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

She looked up alertly and saw that Su Rui was already standing in the corridor, her silvery-white tail taut and her ears perked up.

"What's wrong?" Bai Xue put down the teapot and walked to his side.

Su Rui didn't answer, only staring at the mist deep in the courtyard. The next second, a familiar voice came from the mist:

"Yo, Su Rui."

A tall figure emerged from the mist—long, SilverAsh hair casually tied into a ponytail, red eyes like two inextinguishable flames in the morning light, and two uniquely designed long swords at her waist. She had a blade of grass between her teeth, and her boots were still damp with dew.

Lappland.

Bai Xue stared in surprise, instinctively grabbing Su Rui's sleeve. She remembered this wolf from Syracuse; she had only caught a glimpse of him at the port last time, and his dangerous yet carefree demeanor had left a deep impression on her.

"You should use the main entrance," Su Rui said coldly, though her tail wagged involuntarily.

Lappland shrugged and strode down to the veranda. "Too much trouble."

Her gaze swept between the two of them, finally settling on Su Rui's slightly agitated tail. A playful smile curled at the corner of her lips, "Looks like I've disturbed you?"

Su Rui's ears twitched. "Is something wrong?"

Lappland didn't answer immediately, but suddenly reached out and pinched Su Rui's cheek. "Still so soft."

Bai Xue was almost speechless—she had never seen anyone dare to treat Su Rui like that before, and what shocked her even more was that Su Rui didn't dodge; he just frowned and flicked his tail at the floor as a warning.

"Let's get down to business." There was a hint of helplessness in his voice.

Lappland then withdrew her hand and took out a delicate little box from her pocket. "A gift for you."

Su Rui took the box with suspicion, opened it, and found a silver Bell pendant inside. It was finely crafted and engraved with intricate Syracuse patterns.

"Made by an old craftsman from Syracuse," Lappland explained lazily, "And yours is a pair."

She pointed to the silver bell around Su Rui's neck. Only then did Bai Xue notice that the patterns on the two Bell could indeed be pieced together, like some kind of token.

Su Rui was silent for a moment, then closed the box. "Thank you, but I don't need it."

"Whatever you want." Lappland didn't press the matter, then turned to Bai Xue, "Little kitty, would you like to say a few words to your boyfriend?"

Before Bai Xue could react, Su Rui had already pulled her behind her. "Say what you have to say here."

Lappland laughed, a sly glint in her red eyes. "So protective? Don't worry, I'm just here to catch up."

She casually sat on the steps under the veranda, and pulled a pack of Syracuse cigarettes from her pocket. "You don't mind, do you?"

Before anyone could answer, she had already lit a cigarette, the smoke rising in the morning light. Su Rui's tail thumped irritably on the floor, but she still pulled Bai Xue down to sit.

"How is Syracuse?" he suddenly asked.

"The same old thing," Lappland exhaled a smoke ring, "The old men are still fighting over territory, and Miss Texas is getting annoyed to death."

She paused, her red eyes fixed on Su Rui: "She asked me to pass on a message, asking when you're going back to visit."

Su Rui's ears drooped slightly. "I won't go back."

"I guessed it." Lappland wasn't surprised, then turned to Bai Xue, "So, that's your reason for staying in Lungmen?"

Bai Xue's face flushed red, and her fingers unconsciously tightened around Su Rui's sleeve. Su Rui's tail immediately wrapped around her wrist, as if silently asserting its dominance.

Lappland took in their subtle interactions, then suddenly stubbed out her cigarette. "Not bad, much more humane than back in Syracuse."

Her tone was teasing, yet also sincere. Su Rui turned her face away, her ears slightly red. "... Mind your own business."

The morning mist gradually dissipated, and sunlight shone on the three of them. Lappland stretched and stood up. "I should go."

"Are we leaving already?" Bai Xue asked instinctively.

"What, you're reluctant to part with me?" Lappland grinned mischievously, leaning closer. "How about we go together? Syracuse's scenery is much more interesting than Lungmen."

