Conan: The Man Behind the Romance

Chapter 396: Hibiki Eri, completely melted...

On that rainy night ten years ago, when Kisaki Eri left the house filled with smoke and quarrels, she felt only a sense of relief after being suppressed for a long time.

She and Kogoro Mori were childhood sweethearts and got married when they were just 20 years old. Their love life was smooth sailing.

In other words, there was not even any romantic relationship between them, and they went straight to the family stage.

It was as if there was some kind of convention that childhood sweethearts had to be locked in, as if this marriage had been decided since they first met in class.

Less than a year later, Xiaolan was born.

Up to this point, Kisaki Eri was quite satisfied with her life.

They were not rich at that time and their material life was not very good.

But when I snuggle up with the one I love and wake up every morning, I am full of hope for the future.

When did things change?
Probably because there was no one at home to take care of Xiaolan, she had to take a two-year leave of absence from school to become a full-time housewife.

Even further back, when she was six months pregnant, no matter how loose her clothes were, she could not hide her belly, so she had to temporarily suspend her studies.

At that time, she was not yet twenty-one years old.

While her classmates were still running, laughing and enjoying their youth on the green grass, she was alone, caressing the heavy burden in a small space.

She didn't feel too bad at the time though.

Even when I felt the life beating in my belly, I felt a sense of happiness that was somewhat unbelievable.

I'm going to be a mother?

What will your children grow up to be like in the future?
With a beautiful vision of the future, even though Kogoro Maori still goes out early and comes back late every day, and she has to bear all the adverse reactions during pregnancy by herself, she still believes that she is happy.

Kogoro works so hard for his family.

she thinks.

Moreover, the workload at the Faculty of Law at the University of Tokyo was very heavy, and she didn't want to fall behind too much. Even though she was studying on the eve of giving birth, she didn't think too much about it on weekdays.

only……

I still think about it sometimes.

Even though she knew that her occasional negative emotions such as anxiety and depression were due to endocrine changes, she always tried to restrain herself and not add pressure to Kogoro Mouri.

But when it was late at night and everyone was asleep, I couldn't sleep because of the pain in my back and waist, and I heard the person next to me snoring loudly.

I think I will still think about it to some extent.

The human spirit is really weak. Physiological, environmental, social and many other aspects can have an impact.

"Wait a moment!"

The bathroom door opened, and a white mist carrying a faint fragrance gushed out. Kisaki Eri, wrapped in a thick lavender bathrobe, went out and looked at Yingsheng lying on the sofa. Her cheeks were covered with blushes, probably from the steaming heat, and there were a few drops of crystal water on the white skin of her chest that had not been wiped off.

"Why are you suddenly analyzing all this, and from my perspective?"

"Of course it's to get to know you better. I'm very curious about you now." Yingsheng looked over with a smile, "Do you feel dizzy and weak? Do you want to go to the hospital?"

"I induced vomiting in time, so there's no problem. Besides, I didn't swallow much even though I swallowed it dry." Hibiki wiped her hair with a white towel. "Didn't you agree to just treat me as myself? Why are you talking about those things again?"

"Because of your previous actions... No, from the moment we met in the cafe, there was no such possibility at all." Yingsheng sighed, "Ms. Liufeng no longer exists. There is only Lawyer Fei in this world."

"Then what are you still doing here, waiting for me as your elder to teach you a lesson?" Hibiki Eri said coldly, "Don't worry that I will get impulsive. If you hadn't caught up with me for no apparent reason, the previous incident wouldn't have happened at all."

"Your words are not convincing at all. I didn't hear any footsteps at the beginning. Did you keep the sleeping pills on the shoe cabinet?"

"I just want to take a pill, have a good sleep, and forget everything the next morning." There was some contempt in Kisaki Eri's tone, "This is how adults heal after being injured. A child like you won't understand."

"Oh, I'm really sorry for meddling in your business..."

Doorbell rang.

The voice of the security guard downstairs was heard, saying that he had placed the things at the door of Hibari Eri. Less than ten seconds later, the sound of the elevator closing was heard again.

"The takeaway I ordered has arrived. Could you please go and pick it up?" Yingsheng said.

