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

"It's my treat," she said with a smile, "As a thank you for keeping me company."

Su Rui wanted to refuse, but Lappland had already pulled him into the restaurant.

The restaurant's interior was elegantly decorated with soft lighting. Lappland chose a seat by the window and opened the menu.

"What would you like to eat?" she asked.

"... casual."

"It's 'whatever' again," Lappland sighed. "You're putting me in a difficult position."

She eventually ordered several signature dishes and a bottle of red wine.

"Do you drink?" She swirled her glass.

"I won't drink."

"What a pity." Lappland poured herself a glass, took a small sip, and said, "Lungmen's red wine is quite good."

Su Rui didn't reply, but just quietly looked out the window.

Lappland stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly asked, "What are you thinking about?"

"... nothing."

Are you thinking of Bai Xue?

Su Rui's ears perked up instantly, and she turned to look at her. "... What exactly are you trying to say?"

Lappland rested her chin on her hand, a sly glint in her red eyes. "Nothing, it's just that... you seem more relaxed when you're with her."

Su Rui flicked her tail slightly, but did not answer.

Lappland seemed unfazed by his silence and continued, "You know what? I'm actually quite envious of her."

"... envious?"

"Hmm." She gently swirled her wine glass. "There aren't many people who can make you care this much."

Su Rui stared at her for a few seconds, then finally whispered, "... You've had too much to drink."

Lappland chuckled. "Perhaps."

Bai Xue stood on the street opposite the restaurant, looking at the two people inside through the glass window.

Lappland's smile, Su Rui's slightly tense profile... everything made her feel a pang of sadness.

She knew she shouldn't have done that— Su Rui was just keeping her promise and accompanying Lappland shopping.

But why... does her chest feel so tight?

In the afternoon, Lappland took Su Rui to several more shops, and even to an arcade.

"Want to try it?" She pointed to the shooting game in front of her.

Su Rui frowned. "... Not interested."

"Afraid of losing to me?"

"..."

In the end, Su Rui picked up the toy gun.

The result was no surprise – Lappland won by an overwhelming margin.

"It seems you're not very good at this," she said with a smile.

Su Rui flicked her tail and said in a cold tone, "... Boring."

Lappland laughed even harder, "But you were clearly very serious just now."

Su Rui turned her face away and did not refute.

Lappland leaned against the dessert shop counter, lazily twirling a mint chocolate double scoop ice cream between her fingers. Sunlight danced through the glass display case on her SilverAsh hair, making her red eyes appear as clear as aged wine. She had already noticed that Su Rui's gaze had drifted to the ice cream display case for the third time—the tip of the Feline's tail was swaying uncontrollably, like a pendulum revealing its owner's desire.

"Here." She suddenly turned around and handed the ice cream directly to Su Rui. A droplet of condensation slid down the edge of the cone, splashing a small puddle on the marble countertop. Su Rui's ears perked up instantly, her amber pupils dilating to rounds, but she still managed to maintain the composure of an elite Lungmen Guard Department Elite Operator: "I don't..."

"Stop pretending." Lappland interrupted abruptly, her canine teeth peeking out from between her lips. "Last time in Chernobog, you stole three whole boxes of my Häagen-Dazs." She deliberately shook the ice cream, the mint-green cream scoop brushing against Su Rui's nose, leaving a slightly cool sensation. This action made his tail suddenly bristle, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

As Su Rui finally took the ice cream cone, Lappland suddenly leaned in and whispered in his ear, "I added Vanilla sauce to the vanilla one." Seeing his instant freeze, she laughed and stepped back, her ponytail tracing a dazzling arc in the sunlight. Su Rui looked down at the ice cream in his hand, hesitated for a moment, then cautiously licked it—his face immediately lit up, his ears twitched happily, and his tail unconsciously wrapped around Lappland's wrist.

"Just kidding." She casually flicked her pinky ring, watching Su Rui hold the ice cream like it was a treasure, a barely perceptible tenderness flashing deep in her red eyes. "Eat slowly, you little glutton."

