Ark Simulator, Didn't I Have No Physical Body?

Lemuen seemed to have woken up a little earlier, but she still lay quietly in his arms, her back pressed against his chest, her breathing steady and long. He could feel her slender fingers unconsciously, gently resting on his arm that was wrapped around her waist.

After a while, Su Rui slowly opened his eyes. His lake-blue eyes were still a little sleepy at first, but they quickly regained their usual clarity. He moved slightly, lowered his head, buried his face in the soft hair at the back of Lemuen's neck, and mumbled something indistinctly, like a large feline that was being affectionate after being satisfied.

Lemuen sensed his movement and gently turned to face him. Her cheeks still held a faint blush from sleep, and her lake-blue eyes curved into a gentle smile, "Good morning, Su Rui."

"Mmm," Su Rui responded, her voice slightly hoarse from the morning. He leaned in and placed a brief but tender good morning kiss on her lips, unlike the aggressive one from the night before, more like a natural and intimate gesture.

The two snuggled together in the warm blankets for a while longer, enjoying the Quiet Moments without being disturbed.

Lemuen sighed softly, with a hint of reluctance, "I still need to continue investigating this plot of land today." Her previous visit wasn't solely to accompany Su Rui; she also had some routine investigation tasks assigned by Laterano, requiring her to understand the operation of this Mobile City and the situation of its residents, especially given the somewhat tense racial relations at the moment.

Upon hearing this, Su Rui subconsciously frowned, expressing his displeasure with the arrangement, but he said nothing. He knew it was her duty.

Seeing his slightly furrowed brow, Lemuen suddenly reached out and gently tapped the tip of his nose with her finger, her tone carrying a half-serious, half-warning tone. "However, while I'm investigating, you're not allowed to wander off alone, especially..." She drawled, a sly glint of possessiveness flashing in her lake-blue eyes, "... you're not allowed to see that librarian named Kong Gou alone last night."

Su Rui paused for a moment, then chuckled, her tone undisguisedly mocking. "You're still thinking about that weirdo? I've almost forgotten what she looks like." This was true; he forgot about people and things he didn't care about very quickly.

Volume 17, Chapter 979: I Don't Care

"I don't care." Lemuen puffed out her cheeks slightly, making a rare, almost spoiled, willful expression. "Anyway, I don't like the way she looks at you. And when she mentioned Andoain ... it doesn't seem that simple. You're not allowed to go to her first, understand?" She knew that Su Rui had a complicated, competitive attitude towards Andoain and was worried that the Kong Gou would use this to get close to Su Rui.

Looking at her rare display of jealousy, Su Rui felt not annoyed at all, but rather a strange sense of satisfaction. He liked her clear possessiveness and marking. He snorted, deliberately putting on airs. "What? Worried I'll be kidnapped?"

"Yes," Lemuen readily admitted, poking his chest with her finger, "I was really worried. So you have to be good and wait for me to come back to you when I'm done with this, okay?" The last "okay" had a soft, threatening undertone.

Su Rui grabbed her mischievous finger, bit it lightly, leaving a shallow tooth mark. "Mind your own business." But the barely suppressed smile on his lips betrayed his good mood. "Alright, alright. I'm not so bored as to go looking for someone else."

Having received his assurance, Lemuen smiled contentedly and snuggled back into his arms.

The two lingered for a few more moments before getting up to wash and prepare to start a new day.

However, things sometimes seem to go against our wishes.

As Lemuen and Su Rui left their residence and headed to the public archives area to begin their investigation, before Lemuen could even get started, the figure they had just been talking about appeared in their field of vision.

Kong Gou seemed to be waiting for her on the only way to the archives area. Today she had changed into a more formal dress and was carrying several folders, looking like she was indeed on official business. When she saw Su Rui and Lemuen walking side by side, her eyes lit up, and a hint of nervousness and hesitation flashed across her face, but she still mustered up the courage to go forward.

"Good morning, Miss Lemuen, Mr. Su Rui." She tried to make her tone sound natural, but her slightly trembling fingertips betrayed her.

