Conan: The Man Behind the Romance

Chapter 318: Xiaolan is the leader, and so is Home Base!

After waiting in the corridor for a while, Kogoro Mouri walked into the living room with a gloomy face.

Matsumoto Kiyonaga and others were standing at the edge of the living room. Maori Kogoro looked through them and saw Xiaolan walking towards them wearing a black yukata with gold edges.

The silk fabric of the bathrobe was as smooth as water, and against her skin it seemed to be emitting a sheen.

Xiaolan gently pulled the belt to outline her slender waist and tied a knot at the side.

"Everyone, what can I do for you?"

she looked up and asked.

Some of the police turned their eyes away, while others stared in amazement.

A hint of relief inexplicably flashed across Matsumoto Kiyonaga's eyes, as if he saw the figure of his daughter Matsumoto Yuri.

For most fathers, it is much better for their daughter to have a generous and generous personality than to become a delicate and timid little white flower.

This way, I don’t have to worry about my daughter being cheated outside…

Well, at least one less thing to worry about.

When she encounters something, she will not just cry by herself, burying her grievances in her heart and not daring to tell adults.

Plus, my daughter is so beautiful, which is really a comfort to me.

Matsumoto Kiyonaga opened his mouth to speak, but before that, he glanced at Mori Kogoro out of the corner of his eye and felt that his anger should have subsided for the most part.

But Maori Kogoro obviously didn't have the same train of thought as Matsumoto Kiyonaga, and he gritted his teeth and said, "Xiaolan, you have become really outrageous now! Where is the kid from the Suiyue family? Let him come out quickly! Are you hiding and afraid to see people?!"

"He's a little inconvenient right now."

Xiaolan glanced at her father calmly.

Kogoro Mouri stood there in a daze, and suddenly felt that Xiaolan in front of him and the world around him became extremely strange.

"You are not Xiaolan!"

He shouted, his voice a little sharp.

The surrounding policemen immediately raised their pistols and aimed at Xiaolan. Matsumoto Kiyonaga's eyes also became sharp and his whole body tensed up, ready to respond to any attack at any time.

They all believed that as a father, Kogoro Mori would naturally understand his daughter very well.

Now this impostor has been exposed by him in just a few words.

"I don't understand you, Dad."

Xiaolan remained calm. She slowly raised her hand amid the dark gun muzzles and turned her gaze slightly to look at Matsumoto Kiyonaga.

"Are you really a police officer?"

"of course."

Matsumoto Kiyonaga knew what she meant. He raised his hand to stop Kogoro Mori who was about to say something else. He took out his ID from his arms and showed it to Xiaolan, explaining his purpose.

"There are several very vicious criminals hiding in this apartment. They may disguise themselves as other people. We need to be completely sure of your identity."

"Just like Mystique in the Marvel movies?" Xiaolan raised her eyebrows slightly.

"Almost the same, but it's easier to verify. Just check whether there is artificial skin on the face," said Seinaga Matsumoto.

"Then use your method to confirm it. Do you need my cooperation?"

"No need, just don't move."

Matsumoto Kiyonaga tilted his head to look at a female police officer. Considering the need to confirm the disguise of a female beforehand, a female police officer would of course be provided.

The policewoman stepped forward, groped Xiaolan's jaw with her bare hands for a few seconds, and then gently pulled her skin on her cheek.

A moment later she reported to Matsumoto Kiyonaga and confirmed that no trace of disguise was found.

"You're not using enough strength, let me do it!"

Kogoro Mori wanted to step forward.

Xiaolan looked at him quietly without saying anything.

Matsumoto Kiyonaga raised his hand again to stop him: "I don't think that's necessary, because of the action just now, the wound on Miss Lan's right cheek is already oozing blood, and disguise can't achieve this level. Sorry, we..."

Matsumoto Kiyonaga paused as Xiaolan pinched his left cheek with her left hand and pulled it hard, leaving two red marks when she let go. He then spoke calmly.

"If you're going to verify it, verify it thoroughly. I don't want to leave any doubts and cause endless trouble."