"Mind your own business." Hibiki Eri walked towards the door. "There are ingredients in the refrigerator. I can cook for myself."

Of course she knew that this was ordered by Yingsheng for her, because she had used saline solution to induce vomiting and gastric lavage many times before, and her stomach was indeed empty now.

And letting her get it herself was, of course, to prevent people from seeing a man in the home of a young woman living alone.

"I also want to taste your cooking, but unfortunately I had to dress like a gentleman for dinner, and now I'm starving." Yingsheng stood up and took the large food box that Kisara brought back, and walked towards the dining table. "But I think I ordered too much, can you help me?"

"So, what do you want now?" Hibiki Eri went to the bathroom to blow dry her hair.

"Let's eat first and chat."

Yingsheng was setting the dishes on the dining table. The rich aroma of food gradually wafted into the air, filling the room with lights in the dark night.

"There's nothing to talk about. Just leave after you finish eating. Just pretend that what happened today never happened."

"Unfortunately, this is the only thing I can't do."

Yingsheng said calmly, "Let me ask you a question. If everything from this afternoon when we met in the cafe was a dream and my face was blurry and unreal, what would you think?"

"What? This is just a dream. I'm going to buy the music box tomorrow."

"Okay, pretend I didn't say that."

"You!" Kisaki Eri's tone suddenly became a little angry, but after spitting out one word, she didn't say anything else.

After she finished blow-drying her hair, Yingsheng had dinner with her and asked her about some legal issues related to taxes.

"Kacha——!"

Kisaki Eri almost bit the chopsticks off, but when she saw Yingsheng's calm face, some of her anger finally dissipated.

But she was in no mood to answer questions, and had no appetite either. She just said a few perfunctory words and got up to wash her hands.

"I'm stuffed."

Yingsheng glanced at the rice she had just taken a bite of, and felt that he would have to use his skills after all, so he simply put down his bowl and chopsticks.

"I just said that we can turn everything today into a dream, maybe through hypnosis. Do you want to try it?"

Kisaki Eri stopped rubbing her hands and let the water flow for a long time before she silently turned off the faucet, dried her hands, and returned to the dining table.

"How to do it?"

"It's simple in theory. Just sit down and look into my eyes." Hotaru looked at Kisaki Eri.

"Do you know how to hypnotize?" Hibiki Eri sat back in her seat.

"Maybe." Yingsheng activated [Illusion] and began to whisper softly to make Kisaki Eri relax.

He had little experience in this area, but the effect was still very significant. Kisaragi's tense face soon softened again, and her eyes, which had been deliberately calm, began to show ripples again.

Yingsheng felt that the effect should be about right, so he issued the first command:
"Now, continue eating."

Hibiki let out a "puff" and couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh, "Is this your hypnosis skill? It's really amazing."

Yingsheng was stunned for a moment. He first doubted that his hypnosis skills were not good enough, but suddenly he thought of a bad possibility and smiled calmly.

"I learned this from a professional. When I used it on someone else before, he regarded me as his beloved."

Kisaki Eri snorted, "You were so serious before, why are you suddenly speaking sweet words?"

Yingsheng's heart skipped a beat and he confirmed his guess.

The image of herself in Kisaki Eri's eyes has not changed, which means that what she is most looking forward to in her heart is "Mizuki Hotaru"!
The basis of hypnosis derived from [Illusion] is to make the target "subconsciously identify". Yingsheng easily achieves this step and can begin to make some reasonable adjustments to Kisaki Eri's consciousness.

But if he wanted Kisaki Eri to forget him, then her subconscious mind would definitely resist this, and hypnosis would not be able to achieve it at all!
Yingsheng felt complicated and didn't understand why Kisaragi took him so seriously.

But he naturally didn't show it on his face, just smiled slightly.

"Because I'm a little tired of pretending, and you know me well enough anyway, so you might as well just reveal your true nature."

Kisaki Eri's stomach growled twice, her face blushed slightly, and she picked up the chopsticks to pick up some food again.

"You still have some conscience."

"Tell me about your past. I don't quite understand why you care about me so much." Yingsheng continued to eat.

