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

Nightingale's eyelashes trembled slightly, as if her little thoughts had been seen through, but she quickly regained her composure: "...I just practiced a little more."

Shining closed the book, her grey-purple eyes looking at the two of them: "Want to rest?"

Su Rui shook her head: "No need, I'm fine."

Shining stood up, walked up to him, and gently placed her hand on his shoulder: "Pretending to be strong."

Her fingertips were slightly cool, but her grip was steady, like a silent support. Su Rui looked up at her, their eyes met again, and this time, he sighed softly.

"...Okay, I admit I'm a little tired."

Shining's fingers tightened slightly as she squeezed his shoulder: "Rest."

Nightingale also stood up and gently patted Su Rui's arm: "I'll go make some tea, you can take a nap."

Su Rui looked at the two of them and suddenly laughed: "Are you treating me like a patient?"

Shining replied expressionlessly, "Yes."

The nightingale chuckled softly: "That's right."

Suri helplessly raised her hands: "Fine, I surrender."

Suri lay on the sofa with her eyes closed, but did not fall asleep immediately.

The images of today still replayed in his mind—Ceylon's folding fan, the black dagger, the mercenary's thermal imaging, and the drone he had easily taken over.

(...It went too smoothly.)

He frowned slightly. Although everything seemed to be under control on the surface, his intuition told him that something was being overlooked.

(The mercenaries' communication channels...)

He vaguely remembered that when he took over their equipment, he had captured an encrypted signal, but he was too busy maintaining the stability of the image to investigate it further.

(...I'll have to check that later.)

His thoughts gradually blurred, and the Nightingale's healing spell began to take effect, slowly fading into darkness.

In a daze, he felt someone gently cover him with a blanket, their fingertips brushing against his cheek, the touch slightly cool, yet carrying a familiar warmth.

(...The Shining? Or the Nightingale?)

Before he could even discern the truth, he fell into a deep sleep.

Suri was awakened by the aroma of black tea.

He opened his eyes and saw Nightingale sitting by the coffee table, holding a steaming cup of black tea. Shining stood by the window, her grey-purple eyes gazing out, her profile appearing exceptionally soft in the afterglow of the setting sun.

"What time is it?" Suri's voice was a little hoarse.

Nightingale turned to look at him: "Five o'clock in the afternoon."

Suri sat up, the blanket slipping off him. He rubbed his eyes and looked out the window—the orange-red rays of the setting sun spilled between the tall buildings, gilding the entire city with a warm golden hue.

"Did you sleep well?" Nightingale asked.

Suri nodded: "Yes, much better."

Shining turned around, walked up to him, gently touched his forehead, and withdrew her hand after confirming that there was nothing wrong: "Are you hungry?"

Suri touched her belly: "A little."

Nightingale chuckled, "That's perfect, dinner should be arriving soon."

Su Rui raised an eyebrow: "You ordered takeout?"

“Hmm.” Shining nodded. “Lunch from Yan Country.”

Suri couldn't help but laugh: "How did you know I wanted to eat this?"

Nightingale blinked: "Just a guess."

Shining added, "You said that last time."

Looking at the two of them, Su Rui suddenly felt a warm feeling well up in his chest. He reached out and picked up the black tea on the coffee table, took a sip, and felt the warm liquid slide down his throat with a faint sweetness.

"Thank you," he said softly.

The nightingale smiled: "You're welcome."

Shining glanced at him, said nothing, but her gaze softened considerably.

Dinner was served quickly, and the three of them sat around the coffee table, the aroma of food filling the room.

Su Rui picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork ribs, took a bite, and the sweet and sour sauce melted on his tongue, making him squint his eyes in satisfaction.

"good to eat."

Nightingale poured him a glass of water: "Eat slowly."

Shining quietly ate the fried rice in front of her, her movements elegant and efficient. Occasionally, she would glance up at Suri before continuing to eat.

Suri ate a few mouthfuls of rice, then suddenly remembered something and looked up at Nightingale: "By the way, did you add something new to the healing spell you used today?"

Nightingale was slightly taken aback: "...How did you know?"

