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

Chapter 540 Resolving Heartache (2 Updates)
As night fell, the deep blue sky was dotted with stars, and a bright moon hung above the gambling ship, casting a silvery glow.

On the deck of the luxury gambling ship, colorful neon lights intertwined with the moonlight, casting a dreamlike glow over everything.

A cool sea breeze, carrying a salty, damp scent, swept by, and the sound of waves gently lapping against the hull could be heard in the distance.

Ran Mouri and Kazuha Toyama leaned side by side against the white railing, their shadows stretching long in the moonlight.

Xiaolan's fingers unconsciously rubbed the cold metal of the railing as she gazed at the shimmering sea under the moonlight in the distance.

Kazuha puffed out his cheeks and occasionally kicked the deck lightly with his toes, making a dull sound.

Sonoko Suzuki stood not far away, hands on her hips, watching her two friends' backs as she sighed helplessly.

She turned to look at Shiraishi E beside her and asked in a low voice, "E, what should we do now? The two of them have been like this since just now."

Shiraishi E smiled slightly, his slender fingers gracefully holding two glasses of champagne, each bubbling with tiny bubbles. Neon lights shone through the crystal glasses, casting shifting shadows on his face.

"Leave it to me," he said softly, walking steadily toward the two girls.

"What are you thinking about?" Shiraishi E's gentle voice broke the silence.

He handed the champagne to the two men, the droplets on the glass shimmering in the moonlight.

Xiaolan took the wine glass, feeling the cool touch on her fingertips.

"Thank you," she said softly, her eyes still somewhat unfocused.

"Are you worried about them?" Shiraishi leaned against the railing next to them, the sea breeze ruffling the stray hairs on his forehead.

Xiaolan nodded gently, the champagne in her glass swaying slightly with her movement, and whispered, "Dad is always so reckless."

Kazuha shook her head violently, saying defiantly, "No way! Who would worry about that idiot Hattori!"

But the knuckles of her fingers, which were gripping the wine glass tightly, had turned slightly white.

Shiraishi E couldn't help but smile as she watched their completely different reactions.

He took a sip of champagne and said slowly, "Don't worry, he's very capable, he'll be fine."

He turned to Lan, his gaze particularly tender in the moonlight: "Lan, you don't understand your father. Actually, he's very strong."

"Besides, he's always wanted to prove himself. The fact that you keep making that face only makes him feel more and more unappreciated by his daughter."

Xiao Lan was taken aback by what she heard, and the champagne glass trembled slightly in her hand.

She suddenly realized that, without knowing when it started, she had come to see her father in the same way as her mother—always treating him as a "useless old man" who needed to be taken care of.

This realization made her heart clench, and a wave of shame washed over her.

"Ah, Hui, you're right!" Xiaolan's eyes gradually brightened in the moonlight. "I should have trusted Dad! Maybe that's why I've been putting pressure on him all this time."

Her voice trailed off as she fell into deep reflection.

Shiraishi E looked at her with a smile, not interrupting her thoughts.

The distant sound of melodious jazz music added a touch of romance to the silence of the moment.

A moment later, Xiaolan raised her head, the gloom on her face vanished, replaced by a determined expression: "From now on, I won't put so much pressure on Dad anymore! I'll trust Dad more!"

As she spoke, she raised her champagne glass and took a sip. The refreshing sensation of the bubbles bursting on her tongue seemed to carry away the burden in her heart.

Shiraishi nodded in satisfaction, then turned to look at Kazuha, who was still sulking.

The girl's puffed-up cheeks flushed faintly in the moonlight, like a puffed-up little pufferfish. He suddenly leaned down and gently kissed Kazuha's cheek.

"Pfft—!" Lan sprayed out the champagne she had just drunk. She hurriedly turned her head, and the silver liquid drew an arc in the air before splashing onto the dark sea.

"Cough cough... Ei!" She coughed as her eyes widened in shock. Kazuha froze, her cheeks turning bright red at a visible speed.

