Ke Xue: The thief Cao is actually myself

Chapter 599: The Jealous King of East Asia, Jealous Online! (Seeking monthly tickets!)
"!!!"

Conan took in all of her reactions. Her originally fair and childish face seemed to be covered with a layer of frost in an instant, and turned slightly blue. Her originally clear and bright eyes were now faintly disturbed.

what is happening?
Xiaolan has always been gentle and kind, considerate, and very polite. No matter what situation she faces, she can respond with just the right amount of politeness.

But why today, just after hearing Horikoshi Yumi teasing Bai Ye a few times, her reaction was so strong, like a lit powder keg that could be ignited at any time.

The rage that erupted at that moment was like that of a beast guarding its food. Her whole body exuded a terrifying aura, as if someone was unscrupulously snatching her most precious treasure. The anger and unwillingness were as if her lover was being openly provoked and coveted.

This is so abnormal!

And later, when she stole a glance at Bai Ye, she showed a fleeting shyness, her drooping eyebrows, and her flushed cheeks, all of which were the appearance of a young girl in love. No matter how you look at it, it seems like she is looking at the person she has admired for a long time.

Conan's mind kept replaying Yumi Horikoshi's teasing and Ran Maori's slightly flustered reaction. He couldn't help but secretly glance at Ran Maori and found that her eyes still drifted to Bai Ye from time to time. The blush and shy expression on her face made him feel even more uneasy.

Could it be that this childhood sweetheart, with whom he had been together since childhood and with whom he had a deep friendship, really fell in love with Bai Ye who showed up unexpectedly?
Once this idea took root in his heart, it spread like wildfire, burning Conan's sanity and making him feel unprecedented panic and despair. His heart felt as if it was being tightly grasped by an invisible big hand, and his breathing became rapid.

No, that's absolutely not possible!
He couldn't accept that the childhood sweetheart he had been protecting since childhood would actually have feelings for another man!
Conan screamed hysterically in his heart, Xiaolan is his and can only be his!
Since childhood, they have been chasing and playing freely under the cherry trees, with petals falling like snow and sprinkling on their shoulders; they have studied together late into the night for exams, with the dim light bearing witness to their efforts and perseverance; they have gone through life's joys and sorrows together, and those countless memories, those years spent together, have long been like tough silk threads, tightly entwining their lives together, making them inseparable.

No one can take her away from me! Not even Bai Ye!

He would never allow this to happen!
Thinking of this, Conan clenched his fists, his nails digging deeply into his palms. He suppressed the jealousy and uneasiness surging in his heart and tried to calm himself down.

He knew that he was just an "elementary school student" now and could not openly win the heart of Mouri Ran as Kudo Shinichi.

But he also knew that he could not sit idly by and let things continue to develop.

Otherwise, he would really lose his beloved Xiaolan forever.

Therefore, he must find a way to find out what kind of feelings his daughter Xiaolan has for that guy Bai Ye. At the same time, he must let Bai Ye know that Xiaolan is the most important person in his life, and no one can easily interfere with their relationship.

While Conan was thinking about a lot of things and struggling, Bai Ye seemed to be unconcerned about Horikoshi Yumi's teasing. He raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a calm smile, his eyes were calm, and he said in a calm tone: "Ms. Horikoshi, you are really a joker. I am still young, and marriage is far from my consideration. Besides, love is a matter of fate, and it cannot be forced."

This answer was perfect, polite and cultured, appropriate and tactful. It not only cleverly resolved the teasing in Yumi Horikoshi's words without making her feel embarrassed, but also subtly maintained the harmony of the scene without putting Ran Mouri into any embarrassing situation, fully demonstrating her high emotional intelligence.

However, to Conan, these words contained a mystery, as if there was something else behind them.

On the surface, Byakuya was responding to Yumi Horikoshi, deliberately keeping a distance from her and avoiding any relationship with her. But the gesture between his words made Conan feel that Byakuya was quietly and invisibly getting closer to Ran Maori in an obscure way, and it seemed that he was inadvertently sending her some special signal.

