Traveling back thirty years to Conan, intercepting Princess Eri

Chapter 369 You are all my wings
“Senior, Zero is still young,” Midori Orikasa chuckled, covering her mouth. “Isn’t it a bit inappropriate for you to teach him to lie?”

Chengshi didn't speak, but nodded in agreement.

"When will I teach you..." Lin Xiuyi retorted in surprise, her eyes wide open and her face innocent.

Before he could finish speaking, Furuya Rei suddenly wailed, "Master, you can't turn your back on us! You told me before that if you saw Master's wife and the others looking for you, you should make an excuse to help you get away..."

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Lin Xiuyi's temple throbbed with anger. "When did I ever teach you this rubbish!"

"Stop pretending!" Eri Kisaki snorted coldly. "Zero is just a child. No one taught him. How could he lie to us?"

"Exactly!" Yukiko rarely agreed with Eri Kisaki. She stomped her foot angrily, like a cat with its fur standing on end. "Shuichi, you've gone too far!"

"Onii-chan," Reiko looked up, her big, watery eyes filled with disappointment. "Didn't you teach me that if you do something wrong, you should bravely admit it?"

Faced with the three girls' aggressive gazes, Lin Xiu felt her temples throbbing.

He glared fiercely at Furuya Rei. "You little brat, you've really screwed me over today!"

"Hmph, silence means consent," Eri Kisaki snorted coldly, turning her face away. "If you don't want to be with me, just say so. Why bother having someone cover for you?"

"Exactly!" Yukiko stood with her hands on her hips, angrily questioning, "You slipped away from us just now, did you go to find another girl?"

“Others.” Reiko keenly caught the key word and immediately turned her suspicious gaze to the few girls watching the commotion.

"Hey, why are you looking at me like that?" Tomizawa Chikage rolled her eyes in annoyance. "I was just taking care of Narumi the whole time."

"I've been with Koizumi-senpai the whole time," Midori hurriedly waved her hand to explain, her fair cheeks slightly flushed with nervousness.

“It shouldn’t be them,” Eri Kisaki said thoughtfully, rubbing her chin as her sharp gaze swept back and forth between the group. “If Shuichi were with them, he wouldn’t have arrived last.”

"Could it be that hot-tempered young lady?" Yukiko suddenly had a flash of inspiration. "This morning, when Shuichi and Kogoro saw her, their expressions were obviously off, and that woman seemed angry with them too."

"How could that be?" Lin Xiuyi chuckled dryly. "She's obviously just naturally bad-tempered."

"Bad temper?" Reiko pouted. "Then why does she only get angry at you guys, Onii-chan? It must be something you and Kogoro-nii did!"

“I know why!” Furuya Rei raised his hand obsequiously. “Last night in the hotel elevator, we ran into that young lady twice. It seems that Master and Kogoro said something that angered her.”

"Really?" Eri squinted at her childhood friend.

Under the watchful eyes of a group of girls, Lin Xiu had no choice but to bite the bullet and explain, "Kogoro said he wanted to live a life of luxury. I mouthed, 'If you marry this young lady, you can live a life of luxury, right?'"

"And then she saw it?" Yukiko asked curiously.

"Hmm," Lin Xiuyi nodded dejectedly, recalling the embarrassing scene from last night, "She probably noticed it through the metallic reflection in the elevator."

"Serves you right!" Lingzi clapped her hands and laughed gleefully, her eyes curving into crescents.

Eri Kisaki and Yukiko both breathed a sigh of relief.

The two exchanged a knowing glance—thankfully, it wasn't another rival in love.

In their eyes, Lin Xiuyi offending that young lady was actually a good thing. "I really was just wandering around the shrine alone," Lin Xiuyi explained, his tone almost pitifully sincere. "I got tired and was thinking of coming back, but then I saw you interrogating Zero."

After confirming that Lin Xiuyi hadn't gone to see any other girls, the expressions of the three girls, including Fei Yingli, softened considerably.

"What are we doing now?" Yukiko raised her wrist and looked at her watch. "The bus doesn't leave for another two hours."

“It’s too boring to just wait here,” Reiko said, glancing at her brother, her meaning clear.

Noticing that Eri Kisaki and Yukiko were also casting expectant glances at him, Hideaki Hayashi immediately became alert.

Not wanting to repeat the same mistake, he quickly said, "Since there's still time, why don't we all go to the shrine together! Chikage, Midori, Koizumi, you all come too!"

"Us?" Tomizawa Chikage pointed to herself in surprise.

“You are all my wings… no, we are all friends,” Lin Xiuyi said with a smile. “It’s more fun if we all go together.”

“Yes, you are all mine.” Lin Xiuyi almost blurted out “wings”, but fortunately he corrected himself in time. “...Friends, wouldn’t it be more interesting if we all worshiped together?”

Tomizawa Chikage and Orikasa Midori exchanged a glance. The former shrugged to indicate that she didn't care, while the latter nodded shyly.

Akane Koizumi pouted. She didn't really want to go, but since it was a rare opportunity to go out, she didn't want to stand out too much.

Although Eri and the other two were unwilling, they understood that it was now impossible for them to have a date with Hideaki Hayashi alone.

The three of them could only reluctantly accept the suggestion and exchanged a helpless look.

Eshima Shrine's history dates back to 552 AD, and it consists of three ancient shrines: Hetsu-gyu, Nakatsu-gyu, and Okutsu-gyu.

The goddess Benzaiten, enshrined here, is a beautiful goddess in Japanese mythology who governs music, eloquence, wealth, and longevity.

Benzaiten, also known as Benzaiten, is the only female deity among the Seven Lucky Gods of Japan.

In traditional portraits, she wears an eight-petaled lotus crown, holds a pipa (a Chinese lute), and sits gracefully on a lotus throne. As the embodiment of wisdom and art, she is deeply revered by scholars and artists.

Each of the three shrines at Eshima Shrine has its own unique characteristics. Among them, Okutsu Shrine is most famous for its "Happening Kame from All Directions" mural and the legendary "Dragon's Love Bell".

It is said that if lovers can ring this bell together, their love will be blessed by the goddess Benzaiten, and they will be happy forever.

The "love blessing" that Reiko had been longing for was referring to this romantic legend.

Eri Kisaki and Yukiko were obviously aware of this legend as well, and their previous desire to be alone with Shuichi Hayashi was naturally for the same reason as Reiko's.

The group strolled up the stone steps leading to Okujin Palace.

Eri Kisaki and Yukiko were too embarrassed to bring up the Dragon Love Bell.

Only Reiko, without any hesitation, hopped and skipped along, pulling her brother's arm and running impatiently towards the direction of Okutsu-no-miya.

(End of this chapter)