Traveling back thirty years to Conan, intercepting Princess Eri

Those who know the current affairs are handsome.

Without hesitation, Lin Xiuyi waved to the two elders of the Kujo family, then grabbed his little cousin's hand and prepared to slip out of the coffee shop.

Lingzi was pulled along by him, and followed him in a daze.

Almost there, almost there, just a few more steps and we'll be at the door...

Lin Xiuyi secretly rejoiced and quickened his pace.

His hand had already touched the glass doorknob of the coffee shop, and the cool touch made him feel a sense of relief.

As long as you push open this door, you can escape this place of trouble and get away from those two burning wars...

Unexpectedly, just as his hand grasped the doorknob, a chorus of angry shouts came from behind him:
"stop!"

Two voices, one cold and clear, the other sharp and shrill, blended perfectly together at this moment, as if they had rehearsed countless times.

Lin Xiuyi's movements froze instantly.

He remained gripping the doorknob, a smile more painful than a grimace appearing on his face, as he slowly turned around.

Behind her, Eri Kisaki and Yukiko stood side by side.

The two girls stopped arguing and both looked at him.

They had been arguing fiercely just moments before, but now they had reached an astonishing consensus: to catch the one who was trying to run away first.

"Shuichi," Yukiko said, arms crossed and chin slightly raised, "where are you going?"

"I..." Lin Xiuyi chuckled dryly, "I... I just wanted to take Lingzi out for some fresh air, the coffee shop is too stuffy..."

"Get some fresh air?" Eri Kisaki sneered, pushing up her glasses. "I think you're trying to run away."

"How could this be..." Lin Xiuyi tried to make a final struggle, "Why would I run away?"

"Why?" the two girls asked in unison, then looked at each other and turned back to look at him at the same time.

"What do you think?" Yukiko raised an eyebrow.

"I'd like to hear the reason too!" Eri Kisaki snorted coldly.

Lin Xiuyi was speechless, feeling utterly overwhelmed.

……

Reiko glanced at her brother, who looked troubled, and then at Eri and Yukiko, who were looking fierce, and immediately switched to her brother-protecting mode.

She puffed out her small chest, like a mother hen protecting her chicks, and spread her arms to block Lin Xiuyi. Her small figure seemed exceptionally tall at that moment.

"That's easy!"

Lingzi's clear voice rang out in the coffee shop, carrying the unique self-righteousness of a child.

"Onii-chan wants to go on a date with me! I don't want to see you guys anymore!"

After the little girl finished speaking, she deliberately raised her chin and looked at the two aggressive older sisters in front of her with a provocative gaze.

That look seemed to say: "How about that? Now you have nothing to say, right? Onii-chan is mine!"

"what?"

Eri and Yukiko spoke in unison again, their faces darkening.

Eri's glasses reflected a cold light, while Yukiko's eyes burned with fire.

Both of them stared intently at the arrogant little girl in front of them.

"A date?" Yukiko repeated the word through gritted teeth. "You little brat?"

"Hmph!" Reiko wasn't afraid at all; instead, she became even more smug. "Onii-chan won't stay with you! You can keep arguing here until dark, and no one will pay attention to you! I'm going to talk to Onii-chan..."

Halfway through her sentence, the little girl turned around happily, wanting to hug her brother's arm and give him a victorious smile.

However, the smile on her face froze the moment she turned around. There was no one behind her; there wasn't a soul in sight.

"Onii-chan?" Reiko's eyes widened as she looked around.

The coffee shop door was swaying slightly, as if someone had just passed by.

The older brother she desperately protected, the onii-chan she thought would stand behind her and support her, actually...

"Hmph, that bastard slipped away while you were talking!"

Eri Kisaki snorted coldly, crossed her arms, and her face was full of an "I expected this" expression.

Her gaze fell on the still-swaying glass door, her eyes filled with a mixture of annoyance, helplessness, and other indescribable emotions.

Yukiko chuckled, a smile that, in Reiko's eyes, was like the Big Bad Wolf seeing Little Red Riding Hood.

She approached slowly, each step carrying an air of pressure.

“Reiko,” Yukiko’s voice was sickeningly sweet, yet it sent chills down one’s spine, “How dare you talk to us like that? You’re getting bolder and bolder.”

Lingzi's face fell instantly.

She looked back at the empty space behind her, then at her two sisters who were eyeing her menacingly, and finally realized a cruel truth.

Her most trusted older brother abandoned her at the most crucial moment.

"I...I was wrong..."

Lingzi quickly begged for forgiveness, a fawning smile plastered on her face, and she clasped her hands together above her head.
"Two beautiful ladies, I was wrong, okay? I was just joking, really just joking..."

"A joke?" Eri Kisaki sneered, pushing up her glasses. "Weren't you quite talkative just now? A date? You don't want to see us again?"

"That was...that was..."

Lingzi was so anxious that sweat beaded on her forehead, her eyes darting around as she desperately tried to find an excuse.

"That was said on behalf of Onii-chan! Yes! Onii-chan made me say that! It was all his idea!"

At the critical moment, she betrayed Lin Xiuyi without hesitation.

However, Eri Kisaki and Yukiko were not about to let her off so easily.
Seeing that things were not going well, Lingzi turned and tried to run towards the door.

Unfortunately, no matter how fast she was, she couldn't outrun Eri Kisaki, who was prepared.

Eri Kisaki took a step to the side and firmly blocked the doorway.

She looked down at Lingzi, who was running towards her breathlessly, a meaningful smile appearing on her lips.

"Want to run?"

Reiko couldn't stop and bumped into Eri's leg, bounced back, and sat down on the ground with a thud.

The little girl looked up at the two figures gradually approaching her and finally understood what it meant to have "no way to escape".

"Just accept your punishment, Reiko!" Yukiko lunged at her with a sinister grin.

"No!!" Reiko's screams echoed through the coffee shop.

……

Not far away, the Kujo couple watched with a smile as the three girls played around.

Kotona Kujo watched as her daughter was being "ravaged" by the two older girls, screaming in pain, but she showed no intention of going to her rescue.

This kind of roughhousing is an essential experience in a child's growth.
Besides, although Yukiko and Eri Kisaki are making a big fuss, they are careful with their actions and won't really do anything to Reiko.

"Shuichi is really popular." Kujo Yoshiyuki's tone was tinged with emotion.

He looked at the now empty doorway, imagining Lin Xiuyi fleeing in panic, and couldn't help but shake his head with amusement.
"I never expected that the usually composed Shuichi would have this side to him..." (End of Chapter)