Ark Simulator: Don't I Not Have a Physical Body? Chapter 404

"Which hall?" Su Rui asked.

"Number 7, at the very back," Bai Xue whispered. "Director Nian said he reserved couple seats for us in the back row."

Su Rui's ears perked up alertly. "She's here?"

"Don't worry, she's attending an awards ceremony tonight." Bai Xue said with a grin, pulling him forward. "I specifically asked around."

The lights in the screening room had already been dimmed, and the sound of the trailer was deafening. They crouched down to find their seats—sure enough, in the corner of the last row, with partitions on both sides, offering excellent privacy.

"Perfect." Bai Xue nestled comfortably into her seat, grabbed a handful of popcorn, and said, "I heard this scene was specially added for you by Director Nian."

Su Rui frowned. "What play?"

You'll find out soon!

Volume 15, Chapter 864: Behind the Scenes of the Drama

The film begins with the familiar dragon logo, followed by a direct cut to a fierce battle in a bamboo forest. Su Rui, who plays Silver Moon, wields a long sword and leaps among the bamboo shoots, her silver hair flowing like water in the moonlight. This fight scene is fluid and skillfully edited, and the accompanying rousing background music is truly breathtaking.

"Wow..." Bai Xue exclaimed softly, "Were you suspended by wires back then?"

"Hmm," Su Rui's voice was a little muffled, "Three days."

Bai Xue squeezed his hand tenderly. She knew Su Rui didn't like being restrained, and being suspended by wires must be torture for him.

The plot quickly progresses to the famous "Farewell Kiss." On screen, Bai Xue, playing the junior sister, collapses into Su Rui, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth, her hand trembling as she reaches out to touch his cheek.

"Senior brother..." she whispered weakly on screen, "Actually, I've always..."

Su Rui lowered her head and kissed her, her silver hair falling down and obscuring their profiles. The camera slowly zoomed out, revealing bamboo groves swaying in the wind—a scene of breathtaking beauty.

Bai Xue's face flushed. Although she had participated in the filming, seeing this scene on the big screen still made her heart race. She secretly glanced at Su Rui beside her and found that his ear tips were also bright red, and his tail was wagging restlessly under the seat.

"You acted... very well," she said softly.

Su Rui's Adam's apple bobbed. "... Fake."

"Ah?"

"A blood pack." He pointed to the "bloodstains" at the corner of Bai Xue's mouth on the screen. "What Nian said... is too fake."

Bai Xue chuckled, "A little, actually."

She suddenly remembered a scene from the filming—in pursuit of realism, Nian insisted that the makeup artist put a blood pack in her mouth, but she accidentally bit it open and choked, coughing violently. Su Rui was so frightened that her tail practically stood on end, and she almost smashed Nian's camera.

"That behind-the-scenes footage was cut," Bai Xue said with a laugh. "Director Nian said you're too scary when you're angry."

Su Rui gave a soft snort, but her tail quietly wrapped around her wrist, as if to confirm her presence.

As the movie continues, the plot gradually falls apart—the film's twisted sense of humor begins to emerge, with various absurd scenes unfolding one after another: Mechanical Fox Spirit descends from the sky, the villainous senior sister suddenly transforms into a giant spider demon, and there's even a bizarre song and dance performance.

"This..." Bai Xue stared in disbelief, "Did we film this scene?"

Su Rui's brows furrowed even more deeply. "No."

It seemed to be an "artistic embellishment" made later in the year. The surrounding audience began to whisper among themselves, and some even laughed out loud. But when the camera focused on the Silver Moon, everyone immediately fell silent and stared intently at the big screen.

"Look," Bai Xue whispered in Su Rui's ear, "Everyone likes you very much."

Su Rui awkwardly turned her face away. "... Boring."

But his tail honestly wrapped tightly around Bai Xue's waist, and the blush on the tips of his ears spread all the way down to his neck.

In the latter half of the movie, the plot completely went off the rails. In order to save her junior sister, Silver Moon actually started performing a rain-praying dance and even recited a long, difficult incantation. Bai Xue was so embarrassed by her laughter that her shoulders were shaking, while Su Rui covered her eyes with a look of utter despair.

"This part..."

"Fake." Su Rui gritted her teeth, "The year... I added it myself."

Bai Xue finally couldn't help but laugh out loud, "But you danced quite well!"

Su Rui's tail gave her a warning nudge. "... Shut up."