Perhaps [Illusion] did have some effect after all, and Kisaki Eri did not avoid it anymore, but just glanced at Hotaru.

"You are usually a very free and easy person. Why do you care so much about your social status when you are here with me?"

"You know the reason." Yingsheng said.

"Because of Xiaolan, ah, I am somewhat envious..."

"Stop!"

Yingsheng raised his hand quickly, "This topic is too...well...I mean, even if you are no longer Miss Liufeng, I can still get to know you again, as an individual, without any social attributes."

Hotaru thought about Kisaki Eri's previous behavior, and changed his words midway to avoid further trouble.

"Family, collective, country, these are concepts that only exist in human imagination. In the real world, there have only been individuals," said Eri Kisaki.

"You are right, so stand at the end of the timeline and look back, analyzing your past from an objective perspective." Yingsheng said, "This will allow me to understand you better, and it will also allow you to recognize yourself and improve yourself."

"Are you a psychiatrist?" Kisaki Eri rolled her eyes at him. "From an objective perspective, what you said while I was taking a shower was very true. Dissatisfaction is something that accumulates gradually in daily life. There's nothing I particularly dislike about Kogoro."

"Since you are Xiaolan's strategist, you should know it very well."

"Kogoro has all kinds of problems, none of them are serious. I am helpless most of the time. Sometimes I just say a few words to him or punch him."

"I can accept these minor flaws for a short period of time, but he has never changed and has completely ignored my words."

"It was like fuel accumulating over the years, and on that day ten years ago, it finally exploded."

"I won't go into the details, but the bottom line is that the marriage was too hasty."

"Before we got married, we didn't live together for a long time, and most of the time we spent together was at school, so a lot of problems were covered up."

"But after marriage, all kinds of problems came to light."

"Especially when it comes to taking care of Xiaolan, I feel like he, as a father, doesn't care about his daughter at all."

"Anyway, I moved out and lived alone."

"Distance creates beauty. Without the friction in life, I sometimes think of his goodness in the past and pay attention to his recent situation."

"It turned out that he was not doing his job, was drunk every day, and often went to nightclubs."

"Of course I can't go back like this. Ten years have passed before I know it."

Kisaki Eri's tone was always calm, and it was obvious that after experiencing countless disappointments, she had let go of that side.

Yingsheng felt like scratching his head after hearing this. "Then you have helped the poor many times for love before? And you said this afternoon that you still don't want to give up on him and hope that he can change?"

"Who do you think is the one who made me never want to look back?" Hibiki Eri said unhappily, "And could I have told you all this this afternoon? I just met you offline for the first time, and I told you that I wanted to divorce my husband. What kind of person would I be?"

"... Since you can be influenced by an online friend of mine, it's confirmed that you are also in need of love."

"Yes, yes, but your charm is simply foul, what can I do?"

Kisaki Eri choked and was about to get some water when a cup was handed to her, causing her to let out a soft sigh.

"You see, that's it."

After she finished drinking the water, she found that the tissue was also placed in the most convenient place, and looked at Yingsheng helplessly.

"If it weren't for you, I feel like my previous lifestyle could have lasted at least another ten years."

"But after you showed up, even if I didn't want to compare you with Kogoro, the comparison objectively existed."

"Uh..." Hotaru felt that what he did to Maori Kogoro in the past was self-inflicted, which definitely strengthened the comparison. However, "I am an online friend, and sweet talk doesn't cost money, so what kind of comparison can there be?"

"Do you think I'm stupid? We've been chatting for almost two months. I can't be so stupid that I can't even tell whether you're sincere or not." Hibiki tapped the rim of her water glass. "Ask a question. I can't control my eyes. What's the next sentence?"

"I couldn't help but go see him, just like a thirsty person who knows the water is poisonous but still drinks it." Yingsheng said, "It's from Jane Eyre. You sent me a photo of afternoon tea. The book was placed next to the black tea. It was the English version."

"You are very observant." Hibiki Eri looked at Hotaru with her beautiful eyes.

