He's in Detective Conan, and he's the mastermind behind everything.

"........."

Chapter 257 Being a sugar daddy?! Independence! Eri Kisaki's Love!

"Both Ai and Akechi are very talented scientists. Their research results, if simply transferred, could create enormous wealth. They have the technology, and the Suzuki Foundation has the funds; they would make a very good partner."

Ying Sheng spoke frankly, then pointed to himself and Xiao Lan, and said with a smile, "And you and me, let's just say we know both sides quite well, so we're a cooperative guarantor."

Xiao Lan was a little stunned. Why did the topic suddenly shift to this?

Ying Sheng took her hand and ran quickly across the zebra crossing; the green light on the other side was already flashing.

"I'm telling you, you're not thinking about love and romance all the time again, are you?" When they reached the other side of the street, Hotaru smiled and poked Ran's forehead. "You love-struck fool, even if you don't have faith in me, you should at least have faith in Sonoko. She won't repeat my mistakes."

As the cars stopped at the red light and started moving again, Xiaolan saw their reflections on the slowly moving car windows. She felt a surge of embarrassment and annoyance, and let out a soft snort.

"I just had too much faith in you, okay? If you have feelings for Sonoko, she definitely won't escape."

"Well, alas, my disgraceful reputation has ultimately come back to haunt me."

Ying Sheng raised his hands in surrender, his eyes full of smiles: "But I'm telling you, you have to have some confidence in yourself. In order to avoid hurting you and making you leave me, I will absolutely not hurt anyone related to you."

Xiaolan blushed slightly, but quickly remembered what happened in the taxi earlier, and rolled her eyes at him: "Besides, even if you hurt me, you won't let me know."

Hotaru shrugged: "Oh, so you still care about Mr. Mori."

"Just like Shinichi said, he is my father after all, how could I not be worried?"

Ran turned around and continued walking towards the restaurant: "Can Ai and the others conduct business activities normally?"

"Of course not at the moment. We need to act as agents, and the application projects need to be kept far away from the A drug series to avoid attracting the attention of the winery."

After entering the restaurant next door and taking their seats, Ying Sheng and Xiao Lan handed the menu back to the waiter and raised their glasses to drink together.

After savoring the taste, Ying Sheng shook his head: "Disappointing, it's just lemon iced tea. At first glance, I thought it was champagne."

Xiaolan looked at him with suspicion: "You don't really have an alcohol addiction, do you? Be careful you don't end up like my dad."

“When I feel bored or lack energy, I want something exciting, but since I’m with you now, it’s just a casual remark.” Ying Sheng smiled. “I’ve noticed that you’ve recently developed a good habit.”

Xiaolan sighed: "Does that mean I've become more extravagant and don't even look at the price when I buy things?"

"Being more relaxed is definitely a good thing, but you still seem to care."

"Of course I care, and the more I think about it, the stranger it seems." Xiaolan counted on her fingers, "The home renovation, Dad's medical expenses, Miss Aida and the caregiver's wages, my recent daily expenses, and the custom-made dresses and suits."

She looked up at Ying Sheng and snorted, "What's this? You could say I'm being kept by you."

"puff--!"

Ying Sheng was lucky she hadn't drunk any water, otherwise it would have been a disaster: "Hey, Xiao Lan, are you really that bold now?"

Xiaolan said irritably, "Just like you said, this is called being more at ease, okay? And I'm just telling the truth."

“Well… it’s true that my mindset has improved a lot. I don’t care about appearances as much as before.” Ying Sheng tapped the table lightly with his fingers and pondered for a few moments. “But this definitely doesn’t count as what you’re talking about. You can think of it as a bonus. What you deserve is actually much more than what you use.”

"Eh?"

Xiao Lan pondered for two seconds: "So, Shuiyue-jun profited from the previous operations?"

Ying Sheng nodded: "More or less, but the most crucial thing is the future. Ai and Akechi's cooperation with the Suzuki Group is incredibly lucrative in the pharmaceutical industry, supporting countless giants. What you're using now is just a drop in the ocean."

Ran looked suspicious: "So, Suigetsu-kun wanted to rescue Ai in the first place because of this?"

"........."