The final battle was even more outrageous— Silver Moon and her junior sister teamed up to fight the spider demon, and suddenly they started spinning in the air while cherry blossoms rained down in the background. Bai Xue was dumbfounded, completely unable to recall ever filming such an embarrassing scene.

"These special effects..."

"That's a terrible sense of humor from back then," Su Rui sighed. "They cut out... what we filmed."

It turned out they were actually filming a clean and crisp fight scene, which had been edited beyond recognition. Bai Xue suddenly understood why Su Rui didn't want to see the finished product—it was practically a public execution of the actors.

As the end credits rolled, the lights in the theater came on. Audience members began to rise and leave in small groups, their voices murmuring amongst themselves.

"What's with the plot... but the male lead is so handsome!"

"The final fight scene was edited haphazardly, but Lady Silver Moon was absolutely stunning!"

"The ticket was worth it for that face!"

Bai Xue secretly observed Su Rui's reaction. His expression remained indifferent, but the tip of his tail was slightly raised, clearly indicating that he was satisfied with the audience's evaluation.

"Let's go," she said, taking Su Rui's hand. "Let's go before anyone notices."

The two slipped out of the cinema through the emergency exit, the summer night heat hitting them like a blast of steam. The neon lights along the street were still flashing, and an advertisement for "The Silver Moon Legend" was playing on a large screen in the distance—a close-up of Su Rui's profile filled half the screen, with the words "box office surpasses 100 million" scrolling below.

"Want to go grab some late-night snacks?" Bai Xue shook Su Rui's hand. "I know a place that serves really good oden!"

Su Rui's tail swayed gently inside her pants. "... Hmm."

They strolled along the brightly lit streets, occasionally attracting curious glances from passersby, who quickly looked away. Bai Xue's hand was held tightly by Su Rui, and her silver hair clip jingled in the night breeze.

"Actually..." Bai Xue suddenly spoke up, "Although the movie was terrible, it was still quite enjoyable to watch it with you."

Su Rui paused slightly. He looked down at Bai Xue, his amber eyes gleaming under the neon lights.

"... Um."

The tenderness contained in that simple syllable was something only Bai Xue could understand. She smiled, tiptoed, and gently kissed his mask. "Will you come again next time?"

Su Rui's ears twitched. "... No."

"What if the director makes a sequel?"

"... No."

"What if you increase the pay?"

"..."

Su Rui suddenly took off his mask and lowered his head to kiss her lips. The kiss was brief but passionate, with the sweetness of popcorn and the refreshing coolness of cola.

"... Only with you." He whispered on her lips.

Bai Xue's heart skipped a beat. Just then, the advertising screen in the distance switched to the next scene, and colorful lights flowed over them, like some kind of silent blessing.

Lungmen's night market is always bustling with people. Bai Xue, holding Su Rui's hand, weaves through the crowded streets, stopping every now and then to buy some snacks. The aroma of takoyaki mixed with the salty and savory flavor of grilled squid fills the summer night air.

"Try this!" Bai Xue held up a string of candied hawthorns to Su Rui's lips, "The new strawberry flavor!"

Su Rui lowered his head and took a bite, the sweet and sour taste melting on his tongue. His tail swayed gently inside his pants, and although she couldn't see it, Bai Xue could feel it happily rubbing against her wrist.

"Is it delicious?" she asked with a smile, wiping the sugar crumbs from the corner of his mouth.

Su Rui hummed in response, but his gaze suddenly turned alertly behind him. Bai Xue followed his gaze and saw a SilverAsh figure flash by in the crowd—tall, with long hair tied in a ponytail, and striking red eyes that remained visible even in the night.

"Lappland?" Bai Xue blinked in surprise. "Shouldn't she be going back to Syracuse?"

Su Rui's ears twitched slightly, and her tail tightened. "... I don't know."

Volume 15, Chapter 865: Special Candy

Su Rui's tone was somewhat stiff, but Bai Xue didn't have time to think about it before her attention was drawn to a commotion. A crowd had gathered in front of the stall, seemingly watching some novel performance.

"Let's go take a look!" she exclaimed excitedly, pulling Su Rui forward.

In the center of the crowd, a circus troupe was performing fire-breathing. The performer swallowed a mouthful of oil and suddenly spewed out a fire dragon, eliciting gasps from the audience. Bai Xue was so engrossed in watching that she didn't notice that Su Rui's tail was tightly wrapped around her wrist, as if guarding against something.

