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

She even nodded almost imperceptibly, as if Su Rui's "confession" merely confirmed a pre-existing suspicion in her heart.

Su Rui: "..." Looking at Jian's "knowing everything" and "as expected" appearance, the slight "sense of victory" he felt from the "provocation" vanished instantly, replaced by a much stronger sense of powerlessness from being completely "seen through" and "controlled," and... a faint unease.

How much does this woman actually know? What is she trying to do?

Jian didn't speak again, but simply looked at Su Rui with his golden eyes, which had regained their calm but seemed even deeper, as if he were re-evaluating an interesting "item" whose value had changed due to some "new information".

Suri felt a chill run down his spine under her gaze, and his unease grew stronger. He didn't want to stay there any longer, engaged in this bizarre and pointless "staring contest" and "psychological warfare" with this crazy woman. He just wanted to leave immediately!

"Have you seen enough?" Suri's voice sounded somewhat stiff, strained by suppressed frustration and unease. He stopped looking at the mace, turned around, and tried to walk past her to find Encia. He'd rather face the potential warning runes and trouble than spend another second with this woman!

However, just as he turned around, lifted his foot, and prepared to take a step—

A strong, calloused hand suddenly gripped his wrist like an iron clamp!

It's a mace!

Alarm bells rang in Su Rui's mind! He instinctively tried to break free, but the strength of the mace was astonishing! Moreover, her movements were as fast as lightning. While grabbing Su Rui's wrist, her other hand, like a serpent, reached out and, with precision and an irresistible force, wrapped around Su Rui's waist, pulling him abruptly... towards herself!

"You...!" Su Rui's exclamation was choked in her throat.

Because, the instant he pulled her towards him, Jian had already lowered her head. Under the gaze of Su Rui's wide, incredulous black eyes, Jian, with her somewhat dry yet exceptionally soft lips, carrying her unique scent, precisely and forcefully kissed Su Rui's pale lips, which were slightly parted in surprise, with an almost predatory strength and… a hint of something indescribable, as if demanding a reward!

"!!!"

Time seemed to freeze completely at that moment.

Suri's mind went blank. All the struggle, all the anger, all the thoughts, were instantly wiped away by this sudden, aggressive, and possessive kiss! He could only feel the warm, soft touch on her lips, and the domineering, undeniable invasion that carried her unique scent. Her kiss was unlike Enya's shy tenderness, nor Yela's cold holiness; it was wild, primal, almost a "marking" and "declaration," rough, direct, and with a force that seemed to suck Suri's soul away.

Su Rui's body trembled violently as if struck by lightning! His eyes widened, his pupils contracting sharply due to extreme shock and... an indescribable chaotic mix of anger, shame, and... a strange, throbbing emotion! His cheeks, ears, and even the skin all over his body instantly turned bright red, burning hot! He could clearly feel his heart pounding wildly and erratically in his chest, as if it were about to burst through his ribs!

That damned woman! She...she kissed him again?! This time...on his lips?! How dare she?!

In the few seconds that Suri forgot to resist due to the immense shock and confusion, or rather, when her body temporarily lost the ability to resist due to the excessive impact, Jian had already completed this brief but exceptionally profound kiss.

She released Su Rui's lips, creating a slight distance between them, but the hands around his waist and gripping his wrists remained firmly in place. She looked down at Su Rui, who was completely petrified, his eyes vacant, his cheeks flushed, his lips even redder and fuller from the kiss, even slightly swollen, filled with astonishment and bewilderment. In his molten gold eyes, a barely perceptible glint of satisfaction and triumph seemed to flash.

Then, in a voice still slightly hoarse but seemingly deeper and more magnetic from the kiss, she whispered in Su Rui's ear, in a breathy tone only the two of them could hear:

"Since she and you... are so close..."

She paused, her hot breath brushing against Su Rui's sensitive earlobe, sending shivers down her spine.

“Then I also want… a little ‘interest’.”

Interest? What interest?! Su Rui's brain was still in a state of malfunction, completely unable to comprehend Jian's nonsensical yet "robber logic" words. He could only stand stiffly, like a broken puppet, letting Jian hold him, his golden eyes meeting a blank and chaotic blackness.