"This only proves that I have a good memory, nothing else." Yingsheng sighed, "I understand what you want to express. I am honored, but I still don't understand it enough. With your conditions, it is impossible for you not to feel warmth in reality."

“…I’m angry.”

"...I'm sorry, but we met on the forum, and you're a married person, so...uh...so...you know what I mean."

"...Can I punch you first?"

"Please!" Yingsheng immediately stuck his head out.

Hibiki Eri punched Yingsheng hard on the head and glared at him with an embarrassed look, "What's the first question you asked me?"

Yingsheng rubbed his head with a distorted expression, and said with a breath: "Under what circumstances can I kill someone without breaking the law." "Have I replied to you, the criminal in reserve?"

"of course not."

"What's your second question?"

"I looked up some laws and thought that if we combined 'manslaughter' and 'plea bargain' and had a good lawyer, this problem could be easily solved. But Japan doesn't have a clear system for plea bargains, so I asked you how to do it specifically."

“What did I reply?”

"You advised me to turn myself in."

"So, Mr. Danqing, did you turn yourself in?" Kisaki Eri said with a smile, "Besides, do you think I would chat with people in the legal forum..."

"I'm so sorry!" Yingsheng immediately stood up and bowed 90 degrees, "You are absolutely devoted to the law, and it was me who shamelessly went astray."

Kisara sneered, "Where is the turning point?"

"I complained after asking you about Japan's definition of usury. It said that a pretty high school girl could borrow 30 million without any collateral, while a middle-aged man in his thirties could only borrow 1 million even if he used his car as collateral."

"You replied to me and said you had called the police. After that, I treated your place as my tree hole."

"…Why are you suddenly using honorifics?" asked Hibari.

"Well... you, mainly during that time, I am really grateful to you." Yingsheng spread his hands, "I really want to pay you for the consultation, but you don't want to tell me your card number."

"You also said that as long as I turn over a new leaf, you will be satisfied. Really..."

"But now it seems that you are indeed a bad guy." Hibiki Eri sighed, "And you haven't changed yet."

"I'm really sorry for being a scumbag. Can I still repent?" Yingsheng bowed again.

"It's good that you know. This is what happened anyway. Chatting with you was just a coincidence." Kisaki Eri avoided the question.

"In other words, because of your past experiences, you have closed your heart and refused all emotional involvement from the outside world?" Yingsheng returned to his seat. "You devote all your energy to your work as a lawyer. You are precise and calm. No wonder you can become the undefeated queen."

"Haha, I don't know how many people have laughed at me in private." Kisaki Eri drank the water in the glass in one gulp, just like drinking wine, "From what I heard, some people said that it was because I was too strong that Kogoro couldn't stand me."

"Morning mushrooms do not know the new moon and full moon, and cicadas do not know spring and autumn. Such words are nothing but noise." Yingsheng said.

"Do you think everyone is like you, daring to say in front of the whole world that you are a firefly?" Hibiki went to the bar and took a bottle of red wine. "I am also a woman, okay? Even if it's only occasionally, I would also like to have someone around me to talk to."

Hotaru grabbed the bottle as Kisaki Eri poured the wine, "I used to be alcohol, work, and sleep, but now I don't have to be that anymore."

"No, it's still the same." Fei Yingli tried hard to pour the wine, but she couldn't persuade Yingsheng after all, so she could only stare into his eyes, "Danqing died when he left the painting, is there any other possibility?"

"Of course." Yingsheng picked up a stir-fried shrimp with his left hand and put it to Kisaki Eri's mouth, "There are also delicious foods."

"…Your mental problems are definitely not minor."

"Ah~~"

"I have my own hands." Hibiki took a bite of the shrimp and let go of the bottle. "Anyway, the topic is gradually expanding and deepening, and so is the frequency of chat."

"Before, our chats spanned a long period of time, and I would only reply when I saw the message, but later on, the chats became more frequent."

Yingsheng picked up his phone and sent a message to Miss Liufeng on Skype. Ten seconds later, a clear and long ringtone sounded on Kisaki Eri's phone.

"...So you set a special ringtone for me. No wonder you replied in the middle of the night. Sorry for disturbing your sleep."

