Ke Xue exorcists demons and starts with immobilization

Chu Zhong could only say tactfully, "Mainly, I feel the timing isn't right yet."

"The timing is wrong?"

"That's right. Although the uncle solved a few cases recently, his work is not stable enough, which seems to have an element of luck."

Chu Zhong made up a lie with a straight face: "Sister Fei and Uncle have been separated for so many years. If Uncle doesn't completely change the impression he left behind, it will probably be difficult to ease the tension between them."

"To put it simply..."

As Chu Zhong spoke, he suddenly lowered his head and leaned close to Xiao Lan, paused for 0.5 seconds, and then kissed her cheek.

Ran Mouri blushed slightly, "Chu Jun, don't suddenly change the subject..." Then she secretly glanced towards the living room.

Fortunately, I didn't see my mother there; she must have gone to take a bath.

"I didn't change the subject," Chu Zhong explained, "Xiao Lan, imagine if I reeked of smoke and alcohol, and had just lost money gambling, and I wanted to kiss you, wouldn't you instinctively dodge away?"

He deliberately paused for 0.5 seconds to give Xiaolan enough time to dodge.

"..." Ran Mouri fell silent.

Chu Zhong pressed further, "Were you thinking of Uncle?"

This is a rhetorical question, because "smoking, drinking, and gambling" have been Kogoro's labels all these years.

Ran Mouri nodded.

Chu Zhong continued, "I believe that Uncle wasn't like this before the separation, so why did he gradually develop these problems after the separation?"

Ran Mouri replied, "Because Mom isn't around, Dad is in a bad mood..."

Chu Zhong countered, "Then why didn't Sister Fei contract these ailments?"

"Aren't you sad? Is it true that you have no feelings for the older man? Is it that you don't want to get back together? Is it true that you abandoned your family and are unwilling to take care of Xiaolan?"

It also involved psychological traps.

It's easy to imagine that Xiaolan, who was determined to reunite her parents, would never admit that their relationship was irreparably broken.

Chu Zhong continued to probe: "What is it that allows Sister Fei to temporarily shield herself from the pain of leaving her family without relying on tobacco and alcohol?"

There is only one answer to this question!

“Because of work…” Ran murmured, “Mom focuses all her attention on work, so…”

Although separated for many years, Eri Kisaki has not forgotten her family, only that she has left them. She inquires about her daughter's life from time to time and sends her living expenses every month. Apart from not having time to spend with her, her love and care remain unchanged.

After Xiaolan gave him the answer he wanted, Chu Zhong continued his analysis: "Both of them are separated, but Sister Fei is becoming more and more successful at work, while Uncle is becoming increasingly depressed after losing his job. The gap between them is widening."

"And as a top lawyer, Sister Fei must be surrounded by elite lawyers in her work..."

At this point, Chu Zhong felt that Xiao Lan should have realized just how big the gap was between Eri Kisaki and Kogoro's social status and circumstances.

Even if Eri Kisaki were to remarry, Kogoro would have absolutely no chance of becoming a candidate.

Next, we need to pull back a bit and give Xiaolan a glimmer of hope:

"Fortunately, the uncle's reasoning ability is gradually showing. If he can continue to maintain this, his fame will surely grow before long."

"We won't need to relay it to her; Sister Fei will see news about Uncle in the newspaper every now and then and know that Uncle has changed."

"We can facilitate the match then, which will naturally be much more effective!"

It is said that "to deceive others, you must first deceive yourself." Halfway through his analysis, Chu Zhong suddenly realized that this was indeed the case.

After all, in the original work, it was because Kogoro repeatedly solved cases and became more and more famous that Eri Kisaki's attitude towards Kogoro softened a bit.

"Lord Chu's analysis is truly excellent!"

After hearing this, Ran Mouri said happily, "Then all we have to do now is wait for Daddy's job to stabilize and his fame to grow?"

“That’s right!” Chu Zhong knew that he had achieved his goal of getting Xiao Lan to mention Kogoro less in the future. “We’ll take action when the time is right.”

At this point, Chu Zhong and Xiao Lan had achieved a tacit understanding as teammates.

The dishes were washed just then, and the two of them shook off the water from their hands and dried them with a cloth.

Then, Chu Zhong found himself with Xiao Lan in his arms.

Ran Mouri said gratefully, "Chu Jun, if it weren't for your help in analyzing things, I would still be worrying about my parents' situation."

As she spoke, she wrapped her arms around Chu Zhong's neck and gently pulled him down, while simultaneously standing on tiptoe.

"It will give you a cold," Chu Zhong quickly said, covering his mouth with his hand.

Ran Mouri didn't stop, planting a sweet kiss on Chu Zhong's cheek, "Now you don't have to worry~"

The girl immediately smiled happily, as if the heartache that had been weighing on her heart for many years had finally found a cure.

After embracing for a while in the kitchen, Chu Zhong took the initiative to let go of her hand to avoid having any further thoughts while she was still recovering from her cold.

"That's strange, where did Mom go? Is she in her room?"

However, Ran Mouri later discovered that her mother was nowhere to be found in the living room or bathroom.

I knocked on Eri's door, but there was no response, and no light came out from under the door.

After making the call, I discovered that the phone was ringing from the bedroom.

It was already past 8 p.m.

"It's so late, where did Mom go without saying a word? She didn't even take her phone..."

Ran Mouri suddenly became uneasy. "Could it be that I mentioned Dad during dinner and upset Mom...?"

"There have been more and more crimes lately... Chu Jun, let's go downstairs together to find Mom!"

Ran Mouri, growing increasingly anxious, grabbed Chu Zhong and headed for the door.

