Ark Simulator, don't I have no physical form?

Ash's arms tightened for a moment, then she forced herself to relax. She knew this was Suri's job, but the thought of him returning to Talulah's side still made her heart ache.

That night, when Anastasia's villa was seized, Suri was nestled in front of the fireplace in his apartment, drinking hot cocoa. Ash pinched the back of his neck and gently rubbed against Suri's cheek.

Mornings in Chernobog always come late.

Wrapped in a blanket, Suri stood barefoot in front of the apartment's floor-to-ceiling windows, his fingertips tracing meaningless lines on the frosted glass. Ash wrapped his arms around his waist from behind, resting his chin on Suri's shoulder, his breath brushing against Suri's ear.

What are you thinking about?

Suri leaned back, sinking into her arms: "I was thinking about Mrs. Anastasia."

Ash's fingertips gently pinched his waist: "What's wrong, feeling sorry for him?"

Suri laughed and dodged. "I'm just curious." He turned, his fingers twirling the ashes on his collar. "What do you think Talulah will do with her?"

Ash raised an eyebrow: "You know her better than I do."

"But I want to hear you say it." Suri tilted her head, her eyes shining brightly in the morning light. "Guess?"

Ash was silent for a moment, his fingers unconsciously stroking the back of his neck: "Strip him of his title, confiscate his property, and exile him to the snowfield."

Suri chuckled: "Too gentle."

Ash squinted: "Then you tell me."

Suri tiptoed close to her ear and whispered, "She'll make Anastasia watch her mansion get seized first, then throw her in jail with the soldiers whose pay she embezzled."

Ash's breath hitched slightly.

"Only after she's had enough of being inside will Talulah 'mercifully' announce her exile." Suri's fingertips lightly traced Ash's collarbone. "But the place of exile won't be Siberia, nor is there Siberia here. It will be the permafrost port in the far north of Ursus—where even potatoes can't be grown, only perpetual snow and hungry wolves."

Ash stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly grabbed his chin: "You knew all along?"

Suri blinked. "Talulah sent me a telegram last night."

Ash's hand froze.

Suri immediately smiled and hugged her neck: "Don't be jealous, she's just doing it as a routine."

Ash snorted coldly, but did not push him away.

Early dew peeked out from the kitchen: "Teacher, breakfast is ready."

Suri immediately released Ash and skipped and hopped towards the dining table like a carefree child. But Ash knew better than anyone how the game of power should be played—after all, he was Talulah's "Queen," and now, he was her star.

As for Mrs. Anastasia?

She would soon realize that provoking the stars of the Winter Palace came at a price.

Volume 10, Chapter 617: Visit

Honey-colored sunlight filtered through the gaps in the lace curtains, casting dappled patterns on the oak floor. Suri curled up in the down comforter, her nose rubbing against Ash's shoulder blade, like a cat craving warmth. His fingertips traced the lines of her spine, gently circling an old scar.

"Stop messing around." Ash's voice was hoarse from the early morning as he grabbed Ash's mischievous fingers.

Taking the opportunity, Suri placed his entire palm on her lower back, the cool touch instantly tensing Ash's muscles. "It's so warm here," he mumbled indistinctly, his breath brushing against her bare skin, "like an oven."

Ash rolled over and pinned him beneath her, her black hair falling to form a private curtain. The sounds of a bustling market opening and the tinkling of sled bells drifted in from outside, but they seemed irrelevant to them. Suri tilted his head to reach for her lips, but was interrupted by a sudden knock on the door just as they were about to touch.

"Tsk." Ash's brows furrowed.

Suri had already nimbly slipped away from under her, stepping barefoot onto the carpet to reach for his scattered shirt. "It probably slipped out a bit earlier," he said, buttoning two buttons haphazardly, the collar askew revealing a hickey on his collarbone.

Ash yanked him back, roughly tearing open his shirt to straighten it. "Get dressed." Her fingertips lingered briefly on the red marks. "It's minus twenty degrees outside."

