Ark Simulator, Aren't I Without a Physical Form?

"Because Mr. Su Rui is so good at it!" Moe Moe Xiang cupped her cheeks, "That way of sharing macarons! Ahhh!"

Orchid took an elegant sip of tea. "Didn't you notice?" Her feather earring swayed gently. "It looks like a dessert shop wrapper is sticking out of Hoshiguma's uniform pocket."

Everyone was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized what was going on.

"So she came here specifically..."

"Dessert delivery?"

A burst of good-natured laughter suddenly erupted in the greenhouse. Sunlight streamed through the glass dome, making the pastries on the tea table sparkle. In the distance, Hoshiguma's complaints and Su Rui's soft laughter could be faintly heard from the corridor.

When Hoshiguma's dormitory door was gently pushed open, she was sitting on the edge of her bed wiping her Hannya Shield. The metal surface reflected her figure in the doorway— Su Rui's silver hair shimmered like mercury under the corridor light, and she was holding a bulging paper bag that exuded the scent of butter and Vanilla.

"Coming in without knocking?" She didn't even look up, the ghost horns in her green hair gleaming faintly in the shadows.

Su Rui closed the door with his heel, the paper bag rustling: [I brought the materials.] His silver dust formed words in the air, ending with a small chef's hat pattern.

Hoshiguma's thumb rested on a scratch on the shield. "Hmm?"

[Learn to make desserts.] Silver Dust changes shape, [your favorite lemon tart.]

The shield slammed against the wall with a thud. Hoshiguma's green eyes narrowed slightly. "Have you forgotten the Medical Department's ban?"

Su Rui's silver hair swayed gently. "[Sugar-free recipe.]" He walked to the small table and placed a paper bag inside, neatly arranged with almond powder, coconut oil, and fresh lemons. "... A recipe from Closure."

"That tech fanatic can make desserts?" Hoshiguma asked, the bed frame creaking under the weight as she sat up. "Has she forgotten about how she burned the cake to a crisp last time?"

Su Rui pulled a crumpled piece of paper from the paper bag: [Improved Version.] It was covered with notes, and in the corner was a crooked, thumbs-up robot sketch.

Hoshiguma's green hair stood on end. "You call this a recipe?"

Su Rui had already set up his setup at the small table. His silver hair was loosely tied up with a hair tie given to him by Moe Moe Xiang, revealing the back of his fair neck. The mini mixer, silicone mold, and thermometer he had taken from the paper bag were lined up neatly on the table, looking like an army waiting for inspection.

"Wait," Hoshiguma pressed his thumb against the almond powder he was about to open, "Why do you suddenly want to learn this?"

Su Rui's eyelashes cast fine shadows under the light. "[Blue Poison said...]" Yin Chen suddenly paused, as if he had a choked voice, "[... Nothing.]"

Hoshiguma's green eyes narrowed dangerously. "What did Blue Poison say?"

Yin Chen lifted the mixing bowl into the air, cleverly blocking her view: [Let's begin.]

The first disaster occurred during the powder sieving process.

"That's not how you use flour!" Hoshiguma's green hair was covered in snow-white almond powder, making her look like a matcha daifuku sprinkled with powdered sugar. She gritted her teeth and slapped the front of her uniform. "How many times has this happened?"

Even Su Rui's silver hair wasn't spared; the little Bell on her hair ties were stuck with powder. His silver dust was frantically trying to gather up the swirling dust, which formed a crooked, distorted pattern in the air: [Accident.]

"You call this an accident?" Hoshiguma's thumb brushed across his nose, leaving a white mark. "This is murder in the kitchen."

Su Rui's earlobes turned slightly red. He picked up the recipe with his silver duster and studied it again: [The dry ingredients should be mixed first.]

"That's the second step!" Hoshiguma snatched the crumpled note. "The first step was clearly..." Her voice trailed off. "Wait, what does this small print say?"

Silver Dust leaned closer, forming a magnifying glass: [Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (Note: If using Originium Arts for heating, please halve the temperature and pray it doesn't explode)]

Both of them fell silent.

Hoshiguma's green hair moved spontaneously without wind. "Closure..."

Su Rui silently lowered the oven temperature by thirty degrees.

The mixture of egg yolks and coconut oil in the bowl had an eerie mustard color. Hoshiguma's green eyes stared at the viscous substance, Hannya Shield instinctively rose in front of her. "Are you sure you didn't get the wrong recipe?"

Su Rui followed the recipe: [Add lemon juice.]

A fresh lemon is lifted by silver dust and sliced open in mid-air by an invisible blade. The pale yellow juice falls precisely into the bowl, and the mixture immediately bubbles merrily.

"Wait!" Hoshiguma's demon horns gleamed with a warning light. "Is this reaction normal?"

Su Rui paused for two seconds, then quickly flipped to the back of the recipe: [Normal phenomenon (probably)] followed by a scribbled skull doodle.