“It feels different.” Suri pointed to her temple. “More… how should I put it, milder?”

Nightingale's eyelashes trembled slightly, as if she were a little embarrassed: "Well, I adjusted the spell's structure to make it more suitable for relieving fatigue."

Suri smiled: "It works very well."

Nightingale's cheeks flushed slightly as she lowered her head and took a sip of tea: "...Thank you."

Shining put down her chopsticks, her grey-purple eyes looking at Suri: "What are the plans for tomorrow?"

Suri thought for a moment: "Let's wait for news from Ceylon first, and then..."

He paused, then looked at the two of them: "And you?"

Shining said calmly, "Whatever you say."

The nightingale smiled: "Me too."

Looking at them, Su Rui suddenly felt a gentle touch on a corner of his heart. He lowered his head and took a sip of water, concealing the smile on his lips.

"How about... we go out for breakfast together tomorrow?"

Shining nodded: "Okay."

Nightingale chuckled: "No problem."

Volume 12, Chapter 720: Self-defense? Is it justified?

Su Rui's fingertips tapped unconsciously on the sofa armrest, the rhythm chaotic, like an undecipherable string of Morse code. His gaze fell on the city night view outside the hotel's floor-to-ceiling windows, but his pupils were unfocused—the flashing neon lights were just blurry spots in his eyes, far less clear than the action data replaying in his mind.

(Those mercenaries' equipment is so new...)

(That encrypted signal in the communication channel...)

(Ceylon's reaction was somewhat subtle...)

His brow furrowed deeper and deeper, and even his breathing became shallow and rapid. He was jolted back to his senses when a cold hand suddenly touched his forehead.

"Normal body temperature," Shining's voice came from above, her silver hair carrying a faint scent of cedar as it fell. "But her brainwaves are too active."

Suri looked up and met a pair of greyish-purple eyes. Shining was already standing in front of him, her right hand still in the gesture of taking his temperature, while her left hand was pressed against the back of the sofa next to his temple—a position that almost cornered him in the sofa.

"I'm fine..."

"You're lying." Nightingale's voice came from the right. The blonde girl, kneeling beside the tea table with a tea tray, was adding the fourth sugar cube to her black tea. "You've been staring at the same page of data for forty-three minutes."

Only then did Su Rui notice that his terminal screen had already gone into sleep mode. He instinctively tried to wake the screen, but Shining grabbed his wrist. The swordsman's thumb pressed precisely on his pulse, the pressure light, yet it stiffened his entire arm.

"Heart rate too fast," Shining decreed. "Forced rest is required."

Nightingale set down her teaspoon, the silverware clinking against the porcelain cup. She pushed the cup towards Suri: "Try this."

A few mint leaves floated in the deep red tea, its sweet aroma mingled with a hint of coolness. Su Rui took a sip and immediately frowned: "Too sweet..."

"Sugar helps relieve anxiety," Nightingale said, holding her teacup in both hands, her golden eyelashes fluttering gently in the steam. "Besides, you mentioned last time that you like sweets."

Shining had somehow gotten behind him, and his icy fingers suddenly dug into his hair. Suri nearly knocked over his teacup—the swordsman's fingertips were massaging his scalp with some special technique, each press landing precisely on acupoints.

"Wait, wait a minute..."

"Quiet." Shining's breath brushed against his ear. "Match your breathing rhythm."

Suri's protests were crushed by waves of comfort. Nightingale produced a scented candle from somewhere and lit it, the aroma of citrus mixed with cedar quickly filling the air. He vaguely realized that he was being "besieged" by two girls using professional-level soothing techniques.

"You guys..." Suri's voice began to waver, "Aren't you being a little too skilled...?"

Nightingale chuckled: "A required course for the medical department."

"Battlefield emergency response," Shining added, as his fingers traced a pressure point on the back of Suri's neck, causing Suri to collapse completely into the sofa.

When Suri regained consciousness, he found himself resting his head on something soft. He turned his head slightly and saw Nightingale's skirt spread out on the sofa, and he was actually resting his head on her lap. Meanwhile, Shining was sitting cross-legged on the carpet, tending to her longsword with a velvet cloth, her silver braid hanging over her shoulders, the ends swaying gently with her movements.

