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

Lemuen lightly jumped down from Su Rui's lap and straightened her slightly wrinkled clothes. Although she had freed herself from the Kong Gou and gained precious time alone, her work was not yet finished. She walked to the reading table where several key documents had been laid out, picked up the heavy notebook again, and regained her focus.

"Let me double-check these data points," she said to Su Rui, who was still leaning lazily against the filing cabinet, as she flipped through the yellowed pages. "Even though you've confirmed there are no problems, I still need to personally review the process."

Su Rui's reaction was an undisguised yawn, tinged with a sense of "unnecessary trouble." He had already quickly scanned the documents with his almost critical eye, confirming that there were no hidden traps or important oversights that could harm Lemuen or Laterano. In his view, the remaining so-called "verification" was purely a tedious and meaningless bureaucratic procedure.

"Whatever you want," he replied listlessly, clearly having no interest in continuing to immerse himself in these old papers.

He glanced around listlessly, his gaze sweeping over rows of silent metal bookshelves and dusty dossier boxes, finally settling on his portable terminal. He unlocked it with practiced ease, his fingertips swiping quickly across the screen, and a cool, visually stunning game interface popped up. The subtle electronic sound effects and the dazzling visuals of character skill animations instantly broke the overly quiet atmosphere of the archives.

Su Rui adjusted to a more comfortable position, leaning against the cold metal cabinet door, his long legs casually propped up, completely immersed in the battles and challenges of the virtual world. To him, this was far more interesting than studying those tedious demographic statistics or old stories.

For a moment, only two distinct sounds remained in the archives: the soft rustling of Lemuen's fingertips across the paper, and the intense sound effects from Su Rui's game, along with his occasional soft clicks of the tongue or satisfied hums in response to the battle.

Lemuen wasn't disturbed by his gaming noises. On the contrary, the atmosphere of each person focusing on their own thing while sharing the same space gave her a strange sense of peace. She knew he was within reach, which allowed her to fully immerse herself in her work.

She read quickly, her eyes keenly capturing key information, her brain working at lightning speed, comparing and analyzing new data with known intelligence. Her profile appeared exceptionally focused in the light, occasionally furrowing her brow slightly upon noticing a noteworthy detail, or jotting something down quickly in her notebook.

Time slips away quietly.

When Lemuen finally finished carefully checking an important document, put down her pen, and gently rubbed her slightly sore neck, she was able to slightly pull herself out of her highly focused state.

Volume 17, Chapter 983: Addicted to Games

She raised her head and naturally looked in Su Rui's direction.

He maintained that languid posture, focused intently on the game screen in his hands. The screen's light flickered on his delicate face, his long, thick silver eyelashes drooping, obscuring his lake-blue eyes that often held arrogance or impatience, making his expression at this moment appear unusually pure, completely absorbed. His fingers moved quickly and precisely across the screen, with an effortless elegance.

Looking at him like this, Lemuen felt a gentle touch on the softest part of her heart. At work, Su Rui was sharp and efficient; in games, he possessed a childlike, pure immersion. Both sides captivated her.

She suddenly didn't want to continue looking at those boring documents.

She put down her pen, stood up, and without making a loud noise, like a nimble cat, quietly walked to Su Rui's side.

Su Rui seemed completely absorbed in a key level of the game and didn't immediately notice her approach. It wasn't until Lemuen reached out and gently took the portable terminal from his hand.

The battle on the screen was reaching its climax when it was suddenly interrupted. Su Rui subconsciously clicked her tongue and looked up with displeasure at being disturbed.

What came into view was Lemuen's magnified face, with a sly smile.

Before he could complain, she leaned down, cupped his face in her hands, and silenced all his grievances with a tender and lingering kiss.

Su Rui paused for a moment, then let out a soft, muffled hum from her nose, the slight annoyance at being interrupted from her game instantly vanishing. He tossed aside the removed terminal (the character on the screen had probably already "heroically sacrificed himself"), his arm naturally encircling her waist, pulling her closer, and deepening the kiss.

This was a kiss that clashed with the work atmosphere, carrying a clear sense of affection and possessiveness. In the quiet archives, only the sounds of their gradually merging breaths and the subtle sounds between their lips and teeth could be heard.

After a long while, Lemuen stepped back slightly, her forehead touching his, her breathing a little unsteady, her eyes glistening with tears. "Let's rest for a bit."