Lemuen's smile faded slightly, but she still maintained basic politeness. "Good morning, Miss Kong Gou. What a coincidence."

Su Rui frowned immediately, her eyes clearly expressing her displeasure at "Why are you showing up again?"

Kong Gou seemed to sense Su Rui's impatience and quickly explained, "I... I didn't mean to bother you. I just heard that Miss Lemuen might need to access some archived records about the city's population structure and recent events today?" She looked at Lemuen, her tone becoming slightly smoother, "I happen to be in charge of organizing and managing this data. Some of the non-public files have a rather complicated access process, and I thought... perhaps I could help, saving you some time."

Her words sounded reasonable, even dutiful. Her gaze was mainly fixed on Lemuen, making it seem as if she was there purely for work-related purposes to offer assistance.

Lemuen glanced at her, then at Su Rui face had turned cold beside her. She did need to access those documents, Kong Gou this "insider" help would undoubtedly make things much smoother. But...

She hadn't forgotten the "ban" she'd issued that morning. Although Kong Gou was currently targeting her, its ultimate goal, or rather, its core interest, was clearly Su Rui. Having her by her side was tantamount to giving her the opportunity to get close to Su Rui.

Lemuen was trying to find a polite reason to decline.

However, Kong Gou seemed to sense her hesitation and immediately added, this time with a hint of urgency and earnestness. "I really didn't mean anything by it, Miss Lemuen. I just wanted to offer as much help as I could. And... regarding the records of some marginalized groups, such as the Sarkaz hybrid residents of the lower blocks, some details might only be clear to those who handled the compilation..."

She mentioned "Sarkaz mixed race." This happens to be a point that Lemuen's investigation might focus on, and it's something Su Rui just got involved in yesterday.

These words made Lemuen hesitate before she could utter a refusal. She looked at the Kong Gou again; her eyes seemed sincere, with a hint of longing to be needed, as if she genuinely just wanted to help and perhaps take this opportunity... to satisfy her undying curiosity?

Su Rui clicked his tongue very softly, clearly annoyed by the situation. He looked at Lemuen and gestured with his eyes for her to get rid of him.

Lemuen hesitated for a brief moment. Reason told her that accepting help would improve efficiency. Emotionally, she was indeed reluctant. But in the end, the priority of the investigation and a hint of curiosity about the details of the "Sarkaz hybrid" mentioned by the Kong Gou led her to make her decision.

"...Alright." Lemuen nodded slightly, her smile returning to her face, but with a more businesslike tone. "Then I'll leave it to you Kong Gou. I hope it won't take up too much of your time."

Kong Gou immediately breathed a sigh of relief, a joyful smile spreading across her face, "No, no! This is my job! Please come this way, Mr. Su Rui, please..." She subconsciously looked at Su Rui.

"He's with me." Lemuen answered without room for argument, naturally linking her arm with Su Rui's and pulling him closer to her—a clear and unequivocal declaration of ownership.

Although Su Rui had a "what a hassle" expression on his face, he still let Lemuen pull him along without shaking him off. He just gave Kong Gou a cold glance, a look that was enough to make anyone with illusions back away.

Kong Gou's smile froze for a moment, then he quickly lowered his head. "Okay, okay, please follow me."

Thus, what was originally planned as a trip for two turned into a somewhat awkward trio. Kong Gou led the way, trying his best to explain the structure and classification of the archives, attempting to demonstrate his professionalism and value. Lemuen listened politely, occasionally asking a question or two. Su Rui, on the other hand, remained expressionless and silent throughout, Lemuen a moving iceberg, only revealing a very subtle, helpless indulgence when their eyes met.

As Lemuen conducted her investigation, she kept an eye on the Kong Gou out of the corner of her eye. The librarian was indeed professional, knew the information like the back of her hand, and was very efficient. But the frequency with which she glanced at Su Rui, no matter how careful she was, could not completely escape Lemuen's notice.

