Traveling back thirty years to Conan, intercepting Princess Eri

"I'm sure it's not simple!"

Yukiko also chimed in, "Maybe he's run into some troublesome repeat offender that Shuichi can't handle, which is why he looks so worried."

Eri Kisaki did not participate in the discussion, but instead looked thoughtfully at the back of Hideaki Hayashi in front of her.

She grew up with Hayashi Shuichi and Mouri Kogoro, and knows their personalities very well.

Although Lin Xiuyi is usually not talkative, he is meticulous. Even when faced with the most difficult cases, he will not show such an obvious "difficult" expression. Instead, he will become even calmer.

Kogoro Mouri, on the other hand, is someone who can't keep a secret. If something really big happens, he won't be able to resist boasting about his "heroic performance" and won't just stand there quietly pretending to be serious.

Just then, Eri Kisaki caught a glimpse of a small movement out of the corner of her eye.

While everyone was distracted, Kogoro Mouri secretly gave Shuichi Hayashi a thumbs-up, and couldn't help but smile slightly.

Upon noticing this, Lin Xiuyi immediately turned around and glared at him, her eyes full of warning, as if to say, "Don't get carried away, you haven't gotten past this hurdle yet."

It turns out that on the way here, in order to avoid being chased by the girls for being late, Lin Xiuyi came up with this plan to take advantage of the chaos.

Pretend to be hesitant so the girls won't press for answers.

The girls should calm down a bit by tomorrow; it won't be too late to explain then.

As for the girls saying that the two of them are lying, well, Lin Xiuyi hasn't told a single lie. Even if the girls misunderstand, it's none of his business.

……

Sensing the subtle interaction between the two, Eri immediately understood.

Well, these two actually dared to team up and pretend to fool them!
She deliberately lagged behind Liuli by two steps, then whispered a few words in a low voice.

"No way?" Ruri's eyes widened instantly. "Kogoro... he dares to lie to me?"

"Whether it's a lie or not, you'll find out once you try." Eri Kisaki snorted coldly. "When we get to the restaurant, find a way to drag Kogoro Mouri out and question him properly. That guy falls for your tricks the most. As long as you act pitiful, he'll definitely confess everything."

Liuli blinked and nodded vigorously.

……

Upon arriving at the restaurant, everyone took their seats.

The table was laden with exquisite dishes, including charcoal-grilled Wagyu beef that was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, savory okonomiyaki, crispy tempura, and steaming miso soup.

Lin Xiuyi and Mouri Kogoro were indeed hungry. They had been so focused on investigating the case at the museum that they hadn't even had dinner. Now that they saw the delicious food, their stomachs started growling.

"Eat quickly, the food is getting cold."

Shizuka Ikenami smiled and served the two of them miso soup.

"Try this. It was specially made by our family chef. It tastes much better than what you get at restaurants."

Lin Xiuyi and Mouri Kogoro didn't stand on ceremony and started eating heartily with their chopsticks.

As Lin Xiuyi ate, she kept an eye on the movements around her, feeling uneasy.

The way Eri Kisaki looked at him just now was really strange.

Meanwhile, Kogoro Mouri was completely oblivious, his mind solely focused on the food, constantly muttering, "Delicious! So delicious! Ruri, you should try this too, it's much better than Shuichi's!"

Ruri obediently picked up a piece of Wagyu beef and ate it in small bites, but her eyes kept glancing at Kogoro Mouri.

Seeing that the two had almost finished eating, she put down her chopsticks, tugged at her boyfriend's sleeve,
"Kogoro, I have something I want to talk to you about. Can you come outside with me for a bit?"

Kogoro Mouri, engrossed in his meal, casually replied, "Can't we say this here? Can't we talk after I finish eating?" "No way!"

Liuli's voice immediately lowered, and her eyes welled up with tears.

She gently bit her lip, looking extremely aggrieved: "I...I'm just a little worried about you, and I wanted to talk to you alone."

Seeing his girlfriend like this, Kogoro Mouri panicked instantly and quickly put down his chopsticks.
"Okay, okay, let's talk outside, let's talk outside!"

Lin Xiuyi, who was standing nearby, felt a sudden chill run down her spine when she saw this scene, realizing that something was wrong.

He was about to get up to stop her when Eri Kisaki pressed his shoulder down.

The girl held her teacup, took a slow sip, and spoke gently yet with an undeniable authority.
"Shuichi, you must be tired after a long night. Rest here for a while, have some tea and warm yourself up."

"Yingli..."

Lin Xiuyi wanted to say that he wasn't tired, but when he saw Fei Yingli's ambiguous smile, he swallowed the words back.

He knew he was under house arrest.

That idiot Kogoro Mouri definitely can't resist Ruri's "gentle offensive".

Before long, their "disguise" will be completely exposed!
Having a girlfriend who's too smart is definitely not a good thing!

Lin Xiuyi forced herself to remain calm, picked up the red tea on the table and took a sip, but inwardly she was praying frantically.

Kogoro, you really have to live up to expectations!
……

Ruri led Kogoro Mouri to the gazebo in the courtyard. As soon as they sat down, she threw herself into his arms, her eyes red and her shoulders trembling slightly.

"Kogoro, you scared me to death!"

"I started waiting for you at nine o'clock in the evening and waited until after eleven o'clock. I thought something had happened to you!"

"I noticed you looked terrible. Did something happen to you? Are you injured? Let me see!"

Ruri's acting skills are also exceptional. She has dreamed of becoming an actress since she was a child, and recently she worked as an extra with Yukiko in a movie shoot, which has further improved her acting skills.

At this moment, she was crying her heart out, tears streaming down her face like pearls from a broken string, her voice trembling with sobs. Anyone who saw her would feel sorry for her.

Kogoro Mouri had never seen anything like this before, and he panicked instantly.

He quickly reached out and awkwardly patted Liuli's back, gently comforting her, "Liuli, don't cry, I'm fine, really fine! I'm just... just a little tired, that's why I don't look well."

"I do not believe!"

Liuli looked up at him, her eyes brimming with tears, and reached out to stroke his cheek.

"You're definitely lying to me! If you were really tired, why would you have that expression?"

"Something must have happened to you, but you're just hiding it from me so I won't worry, right?"

"Kogoro, we're a couple. What can't you tell me? If you keep this from me, I'll worry even more!"

Looking into Ruri's red eyes, Kogoro Mouri's heart softened instantly, and he was filled with guilt.

He immediately forgot all of Lin Xiuyi's previous instructions.

"Ruri, I really didn't lie to you. Shuichi and I didn't actually encounter any danger."

"I met Hattori Heizo at a hotel in Kyoto. He said he and some classmates were investigating a case involving the theft of a samurai sword from the Osaka Museum ten years ago. We thought it sounded interesting, so we took a ride here and went to the museum together. We got so engrossed in our investigation that we lost track of time." (End of Chapter)