Matsumoto Kiyonaga was speechless. He looked past Xiaolan and glanced at the room behind her. There was some movement there, like a groan of pain.

Since it has been verified that Xiaolan is the real person, Matsumoto Kiyonaga did not immediately become suspicious, but just gave Xiaolan a questioning look.

Xiaolan, who was always calm and composed, showed some embarrassment on her face: "Do you really need to confirm it right now?"

"That would be best," Matsumoto Kiyonaga said. "There are still many residents in this apartment. We hope to complete the inspection as soon as possible to eliminate any potential safety risks for you."

"Then...can fewer people go in?"

"why?"

"Because..." Xiaolan blushed and looked out the balcony, "They are playing some small games inside, just... um... anyway, that kind of thing."

Matsumoto Kiyonaga didn't understand what she meant for a moment, and the female police officer blushed instantly. When she saw Matsumoto Kiyonaga looking at her, she coughed lightly and said seriously that she was willing to go in and search.

Matsumoto Kiyonaga agreed, and to prevent any accidents, he called a young police officer with a similarly red face to match her.

As they walked over there, Xiaolan asked casually, "I am a little worried. What if those criminals disguise themselves as police officers?"

Matsumoto Kiyonaga smiled but said nothing.

Xiaolan also smiled: "I understand, you have set up a secret code, right?"

Matsumoto Kiyonaga smiled and nodded, feeling that the free-spirited and intelligent Xiaolan was even more likable than his own daughter.

"What's that wound on your face?" he asked.

"Nothing, I just accidentally rubbed it against you before."

Xiaolan took a tissue from the dining table and gently wiped away the blood that was sliding down her cheek.

Matsumoto Kiyonaga glanced at Maori Kogoro again from the corner of his eye, and seeing that he was keeping his head down and not speaking, he asked again: "Miss Lan, did you hear any gunshots before?"

Xiaolan frowned slightly, "I did hear two sounds similar to firecrackers. Was that the sound of gunfire? I'm sorry, I didn't pay much attention to it before, and I don't know the exact location where the gunshots came from, but there was a loud explosion outside the window. From what you guys are saying now, could it be a sniper rifle?"

"should be."

Matsumoto Kiyonaga looked around the house and found no obvious signs of bullet holes. He just felt that this family probably paid great attention to home hygiene. The surrounding white walls and the ceiling above were all spotless and there was no damage at all.

"We want to search the house, is that okay?" Matsumoto Kiyonaga said. "If there is any damage or property loss, you can file a complaint against us."

"no problem."

Xiaolan agreed and watched the police officers take action. She walked alone to the wisteria trellis on the balcony and looked out at the city scenery under the sun.

The two policemen who had entered the master bedroom before came out, their faces flushed and they shook their heads at Matsumoto Kiyonaga. Matsumoto Kiyonaga personally reached out and pulled their faces to confirm that they were still their own people.

Kogoro Mouri stayed there for a moment, and after seeing this scene, he finally took a step towards the balcony.

He was leaning on a cane, and his movements were a little stiff, but he finally stopped next to Xiaolan.

Xiaolan glanced at him sideways and said nothing.

Kogoro Mouri looked at the bloodstain on Xiaolan's delicate profile with a complicated look in his eyes. After hesitating for a long time, he finally spoke.

"Does it hurt?"

"I am a warrior." Xiaolan said calmly.

Maori Kogoro sighed softly and looked out the balcony, "I'm sorry about what happened just now."

"You were just angry for a moment, it's nothing, it even shows that you care about me, although the way you expressed it is a little wrong, Miss Aida taught your father."

"Indeed, she told me that it is a taboo to speak without thinking. If you don't know how to speak, your good intentions will only make people disgusted, just like when she treated Yingli."

Xiaolan nodded: "It's easier said than done, most things are like this, Dad, you have to pay more attention."

"..."

Although he came with the intention of apologizing, Kogoro Mori still felt a little uncomfortable being scolded by his own daughter.

He changed the subject and said, "Ms. Aida hasn't come to the hospital these past two days. She told me on the phone that your Mizuki-kun arranged other things for her?"

"That's true." Xiaolan didn't say much.

