Conan: The Man Behind the Romance

Chapter 174: Sonoko: Damn it! I was here first!
The air suddenly became a little ambiguous, with sincerity and falsehood intertwined together, indistinguishable from each other, and no one could tell which was more and which was less.

Yingsheng and Xiaolan didn't say anything else, but just held hands and followed quietly behind the large group.

The road is long and short.

When the door of the restaurant finally came into view, when Xiaolan noticed that Yingsheng's hand had loosened, she didn't know whether she felt relieved or a faint sense of loss in her heart.

"Ms. Mingmei should be off work now. I'll call her to ask for her address." Yingsheng looked at the profile of the person at the end of the group who quickly turned away and smiled, "Suzuki-san has seen you so many times. You go in first."

Xiaolan nodded, hesitated for a moment and said, "You and Sonoko got along very naturally today, so there's no need to address each other in such a strange way."

"Well... you can try to mention it in front of Suzuki-san, but be careful that she might go berserk."

"…………I don't think Sonoko would be like that."

"Although Suzuki-san is a bit obsessed with looks, he is quite loyal once he sets his mind on someone, so, that's it." Yingsheng took out his phone, "Anyway, if you want to mention it, just say sorry three times to give a warning. Of course, it's best not to mention it."

"……Oh."

Xiaolan pouted and turned away.

Shuiyue-kun...

It's still very strange.

Xiaolan shook her head and took Sonoko's arm as she waited for her at the restaurant entrance: "Sonoko, thank you for coming to watch my game. Your encouragement has greatly increased my fighting power."

Yuanzi glanced at her and snorted coldly: "You just let go of that guy's hand, and you're trying to hold me again, right?"

Xiaolan cried: "Yuanzi, you despise me."

"..."

Yuanzi had no choice but to walk in with Xiaolan, saying with an unhappy face: "Xiaolan, you really learned bad things from that guy. You are not cute at all like before."

"Um……"

Xiaolan tilted her head: "Is there a possibility that I am actually a bad kid?"

Snapped--!
Sonoko slapped her forehead, her face full of despair: "In the gym, I thought what he said made sense, but now it seems that he is training you, Xiaolan, in a very strange direction."

"so……"

Xiaolan blinked: "Isn't what he said wrong?"

"Yes, of course, but..."

Sonoko sighed softly, "Is it really possible to completely ignore the gazes of outsiders, and not seek the approval of parents or even the whole society? If you just pursue it blindly, wouldn't it be the same as going against the world before you reach it?"

"not like this."

Xiaolan shook her head and said, "Sonoko exaggerated what Suigetsu-kun said. He didn't say that we should completely abandon the outside world. He just said that we should distinguish between the primary and the secondary and know what we really want. Suigetsu-kun attaches great importance to the concept of 'real things'."

"..."

Sonoko was speechless: "You know so much, then I have nothing to say, it seems that this is indeed better for you, then let's do it..." Sonoko paused and looked at Xiaolan, "Actually, there are some things I wanted to say to Xiaolan in the past, but I felt that I didn't have the position. Can I say it now?"

Xiaolan nodded quickly: "Of course, Sonoko can always tell me."

"I'm sorry, but since you've never lived alone before, I can't see the comparison and I'm a little hesitant." Sonoko took a deep breath and looked at Xiaolan seriously, "Anyway, how do you think it feels to live alone now that you don't have to take care of Uncle Maori every day?"

huh?

Xiaolan's eyes immediately became evasive. Sonoko thought she understood what he meant, but she still sided with her father and was unwilling to give a direct answer. Just as she was about to speak with some regret, she heard:

"Actually, Suigetsu-kun has also mentioned this." Sonoko: "…………"

Overturn the table(╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻!
Damn it, she was the one who came here first, but no matter what, all the ideas that were good for Xiaolan were preempted. Why is this?

Xiaolan said weakly, "Mr. Shuiyue also asked me to make a table to score my past and present according to the items of free time, fatigue level, and self-improvement, and compare them. It has been a week, and I have indeed gained something."

"........."

Sonoko was speechless again, and then dejected. Damn it, that guy not only got ahead of her, but his plan was even more perfect than hers. She was completely defeated.

She sighed and said, "So, Xiaolan, what do you think? Do you want to move out and live alone? Don't worry about the money. We have a lot of properties near the school that are unoccupied. If you move in, we won't have to hire someone to clean up after a while."

Xiaolan shook her head: "Let's wait for a while, I haven't thought about it yet."

And he lived directly in Yuanzi's property...

She was not stupid. She knew how tight the real estate around Teitan High School was. Even if the Sonoko family didn't move in, it would be convenient to rent it out. How could she possibly live there for free?

Although she had received a lot of care and didn't have to dwell on it, but...

The feeling is subtly different.

Especially the fact of renting a house and living independently obviously has a strong symbolic meaning in her life so far.

If possible, if she really wants to move out, she still hopes to do it alone.

Last night she mentioned that she wanted to work part-time for this reason, but before she called, Sonoko persuaded her that it was unnecessary, and then Hotaru rejected her over the phone.

She herself didn't know what to do.

Yuanzi roughly guessed Xiaolan's dilemma, and her eyes lit up: "How about this, Xiaolan, you apply for the scholarship fund under the Suzuki Foundation. You have good academic performance, so you will definitely pass, and it's not given for free, um...

From now on, you are my connection!"

"..."

Xiaolan thought to herself: This might as well be given for free.

Moreover, her family conditions are actually better than most people, and she is unwilling to compete for a spot with people who really need the money.

Sonoko blinked and said, "Xiaolan, you can give it a try. Maybe you won't be accepted."

"…So you're planning to do this behind the scenes, right?"

"No way..." Yuanzi turned her head away guiltily, then immediately turned back and said through gritted teeth, "Then Xiaolan, write me an IOU. After you get a job, I will come to your house every day to collect the debt!"

"Oh, Sonoko, that's not what I meant."

Xiaolan still expressed her desire to be self-reliant in this matter, and added at the end: "Besides, I haven't made up my mind yet."

Although when she said this, it was clear that she already had her own intention.

"That's it..."

Yuanzi immediately began to think about what easy and profitable things she could do at home that she could reasonably give to Xiaolan, and Xiaolan would not refuse...

"Xiaolan, I have something to ask of you."

Outside, Yingsheng walked in.

Yuanzi looked up blankly, "No way, you're here again? !"
(End of this chapter)