I'm in Conan, I'm not a gangster

Chapter 362 Kogoro Mouri: Is this something a human can eat? (2 updates)
The doorbell rang, and Eri Kisaki quickly walked towards the entrance.

As soon as the door opened, Xiaolan's bright smile immediately came into view.

"Mom! We're back!" Xiaolan said, carrying a full shopping bag with a happy smile on her face.

Eri Kisaki was about to reach out and take the bag when her gaze passed over her daughter's shoulder and landed on Kogoro Mouri, who was leaning on his cane behind her.

Her expression instantly turned cold.

"I knew Ran was late." Eri crossed her arms, a cold smile playing on her lips. "Just as I expected, it's all thanks to you, isn't it?"

Kogoro Mouri, leaning on his cane, took a step forward, his face equally grim: "This isn't my fault! It's your daughter who didn't believe I would come by myself and insisted on dragging me along!"

“Heh,” Eri pushed up her glasses, the lenses reflecting a cold light, “You must be having a hard time, dragging your injured leg and troubling your daughter to take care of you.”

"Mom! Dad!" Xiaolan suddenly raised her voice, the shopping bags creaking under her weight. She said helplessly, "Can you two please stop arguing the moment you see each other?"

She looked at the two of them with a headache; one was still pale, and the other was still using a cane.

And they still have to argue!
She was truly impressed by the two of them.

Eri opened her mouth, but in the end, for Ran's sake, she just snorted and turned to walk towards the bedroom, her slippers making a "pat-pat" sound on the floor.

Ran took a deep breath, composed herself, bent down to take out slippers from the shoe cabinet, and changed Kogoro Mouri's shoes.

Kogoro Mouri reluctantly leaned against the wall, muttering under his breath as he changed his shoes, "Your mother's just like that, she hasn't changed a bit all these years."

"Dad!" Ran suddenly looked up, her sharp gaze silencing Kogoro Mouri instantly.

He awkwardly touched his nose and obediently shut his mouth.

After changing her shoes, Xiaolan carried a shopping bag into the living room and saw Shiraishi E skillfully chopping vegetables in the kitchen.

She forced a smile: "Shiraishi-kun, thank you for your hard work. Leave the rest to me."

Shiraishi E put down the kitchen knife, keenly noticing Ran's downcast mood: "Did they fight again?"

Xiaolan nodded, her face full of helplessness, and said, "I originally thought I'd take this opportunity to let them mend their relationship, but it seems I was too naive."

She picked up an apron from the side, tied it on, and said helplessly, "Sometimes I really feel like everything I do is in vain."

Shiraishi poured a glass of warm water and said, "Some things can't be forced. They need to find a way to reconcile themselves."

After saying "thank you," Xiaolan took a small sip of water and said, "That's true, but... I really can't do it."

Shiraishi E said she understands this, but knowing and doing are two different things.

During their chat, Eri Kisaki came into the kitchen. She smiled at Emi Shiraishi and said, "Shiraishi-kun, it's already too much trouble for you to help chop the vegetables. Now, leave the rest to us."

Shiraishi E tactfully put down what he was doing: "Then I'll leave this to you." He nodded to Xiaolan and gently closed the kitchen door.

He had just sat down on the soft sofa when he heard a crisp "snap" sound.

Turning my head, I saw Kogoro Mouri pull a can of beer out of his shopping bag and skillfully pull the tab with his uninjured hand.

“Detective Mouri,” Shiraishi E raised an eyebrow, her gaze falling on his right leg in a cast, “wouldn’t it be better if you didn’t drink until it heals?”

"A mere fracture!" Kogoro Mouri waved his hand dismissively, beer foam splashing onto his beard. "Nothing to worry about!"

After saying that, he tilted his head back and gulped down more than half a can, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down with each swallow.

Seeing his unusually hearty drinking, Shiraishi E suddenly realized something and chuckled, "Could it be so you won't eat as much food later?"

"Cough cough!" Kogoro Mouri was caught off guard and coughed, spilling beer on his shirt.

He hurriedly wiped it clean, lowering his voice to say, "You little rascal, you saw through me but didn't say anything!"

"Didn't Xiaolan tell you that she's cooking tonight?" Shiraishi E asked, feigning confusion.

Kogoro Mouri sighed and opened another can of beer: "That's because they don't understand Eri's temper."

He glanced at the kitchen, deliberately lowering his voice, and said, "They say Xiaolan will cook, but she'll definitely end up doing the cooking! Xiaolan can't argue with her mother!"

Upon hearing this, Shiraishi E immediately realized that it made sense!
He immediately stood up: "I'll go check the kitchen."

As she spoke, Shiraishi E tiptoed to the kitchen door and opened it a crack.

