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

Before he could finish speaking, Su Rui suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her behind a shipping container. His ears perked up alertly, and his tail stood straight.

"Someone's following us." He lowered his voice, his amber eyes fixed on a certain direction.

Bai Xue followed his gaze and saw a familiar figure standing not far away—gray hair, blue eyes, wearing a Lungmen Guard Department uniform, with a long sword at his waist; it was Chen Huijie.

"Inspector Chen!" Bai Xue waved in surprise, but Su Rui grabbed her hand.

"Wait," he frowned, "Why is she here?"

Before Bai Xue could answer, Chen Huijie had already spotted them and strode over.

"Miss Bai Xue," she nodded in greeting, her gaze pausing slightly when it fell on Su Rui, "And this is...?"

"Su Rui," Bai Xue quickly introduced, "Is the new girl from Wenyue House... uh..."

"Guards," Su Rui replied coldly, his tail unconsciously hiding behind Bai Xue.

Chen Huijie's gaze lingered on his ears and tail for a second, then she nodded knowingly. "I see."

A sea breeze ruffled Chen Huijie's gray hair. She casually tucked a stray strand behind her ear and smiled faintly, "I heard that Lady Wenyue has taken in a special guest; it seems the rumors are true."

Bai Xue nervously observed Su Rui's reaction—he never liked being talked about. But unexpectedly, Su Rui simply looked back at Chen Huijie calmly, his tail slowly relaxing.

"Lungmen Guard Department also interested in goods from the port area?" he asked rhetorically.

"Routine inspection." Chen Huijie patted the long sword at his waist. "Recently, a batch of prohibited drugs has entered Lungmen, and we suspect it was transported by sea."

Bai Xue keenly noticed that Su Rui's ears twitched slightly—a habitual action he took when he was interested in something.

"Do you need any help?" he offered. "The Wenyue House has some connections in the Minato Ward."

Chen Huijie raised an eyebrow in slight surprise, then showed an appreciative expression. "Then I'll trouble you."

The three of them patrolled the dock. Su Rui skillfully checked the container numbers and manifests, occasionally pointing out suspicious markings to Bai Xue with the tip of her tail. Chen Huijie walked slightly ahead, his gray hair fluttering in the wind, his back as straight as a pine tree.

"That container," Su Rui suddenly lowered her voice, gently tapping Bai Xue's hand with her tail, "Has the wrong serial number."

Following his directions, Bai Xue indeed found a container labeled "Dried Seafood," but the number did not match the one on the list. Just as she was about to go forward, Su Rui stopped her.

"Be careful," his ears twitched alertly, "There's a smell of blood."

Chen Huijie clearly noticed the anomaly as well, her hand already on the hilt of her sword. The three of them tacitly spread out, approaching the suspicious container from different angles.

Just as Chen Huijie was about to force open the container, the door was suddenly kicked open from the inside! A Feline man covered in blood staggered out and collapsed to the ground before he could take two steps.

"Help... help me..."

Bai Xue rushed forward and expertly examined his injuries. "Multiple knife wounds, excessive blood loss, requires immediate attention—"

Her words were cut short as three more masked men rushed out of the container, wielding sharp knives and charging straight at her!

"Get down!"

Amidst Su Rui's furious shout, Bai Xue felt a sudden dizziness—she was wrapped around Su Rui's waist by his tail and flung behind him. At the same time, Chen Huijie's longsword was already drawn, a flash of cold light, and the masked man at the front screamed as he clutched his wrist, his dagger clattering to the ground.

"Lungmen Guard Department! Lay down your weapons!"

At Chen Huijie's command, Su Rui drew his short sword, his silver hair cascading like a waterfall in the sunlight. His movements were so fast they almost left afterimages, yet his tail remained firmly guarding Bai Xue's body.

"Su Rui! To the right!"

Bai Xue's warning had barely left her lips when Su Rui sidestepped, her tail lashing out like a whip, striking the attacker's knee precisely. The man howled and fell to his knees, only to be knocked unconscious by Chen Huijie's sword hilt as he arrived.

Seeing the situation was turning against him, the last masked man turned and fled. Su Rui narrowed his eyes, and his short knife flew from his hand.

Whoosh!

The blade grazed the man's ear and embedded itself in the wooden box, startling him so much that he froze on the spot and raised his hands in surrender.

The entire battle lasted no more than thirty seconds.

Bai Xue breathed a sigh of relief and was about to step forward to help when she saw Su Rui suddenly stumble.

"Su Rui?"

She quickly steadied him, only then noticing a shallow knife wound on his left arm—probably from when he was protecting her. Blood dripped down his silvery-white fur, its red color glaringly bright in the sunlight.

"It's nothing," he said casually, his tail nuzzling her wrist reassuringly. "Just a minor injury."

Bai Xue's eyes suddenly reddened. Without saying a word, she tore off a piece of fabric from her sleeve and skillfully bandaged his wound.

