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

Remien 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 Remy's neck, and mumbled something indistinctly, like a large feline being affectionate after being satisfied.

Remien 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, Suri."

"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, enjoying the quiet time without being disturbed.

Remian 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 Suri; she also had some routine investigation tasks assigned by Laterano 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's brows furrowed subconsciously, expressing his displeasure with the arrangement, but he said nothing. He knew it was her duty.

Remien looked at his slightly furrowed brows, then suddenly reached out a finger and gently tapped the tip of his nose, her tone carrying a half-serious, half-joking warning: "However, while I'm investigating, you're not allowed to wander off alone, especially..." She drew out her words, a sly glint of cunning and undeniable possessiveness flashing in her lake-blue eyes, "...you're not allowed to go see that librarian named Kong Gou from last night alone."

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." That was true; he forgot about people or things he didn't care about very quickly.

Volume 17, Chapter 979: I Don't Care

“I don’t care.” Remien 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 Andorn… I just don’t think it’s that simple. You’re not allowed to go to her, understand?” She knew that Suri had a complicated, competitive attitude towards Andorn and was worried that the Empty Structure would use this to get close to Suri.

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,” Remien readily admitted, poking his chest with her finger, “I was very 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 tone.

Su Rui grabbed her mischievous finger, put it to his lips and 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, Remien 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 Remian and Suri left their residence and headed to the public archives area to begin their investigation, before Remian 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. She had changed into a more formal dress today, carrying several folders, and looked like she was indeed on official business. When she saw Suri and Remian walking side by side, her eyes lit up, and a hint of nervousness and hesitation flashed across her face, but she still mustered up her courage and went to meet them.

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

Remian's smile faded slightly, but she still maintained basic politeness: "Good morning, Miss Konggou. 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 Remian might need to access some archived records about the city's population structure and recent events today?" She looked at Remian, her tone becoming slightly smoother, "I happen to be in charge of organizing and managing this part of the data. The process for accessing some non-public files is quite complicated, and I thought... perhaps I could help, saving you some time."

Her words sounded reasonable, even dutiful. Her gaze was mainly fixed on Remian, making her appear as if she were there purely for work-related purposes to offer assistance.

Remian glanced at her, then at Su Rui, whose expression had turned cold beside her. She did indeed need to access those documents, and having 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.

Remi'an 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 Remian. 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 the person who handled the compilation..."

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

These words made Remi'an hesitate for a moment before she could refuse. She looked at the librarian 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?

Suri clicked his tongue very softly, clearly annoyed by the situation. He looked at Remian and gestured with his eyes, "Get rid of her quickly."

Remian hesitated for a brief moment. Reason told her that accepting help would improve efficiency. Emotionally, she was indeed reluctant. But ultimately, the priority of the investigation, and a touch of curiosity about the details of the "Sarkaz hybrid" mentioned by the empty structure, led her to make her decision.

“…Alright.” Remy nodded slightly, her smile returning to her face, but with a hint of business. “Then I’ll leave it to you, Miss Kong. 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 also..." She subconsciously looked at Su Rui.

“He’s with me.” Remian answered without room for argument, naturally linking her arm with Suri’s and pulling him closer to her—a clear declaration of ownership.

Although Suri had a "what a hassle" expression on his face, he still let Remy Ann 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, diligently explaining the structure and classification of the archives, attempting to demonstrate his professionalism and value. Remian listened politely, occasionally asking a question or two. Suri, on the other hand, remained expressionless and silent throughout, like a moving iceberg, only revealing a very subtle, helpless indulgence when their eyes met.

Remian continued her investigation while keeping an eye on the librarian out of the corner of her eye. The librarian was indeed professional, knowledgeable about the materials, and highly efficient. However, the frequency with which she glanced at Suri, no matter how carefully she tried to avoid it, couldn't completely escape Remian's notice.

It seemed her "warning" this morning wasn't unfounded. Remy snorted softly to herself and tightened her grip on Suri'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 his 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 Ke and the occasional questions from Remian echoing softly within them.

Kong Gou truly demonstrated her professionalism as a librarian. She skillfully led the way, precisely retrieving the files Remian might need from rows of densely packed shelves, explaining the classification rules, key points, and even the meanings of abbreviations and codes with clarity and logic. Her speech was steady, and she diligently focused on her work and Remian.

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 Remy 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 Suri really unhappy.

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

Just as Kong Gou pulled out a thick record book, preparing to explain to Remian the unusual changes in household registration for a particular year, Remian 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 Suri's, then softly leaned her body 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 Suri, who had been as still as an ice sculpture. He instinctively looked down at Remienne, 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 Gu, 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 notebook's leather cover, as if a flower had suddenly bloomed on it. An atmosphere of embarrassment and bewilderment practically overflowed from her.

