Traveling back thirty years to Conan, intercepting Princess Eri

The gentle smile on Ikeba Shizuka's face disappeared, replaced by an expressionless indifference.

She looked at the two of them and said clearly, "There are still quite a few empty rooms in the house."

Just as a hint of joy appeared on Kogoro Mouri's face, Shizuka Ikenami continued...
“But those rooms are for ‘guests’.”

"we are not……"

Kogoro Mouri spoke instinctively, but only halfway through his sentence did he suddenly realize the meaning behind the other person's words.

Their behavior tonight has disqualified them from being treated as "guests".

“Tonight,” Chibo Jinghua snorted coldly, her tone leaving no room for doubt, “you two should stay here and reflect on your actions. I hope you can deeply realize how childish and irresponsible it is to deceive those who care about you.”

Having said that, without giving the two any chance to explain or plead, Ikeba Shizuka turned around and gracefully left the restaurant.

The remaining girls exchanged glances, their expressions complicated.

Seeing Lin Xiuyi and Mouri Kogoro, who usually seemed so capable and resourceful, looking so defeated, they felt a great sense of relief, and the resentment and anger they felt from being deceived dissipated considerably.

But seeing the two of them standing alone in the empty restaurant, facing a bunch of hard chairs, and knowing that they might have to spend the night there, a slight sense of pity and compassion quietly welled up in some people's hearts.

Of course, none of the girls dared to say anything about feeling sorry for the two girls, given the powerful aura of Eri and Yukiko.

"Okay, go back to bed."

Tomizawa Chikage yawned, stretched, and was the first to express her opinion.
"These two guys brought this on themselves and don't deserve any sympathy."

After saying that, she walked out of the restaurant without looking back.

Seeing this, the other girls hesitated for a moment, but they could only follow suit and file out.

Upon reaching the corridor outside the restaurant, Eri stopped and glanced at the other girls, whose faces still showed some hesitation and who occasionally looked back towards the restaurant, especially Reiko.

She cleared her throat and announced in an unquestionable tone,
"No one is allowed to visit them tonight! And no one is allowed to secretly bring them anything! Pillows, blankets, food—absolutely nothing!"

"Why!"

Lingzi was the first to express her dissatisfaction, her little face filled with heartache.
"No pillow, no blanket, no bed, how can Onii-chan get a good rest? The chair is so hard, he'll definitely catch a cold tonight!"

"This is the price they have to pay for deceiving people!"

Yukiko stepped forward and, unusually, offered her support to Eri Kisaki.
"No one is allowed to be a traitor! We absolutely cannot pity them! We must show them just how serious the consequences are for deceiving us and making us worry for nothing! Only then will they learn their lesson!"

With Eri and Yukiko, the two "big sisters," setting the tone and taking such a firm stance, the other girls, including Ruri and Midori who were still somewhat reluctant, could only suppress their small amount of sympathy and nod in agreement to the "ban."

……

Watching the last girl gently close the restaurant door, leaving only himself and Kogoro Mouri in the vast space, surrounded by silence and cold lighting, Lin Xiuyi rubbed his temples in exasperation.

"Shuichi, what... do we do now?"

Kogoro Mouri looked around with a mournful face, his voice filled with despair as he surveyed the surroundings where even a place to lie down was hard to find. "What else can we do?"

Lin Xiuyi walked to the wall and began to arrange several heavy hardwood chairs side by side, trying to assemble a makeshift "bed".
"Go to sleep. Do you really expect them to have a soft heart and ask us to sleep in the guest room when they come back?"

"But...how can I fall asleep like this?"

Kogoro Mouri moved the chair, mimicking Shuichi Hayashi's movements, while complaining incessantly.
"No pillow, no blanket, and this chair is so hard...it's so uncomfortable! This is clearly torture!"

Lin Xiuyi roughly pieced together a few chairs to form an uneven "bed," then lay down on it fully clothed, adjusting her position to try and find a slightly more comfortable spot.

"Can't sleep? Then you can go find your Liuli again."

"Just like before, push all the blame onto me, and make it sound even more emotional. Maybe she'll be moved and not only forgive you, but she'll also secretly open the door for you and let you into the room to sleep."

Kogoro Mouri was taken aback by his friend's obviously sarcastic remark, and a hint of embarrassment flashed across his face.

He chuckled dryly, trying to explain, "I had no choice... Liuli... her acting was too good, I... I couldn't handle it... Besides,"

Kogoro Mouri seemed to have suddenly found a reason, and his voice even rose a little.
"You've done this before! When we were kids, how many times did you make me take the blame for our mistakes?"

Lin Xiuyi lay on the hard "chair bed," listening to Kogoro Mouri's complaints, and thought back carefully for a moment...

It seems that I've made Kogoro Mouri take the blame far more often than he's made me take the blame.

Thinking about it this way, the frustration he felt from being "betrayed" dissipated considerably.

Well, among brothers, sabotaging each other can also be considered a form of "deep friendship".

"Go to sleep,"

Lin Xiuyi stopped arguing, closed his eyes, and crossed his hands behind his head as a makeshift pillow.
"Stop complaining. If we're lucky, I reckon... someone will sneak over and bring us pillows and blankets in a bit."

"real?!"

Upon hearing this, Kogoro Mouri's eyes widened in surprise.
"Who will come? Reiko? Or Midori? Will Ruri have a soft heart?"

He suddenly perked up, and even the hardness of the chair beneath him seemed less unbearable.

Lin Xiuyi didn't speak again, but kept his eyes closed and rested, though a barely perceptible smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

He still has faith in his ability to be soft-hearted towards certain people.

Kogoro Mouri was skeptical but also had a glimmer of hope. He followed Hayashi Shuichi's example, lying on his makeshift "bed," staring wide-eyed at the ceiling, and listening intently to the sounds outside the door.

Time ticked by in the silence. About ten minutes passed, and just as Kogoro Mouri was about to give up hope and think that Hideaki Hayashi was just trying to comfort him,
With a soft creak, the restaurant door was carefully pushed open a crack from the outside.

A small head peeked in first, looked around, and it was none other than Lingzi, who had returned.

She was also holding a fluffy teddy bear that was almost half her size. (End of Chapter)