Traveling back thirty years to Conan, intercepting Princess Eri

Midori Orikasa took notes diligently, nodding as she listened and muttering to herself as if she were reciting some important knowledge point.

"Don't worry, senior, I will definitely find this chrysanthemum tea!"

The girl made a serious promise, her eyes full of enthusiasm.

Looking at her appearance, Lin Xiuyi swallowed back the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

He meant to say that it didn't really matter if he couldn't find it, and that he didn't really love chrysanthemum tea; he was just saying it casually.

But seeing how enthusiastic the girl was, he couldn't bear to dampen her spirits.

"Okay, then I'll leave it to you."

Midori Orikasa nodded vigorously, her face beaming with the joy of being trusted.

After sitting for a while, I heard footsteps coming from the entrance of the flower shop.

A middle-aged woman pushed open the door and came in, carrying an empty flower basket.

It's Lady Orikasa; she's returned with the flowers.

Lin Xiu stood up, ready to leave. She'd spent so long in the flower shop; it was time to go home.

"Mrs. Orikasa, I'll be going now."

Mrs. Orikasa smiled and nodded: "Come visit often when you have time."

Just as Lin Xiuyi was about to leave, he saw Orisaka Midori say something to her mother and then follow her out.

Lin Xiuyi looked at her with some surprise: "How come you..."

"Senpai." Midori Orikasa tilted her head slightly, looking at him with a surprised expression, as if stating something perfectly natural, "Isn't the izakaya open tonight?"

One sentence instantly enlightened Lin Xiuyi.

Oh, right!

He slapped his head hard, a look of bewilderment on his face.

These days I'm either in Osaka or Kanagawa.

His izakaya hasn't been open for almost half a month. He's been busy with all sorts of things every day, and he's almost completely forgotten about his little shop.

Seeing Midori Orikasa's "I was ready all along" expression, Hayashi Shuichi couldn't help but laugh, a hint of relief flashing in his eyes.

"Let's go."

……

After more than half a month, the long-awaited izakaya is finally ready to reopen its doors to customers.

The shop remains clean and tidy, with a faint aroma of food and the unique scent of wooden tables and chairs filling the air. Warm lighting casts a comforting and relaxing atmosphere as soon as you enter.

Lin Xiuyi and Orikasa Midori walked into the kitchen together and began busily preparing the ingredients for the evening, washing, sorting, and chopping them, all in an orderly manner.

Orikasa Midori stood in front of the cutting board, holding a small kitchen knife in her hand. She frowned slightly as she looked at the fresh vegetables in front of her, her movements somewhat clumsy yet earnest.

"Senior, how exactly should I cut this? Is this the right way to cut it?"

She always regarded Lin Xiuyi as her chef mentor, and would humbly ask for his advice whenever she encountered something she didn't understand.

Lin Xiuyi approached and patiently gave a few instructions, demonstrating the proper way to hold the knife and the angle at which to strike.

However, Midori Orisaka lacked experience. Her fingers were slightly stiff, and the strength in her wrist was always wrong, resulting in unevenly sized vegetables and a somewhat dangerous posture.

Lin Xiu looked at her for a while, then without thinking much, subconsciously took a step forward and stood behind her.

He leaned down slightly, reached out, and gently grasped the girl's hand holding the knife. His fingertips touched her delicate, soft skin, and the warmth instantly spread through him. He steadily guided her hand, slowly correcting her posture, his voice deep and clear as he spoke softly in her ear…

"Bend your fingers like this, pressing against the blade, relax your wrist, apply even pressure, don't use too much force..."

A warm breath gently brushed past my ear, and a calm and reassuring aura came from behind me, making me feel as if I were being gently "embraced" in someone's arms.

Midori Orikasa's body stiffened instantly, her cheeks flushing red from her face to her ears, burning hot as if she had been set on fire.

My mind went completely blank for a moment, then buzzed, and all I could hear was the rapid pounding of my own heart.
She didn't hear a word Lin Xiuyi said after that; she froze on the spot, even her breathing became cautious.

She could clearly feel the warmth of the person behind her, the strength of his hand, and his focused breath. The faint, reassuring scent emanating from him lingered around her nose, more captivating than any flower in the florist.

"Remember this..."

Lin Xiuyi was still earnestly correcting her movements when, halfway through his sentence, he suddenly noticed that the person in his arms was stiff all over, her cheeks were flushed, her eyes were unfocused, and she seemed to have lost all reaction.

He was slightly taken aback, only then realizing how ambiguous his actions were and how close he was.

Immediately, he felt a little embarrassed, his ears burning slightly. He was about to quickly let go and take a step back to create some distance.

But just then, the door of the izakaya was suddenly pushed open with a "bang".

Two figures rushed in, one after the other.

Eri Kisaki, with a stern face, and Yukiko, puffing up her cheeks.

The two had clearly run there, their faces still flushed from the journey.

As soon as Yukiko entered, she began to complain, "Shuichi, you're quick to run away! Didn't you see how eagerly that bespectacled girl was to steal credit after using me, and you didn't even say a word for me..."

She paused mid-sentence, her gaze falling on the kitchen, specifically on Lin Xiuyi and Orisaka Midori.

Lin Xiuyi stood behind Orikasa Midori, one hand covering Orikasa Midori's hand, the other hand on her shoulder. The two were very close, almost as if they were embracing.

Yukiko's words caught in her throat, her eyes wide open.

On the other side, Eri Kisaki was already staring at the two of them with a cold look on her face.

His gaze was as cold as a knife, sweeping back and forth between the two of them, especially when it landed on the hand that Lin Xiuyi was placing on Orisaka Midori's hand; that look could freeze a person to death.

The air in the kitchen seemed to freeze instantly.

Time seems to stand still at this moment.

Lin Xiu froze on the spot, remaining in that ambiguous posture, her mind blank.

Midori Orikasa lowered her head, her face as red as a ripe shrimp, wishing she could disappear into a crack in the ground.

Oh no, our base has been raided!
Yukiko and Eri exchanged a glance, the same thought flashing through their minds.

They were just arguing about who deserved more credit, and thinking about how to "settle accounts" after finding Lin Xiuyi, when they walked in and saw this scene.
The person they had been searching for all day, the person they thought would be patiently waiting for them, was actually here, so intimately together with another girl.

Yukiko's eyes narrowed, and the smile on her face turned dangerous.

Eri Kisaki's glasses reflected a cold light, and she exuded an aura that kept strangers at bay.

The two exchanged a glance, then simultaneously turned back to look at Lin Xiuyi.

At this moment, all their previous arguments were no longer important.

Because a new goal has emerged.

Lin Xiuyi's heart skipped a beat when he saw the expressions on the two girls' faces.

He suddenly felt that something really might happen at the izakaya today. (End of Chapter)