Ying Sheng was speechless: "At first, I really didn't think about these things. My money comes from thin air, and I've never cared about it. But if you want to live a normal life, and Ai and Akechi also want to live a normal life, then of course you need money."

It is better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish. Ai and Akechi have such outstanding talents, so of course they should be put to use.

This is by no means exploiting them; they are happy to do it themselves. After all, even if you and I are as close as we are, you still care about the differences between us.

Even if I could carelessly support them for their entire lives, they would inevitably feel like they are living under someone else's roof.

Have you ever heard the saying?

Only with economic independence can one talk about personal independence.

I don't want to raise them into dependent pets. What would be the point of rescuing them from the distillery if they were just going from a metal box to an exquisite birdcage? They would seem completely different, but in reality, they would both be deprived of their freedom.

The freedom to do whatever one wants and not do whatever one doesn't want undoubtedly needs to be built on a sufficient economic foundation.

With their talents, they could have easily obtained these.

Seeing that Xiaolan was a little stunned, Yingsheng smiled and said, "Compared to them, we two are actually more like the ones being taken care of, since we have to rely on their skills. Now that you think about it this way, has your impression of them changed a little?"

Ran pondered for a while, then hesitated and said, "Ai is still Ai, it seems... there's nothing wrong with her."

Hotaru shook his head and said, "Some problems can't be generalized; you have to look at the details. After you took Ai and Akechi away from the izakaya last night, you must have taken them to buy toiletries, right? Did you notice their choices? And the enthusiasm they showed for other things?"

Xiaolan thought for a moment and said uncertainly, "They seem to be very casual about daily life and don't seem to put much effort into it."

Hotaru sighed softly: "Alright, that means your observation isn't sharp enough. I don't know if Akechi cares or not, but Ai can't possibly not care. Have you forgotten our meeting at Fusa's? She knows a lot about luxury goods."

Her casual demeanor at that time was most likely just her sensibly adapting to the new environment.

Last night around 11:30, I had the boutique deliver some things to the Mori residence. Although they didn't make it in time for Ai's daily necessities last night, she should be able to use them this morning. Did you notice her changing her toiletries?

Ran opened her mouth, then lowered her head in self-reproach: "I'm sorry, this morning when I saw Ai had changed her water cup, I even went so far as to ask her if she didn't like yesterday's. She was planning to change it back later..."

Ying Sheng chuckled: "You would always refuse, wouldn't you?"

Xiaolan nodded quickly: "Of course, I'm not really that stupid."

"Then it's nothing. Ai is very smart and can understand that you are just asking a simple question and don't mean anything else."

Seeing that Xiaolan breathed a slight sigh of relief, Yingsheng became a little more serious: "But this is enough to explain a lot of things. Have you noticed that when one party is in a dominant position, even if their words and actions have no deep meaning, they will make people think more about them?"

This kind of thing is very common in family education, and you should be very familiar with it.

Even if it was a legitimate need of the school in the past, if you asked Mr. Mori for money and he said something, even if you eventually gave him the money, wouldn't you still feel a vague sense of guilt?

Xiaolan nodded as if she understood: "That's definitely the feeling..." She smiled and said, "But I didn't pay too much attention to it, since he would always pay me in the end anyway. Later, after I learned karate, I would even punch him when I got really angry."

"Haha, what a clever and intelligent woman! I admire you!"

Ying Sheng cupped his hands and smiled: "That's why I always say you're amazing. You've grown into who you are today. Is it because you're naturally optimistic? If other children were in your situation, their mental state would definitely be worse."

Xiaolan blinked: "And what about you, Shuiyue-jun?"

"Perhaps it is Shuiyue Yingsheng, but it doesn't matter now." Yingsheng smiled. "The past does have a profound impact on a person's growth, but it is definitely not the whole story. Now that you have grown up and understand the ways of the world, it is just a matter of raising yourself again."

"Hmm, looking at it this way, it's clear that Mizuki-kun is indeed more amazing. I never thought of these things before."

Ran clasped her hands to her chest, her eyes filled with memories of the past and gratitude for her friend: "Actually, Sonoko had a huge influence on me. Without her, I might have become a terrible person."

