Traveling back thirty years to Conan, intercepting Princess Eri

The curry from lunch was all eaten up, and even the last bit of thick sauce at the bottom of the pot was scraped clean by Matsuda Jinpei with rice.

The children ate to their hearts' content, then slumped in their chairs, looking as if they didn't want to move anymore.

Lin Xiuyi looked at the mess of dishes on the table, stood up gently, and prepared to clean up the dishes and take them to the kitchen to wash.

But just as he picked up a stack of plates, he heard Ogiwara Chisato's voice behind him.

"and many more."

The girl crossed her arms and glanced at the three kids at the dining table who were about to sneak back to their room and pretend they hadn't seen anything.

"Where do you think you're going? All of you, come back here!"

The three little devils stopped in their tracks, frozen in place as if they had been immobilized.

Matsuda Jinpei was the first to react, immediately plastering a fawning smile on his face. He slowly turned around, clasped his hands together, and
"Sister Qiansu, today is my birthday... I only have one birthday a year, can you just let me be lazy just this once? Just this once!"

He blinked, trying his best to look innocent and aggrieved, hoping to use his birthday as the biggest excuse to escape the fate of washing dishes.

In his mind, birthdays should be a time to be pampered and indulged, and all chores and washing dishes should be sidelined.

Ogiwara Chisato remained unmoved: "We have to work on our birthdays, no one is an exception. No slacking off or making excuses."

Her attitude was clear, leaving no room for negotiation.

She is usually carefree and easygoing, but when it comes to disciplining her children, she is surprisingly serious, principled, and unambiguous.

Matsuda Jinpei's smile vanished instantly, and he slumped down, muttering dejectedly, "I know..."

He resignedly stepped forward, picked up his bowl, and looked unwilling.

In contrast, the other two kids, Kenji Ogihara and Rei Furuya, seemed much calmer.

Both children often help with housework at home and are already used to sharing responsibilities.

Seeing that they couldn't avoid it, they took the initiative to step forward, picked up the remaining bowls and chopsticks, and obediently walked towards the kitchen.

Lin Xiuyi stood to the side, taking in the whole scene, and couldn't help but chuckle.

He turned his head to look at Ogiwara Chisato, who was looking serious, his tone sincere yet tinged with a hint of teasing.

"Qiansu, you will definitely be a good mother in the future. At the very least, you will have no problem disciplining your children."

In Lin Xiuyi's view, this was just a casual compliment.

But to Ogiwara Chisato, it was like a small pebble gently thrown into a calm lake of the heart, instantly stirring up ripples.

"Ugh?"

Ogiwara Chisato froze, as if she hadn't heard clearly, staring blankly at Hayashi Hideichi.

In the future...to become a mother?

These four words, though seemingly light and airy, kept echoing in her mind, over and over again.

She had never thought about things so far in the future, and no one had ever so openly predicted the future.

In an instant, her heart began to race uncontrollably, and her cheeks flushed rapidly, spreading from her ears to her face.

The girl subconsciously raised her hands to cover her burning cheeks, her mind uncontrollably filled with fantasies.

Will I, in the future, really stand in front of a group of children, earnestly and gently setting rules, just like I do now?

Seeing her suddenly freeze, her face flushed, and her flustered state, Lin Xiuyi found it both cute and funny, but he didn't say anything more or go forward to disturb her. He knew that girls of this age always harbored many delicate and tender thoughts, and once touched, they would fall into their own little fantasies.

Lin Xiuyi turned around and quietly walked towards the balcony, leaving Ogiwara Chisato standing there alone, covering her face, her mind filled with vague yet beautiful imaginings of the future.

In the kitchen, three little devils were gathered around the sink, clattering and banging as they washed the dishes.

Matsuda Jinpei still looked unwilling, muttering complaints as he washed.

Kenji Ogihara was quiet and focused, and his movements were skillful and efficient.

Rei Shiratani is calm and meticulous, washing each dish clean and arranging them neatly.

……

At the same time, in Tokyo.

The break room at the advertising shoot was quiet and bright.

Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows is a bustling street scene, with cars and people coming and going, while inside the air conditioning is on, the light is soft, and the atmosphere is relaxed.

Yukiko rested on the soft sofa, still wearing the beautiful dress she wore for the photoshoot. Her long hair was slightly curled and her makeup was exquisite, but she couldn't hide the fatigue from the shoot.

She picked up the remote control from the table and turned on the TV hanging on the wall, wanting to watch something to relax and pass the time during this short break.

The TV initially played boring news and commercials, which Yukiko watched absentmindedly, her eyes somewhat vacant.

It wasn't until a brightly colored, dreamlike advertisement suddenly appeared that her attention was suddenly drawn, and she instantly snapped back to reality.

On the screen, the lights shone brightly, and the stage was magnificent.

A tall, elegant figure stood in the center of the stage, dressed in a neat black suit, with a composed smile on her face.

As the music began, the man raised his hand and waved it gently, and a velvet dome fell down, enveloping him in the middle.

The next instant, as the velvet cloth hit the ground, the man's appearance, hairstyle, and expression transformed into a completely different person in just a few seconds.

Not only has his appearance changed, but his voice, tone, and demeanor are also completely different from his original appearance.

The audience erupted in deafening gasps and applause.

A line of text slowly appeared at the bottom of the screen: World-class magician, Toichi Kuroba, is about to arrive in Tokyo to hold a grand magic performance.

Yukiko sat up abruptly, her eyes sparkling as she stared intently at the screen, her heart pounding uncontrollably.

Kuroba Touichi.

She had not only heard of this name, but had also personally witnessed and experienced his almost miraculous ability to disguise and imitate voices.

She had watched the other party's performance in Osaka before. Kuroba Toichi perfectly imitated Hayashi Hideichi's appearance, demeanor, and tone in front of everyone. Even the subtle movements and changes in his eyes were imitated so vividly that they were almost indistinguishable from the real thing.

At that moment, Yukiko's shock and envy reached their peak.

She herself works in the entertainment industry and is extremely sensitive to changes in appearance, expression, voice, and temperament. She also longs for the ability to freely switch identities and perfectly disguise herself.

If she could learn Kuroba Toichi's superb disguise and voice imitation skills, it would be a great help to her acting career and her future life.

After that hasty farewell, she never had the chance to meet Kuroba Touichi again, and she put the matter out of her mind.

Now, seeing Kuroba Toichi's performance again, witnessing his breathtaking disguise and voice transformation, Yukiko's long-dormant feelings were reignited, even more intensely and resolutely than before. (End of Chapter)