After realizing this, Conan felt even more uneasy, as if an invisible hand was constantly stirring his heart, making him feel uneasy, and even his usually sharp and calm thinking became a little confused.

He took a deep breath, suppressed the jealousy that was surging in his heart, tried to act innocent, then opened his big, lively eyes, walked forward, and asked crisply: "Brother Bai Ye, are you really not considering getting married? But I think Sister Yuanzi seems to like you very much!"

You already have a boyfriend, yet you still come to mess with my Xiaolan? Don’t you think that’s too much?
"Son Sonoko looks carefree, but she's actually very thoughtful. If her love isn't reciprocated, she'll definitely be sad for a long time."

Conan tilted his head, showing just the right amount of worry on his face. His acting was superb. "Besides, everyone thinks you two are a perfect match standing together. Brother Bai Ye, if you don't seriously consider it, you might miss a good opportunity. What a pity."

Bai Ye was slightly stunned when he heard this, and then he chuckled. He looked down at Conan, a meaningful light flashed in his eyes, and his tone was gentle but a little teasing: "Conan, you are so young, why are you so interested in love? Do you have someone you like?"

Conan was choked by Bai Ye's question, and a trace of unnaturalness flashed across his face, but he quickly returned to his innocent look and said with a smile: "I didn't! I just think that Sister Sonoko is so good. If Brother Bai Ye misses her, he will definitely regret it!"

Bai Ye smiled, but did not respond directly to Conan's words. Instead, he turned his gaze to Mao Lilan beside him and said gently, "Xiao Lan, what do you think? Does love really depend on fate?"

Mao Lilan was suddenly called out and seemed a little unprepared. She looked at Bai Ye, a faint blush appeared on her face, and she said softly: "Well... Bai Ye, I think you are right. Relationships really cannot be forced. When fate arrives, there will be a result naturally."

Conan raised his head and looked at the eye contact between Mao Lilan and Bai Ye, and suddenly a strong sense of crisis surged in his heart.

He couldn't help but clench his fists, his nails digging deep into his palms, but he didn't feel any pain.

How he wanted to stand up as Kudo Shinichi and tell Ran his feelings, but now he could only stand aside as Conan and watch it all.

"Sister Xiaolan..."

Conan asked innocently, but there was a hint of inquiry in his eyes, "Then what do you think it means to be destined? Is it like you and Shinichi, who have known each other since childhood and grew up together, that is fate?" Mao Lilan was stunned for a moment, as if this question hit the softest corner of her heart. Then she slowly lowered her head, and a complicated look appeared on her face. There was nostalgia, helplessness, and a trace of regret that she herself had not even noticed. She whispered: "Conan, things like fate are difficult to measure with time. Some people may not have a result even if they have known each other for a long time; and some people may only meet briefly, but they will be remembered for a lifetime."

Her voice was soft, but with a hint of sadness and happiness, as if she was recalling something, or hinting at something.

Conan's heart tightened when he heard this. He felt that his childhood sweetheart Lan's tone seemed to carry a hint of relief about the past, and also a hint of expectation for the future. He was unwilling to give up, like a drowning man grasping at the last straw, and couldn't help asking: "Then Xiaolan, do you think that Shinichi and you are destined to be together?"

Mao Lilan was silent for a moment, then shook her head gently, with a hint of helplessness and relief in her tone: "Conan, Shinichi...hasn't appeared for a long time. Perhaps, the fate between us has already ended."

If Bai Ye had not appeared in her world, perhaps she would have naturally gotten together with her childhood sweetheart Kudo Shinichi, just like her parents, who were childhood sweethearts.

But it's a pity that there are no ifs in this world, and she is not willing to make do with it!
Hearing what Mao Lilan said, Conan felt like he was struck by lightning, his brain went blank in an instant, and the blood in his body seemed to have solidified. He opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but his throat seemed to be blocked and he couldn't make a sound.