Su Rui immediately pulled Bai Xue behind her, her tail snapping open in a warning. "Lappland."

"Just kidding." The wolf from Syracuse raised its hands in surrender, a hint of melancholy flashing in its red eyes. "I'm going back to Syracuse tomorrow."

She turned and walked towards the courtyard wall, her silver hair shimmering in the sunlight. Just before climbing over the wall, she suddenly looked back:

"Su Rui."

This was the first time she had formally called him by his name.

Come back and visit sometime; the doors of the Texas family home are always open for you.

After saying that, her figure disappeared outside the wall, leaving only a few startled leaves slowly drifting down.

*

The tea room was silent. Bai Xue carefully observed Su Rui's expression—his ears drooped slightly, his tail was no longer taut, but his amber eyes flickered with complex emotions.

"You two..." Bai Xue hesitated before speaking, "Have you known each other for a long time?"

Su Rui was silent for a moment, then placed the box containing the silver bell on the table. "Three years."

He didn't explain in detail, but Bai Xue had already guessed the gist. The Bell, the "go back and take a look," and the fleeting look of melancholy in Lappland's eyes all indicated that Su Rui's past in Syracuse was far more complicated than she had imagined.

"Do you want to go back?" she asked softly.

Su Rui suddenly turned around and pulled her into his arms. His tail wrapped tightly around her waist, and his chin rested on the top of her head. "This is my home."

Sunlight streamed through the window, casting dappled shadows on the two figures. Meanwhile, on a distant rooftop, Lappland gazed towards the tea room.

Volume 15, page 839: What's the use of the dog?

The afterglow of the setting sun spilled into the narrow alleys of the Lower City of Lungmen, turning the mottled brick walls into a warm orange-red. Bai Xue idly twirled the large shuriken in her hand, its silvery blade drawing dazzling arcs in the light.

"Su Rui, here you go!"

She suddenly tossed the shuriken high into the air, and Su Rui's tail reflexively wrapped around her waist and pulled her backward, while her other hand steadily caught the falling weapon.

"Danger." He frowned, but his fingertips gently traced the fine patterns on the blade—this was Bai Xue's favorite weapon, engraved with a small snowflake.

Bai Xue smiled and leaned closer, her nose almost touching his chin. "Worried about me?"

Su Rui's ear tips turned slightly red in the twilight, and her tail involuntarily tightened. "... Idiot."

Just then, a soft laugh came from the shadows at the end of the alley.

"So loving!"

Lappland leaped down the fire escape, her SilverAsh ponytail tracing a dazzling path in the setting sun. Unusually, she wore a burgundy shirt today, the collar casually open, and the two swords at her waist swayed gently with each step.

Su Rui's body tensed instantly, her tail instinctively shielding Bai Xue behind her. "Lappland? Didn't you go back to Syracuse?"

"I changed my flight." The wolf girl walked in casually, her red eyes fixed on Su Rui. "I suddenly remembered, there's something I haven't done yet."

Her gaze was so blatant that it sent a chill down Bai Xue's spine. It wasn't the look of a friend—it was the dangerous gaze of a predator locking onto its prey.

"What is it?" Bai Xue instinctively pressed down on the police baton.

Lappland suddenly laughed. She darted forward and, before either of them could react, grabbed Su Rui by the collar—

"This."

She kissed him fiercely.

Bai Xue stared wide-eyed as Lappland forcefully gripped Su Rui's hindquarters. Su Rui's pupils suddenly contracted, her hands hovered in mid-air, the fur on her tail stood on end, and the tips of her ears were so red they looked like they could bleed.

Three seconds. Five seconds.

When Lappland finally stepped back, she looked at the stunned Bai Xue and said, "Sorry, officer, could you borrow your boyfriend for a bit?"

Bai Xue's mind Blank. She saw lipstick marks on Su Rui's lips that weren't hers, and she saw Lappland's fingers lingering on his reddened earlobe—a sensitive spot known only to the closest people.