Looking at her flushed cheeks so close to his own, Su Rui's Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice, tinged with emotion, husky, asked, "... What kind of rest are you taking?"

"A break to refresh my mind," Lemuen said matter-of-factly, her finger playfully tracing the bridge of his straight nose. "My eyes are tired from looking at documents all day."

Su Rui chuckled, clearly not accepting the excuse, but he enjoyed this way of "resting." He leaned in and pecked at her lips a few more times before reluctantly letting her go.

Lemuen straightened up, satisfied, but instead of immediately returning to the reading table, he leaned against the filing cabinet next to Su Rui, picked up the terminal he had been playing with, and curiously looked at the screen that had now turned into a "Game Over" message: "Was this difficult?"

"Simple." Su Rui glanced at it, her tone carrying her usual arrogance. "It was just an accident."

"Yes, yes, Young Master Su Rui is the best." Lemuen smiled and brushed it off, casually exiting the interface for him and shoving the terminal back into his hand. "Then you can play by yourself for a while, I'll just watch the last bit."

Su Rui took the terminal, but instead of immediately restarting the game, he watched her sit back down at the table, pick up her pen, and return to her work. His gaze was no longer fixed on the screen, but rather on her focused profile.

What followed became a peculiar cycle of intermittent intimacy and individual focus.

Lemuen felt a little tired or just missed him after working for a while, she would get up and go to Su Rui's side, either for a brief kiss or to snuggle in his arms for a while, chatting about trivial things. Although Su Rui would occasionally complain that she was "bothering" him, he would always put down his game and indulge her closeness and intimacy until she was satisfied and "recharged" and returned to her work.

While Lemuen focused on her work, Su Rui continued his gaming journey, only occasionally lifting his gaze from the screen to land on the figure working at her desk, making sure she was still within his sight before returning to the battle in the virtual world.

This model may not be the most efficient, but it is full of reassuring warmth. Serious investigative work is intertwined with sweet interactions between lovers, making the originally tedious file review no longer unbearable.

When Lemuen finally closed the last file that needed to be checked, let out a long sigh of relief, and announced, "All done," the sky outside the window was already tinged with the warm hues of dusk.

Around the same time, Su Rui also cleared a high-difficulty dungeon and casually put away his terminal. He stood up, stretched his shoulders which were stiff from sitting for so long, walked over to Lemuen, and naturally reached out to massage the back of her neck and shoulders.

"Is it over?" he asked, his tone carrying a sense of relief, as if saying, "It's finally over."

"Yes, it's over." Lemuen nestled into his arms, enjoying his perfectly balanced massage, and sighed with her eyes closed, "Thanks to you... and your 'recharging service'."

Su Rui's technique wasn't exactly professional, even a bit clumsy, but her sincerity and focus made her feel completely comfortable.

"Good to know." Su Rui accepted the credit without any modesty, then leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "Let's go, let's eat. I'm starving."

"Okay." Lemuen replied with a smile, turning around to hug his waist. "What would you like to eat? It's my treat, to reward our hardworking young master Su Rui ~"

The two chatted and laughed as they put the organized documents away and left side by side the archive area, filled with the smell of old papers but also holding their own intimate memories. The afterglow of the setting sun cast long, intertwined shadows as they walked into their own night.

The heavy metal door of the archives closed behind me, completely shutting out the smell of old paper, dust, and a faint musty odor. The slightly cool, fresh evening air filled my lungs, invigorating me. The Mobile City continued its steady operation beneath my feet, but the evening hustle and bustle seemed to add a touch of human warmth compared to the daytime.

Su Rui stretched his somewhat stiff limbs, his joints making a slight cracking sound. He had spent most of the day in that pile of old papers, and although he spent most of the time playing games and receiving "recharging" from Lemuen, he still felt uneasy all over, especially his taste buds, which were desperately craving something stimulating and tangible to wash away that invisible sense of staleness.

"I'm hungry," he announced succinctly, casually putting an arm around Lemuen's waist and leading her toward the commercial street in the residential area. "Let's find a place to eat meat. Grilled, spicy, and salty." He used several words to emphasize the strong flavors, fully expressing his aversion to bland and sweet foods and his urgent need for strong-flavored dishes.

Volume 17, Chapter 984: Not Eating Desserts

Lemuen was led away by him, and couldn't help but laugh when she heard this. She knew it would be like this. Making Su Rui stay with her in the archives for so long was already the limit, and now he desperately needed to regain control of his taste buds and mind and body in the most direct way.