The knocking sounded again, this time with a familiar rhythm—three long knocks followed by two short ones, like some kind of code. Suri suddenly froze, and Ash immediately sensed something was wrong: "Who is it?"

"That's Yelena's way of knocking." Suri's eyes lit up, like sparks suddenly ignited. "Our agreement from our time in the guerrillas."

The moment the door opened, a biting chill, carrying tiny ice crystals, rushed into the room. Froststar stood on the porch, her breath rising slowly in the morning light. Her icy blue eyes curved slightly when she saw Su Rui, like edelweiss suddenly blooming on the tundra.

"Little liar, you promised to come see me often." Froststar took off her fur gloves, and her icy fingers cupped Suri's cheeks.

Suri shrank back, feeling cold from the cold, but rubbed her palm with a smile: "I'm entangled in ashes, aren't I?"

Ash leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, his gaze sweeping over Frostnova's newly acquired Originium rifle at her waist: "A standard weapon for guerrillas?"

"They're called the City Defense Army now." Froststar released Su Rui and took out an oil paper package from her bag. "Try this; it's pickled cucumbers made the way you taught me."

The moment the paper package was unfolded, a familiar spicy aroma filled the air. Suri picked up a piece and crunched it down, squinting her eyes from the sourness: "That's the taste! Back in the snowy plains—"

"Let's talk after we finish eating," Ash suddenly interjected, shoving the hot tea into his hand.

Froststar surveyed the apartment's layout, her gaze lingering on the piano for a few seconds. Her fingertips brushed across the lid, removing a thin layer of dust. Gang had just conquered Chernobog, and Suri had casually played some wild piano pieces when bored: "Can you still play 'Winter Wind March'?"

Before Suri could answer, Ash blocked his way: "His only audience now is me."

The indoor temperature seemed to drop several degrees. Froststar raised an eyebrow, then suddenly reached out and ruffled Suri's hair: "Looks like someone's being kept under strict control."

"No way!" Su Rui protested, but subconsciously moved closer to Ash.

Froststar chuckled softly, taking off her cloak and hanging it up. Today she was wearing a dark blue uniform, the belt cinching her slender waist—a far cry from her guerrilla attire of yesteryear. As she sat down at the coffee table, the silver cufflinks on her sleeves gleamed in the sunlight—the emblem of the new town of Chernobog.

"Shall I show you around Chernobog?" Froststar suggested, sipping her red tea.

Suri immediately jumped up: "Let's go right now!"

Ash pressed down on his shoulder: "Finish your breakfast first."

So the scene turned into the three of them sitting around a small table by the window, sharing pancakes. Frostnova brought a jar of blueberry jam, a specialty of the snowfields, and Suri greedily scooped out a large spoonful, only to have Ash intercept it halfway.

"It will hurt my stomach." She spread jam on her slice of bread without any expression.

Frostnova, resting her chin on her hand, watched their interaction: "I heard you met Anastasia?"

"It's already been taken care of," Ash replied briefly.

Just as Su Rui was about to ask for more details, a long whistle suddenly sounded outside the window. Froststar got up and drew back the curtains, revealing the entire new city unfolding in the sunlight—in the distance, new factories were steaming, and nearby, trams clanged past on the streets, while children played and frolicked around a stall selling hot honey water.

"Is the third block rebuilt?" Suri exclaimed in surprise, pressing his face against the windowpane.

Froststar stood behind him, her hands braced against the window frame, almost encircling Suri in her arms: "It's been modified according to your original design. Look over there—" she pointed to the central square, "the musical fountain you wanted."

Ash suddenly stepped between the two, pulling Suri back to his side: "It's cold outside, wear more clothes."

Froststar looked at her with a half-smile: "Don't worry, I won't lose your star."

The streets of Chernobog were paved with non-slip volcanic rock bricks, and every few steps, Suri would squat down to touch the heating pipes emanating from the cracks between the bricks. "Is the geothermal system really working?" he asked Froststar, his breath blurring his vision.