It seemed her "warning" this morning wasn't unfounded. Lemuen snorted softly to herself and tightened her grip on Su Rui's arm.

As for Su Rui, he was completely immersed in his extreme impatience with this boring social occasion, just hoping that this damned investigation would end soon. As for Kong Gou's little scheme, he didn't take it to heart at all—after all, the feeling of having your possessions constantly marked by troublemakers didn't seem too bad.

Volume 17, 980 Books: The Forest

The air in the archives area was filled with the quiet scent of old paper and ink. Rows of tall metal bookshelves formed a silent forest, with only the clear voices of Kong Gou and the occasional questions from Lemuen echoing softly among them.

Kong Gou truly demonstrated her professionalism as a librarian. She skillfully led the way, precisely extracting the files that Lemuen might need from rows of densely packed filing shelves, explaining the classification rules, key points, and even the meanings of some abbreviations and codes in a clear and organized manner. She spoke at a steady pace, trying her best to focus her attention on her work and Lemuen.

However, this quiet realm of knowledge was shrouded in an invisible, somewhat suffocating atmosphere. The source of this atmosphere, of course, was Su Rui, who remained silent and expressionless throughout.

He leaned listlessly against an empty metal bookshelf, arms crossed, one long leg slightly bent. His lake-blue eyes were half-closed, his gaze aimlessly sweeping over the crisscrossing pipes and light strips on the ceiling, making no attempt to hide his impatience and boredom. The aura of "stay away from me" and "this is so boring" emanating from him almost materialized, adding a touch of coldness to the already quiet area.

As Lemuen listened to Kong Gou's introduction, she kept glancing at Su Rui's expression out of the corner of her eye. She knew him too well; she knew his patience was almost exhausted. If this continued, the young master might just walk away or say something that would make the situation extremely awkward.

That won't do. Her investigation has only just begun and she still needs Kong Gou's assistance. Besides, she doesn't want to make Su Rui really unhappy.

A thought flashed through Lemuen's mind. A sly glint appeared in her lake-blue eyes.

Just as Kong Gou Lemuen the unusual changes in household registration for a particular year, Lemuen suddenly turned slightly to the side, no longer in a purely listening posture. She very naturally reached out, not to take the record book, but to wrap her arm around Su Rui's arm, and then leaned her body softly against him.

"Su Rui," her voice was much softer and sweeter than when she spoke to Kong Gou, carrying a clear hint of intimacy and coquetry, "Are you tired of standing? Would it feel better to lean on me?"

As she spoke, she even lifted her face and quickly pecked Su Rui's tense cheek. It was a gentle and swift kiss, with a hint of soothing and deliberate teasing.

This sudden display of intimacy startled Su Rui, who had been as still as an ice sculpture. He instinctively looked down at Lemuen, who was practically clinging to him. Her smiling, mischievous yet tender eyes met his. The oppressive atmosphere and impatience surrounding him instantly seemed to have a small hole punctured, releasing most of it in a ripple. He let out a very soft, ambiguous murmur, like a complaint, or perhaps a helpless indulgence. But his arms loosened their embrace, letting her lean against him, and even the corners of his usually pursed, particularly harsh lips softened almost imperceptibly with a slight curve.

Kong Gou, standing opposite them, froze completely.

She was still holding the heavy notebook in her hands, but her cheeks flushed bright red, all the way to her ears. She clearly hadn't expected to witness such a direct and unabashed display of intimacy. She abruptly lowered her head, her gaze fixed on the leather cover of the notebook, as if a flower had suddenly bloomed on it. An atmosphere of embarrassment and bewilderment almost overflowed from her.

"Uh... that... this..." she stammered, completely forgetting what she was about to say.

Lemuen seemed to only then notice her embarrassment, lifting her head from Su Rui's shoulder, her face still bearing that gentle, harmless smile, though a hint of mischievous triumph lurked deep in her eyes. "Ah, sorry, Miss Kong Gou, what was wrong with this record you were talking about?" Her tone was natural, as if she weren't the one who had interrupted work and openly displayed affection.