"...Other people's ringtones are the same." Hibiki glanced at the message on her phone and raised her eyebrows slightly. "You said goodbye to me, saying that you finally saw the magnificent scenery of Senkawa Ryukae and you won't have any regrets. What does this mean?"

"Chuunibyou." Hotaru said.

"..."

Kisaki Eri also replied on her phone. After a while, Yingsheng's phone vibrated slightly and the screen lit up.

The above content is:

"Bye, maybe you can draw it."

Yingsheng laughed softly, clicked on the maple leaf avatar, and was about to delete the friend, but was stopped by Kisaki Eri.

"Hey, is it necessary?"

"I will remember these things forever, and we won't need to keep any memories in the future." Having said that, Yingsheng still clicked back, "My painting skills are average, but I'm good at sketching people. Do you want to be my model?"

"Forget it, you really do know a little bit about everything."

"Because I'm greedy." Yingsheng looked around, "Come to think of it, you're longing for company, don't you have a Tom at home?"

"...Tom is a British shorthair, and Goro is a Russian blue cat. I asked Kuriyama to take care of him for the past two weeks. You know why."

"…So you really are addicted to online romance. I am really guilty of a serious crime."

"Haha, the most important thing is today's date. If you perform worse, you might be exposed." Kisaki Eri supported her cheek with her left hand, her tone distressed.

"You turned out to be too perfect, and it's even more comprehensive than the words say."

"He is gentle and considerate, has a sense of humor, is not deliberate or impatient, and understands me very well. He is simply the perfect boyfriend."

"To be honest, I've never been in a relationship except with Kogoro."

"I can't resist you at all."

Yingsheng was speechless and sighed for a while, "You are experienced and shouldn't be deceived by me so easily."

"…I'm sorry that my rational fortress is so fragile, but the main reason is that you are too foul."

"Hmm...did no one pursue you when you were a student?"

"I have received many love letters, but few of them actually took action, and I wouldn't pay attention to them." Kisaki Eri tapped her cheek with her index finger. "On the one hand, it's because of Kogoro, and on the other hand, I think those little boys are very childish."

"Ha, Queen Teitan, I have long heard of your great name. I..."

"Don't mention this title anymore. It's just like the 'Undefeated Queen'. It looks glorious at ordinary times, but when you are alone, you will find that it is not a good name at all." Hibiki Eri pouted slightly, "Do you know Fujimine Yukiko?"

"of course."

"She was in the same class as me in high school. She was prettier than me, but she got along well with everyone and was at least a hundred times more approachable than I was."

"Do not believe."

"Tsk, that's the truth. Anyway, I envy her, but I can never learn to be like her, so I can only keep a cold face all the time." Kisaki Eri paused, "Come to think of it, in the past only Kogoro knew my true character, no wonder I ended up with him."

"Wish you……"

"It's a pity that even if he knew, it seems to have no effect. At most, it's like Nobita Nobi to Minamoto Shizuka."

“…This is also very useful.”

"Really? You don't have any childhood sweetheart complex, do you? After talking to you to this extent, do you still want me to go back and get back together with Kogoro?"

Kisaki Eri knocked on the table.

"I'm serious. Even if you turn around and leave now, I will never accept him again."

"He hasn't changed at all over the years, and I can't expect miracles anymore."

"Besides, it's totally impossible to make him change to be like you."

"Hey hey, I was wrong." Yingsheng stood up and began to clean up the dishes. "It seems that I should have turned around and left after I found out it was you this afternoon. Really, I overestimated my hypnosis skills. I thought I could put a perfect end to this matter, but I messed it up."

Hibiki laughed again, "Your hypnosis skills are quite powerful. I have never told these words to anyone else before, and you are no exception."

"Question: If you bury your feelings too deeply, what will happen next?" Yingsheng asked.

"Um……"

"From Pride and Prejudice, that is sometimes a bad thing. If a woman hides her feelings for the man she loves, she loses her chance to get him."

Hibiki Eri held down Yingsheng's hand, her eyes lit up with a different light, "You mean, after you fully understood my feelings, you have already made a choice?"