Hoshiguma's Hannya Shield was already raised to her chest. "Ceasefire! I request a ceasefire!"

Too late. The moment the lemon zest was sprinkled into the bowl with silver dust, the mixture suddenly erupted with astonishing energy, spewing out pale yellow foam like a miniature volcano. Su Rui's silver hair instantly exploded, and the silver dust formed a protective net in front of her—

Pfft.

A creamy substance clumped onto the protective netting and slowly slid down.

A deathly silence enveloped the dormitory. Several unidentified objects clung to Hoshiguma's green hair, and her Hannya Shield had completely transformed into a lemon-scented shield. Her gaze slowly shifted to the culprit. "... Su Rui."

The silver-haired youth was completely enveloped in a silver dust shield, not even the tips of his hair were touched by a speck of dirt. His eyelashes trembled slightly, and the silver dust carefully formed: [...] "A mistake?"

Hoshiguma's fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

When the third round of attempts began, Hoshiguma had changed into a tank top. Her green hair was wet and draped over her shoulders, emitting a faint lemon scent—she had to use an entire bottle of shower gel to wash away the sour smell.

"Final warning," she said, poking Su Rui's chest with her fingertip, "If you mess this up again, I'll put you in the oven."

Su Rui's Silver Dust nodded obediently and poured the improved batter into the mold. This time, the mixture had a perfect pale gold color and emitted a refreshing lemon scent.

"At least it looks somewhat presentable." Hoshiguma's green eyes softened slightly. "How long should it be roasted?"

The number formed by the silver dust: [25 minutes.]

Just as Hoshiguma was about to adjust the timer, Su Rui's fingertips suddenly tugged at the hem of her dress. His silver hair gleamed like honey in the warm light. "... Stay with me."

Two words. As light as a feather brushing against the eardrum.

The tips of Hoshiguma's demon horns were slightly warm. She roughly ruffled his silver hair. "... Troublemaker."

But she obediently sat down next to him.

The warm light from the oven bathed the dormitory in an orange glow. Hoshiguma's green hair cascaded over Su Rui's shoulder, rising and falling gently with her breath. Her arms unconsciously encircled his waist, Hannya Shield lay carelessly tossed at the foot of the bed—her defensive stance had completely crumbled ever since Su Rui started drawing cake patterns on her palm with his fingers.

... bite.

The timer's sound startled Hoshiguma from her half-asleep state. She groggily watched as Su Rui used silver dust to remove the baking pan, and the golden mini lemon tarts were perfectly formed in the mold, their surfaces glistening with an enticing sheen.

Volume 16, page 920: Success

"It actually... successful?" Her voice was hoarse from just waking up.

Su Rui's silver dust proudly forms a starlight effect: [Try it.]

Hoshiguma took the small silver fork offered to her. The tart crust was crisp, the lemon curd cream was smooth, and the perfect amount of tartness balanced the aftertaste of the artificial sweetener. Her green eyes widened slightly. "... Not bad."

Su Rui's lips curled up slightly. His silver duster drew a big smiley face in the air, then, as if suddenly remembering something, he pulled a small bottle from the bottom of the paper bag.

"What is this?" Hoshiguma stared warily at the amber liquid.

"[Maple syrup.]" Yin Chen explained. "[Closure said...]"

"Don't mention that idiot's ridiculous suggestion!"

But Su Rui had already drizzled the syrup onto his own portion. He took a small bite of the tart tip, the syrup sliding down his lips and leaving an alluring golden line on his fair chin.

Hoshiguma's green eyes darkened.

"Hey," her thumb suddenly brushed against the corner of his lips, "You got some on your lips."

Su Rui's eyelashes trembled slightly. Just as he was about to wipe it with silver dust, Hoshiguma bent down and licked away the drop of syrup.

"... It's too sweet." Her breath brushed against his lips.

Su Rui's silver hair exploded, Bell hair tie fell to the ground with a "ding". His silver dust floated in the air, eventually forming a crooked heart shape.

Hoshiguma's green eyes gleamed with amusement. "Idiot."

She bent down and fed him the remaining half of the lemon tart.

The corridors of the Rhodes Island dormitory area are always quiet, especially during lunch break. Hoshiguma's door was ajar, letting in a few slivers of warm yellow light mixed with a faint lemon scent. Su Rui's silver hair cascaded over Hoshiguma's lap, the ends still clinging to the molten syrup, shimmering amber in the sunlight. He held half a lemon tart in his hand, his fingertips stained with cream, which Hoshiguma was gently wiping clean.

"Make desserts next time," Hoshiguma, her thumb brushing against his knuckles, her green eyes narrowing slightly, "And you're not allowed to cheat with Silver Dust again."

Su Rui's eyelashes trembled slightly, and the corners of her lips turned up slightly. "... Tired."

