Traveling back thirty years to Conan, intercepting Princess Eri

Lin Xiuyi looked at the light green check in his hand, the number 12.75 million yen clearly visible under the afternoon sunlight.

This amount of money is not a small sum for a high school student, and even in any ordinary family, it would be enough to change many things.

He clearly hadn't expected the girl to be so generous.

Although Tomizawa Chikage had always acted casually and carefree, the fact that she gave away more than ten million yen so readily still surprised Hayashi Hideichi.

"Take it."

Seeing his dazed expression, Tomizawa Chikage couldn't help but roll her eyes, waved her hand dismissively, her tone carrying a hint of nonchalance and a touch of barely perceptible nonchalance:

"They're dragging their feet and not being decisive at all."

"Have you forgotten? Those three ancient paintings were not taken from the Mito family for our own profit. The original intention was to help the victims of the fire a thousand days ago."

"Most of the money has already been given away, and the little bit left is what we both deserve."

"If you take it to help a friend, it's making the best use of it, which is better than leaving it idle in my hands."

The girl paused, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"By the way, who exactly is the person you said you were going to help?"

Lin Xiuyi folded the check and put it in his pocket. Since he had decided to accept it, there was no need to refuse anymore.

“A friend of Zero's in Kanagawa Prefecture.” He briefly explained the situation of the Ogiwara family.

After hearing this, Tomizawa Chikage pursed her lips: "Got problems doing business..."

The girl's tone carried a hint of seasoned wisdom.

"This kind of favor is not easy to do. Some people are just not cut out for business. No matter how much you help them, they can still make you lose everything. Traditional industries like auto repair shops rely on customer accumulation and word-of-mouth, and cannot be saved by a sum of money."

Lin Xiuyi did not refute.

He knew that Tomizawa Chikage was telling the truth, and he also knew that the Ogiwara family's problems couldn't be completely solved with just a few million.

But at least, this money will give them a breather and allow them to avoid worrying about their daily bills while they search for new ways out.

Sometimes, what people need is just that breath of fresh air.

The two chatted for a while longer.

When Tomizawa Chikage talked about another target she was currently investigating, her tone was as relaxed as if she were discussing what to have for dinner.

Lin Xiuyi listened quietly, occasionally interjecting a word or two.

The sunlight outside the window gradually moved westward, but the indoor temperature did not drop accordingly.

The second floor was converted from a warehouse into a living room. The windows faced poorly, and the afternoon heat was like that of a caged wild animal, making it hard to breathe.

Chikage Tomizawa finally couldn't hold back any longer.

She wiped the fine beads of sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand and complained, "Why don't you even have air conditioning here? It was so hot on my way here, and I was hoping to cool off here, but it turns out it's even hotter and stuffier than outside..."

As she spoke, she couldn't help but fan her hand, trying to cool herself off.
Her makeup was slightly smudged from sweat, but it couldn't hide her liveliness and beauty; instead, it added a touch of languid charm.

The girl's T-shirt rode up slightly as she stretched, revealing a glimpse of her fair waistline. But she was completely oblivious, glaring disapprovingly at the silent fan on the wall.

Lin Xiuyi explained helplessly, "The second floor was originally a warehouse, and we didn't plan to have anyone live there, so naturally we won't install air conditioning."

"If you want to cool off, you can go to the izakaya on the first floor; it has air conditioning."

"What's the point of an izakaya if there's no one there?"

Tomizawa Chikage snorted, clearly showing no interest in the suggestion.

She looked around, her gaze sweeping across the room before finally settling on the door at the end of the corridor.

"Where's the bathroom? I'm going to take a shower."

“Hey,” Lin Xiu was taken aback, “this is my house, how can you do this…”

He really didn't expect that Tomizawa Chikage would make such a request. Although the two were quite familiar with each other, there was still a difference between men and women. Taking a shower in someone else's house was too presumptuous and too casual. This made him feel a little flustered, and a blush of embarrassment rose on his face.

Seeing his embarrassed and awkward appearance, a sly smile flashed in Tomizawa Chikage's eyes.

She deliberately moved closer to Lin Xiuyi, leaning forward slightly, like an older sister teasing a younger brother, her tone ambiguous and teasing.

"What's wrong? Great Sage Lin, are you embarrassed? I didn't think anything of it, but you, a grown man, are acting all coy like a little girl. Is it really necessary?"

"Don't worry, I'll just take a shower to wash off this sweat, I won't stay here."

The girl's breath gently brushed against Lin Xiuyi's cheek, carrying a faint fragrance mixed with the smell of sweat, making it exceptionally alluring.

Lin Xiuyi's cheeks flushed even redder instantly. She instinctively took a step back, avoiding her breath, her eyes darting around, her tone tinged with helplessness and embarrassment.
"I'm not embarrassed, I just feel that this is not appropriate."

"What's inappropriate about it?" Tomizawa Chikage raised an eyebrow, her tone somewhat matter-of-fact. "It's just taking a shower, it's not a big deal. I just want to wash off the sweat and cool down. What are you thinking? You're not thinking about some weird stuff, are you?"

As the girl spoke, she deliberately winked, her eyes filled with even more teasing.

Looking at her like this, Lin Xiuyi knew that whatever he said would be in vain.

Besides, she had already put it this way; if he continued to refuse, he would only seem petty and pretentious.

Lin Xiuyi, her face dark, pointed towards the corridor: "...Go ahead and take a shower if you want. But I don't have any clean clothes for you here."

"Don't worry, I just put on these clothes this morning. They're already clean. I just sweated a little. I'll take a shower, dry myself off, and put them back on. I don't need to change."

Chikage Tomizawa didn't care at all and turned to walk towards the bathroom.

"I just wanted to wash off the sweat and cool off. Besides, it would be strange if a single guy like you had women's clothes to change into, wouldn't it?"

The girl waved without turning her head, pushed open the bathroom door, and went inside.

Lin Xiuyi stood there, listening to the sound of the bathroom door closing, followed by the sound of the faucet being turned on.

The sound of rushing water seeped through the cracks in the tightly closed door, sounding particularly clear in the stuffy room.

He sighed and sat back down on the sofa.

Tomizawa Chikage thinks too highly of herself, which is why she takes a bath in his house without any restraint.
Aren't you afraid at all that he might run over and peek?
The thought had barely crossed his mind when Lin Xiuyi immediately shook his head, banishing it from his thoughts. (End of Chapter)