"Do I have any other choice? I can't really leave you alone." Yingsheng touched the back of his hand, "Be careful that your sleeves don't get stained with oil."

"But... it's not nice for us to do this." Kisaki Eri withdrew her hand and stood up to clean up.

"So what's your best strategy?"

"Not at all, otherwise I wouldn't have avoided it before. Um...how far have you and Xiaolan come?"

"...When you feel better, Xiaolan and I will come to visit you, and then you will know."

Yingsheng felt extremely embarrassed and immediately went to wash his hands after packing his things.

"When Kogoro and I argued in the hospital last time, he said that he could no longer control Xiaolan. I guess the degree is not low."

Kisaki Eri followed and leaned against the bathroom door.

"...I say, you don't have a very bad nature, do you? Are you looking for excitement now?" Yingsheng had an expression that said "I've found a pervert."

"...Didn't you want me to explain this clearly? This can be considered as making up your mind."

Hibiki Eri's eyes wandered, "Anyway, I am very incompetent in the family. Many things...really, couldn't you continue to pretend to be confused before?"

"That would be very disrespectful to you." Yingsheng washed his hands for a long time and finally picked it up.

"What about when you carried me into the bathroom earlier?"

"...Don't tell me that you thought of something terrible at that time. You took sleeping pills and needed to induce vomiting. No matter how much of a scumbag I am, at least I have the beginnings of a human form." Yingsheng entered the bathroom and closed the translucent frosted glass partition door.

Hibiki's cheeks flushed and she turned her head away. "No, I just think that this way the problem will be simpler."

"Passion cannot last forever. What did that book you read yesterday say?"

"Can not remember."

After taking a look at the blurry silhouette of Hotaru taking off his clothes on the glass door, Kisaki Eri went to the bedroom to find a set of unused disposable toiletries and placed them outside the bathroom door.

"I am very confused now. I can't remember a word of what I read before."

"This is all my fault. I am unforgivable. Just say whatever you want. You know, there is no going back now."

Amid the "splashing" sound of water, Yingsheng's voice is still clear.

"What are you talking about..."

Hibiki Eri leaned against the washing machine and thought for a moment, "I saw it before at the Beika Central Hospital. Miss Aida took Kogoro to do a psychological test. Today, Xiaolan pretended not to know you, and I was a little suspicious at the time."

"Then you said in the cafe that you would face greater moral condemnation, and I was roughly certain of that."

"But I was really bad, because I was so obsessed with that kind of warmth that I didn't even continue to explore."

"If you hadn't been so clear in your attitude in the car, I really would have wanted to remain confused."

I am really shameless.

But, that long-lost sense of ease and joy, that unprecedented subtle feeling of accelerated heartbeat, that warm concern that has been missing in the past ten years...

It's totally irresistible.

Yingsheng asked, "Have you seen Garfield?"

"Have seen a little bit."

"In one episode, Garfield gets lost and ends up in a pet store. Jon finds him in the pet store that evening. Garfield gives a monologue to the fourth wall, saying he will never ask Jon why he ended up in the pet store."

"That's a very smart move." said Eri Kisaki.

"But if it didn't ask, it would never know. Jon went to almost all the pet shops in the city that day and finally found it at sunset," said Yingsheng.

Kiyori was stunned.

"Now, can I call you Eri?" asked Yingsheng.

"I... maybe..." Hibiki hesitated for a moment, "Can it be later?"

"of course can."

"I'm sorry, I... I don't know what to do, I..." Her delicate red lips were almost dripping with water. She pursed her lips gently, turned around and left, her voice trembling a little, "I'll wait for you in the room."

In fact, when she took the initiative to invite Dan Qingsheng to meet offline, she had already mentally anticipated all of this.

Although some accidents happened afterwards.

But a moment later, when Kisaki Eri saw Hotaru, wrapped in a white bathrobe, enter the bedroom, she still had a strange feeling.

Everything is finally back on track.

"Let's go to hell together, Eri."

When she heard those warm and gentle whispers, the ice and shackles in Kisaki Eri's heart finally melted away completely.

I died for a while in the afternoon...OTZ
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(End of this chapter)