Jian didn't seem to expect Su Rui's understanding. After saying that, she released her arms from Su Rui's waist and his wrist. But her gaze remained fixed on Su Rui, as if admiring the vivid "marks" left by her "masterpiece".

Su Rui finally regained a sliver of his senses from the immense shock. He staggered back a step, stepping out of Jian's embrace, and raised his hand to vigorously and repeatedly wipe his lips, as if trying to wipe away some terrible virus. But his cheeks were still burning, and his heart was still pounding wildly. He looked at Jian, his eyes filled with immense absurdity, anger, and… a trace of something he himself hadn't even noticed—a strange, bewildered feeling, a lingering unease, a consequence of being "forcedly kissed"?

Volume 18, Chapter 1207: Some people are already getting impatient.

"You...you...madman!" Su Rui's voice was broken and fragmented due to trembling and confusion. He wanted to curse more viciously, but all the vicious words seemed pale and powerless in the face of immense shame and chaos.

Seeing Su Rui's expression of utter shame and indignation, yet utterly helpless, Jian's lips curled into a subtle, almost pleasurable smile. She offered no rebuttal or explanation, but simply turned and continued walking.

"Let's go." Her voice returned to its previous calm, as if she wasn't the one who had just forcibly kissed Suri. "Encia... must be getting impatient."

Su Rui stood there, his chest heaving slightly from the intense emotions surging within him. He watched Jian's nonchalant back as he walked away, as if he were just going for a stroll, and felt a profound sense of powerlessness and... an unprecedented, complex confusion.

What kind of monster did he... provoke?!

Finally, Su Rui gritted his teeth and followed her again. This time, he deliberately lagged further behind, his eyes wary, like he was guarding against a thief, staring intently at Jian's back, as if on guard against her "going crazy" again at any moment.

However, Jian seemed to have no intention of "going crazy" again. She simply led Suri calmly, like the most dutiful guide, through the last corridor to a greenhouse that Suri hadn't been to before. It was more secluded, but also covered by a huge glass dome, and was slightly smaller in size.

Fine water droplets condensed on the glass of the greenhouse, through which one could vaguely see various green plants that were still thriving even in the dead of winter, and... a familiar, pale yellow figure bending over to tend to something.

It's Enshia.

Jian stopped at the entrance of the greenhouse, turned to the side, and pointed with his chin towards Su Rui, who was a few steps behind and still looked wary and awkward. His tone was flat:

"She's inside."

Suri glanced at Enxia in the greenhouse, then at Jian standing at the door like a guardian deity. The sense of relief she felt from the impending completion of her mission was replaced by a heavier feeling, as if she were being "monitored" and "schemed" against.

But he had no choice. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to look away from the mace, and then strode towards the greenhouse door. Before pushing open the heavy, brass-inlaid glass door, he paused, didn't turn around, but instead, in a barely perceptible, forcedly calm, awkward tone, quickly said to the mace behind him:

"...Thank you for showing me the way."

Having said that, he rushed out of the greenhouse as if chased by a ghost, then slammed the door shut from the inside. It was as if he wanted to completely shut out the blonde goat and all the chaos, shame, and unease she had brought.

Jian stood outside the door, looking at the tightly closed glass door and the somewhat flustered back of the silver-haired boy who was quickly walking towards Enshia. The almost imperceptible curve at the corner of his mouth finally expanded into a clear smile, filled with a strange sense of satisfaction and... a hint of profound meaning.

"Interest..." she murmured to herself, raising her hand and gently brushing her fingertips across her lips, as if she could still feel the soft, warm touch and the cool, alluring scent.

"It seems...not bad."

The heavy glass door shut out the unsettling, aggressive aura and the biting cold wind and snow emanating from the blonde woman. The moment Suri (Snow Leopard version) stepped into the greenhouse, a wave of warm, moist air, a blend of earthy fragrance and the refreshing scents of various plants, instantly enveloped her. In stark contrast to the desolate winter outside, this place felt like a vibrant, self-contained green microcosm.