"Okay, okay, let's eat meat." She readily agreed, her fingers gently tracing circles on the back of his hand that was around her waist. "I know a restaurant that's famous for its charcoal-grilled meat ribs. The seasoning is a secret recipe, and I heard you can choose the spiciness level, from 'breezy' to 'hellfire'." She said in a deliberately seductive tone.

Su Rui's interest was piqued, and he raised an eyebrow. "'Hellfire'? That sounds interesting." He enjoyed challenges, especially when it came to food.

"However..." Lemuen's tone shifted, a mischievous glint in her lake-blue eyes, "After eating the barbecue, I need something sweet to cleanse my palate. There's a fantastic dessert shop right next to that restaurant; their mille-feuille tarts and honey cakes..."

Before she could finish speaking, Su Rui gave her an extremely disgusted look, as if he had heard something horrible. "Here we go again. What's so good about that outrageously sweet stuff?" He simply couldn't understand the Laterano people's obsession with sweets.

"Dessert is the soul of the meal!" Lemuen argued, shaking his arm. "It's just a little bit, I promise I won't force you. Besides, maybe they have some less sweet options? Like... a slightly bitter dark chocolate lava cake? Or a sweet and sour berry smoothie?"

She tried to find a compromise that might suit his tastes. After all, dinner was a meal for two, and she didn't want to be the only one who was satisfied while a young master sat across from her with a sour face, as if he were being tortured.

Su Rui watched her earnestly trying to sell, snorted, and didn't strongly object anymore, but he didn't agree either. He just said ambiguously, "... we'll see when the time comes." This was already his biggest concession.

Lemuen knew this meant agreement, and immediately beamed with joy. "Then it's settled!"

The two walked through the gradually bustling streets. Evening was the most vibrant time in the Mobile City, with people hurrying along after a day's work, tempting aromas wafting from various food stalls, and children chasing and playing in the limited open spaces. Su Rui still showed her usual impatience with the surrounding noise, her brows slightly furrowed, but she didn't let go of Lemuen's hand, protecting her by her side to prevent her from being bumped by the crowd.

Soon, they found the barbecue restaurant that Lemuen. The restaurant was small, with a rugged industrial style decor, and the air was filled with a rich and tempting aroma of charcoal and spices, making one's mouth water. It was lunchtime, and the restaurant was almost full of people. The noise, the clinking of cups and plates, and the sizzling of meat on the hot plate mingled together, creating a lively atmosphere.

Su Rui seemed fairly satisfied with the environment—at least it was better than the suffocatingly quiet archives. He walked straight to a relatively quiet corner, pulled out a chair, and sat down with fluid, natural movements, displaying a territorial awareness of always having the best spot, no matter where he was.

The waiter quickly brought the menu. Su Rui didn't even glance at it, stating his request directly. "Double the spiciest cutlet of steak. No side dishes or salad, plus an extra sausage. I want chilled ale, the colder the better." His ordering style perfectly reflected his personality: direct, efficient, and only choosing what he wanted.

Lemuen carefully examined the menu, ordered a regular-spicy grilled meat set meal, plus a grilled vegetable platter, and a refreshing fruit soda. After ordering, she smiled and added to the waiter, "Could you also please give us a dessert shop menu, please?"

The waiter responded and left. Su Rui merely raised an eyelid, said nothing, picked up his water glass from the table, took a sip, and glanced at the noisy diners around him. His face was expressionless, but the tight corners of his mouth showed that he was trying to adapt to the noise.

While waiting for the food to be served, Lemuen observed her surroundings with great interest. Su Rui, on the other hand, seemed rather bored, her fingers tapping lightly on the table unconsciously, until Lemuen reached out and covered the back of his hand.

"Are you bored?" she asked softly.

Su Rui took her hand in return and tickled her palm with her fingertips, as if in response.

Fortunately, the barbecue restaurant served the food quickly. A huge, sizzling, steaming steak was brought out, sprinkled with red chili powder and various spices, emitting an extremely pungent and spicy aroma. Su Rui's eyes immediately lit up, and his boredom was instantly replaced by his appetite.

He picked up his knife and fork, and with elegant yet swift movements, cut the steak open, revealing the tender, juicy meat inside. Then, he forked a large piece and put it into his mouth without hesitation.