"Xiaolan, calm down. Since Sister Fei didn't bring it..."

Chu Zhong wanted to persuade her further, but Xiao Lan's unusual strength pulled him forward quickly. Afraid of biting his tongue, he could only shut up.

Fortunately, someone opened the door from the outside first.

"Where are you two going so late?"

Eri Kisaki stood at the doorway, carrying a plastic bag, looking at her daughter who was getting ready to change her shoes in the entryway.

"Mom!" Ran rushed to her mother and explained the reason.

Eri Kisaki was both amused and exasperated. "I was just going to the nearby convenience store to buy some snacks, and look how scared you got."

As she spoke, she gently stroked Ran Mouri's head with a look of doting affection, "You're so old, yet you still panic like a child. Chu Jun is much calmer than you."

Ran Mouri buried her head in her mother's arms and said sweetly, "I'm just a little kid in front of my mom..."

Chu Zhong smiled and said, "I noticed that Sister Fei didn't bring her phone, but she did bring her handbag. She must have gone out not far and should be back soon."

"However, Xiaolan's concerns are not unfounded. For a beautiful woman like Sister Fei to walk alone at night is quite risky."

With Chu Zhong speaking up for her, Ran Mouri reminded her again, "That's right! Mom, you must remember to bring your phone from now on! It's best to tell us in advance where you're going..."

Eri Kisaki shook her head helplessly and said with a smile, "Do we have to tell each other in advance where we're going? Who's the mother and who's the daughter now?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Zhong and Ran Mouri couldn't help but laugh.

After the false alarm, Ran Mouri and Eri Kisaki went to take a bath together.

Chu Zhong was watching TV in the living room, picking out some snacks he liked from the ones Fei Yingli had bought.

About half an hour later, Eri Kisaki and Ran Mouri came out wrapped in bath towels and went to their room to dry their hair.

Chu Zhong was the last to take a bath, and he felt that the bathroom was filled with a sweet fragrance, as if even the bathwater had a faint aroma...

After taking a bath, it was almost ten o'clock.

Considering he still needed to run dungeons after midnight, Chu Zhong took some cold medicine and went back to his room to sleep and recharge.

I do not know how long it has been……

"Lord Chu! Wake up!! Lord Chu!!!"

Chu Zhong, who was in a deep sleep, was forcibly shaken awake.

"Xiaolan...what's wrong...?"

Chu Zhong was still sleepy and couldn't see clearly at first, but he recognized who had run into the room from the sound.

I rubbed my eyes and checked the time again; it was 11:30 p.m.

Why is Xiaolan still awake at this hour? What is she doing in his room?

Sensing the urgency in her voice, Chu Zhong guessed that Xiao Lan probably wasn't there to ambush him.

"Chu Jun, do you remember that Mom went out to buy snacks just now?"

"Well, what's the problem?"

"Mom took a handbag with her when she went out, right?"

"so?"

"Guess what I found in my handbag?!"

"what?"

"...Balloons! Three boxes of small balloons!!!"

Ran Mouri cried out in a panic, "What should we do, Chu Jun? Mom is having an affair! I had no idea!"

"It's all my fault for not visiting my mother enough. I never imagined things would escalate to this point! ...Is tomorrow's court hearing a lie? Is he actually going on a date?!"

"Chu Jun, how about we pretend to go out tomorrow and actually follow Mom?"

Chu Zhong quickly understood the situation.

It must be that Ran was too concerned about Eri's every move, and she secretly rummaged through her handbag.

After discovering the small balloon, I couldn't sleep at night and tossed and turned, so I came over to discuss it with him.

Chu Zhong stood up and put his hands on Xiao Lan's shoulders. "Xiao Lan, do you think there's such a possibility..."

"Did Sister Fei buy these things for me?"

"To be precise, it's us, me, and you."

Ran Mouri froze, clearly unable to react.

Chu Zhong then had no choice but to remind her again, "Do you remember the first time we met at the dessert shop? Sister Fei reminded us to be careful when we were sparring..."

Even if Ran Mouri was slow on the uptake, she understood the meaning behind those words, and her cheeks instantly turned bright red.

"But...but even if it really is..."

Perhaps clinging to that sliver of hope, Ran didn't run away immediately, stammering, "There's no need for Mom to go buy it herself..."

Chu Zhong said half-jokingly, "That's right, even if Sister Fei is very cautious, she would never have imagined that Xiao Lan would come to my room so late at night."

"Even if I buy it now, I won't have a chance to use it..."

As he spoke, Chu Zhong made a move to hug Xiao Lan.

Immediately embarrassed, Ran Mouri jumped back a step and fled the room as if escaping.

After closing the door,

Chu Zhong's relaxed expression quickly turned serious.

The Mori couple have been separated for so many years, and Eri Kisaki is such an outstanding woman; it wouldn't be surprising if she were to have an affair due to loneliness...

At least today, when Chu Zhong was in contact with Eri, he could feel her strong feminine charm and that she did not resist some physical contact.

She is not the cold, aloof, and outdated ice queen that outsiders perceive her to be.

It might be hidden quite well...

However, Chu Zhong had no doubt that those three boxes of small balloons were indeed prepared for him.

Looking at the time, it was still a little over ten minutes before midnight, so Chu Zhong waited for a while.

Once the date watershed is crossed,

[Deduct 1000 Spirit Essence, Demon King-level Ran Mouri dungeon activated]

[Detected that the conditions for unlocking the hidden dungeon have been met. Do you wish to activate it by consuming the items "Police Manual" and "Wedding Ring"?]