She jumped back as if she'd been electrocuted, stammering, "What are you doing? Why did you suddenly try to kiss me?" Her fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of her clothes, her eyes darting around.

Shiraishi E quickly raised her hands in apology, but a sly smile played on her lips: "Sorry, sorry, you looked so beautiful in the moonlight, I couldn't resist!"

These words left Kazuha even more at a loss. She instinctively looked at Ran, her eyes full of pleading.

But Ran had recovered from her initial shock. She keenly sensed that Shiraishi E's actions had a deeper meaning, so she chose to wait and see, though she couldn't help but smile slightly.

Sure enough, Shiraishi E shook her head with feigned emotion: "I really don't know what Heiji is thinking. He doesn't cherish such a beautiful and cute girl, but instead looks down on her!"

As he spoke, he subtly kicked Xiaolan with the tip of his foot.

Ran immediately understood and chimed in, "I think Heiji has been with you for too long, so he doesn't find you attractive anymore!"

At this moment, Sonoko chimed in, swirling her champagne glass, the liquid shimmering alluringly in the moonlight: "Yes, yes, because we know each other too well, we're too familiar with each other, there's no novelty! Men are all like that~"

Shiraishi E nodded in agreement: "That's right, it must be because of that! Anyone who watches movies and TV shows knows that childhood friends usually can't beat newcomers. Why? Because newcomers are full of intrigue and attraction!"

As Kazuha listened to the three of them, her brows gradually relaxed, and a hint of understanding flashed in her eyes: "Then what should we do!" Her voice was already tinged with urgency.

Sonoko smiled slyly and affectionately put her arm around Kazuha's shoulder: "At times like this, you should just ignore him!! The more you cling to Heiji, the more he'll dislike you. To put it bluntly, he's just being a bit of a jerk!"

She winked at Shiraishi E: "Once you stop paying attention to him, he'll feel like you're not there, and he'll feel very uncomfortable, like something's missing."

Xiaolan nodded in agreement: "That's right, just like in the TV shows!"

"Being arrogant is fun for a while, but chasing after your wife will be a nightmare!" Shiraishi E waved her arms exaggeratedly, making the three girls laugh.

Kazuha's eyes grew brighter and brighter in the moonlight, and she clapped her hands excitedly: "That's right! That's right! I've seen similar scenes before! It was just like that in the last 'Love Battle'!"

Sonoko laughed heartily, grabbed Kazuha's hand, and spun her around: "So, all we need to do now is have fun and ignore them!!"

Xiaolan looked down at the huge swimming pool area below the deck, where a huge cheer was coming from below.

Her eyes lit up: "Yes, let them take the risks, we'll go play on the water sports, that'll be so much fun!!"

As she spoke, she held a champagne glass in one hand and pulled Kazuha along with the other, running towards the stairwell.

Kazuha was pulled forward, the gloom on her face completely gone, replaced by an excited blush: "Wait for me~"

Shiraishi watched their departing figures, a satisfied smile playing on her lips.

Sonoko walked over to him and nudged him lightly with her elbow: "Now everything's settled!"

"Hmm~ Pretty impressive, huh?" Shiraishi E raised an eyebrow smugly.

"Amazing!" Sonoko looked at him mischievously. "But that kiss just now, did it feel good for you?"

Upon hearing this, Shiraishi E suddenly pulled Sonoko into her arms.

Under the moonlight, he lowered his head and kissed her lips.

The kiss was tender and lingering until Sonoko blushed and pushed him away, saying, "Hey! Someone will see us!"

"What are you afraid of?" Shiraishi E said with a mischievous smile, giving her another light kiss on the lips. "The night is so beautiful, it would be a shame not to do something romantic."

Sonoko playfully punched him in embarrassment, but couldn't hide the smile on her lips.

She turned and walked quickly toward the stairs, with Shiraishi E following with a smile. The two disappeared around the corner of the deck, one after the other.

(End of this chapter)