"Hmm..." He squinted his eyes in satisfaction and nodded slightly, clearly quite pleased with the "hellfire" level of spiciness and the quality of the steak itself. The spicy stimulation instantly activated his taste buds, bringing immense satisfaction. He began to focus on enjoying his dinner, his eating manners not rude, but quick, with a serious focus on savoring the food.

Seeing how much he enjoyed his meal, Lemuen smiled and began to enjoy hers as well. Her set meal had a moderate level of spiciness, allowing her to better appreciate the natural freshness of the meat and the unique flavor of the charcoal grill. The two occasionally exchanged comments about the taste of the food, but most of the time they were immersed in their own culinary worlds.

Soon, Su Rui devoured the double steak and sausage in no time, even finishing his glass of chilled ale. He put down his knife and fork, picked up a napkin to wipe his mouth, and his face showed the languid comfort of a full meal. The last trace of annoyance he had felt earlier because of the archives had completely dissipated.

Just then, the waiter brought over the menu from the dessert shop next door.

Lemuen took the beautifully presented menu and began flipping through it with great interest. The dazzling array of dessert pictures was indeed tempting, from cakes and tarts of various flavors to delicate ice cream and fudge, each one looking incredibly sweet.

Su Rui glanced at it briefly, then gave a dismissive look, leaning back in her chair to indicate that she had absolutely no interest in the thing.

Lemuen didn't force him. She carefully selected for a while and finally ordered a signature honey berry mille-feuille and a cup of fruit and herbal tea.

"Are you really not going to try it?" She closed the menu, making a final effort. "This chocolate lava cake, they say, uses a high concentration of dark chocolate, so the bitterness is quite pronounced..."

"No." Su Rui refused decisively, even moving her chair back to show that she was drawing a clear line.

Lemuen had no choice but to give up.

Does Volume 17 (985) meet the requirements?

The dessert was served quickly. Layers of golden flaky pastry, filled with abundant berries and sweet cream, and topped with glistening honey, looked absolutely delicious. Lemuen carefully scooped out a piece with her small spoon, put it in her mouth, and immediately squinted her eyes in bliss, letting out a satisfied sigh, "Mmm~ Delicious!"

Su Rui sat opposite her, watching her completely absorbed in the joy brought by the sweets, his expression somewhat indescribable. He couldn't understand this obsession with sweetness, but seeing her happy, the corners of his mouth still curved almost imperceptibly, before he quickly pursed them, as if trying to hide something.

He took out his portable device and started playing games again, seemingly trying to use the battles in the virtual world to combat the overly sweet atmosphere of the real world.

Lemuen enjoyed her dessert while occasionally glancing up at Su Rui, who was engrossed in playing video games across from her. The spicy barbecue and the sweet mille-feuille, the intense game and the leisurely fruit tea—two people with completely different tastes and preferences—created a strange yet harmonious scene in this noisy barbecue restaurant.

For her, the perfect dinner is eating her favorite food with someone she likes, and then sharing a relaxing and pleasant time. Whether their tastes match is not so important.

As Lemuen finished the last bite of her mille-feuille, Su Rui also finished another game. He put away his device and looked at her. "Satisfied?"

"Mmm! Super satisfying!" Lemuen nodded with a smile, picking up a napkin to wipe her mouth.

"Then let's go." Su Rui stood up, her movements swift and decisive. "It's too noisy here."

After paying the bill and leaving the barbecue restaurant, the cool night breeze brought a refreshing feeling. The streetlights were even more dazzling than when they arrived. Su Rui instinctively put her arm around Lemuen, and the two slowly walked back the way they came.

Feeling full and surrounded by people, Su Rui was in a pretty good mood. He didn't even make many negative comments about the noisy environment around him.

Lemuen leaned against him, feeling the evening breeze and his body warmth, her heart filled with a peaceful happiness. Spicy barbecue was Su Rui's choice, and sweet mille-feuille was her favorite. Being able to walk side by side like this, sharing their different yet complementary worlds, was perhaps the perfect harmony between them.

"Next time," Su Rui suddenly spoke, breaking the silence, "Find a quieter shop."

Lemuen paused for a moment, then laughed, "Okay, whatever you say."

It seems that even the arrogant young master Su Rui isn't entirely without expectations for having dinner together.

The warmth and satisfaction from dinner hadn't yet faded as the two returned to their temporary lodgings under the cover of night. The door closed behind them, once again shutting out the hustle and bustle of the Mobile City.