As evening approached, the two walked back to the dock. The afterglow of the setting sun shone on the street, Lappland suddenly stopped.

"Thank you for today," she said softly.

Su Rui glanced at her. "... Is this what you call 'helping'?"

Volume 15 Revision

The first two chapters were posted incorrectly, but they've been corrected. Please refresh the page a few times to see the chapters in the correct order. The author of zhubi has made this kind of basic mistake again.

It can't be posted if it's less than 100 characters, so here's what's below.

Word count patch Word count patch Word count patch Word count patch Word count patch Word count patch Word count patch

Is that a puppy in Volume 15, Chapter 846? Its nose is so sensitive!

"Careful."

Bai Xue blushed and glared at him. "... It's all your fault."

Su Rui's ears twitched happily, and the tip of her tail gently brushed against her wrist. "My bad."

He got up to straighten her disheveled pajamas, his fingers inadvertently brushing against the hickeys on her collarbone, his eyes darkening slightly. "... Cover it up."

Bai Xue looked down and was so embarrassed she wanted to disappear into the ground. She hurriedly pulled out her high-necked uniform, but as she was putting it on, Su Rui hugged her from behind.

"I'll apply the medicine for you tonight." His lips brushed against her earlobe, his voice so low only she could hear, "With your tongue."

Bai Xue's ears instantly turned bright red, and she frantically pushed him away, yelling, "Shut up!"

Su Rui chuckled softly, watching her hurried figure rush towards the bathroom, his tail wagging happily. Morning light streamed in through the gaps in the curtains, casting dappled patterns of light on the floor. He looked down at his still-erect desire and sighed helplessly.

"Tonight..." he muttered to himself, his amber eyes gleaming with anticipation.

In the bathroom, Bai Xue was splashing cold water on her burning cheeks. The girl in the mirror had wet eyes, slightly swollen lips, and obvious red marks on her neck—she looked like she had been pampered too much.

"I'm doomed..." she wailed softly, "How am I supposed to face Madam like this..."

She frantically rummaged for the concealer, but accidentally smudged some while applying it. The ambiguous mark stood out starkly against her fair skin, like a silent declaration.

Bai Xue stared at herself in the mirror for a few seconds, then suddenly stopped.

"Never mind..." she muttered to herself, tossing the concealer back into the drawer. "Anyway..."

She did it on purpose anyway.

After seeing Lappland and Su Rui together last night, she almost instinctively wanted to leave more of her mark on him. This thought made her feel both ashamed and satisfied, like some kind of secret victory.

She took a deep breath, straightened her uniform, and stepped out of the bathroom. Su Rui was already dressed and fastening his belt. Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a soft halo around his silver hair.

"All done?" he asked, turning his head, his tail naturally curling around her wrist.

Bai Xue nodded, then suddenly reached out and grabbed his collar, planting a hard kiss on his lips. "A mark."

Su Rui paused for a moment, then chuckled, "Childish."

But his tail curled up even tighter, and the tips of his ears turned slightly red.

As the two walked out of the room hand in hand, they happened to run into Aju, who was carrying tea and snacks. The older maid's gaze lingered on Bai Xue's neck for a second, then she smiled knowingly, "Madam said there's no need to rush, breakfast can be eaten later."

Bai Xue's face instantly turned bright red, while Su Rui nodded calmly, "Thank you."

The wind chimes in the corridor tinkled crisply in the morning breeze. Looking at their clasped hands, Bai Xue suddenly felt—whatever Lappland's intentions, the sunlight and the warmth of Su Rui's palm at this moment belonged only to her.

Bai Xue and Su Rui had just stepped into the courtyard when they heard a series of hurried footsteps coming from afar.

"Lord Bai!" A guard rushed over, looking somewhat nervous. "The patrol team in the east of the city just intercepted a group of Syracuse assassins and has dealt with them all."