"N-nothing!" Kong Gou almost blurted out, her voice trembling. She hurriedly shoved the notebook into Lemuen's hands, her eyes darting around, not daring to look at Su Rui again. "It's... it's this one! You... you take a look first! I... I'll go over there and see if there are any supplementary documents!"

She practically fled, quickly heading towards another row of bookshelves not far away, where she hid herself, leaving only a hurried silhouette behind.

Lemuen watched her retreating figure, a slight smile playing on her lips. She had successfully calmed the nearly exploded Su Rui and temporarily deterred the librarian who was clearly curious about her boyfriend—killing two birds with one stone.

In a good mood, she opened the notebook and began to browse. Although Su Rui still seemed uninterested, at least she was no longer radiating coldness. She simply leaned lazily against her, resting her chin on the top of her head, occasionally glancing casually at the documents in her hands.

However, after a while, Lemuen keenly sensed that the cautious gaze from behind the bookshelf had reappeared.

Kong Gou seemed to have adjusted her mindset and resumed fulfilling her "assisting" duties. She would still bring some potentially useful documents and still provide necessary explanations, but her gaze would always uncontrollably and quickly drift towards the two people snuggling together.

She saw Lemuen turn her head slightly and whisper something to Su Rui. Although Su Rui still had that impatient expression on his face, he reached out and tucked a strand of hair that had fallen to her cheek behind her ear. The movement was a little clumsy, even with his characteristic impatient roughness, but the subconscious focus and touch made Kong Gou's heart skip a beat.

She noticed that Su Rui seemed to glance at a particular chart on a document a couple of times. Lemuen immediately sensed this and asked in a low voice. The two then exchanged a very brief conversation about the document. Su Rui's tone was still not pleasant, even critical, but Lemuen listened attentively, nodding occasionally, her lake-blue eyes sparkling. That tacit understanding, built on a deep understanding that no one else could penetrate, stirred a strange flutter in Kong Gou and... a sense of envy.

Seeing that Lemuen had been looking at documents for a long time, she subconsciously rubbed her neck. Su Rui, standing beside her, immediately frowned, unceremoniously snatched the documents from her hands and tossed them aside, bluntly ordering, "Rest." Lemuen simply smiled and sighed, then obediently leaned into his arms and closed her eyes to rest. Su Rui stood there, acting as her human cushion, his gaze fixed on the window, but his hand constantly and unconsciously patting her arm.

Volume 17, Chapter 981: She was daydreaming.

Kong Gou found himself somewhat engrossed in what he was watching.

Her initial curiosity about Su Rui stemmed mostly from the rumors about his strength, arrogance, and connection to Andoain. She had imagined him as cold, sharp, and unapproachable. But what she saw now was a Su Rui slowly warmed by their intimate relationship, revealing a completely different side of him. He remained arrogant and impatient, but he softened at the slightest glance or gesture from the girl beside him, displaying an almost clumsy tenderness and a strong possessiveness.

This stark contrast, and the natural, unspoken intimacy and tension between them, acted like a peculiar magnet, drawing Kong Gou's gaze. She felt embarrassed; she knew it was impolite to peek like this, but she couldn't help herself. It was as if she were peering through a crack, glimpsing an intense yet warm emotional pattern she had never encountered before.

Lemuen, of course, didn't miss the furtive glances directed at her. She found it both amusing and infuriating. This Kong Gou was more... persistent? Or perhaps, simply innocent?

She wasn't worried that Su Rui would be attracted. She had enough confidence in her boy and knew he didn't even care about Kong Gou. She just felt that being secretly observed like this was a little... strange.

So, when Kong Gou once again pretended to organize documents while secretly glancing over, Lemuen suddenly looked up and precisely caught her gaze.

The Kong Gou resembled a startled little rabbit, abruptly withdrawing its gaze, its cheeks flushing red once more.

Lemuen gave her an exceptionally gentle and radiant smile, then turned her head, wrapped her arms around Su Rui's neck, and kissed him on the corner of his lips again, the sound just loud enough for him to hear:

"Alright, fully charged~ Let's get back to work, Young Master Su Rui?"

