forehead on her shoulder, her ears twitching with embarrassment and annoyance. "... Lock the door next time."

Bai Xue couldn't help but laugh out loud, reaching out to ruffle his bristling tail. "Yes, sir, White Weasel!"

The morning light cast their intertwined shadows onto the paper door, creating a sweet silhouette. Meanwhile, in the tea room in the distance, Lady Wenyue elegantly sipped her tea and instructed her maid:

"Prepare more nourishing soups for breakfast today."

Morning light filtered through the bamboo blinds of the tea room, casting long, thin shadows on the low table. Bai Xue knelt on a futon, her fingers nervously twisting the cuffs of her kimono, her eyes fixed on the steaming turtle soup in front of her—the soup was milky white, with a few goji berries floating on top, emitting a rich aroma.

"This is..." Her voice trailed off, her ears burning involuntarily.

Lady Wenyue took an elegant sip of tea, her folding fan partially concealing her lips. "Turtle kidney-tonifying soup, with ginseng and astragalus added."

"..."

Su Rui, sitting next to her, almost spat out his tea. His silvery ears bristled instantly, and his tail slapped against the tatami mat. Bai Xue secretly glanced at him and noticed that the handsome young man's face turned red from the tips of his ears all the way down to his neck, and even the silver bell around his neck couldn't hide the blush.

"Madam!" Bai Xue waved her hands anxiously, "We don't need this..."

"Is that so?" Lady Wenyue glanced meaningfully at the two clasped hands— Su Rui's tail had somehow wrapped around Bai Xue's wrist, like a silent declaration.

Just then, the maid, Aju, brought over a plate of tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelets). The golden, fluffy omelets were drizzled with honey, which finally eased the awkward atmosphere. Bai Xue, feeling like she had been granted a pardon, immediately picked up a piece and stuffed it into her mouth, only to burn her tongue.

"Fool."

Su Rui sighed, released her wrist with her tail, and instead rolled up a glass of iced barley tea and handed it to her. Bai Xue took a big gulp, the icy liquid sliding down her throat, finally suppressing the burning sensation.

"This is delicious," she decided to change the subject, picking up a piece of tamagoyaki and bringing it to Su Rui's lips, "Want to try some?"

The handsome boy hesitated for a moment, then lowered his head and accepted the food. The sweetness of the honey melted on his tongue, his ears twitched with pleasure, and the tip of his tail swayed gently involuntarily—this was the habitual action that Bai Xue had recently discovered when he ate delicious food.

"How about it?"

"... Too sweet."

Although he complained, Su Rui's tail honestly curled up and took the last piece of tamagoyaki from the plate. Bai Xue couldn't help but chuckle, but he gently kicked her under the table.

"Speaking of which," Lady Wenyue interjected at the opportune moment, "There's a temple fair in the West District today, would you like to go check it out?"

"A temple fair?" Bai Xue's eyes lit up. "The kind where they have goldfish scooping and candied apples?"

The lady nodded, pointing her folding fan out the window. "I heard they've even invited a circus from Nanyang this year."

Su Rui's ears immediately perked up. Although his expression remained indifferent, his tail was already excitedly patting the tatami mat. Bai Xue was all too familiar with this reaction of his—clearly interested but pretending not to care.

"Want to go?" She deliberately bumped him with her shoulder.

The handsome young man turned his face away, his silver hair falling to cover his slightly reddened ear tips. "... Whatever you want."

"That's what I want to do!" Bai Xue announced with a grin, "We'll set off after breakfast!"

The maid, Aju, brought over a plate of freshly baked salmon rice balls, the aroma of seaweed immediately filling the tea room. Bai Xue eagerly picked one up, only to see Su Rui elegantly unravel the rice ball, carefully selecting the salmon filling, and then—

"Give."

He placed the salmon he had selected onto her plate, while he ate the remaining rice. Bai Xue was stunned, a warm feeling welling up inside her. She remembered casually mentioning once that she liked salmon but hated picking out the bones, and she never expected him to remember it now.

"Su Rui..."

She was about to say something when she saw the handsome boy turn his face away, his ears so red they could bleed, while his tail quietly wrapped around her waist, as if in some silent response.

Volume 15, Chapter 834: Don't Squeeze Randomly

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the bamboo blinds, dappling the three people. Lady Wenyue watched the young couple's interaction, her eyes filled with a gentle smile. She softly closed her folding fan and instructed her maid:

"Please bring Mr. Su another bowl of turtle soup."

"Lady!"

Morning light bathed the courtyard, Bai Xue stood under the veranda, watching Lady Wenyue knead Su Rui's cheeks and ears like she was rubbing a kitten. The handsome silver-haired boy looked unwilling, but out of courtesy, he dared not dodge and could only let the lady pinch his soft ear tips into various shapes.

"Madam..." he protested sullenly, his tail thumping nervously on the floor.

"Oh dear, such adorable ears, it would be such a waste not to let someone touch them." Lady Wenyue smiled, her eyes crinkling, and pinched his cheek again with her fingers. "They feel so good, like little glutinous rice balls."

Bai Xue was trying so hard to suppress her laughter that her shoulders were shaking, until Su Rui shot her a sharp glare.

"Alright," the lady finally released her grip and straightened her sleeves. "We have a new shipment arriving at Lungmen Port District today. Xue'er, take Su Rui to inspect it."

She winked at Bai Xue, the meaning couldn't be clearer—this wasn't a proper patrol at all, it was clearly creating an opportunity for the two of them to be alone.

"Yes, ma'am!" Bai Xue replied loudly, pulling up Su Rui, who was still fixing her hair. "Let's go, let's go! I'll take you to that super famous fish ball place in the port area!"

Su Rui stumbled as she pulled him, his silver hair gleaming softly in the sunlight, the silver bell around his neck jingling. He sighed helplessly, but his tail honestly wrapped around Bai Xue's wrist.

The Lungmen Port District was bustling with activity, cranes roared as they loaded and unloaded cargo, and the sea breeze carried a salty, fishy smell. Bai Xue pulled Su Rui along as they moved between the containers, stopping every now and then to check the cargo manifest.

"The fish balls at this shop are absolutely amazing," she said, pointing to an unassuming little stall in the distance. "The owner uses only the freshest—"