Mizuki-kun, do you know that when I was hesitant about learning karate, it was Sonoko who encouraged me to make up my mind? And after practicing karate, my whole spirits lifted up a lot, and I'm not like I used to be...

*Pfft—*

Xiaolan suddenly remembered something and smiled: "I was actually told by someone that I used to be a crybaby, but I gradually changed later."

Without even thinking, Ying Sheng knew that the person was Shinichi Kudo, but he didn't care. He just sighed, "It's really lucky to have met such a friend. It's also lucky to be able to get involved in martial arts and strengthen your mind and body. May I ask what the opportunity was?"

Ran's eyes immediately lit up with longing: "It's Maeda Satoshi-senpai! He's the All-Japan Karate Champion, my idol. I started learning karate from a young age because of him. As for the specific reason why..."

Yeah, I think I saw him on TV by chance, and I thought he was really handsome, so I wanted to learn from him.

Ying Sheng nodded: "Then this should still stem from your strong-willed personality since childhood. I feel it is inseparable from the education of Attorney Fei. Indeed, although your mother did not care about you much later, she has left a very important foundation in your spiritual world."

"Eh?"

Just as Xiaolan herself said, she had never deeply analyzed these issues, but now that Yingsheng had pointed them out one by one, it seemed...

When she was little, whenever she encountered difficulties or felt wronged, her mother would guide her gently yet firmly on how to handle the situation and overcome the challenges. She was also taught to respond strongly if she was bullied.

Memories flowed by one after another, and Xiaolan's eyes gradually softened.

"Indeed, my mother taught me a lot."

"Considering what Mizuki-kun is saying, I wasn't mentally broken by the next ten years. Aside from Sonoko and karate, my real childhood, with my mother around, didn't seem too bad; my foundation was stable."

Ying Sheng smiled gently: "In that case, should we personally invite Attorney Fei to come and watch your match tomorrow? You can express your gratitude to her properly tonight or tomorrow morning."

"of course yes."

Ran nodded, looked at Hotaru for a few seconds, and added, "We'll decide after we visit Ms. Kusano and see what time it is. Also, you have to come with me."

Ying Sheng shook his head: "The first one is true, but what would I do there if I went over to your heart-to-heart talk with Attorney Fei and her son? It would be too much of an eyesore."

Last time, weren't you a little disappointed because you didn't fully express your true feelings, and because you listened to my advice and acted a bit? Now you understand much more, and you no longer need my guidance in this area, which can make up for the regret from last time.

Xiaolan looked directly into Yingsheng's eyes: "Are you serious?"

Ying Sheng didn't shy away from the question and retorted, "Otherwise what? It can't be that I'm afraid to meet your parents, can it? I'm a scumbag, you know. I can easily handle this kind of thing."

"........."

Xiaolan was speechless: "That's really what I was thinking, but now that you've said that, I think even in the end, I'd rather not let you go."

Ying Sheng chuckled: "These things should be left to nature. I won't avoid them, nor will I actively pursue that sense of ritual. Of course, if you want to use this method to confirm something, can I ask Attorney Fei's preferences so I can prepare a gift?"

“Let’s let it go this time. You’re right. But,” Xiaolan said seriously, “my mom said last time that she was very surprised by my changes and asked me if I had read any books or met any people. I just brushed it off.”

If she asks again this time, I'll mention you; she might invite you over later.

"my pleasure."

Ying Sheng laughed and said, "However, if Attorney Fei wants to show off her cooking skills to me, I hope Xiao Lan can help me smooth things over and let us eat at a restaurant outside."

"What the hell, you rascal."

Xiaolan rolled her eyes at him, but her heart was already filled with joy, and the world seemed to brighten up.

However, recalling Ying Sheng's consistent attitude, she restrained herself slightly and said cautiously, "I promise I won't bring it up. I'm not trying to force you to make a statement, I know it won't work on you."

Ying Sheng sighed, "I was wrong. How about I call Attorney Fei myself?"

Xiaolan quickly shook her head: "It's not like that, I know what Shuiyue-kun is thinking, it's just... um..."

"You're being too calm, aren't you?" Hotaru asked.

Xiaolan nodded weakly, then quickly shook her head:

"I understand!"