Froststar bent down to tie his scarf: "Thanks to the engineer you poached from Victoria." Her fingers lingered on the back of Suri's neck for a second longer, before being repelled by Ash's warning look.

Frostnova knew about Ash and Suri's close relationship, but she was also close to Suri; she just didn't want to cause any conflict.

The ice sculptures in front of the city hall were melting in the sunlight, water droplets dripping from the blades of the "Guerrilla Monument." Suri reached out to catch a drop, when suddenly Froststar covered her eyes from behind.

"Guess where we're going next?" Her breath brushed against Suri's ear.

Ash pulled the person to his side: "Don't touch me."

Froststar shrugged and pointed to a glass-domed building not far away: "Your concert hall has a children's choir rehearsing today."

The interior of the concert hall is even more breathtaking than its exterior. Sunlight streams through the diamond-shaped glass, casting rainbow-colored patterns on the ceiling, while fifty children rehearse "Snowy Plain Ballad" on stage—a song that Suri wrote during his time with the guerrillas.

"You taught them?" Suri's voice trembled slightly.

Froststar leaned against the piano: "I come every weekend." Since the city got back on track, she had become relatively more relaxed.

She suddenly raised her voice, "Children, look who's here!"

The rehearsal came to an abrupt halt. The next second, Suri was surrounded by excited children. Some tugged at his clothes, some held up sheet music asking for his autograph, and a little girl with a red ribbon in her hair threw herself into his arms.

Volume 10, Chapter 618: The Way It Should Be

Ash looked at Suri, who was surrounded by people, and noticed a long-unseen, pure joy on his face. Frostnova stood beside her at some point: "This is how he should be."

"What do you mean?" Ash squinted.

Froststar looked at Suri, who was being lifted high by the children: "A star that no one can have all of."

After touring the newly built school, Frostnova led them into a secluded café. The proprietress, a former guerrilla, was so excited to see Suri that she knocked over a milk jug.

"The usual spot." Froststar familiarly pulled back the curtain in the attic.

This small space was clearly frequently used—the map on the wall was marked with various colors, the city planning map was spread out on the coffee table, and there was even an old harmonica that Su Rui used back then in the corner.

"Do you come here often?" Suri stroked the engravings on the harmonica.

Frostnova poured him a glass of vodka with honey: "Come over when you're done with your work." She suddenly changed the subject, "Do you know why Anastasia dared to mess with you?"

The cup of ashes slammed heavily onto the table.

"Because someone is spreading rumors." Froststar's icy blue eyes stared directly at Suri, "saying that the Queen's wife has long since fallen out of favor."

Suri paused, her hand still toying with the wine glass. "Does Talulah know?"

"She tacitly approved," Froststar sneered. "After all, this is the only way to force you back to the Winter Palace."

Ash suddenly stood up: "It's time to go back."

Froststar added unhurriedly, "Yesterday, a group of 'inner guards' disguised themselves as merchants and entered the city."

A deathly silence fell over the attic. Suri stared at his reflection in the wine glass when Ash suddenly lifted him up. She pinched his chin, forcing him to look up: "You want to go back?"

"I..."

"No need to answer now." Frostnova stood up and straightened his collar. "But remember, there will always be a place for you in Chernobog." She glanced meaningfully at Ash, "and your choice."

It was late at night when they returned to the apartment. Ash filled the bathtub with hot water and pressed Suri in, scrubbing her vigorously, as if trying to wash away all traces left by Froststar.

"It hurts..." Suri protested softly as she lay on the edge of the bathtub.

Ash's movements suddenly softened. She brushed aside his wet bangs and noticed his eyes were red-rimmed. "Were you crying?"

"No." Suri buried her face in her palm, "It's just...seeing those children..."

Ashes silently scooped him out, wrapped him in a bath towel like a dumpling, and carried him back to bed. The firewood in the fireplace crackled as she combed through Suri's half-dry black hair.

"Ashes." Suri suddenly rolled over and pinned her down. "I won't go back."