The enormous glass dome kept out the cold wind and frost, yet generously let in the thin but precious afternoon sunlight of winter, making the entire greenhouse bright and warm. Various plants, whose names Suri didn't know, were displayed and hung on the staggered wooden shelves and flower stands. Some bloomed with brightly colored flowers, extremely rare even in Shelag; others unfurled thick, glossy leaves; and many more were tender green seedlings, just breaking through the soil, thriving under the carefully controlled temperature and humidity.

Almost instantly, Su Rui's gaze was drawn to a familiar figure deep inside the greenhouse, who was bending over tending to a pot of pale purple flowers with her back to the door.

Today, Ensia wore a warm, light yellow plush loungewear dress, over which she wore a light brown gardening apron, slightly soiled. Her long golden hair was tied back with a simple, matching headband, swaying gently with her movements. In the soft light streaming through the glass, her profile appeared focused and serene, her pink lips slightly pursed, as if whispering secrets to the flowers and plants before her.

Suri stood in the doorway, taking several deep breaths of the warm, vibrant air, trying to calm his still somewhat erratic heartbeat and the lingering heat on his cheeks from the sudden, predatory kiss. He subconsciously raised his hand, touching his lips with his fingertips; the warm, soft touch seemed to still be there, carrying the unique, wild scent of that blond goat, a blend of sunshine and leather.

“Damn it…” Su Rui cursed under his breath, shaking his head as if trying to shake the annoying sensation and memory out of his mind. He refocused his attention on the task at hand—Ensia, and the stack of postcards in his arms.

He took a few steps, trying to move as quietly as possible, walking towards Enshia on the path paved with small pebbles. The soles of his shoes made a soft rustling sound as they rubbed against the pebbles.

Enxia, ​​who was focused on her work, seemed to hear a noise behind her. She stopped what she was doing and turned around cautiously, with some confusion. When her gaze fell on the familiar figure walking towards her, her clear blue eyes, as bright as a clear sky, instantly lit up!

"Brother Su Rui!" Enxia exclaimed in surprise, her voice clear and melodious like a silver bell. She immediately put down her small gardening shovel, not even bothering to take off her mud-covered gloves, and turned around, flying towards Su Rui like a joyful little bird. A bright, untroubled smile bloomed on her face, filled with pure joy.

"It really is you! You've come to see me again!" Enxia ran up to Su Rui, tilting her little face up. Her beautiful blue eyes, like a lake reflecting the clear sky, were filled with undisguised joy and dependence. Her gaze quickly swept over Su Rui, as if checking if he was injured or bothered by the wind and snow.

Volume 18, Chapter 1208: Brother Su Rui

Looking at Encia's pure and bright smile, the confusion, shame, and unease he felt because of the mace seemed to dissipate considerably in that warm smile. His tense facial features softened unconsciously, and he nodded gently to Encia.

"Yes, here we go again." Su Rui's voice softened unconsciously. When looking at Enxia, ​​he always unconsciously used a gentler tone. Perhaps it was because she was Enxia's sister, or perhaps it was because of her pure and beautiful, untouched aura, like a greenhouse flower, that made it impossible to treat her with any coldness or sharpness.

"Great! I thought it would be a long time before I saw you again!" Enxia clapped her hands happily, then seemed to remember something, quickly took off her muddy gloves and casually placed them on the wooden shelf next to her. She took Suri's hand (Suri's body stiffened almost imperceptibly for a moment, but quickly relaxed and let her hold his hand), and led him to a small round table in the center of the greenhouse, covered with a clean checkered tablecloth and decorated with several pots of cute succulents.

"Brother Su Rui, please sit down! Did... Sister send you here?" Enxia asked impatiently as she gestured for Su Rui to sit down. Her gaze fell on Su Rui's face, filled with anticipation and a hint of barely perceptible nervousness.

Suri nodded and sat down on the small rattan chair opposite Ensia. The temperature in the greenhouse was very comfortable, but he still subconsciously put his hands into the special pocket in his pocket, his fingertips touching the stack of postcards tied with ribbons, which carried Ensia's warmth and expectations.

“Yes, she sent me.” Suri said, carefully taking out a stack of pristine white postcards, their edges decorated with delicate snowflake patterns, from his pocket. His movements were gentle, as if handling fragile treasures. He presented the postcards to Ensia with both hands.

