Traveling back thirty years to Conan, intercepting Princess Eri

Night had already fallen in Osaka, but the living room of the Ikenami family home was brightly lit, and the air was filled with the unique aroma of Japanese cuisine.

The long cypress dining table is covered with an elegant blue and white patterned tablecloth, and the exquisite ceramic tableware is neatly arranged. Each dish is like a carefully crafted work of art.

Sea urchin sashimi adorned with gold leaf rests on crushed ice, grilled Wagyu beef glows with an enticing caramel color, matsutake mushroom simmering in a clay pot steams, and even the simplest pickled cucumber is cut as neatly as a jade hairpin.

Shizuka Ikenami, dressed in a moon-white kimono, stood at the restaurant entrance, glancing occasionally toward the courtyard.

She specifically asked the family chef to start preparing three hours in advance, using only the freshest ingredients, and even specially ordered that Lin Xiuyi's favorite miso soup be made.

During their last meeting in Tokyo, she overheard Hayashi Hideichi and Mouri Kogoro chatting about it.

"Sister Chibo, the soup is getting cold. Should we heat it up first?"

Lingzi clutched the teddy bear keychain, tiptoed, and peered toward the dining table, her little face full of anticipation.

Ever since she learned that Lin Xiuyi would be arriving that evening, she had been waiting at the restaurant entrance.

"Let's wait a little longer. Lin Jun said he would arrive around nine o'clock, and it's just past eight-thirty now."

Ikeba Shizuka gently patted Reiko's head, then her gaze drifted towards the doorway.

In the living room, Eri Kisaki was sitting on the sofa flipping through a magazine, but her eyes kept glancing at the wall clock.

Yukiko leaned against the window, pretending to admire the night view of the courtyard, her gaze occasionally drifting towards the main gate.

Ruri, Tomizawa Chikage, and Orikasa Midori sat around the tea table. The matcha in front of them had long since gone cold, but none of them had any appetite for it.

Time passed slowly in the silent wait. The clock on the wall slowly pointed to nine o'clock, then leisurely slid past nine-twenty and nine-forty.

The stone lanterns in the courtyard swayed gently in the wind, casting dappled shadows on the ground, but the sound of a car engine was never heard.

"Ikenami-neechan, could you have misheard?" Reiko finally couldn't hold back anymore. "Could Onii-chan have said 9 a.m. tomorrow?"

“No way.” Ikeba Shizuka shook her head. “Lin-kun made it very clear that he came tonight in a friend’s car. It’s only an hour’s drive from Kyoto to Osaka. Even with traffic, it’s impossible for him not to have arrived by this late.”

Even so, she had a slight doubt in her heart and quietly instructed the housekeeper to check the highway conditions from Kyoto to Osaka.

"They probably encountered something on the way."

Eri Kisaki put down the magazine, sighed helplessly, and spoke with a hint of habit.

"Shuichi's luck has been bizarre these past six months. No matter where he goes, he runs into trouble. Last time, he even caught a thief stealing soy sauce at the supermarket."

"I'm so sorry, Ms. Ikenami, I've made you work for nothing."

Yukiko quickly stepped forward and bowed slightly to Shizuka Ikenami.

"That's just how Shuichi is. He forgets everything as soon as he gets involved in a case. I'll definitely teach him a lesson when he gets here."

“It’s alright,” Ikeba Shizuka waved her hand with a smile, but a hint of disappointment flashed in her eyes. “Lin-kun must have encountered something important. It’s good to be able to help others. Besides, I have plenty of rooms here, so it’s fine even if you arrive late at night.”

Even at a time like this, this woman still maintains this stubbornly considerate demeanor...

Yukiko and Eri Kisaki exchanged a glance, both seeing helplessness and wariness in each other's eyes. They knew very well that Shizuka Ikenami's feelings for Shuichi Hayashi were far more than just "friends," and tonight's meticulously prepared dinner was the best proof of that.

"Alright, everyone, stop standing there."

Ikeba Shizuka composed herself and once again revealed a gentle smile.
"Since Mr. Lin can't make it for the time being, we can't wait on an empty stomach. Everyone should try our chef's cooking and see how it compares to Mr. Lin's."

Everyone took their seats one after another and picked up their chopsticks to taste the dishes on the table.

The charcoal-grilled Wagyu beef is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, bursting with juice with every bite. The sea urchin sashimi is fresh and sweet, with the aroma of the ocean. The matsutake mushroom stew in a teapot is so delicious it'll make your eyebrows fall off. Every bite is full of the original flavor of the ingredients.

Objectively speaking, while Lin Xiuyi's cooking skills are not bad, and he can make the home-style dishes in the izakaya taste delicious, he is still lacking compared to a professional chef.

However, whether it was the absence of Lin Xiuyi, a key figure, that left everyone feeling empty, or because the waiting had taken a toll on their spirits,
The Japanese food, which should have been incredibly delicious, tasted bland and tasteless to the girls, who found it difficult to appreciate its true flavor.

Even the most lively Yukiko and the most composed Eri Kisaki mechanically moved their chopsticks, eating without tasting anything.

Ikeba Shizuka saw all of this and understood.

In fact, she herself is the same.

The long-awaited reunion, an expectation planted since the end of the kendo tournament, has been delayed again and again due to various unforeseen circumstances, and now even having dinner together has become a luxury.

Even someone as composed as Chi Bojinghua couldn't help but feel a faint sense of loss and sorrow in her heart.

This dinner, which should have been lively and warm, ended hastily in a somewhat dull and absent-minded atmosphere.

After the meal, none of them felt sleepy.

At Ikenami Shizuka's suggestion, everyone came to the courtyard and gathered on the terrace corridor by the pond.

The night sky was clear, and a bright moon hung high in the sky. Its gentle light shone on the tranquil pond, creating shimmering ripples. Several koi carp swam leisurely in the moonlight.

The early summer night breeze, carrying the fragrance of flowers and grass, gently caressed me, relieving some of the summer heat and restlessness.

Tea and snacks were laid out on the stone table. Everyone sat around it, and for a moment no one spoke except for the rustling sound of the wind blowing through the leaves.

"Speaking of which, I remember an embarrassing thing that happened to Shuichi at school."

Yukiko suddenly spoke, breaking the silence.

She picked up her teacup, took a sip, and wore a mischievous smile.
"He loved to sleep in class, whether it was math or Chinese. As soon as the teacher started lecturing, he would fall asleep on his desk. Once, when Mr. Murakami called on him to answer a question, he stood up groggily and actually asked the teacher, 'Is get out of class over? I'm still not awake,' which made the whole class laugh."

Upon hearing this, Eri Kisaki frowned slightly, instinctively wanting to defend Hideaki Hayashi.

She knew that Lin Xiuyi slept in class because he had to help the police with cases at night, not because he was really lazy.

But just then, she saw Yukiko give her a wink.

Eri Kisaki instantly realized that Yukiko was deliberately trying to tarnish Hayashi Shuichi's image in Ikenami Shizuka's eyes, hoping to discourage her... (End of Chapter)