"Idiot," she muttered softly, her fingers as gentle as if handling fragile porcelain, "Who told you to be so stubborn..."

Su Rui didn't refute, but simply used her uninjured hand to rub the top of her head, the tip of her tail quietly wrapping around her fingers.

Chen Huijie cleared his throat and turned around to deal with the prisoners. "I'll go get the medical team. You take care of the wounded first."

There was a hint of laughter in her voice.

Half an hour later, reinforcements from the Lungmen Guard Department arrived and took all the wounded and prisoners away. Chen Huijie stood by the dock, the sea breeze ruffling her gray hair.

"Thank you so much for your help," she said sincerely. "This batch of illicit drugs involves a wide range of people, and you have been a great help."

Volume 15, Chapter 835: Helplessness

Su Rui's wound had been properly bandaged, and he was currently being held tightly behind Bai Xue as if he were something fragile. He sighed helplessly and gently patted her shoulder with his tail to indicate that he was alright.

"Of course," Bai Xue straightened her chest, "the Wenyue House has always supported the work of the Lungmen Guard Department."

Chen Huijie nodded, her gaze shifting between the two women before finally settling on the silver bell around Su Rui's neck. A slight smile played on her lips, "It seems Lady Wenyue values you highly."

Su Rui subconsciously touched the Bell, her ear tips turning slightly red. "... Mmm."

"Oh, right," Chen Huijie suddenly remembered something and pulled two tickets out of her pocket, "There's a concert at the Lungmen Guard Department next week, consider it a thank-you gift."

Bai Xue took the ticket and looked at it, her eyes widening in surprise. "It's the <Lungmen Symphony>!"

"I remember you liked this." Chen Huijie smiled, turned to leave, then turned back and added, "It's free for family members."

Her gaze swept meaningfully over Su Rui, then she waved goodbye with a flourish and left.

The sea breeze grew stronger, dispersing the hustle and bustle of the dock. Bai Xue carefully put away the tickets, then turned around and saw Su Rui gazing at the distant horizon, her silver hair and tail swaying gently in the wind.

"What are you thinking about?" She touched his fingers.

Su Rui withdrew her gaze, and her tail naturally wrapped around her waist. "Fishballs."

"Huh?"

"You said you'd treat me to fish balls," he pointed to a small stall in the distance, "If we don't go soon, they'll be closing up shop."

Bai Xue paused for a moment, then burst out laughing. She took his hand, their fingers intertwined. "Let's go, let's go, it's on me this time!"

As the sun set, it cast long shadows of the two, who clung tightly together. Behind them, the guards of Wenyue Estate put away their binoculars and wrote contentedly in their notebooks:

"Today's patrol mission was successfully completed. Also: Mr. Su's combat capability rating has been upgraded to S."

As night fell, the Lungmen Night Market was brightly lit. Bai Xue, holding Su Rui's hand, weaved through the bustling crowd. The neon signs of the stalls on both sides flickered in the night, lengthening and shortening their shadows.

"Su Rui, look!" Bai Xue suddenly grabbed his arm, excitedly pointing to a sugar painting stall, "That weasel sugar painting looks just like you!"

Following her finger, Su Rui saw the stall owner using golden syrup to outline a lifelike weasel on the stone slab, with rounded ears, a fluffy tail, and even a remarkably similar expression. The tips of its ears twitched involuntarily, and its tail swayed gently behind it.

"It doesn't look like it," he said stubbornly, but couldn't help taking a second look.

Bai Xue chuckled to herself, already pulling out her wallet. "Boss, I'd like a ferret sugar painting!"

The stall owner smiled and took the money, handing her the freshly made sugar painting. Bai Xue took the painting and waved it in front of Su Rui: "Does it really not look like it?"

The sugar painting glistened under the light, emitting a sweet aroma. Su Rui turned her face away, but the tips of her ears subtly turned red. "... Childish."

Bai Xue didn't care about his insincerity, and stood on tiptoe to hold the sugar painting to his lips. "Want to try some?"

Su Rui hesitated for a moment, then lowered his head and took a bite. The sweet aroma of the candy melted in his mouth, and his tail wagged happily, but he still feigned indifference and commented, "Too sweet."

"You're lying," Bai Xue called him out, "You're all ears."

She mischievously reached out and pinched the tip of his ear. Su Rui immediately dodged as if electrocuted, but accidentally bumped into the person behind him.

"I'm sorry..." He turned around to apologize, but froze when he saw who it was.

With gray hair and blue eyes, Chen Huijie, dressed casually, stood behind them, holding a steaming bowl of fish ball soup. She raised an eyebrow, her gaze sweeping between the two of them before finally settling on Su Rui's bristling tail.

"Looks like I've bothered you?" Her voice held a hint of sarcasm.