“This is… Enya asked me to give it to you.” Suri’s voice softened unconsciously as she looked at Enya’s blue eyes, which widened in disbelief and longing, and added, “She said… she wrote something for you on it.”

The moment Suri took out the postcards, Enshia's eyes seemed to light up with the most brilliant stars! She held her breath and, as if handling a rare treasure, carefully reached out her slightly trembling hand to take the stack of postcards. When her fingertips touched the smooth paper and the cool ribbon, her eyes instantly reddened.

“Sister…sister gave these to me…” Enxia’s voice was choked with emotion. She lowered her head and clutched the stack of postcards tightly to her chest, as if they were the most precious treasure in the world that she had found again. Her shoulders trembled slightly with excitement and joy.

Suri sat quietly opposite her, not disturbing her. He knew the chasm and helplessness that lay between the sisters because of their families, their faith, and SilverAsh. Enya, seemingly high above on the sacred mountain, was actually powerless, her longing for her sister buried deep in her heart. Enxia, ​​confined to the manor, though well-fed and clothed, was like a caged canary, her concern for her sister reduced to a sheltered vigil. This thin stack of postcards carried a longing heavier than mountains, a pure sisterly affection that transcended status and distance.

After a long while, Enxia took a deep breath, raised her hand, and hastily wiped her eyes with her sleeve, trying to calm her agitated emotions. She didn't immediately open the postcards to read them, but carefully placed them on her lap, raised her head, and looked eagerly at Su Rui with her bright blue eyes that were still glistening with tears.

"Brother Su Rui, is Sister... doing well on the Holy Mountain?" Enxia's voice carried a hint of cautious inquiry and undisguised worry. "Is it... very cold there? Is she lonely? Have the people from Manju Academy... bullied her? Has she... mentioned me? Does she... seem happy?"

A barrage of questions, like a machine gun, came from Enxia's mouth. Her hands unconsciously gripped the postcard on her knees tightly, her knuckles turning slightly white from the force. Her gaze was fixed on Suri's face, as if trying to read her sister's true situation from every subtle expression.

Looking at Ensia's anxious and worried expression, Su Rui felt a surge of tender bittersweetness. He recalled Ensia in the temple; although she occasionally had minor worries due to her duties as a saintess and her "competition" with Yela, most of the time, her eyes held a gentle, contented tranquility. Especially when she spoke of Ensia, the almost overflowing longing and concern she conveyed...

“She’s doing well.” Suri’s voice carried a reassuring certainty. He looked into Ensia’s eyes and spoke earnestly, word by word, as if making a solemn promise, “The Holy Mountain is cold, but the temple is warm. No one is bullying her. She… often mentions you. She cares about you a lot.”

He paused, recalling how Enya would hum songs while tending to the flowers and plants in the temple, how her eyes would crinkle as she watched him cook, and... after last night's "madness," how she looked, shy and tired yet with a sweet and satisfied look in her eyes... Su Rui's ears burned almost imperceptibly again, but he forced himself to ignore the awkwardness and continued:

“She seems… quite happy. She’s doing things she enjoys in the temple. She… also asked me to tell you that she’s doing well on the Holy Mountain and that you shouldn’t worry.”

Suri tried to use plain language, devoid of excessive personal emotion, to describe Enya's condition. But the natural certainty in his words, as if he had witnessed it firsthand, and the gentle light that unconsciously shone in his eyes when he mentioned Enya, a light he himself was unaware of, filled his words with a convincing power.

Enshia listened intently, not missing a single word. When she heard Suri say that her sister was "doing well," "happy," and "often mentions her," the worry in her eyes melted away like ice and snow, replaced by an increasingly bright and reassuring light. Especially when she heard Suri say that Enshia was "doing well on the Holy Mountain," the corners of her mouth finally couldn't help but turn upwards, revealing a radiant and relieved smile, like sunlight piercing through the clouds.

"That's good...that's good..." Enxia murmured to herself, as if a huge weight had been lifted from her heart. She lowered her head again, gently stroking the postcard on her lap, her eyes filled with tears of happiness and contentment. "My sister...is on the Holy Mountain with Brother Su Rui, she must be...very happy."

Does Volume 18, Chapter 1209 mention the older brother? No.