"Tired?" Hoshiguma raised an eyebrow, pinching his cheek with her fingertips. "You sat on my lap the whole time giving directions, what's there to be tired about?"

Su Rui's silver hair shimmered softly in the sunlight. He tilted his head slightly, about to speak—

The door was suddenly pushed open.

"Hoshiguma, the shield-maintenance oil from last time--"

Chen's voice abruptly stopped.

At the doorway, a blue-haired Dragonkin woman carried a paper bag, her Chixiao Sword slung diagonally at her waist, the cuffs of her uniform jacket still damp with rain. Her gaze fell on the sofa— Hoshiguma's green hair fell over her shoulders, she held a silver-haired boy in her arms, one hand still pinching his chin, her thumb brushing against his lips. Su Rui's silver hair was scattered messily on Hoshiguma's lap, she held half a dessert in her hand, her expression slightly stunned.

The air froze for three seconds.

Su Rui's lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something, Hoshiguma reacted quickly and covered his mouth.

"Chen," Hoshiguma's voice was unusually calm, "Coming in without knocking?"

Chen's dragon horns were slightly red. She coughed lightly and turned her face away. "... The door wasn't closed."

Hoshiguma's green eyes swept over the door lock—indeed, Su Rui hadn't closed it properly when she went to get the syrup. She looked down at Su Rui in her arms; the silver-haired boy's mouth was covered by her, and he blinked his amber eyes innocently at her.

"What is it?" Hoshiguma asked without changing his expression, his thumb still pressed against Su Rui's lips.

Chen took a deep breath and placed the paper bag on the low cabinet by the door. "The body oil, the one I promised you last time." Her gaze subtly swept over Su Rui, then quickly shifted away. "Sorry to bother you."

After saying that, she turned and left, forgetting to even close the door.

Hoshiguma's green eyes stared at the open door, and only after confirming that Chen's footsteps had completely disappeared did she release her hand from Su Rui's.

"..." Su Rui's eyelashes trembled slightly, and there was still a trace of her finger on the corner of her lips. "Why did you cover me?"

Hoshiguma's green hair stood on end. "What are you trying to say?"

"Say hello," Su Rui said softly, "Be polite."

Hoshiguma pressed her thumb back against his lips. "No."

Su Rui's silver hair swayed slightly, a strand wrapping around her wrist: [She saw it.]

"So what if I saw it?" Hoshiguma's green eyes narrowed dangerously. "But you're not allowed to speak."

Su Rui's eyelashes drooped, and silver dust formed a pitiful emoticon in the air: [...] Oh.

Ten minutes later, Chen sat in a Rhodes Island café, staring blankly at the espresso in front of her. Her dragon horns still had an unnatural flush, and her fingertips tapped the table unconsciously.

"Commander Chen?" Amiya approached carrying a tray, her ears twitching slightly. "Are you alright? Your face is a little flushed..."

"It's nothing," Chen's voice was stiffer than usual. "It's hot."

Amiya glanced out the window in confusion—it was a rainy day, after all. But she didn't ask any further questions, simply putting down her coffee. "Isn't Hoshiguma in the dorm?"

Chen's fingertips paused. "Yes."

"Then you..."

"I saw him." Chen interrupted her, picked up his coffee and drank it all in one gulp. "I'm busy, I have to go now."

Amiya's ears twitched in confusion as she watched Chen's hurried departure, muttering to herself, "Strange..."

In Hoshiguma's dormitory, Su Rui's Silver Dust was leisurely tidying up the baking tools on the table. Hoshiguma leaned against the window, a few strands of her green hair were wet from the rain, and her demon horns gleamed coldly in the overcast light.

"Chen's gone." She glanced at the blue-haired figure hurrying away downstairs, "He ran faster than Originium Slug."

Su Rui tapped her fingertip lightly on the table: [Did she misunderstand?]

Hoshiguma's green eyes swept over. "What misunderstanding?"

Su Rui's Silver Dust drew a simple sketch in the air— Hoshiguma was hugging him, he was holding a dessert, and there was a big heart next to him.

Hoshiguma's green hair exploded. "What kind of misunderstanding is this?"

Su Rui's eyelashes drooped slightly. "... The truth?"

Hoshiguma pressed her thumb against his lips again. "Shut up."

Su Rui's silver hair swayed gently, the ends brushing against her wrist: [Will she tell anyone?]

"Chen isn't that kind of person." Hoshiguma's green eyes narrowed slightly. "However..."

Her gaze fell on Su Rui's silver hair, and a dangerous smile suddenly appeared on her face, "You need to keep quiet."

Half an hour later, Chen's communicator suddenly rang. She glanced down at the message, and her dragon horns instantly straightened—

[Hoshiguma: Let's go to the training grounds now.]

Chen's finger hovered above the screen. After hesitating for three seconds, he replied: [On a mission, another day.]

[Hoshiguma: You don't want Chixiao anymore?]