Su Rui was somewhat bewildered by her series of intimate gestures, but clearly enjoyed them. He hummed in response, his posture noticeably more relaxed than before.

Kong Gou buried himself completely in the pile of documents and didn't dare to look up for a long time.

The investigation in the archives continued in this subtle and somewhat strange atmosphere.

Time slipped by slowly amidst the rustling of pages and the occasional low murmurs of explanation from the Kong Gou. Lemuen absorbed the information efficiently, while simultaneously keeping a close eye on Su Rui beside her and the librarian who kept glancing over unconsciously.

Kong Gou's peeping skills weren't exactly sophisticated; his gaze, a mixture of curiosity, shyness, inquiry, and a hint of barely concealed envy, repeatedly fell on Su Rui, occasionally sweeping over the natural and subtle interactions between them. Lemuen could clearly feel that attention, which stirred up rather complex emotions within her.

On the one hand, she was naturally slightly displeased and wary. Su Rui was hers, from head to toe, from his bad temper to the occasional clumsy tenderness he showed only to her, he was her treasure. She didn't want anyone, especially a man who clearly had a special interest in Su Rui, to spy on him or even try to get close to him.

On the other hand, a secret, almost vain sense of pride also grew uncontrollably. Look, this is the boy she chose. Even though he has a terrible temper, is arrogant and willful, he can still easily attract the attention of others, making people curious and want to explore whether there is something else hidden beneath his cold exterior. And this uniqueness, this strong attraction, ultimately belongs only to her, and he only shows his most authentic self to her. This strong, proven possessiveness makes her heart feel like it's holding a small piece of honey slowly melting, sweet and delightful.

However, despite her smugness, Lemuen didn't share it with anyone, and even allowed others to continuously stare at her possessions. Su Rui's patience was limited, and although Kong Gou mostly ignored Kong Su Rui's persistent, unspoken gaze, there was no guarantee that it wouldn't ignite his bad temper at any moment, making the situation unmanageable.

More importantly, she didn't want to waste any more of their time on a superfluous, curious bystander. The investigation was progressing smoothly, and she had gathered enough key information; it was time to clear the room.

Having made up her mind, Lemuen closed the notebook she was reading, making a slight sound that drew the attention of the other two.

She gave a flawless, slightly apologetic smile and looked at Kong Gou: "Ms. Kong Gou, thank you so much for your help. This information is very detailed and has saved me a lot of trouble."

Kong Gou quickly waved his hand, "You're too kind, it's what I should do."

"However," Lemuen's tone shifted, becoming somewhat troubled, "I've noticed that some of the early data involved here seems to differ slightly from the scattered records I saw in another cardinal document. I remember those earlier original backup volumes were stored in the adjacent segregated archives, weren't they?" She uttered a technical-sounding term and a numbering range.

Kong Gou paused for a moment, then thought carefully, "Ah... you mean those in the ' Deep Vault ' archive area? Yes, some very old original manuscripts and first copies are indeed stored there. However, the procedures for accessing them are more complicated, and the environment is rather... cold and damp, so it's generally not recommended..."

"It's alright." Lemuen interrupted her with a smile, her tone gentle yet firm. "Research requires rigor. Even the slightest discrepancy should be checked against the original records for peace of mind. Could you please request access permissions for me now and retrieve the files numbered 'LC-07' to 'LC-12'? It might take a while."

This request is reasonable and fully falls within the scope of the work responsibilities of the Kong Gou. More importantly, the so-called "isolation data room" is obviously not nearby, and the round trip, plus the cumbersome application and search procedures, would take at least an hour or two.

Kong Gou clearly didn't realize this was an excuse to get rid of her. Her sense of responsibility at work and her concern for Lemuen (and perhaps Su Rui) made her nod immediately. "Okay, no problem! I'll go apply right away. Please wait a moment with Mr. Su Rui." She even subconsciously straightened her clothes, as if she were about to do something very important.