"How long did I sleep?"

"Twenty-eight minutes." Nightingale's fingers were still lingering in his hair. "Want to sleep a little longer?"

Suri shook his head, trying to sit up, but the girl pressed him back down. Nightingale's knees perfectly supported the curve of his neck, an angle that made it impossible for him to exert any force.

"This is illegal detention..."

Without even looking up, Shining tossed out, "Self-defense."

"What are you guarding against?"

"To prevent you from overloading yourself." Nightingale's fingertips twirled a strand of his hair. "Last time, after working for thirty-two hours straight, you hacked into the city hall's nuclear launch system just to test the firewall."

Su Rui's ears burned: "That time was an accident..."

"The time before last, with a 'clang,' Shining sheathed his sword, you tried to control the coffee machine with your brainwaves."

Nightingale added, "As a result, three terminals were burned out."

The two girls sang in unison, and Suri completely gave up struggling, burying his face in the folds of the nightingale skirt in despair. The silk fabric, warmed by the sun, mixed with the faint scent of gardenias emanating from the girls, gradually softened his tense nerves.

"Those mercenaries..."

"It doesn't matter." Shining suddenly reached out and pinched his cheek, forcing him to turn his head to look out the window. "Look."

A light rain was falling on the city as dusk settled, raindrops tracing winding paths on the glass, and distant neon lights shimmered with colorful glow in the mist. Nightingale had opened a window halfway open, and a damp breeze carrying the scent of rain rushed in, washing away the lingering smell of electronic devices in the room.

"The frequency of the rain is between 3 and 12 hertz." Shining released his hand. "Perfect for relaxation."

Suri stared blankly at the rain, then suddenly realized that his terminal had been stuffed deep into the sofa cushions, with Shining's sword sheath pressing down on it—this was definitely intentional.

When the doorbell rang, Suri thought he could finally escape this "gentle imprisonment." It wasn't until he saw the waiter pushing in a cart piled high with desserts that he realized this was another round of "treatment."

"According to data analysis," Nightingale cut a small piece of tiramisu, "sweets can promote dopamine secretion."

Shining pushed the chocolate lava cake in front of him: "Eat."

This was practically sweet torture. Suri poked at the flowing chocolate sauce in the center of the cake, then suddenly remembered something: "Did you guys even know I secretly ate the pudding I hid in the fridge last time?"

The two girls exchanged a glance and simultaneously revealed a mysterious smile.

Nightingale scooped up a spoonful of ice cream: "The medical department has complete dietary monitoring forms."

"Including how many cans of coffee you sneak every day," Shining added expressionlessly, "starting tomorrow, it'll be limited."

Suri's fork froze in mid-air: "This is tyranny..."

The protest was ineffective. Nightingale seized the opportunity to stuff a strawberry covered in cream into his mouth. As the sweet juice exploded on his tongue, Suri vaguely heard Shining hum softly. When he came to his senses, he found seven or eight empty plates piled up in front of him, while the two culprits were contentedly clearing away the dishes.

"Now," Nightingale wiped the chocolate stain from the corner of his mouth, "can you think straight now?"

Suri touched her bloated stomach and suddenly realized that the mercenary data that had been swirling in her mind had somehow receded to the edge of her memory. In its place came the sound of rain, the lingering taste of dessert, and the reassuring aura emanating from the two girls before her.

"...You've won."

Shining pressed a hot towel against his face: "I told you so." Her voice, unusually warm, said, "I'm here."

Volume 12, Chapter 721: We did nothing.

Morning light streamed through the café's floor-to-ceiling windows, casting dappled patterns on the wooden tables. Suri's fingertips lightly tapped the rim of his cup, the bitter aroma of black coffee slowly spreading through the air. He didn't want to look up, but the clanging of metal outside the window was like a needle pricking his eardrums—the mercenaries were causing trouble again.

This time, they were equipped with sophisticated cold weapons, the heavy crossbows at their waists gleaming coldly in the sunlight. There was no clamor of gunfire, but rather an unsettling atmosphere of deadly tension.

"Tsk."