The balcony fell into silence for a moment, and the sound of rummaging through drawers in the living room behind him became quite distant, as if it came from another world.

A breeze blew by, and the green leaves of the wisteria rustled, and the passing of time became comfortable.

But in this world, Kogoro Mori was not in a leisurely mood at all. His face showed some anxiety. He opened his mouth several times, but no sound came out.

Xiaolan knew very well what Kogoro Mouri wanted to ask, but naturally she would not take the initiative to respond.

She and Yingsheng had not had any intimate physical contact until now, and it could almost be said that they were emotional and polite. Yesterday afternoon, the two of them swam to a secluded reef and accidentally found a comic book left by someone on a reef.

The two of them swam over curiously, intending to take a look.

As a result, as soon as they caught a glimpse of the large area of ​​snow-white skin and the girl's rosy cheeks on the pink cover, their bodies froze.

But for some unknown reason, they still opened the comic book, and in the shallow sea next to the reef, with their skin pressed tightly together, they flipped through the pages one by one.

My breath gradually became hotter, the touch around me became clearer and clearer, and a faint fragrance came.

It was not known who looked at whom first, but anyway, Yingsheng and Xiaolan looked at each other.

For the first time, they both looked away at the same time.

The second time, neither of them moved away.

The gentle sea breeze continued to stir the comic book pages, and now the only one reading them was Poseidon.

Something is probably going to happen.

Both of them felt this way, but neither avoided it nor rejected it.

They walked barefoot on the soft white sand, facing each other, and their bodies slowly pressed together.

Two little fish swam lightly by their feet, and then their lips touched.

A slight tingling sensation spread throughout her body, and a pure white cloud like cotton candy rose in the water, lightly supporting her body.

The images I had seen before were like fleeting shadows, like a cat's paw pad gently scratching my heart, and finally turned into a soft moan.

Youth is like a dream, like morning dew...

A hint of confusion gradually appeared in Xiaolan's blue eyes, and she felt that she was a little drunk.

The next second, Suzuki Sonoko's voice floated from the other side of the reef.

The world is broken.

The beautiful thought in her mind was fleeting, and a green leaf passed by her eyes. Xiaolan raised her hand and picked it up with some annoyance.

Although Sonoko was her best friend, but suddenly appearing at that time...

Alas, I can only say that it was a trick played by the goddess of fate.

In short, apart from this incident, the speed at which Xiaolan and Hotaru's relationship develops cannot be considered fast among Japanese high school students.

They themselves don't care about this and just want to let nature take its course.

however……

After covering up for action a few times, others don't think so.

The main thing is the winery. In their eyes, Xiaolan and Yingsheng are not only at home, but also having a lot of fun as young people.

Anyway, the winery is an evil party that will be wiped out sooner or later, so Xiaolan doesn't really care about being misunderstood by them.

But today, I had to use this excuse again due to circumstances, and I ran into my father...

Although Xiaolan looked quite calm the whole time, she actually wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

This is really too shameful!
At this moment, Kogoro Maori obviously wanted to ask topics like "What is the status of your relationship?", but Xiaolan didn't need to mention it at all.

After all, there was only one answer she could give, and in the current situation, something that didn't exist had to happen.

"Miss Lan, we have completed the inspection."

In the living room behind him, the clanging sound of rummaging through drawers stopped, and the voice of Matsumoto Kiyonaga was heard.

Xiaolan felt a huge weight drop in her heart, and turned back and smiled, "Did you find any problems?"

"Just kidding, of course not. I'm sorry to bother you."

"No, the police are also thinking about us. I wish you can catch those criminals as soon as possible." Xiaolan seemed to suddenly think of something and left the balcony. "The police haven't searched the flower stand yet. Do you want to come and take a look?"

Matsumoto Kiyonaga looked at the flower stand carefully for a few times and made sure that there was no place where a person could hide in the green.

Looking at the soil in the wooden box below, the top layer of soil showed signs of renovation and was deep enough to hide a person.

However, the wooden box looked like a whole from the outside, but inside it was divided into multiple areas with wooden boards. It was absolutely impossible to hide a person intact inside, and it would be more like a dismembered body.