Bai Xue's face flushed instantly, and she hurriedly withdrew her hand from pinching Su Rui's ear. "Chen, Chen sir! What a coincidence!"

"Just got off work," Chen Huijie said, waving the fish ball soup in her hand. "Just wanted to grab a late-night snack."

Her gaze shifted to Su Rui, a meaningful smile playing on her lips, "Your ears are showing?"

Su Rui's tail immediately straightened, and he instinctively hid behind Bai Xue. He usually covered his ears with a scarf when he was out, but tonight he and Bai Xue had come out in such a hurry that he forgot to disguise himself.

"I..."

Before he could explain, Chen Huijie reached out and pinched his cheek. "Still so soft."

Su Rui froze on the spot, her ears instantly turning bright red. Bai Xue stared wide-eyed at the usually calm and composed Su Rui, who was now like a cat being held by the scruff of its neck, unable to move.

"Inspector Chen!" Bai Xue instinctively wanted to defend her, but was stopped by a look from Chen Huijie.

"Don't worry," the gray-haired policeman patted Su Rui's ear again, "We know each other."

Her technique was exceptionally skilled, as if she already knew exactly where Su Rui's most sensitive spots were. Su Rui's tail bristled, but out of politeness, she dared not dodge, and could only purse her lips and endure this sudden "torture."

"Chen..." he forced out a few words through gritted teeth, "Enough is enough."

Chen Huijie then smiled and let go, turning to take the sugar painting from Bai Xue's hand and examining it closely. "The craftsmanship is good; it really does resemble him."

Bai Xue leaned closer curiously. "Does Inspector Chen know someone who makes sugar paintings too?"

"No," Chen Huijie returned the sugar painting to Bai Xue, a hint of nostalgia flashing in her eyes, "I've only seen what he... looked like."

Su Rui's ears perked up, and her tail wagged uneasily. "Chen!"

Chen Huijie shrugged, knowing better than to say anything more. She then pointed to a congee shop not far away. "Want to join us? Their seafood congee is pretty good."

The congee shop was bustling with noise, and the three of them found a corner to sit down. Chen Huijie skillfully ordered several signature dishes and also got a bowl of the signature seafood congee for each of them.

"So," she said, resting her chin on her hand, her gaze shifting between the two men, "What's going on between you two...?"

"We're dating!" Bai Xue immediately announced, grabbing Su Rui's hand and interlocking their fingers as if asserting her ownership.

Su Rui's tail swished around her wrist, her ear tips were so red they looked like they could bleed, but she didn't deny it.

Chen Huijie chuckled softly, "I can tell."

Steaming hot seafood porridge was served, and Bai Xue eagerly scooped up a spoonful, only to scald herself and stick out her tongue. Su Rui sighed helplessly, curled her tail, and handed her a glass of chilled plum juice.

"Slower."

His voice carried a doting tone he himself was unaware of, and the tip of his tail gently brushed against her wrist, as if to soothe her.

Watching the interaction between the two, Chen Huijie's eyes softened. "You two are a perfect match."

Bai Xue's face turned even redder, and she lowered her head to gulp down her porridge to hide her embarrassment. Su Rui pretended to be calm as he served Bai Xue some food, but his ears were twitching, betraying his true feelings.

"Speaking of which," Chen Huijie suddenly remembered something and pulled a ticket from her pocket, "There's a concert at the Lungmen Grand Theater next week, are you interested?"

Volume 15, 836 movie tickets

Bai Xue took the ticket and her eyes widened in surprise. "It's ' Night of Lungmen '! I heard tickets are incredibly hard to come by!"

"It was a gift from a friend," Chen Huijie said, taking a sip of tea. "I have to work that day, it would be a shame to waste it."

Su Rui's ears twitched, and her tail quietly wrapped around Bai Xue's waist. "... Thank you."

The thank you was very soft, but Chen Huijie clearly heard it. A slight smile played on her lips as she reached out and ruffled Su Rui's hair again, "You've grown up, you know how to say thank you now."

Su Rui immediately bristled, slapping her tail on the chair with a "thud": "Chen!"

Bai Xue watched the two interact so familiarly, a sense of curiosity rising within her. She vaguely sensed that there seemed to be a past between Chen Huijie and Su Rui that she didn't know about, but now was not the time to ask.

As night deepened, the customers at the porridge shop gradually dispersed. The three of them stepped out of the shop, a cool night breeze blowing by.

"I should go back now," Chen Huijie straightened her collar. "The Lungmen Guard Department has a morning meeting tomorrow."

She turned to Su Rui and suddenly reached out to pinch his earlobe. "Take care of yourself."

Su Rui didn't dodge, but simply gave a soft "hmm," her tail swaying unconsciously.

Chen Huijie then looked at Bai Xue, her eyes filled with the gentle warmth of an elder. "He's in your hands now."

Bai Xue nodded solemnly. "I will!"