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

Remy seemed to only then notice her embarrassment, lifting her head from Suri's shoulder, her face still bearing that gentle and harmless smile, though a hint of mischievous triumph lurked deep in her eyes: "Ah, sorry, Miss Konggou, what did you mean by this record?" Her tone was natural, as if she wasn't the one who had interrupted work and openly displayed affection.

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

She practically fled, quickly walking towards another row of bookshelves not far away, hiding herself away, leaving only a hurried silhouette.

Remy 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 Suri 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, Remian 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 Remien turn her head slightly and whisper something to Suri. Although Suri 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 carrying his characteristic impatient roughness, but the subconscious focus and touch made Kong Gou's heart skip a beat.

She noticed that Suri seemed to glance at a particular chart on a document a couple of times. Remian immediately sensed this and asked in a low voice. The two then exchanged a very brief conversation about the document. Suri's tone was still not pleasant, even critical, but Remian listened attentively, nodding occasionally, her lake-blue eyes sparkling. That tacit understanding, built on a deep understanding and completely unassailable by others, stirred a strange flutter in Kong Gou's heart and... a sense of envy.

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

Volume 17, Chapter 981: She was daydreaming.

Kong Gou found himself somewhat engrossed in watching.

Her initial curiosity about Suri stemmed mostly from the rumors about his power, arrogance, and connection to Andorn. She had imagined him as cold, sharp, and unapproachable. But what she saw now was a Suri slowly warmed by intimacy, 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.

Remian, of course, didn't miss the furtive glances she received. She found it both amusing and infuriating. This vacant space was more… persistent? Or perhaps, naive?

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, Remian suddenly looked up and accurately caught her gaze.

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

Remien gave her an exceptionally gentle and radiant smile, then turned her head, wrapped her arms around Suri'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 Suri?"

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 librarian. Remy 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, subtle interactions between them. Remy could clearly feel that attention, which stirred up rather complex emotions within her.

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

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

However, despite her smugness, Remy Anke didn't share it with anyone, and even allowed others to continue staring at her possessions. Suri's patience was limited, and while he mostly ignored Kong Gou's persistent, unspoken gaze, there was no guarantee that it wouldn't ignite his bad temper and make the situation uncontrollable.

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 most of the key information; it was time to clear the room.

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

She gave a slightly apologetic, impeccably perfect 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,” Remian changed the subject, her tone becoming somewhat troubled, “I’ve discovered 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 Cellar' 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 gloomy, so it's generally not recommended..."

“It’s alright.” Remian interrupted her with a smile, her tone gentle but firm. “Research must be rigorous. Even if it’s just a minor discrepancy, it’s best to check the original records to be on the safe side. Could you please apply for access permissions for me now and retrieve those boxes of files numbered 'LC-07' to 'LC-12'? It might take a little time.”

This request is reasonable and fully falls within the scope of the work responsibilities of the empty structure. More importantly, the so-called "isolation data room" is obviously not nearby, and the round trip, plus the cumbersome application and search procedures, would easily take one or two hours.

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

"Thank you for your hard work." Remien'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 Remy breathe a sigh of relief, her perfectly maintained smile relaxing and taking on a hint of slyness. She turned around and looked at Suri again.

Volume 17, Chapter 982: Remien Also Has Her Own Thoughts

Sure enough, almost the instant the empty figure disappeared, the invisible low pressure surrounding Su Rui vanished completely. He seemed to have finally unloaded a heavy burden, and visibly breathed a sigh of relief. Then, without any politeness, he reached out and pulled Remi'an into his arms, resting his chin heavily on the top of her head, and complained with dissatisfaction: "Finally gone... You were such a nuisance."

His arms were wrapped around her waist, with a firm grip, conveying a sense of certainty that he had reclaimed ownership.

Remien couldn't help but laugh, lifting her head from his arms and poking his cheek with her finger: "What's wrong? Young Master Su Rui, you've been looked at with such admiration and curiosity by pretty girls for so long, aren't you satisfied?"

Su Rui scoffed, her tone utterly disdainful and contemptuous: "Pretty? Didn't notice. It's definitely 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 was looking at your man, and you're quite magnanimous about it?"

The last sentence carried an extremely subtle, almost imperceptible hint of sourness and questioning.

Remien 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 Andorn left behind, maybe she mainly wants to learn about Andorn 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 any of these random people near you again, just try it."

This domineering declaration didn't anger Remy; 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?” Remiu raised an eyebrow. “Does Master Suri want to find a more romantic place?”

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

With no outsiders present, the intimate atmosphere between the two immediately became even more intense and relaxed. Remy 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 regarding the plot of land. Although Suri still occasionally made some sarcastic comments, he also offered 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 somber, but rather became a backdrop to a tranquil moment.

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

That's right. She thought.

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

After Kongge left, the archives area returned to its proper silence, with only the perpetual low hum of the moving city outside the window as background noise. Sunlight streamed through the high windows, casting several slanted beams of light into the dust-laden air, perfectly enveloping Suri and Remian, who were nestled together.