Even if the criminal they were looking for was dead, there was no sign of dismemberment in the room.

Matsumoto Kiyonaga shook his head and said, "No, we trust Miss Lan. Please don't get me wrong. This is just a routine inspection. Every household in this apartment building will do the same."

Xiaolan smiled and nodded, without forcing it. She caught a glimpse of Kogoro Mouri squatting next to the wooden box with a shovel in his hand, and her heart immediately tightened.

"Dad, have you found any clues?"

"Ah, no." Maori Kogoro scratched his head and smiled awkwardly, "Ms. Aida also placed a few potted plants on the balcony of my ward, but they were not growing well. I saw that the plants here are growing so well, so I wanted to see if there was any difference in the soil."

"So that's it."

Xiaolan walked to a corner of the balcony and pushed out a foam box filled with fresh black soil.

"I don't know how Hotaru prepares the soil, but he always prepares some extra so dad can take some away."

"There's actually a spare one. How convenient."

Kogoro Mouri picked up the shovel that was prepared in the wooden box, shoveled some soil into the foam box, observed it carefully for a few seconds, then shook his head and put it down.

"It looks like the color should be darker, but my legs and feet are not convenient this time, and I have some work to do, so I'll wait until next time."

After he said that, he stood up with his crutches.

Perhaps because the topic was changed, Kogoro Mouri gathered up a little courage. He looked at Xiaolan and finally asked the question hesitantly.

"You and your boyfriend, who is it now..."

"The stage of having nothing." Xiaolan interrupted with a cold face.

Kogoro Mouri looked at her with suspicion. Although Xiaolan was telling the truth, she still felt inexplicably guilty and turned her eyes away.

"Ugh……"

Kogoro Mori sighed and limped towards the door, his face full of loneliness that showed the passing of time.

"I am not qualified to teach you a lesson. Anyway, you should be careful about your own behavior."

"........."

Xiaolan looked like she had lost all hope in life. It was too strange that things turned out like this.

Matsumoto Kiyonaga had already gone out with the police. When he saw Mori Kogoro coming, he quickly waved his hand.

"Mr. Maori, you are injured. You should go back to the hospital to rest. The following verification process is just a mechanical repetition and does not require too keen observation."

Maori Kogoro shook his head: "Let's go first, and go back when we can't hold on any longer."

He looked back and saw Xiaolan, with her long hair fluttering, standing by the balcony, smiling and waving to him goodbye.

With a resentful look in his eyes, Kogoro Mori closed the door from the outside and asked Matsumoto Kiyonaga a strange question.

"Tell me, is that yukata for men or women?"

"........."

Of course, Matsumoto Kiyonaga would not answer such a question. He patted Kogoro Mori on the shoulder and walked towards 2601.

Mr. Maori must be feeling complicated now that the little cabbage he raised with so much effort has passed away. He might as well find something to do to divert his attention.

Matsumoto Kiyonaga had already learned from the apartment manager that room 2601 was now uninhabited, so he asked for the key.

He opened the door and entered first, and other police officers immediately rushed in and carefully checked every corner.

Most of the furniture in this room had been moved away before, so it was quite empty and didn't require much manpower.

When Kogoro Mouri saw the two policemen who had entered the master bedroom of the Mizuki house standing in the living room, he immediately went over and asked them in a low voice what they had seen before.

"……rogue!"

The policewoman blushed and immediately walked away to join the search team, pretending to be busy even though she had nothing to do.

Kogoro Mouri felt confused. What did he say to make him a hooligan?

Another male police officer also wanted to leave, but Maori Kogoro grabbed him and asked him in a kind voice.

The male police officer hesitated for a moment and whispered, "Do you know about rope art? Also, CD, SM, do you know anything about it?"

"hiss--!"

Kogoro Mouri has been hanging around in nightclubs for many years, so he is of course familiar with all this. When he heard this, he immediately took a breath of cold air, his eyes full of disbelief.

"Could it be that the kid from Shuiyue family..."

The male police officer nodded slightly and said in a sighing tone: "As expected of Mr. Liuying."

(End of this chapter)