"You..." Bai Xue's voice trembled, "You all..."

"It was unilateral," Lappland readily admitted, a dangerous glint in her red eyes, "I've been thinking about it ever since we first met three years ago in Syracuse."

Su Rui finally found her voice and slapped her hand away. "Enough!"

His voice was hoarse beyond belief, his tail tightly wrapped around Bai Xue's wrist, but he dared not look into her eyes. The air in the alley seemed to freeze, leaving only the sound of their intertwined breaths.

Lappland suddenly pulled a room key from her pocket and stuffed it into Su Rui's collar. "10 PM tonight, room 2807."

She leaned close to Su Rui's ear, her breath hot on his earlobe. "You know what I want."

These words made Su Rui freeze. Lappland took two steps back and blew them a kiss. "Don't keep me waiting too long~"

As her figure disappeared at the end of the alley, the last rays of the setting sun sank below the horizon.

In the darkness, Bai Xue bent down to pick up the fallen shuriken, her pale face reflected on the blade. "So..."

"I won't go." Su Rui grabbed her shoulders urgently. "We've never been that kind of relationship."

"But she wants it," Bai Xue said softly, her fingers unconsciously tracing the blade, "The way she looks at you..."

Su Rui's tail drooped limply. He opened his mouth, but ultimately only rested his forehead on Bai Xue's shoulder. "I didn't intend to do that."

A night breeze swept through the alley, lifting a tattered newspaper. Bai Xue, watching Su Rui's amber eyes gleam in the shadows, suddenly stood on tiptoe—

"Then this one can only be mine."

She kissed Su Rui's lips, forcefully wiping away the traces left by Lappland. Su Rui's tail immediately wrapped around her waist.

Bai Xue's hand trembled slightly as she held the gold-embossed room key. The card felt incredibly heavy in her fingers, and the lipstick stains on its edge were particularly glaring in the dim light of the corridor. She could feel her heart pounding wildly, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her palms, almost soaking the card.

"Are you sure you want to go in?" Her voice was so soft it was almost inaudible, her throat tight as if gripped by an invisible hand. She had asked this question three times already, but still couldn't get a definite answer.

Su Rui stood beside her, his silvery tail tightly wrapped around her wrist, the force almost causing her pain. His ears were fully erect, nearly transparent in the dim light, revealing the fine blood vessels inside. His amber eyes were fixed on the door, the pupils narrowed to slits—a state of alertness Bai Xue had never seen before.

"Hmm." He finally spoke, his voice much lower than usual, with a barely perceptible tremor, "There are some things... that need to be clarified face-to-face."

Bai Xue took a deep breath. The damp air was mixed with the hotel's unique fragrance and a faint, almost imperceptible sense of danger. She placed her room card on the sensor, and the "beep" sounded particularly jarring in the quiet corridor. The soft click of the door lock opening sent a shiver down her spine, as if this was some irreversible boundary.

The moment the door opened, a rich aroma of red wine wafted out, mixed with a faint hint of perfume—a blend of cedar and blood orange, dangerous yet alluring. Bai Xue's pupils dilated slightly, and the sight before her made her involuntarily hold her breath.

Suite 2807 was even more spacious and luxurious than she had imagined. Floor-to-ceiling windows across one wall offered a view of the dazzling nightscape of Lungmen, with neon lights streaming through the glass and casting shifting shadows on the dark gray cashmere carpet. The large bed in the center of the room was covered with silk black sheets, and a few pillows were scattered haphazardly, as if someone had just lain down there.

I knew you'd come.

The sound sent a shiver down Bai Xue's spine. She looked in the direction of the sound and saw Lappland leaning against the French windows, elegantly swirling a glass of red wine in her hand. Her long, SilverAsh hair was loosely tied into a ponytail, with a few stray strands falling beside her face, shimmering faintly in the neon lights. She wasn't wearing the burgundy shirt she had worn during the day; instead, she had changed into a black silk robe, the neckline wide open, revealing a thin scar on her collarbone, which stood out starkly against her pale skin.