Encia spoke these words so naturally, as if they were just a casual remark. But to Suri, they made his heart skip a beat again. She was happy because he was with her…? Did Encia… really think that? Did she… know about him and Encia…?

Su Rui's ears started to burn uncontrollably again. He quickly looked away, pretending to be very interested in a plant with thick, succulent leaves and a peculiar shape next to him.

Encia seemed oblivious to Suri's momentary change in expression. She was immersed in the joy of her "reunion" with her sister (even if indirect), clutching the postcard, her face radiant with pure happiness. But soon, her smile dimmed slightly. She looked up at Suri, a flicker of hesitation and… a cautious inquiry crossing her clear blue eyes.

"Then..." Enxia's voice was lower than before, with a hint of barely perceptible tension, "Did...her sister... mention...her brother?"

She asked slowly and softly, as if afraid of disturbing something. Her gaze was fixed on Su Rui, full of expectation, yet also carrying a hint of deep sadness, as if she had already anticipated the answer.

Su Rui's body stiffened almost imperceptibly when he heard the word "brother." His hands, which were resting on his knees, curled up slightly involuntarily.

silver gray.

That Shivaesh family head, as deep, cold, and unfathomable as a lone wolf in the snowy mountains. That man who "offered" Enya to the Holy Mountain, yet seemed to be secretly plotting something. That "brother" whose presence, even when mentioned, would unconsciously reveal a sense of estrangement, wariness, and even... a hidden, unwillingly acknowledged sadness in Enya's eyes.

In Suri's mind, the instantaneous chill in Enya's eyes and the undisguised aloofness in her tone when SilverAsh was mentioned flashed through his mind. He recalled the complex emotions Enya occasionally revealed about "home" when she was aroused last night, and the part about SilverAsh was mostly silence and... a trace of unspeakable resentment.

How should he answer? Should he tell Encia the truth: her sister doesn't seem to like their brother much, and might even... harbor resentment?

Suri fell silent. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but realized that any comments about SilverAsh that might be subjective were inappropriate to say in front of Encia. He didn't want to spoil Encia's happiness at the moment because of her sister's news, nor did he want to add any unnecessary barriers or burdens between the sisters.

In the end, Suri simply avoided Encia's expectant and nervous gaze, lowered her eyes slightly, and responded in a low, indistinct voice:

"……Um."

He neither said "had mentioned it" nor "hadn't mentioned it." His response was merely a vague, ambiguous "hmm." But the barely concealed hesitation and evasiveness in his tone, and the fleeting, complex expression on his face, were enough to say everything.

The light in Encia's eyes dimmed little by little, like a candle flame extinguished by the wind, following Suri's silence and that mumbled "hmm." The smile on her face seemed to freeze, slowly solidifying into a bittersweet and knowing arc.

She knew it all along, didn't she? The older sister had always been distant from the older brother. Ever since long ago, ever since the older brother made that decision... the topic of the older brother between the sisters had become cautious, filled with unspeakable silence and avoidance.

Encia lowered her head, her long eyelashes trembling slightly like wounded butterfly wings, casting a small shadow on her fair cheeks. She remained silent for a long time, so long that Suri almost thought she was about to cry.

But in the end, Encia simply raised her head again, looked at Suri, and forced a somewhat strained, yet still gentle, smile. Her voice was soft, with a barely perceptible tremor, and a premature, heartbreaking maturity:

“…I understand.” She said softly, as if to herself, and also as if to Su Rui, “It’s…only natural that my sister doesn’t like my brother.”

Her tone was heartbreakingly calm. There were no complaints, no questions, only a deep, helpless acceptance, as if she had already accepted the facts.

Looking at Encia's forced smile, Suri felt a surge of complex emotions. He wanted to say something to comfort her, to suggest that SilverAsh might have his own difficulties, that things might not be so bad... but the words caught in his throat. He realized that his understanding of SilverAsh was limited to their brief, tentative, and manipulative encounters, and the vague fragments Encia and Yera occasionally mentioned. He had no grounds, no basis, to judge the complex grudges and entanglements of the Shiva Ash family.