The scene before him confirmed Mori's worries—Eri Kisaki was already wearing an apron embroidered with sunflowers, stirring something at the stove. Ran stood beside her, hesitantly fidgeting with the hem of her apron. "Mom, the doctor said you need to rest."

"Just two dishes." Without turning her head, Eri Fei continued, her spatula flying across the wok. "It's fine!"

Shiraishi E's lips twitched.

He could clearly see the dark, unidentified object in the pot bubbling suspiciously, and Eri even added a spoonful of it. Was it sugar or salt?

Quietly retreating back to the living room, Shiraishi E's expression turned serious.

Kogoro Mouri, having finished his third can of beer, was blushing and winking at him: "See? I told you so, didn't I?"

"You guessed right." Shiraishi sighed at the thought of having to give herself another anesthetic injection.

He didn't rush to the restroom, but waited until dinner was ready before using "washing his hands" as an excuse to go to the restroom.

After injecting an anesthetic needle into the tip of her tongue, Shiraishi E left the bathroom satisfied.

The table was laden with a sumptuous feast, its aroma filling the air.

Ran's carefully prepared braised pork ribs gleamed with an enticing savory color, while the steamed sea bass was garnished with vibrant green scallions. Meanwhile, Eri's two "signature dishes"—dark curry and golden-brown stir-fried vegetables—were placed conspicuously in the center.

As soon as Kogoro Mouri sat down, his eyes were fixed on the plate of curry.

He politely said, "Let's eat," and then subtly moved his chair aside, his chopsticks precisely avoiding the danger zone as he headed straight for the braised pork ribs Xiaolan had made.

"Dad!" Xiaolan glared at him, gesturing with her eyes that he should at least try a bite of her mother's food.

Although Eri Kisaki didn't speak, the knuckles of her fingers holding the chopsticks had turned white.

She slightly raised her eyes, her icy gaze piercing Kogoro Mouri like a knife.

"Mom's curry is so special!" Xiaolan quickly picked up a piece of the dark, lumpy stuff with her chopsticks and forced herself to put it in her mouth despite feeling uncomfortable.

Her cheek twitched involuntarily, but she forced a smile: "Delicious!"

Kogoro Mouri scoffed, "Hypocritical!"

Just as he was about to continue his mockery, he suddenly noticed that Shiraishi Emi, sitting opposite him, was enjoying Eri Kisaki's stir-fried vegetables and nodding repeatedly.

“Attorney Fei’s cooking skills are truly unique,” ​​Shiraishi E said, picking up another bite with her chopsticks. “This layered flavor, with its slightly bitter aftertaste and caramelized aroma, really tests the control of the heat.”

Kogoro Mouri's chopsticks hung in mid-air as he stared in shock at the young man who was eating "poison" without batting an eye.

He looked at the plate of vegetables with suspicion, then at Shiraishi E's enjoying expression, and wondered to himself: Could it be that Eri's cooking skills have really improved?

With a skeptical attitude, Kogoro Mouri carefully picked up a small piece of curry and put it in his mouth.

The next second—

"Pfft! Cough cough cough!" He suddenly spat it out, his face turning bright red. He frantically grabbed his water glass and gulped down a large mouthful, exclaiming, "What... what the hell is this?! Is this even edible?"

Eri Kisaki slammed her hand on the table and stood up: "If you're not going to eat it, don't waste it!"

"If I could eat it, I definitely would!" Kogoro Mouri wiped away tears from the spiciness. "The food you made is simply inedible!"

"That's perfect!" Eri Kisaki picked up her disastrously culinary creation. "My dishes are only for those who appreciate them!"

As she spoke, she placed the plate heavily in front of Shiraishi E.

"Thank you." Shiraishi E calmly accepted it, and amidst Kogoro Mouri's horrified expression, took another large bite of curry: "This spicy flavor with a subtle metallic aftertaste is quite unique."

Kogoro Mori shook his head in disbelief, then turned his attention to Ran's cooking, praising loudly as he ate, "My daughter's cooking is the best! These ribs are stewed just right!"

Eri Kisaki was so angry that her face turned pale, but when she saw Emi Shiraishi still earnestly eating her "masterpiece", her expression softened.

She elegantly wiped her mouth and said meaningfully, "Cooking is like life; only those who understand it can truly appreciate its flavor."

Shiraishi E touched her nose and chuckled, "You flatter me." Her chopsticks traced an elegant arc under the light as she picked up another piece of charred carrot.

Ran, witnessing this bizarre scene, quietly nudged Shiraishi E's foot under the table and mouthed, "Are you alright?"

Shiraishi E returned a mysterious smile and continued to "enjoy" Eri's cooking without changing her expression.

He silently gave himself a thumbs up for his foresight!
(End of this chapter)