"He even brought his girlfriend." Lappland's gaze lingered on Bai Xue for a second, a hint of amusement flashing in her red eyes, and a meaningful smile curled at the corner of her lips.

Bai Xue felt Su Rui's tail suddenly tighten, making her wrist ache. She could feel his body taut like a fully drawn bow, ready to shoot a deadly arrow at any moment.

Volume 15, Chapter 840: Lappdog's Intelligence Network

"Lappland," Su Rui's voice was much lower than usual, carrying a clear warning, "Enough is enough."

The wolf girl chuckled softly, put down her wine glass, and strolled in. Her steps were as light as a cat's, yet carried the oppressive aura of a predator, making Bai Xue's heart beat faster with each step. As the distance closed, Bai Xue could clearly see the dangerous glint in her red eyes, like two flickering flames.

"Three years apart, and this is the first thing you say?" Lappland reached out to touch Su Rui's face, but he nimbly turned his head away. "You weren't like this back in Syracuse." Her voice was clearly teasing, yet it also carried a hint of barely perceptible nostalgia.

Bai Xue suddenly stepped forward, standing between the two. "He looks fine now." Her voice was firmer than she had expected, even though she could feel her legs trembling slightly.

Lappland's red eyes narrowed slightly, like a wolf eyeing its prey. The air in the room seemed to freeze instantly, even breathing became clearly audible. Bai Xue could feel Su Rui's tail tightening around her waist, like a silent warning.

"How lovely." Lappland suddenly laughed, turning to walk towards the liquor cabinet in the corner of the room. "Want a drink? Syracuse's ' Blood-Red Dawn,' your favorite." She deliberately dragged out the syllable, her fingers gracefully brushing over a row of bottles, finally taking out a bottle of deep red liquid.

Su Rui's tail tugged gently at Bai Xue: "Let's go."

"Leaving already?" Lappland's voice came from behind, light-hearted yet with a barely perceptible tension. "Don't you want to know why I've been looking for you for the past three years?"

Bai Xue felt Su Rui's body stiffen; his breathing became noticeably rapid, and his chest heaved more violently.

"That day at the docks," Lappland's voice suddenly softened, as if lost in some memory, "You saved me, and then disappeared." She slowly turned around, the wine glass in her hand gleaming with a blood-red luster under the lamplight.

Bai Xue turned to look at Su Rui in surprise. His lips were pursed, and the tips of his ears trembled slightly. This was an expression she had never seen before—as if a long-hidden secret had been exposed. His eyes were fixed on Lappland, yet it was as if he were looking through her at something else entirely.

"I thought you were dead." Lappland walked in, this time without any frivolous movements. Her fingers gently traced the silver bell around Su Rui's neck. "Until three months ago, the intelligence network sent word..." Her voice trailed off, "' Silver Wolf ' has a new master in Lungmen."

Bai Xue suddenly understood something. This wasn't a simple case of jealousy, but rather... something more complex and dangerous.

"You're here to take him back to Syracuse." This realization made her voice unconsciously rise a few decibels.

Lappland laughed, a laugh that sent a chill down Bai Xue's spine, "Clever little officer." She swirled her glass. "Too bad you guessed half wrong."

She suddenly smashed the wine glass on the floor, shards of glass scattering everywhere, and red wine splattered on the carpet like blood. This sudden action made Bai Xue instinctively take a step back, and Su Rui immediately stepped in front of her.

"I'm not here to take him back," the wolf woman's voice was as cold as ice. "I'm here to tell him that certain families already know he's in Lungmen."

Su Rui's face turned pale instantly, and his fingers clenched unconsciously until his knuckles turned white.

"The old men are furious, Su Rui." Lappland stepped forward, her red eyes fixed on him. "You took not only yourself, but also all the data on the ' Snow Kiss ' project."

Bai Xue felt Su Rui's tail become icy cold, as if it had suddenly lost all its warmth. His breathing became rapid, and his chest heaved violently.