The scenes of him and Xiaolan flashing through his mind like a revolving lantern, running under the cherry trees together, laughing together in the playground, fighting side by side when facing cases together...

These precious memories, at this moment, were like sharp blades, piercing him deeply.

Conan's heart seemed to be grasped by an invisible hand, and it became difficult to breathe. He opened his mouth, but found that he could not make any sound. He wanted to tell Ran that he was Shinichi and that he had never left her, but now he could only stand here as Conan, powerless.

Bai Ye stood quietly by the side, taking it all in. A complex expression flashed across his eyes that was difficult for others to detect. Then, he coughed lightly, and the corners of his mouth slightly raised, breaking the suffocating atmosphere, and said in a gentle tone: "The past is the past, and people must always look forward. Xiaolan, there are countless beautiful things waiting for you in the future."

Conan glared at Bai Ye fiercely, his eyes full of anger and unwillingness. He shouted in his heart: "I am Shinichi, Ran! How can you say that our fate is over?"

However, reality was like a cold and hard wall that blocked him and left him powerless to refute. He could only suppress the overwhelming emotions in his heart, pretend to be calm, and said in a trembling voice: "Sister Xiaolan, Brother Shinichi must have had his reasons for not showing up for such a long time. He will never leave you so easily!"

At this point, Conan paused slightly, his eyes seemingly casually drifting towards Bai Ye beside him, and added with some deliberateness and suggestion, "Because, Xiaolan, Shinichi brother once told me that he likes you very much and wants you to be his girlfriend, so you can't let him down and fall in love with other people!"

As Conan spoke, he carefully observed the expressions of Byakuya and Mao Li Ran, not missing any subtle changes. He thought to himself, let's see how you respond, don't think you can fool me so easily.

As soon as Conan finished speaking, Mao Lilan's cheeks instantly turned red, just like the gorgeous sunset in the sky. She waved her hands in panic, her voice hurried and a little embarrassed: "Conan! What nonsense are you talking about! Shinichi...how could he...like..."

Her voice gradually lowered, and a complex emotion flashed in her eyes, including shyness of having her thoughts exposed, and surprise and astonishment of suddenly hearing a message from an acquaintance.

When she mentioned Kudo Shinichi, a name that was both familiar and somewhat unfamiliar, she felt both longing and a faint sense of loss in her heart.

After all, the high-spirited high school detective who once accompanied her has not appeared in her life openly for a long, long time.

Of course, she also knew that given the other party's current situation, it would be difficult for him to appear in front of her as Kudo Shinichi.

——Although she didn't know what kind of bizarre change her childhood sweetheart had encountered, and what unimaginable means he had used to transform from a tall and handsome high school student to the cute and tender elementary school student he is today, she could guess without thinking too much that in order to transform from a high school student into a child, such means would be extraordinary, and might even require a certain price to be paid.

However, even though she understood all of this in her heart, Mao Lilan still couldn't help feeling a little cold and lost.

Because her childhood sweetheart disappeared from her world without any warning, as if he had evaporated from the face of the earth. Later, after returning as Conan, he not only did not tell her anything, he was even reluctant to give her a phone call or a message.

This long silence was like a blunt knife, slowly cutting through her heart, making her feel sad and disappointed.

After all, it was because in the other party's heart, solving the case was far more important than her.

In the face of those thrilling cases, her joys and sorrows, her waiting and anticipation, all seemed insignificant.

As for the fact that Kudo Shinichi likes her.

So what if Kudo Shinichi likes her?

Does it mean that if the other person likes her, she must respond to this feeling?

What a joke!
When it comes to love, the most important thing is mutual affection. How can one-sided love bring happiness?

What's more, another person has already lived in her heart, and she has made a lifelong commitment with him.

(End of this chapter)