"Next, please welcome our special guest!" the host suddenly announced loudly, "from Syracuse— "

Bai Xue's heart skipped a beat. She turned to look at Su Rui and found that his pupils had shrunk to a thin line.

"--Flame Queen!"

An actress in a red bodysuit walked onto the stage, took the torch, and began her performance. Bai Xue breathed a sigh of relief, but Su Rui's vigilance remained undiminished.

"It's not her," Bai Xue comforted her. "Shall we go?"

Su Rui nodded and was about to turn around when a hand with black nail polish suddenly landed on his shoulder.

"I've been looking for you guys for so long~"

Lappland's voice rang in my ears, carrying the familiar scent of menthol cigarettes. Today she was wearing a black crop top, her long SilverAsh hair was casually tied into a ponytail, and her red eyes shone brightly in the night.

Bai Xue's eyes widened in surprise. "When did you get back?"

"Just got off the plane," Lappland said with a grin, her fingers playfully pinching Su Rui's cheek. "I heard you went to the movies? Why didn't you call me?"

Su Rui frowned and pulled her hand away. "... Don't touch it."

"So cold?" Lappland feigned sadness and pouted. "I wasted my money on the Syracuse peppermints."

She pulled a delicate little tin box from her pocket, inside which were Syracuse- made mints, sprinkled with edible gold powder.

"Want to try some?" She picked up a piece and held it directly to Su Rui's lips. "Your favorite flavor."

Su Rui turned her face away. "No need."

"Oh, what's there to be shy about?" A sly glint flashed in Lappland's red eyes. "Didn't we often..."

"Lappland," Bai Xue suddenly interrupted her, her voice sharper than usual, "We're going home."

The air froze instantly. Lappland's gaze swept between the two of them, then she suddenly laughed, "So eager?"

Her fingers reached for Su Rui again, this time targeting the tip of his ear—where it was trembling sensitively. Su Rui quickly took a step back, his tail flapping wildly inside his trousers, the fabric stretched taut and revealing its shape.

"Tsk, boring." Lappland withdrew her hand and lazily stretched. "New stuff from Syracuse, really don't want it?"

She shook the candy box, the gold glitter shimmering under the light. Suddenly, Bai Xue reached out and took the box. "Thank you, I'll take it home and eat it."

Lappland raised an eyebrow. "Is Bai Xue jealous?"

"No." Bai Xue stuffed the candy box into her bag and took Su Rui's hand. "It's just late, we should go back."

Lappland shrugged noncommittally. "Fine." She suddenly leaned closer to Su Rui, her red lips almost touching his earlobe. "The usual place."

These words were as soft as a breeze, only Su Rui could hear them. His pupils contracted slightly, but Lappland had already turned and left, her SilverAsh ponytail drawing a striking line in the crowd.

On the way home, Bai Xue was unusually silent. Su Rui's tail was wrapped around her wrist the whole time, as if as a silent comfort, but she kept her eyes on the ground and refused to look up.

"Bai Xue."

"Um?"

"... sugar."

Bai Xue then remembered the mints in her bag. She took them out and looked at them. The exquisite tin box was engraved with Syracuse script. When she opened it, a cool minty aroma wafted out.

"Did you used to eat this often?" she asked softly.

Su Rui's ears twitched. "... Occasionally."

Bai Xue picked up a piece of candy, gold glitter clinging to her fingertips, shimmering under the streetlight. She hesitated for a moment, then offered it to Su Rui's lips. "Want to try some?"

Su Rui lowered her head and put the candy in her mouth, her lips inadvertently brushing against Bai Xue's fingertips. Bai Xue's fingers trembled slightly, and the candy box almost slipped from her grasp.

"Is it tasty?"

"... sweet."

This simple comment inexplicably improved Bai Xue's mood. She ate one herself, and the cool minty flavor instantly filled her mouth, with a hint of barely perceptible bitterness.

"It's different from the mints from Lungmen," she commented. "A bit..."

"Danger," Su Rui suddenly said.

Bai Xue looked up at him. "What?"

"Syracuse mint." His gaze fell on the candy box. "With... something else added."

Bai Xue instantly understood. "Aphrodisiac?"

"A trace amount." Su Rui's tail tightened. "It won't be addictive."

Bai Xue's heart sank. She slammed the candy box shut, the clanging of metal particularly jarring in the quiet street.