In the end, Suri simply reached out and gently, in a comforting gesture, patted the back of Ensia's hand, which was resting on her knee and whose knuckles had turned white from the force of her touch.

“…Don’t overthink it.” Suri’s voice carried a hint of clumsy tenderness that she herself didn’t realize. “At least…Enya cares about you. That’s enough, isn’t it?”

Encia's hand trembled slightly at Suri's touch. She looked up into Suri's dark eyes, which, though still cool, held genuine concern, and her eyes reddened again. But this time, she didn't let the tears fall. She nodded vigorously, clutching the stack of postcards even tighter to her chest, as if they were her only solace and source of strength at that moment.

“Mmm!” Enxia’s voice was thick with nasal tone, but unusually firm. “I know! Sister has me in her heart, that’s enough! Brother Su Rui, thank you… thank you for coming to see me, thank you for telling me all this, and thank you… for bringing me the message for sister.”

Her smile, though still tinged with bitterness, held a greater sense of genuine warmth and gratitude than before.

Looking at her, the gloom that had settled over Silver Gray seemed to dissipate somewhat from her warm smile. He nodded, saying nothing more.

The greenhouse fell silent once more. Only the subtle sounds of the plants breathing and the distant, faint murmur of the estate's operations could be heard. Sunlight streamed through the glass dome, casting long, long shadows on the two silent figures.

Inside the greenhouse, time seemed to stand still, frozen by the warm, humid air and the quietly growing greenery. Suri (Snow Leopard version) looked at Ensia sitting opposite her, at the forced smile on her face that couldn't hide the bitterness and disappointment, at her small body tightly hugged to her chest as if absorbing the lingering warmth of her sister from the stack of postcards. The sense of relief that had risen in her heart from successfully delivering the letter had long been replaced by a heavy emotion called "heartache."

Volume 18, Chapter 1210: Missing My Sister

Suri wasn't very good at handling such complex and delicate emotional entanglements. In those hazy, battle-related memories of the "past," there seemed to be only missions, objectives, survival, and killing. Comforting someone, especially a pure, sheltered girl wounded by family issues, was completely beyond his experience.

But looking into Enxia's blue eyes, which were once as clear as a sunny sky but were now veiled with a layer of dull mist, and at her slightly trembling, silvery-white eyelashes like butterfly wings wet with rain, Su Rui felt that she should say something, do something. At least, she couldn't let her silently process this precocious and heartbreaking realization about the cold chasm between her brother and sister alone.

Suri remained silent, his gaze shifting between Enshia's drooping head and her pair of fluffy snow leopard ears, which were slightly pursed back in her dejected mood, giving her a listless appearance. These ears resembled Enshia's, but seemed smaller, with more fluffy fur at the tips, and were currently drooping listlessly, exuding a pitiful air.

Almost instinctively, as if possessed, Su Rui reached out her hand.

His movements, tinged with hesitation, were exceptionally gentle. His hand, with its distinct knuckles and calloused skin (not from long-term labor, but more like the result of some kind of training), yet which seemed particularly tender at this moment, moved across the small round table, across the lovely succulent plant, and gently landed on Enshia's drooping, silvery-white head.

The moment the warm, dry palm touched her soft hair, Enxia's body trembled noticeably and violently. She abruptly raised her head, her blue eyes, still misty with tears, looking at Su Rui with astonishment, confusion, and a hint of helplessness.

Su Rui's hand stiffened almost imperceptibly. He nearly withdrew his hand for his abruptness and presumption, but when he saw the helplessness and vulnerability that flashed in Encia's eyes like that of a lost little animal, his hesitation was instantly replaced by a softer emotion.

He didn't withdraw his hand; instead, his movements became even gentler, with an awkward yet sincere sense of comfort, as he lightly ruffled Ensia's soft golden hair. It was like… how he would occasionally ruffle the top of Ensia's hair, with a touch of intimacy, but mostly with a sense of reassurance.

Then, his fingertips slid down her hair and landed on Enshia's fluffy, trembling snow leopard ears. Unlike Enshia's sensitive ears and occasional "resentment," Enshia's ears seemed softer, with finer fur. Suri's fingertips merely touched and stroked the soft earlobes and tips, his movements so gentle as if afraid of disturbing the most fragile dream.