She stared at him for a long time, then suddenly bit his shoulder: "Prove it to me."

The kiss was tinged with blood and possessiveness, yet Suri responded passionately. As they parted, panting, a faint noise came from outside the window. Ash instantly grabbed the gun from the bedside table, but Suri pressed his wrist down.

"She's Yelena's woman," he gasped. "She's protecting us."

Ash's pupils contracted: "When did you—"

"The café's code." Suri kissed her tense chin. "She guessed Talulah would send someone to follow her."

As night deepened, Ash held Su Rui tightly in her arms, as if afraid he would disappear in her dreams. Half-asleep, she heard Su Rui's murmurs:

"Can't I have both...?"

Moonlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, drawing a silver line on the floor like a drawn sword, dividing the room in two.

Ash's fingertips dug deep into Suri's waist, pressing him firmly into the bed. The last vestiges of twilight outside the window were swallowed by the night, leaving only the flickering firelight from the fireplace in the room, casting a dangerous shadow in her dark pupils.

"Look at me." She gripped Suri's chin, her thumb roughly grinding against his wet lips. "Make sure you see who's touching you right now."

Suri's breathing was already erratic, the silver chain sweeping across his collarbone with each rise and fall of his chest. He tried to reach out and touch Ash's face, but his wrist was grabbed and pressed above his head. The taste of rust spread between his lips and teeth—Ash had bitten his lower lip and was licking the blood that seeped out like a wild beast marking its territory.

"Yelena touched you here?" She tore open Suri's collar, her canines pressing against the throbbing veins on his neck. Before he could answer, she bit down hard, leaving a new mark where Froststar's fingertips had lingered. Suri arched his back in pain, but she swallowed the whimper that escaped his throat.

The firewood in the fireplace crackled with blinding sparks, and the ashes, in their fleeting light, scrutinized the person beneath them. Suri's eyes were red-rimmed, and physiological tears still clung to his eyelashes, yet he still stared at her with that infuriating, wet gaze. It reminded her of Suri in the concert hall, surrounded by children—so bright, so distant, as if anyone could steal his light.

"Don't smile like that at anyone else again." She ripped off the silver chain and threw it off the bed; the sound of metal hitting the floor mingled with the tearing of fabric. "Your notes, your warmth, your damn tenderness..." Each word was accompanied by a new kiss mark, spreading from her collarbone down to her waist. "They can all only be mine."

Suri suddenly struggled to sit up, his burning palms pressed against her cheek: "It always has been..." He panted as he leaned closer, his tongue licking her bloodied lips, "The smell of ashes... is the strongest..."

These words shattered her last shred of restraint. As Suri was turned over and pressed onto the pillow, he saw through his tears the swaying shadow at the head of the bed—two intertwined hands projected onto the wall by the firelight, sometimes entwined and sometimes separated with the violent movements, like a silent struggle.

Wolf howls echoed across the snowy plains in the dead of night. In his hazy consciousness, Su Rui recalled Froststar's parting whispers. He trembled as he gripped the sheets, but Ash forcefully pried his fingers apart, forcing him to intertwine his fingers with hers.

"You're not even allowed to daydream," she whispered, biting his earlobe, her other hand resting on his rapidly heaving chest. "Every beat here must be with me in mind."

As morning light filtered through the curtains again, Suri, his body aching, sank into the down comforter. Ash was wiping away the marks on his body with a damp towel, his movements unusually gentle. The silver chain that had been retrieved from under the bed lay quietly beside the pillow, gleaming warmly in the sunlight.

"Does it hurt?" she suddenly asked.

Suri blinked, then suddenly flashed that smile that Ash both loved and hated: "It hurts so much..." He leaned closer, his voice hoarse, and pressed his forehead against her collarbone, "...So you're going to make it up to me for a few more days?"

Ash watched the snowflakes drifting down through the gap in the curtains, then suddenly pulled the person closer to him: "Is a lifetime enough?"

That's unlikely. This body can't last that long; I disappeared halfway through.