Only a warm yellow wall lamp illuminated the room, creating a tranquil atmosphere completely different from the outside. Su Rui took off her jacket, which was slightly stained with the smell of barbecue smoke, and casually tossed it onto the sofa armrest. Then she sank into the soft sofa and let out a long sigh, as if exhaling all the stuffiness from the archives room and the noise from the barbecue restaurant that had accumulated throughout the day.

He instinctively took out his portable terminal, but didn't open it immediately. He just held it in his hand and unconsciously turned it around, his gaze falling on Lemuen was bending down to change her shoes in the entryway.

She moved gently, humming an off-key melody—probably some Laterano hymn—clearly in a good mood. Watching her leisurely demeanor, as if she intended to stay, a question arose in Su Rui's mind. The main issue here—the fate of the Sarkaz hybrids and the potential conflict—though resolved somewhat "clumsily" in his eyes, had at least provided a temporary escape by guiding them to Iberia. Lemuen's investigation mission was also essentially completed today in the archives.

Logically, there seemed to be no need for her to stay any longer. The Laterano Notary Office was usually efficient and focused, rarely lingering in one place for too long.

"Hey," Su Rui said, his voice tinged with the languor of someone who'd just finished eating, "Isn't your business here almost done? When are you going back?" He asked directly, without much beating around the bush.

For him, staying or leaving was simply a matter of scheduling that needed to be confirmed.

Lemuen changed into soft indoor shoes, straightened up, walked to the sofa next to him, and sat down, leaning naturally against him.

She still carried a slight chill from the outdoor night breeze and a faint sweet scent of floral and fruity tea.

"Hmm... the investigation is almost complete," she admitted, turning to look at him, her lake-blue eyes appearing exceptionally gentle in the warm light. "But, things aren't completely over yet."

Su Rui raised an eyebrow, signaling her to continue. "Sending away those half-bloods and Sarkaz who were willing to leave only resolved the most pressing issue."

Lemuen explained, her tone becoming slightly more formal, with the methodicalness of someone performing official duties, "But the administrative structure of this Mobile City itself, and the long-standing tensions between Sankta residents and minorities, won't automatically disappear just because some people leave. In fact, this incident might even create new fluctuations."

She reached out and gently played with a strand of Su Rui's silver hair that had fallen onto the back of the sofa, continuing, "I need to ensure that the management here can effectively maintain stability after I leave, avoiding new discriminatory policies or conflicts. It might take a few more days to observe the reactions and to communicate again with some key figures. Also, there are some handover documents and reports to write... They're all trivial matters, but they can't be taken lightly."

What she said was reasonable and entirely in line with her rigorous and responsible style as an executor in Laterano. Stabilizing the situation, eliminating potential risks, and writing reports are all part of her duties.

Su Rui listened and gave a noncommittal "hmm." He had no interest in these tedious follow-up tasks, but he understood that they were part of Lemuen's job.

He just felt it was a bit... unnecessary? In his view, a solution had already been found, and the rest was up to the people here to handle. Laterano's overreaching was sometimes not a good thing.

But he didn't say it aloud. He respected Lemuen's professional ethics, even if he felt it was a bit too "worrying".

"So," Lemuen concluded, her tone becoming lighter, "We might have to stay a few more days. Maybe... three or four days?" As she said this time, her eyes flickered slightly, a very subtle and barely perceptible emotion flashing across them.

It wasn't just for work purposes; there was also a bit of personal motive involved. What she didn't say was that, besides those high-sounding reasons, deep down she did harbor a secret desire to stay here with Su Rui for a few more days.

Volume 17, Chapter 986: Less Than Satisfactory

This Mobile City, though with its many shortcomings, lacked the omnipresent gaze and implicit rules of Holy City Laterano, and the constant need to be mindful of one's identity and responsibilities. Here, they were more like an ordinary couple, able to be together more freely, like today, working together, eating together, kissing in an empty archive, sharing their favorite foods in a bustling barbecue restaurant... This simple and pure companionship was something she cherished deeply. She wished these moments could last a little longer. Of course, she would never tell Su Rui about this little secret.

Given his awkward and arrogant nature, if he knew that she was "delaying" her official duties because she wanted to spend a few more days with him, who knows what kind of disgusted yet smug expression he would have on his face.

After hearing her explanation, Su Rui didn't ask any further questions, simply replying, "Whatever you want." Then he lowered his head and began fiddling with his portable terminal, seemingly unsurprised by the answer, yet not particularly interested in it.

Lemuen carefully observed his profile, trying to read something from his expressionless face.