Bai Xue was taken aback and subconsciously looked at Su Rui. The latter remained calm, only gently curling the tip of her tail around Bai Xue's wrist. "Understood."

After the guards withdrew, Bai Xue lowered her voice and asked, "Did you arrange this?"

Su Rui's lips curled up slightly. "I went out last night after you fell asleep."

Bai Xue's eyes widened. "You're alone?"

"Hmm," Su Rui responded casually, her fingers brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "They're too noisy."

Bai Xue suddenly remembered the faint sound of silver bells she had heard in the middle of the night—it wasn't a dream after all. Her heart tightened, and she grabbed Su Rui's hand to check her over. "Are you hurt?"

Su Rui let her do as she pleased, a smile in her eyes, "Worried about me?"

"Nonsense!" Bai Xue glared at him. "Wake me up next time!"

Su Rui suddenly leaned in, her nose almost touching hers. "You're sleeping so soundly, how could I bear to let you sleep like that?"

His breath brushed against her lips, carrying the unique warmth of the morning. Bai Xue's ears began to burn again, and just as she was about to say something, a soft cough suddenly came from afar.

"Excuse me."

Lappland appeared at the corner of the corridor, holding a document. Her gaze lingered on Bai Xue's neck for a moment before quickly shifting away. "Lady Wenyue sent me to deliver the battle plan."

Bai Xue instinctively covered her neck, but Su Rui simply reached out and took the documents. "Thank you for your hard work."

His tone was calm, but his tail subtly wrapped around Bai Xue's waist, pulling her closer to him.

Lappland raised an eyebrow. "Looks like I've come at the wrong time."

"Indeed," Su Rui replied bluntly.

The air seemed to freeze. Bai Xue was so embarrassed she wanted to disappear into the ground. Just as she was about to smooth things over, Lappland suddenly laughed, "Don't worry, I have no interest in other people's possessions."

As she turned to leave, the silver ends of her hair drew an arc in the air. Bai Xue stood there, stunned, until Su Rui squeezed her fingers and brought her back to her senses.

What does she mean...?

Su Rui shoved the file into her hand. "Ignore her."

His voice was somewhat cold, but his tail nuzzled her back reassuringly. Bai Xue looked down at the documents and suddenly noticed a note tucked into the last page—

Be careful of the people around you.

The handwriting was neat, but there was no signature. Bai Xue's heart skipped a beat, and she subconsciously looked up at Su Rui. He was gazing in the direction Lappland had left, his amber eyes slightly narrowed.

"Su Rui..."

"Hmm?" He looked away, his expression softening instantly.

Bai Xue hesitated for a moment, then handed him the note. Su Rui glanced at it, then suddenly chuckled, "Childish."

Aren't you worried?

Su Rui crumpled the note into a ball, a flickering blue flame igniting at her fingertips. "She's just trying to sow discord."

The moment the flames engulfed the note, Bai Xue suddenly remembered something. "Wait! Those assassins from last night..."

"They're after you," Su Rui said calmly. "Lappland received advance warning."

Bai Xue's eyes widened. "So she was..."

"A gesture of goodwill? A warning?" Su Rui flicked her tail irritably. "Whatever, the people are taken care of anyway."

He spoke casually, but Bai Xue felt a chill run down her spine. If it weren't for Su Rui...

"Don't overthink it." Su Rui suddenly cupped her face in her hands. "I'm here."

His forehead pressed against hers, his silver hair falling down, creating a private space between them. Bai Xue could smell a faint scent of mint on him, along with a faint trace of blood—presumably left over from last night.

"You smell of blood..." she whispered.

Su Rui was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled, "You can smell this?"

"I'm not a puppy!"

"Yes, yes, yes." Su Rui ruffled her hair. "Shall we go back and change your clothes?"

Bai Xue nodded, but suddenly grabbed his sleeve. "Together."

Su Rui's ears twitched. "So clingy?"

"No, that's not it!" Bai Xue retorted, blushing. "I'm afraid you'll sneak out again..."