"Thank you for your hard work." Lemuen's smile became even more sincere.

Kong Gou left in a hurry, his footsteps disappearing into the depths of the archives area.

Only after confirming that she was truly far away did Lemuen breathe a sigh of relief, her perfectly maintained smile relaxing and taking on a sly glint. She turned around and looked at Su Rui again.

Volume 17, Chapter 982 Lemuen Also Has Her Own Thoughts

Sure enough, almost the instant the Kong Gou figure disappeared, the invisible oppressive aura surrounding Su Rui vanished completely. He seemed to have finally unloaded a heavy burden, letting out a visibly relieved sigh. Then, without any hesitation, he reached out and pulled Lemuen into his arms, resting his chin heavily on the top of her head, uttering a disgruntled complaint. "Finally gone... you were such a nuisance."

His arms were wrapped around her waist, the grip quite tight, carrying a sense of certainty as he reclaimed ownership.

Lemuen couldn't help but laugh, lifting her head from his embrace and poking his cheek with her finger. "What's wrong? Young Master Su Rui, aren't you satisfied after being looked at with such admiration and curiosity by a pretty girl for so long?"

Su Rui scoffed, her tone utterly disdainful and contemptuous. "Pretty? Didn't notice. It's certainly noisy, even her breathing is too loud." He lowered his head, his nose brushing against hers, his lake-blue eyes reflecting only her image. "Besides, she's looking at your man, and you're quite nonchalant about it?"

The last sentence carried a very subtle, almost imperceptible hint of sourness and accusation.

Lemuen immediately understood. A little bit of smugness resurfaced in her heart, but she deliberately blinked and pretended to be naive. "Really? I think she seems quite interested in what Andoain left behind, maybe she mainly wants to learn about Andoain through you?"

"Don't try that." Su Rui wasn't fooled. He snorted and lightly pinched her side. "I know perfectly well who she's looking at." His tone carried a hint of warning. "If you dare let this kind of random person near you again, just try it."

This domineering declaration didn't anger Lemuen; instead, it made her laugh even harder. She liked his undisguised possessiveness.

"Okay, okay~ you little rascal." She replied softly, leaning in to kiss his slightly pursed lips. "Now that the troublesome person is gone, can we get along well?"

Su Rui's expression finally brightened completely. He enjoyed her initiative in kissing him, and then deepened the kiss himself until they were both a little breathless before they separated.

"That's more like it." He smacked his lips in satisfaction, as if he had tasted something delicious, then glanced around at the quiet, deserted bookshelves. "Right here?"

"Otherwise?" Lemuen raised an eyebrow. "Does Master Su Rui want to find a more romantic place?"

Su Rui chuckled and said no more. He put his arm around Lemuen and leaned against a sturdy filing cabinet next to him, letting her sit on his lap and encircling her in his arms.

With no outsiders present, the intimate atmosphere between the two immediately became even more intense and relaxed. Lemuen leaned comfortably against his chest, casually fiddling with the buttons on his uniform, occasionally exchanging a few words in low voice about the information they had just seen about the plot of land. Although Su Rui still occasionally made some sarcastic comments, he would also offer some insightful and often to-the-point opinions.

Sunlight streamed through the high window, casting clear beams of light through the dusty air, quietly enveloping the two people nestled together. The stale smell of paper and ink no longer seemed so oppressive, but rather served as a backdrop to a Quiet Moments.

Compared to the subtle awkwardness and prying she had felt earlier, this moment of solitude felt so precious and pleasant. Lemuen sighed contentedly and buried her face in Su Rui's neck.

That's more like it, she thought.

Her Su Rui, her time, her sweet solitude. Any unnecessary disturbances or intrusions should be promptly eliminated.

After Kong Gou left, the archives area returned to its proper silence, with only the eternal low hum of the Mobile City outside the window as background noise. Sunlight streamed through the high windows, casting several slanted beams of light into the dust-laden air, just enough to envelop Su Rui and Lemuen were snuggling together.